Bulletproof Witch

by F J Blair

  “You’re sure about that? Could buy a small town with what’s in those pouches.”

  “So we have a deal?”

  Martin seemed to chew that over, then nodded. “I suppose we do, and may the Three curse me should anything befall you because of the hasty decision of a foolish old man. No taking it back now, though.”

  He held out his hand. Temperance pulled the bandoliers from her shoulders, then hesitated. “Oh, and Mister Blackfire? There’s one more condition.”

  “Something else, after all this? Alright, what is it?”

  “My name is Temperance. Not girl, and it certainly isn’t girlie. Agreed?”

  Martin grunted. “I call my apprentices whatever I damn want. You best get used to that.”

  He snatched the bandoliers from her and turned towards the back stalls. “We leave at first light. Best get some sleep while you can. Temperance.”

  Once he was gone, Temperance dropped onto the hay bale. Her whole body was shaking, although whether that was from excess energy or a lingering effect of almost starving to death, she wasn’t certain. For the first time in a long while, she was actually looking forward to what tomorrow might bring.

  Cold Valley was the only home she knew, and other than a handful of trips to Smithton she had seen nothing of the world beyond the surrounding mountains. Part of her was terrified over what lay ahead, but another, much larger part of her could hardly bear to close her eyes. All she wanted was to course off into the night and never look back. After months of nothing but disaster, she was finally moving forward.

  The future might be uncertain, but at least she had one again.

  As she lay down to sleep, a thought that had been tickling the back of Temperance’s skull managed to work its way loose. She almost sat up again in her surprise.

  Martin never asked me what happened in the valley, or even if anyone else survived. Did he know already?

  If so, how?

  Chapter Nine

  Temperance awoke bathed in cold sweat, arms quivering, her whole body feeling like a wrung out rag. She glanced around and noticed William asleep a short distance away, muttering to himself in that strange language of his.

  Hell, did I fall asleep while on watch? We’re lucky we didn’t end up as something’s breakfast. She shook her head and stood up, the last lingering effects of her dreams fading away. The memory of them remained behind, however, same as all the other times. Memories of fire, and screams, and a black sun hanging amid a pale red sky.

  The first dream had come upon her back in Arkton. At the time she had thought it little more than stress and a touch of too much whiskey. There had not been another in all the time she recovered at Martin’s, but since leaving again they had begun anew.

  Probably nothing more than an aftereffect of seeing that horse-beast again, she told herself. Anyone would have nightmares after an encounter like that. Best if I don’t dwell on it too much.

  By the time William awoke she had cobbled together a passable hash from the last crumbled biscuits and a few eggs claimed from a nearby nest. The woodpecker they belonged to hadn’t exactly been pleased with her thieving, and Temperance almost fell trying to swat him away, but she reckoned the extra flavor worth the risk. Even now the smell wafting from the pan had her mouth watering.

  “I scouted the hills this morning,” she said by way of greeting as William lumbered over and sat down across from her. “Looks like our adventure yesterday knocked us off course more than I thought. It’ll be another day before we cross the Ozaka river, at the earliest. That’s the border for this territory, with Sweetwater waiting on the other side. After that all we need to do is catch the next train to Messanai City, and your little journey is complete.”

  “Is Sweetwater where you will be leaving me?”

  “Leaving you?” Temperance frowned. “Why would you think that?”

  The boy shrugged. “After yesterday, I thought you would wish to return to your own concerns.”

  “Never you mind about that. If I’m right about that horse-beast, putting a few more miles between us isn’t going to make much difference. Besides, I’ve got my own affairs in Messanai City that need tending to.”

  Now that she knew what to look for, Temperance guessed she wouldn’t have much trouble finding a reagent shop or two. Arkton might be the bigger city, but not by much, and that difference got less with each passing year. There was bound to be a practitioner of the arts who could tell her how to repair the binding rune on Astor’s forehead.

  “Anyway,” she continued, “We’ve got to get there first, and there’s still plenty of miles between us and Sweetwater. May need to travel the last of them hungry, but I’ll take that over more surprise visits from either of our admirers.”

  William blushed, and Temperance let out a chuckle at the sight. Might be coming out of his shell after all. He’ll have to get used to hearing worse comments than mine if he plans on living in the big city.

  That made her curious. “What’s waiting for you in Messanai City, anyway?”

  “My people, hopefully.”

  “People?”

  “More of those who have fled from Isterial.” He waved his hand in the general direction of the ocean. “There is a small community living in the city. One of them will take me in.”

  “Seems an awful risk, traveling all that way just to depend on the charity of others,” Temperance noted.

  “It is not about charity, it is about survival. In Isterial, we have a rule to always aid those who need it, for you never know if one night it will be you or someone you love who requires help. That was the first lesson my mother ever taught me as she lay whispering in my ear during the quiet daylight hours, telling me of our people’s forbidden history.” William shrugged. “I also have a few skills to offer them that others don’t. They will take me in.”

  Temperance opened her mouth to ask more about that, but the eggs started to smoke, demanding her full attention. By the time she had scraped them onto several pieces of tree bark serving for plates, the conversation had moved to other subjects.

  After breakfast they set out over the hills, the land around them not quite prairie, but not forest, either. The trees here were heavy, drooping things, just starting to show budding leaves that were long and pale like a gentry’s fingertip. The ground had grown loamy, soft enough in places it pulled at their boots with each step, leaving torn dirt and deep prints behind them.

  “When we come to the river we’ll cross through the salt marshes,” Temperance explained. “The ground will be even worse than it is here, and the whole place smells like a fish left too long on the pier, but it should be safe enough. A bit close to the ocean, but the river is slower and easier to ford there. If we try to cross further upstream, we’ll just as likely get swept down through the marsh, anyway.”

  The soil dried out around noon, turning the countryside to more open prairie as the hills fell away from them. Temperance began to spend more time watching for animal tracks, hoping to catch them something for their dinner, so it took longer than it should have before she noticed the sound.

  William drew to a sudden halt, glancing around as worry creased his forehead. “Temperance, do you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Then it registered: a deep, rumbling noise coming from around the next bend. It grew in strength until it echoed in her chest, leaving a fluttering feeling in Temperance’s stomach. She cocked her head, listened a moment, then smiled. “C’mon.”

  They moved through a stand of trees, then grassland spread out before them, this time a deep green color that promised a bountiful spring and summer in the coming months. Cool winds played across a valley that looked cut straight from a newspaper advert, with picturesque pasture stretching away into the distance and nothing but clear sky above. Temperance drew in a satisfied breath.

  Huddled before them in a braying mass and churning the grass churned to mud was a herd of orak five or six hundred strong. Those on the outskirts turned to regard the tw
o humans. Most of them were no taller than Temperance’s hip and showed signs of having their horns burned off when they were younger. The sight brought with it a wave of nostalgia.

  Now that is a proper orak herd if I ever saw one. Not like those gargantuan beasts they keep up north.

  In the distance Temperance spied the barest tip of a barn peeking over the horizon, freshly painted white roof glittering in the sunlight. Grabbing William’s hand, she led him around the edge of the herd. “Looks like the owner of these beasts is that way. With luck we can trade for a few more supplies to keep us fed until Sweetwater. Might even be able to sleep inside for a change.”

  “That would be nice.” William glanced nervously at the herd.

  “Something wrong? Do they not have orak on that island of yours?”

  “Is that the word for them? There are some that run wild in the hills around Reinstaht, although they are not anywhere so numerous.”

  Temperance chuckled. “If you think this lot is big, wait until we get closer to Messanai. A few ranches along the way have herds that can stretch for miles. Believe me, you’ll get real tired of orak after staring at them for several hours from a train window.”

  The rumbling faded away behind them, and the barn grew closer. A two-story farmhouse stood next to it. The building was a mix of freshly cut boards painted the same white as their barn, with a few broad timbers of the log house that likely preceded it mixed in for good measure.

  They were still a good distance off when the barking started. Out of the barn burst four or five dogs, all of them bigger than the orak, and with more muscle besides. They pelted across the grass, barking and yelping like they were trying their best to outdo each other.

  “Aw, Hell,” Temperance muttered to no one in particular. She drew her revolver as the first of the dogs reached them, a shaggy brown thing with jaws that looked strong enough to take down a horse. It bared its teeth and started to circle them.

  Temperance’s gaze darted from one animal to another, turning her body to keep all of them in front of her. A smaller dog with a spotted black and gray coat darted in to nip at her ankles. She swung her revolver butt-first and was rewarded with a high-pitched whine as it impacted with the side of the dog’s head. The animal retreated back to the others.

  Behind her, William had drawn his hammer. Temperance glanced at the boy, and in the daylight noticed that it was much bigger than she had first thought, heavy enough the boy needed two hands to keep it aloft.

  Where in the Divines has he been keeping that thing? It’s much too large to keep strapped under his coat.

  William swung the hammer around as another dog came in to harass him, but easily missed by a foot or more. He almost tumbled to the ground as his momentum pulled him forward. Temperance grabbed his coat at the last second.

  “Whatever you do, don’t fall over. These dogs are just trying to scare us off, but no sense getting their blood up.”

  The boy nodded and took another ineffectual swing as a dog snapped at him. Temperance shook her head and turned her attention back to the animals. The brown dog had drawn closer while she was distracted and let out a bark that left her ears ringing. She swung her revolver in reply, catching the leader on the tip of his nose. He growled but didn’t back down.

  “What in the blessed Three is going on here?” At the shout, the dogs ceased their yipping. A man in a sweaty shirt and overalls was running in their direction, rifle clenched between his hands. Behind him came two younger men that were similar enough they had to be his sons.

  The older man drew to a halt, leveling the rifle at Temperance. She immediately dropped her revolver and held her hands out. The brown dog let out one last growl, then padded over to the men and dropped on his haunches.

  Temperance didn’t take her eyes off the rifle. “Apologies for stirring up your animals there. We were hoping to inquire about some provisions, and maybe a place to bed down for the night.”

  The man grunted at that, then gave her a quick once-over. “Either of you with Whittaker’s gang?”

  The name set off a bell of recognition in Temperance’s skull, but she couldn’t quite remember where she had heard it. “No sir. Only two travelers who got lost in the wilderness and need to resupply.”

  “You’re not wanted for anything?”

  “Not that I know of, no.”

  The man glanced at William. “What about him?”

  “He just got to Korvana. I doubt he’s had time yet to get into any mischief.”

  “A foreigner, eh?” The farmer seemed to chew that over. “Well, aren’t we all in one way or another. Name’s Benjamin Dunpeal, and these here are my two oldest, Samuel and Edwin. And you are?”

  “Temperance, and this here is William.”

  “Well met, the both of you.” Benjamin lowered his rifle, and Temperance let out a breath. She retrieved her revolver and holstered it. Turning to William, she saw that the hammer had once again disappeared.

  I’m going to have to ask about that real soon. Putting her curiosity aside, she looked at the three farmers. “Sorry about your one dog, I may have hit him more than was necessary.”

  “Oh, don’t you worry about that, he’s always been overeager to prove himself.” The farmer waved them closer. “Come with me, we were just about to set down for a little dinner. I’ll send one of my boys up to the house for more food.”

  He led them back to the barn as the younger of his sons ran for the distant house. “So where you two bound for?”

  “Messanai City, by way of Sweetwater.”

  Benjamin glanced back at them. “You really did wander out in the wilds, didn’t you? Got turned around trying to pass through the redgrass?”

  “Something like that,” Temperance said. William started to open his mouth, but she elbowed him, and continued, “How long have you been homesteading out here?”

  “About forty years now, I’d say. My Pappy got a land grant for his time in the service, but didn’t live long enough to see it used. Fortunately Mama was tough as nails herself and brought me and my brother down from Arkton. Been living here ever since, although my brother has since gone and taken the blue as well.”

  They settled on a pair of logs set before the barn, and Benjamin produced several slices of bread slathered with a smooth, homemade orak butter. “We’ll have to share this round until Samuel gets back with more. You just staying the one night?”

  Temperance nodded. “I aim to be in Sweetwater by tomorrow evening if I can.”

  “Not on foot, you won’t. Takes me at least three days to circle the marshes, and that’s with my horses.” He jerked a thumb towards the barn.

  “We were thinking to cross through the marshes, save a bit of time that way.”

  “Hell.” The farmer snorted. “Now why would you want to do a thing like that? No amount of saved time is worth dealing with that place. Why not just go down to the coast, save yourself some trouble?”

  Temperance glanced at William. “We have our reasons.”

  “Suit yourself, but don’t come crying back to me if you lose your boots.” Benjamin paused, and tapped his chin. “If it’s a matter of supplies, I’d be happy to see you two provisioned for the extra journey for a little labor this afternoon. Would mean working up a sweat, though.”

  “It’s more than just the supplies, but we’re willing to help around here however we can. Seeing how you’re taking us in, and all.”

  The farmer let out a laugh. “That easy, huh? Alright, glad to hear it, we’re behind on the ixtl harvest as it is. Could use an extra hand or two. You know your way around swinging a hammer?”

  “I reckon that shouldn’t be a problem.” Temperance glanced over at William. “You fine with that?”

  “I think so? I am happy to help, if it means a roof over our heads tonight.”

  “Then it’s settled!” Benjamin clapped his hands together. “We’ll head out right after we’re done eating.”

  When the last of the bread was gone, the
farmer and his sons hitched up a pair of cream-colored plow horses to a wagon and led them east. Temperance could make out a slash of red on the distant horizon, likely another patch of redgrass similar to the one she and William had passed through the day before. Around them, the prairie had begun to show signs of the grass’s influence, most of the plants shriveled and dry already.

  William noticed as well and turned to her, a slight frown furrowing his brow. “I thought the redgrass was poisonous. What sort of crop do they harvest so close to it?”

  “Not a crop, and not livestock, either. Least, not exactly.”

  The boy’s frown deepened. “I do not understand.”

  “You’ll see in a moment, I reckon.” The wagon drew to a halt. “Looks like we’re here.”

  Before them stretched a wide path of bare dirt, running directly along the edge of the redgrass field. At its center was a road made of glittering crystal, reflecting the sunlight back in a half-dozen different colors.

  “It is beautiful,” William commented as they hopped from the wagon. “Who made it?”

  As if in answer, an enormous head appeared above the nearest redgrass. If Temperance hadn’t been expecting it already, she might have assumed it was the horse-beast, back on their trail already. Other than its size, however, this creature was quite different. It had reddish-gold skin that glistened in the sun, with eyes at the end of long stalks that wiggled as they turned in the direct of the wagon. Reaching down, the creature grabbed a large mouthful of redgrass and tugged the plants out by the roots, chewing in a slow, contented fashion.

  William almost fell over as he scrambled backwards, cowering behind Temperance. “Faurdamm das! Another monster?”

  “Kid really is new to Korvana, ain’t he?” Benjamin said. He and his sons let out good-natured laughs and collected several large mallets from the wagon, ignoring the massive creature entirely. One of the boys held a pair out to them.

  Temperance took a mallet and glanced at the crystal road. “Are we breaking the slime into sheets, then?”

  “That’s right. My boys and I will grind the pieces up later back at the farm. No sense going to all the trouble out here.”