by Jen Pretty
"Agan," I whispered, barely audible over the crisp wind.
I held my breath, waiting for something to happen, but the meat just swung from the branch taunting me. I raised my arm and said "Agan" a little louder and the meat seemed to quiver as though a ghost possessed it. The wind gust, blowing the swinging food around.
I watched it for a moment longer before sitting up and glancing around to all the houses. They were all still dark, and no sound reached my ears, so I glanced up again and raised my arm and said "Agan!"
The meat swung wildly against its rope as if it were a horse fighting its tie. The wind blew, nearly knocking me over. A moment later, with a deafening crack, the entire branch and all the meat fell from the tree. I jumped to my feet and ran forward, grabbed a few handfuls of meat before racing back to the small shack and creeping through the door.
My heart was pounding in my ears as I passed Paxton's sleeping form, closing the door with a soft click, then sat down on the bed with my two handfuls of meat. It was more than I had ever eaten at once and I knew it would make me sick to eat it all myself.
"Paxton," I whispered.
He snorted awake, sitting up and drawing his blade at the same moment.
"It's just me," I said, leaning back on the bed so I was out of his reach.
"Sorry," he whispered, sheathing his blade.
"They left some meat on the carcass. I found it on the ground near the fire. It's probably still good." I handed him the meat.
He tried to look at it, but it was too dark. If there was dirt on the meat, it wouldn't kill us.
"I can't believe they just left this on the ground. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing these people would do."
I shrugged my shoulders, my mouth full of the succulent food. We ate quietly for several minutes as I felt my stomach filling to beyond full. I lay down and chewed the last piece, letting my stomach expand. I felt warm and tired then. No longer cold thanks to my run across the village and my stomach was full.
I closed my eyes and was asleep in moments.
✽ ✽ ✽
"Morgan, wake up." Paxton's voice was close to my ear, and I lurched awake, nearly bumping heads with him as he was leaning over me.
Voices were yelling from outside the window.
"Get up, we have to leave."
I shot up from beneath the blankets. "What? Why?" I pulled my boots on, lacing them quickly.
"They think we are a bad omen because their food was ruined last night." He glanced at me, then turned back to gathering his sword and knives, tucking them into sheaths and strapping them to himself.
I bit my lip and tucked my book carefully under my waistband, saying nothing, though I could tell Paxton was thinking about the meat I brought him the night before. I would need to be more careful in the future.
As we stepped out of the cottage, the entire town was standing in a group staring at us.
"Don't come back," a man in a wide brim hat said.
We hustled around the shack. Paxton quickly threw the tack on Midnight while I swung up on Copper. I used my legs to steer him towards the path heading south. A deep feeling of shame washed over me as I saw a few small children sitting under a tree in the middle of the village. I had ruined all that meat, meant to feed them and the rest of the villagers. All for a few handfuls that barely filled my stomach for the night.
The villagers returned to their cabins as our horses walked on, leaving them behind. But the old man who had been sitting in the rocking chair when we walked into town was on the path ahead. He stopped and faced us, his hunched shoulders and thin legs making him look even older than the day before. A strong wind would have knocked him over.
"I told them not to trust you," his voice cracked in to laughter again. "Evil follows you," he whispered to Paxton before glancing at me. Copper had stopped directly behind Midnight, making it look as though I was following him and accentuating the old man's accusation.
Paxton dropped his chin and said "good day" before passing the man. We rode back into the forest where the morning sun glittered through the leaves casting a marbled shadow on the forest floor. The earthy scent tickled my nose. We didn't speak for a long time. Only the sound of the horses' hooves on the packed ground broke up the soft rustle of leaves and distant sound of birds singing.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Are you angry with me Paxton?"
He turned his head to look at me. I had been riding behind him the whole morning, studying his back and the long sword strapped to it.
"I'm not angry, Morgan. I have no idea how you managed to break a branch as thick as you are, though."
My mouth remained closed, no words coming. I knew that he knew about magic. It didn't make sense that he wouldn't put the two together.
He turned back to the path ahead of us and we walked on in silence again. It wasn't as heavy now. It felt like a calm quiet. The horses' hooves weren't oppressive; they were lively. After another hour, I took out my book and read the next page in the book. I decided to read one page at a time until I had it memorized, even if I wasn't sure I was pronouncing the words correctly. Maybe someone in Avalon could correct the pronunciation for me once I got there. The idea that there would be teachers who would help me learn this magic like Margarette was trying to do.
A word from the middle of the book came to my mind suddenly as if it were dropped into my thoughts. Foreiernan. It meant run, and I wasn't sure how that was even a magic word.
We rode for hours before it became clear. We crossed a creek and into a thick forest. Copper nickered and slowed his pace, raising his head and snorting into the air with big puff of air. "Foreiernan." The word came out in a whisper a second before figures jumped out of the bushes all around us, yelling and swinging swords.
"Raiders!" Paxton yelled.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Midnight reared and screamed as the men grabbed hold of his halter. Paxton slid off, unsheathing his sword at the same moment.
Men suddenly surrounded me and tried to grab Copper, but he reared and spun, striking out at them and knocking them away.
"Run!" Paxton roared at me and Copper didn't need convincing.
His hooves thundered across the ground, rounding a sharp bend and out into and open field. I could hear hooves coming up behind me and glanced back to find Midnight and two raiders on horseback chasing.
"Foreiernan," I yelled to Copper. It meant run, and that was exactly what we did. Copper raised his tail, flagging it behind him as he dropped his head and flattened out, leaving the men and midnight behind. He had never run so fast. Even in his younger days when he and I were both a bit reckless. I gripped Copper's mane and buried my head to avoid being struck by the low branches as we reentered another thick wood. This one was dark, and the path was winding, causing Copper to slow to a trot so he could make his way in.
"Whoa," I said and Copper stopped, his flanks heaving and breathing ragged.
I couldn't hear anything over the sound of his breath, but was sure no one had followed me.
"Okay, let’s keep going for a while," I whispered to Copper. I wanted to turn around and make sure Paxton was okay, but I wasn't trained to fight and there were too many raiders. The men would just capture or kill me.
I lay my head down on Copper's neck and let the tears come. I had never been so scared in my life, but panic for Paxton was overwhelming.
"Let's go back," I said, using my leg to turn Copper around. He turned, but stopped and refused to go forward. "Come on, buddy." I nudged him on, but he still refused. More tears flowed and finally I slid off his back and began walking back the way we had come.
Copper’s hot breath stayed on my shoulder as he followed me, but it was such a slow pace and we had run so far that the trek back was taking much longer on foot.
A distant whinny reached my ears, and I froze, thinking it was the raider's horses, but the thunder of hooves sounded familiar and the black form of Midnight crested the hill ahead, rider-less.
&n
bsp; Copper called back in a soft nicker and the big black gelding skidded to a halt before me, nuzzling my chest.
"Hey, where's your owner?" I asked him. The horse turned and marched back the way he had come. I turned back to Copper. "You ready to cooperate now?" I asked him before swinging up onto his back. He shook his head but followed the bigger gelding down the path.
I ran my hand down Copper’s neck, more to comfort myself than anything. Neither horse seemed upset now. Their tails swished and heads shook flies from them, though both horses still had sweat staining them.
We rounded a bend in the path that looked familiar and ahead was a lump on the ground about the size of Paxton.
"Oh, no!" I yelled, jumping from Copper's back and racing forward.
I rolled Paxton onto his back and the scent of blood hit my nose a moment before my eyes saw the hilt of his white handled dagger protruding from his chest. Blood ran from his nose and his breaths were ragged and wet sounding.
"Hang on, Paxton. You will be okay." I wrapped my hand around the hilt and tried to pull it free, but his scream stopped me. My mind couldn't decide what to do. I had never seen a man stabbed before but I knew it wasn't good. "What do I do?" I asked more to myself than anyone else. Paxton's head fell to the side and his muscles relaxed, but his chest still rose and fell shallowly.
I stopped, hands bloody, and thought for a moment before pulling out the book of magic. Surely there was something to help Paxton in the book.
I flipped to the back, as I knew nothing I had read so far had mentioned saving someone's life or stopping blood. I flipped from page to page, leaving bloody smears on the pages, but praying I would find something before it was too late. Tears welled in my eyes, but I wiped them away. Now was not the time for tears.
I found one I thought might work. It seemed to mean rise. I didn't know if that was good enough, but I wanted him to get up, so I pointed my hand at Paxton and commanded, "Ahebban."
His body started to lift off the ground as if ropes were heaving him up. "No," I said as blood ran from his back to the ground and he fell back to the earth with a thump. "Sorry!" I cried, grabbing the book and flipping through again.
Paxton's body began to shake until he was convulsing and blood foamed at his mouth. I threw my body on top of his to steady him, but a moment later he fell limp, his head tipping to the side.
"Paxton?" I whispered. I sat up and looked at him, watching his chest, begging it to rise. My eyes slid up to his face and I licked my chapped lips. I watched for any sign of movement or life. He was still. Silent.
The sounds of the forest filtered back into my awareness. The birds sang, and the leaves rustled. Horses stomped their hooves and Midnight's tack squeaked as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
Paxton's hat was missing. It seemed a strange thought considering, but I couldn't help but glance around for it. It was gone. My eyes trailed back to Paxton. His pale skin against the bright red blood was too great a contrast for the forest floor. All the air left my lungs and saliva filled my mouth as the reality of the situation settled upon me. Paxton was dead.
I jumped to my feet and ran about ten feet away before my stomach heaved and emptied on the packed dirt. Several more heaves shook my body. My eyes watered and sobs wracked me before I gathered my senses. I had to leave. If the raiders were still in the area, they could come back.
I forced myself not to look at Paxton, but as I was about to swing up onto Copper, I realized it would be safer to have a weapon. I glanced at Paxton. His sword was nowhere to be found, but the dagger could save my life.
The thought of pulling it out made my stomach turn again, but I forced my feet back to his side.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered before grabbing the hilt and pulling with all my strength. It came out suddenly, and I fell back on my butt in the dirt, then jumped up and hurried back to Copper, trying not to look at the blood that coated my hands and the blade.
I swung up onto Copper and pushed him closer to Midnight. Grabbing Midnight's reins, I nudged Copper forward. Paxton's horse would get me some coins if I found a town and someone interested in the big gelding. The thought made me feel like a terrible person, but I wouldn't make it far alone and needed every bit of help. I nudged Copper into a trot and we moved out of the forest and down the path.
Once we were a few hours away, I stopped the horses at a stream. Copper and Midnight drank deep, standing up to their fetlocks in the cool running water. I waited until they were done and then crouched by the shore and rinsed my hands and the blade clean. The hilt of Paxton's blade had the initials PS carved into it in a beautiful script. I didn't even know Paxton's last name. I ran my finger over the engraved letters. Paxton S.
The same star he had tattooed on his chest had been etched into the blade.
I wiped it dry on the grass and tucked it into my waist beside the book of magic. The book hadn't helped me save Paxton. Hopefully, the magic users in Avalon would teach me more. I shook my head and moved upstream to get a drink of water.
The horses had wandered to a patch of grass, so I found a place under a tree and sat down, leaning back against the thick bark. I took out the book and spent an hour reading the next page. I got through it twice, but had no idea what the words meant. It was as if my mind was rejecting the information. I was too frazzled from the morning and losing Paxton to focus, but there were still a few hours of daylight, so I collected the horses and climbed onto Copper's back. Sitting on him made me feel better and the gentle movement of his walk was comforting and familiar in the strange land.
Less than an hour before darkness, we strolled into a large town with cobblestone streets. Horses were drawing carts; men and women were closing up shops and moving through the darkening streets. Children raced through alleys with bare feet, chasing each other and laughing.
"Excuse me, sir," I said to a man with a thick beard. "What is this city?"
"You are in the city of Loren," he said before shuffling off towards a tavern. Music spilled out of the door when he swung it open. I pressed Copper forward until I found a place to tie the horses.
Slipping off Copper’s back, I tied Midnight to the hitching post and then used one of his reins to tie Copper, too. I wouldn't make the same mistake twice and have someone think Copper was a free horse.
I looked up and down the street, wondering where I might find a place to sleep, when a man on a sturdy chestnut mare raced into town yelling.
"Saxons are coming!" he screamed.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The whole city became a confusing whirl of people and horses. Some were riding out of town heading west, and others were running into buildings or grabbing children and making a run for it.
I turned and untied Copper and Midnight, dragging them around behind a shop and into a small shack that housed chickens. They flapped and squawked as I dragged the horses in and shut the door. The horses were anxious among the panicky birds, but after a few moments all the animals settled and the sounds from outside the wood walls reached my ears.
Men were yelling in a language I didn't recognize. I peeked out through the slats to find tall men with light blond hair like Paxton's storming through the city. They lit buildings on fire and ran through people with swords. One man came around the corner near my coop. He was shirtless and had a scar on his chest like Paxton's. I fell back from the wall and held my breath. Had Paxton been a Saxon? How was that possible? He spoke the same language as me and he wasn't a barbarian like these men.
I sat still for a long minute listening to the screams and cries before moving back to the wall and peeking out. The man was gone, but the whole city was filling with smoke and the screams were getting further away. I wasn't sure how long to wait before making a run for it, but I felt frozen to the spot.
I stayed crouched in the corner of the chicken coop until the smoke outside was so thick I couldn't see anything. When I finally rose, I turned to look at the horses. They were standing anxiously, ears flipping f
orward and back as if they could hear something I couldn't.
"What is it?" I whispered to Copper. I ran my hand down his neck. "Can we get out of here?"
He shook his head, and I wanted to take that as a sign I should stay put, but I knew the grass roof of the coop would catch on fire soon and it would burn fast once it caught. So, I took a few steadying breaths and turned Copper towards the door.
I slid it open and peeked out. Thick smoke was like a wall in front of me. I turned back to Copper. "You have to get me out of here," I whispered close to his flicking ear. "Oh God, help me."
I climbed onto Copper's back and a word flowed through my mind. The one I had read early in the day. It was 'Forjfrorrmng.' The word that meant leave or go away. I held the word in my mind as Copper moved into the thick smoke, Midnight trailing behind us.
So far, the words had been useful and this premonition, though foreign, seemed to be helping me. I had no idea if it was something to do with the book or magic, but it was coming easier to me now and I wanted to trust it. There wasn't much left for me to lose.
I began coughing as soon as we exited, though I tried to muffle the sound in Copper’s neck. My eyes burned. I gripped Copper tighter, wishing I could kick him to move faster, but it was impossible to see and I didn't want him to run into a building. He walked forward, turning and moving as though he could see. Finally, a breeze came through and the smoke cleared. I realized I was on the other side of town now as I blinked through the tears in my eyes. They still burned and my lungs felt heavy. I was weak and slumped forward gasping in the clear air.
Suddenly a man appeared before us, and Copper halted so fast I nearly fell off. The man yelled something, but I didn't understand him. I tried to press Copper to move, but the man reached out and grabbed his halter. Copper reared, nearly unseating me again, but my grip in his mane held me on his back as his feet came back to earth. The man somehow still gripping the leather halter.
