by R S Penney
“But Sebastian-”
“Would have left at the earliest opportunity,” Desa insisted. “I know that you want to trust him, Tommy, but I've seen his kind before.”
Tommy felt his mouth tighten, but he said nothing. A tear slid over his cheek in a hot, sticky trail. Maybe Desa was right. Sebastian had been kicking up a fuss during their journey to Glad Meadows. Just a few days ago, Tommy had proclaimed that Sebastian could go if he wanted to go, but he would stay with Desa Kincaid. How could he have been so certain then and so full of doubt now? “How does it work?” he said at last.
“Field Binding?”
Tommy nodded.
Sitting up straight with hands gripping the surface of her log, Desa turned her face up to the starry sky. “The Ether is part of the very fabric of reality,” she said. “You might say it's a holdover from Creation itself.”
“Left by the Almighty?”
Desa grimaced, shaking her head. “The Almighty's a myth,” she said. “As I told you, this world was created by two goddesses: Mercy, and Vengeance. Mercy to give energy and Vengeance to take it, and Field Binding a balance between them.”
Clasping his chin in one hand, Tommy shut his eyes and considered that. “So, this Ether you speak of...It's...”
“No one knows for sure exactly what it is,” Desa explained. “You might think of it as a remnant of the goddesses. But it connects the souls of all humankind. With enough discipline, anyone can learn to commune with the Ether.”
“Anyone?”
“Anyone.”
“Even me?”
Desa's smile was kindly. Maybe even fond. Either way, it was enough to take the edge of Tommy's pain. “Yes, even you,” she said. “I would not have offered to teach you if I did not know that you could do it. But it won't be easy. Yes, some people learn Field Binding very quickly, but for others, it takes years of practice.”
“How do I begin?”
Desa stood up with a grunt, as if her bones ached, then stretched and finally strode over to him. “You must begin by training your mind,” she said. “You will meditate for at least half an hour at night before sleep.”
Tommy looked up with uncertainty plain on his face. “How should I do that?” he asked. “I don't really know what meditation is or how I should go about doing it, but I'm willing to try if-”
“It's fairly simple,” Desa cut in. “Repeat a mantra quietly to your yourself. Make it something simple. One, two, three, four, five should suffice.”
So, he tried.
One, two, three, four, five. Was he supposed to feel something? One, two, three, four, five. Goodness, this was painfully dull. Was he really supposed to sit here for half an hour, just repeating numbers like a toddler? One, two, three, four, five. It was so hard to keep his mind focused on the task.
He powered through it as best he could, but when he finally gave up in frustration after what must have been, at most, ten minutes, he only felt exasperated and annoyed. A cynical thought occurred to him. Was this really the way to learn Field Binding? Or was Desa just stringing him along?
He curled up in his bedroll and fell into a fitful sleep.
Come morning, Tommy woke to find the glade teaming with life. In the last week or so, the trees had sprouted thick green leaves, and now they fluttered in the breeze of a warm spring morning. The sky was a bright, vibrant blue.
Desa was crouching with her back turned, but he could see steam rising from the pot she tended. So, there would be tea, at least. His stomach was aching with hunger, but hot tea might settle it a little and...Did he smell roasted rabbit?
He looked around to find that there was indeed a rabbit roasting on a spit that Desa had set up over a...Well, not a fire. She appeared to be using three of her Infused coins to cook their breakfast. Tommy could feel the heat from here.
He felt his mouth stretch into a yawn, then winced and sat up with a hand pressed to his forehead. Gently, he massaged the fog out of his brain.
“Good morning,” Desa said without looking.
“Morning.”
Without having to be told, he got up, stretched and then made his way over to the spot where Midnight waited patiently. The stallion gave him a nonchalant glance and then remained still while Tommy fetched cups and ground tea leaves from the saddlebags.
He delivered them to Desa.
Her lips curled into a small smile as she filled one cup with leaves and then lifted the pot to carefully pour water on top. “Let that steep a moment,” she said, handing the cup to Tommy. “It seems you made a good start last night.”
Tommy wrinkled his nose, then shook his head in distaste. “A good start?” he said. “I barely managed ten minutes, and the whole time I felt like an idiot reciting lessons that his mother taught him as a child.”
Desa filled the other cup, inhaling the aroma that wafted upward. “That, my friend, is how everyone begins,” she said. “Meditation is a difficult skill to master. But if you're feeling bored, it probably means you're doing well.”
“Rabbit for breakfast?”
“I had hoped to purchase some supplies in Glad Meadows,” Desa explained. “But your brother robbed us of that opportunity.”
“I'm sorry.”
Lifting the cup to her lips, Desa sipped her tea with a satisfied murmur. “And why should you feel sorry?” she asked. “You are not responsible for what he does, Tommy.”
“I know.”
“Do try to remember it.”
The rabbit was crispy and juicy and delicious. Tommy savoured every last bite and licked his fingers clean afterward. With a full belly, he was tempted to just rest his head against a tree trunk and sleep a little longer. He briefly entertained the idea of giving up on civilization altogether and living peacefully in these woods. It was pure foolishness, of course, but civilization seemed to despise him...And Desa could teach him to hunt rabbit.
He put such notions out of his head and began packing their things to continue their journey southward. Another week or so on the road, and they would reach the grand city of Ofalla. Tommy had always wanted to see it.
But he missed Sebastian.
Taking one last look at their campsite, Desa nodded to herself. “All right,” she said. “Let's get-”
Something was wrong.
Drawing her pistol in a flash, she whirled around and pointed its barrel at a small thicket of trees. Leafy branches drooped low, making it hard to see anything beyond the two elms that grew so close together, they were almost twined around one another. But someone was in there. “Come out.”
The branches rustled, and the woman from the inn stepped out into the open. It took a moment for Desa to remember her name. Miri. Tall and slim, she wore her dungarees, her duster and that wide-brimmed hat. And she glared at Desa with all the indignation of a woman who had caught some fool boy peeping on her bath. “Well, now, ain't this just a fine coincidence: me finding you out here?”
Tommy was adjusting Midnight's bridle when he heard Miri's voice. The poor lad spun around with a start and reached for his belt knife. A moment later, he let out a deep breath of air.
Desa holstered her weapon.
Crossing her arms, she stepped forward and looked up to meet the other woman's eyes. “Why are you following us?” she asked. “More importantly, why are you skulking in the bushes instead of announcing yourself?”
“My word, I ain't never been so insulted!” Miri protested. “You think a lady such as myself is in the habit of skulking?”
“You were in the bushes.”
Miri shrugged her shoulders. “Out for a simple morning stroll, is all,” she insisted. “I can't help it if I wandered through the woods and got lost. Heard a man talkin', and I thought I'd head that way.”
Desa covered her face with one hand, gently massaging her eyelids. “We don't have time for this,” she muttered into her palm. “If you wish to skulk, by all means, do so. But you will leave my companion and me to our business.”
“Speaking
of your companions, maybe you'd like to have the other one back?”
Tommy perked up at that.
Jerking a thumb back over her shoulder, Miri grunted in disapproval. “He's about a half mile up the road with our horse,” she explained. “Town didn't seem quite so friendly after all that noise you kicked up; so we both headed south. Figured, we'd walk together for a spell.”
“I thought you said your horse broke its leg.”
“Actually, it ain't my horse,” Miri replied. “It's Lommy's.”
Turning her back on the other woman, Desa shook her head as she stomped across the campsite. She paused with her fists on her hips. “We do not have time for this,” she said. “Tommy, let's go.”
Of course, that wasn't the end of the discussion. Getting Tommy into the saddle was next to impossible now that he knew that his lover was just a short ride away. Or thought he knew. Desa was not willing to trust anything this Miri said. Honest people didn't skulk and spy.
After five minutes of whimpered protests from her young companion, they were finally on their way. Miri just stood at the edge of the campsite with a curious expression, watching them go. Somehow, Desa knew that she hadn't seen the last of that woman.
She tried to help Tommy with Field Binding. She encouraged him to meditate on their long ride south – it wasn't as if they had anything better to do – but the lad seemed to be hopelessly distracted. It almost broke her heart, and more than once, she considered going back to fetch Sebastian. But for all she knew, that was a trap.
She explained as much to Tommy, and he seemed to accept her reasoning. But that did nothing to ease his sorrow. It took everything Desa had to resist the urge to groan in frustration. Just what she needed! A lovesick young man slowing her down! Any hope of catching Morley was dwindling with every passing second.
She sighed as Midnight continued his slow plod southward.
Chapter 6
The forest gave way to fields of tall grass growing strong under the clear blue sky. Warm sunlight made Desa smile as Midnight continued along the meandering dirt road. Aside from a few trees that dotted the landscape here and there, there was nothing to see all the way to the southern horizon.
They rode until the sun began to dip. Sensing Midnight's fatigue, Desa decided that this was as good a place as any to settle in for the night. Tallgrass would make it hard to move without making noise – which meant catching another rabbit would be difficult – but it also limited the potential for enemies to sneak up on her.
A tall oak by the roadside grew with its limbs spreading wide and its green leaves catching the light of the setting sun. As soon as he got out of the saddle, Tommy seated himself with his back against the massive trunk and stared wistfully into the distance.
Desa stood just a few feet away, scratching her forehead with the knuckle of one fist. “You should meditate,” she told him. “If you want to learn Field Binding, you must practice as much as possible.”
He nodded numbly.
Letting her arms drop, Desa turned to face him and removed her hat. A fierce wind teased her short brown hair. “I know that you wanted to go back for him,” she said. “But Sebastian is probably still in Glad Meadows.”
“Or dead...” Tommy mumbled.
Desa squatted in front of him with her hands on her knees, holding the young man's gaze. “Possibly,” she admitted. “Tommy, I wish I could have-”
“You made your position clear, Mrs. Kincaid.” Tommy spoke with a firmness that she had never heard from him before. It frightened her. “Going back for Sebastian would have cost us our own lives.”
“That's true,” she said. “But I want you to understand-”
“I understand perfectly well.”
Accepting discretion as the better part of valour, Desa chose to end the discussion there. What more could she say? Tommy probably thought there was some vindictiveness in her decision to leave Sebastian behind – and she had to admit that she was glad to be free of that young man's endless scorn – but she would not leave anyone to the whims of a mob. Not even a loathsome creature like Sebastian.
But it seemed her decision had soured Tommy's good opinion of her. Perhaps he too would abandon Desa at his next opportunity. It irked her to realize she was actually a little sad about that.
Desa had no interest in men as lovers – her marriage to Martin Kincaid had been a matter of simple necessity – but she had grown to enjoy Tommy's company. Most places she went, people greeted her with fear and suspicion. But not Tommy. His curiosity about her abilities was refreshing.
An hour of quiet solitude passed while Desa searched for a suitable dinner. By the eyes of Vengeance, she was beginning to wonder if she had been cursed. Years of passing through town after town without incident, and suddenly trouble was lurking around every corner.
The sun was a red disk on the western horizon, the sky a deep twilight blue when she heard the steady clip-clop of hooves on dirt. Desa looked around to find the silhouette of a horse coming up the road. A horse with two riders.
Desa reached for her gun but thought better of it when she recognized one of them. A good thing too. After all the trouble she had encountered lately, she was down to eight bullets. She did not want to have to use ammunition unless it was absolutely necessary.
The woman in front was obviously Miri; even in the dark, Desa would recognize that woman's silhouette. But the other rider...It was hard to tell since he sat behind Miri, but Desa was fairly certain she knew the man's identity. Her suspicions were confirmed when he spoke.
“Tommy?” Sebastian called out.
At the sound of his lover's voice, Tommy leaped to his feet. He peered around the trunk of the tree, clearly unwilling to believe his ears. “Sebastian?” he mumbled. “Is...Is it really you?”
Sebastian hopped out of the saddle and ran to seize his love in a tight embrace. “Oh, thank the Almighty!” he shouted. “I didn't think I'd see you again.”
“I didn't think I'd see you again.”
Closing her eyes, Desa breathed slowly through her nose. Let those two boys have their reunion. She had other concerns to deal with. In three quick strides, she put herself in front of Miri. This close, she could tell that the horse was indeed Tommy's dark brown gelding. “Why are you following us?” she demanded.
“My word,” Miri said, swinging one leg over the horse's flanks. She dropped to the ground with the scuff of boots on dust, then rounded on Desa. “I have never been treated so rudely in my life.”
“Drop the act.”
Thrusting her fist out, Desa summoned light from her ring and took satisfaction in Miri's surprised blink. The other woman backed away with her hands raised defensively. “I ain't lookin' to get into a fight,” she said. “Or to anger a witch.”
“I'm not a witch.”
Licking her lips, Miri let her head drop. “Like I told you,” she began. “I wanted to get out of that town after the commotion you caused. Sebastian had a horse; I knew a bit about the land. So, we helped each other. I reckoned you'd be happy to have your friend back. Suppose I was wrong about that.”
“We appreciate you returning Sebastian to us, however-”
“I brought food!” Miri broke in. “Snagged a couple rabbits at the edge of the forest. Sebastian wanted to stop and cook 'em, but I said we had to keep riding if we were gonna find you. At least let a girl stay and eat the food she caught. Even a witch oughtta have enough manners for that.”
With a thought, Desa killed the light from her ring.
Heaving out a sigh, she trudged through the grass to a spot where the silhouettes of Tommy and Sebastian stood holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. “Boys,” she said. “It seems Miri brought us some food. Help her prepare it.”
They ate in the wan light of Desa's ring, all sitting in a circle under the branches of the oak tree. It had taken every last drop of heat from her three coins to cook both rabbits; Desa would have to Infuse them with fresh connections to the Ether. Tomorrow. She
was too tired to bother with it now.
Miri dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief, then looked up to direct a warm smile toward Sebastian. “Told ya it would be worth the wait,” she said. “Promised ya we'd find your friends, and here we are.”
He sat cross-legged across from her, smiling as he popped the last bit of meat into his mouth. “You were right,” he said. “I shouldn't have doubted you.”
Amazing how readily he listens to her when he resisted me at every turn. Desa bit back a curse. Was she really feeling jealous because Sebastian respected Miri more than he did her?
Tommy was next to his love and holding Sebastian's hand. The huge grin that split his face made it all but impossible to believe he had been so forlorn just a short time ago. “I'm glad you came back,” he murmured.
“I couldn't leave you,” Sebastian replied.
With her arms crossed, Desa leaned back against the trunk of the tree. She looked up toward the heavens, lost in thought. What was she to do with this troop of fools she had gathered? Somehow, she suspected that Miri would be traveling with them no matter what she did to prevent it.
Her mouth opened in a yawn that she covered with one hand. “We need to sleep,” she muttered. “We'll need to have an early start tomorrow if we hope to gain any ground on Morley.”
“You're still set on chasin' down that devil,” Miri grumbled.
Desa turned her head to study the woman through narrowed eyes. “Indeed I am,” she said. “If that troubles you, you're more than welcome to part company with us at any time. I have no intention of dragging you into danger.”
The dim light cast shadows over Miri's face, but it was clear that the woman was scowling. “It ain't me I'm worried about, darlin',” she said. “Any woman fool enough to tangle with him is askin' for trouble.”
“I think you've seen that I can handle myself.”
“This ain't no ordinary man.”
Sebastian offered a limp shrug of his shoulders. The young man's face was white. “Can't we just...let him go?” he inquired. “Let him be someone else's problem?”
