The Girl with the Scar (Dark Connection Saga Book 1)

by Stadler, William

  “Be kind to the lady,” Wolf requested calmly.

  “Certainly. We don’t always tell the truth,” she whispered. “We have to find a way to keep the customers coming.”

  Eva was stunned. What else could the walkers have lied about? What if the stories about the scout were untrue? If they were lies, what had happened to Tyel? The dread of what could have mangled him tore through her soul.

  “Word is,” Stasis interrupted Eva’s thinking, “that the Raiders are moving south faster than was expected. It seems that they might have an idea where the Girl with Scar just might be.” She fixed her headdress in the back. “Gods know I would hate to be her. Who knows what they’ll do when they find her, especially since they’ve been searching for her all these long years.”

  Fear painted Eva pale white, and her hands felt numb. Her heart thudded within her, and she could feel her pulse in the veins in her head. “The gods know that the girl’s fate can only end in doom.” Eva pushed the words out.

  “Goodness, woman,” Wolf said. “I wanted you to give the lady some truth, not scare her spirit into the grave.”

  “People don’t pay for good news,” Stasis replied.

  “Aye.” Wolf put his heavy hand on Eva’s shoulder, and it nearly weighed her down. “Come with me, Genevieve. I’ll take you back to wherever you need to go.”

  Innocently she asked, “Will you try to do to me as the other man did?”

  “Hand to the gods, may my fate be worse than his.”

  Eva sighed, having no reason to distrust the man who had preserved her dignity, especially in front of the Connect. Besides, she had stayed longer than she had expected, and the day had gotten away from her. Traveling through the darkness alone, not knowing who or what was looking for her, sent chilling whispers down her neck.

  She nodded softly and followed Wolf to his cart nearby. When she saw his carriage, her feet pasted to the ground, daunted by the appaloosa whose body was bold and muscular, white and speckled with black spots. One eye was spotted, and the other was not.

  Its mane waved in the wind, and its frosty breath spilled out of its nostrils as it whinnied. It chomped on the metal bit, cutting its bulging eyes at her. Before she could ask any questions, Wolf was reaching out for her hand to lift her into the seat. He loaded the cart, and then he pulled himself up.

  The seat was cushioned with a velvet, wool-stuffed pillow that kept her bottom off the wood. Wolf snapped the reins, and the appaloosa trotted off, passing by Grange who was standing, holding the side of his face. Wolf stuck his foot out the side of the cart and kicked him again, and Grange fell into the ground, landing on his face.

  “You think he deserved all that?” Eva asked.

  “He deserved more. I only took his pride, but he tried to take your dignity, and that is harder to rebuild.”

  They rode back to the west as the sun drifted away. Soon after, they entered into the forest. The trees seemed to hiss at her as their few remaining leaves swished in the howling wind. Wolf reached into the back of the cart and grabbed his torch, which he lit with a match.

  The forest erupted with a blaze of light, flickering as the wind shifted the flame. Shadows peeked through the night and then faded back into the darkness. How would she have ever made it through this alone?

  As they crossed over the King’s Extension, the sounds of the night came alive. Dog-like beasts howled, their voices echoing through the darkness, and the owls joined in with the incantation.

  Eva sat with her hands in her lap, fidgeting. Her hair tossed in the wind, and the chill of the evening crept up her dress.

  “Do you mind if I carry the torch?” she asked, wanting to be closer to the fire.

  Without responding, Wolf handed her the flame. The light cast eerie shadows across his face, and the smooth gentleness that he once wore had long since left him, being replaced by a murky concern. She stared at him from the side of her eye, not sure what to think.

  Had she made the right decision going with him, or would she have been safer traveling alone? What if he were as vile as Grange, or what if he had been sent to kill her? What if he was a Raider? The thought struck through her bones like lightning, and her heart froze within her.

  Her hands fell cold as she tried to calm her breathing, and she glanced around, thinking of how she might escape. The sounds of the night became more violent, and the leaves rustled ferociously overhead. The wind picked up, slinging the flame around on the torch, and the full moon beamed down on them from above.

  Fixing her mouth to ask the question that would ease her heart, she muttered dryly, “Why did you decide to help me?”

  Wolf's head turned to her slowly. His eyes radiated with bright green beams. Eva gasped three times in succession, nearly dropping the flame. “Because I know who you are.” The cart halted, and the shaft tip dropped to the ground, tilting the carriage forward.

  Eva’s body jerked, and she looked ahead. The appaloosa had vanished. In its place stood a man, powerful and strong, with flaming green eyes, white wolf pelt draping around his shoulders. She glanced to her side, and the same man sat next to her.

  She fell out of the cart, dropping the torch on the ground. Both men stared at her as she scampered backwards on her hands, ignoring the cold. The two men stepped towards her, and she could barely breathe.

  From behind, a screech like the sound of a sword scraping against metal screamed out. A low-flying light soared past her head, its trail leaving specks of light behind. Her hands quaked, and her eyes rolled into her head. She blacked out, and the seizure took over.

  CHAPTER 4

  THE QUESTION

  Cool water poured over Eva’s forehead, trickling down past her ears, waking her up. Images of a woman watching over her merged as her vision cleared. Eva's body was warmer than she remembered, and she realized that she was tucked into a bed, her bed.

  She was at home, and her mother was sitting next to her. What had happened? Was she dreaming? More cool water dripped down her cheeks. If water was on her face, then that meant that the bucket of water had made it back to the house, so it couldn’t have been a dream.

  “Eva?” Maria asked, dabbing her with the damp cloth.

  Eva swirled her eyes in her head to adjust her vision. Immediately, she sat up, afraid. “How did I get here?” she asked, pushing her hair behind her ear.

  Maria caressed the side of Eva’s forehead with the back of her hand. “Calm down, sweetheart.”

  Eva drew her knees to her chest, and the cool air seeped between the covers. Shaking her hands and nearly yelling, “I can’t calm down! Just answer the question!”

  Without being taken aback, Maria nodded. “A man brought you.”

  Her questions shot off her tongue like darts. “What did he look like? Was he alone? Where did he go?”

  Maria shrugged. “He was probably two heads higher than you, with wide shoulders. I don’t know. Why does it matter? You’re safe.”

  “Was he wearing a wolf pelt over his shoulders?”

  Maria thought back, trying to remember. “I believe so.”

  “Yes or no,” Eva said sternly, interrupting her.

  “It was hard to say. It was dark, and I was just glad you made it home.”

  Eva put her face in her hands, sighed, and pushed her hair back. “I have to find him. I think he saved my life.”

  “He did indeed. He brought you home after you had your seizure. Who knows what savage beast might have—”

  “No, Mother. It happened before the seizure.”

  Maria’s mouth opened, and her eyes looked heavy. “What do you mean?”

  “The man was taking me home, past the King’s Extension through the forest, and the sun hand long since fallen. Halfway through, he looked at me, and his eyes were a fiery jade.”

  Maria didn’t respond, but her shoulders slumped, and her gaze floated away from her daughter.

  “It was the most frightening thing I’d ever—”

  “Stop it, child! I
don’t want to hear anymore.” Maria picked herself up from the bed and strutted to the kitchen, not looking back.

  “I’m not done telling you.” “I said I don’t want to hear it!” Maria sat at the table, staring at the fireplace.

  Eva slid out of her bed, and the cold swept around her as the warmth of the blanket cooled away. The wooden floor was chilly, and she walked briskly across it to get to her mother, white nightgown draped to the floor.

  Standing with her hands crossed over her chest for warmth, she confronted Maria, fishing for sympathy. “I was attacked.”

  Wiping the off the invisible dust from the table, Maria replied, “The important thing is that you weren’t hurt.” She brushed the dust onto the floor and nervously picked up the knife to chop some vegetables.

  The knife banged into the table with each hard slice, forcing Eva to jump on the inside. “Mother.” The knocking of the knife continued. “You cannot cut peas….”

  Maria let the blade edge rest on the table. Her grip was firm, her knuckles white. “I suppose one cannot,” she said, stunned by her absent-mindedness.

  Eva dragged out a chair across from her mother and sat at the table. She placed her cold fingers on her mother’s warm wrist who did not take her eyes off the diced pea pods. “What is it, Mother?”

  Maria dropped the knife onto the table and put her forehead against her palms. “I don’t want you getting involved with Wolf.”

  “You know him?” Eva gasped.

  “No, but he is a man whose fame expands broader than his shoulders.”

  “What do people say?” Eva kept herself from sounding more interested than she was.

  “Bad things. Nothing that is of any concern.”

  Caressing her mother’s arm, Eva asked, “What’s bothering you, Mother? He’s not what you think. I was at the Connect, and a guy tried to take me, but Jevar intervened.”

  “Tried to take you?” Maria’s eyes were ablaze like crystals of fire.

  “Nothing happened,” Eva said hastily, calming her mother. “Jevar protected my dignity.”

  Maria’s eyes cooled, and she locked her fingers together in a praying fashion. The wrinkles on her face seemed darker and more defined than Eva remembered. Eva sat back in her chair, letting her fingers slide off her mother’s wrist. “Did he not leave the duck and the cheese?”

  Maria’s thin wrinkles pulled back her gentle smile, and she pointed to the corner near the fireplace with her head, raising her eyebrows. Eva's mouth instantly watered as she realized that her nose had been smelling the sweet scent of her unexpected gifts all along.

  Hiding her excitement, Eva said, “I told you he wasn’t bad.”

  Maria shook her finger at Eva. “Just because a man brings you gifts doesn’t mean that there’s no evil in his heart.” She stood up, fixed her burgundy dress, and headed over to prepare the duck.

  “Mother?”

  “Yes, dear?” Maria bent over the sack, sorting through its contents, making sure that she kept back from the fire so that her hair would not light.

  “I haven’t heard you mention Tyel since…everything that passed.”

  Maria stopped her sorting and caught eyes with her daughter, mouth agape. “My tongue is not prepared to utter the words of my soul.” With that, she sat on her haunches, organizing the meat and cheese, continuing as though the question had never been asked. Then she froze. She reached down and grabbed a small block that was wrapped in fabric and tied with two strings.

  Speedily, she pulled the strings loose, picking at a knot that she had created in her haste. “Barachi!” She nearly shouted. “He gave you Barachi?” Without letting Eva answer, she bit into one of the corners of the sun-orange cube, leaving teeth marks behind.

  Maria closed her eyes, savoring the pasty bite of cheese that she smacked greedily as she rolled the glob around on her tongue. “It’s not good unless it sticks to the roof of your mouth,” she said between chews.

  “Then it appears to be delicious,” Eva chuckled.

  “Darling, you have no idea.”

  Eva pushed out her chair and sat on the floor with her mother, stealing a bite. Maria snatched it away. “Mother, we would have never had the cheese if I hadn’t—” The flavor interrupted her. The Barachi tasted sharp and tangy at first, but then gave way to a rich sweetness that dragged itself down her gullet. The bite was gone before her tongue was satisfied. “Can I have another?” she asked, reaching for a bite.

  Maria jerked it away, snagging a bite for herself, pausing as the taste invaded. Pointing at the block of cheese, she said, “This is for dinner, darling.” Begrudgingly, she wrapped it back in the cloth, staring at the cheese, longing for perhaps one final mouthful.

  Continuing to sort through the supplies, Maria emptied the bag. She seemed flustered, picking through the supplies and grabbing the sack, turning it upside down. “This will never do.”

  “What is it, Mother?”

  “No salt. What kind of man brings a gift with no salt. I told you he was no good.”

  Eva smiled. “If that’s the worst thing about him, I’d say that your assessment is flawed.” She picked herself up and brushed off her dirty, white dress.

  Maria did the same. She disappeared into her bedroom behind her, and then she came back out, jingling some coins in her hand. “We can’t have duck without salt.”

  “I’m not going back to the Connect, not after what happened.”

  “Quit your whining, child,” Maria replied, dropping the two king’s copper into Eva’s hand. “Now go down the hill and ask the Lovelaces if you can pay them for a handful.”

  Eva’s stomach returned itself to its rightful place, untying the knots within her. She grabbed her jacket, and headed out the door. The cool morning breeze spilled against her calves and sifted by. She kept forward towards the intersection where Tyel once was, and she halted, looking to her left down the hill at the Lovelaces’, but her body turned right.

  Her curiosity grabbed her, and she rushed out to the Vice, the place where the trees converged on the road. She ignored the chill, speeding along, not looking back, afraid that she would catch eyes with her mother or someone who would report her.

  Would he even be there? Why would he be? He was a merchant, well known at that, but what would it hurt to try? She scurried along past the green ash trees whose leaves had fallen, save a few browning ones that were left dangling at the of tips of the limbs, and she soon arrived at the Vice.

  A few of the townspeople were returning from a night of travel, and she waved innocently at them, hoping not to draw attention to herself. Peeking through the crevices in the trees and peering down the trail, she didn’t see him. She thought that he would have waited for her, but she was mistaken.

  Sadly, she turned back and headed back into Green Planes, nearly running, hoping to make up for the time that she’d lost. Passing by the intersection, she rushed down the hill, dodging the miller, and then she turned left to the Lovelaces’ log cabin that puffed black smoke into the morning sky.

  As she stepped onto the porch, she realized that she had been clenching the two coins for the entire trip. Red blood lines disappeared as she opened her hand. She knocked on the wooden door and waited. She knocked again. Still no one answered.

  What was she going to tell her mother? She couldn’t return without the salt, especially since she had been gone for so long. The Lovelaces liked to chatter, but bringing nothing back to her mother would raise suspicions. She raised her hand to knock again.

  “They left this morning.” A man with a voice like molasses stepped from the woods behind the cabin, startling Eva. His smooth face and wide shoulders were the same, but something about him had changed. “Have you forgotten me already?”

  Eva stepped off the porch, closing her leather jacket over her chest with the hand that held the coins. “Of course not. I went looking for you this morning,” she answered, checking to see if anyone was watching. “Why were you hiding in the woods like a lunatic
?” Without letting him answer, she asked, “Where’s your wolf pelt?”

  He ruffled his thick, black hair that reflected the morning light. “I wasn’t hiding. I was hunting.” He held up a rabbit by its legs. No blood leaked from the furry creature, making it appear alive, though it wasn’t moving.

  Eva leaned away from the kill, but her eyes stayed attached to it. “I’ve only had rabbit once before, but I never saw it like that.”

  “Like what? Dead?” he asked, grinning only on one side of his face. “The wolf pelt is put away.” He patted his enlarged wool satchel. “People don’t recognize me, only the wolf.”

  “Then why do you wear it? Sounds haughty.”

  “I have my reasons,” he replied, lowering the rabbit to his side. “The people who lived here,” he said, pointing to the Lovelaces’ house, “left early this morning.”

  “This is mud for me.” Eva’s face drooped. “Mother’s going to wonder just where I was.”

  “Where were you supposed to be?” he shrugged.

  She shook her head, disappointed. “Picking up some salt and heading back to the house.”

  He dug around in his bag, pulling nothing out. “I don’t have any either.”

  She put her head in her hand. “Mother’s going to have my backside.”

  “That was some seizure,” he said, cutting into her dreadful reverie.

  A cool breeze whipped by, flicking her hair in the gust. She slid her eyes up to him, wanting to ask him about last night, but the words rattled in her knocking knees. “They come and go.” Why couldn’t she just ask him? He had to have known what she was thinking. She could not connect her gaze with him, not after the emerald beam that had been emitted from his eyes.

  “I’ll spend the day at the Vice and head back to the Connect at sunrise,” he said.

  She couldn’t let him leave without knowing. The words left her knees and settled into her gut, still a ways from her tongue. He nodded and walked away, leaning forward as he trudged his way up the hill. Her question rose into her chest, but she could not bring herself to ask.