by Blink, Bob
Momentarily stunned, it had taken a moment to clear her head. She was shocked. No one had ever treated her this way. He didn’t have the right. By the time she was thinking clearly again, she was aware the young man had already removed his pants. There was no doubt what he had in mind. Anger coupled with fear and loathing grabbed her. No one was going to use her thusly. He’d earned what was coming. She’d tried to be reasonable.
Knowing that she was on dangerous ground, she had decided she would use her secret ability if necessary. She would not submit to the intentions of this young lord. “I’ll set you on fire,” she threatened.
That earned her a laugh. “What are you a witch? That kind of superstition might work on the local boys, but not on me. You forget who I am.”
He pulled open his shirt and advanced toward her. There was no longer any choice. He was much bigger than her, and quite strong, and had already demonstrated a willingness to use whatever force required to impose his will.
She focused on his shirt, and set the sleeve on fire. Nothing big, but enough to gain his attention and scare him off she hoped.
The young noble yelped and looked at his sleeve in shock. He beat the burning sleeve with his other hand and managed to put out the flame. His eye found hers.
“How could you do that?” he asked, still disbelieving what had happened.
“Let me go, or I’ll set the rest of you on fire,” she threatened. “It won’t be so easy to put out.”
The disbelief turned to anger, and a touch of fear. It showed in his eyes. He had been taught to destroy that which threatened him and he reached down and pulled a small knife out of his pants that lay nearby. “Burn me will you? I’ll teach you a lesson. You won’t be so pretty after I’m done.”
As he moved toward her, knife in hand, she had realized she no longer had any choice. He meant to maim her, or perhaps even kill her. Frightened by the intensity of his anger, she felt her own rage grow. He had caused this. He had placed her in a position where there was no escape. And now he thought to harm her. He couldn’t know that she could heal almost any injury he might inflict, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.
“Stay away,” she warned one last time. “I’ll set you on fire,” she threatened again. “You know now I can do it. This is your last chance.”
He was beyond listening. He called her a name and continued to advance. She reached for the fire and found something stronger that she hadn’t known was there. Her fear fueled her magic, and instead of the familiar fire which she could control, a bright white beam came into existence, striking the advancing youth. He screamed as if every nerve was being ripped apart, and in a matter of seconds he was consumed, leaving nothing but a pile of remains and a melted knife on the floor.
Shocked, she stood, pulled up her dress and healed the bruises and cuts that had been inflected. She looked at what remained of the young man. Well, he had been the one who had brought them to this. Then she fled.
“You used your power?” Rigo asked, certain that was what she meant and bringing her attention back to the present.
Jeen nodded. “I never did anything like that before. I was simply trying to scare him off. But when he tried to rape me something snapped. It just came out. He was burned to a pile of ash with a few bones and burnt clothes. I ran for home, but his brother saw me.”
“What happened at home?” Rigo asked, but already suspected.
“When he returned home, my father said I had to run away. I’d never told him about the other things I could do. Everyone says it’s not possible and would be evil anyway. I kept it hidden. He said they would kill me and he couldn’t protect me.”
“So you ran?” Kaler asked.
“I’ve been running for three weeks now. I think the only reason they haven’t caught me is because most of those looking are afraid to find me. But sometimes there are groups with bows. They would be able to get me before I could act.”
“What about your family?” Daria asked.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I’ve been afraid to go back. Afraid what I might find. And there is nothing I can do to help. If I’m around, it would only make things worse for them.”
“How long have you known about your ability?” Rigo asked.
“I first realized I was different when I was about ten years old,” she said. “I knew it was something I shouldn’t tell others about. I never knew if I was the only one.”
The story was too much like his own. He’d also been about that age when he’d been found by his father and he’d had the ability. Here was someone like himself, and not corrupted by Burke. He’d have to warn her about him.
“You are welcome to travel with us,” Rigo said. “You may not want to stay with us as we are going to the Ruins which are known to be dangerous. But at the very least you might want to travel along with us until you get far enough away from here to be safe.”
Jeen looked at the small group and then nodded.
Jeen was still there the next morning when they woke up. Kaler had bet Rigo even money that she would be gone. Rigo had been torn but had figured the girl had no friends and nowhere else to go and would end up staying. He’d hoped as much. She was the only other person that was like him. Whatever Burke and his friends were, they were clearly different, at least now. Perhaps at one time they’d started out the same as himself. He had no way to judge. The young woman had found a place near Daria and closest to the forest next to their camp. That had suggested to Kaler that she would slip away, but when he woke that morning he saw her sitting with her back against the nearby tree. Her eyes met his with a small shy smile.
Kaler used a stick to clear out the ash and old wood from the fire and build the beginnings of the fire they would use to heat water for their morning tea. Once finished he stood back and was about to get his flint since Rigo had wandered off to take care of business. Suddenly the fire sprung to life. Kaler looked from the fire to Jeen, who now smiled broadly. There was no doubt that she was responsible for setting the wood aflame. Kaler wasn’t certain if she was showing off, or simply pleased to be able to use her ability without fear that those around her would react with horror.
“Thank you,” Kaler said softly and nodded in her direction. She nodded slightly back at him.
By now the entire camp was awake, and Daria grabbed her pack and motioned for Jeen to follow along with her. They headed in the direction of the pond and were soon out of sight in the trees.
“What are the odds of finding one like her?” Kaler asked when Rigo returned and sat next to him as the water heated.
“You mean someone with the ability to perform magic like me?” he asked. “Probably small, but then I have been looking a long time. Still, I wonder if more isn’t at work here. She had the need to find someone to help her, and the magic has the ability to bend rules sometimes.”
“You don’t think she is somehow tied in with Burke?” Kaler asked.
“No one is that good of an actress,” Ash’urn said as he joined them by the fire. “The girl was as frightened as anyone I’ve ever seen.”
“She seems to have settled down this morning,” Rigo observed.
“The change is remarkable,” agreed Ash’urn. “But do you think it wise to bring her along with us? We might get entangled in her situation.”
“It’ll only be for a few days,” Rigo reminded them. “Then we can go our separate ways.”
They had finished making the tea and were eating some of the cold rabbit when Daria and Jeen returned. The change was remarkable. Rigo was shocked at what Daria had been able to do with nothing other than cold pond water and a change of clothes.
Jeen no longer wore her torn and dirty dress. She now wore the spare clothes that Daria had brought with her. They were close enough in size for the clothes to fit, although Jeen’s figure was considerable fuller and the shirt emphasized the fact in a way the dress had not. Rigo could see one of the reasons the nobleman had been attracted to her.
M
ore important was the woman herself. She had been scrubbed and washed, and no longer appeared as a dirty and disheveled beggar. Her face was washed clean of the dirt and grime, and the scratches and scrapes were gone. How much was the result of cleaning and how much from a judicious application of her own healing powers Rigo didn’t know. The long black hair was now free of tangles and burrs, and the dusty matted look had been washed away. The hair was straight and silky, and shone in the morning light. Her prominent cheekbones stood out, and her light brown eyes were flecked with spots of darker color. She was beautiful as she moved a little self consciously into their midst with Daria following right behind her.
“Gods!” Kaler said. “Is this the same woman?”
Jeen blushed slightly and nodded. “Daria lent me some of her things. We buried my old clothes. I don’t know how I can repay your generosity.”
“The clothes can be easily replaced,” Daria said.
Rigo agreed. Jeen looked more mature and certainly bore little resemblance to the frightened intruder of the night before.
“You have decided to travel with us for a while then?” Rigo asked.
Jeen scanned the others. “I would like that. I feel safe for the first time in days. Perhaps I can help you get closer to where you are headed.”
“Good,” Rigo announced. He hoped she might elect to stay with them even longer, but time would tell. He sensed there was a purpose to this meeting, but maybe he wanted to read something into it. He placed his staff across his knees and separated the top half. He withdrew the necklace and handed it to Jeen. She took it in her hand, and as she did so, the light dimmed.
“Did I break it?” she asked.
“No,” Rigo replied as he took it back and placed it back inside the staff. He didn’t want it out of the staff for very long. He wasn’t certain how quickly Burke or the others would require to become aware of it, or how quickly they could get a fix on its location. He had had his for some time before Burke showed up the first time. “But now you are recognized by the necklace and so it no longer needs to glow to warn of another with the power. I don’t know how I know this, but its warning ability was lost so long as it continued to glow in your presence.”
“I had one like that until recently,” Jeen told him. “It had a different setting, but the same clear blue stone as yours.”
“What happened to it?” Rigo asked suddenly concerned.
“The cad that tried to attack me broke it when he used it to try and hold me,” she said. “My father bought it for me when I saw it at the fair. I wish I still had it.”
“Listen carefully,” Rigo said suddenly serious. “It will more than likely return at some point.”
“Return?” she asked confused. “What do you mean?”
“They are magical devices. A kind of tracker. If it returns, reject it. Do not carry it with you. There are those who will use it to locate you.” Rigo went on to explain about Burke and what they had learned.
“They are like us?”
“They are more powerful and are skilled in the use of the power,” Rigo agreed. “But they care little for your personal wishes. They want to locate those with the power for reasons of their own. I do not know what those reasons are. I just warn you to be careful.”
“Jeen tells me that she has not seen her pursuers for several days,” Daria said, changing the subject.
Kaler and Rigo nodded their understanding. That was good news. At least they weren’t hot on her trail and they wouldn’t have to be overly concerned they might show up at any minute.
“Perhaps we should get moving,” Kaler suggested as he stood and started taking down the few items that constituted their camp.
Before long they headed off, moving through a large vineyard that extended as far as the eye could see ahead of them. Jeen cast a woeful glance back the way they had come.
“Home?” Daria asked softly seeing the woman’s glance.
“Yeah,” Jeen replied.
“You can’t go there. Not now. Maybe never,” Daria warned.
“I know,” Jeen agreed sadly.
They walked for hours, finally coming to the end of the vineyards and making their way into the slowly rolling hills. It was nearing evening when they crested a small hill. In the distance they could see a moderately sized village.
“Ba’ker,” Jeen told them. “Now I know where we are. It’s one of the large communities in the area. I’m further from home than I thought.”
“Perhaps we should do some shopping,” Ash’urn suggested. “There are a few things that we are getting low on, and Jeen and Daria could use more clothes.”
“I’m not sure that would be wise,” Kaler said slowly.
Ash’urn was quick to disagree. “Jeen and I are locals, especially Jeen. The place is large enough they can’t know everyone, so we won’t be immediately tagged as outsiders. Jeen no longer looks like the person she did, and it’s unlikely that word has spread this far already. I think it’s worth the risk.”
They talked it over, then decided that Ash’urn and Jeen would go into the village in the morning. They would limit their purchases to items that could be attributed to only the two of them, and then they would quickly depart. Hopefully, by going in early they would miss the busy period of the day.
They hiked away from the village a considerable distance before making camp in an enclosed ravine that had only a tiny stream for water. They were close enough to people that no one wanted to risk the smell of a fire, so they ate a cold dinner and then settled in as it turned dark.
“I’ve been wondering,” Jeen said suddenly. “Is there a specific place in the Ruins that you are planning to go?”
“There is, but I cannot describe it to you,” Rigo replied. “I know, or at least can sense where we need to go.”
“Would you be willing to go north as well as east?” she asked.
“We actually need to be north of our current location, but there are more people that way. We had thought to turn north once we were on the edge of the Ruins and away from the bulk of Lopal’s villages.”
“There are more villages to the north,” Jeen agreed, “but you are more likely to encounter more people the way you are going. This area is one of the riches growing lands in southern Lopal, and the area is made up of many small farms. There is almost no land that is unused and this time of year there will be people out working the fields every day. It is inconceivable that you won’t encounter some of them if you go that way. It won’t be like the areas you have passed through recently.”
“What are you suggesting?” Ash’urn asked. He had known this was a farming area. But hadn’t considered how many people there might be here.
“I started thinking,” Jeen said. “There are only a few ways to get around. Walking, of course, but that is slow. Horses would be faster, but there is little chance of your getting any animals without bringing too much attention on yourselves. The other is by boat on one of the rivers.”
“I don’t think we want to attempt anything that requires us to mingle with the locals on a boat,” Kaler said.
“Wait, hear me out,” Jeen said sternly. “A day’s walk from here is the town of Da’nar on a river that flows to the northeast. It’s a town just a little larger than Bak’er. We could split into two groups. That would make us less recognizable. Rigo and I could go together, and the rest of you separately. It would look like we are a couple, and you three part of a family. Ash’urn and I could do all the talking and purchase the tickets. You could travel without encountering many people, and you would cover in a day what would take four or more to walk.”
“We’d be forced to mingle with people on the boat,” Rigo objected. “That would give us away.”
“The boats go much farther down the river than we would want to go,” Jeen explained. “That means they have private cabins for those making a multi-day trip. We would only want to take the boat from Da’nar where it departs in the morning, to where it stops late in the evening. But we co
uld get a cabin and stay out of sight. We could eat our own food, and since no one onboard knows us, they wouldn’t even be aware we were there. Of course it would cost money. Perhaps you wouldn’t be able to cover the fare.”
“Coin wouldn’t be a problem,” Rigo said as he considered her suggestion. He liked the idea of covering ground faster and getting through the populated areas quicker. “We could get two cabins. We could board as you suggested, but then rearrange our groups once on board. You and Daria would be able to stay in one, and the rest of us in the other.”
“Do you think this is wise?” Kaler asked. He still had doubts about too much contact with the locals.
“Let’s see how things go in the morning when Jeen and Ash’urn go into the village. We can consider the boat as we head east and see if Jeen is right about the number of people.
Now, two days later they were on board the daily boat that would take them down river. They had adjusted their plan and would stay on board through the night, taking the boat to the stop after the one Jeen had initially suggested. Staying on board overnight would take them farther north and somewhat more to the east. They would be getting out at a larger village than the one that Jeen had suggested and one that she had no prior experience with. She’d at least been to the village she had suggested several years before with her father. But Ash’urn suggested the larger village was on the far side of another range of mountains and would save them time in the long run. They could sleep in the cabins, and depart refreshed once the boat docked in the morning.
Daria smiled as they felt the boat pushed away from the dock and the unmistakable feeling of movement as the current caught the craft and started accelerating it down the river. “Just like old times,” she said.
Chapter 40
