Getting a better look at the third woman, Orsah couldn’t help a frown as the group stopped, and it sounded like they were arguing. Where the two priestesses were light, this one was tall and dark, an imposing figure in a dark cloak with the hood up. Other than the fact the woman was slim, she couldn’t tell much, though there was something niggling at the back of her head, trying to place the figure.
The next instant, just as Orsah saw Keg raise his blowgun to his lips in his hiding place, the woman raised her head and Orsah saw a glimpse of bright purple eyes that were vivid despite the distance, and fear hit her like a hammer as the pieces fell into place. She knew exactly who that was, and it was just an instant too late to call things off.
As Keg’s cheeks puffed, and the others prepared their own attacks, Orsah yelled in panic, “Retreat!”
Chapter 25
One moment Jasmine was opening her mouth to interrupt Naomi and Xandra’s brewing argument, and the next second everything changed.
Xandra snapped out the words of a spell just as a woman in the woods yelled, “Retreat!”
Jasmine jerked in shock, spinning around just as a whirlwind of purple flame erupted around her, Naomi, and Xandra, hot winds blasting her face for a moment, and she just barely caught sight of something flying into the wall of fire before it turned to ashes. A moment later the whirlwind vanished as quickly as it had erupted, allowing a few scattered branches to fall to the ground from above, their ends smoldering where the fire had cut through them.
As Jasmine blinked, she heard a sonorous voice in the woods, and she managed to recognize just enough of the spell to react at last, uttering a prayer as mana surged out of her. “Goddess, shield me from harm!”
A barrier of translucent blue fire erupted around Jasmine just as a series of brilliant bolts of lightning lashed out at her from the forest to her right. The bolts flashed across the intervening space almost instantly, slamming into her shield and exploding in booming crackles of lightning. Her shield held, though Jasmine flinched at the attack.
“I said retreat, damn it!” the woman spat, her voice somewhat grating, and Xandra glanced at Jasmine, a thin smile on her face.
“I see that you’ve gotten better at using spells, even if your control is utterly abysmal,” Xandra said tartly, then raised her voice in an icy tone. “If all of you don’t wish to be turned to ash and be responsible for a forest fire, I suggest surrendering. Now.”
“What… did you know we were going to be attacked?” Naomi demanded, outrage filling her voice.
“I knew there was something in the area causing the wildlife to be quiet. What the threat was? No, I didn’t know. So I didn’t say anything as the two of you were ignorant enough you’d tip any intelligent foes off. Though it appears that at least someone has enough of a mind to realize they’re in a dangerous position,” Xandra said loudly, her head turning as someone came out of the bushes to the right, a tall, thin man with a scraggly beard. “The question is if I’m going to have to make good on my threat.”
“Everyone, uh… I think we’d better do what she says,” the woman in the woods said nervously. “Look, Xandra, if I’d known you were here, I would’ve headed the other way as fast as I could. Please don’t kill us?”
Xandra smiled even more, glancing at Jasmine as she murmured, “Sometimes it’s good to have a reputation for being ruthless. It helps cut the blustering to a minimum.”
“Apparently so,” Jasmine said, hesitating, then allowed the shield she was using to dissipate, a little embarrassed as she cleared her throat. “And I wish you’d told us something was wrong. I’m not used to watching for danger when I’m traveling. Naomi may be a bit overly strident, but I don’t disagree with the sentiment.”
The elf snorted, watching the nine people edge out of the forest. A modestly pretty woman in the back tossing a dagger into the dirt nervously, and quickly followed it with several other weapons. The other bandits followed her example moments later. It was a rather motley crew, in Jasmine’s opinion, but they looked a little better groomed and equipped than most of the bands she’d seen put on trial back in Loth. Whether that was just because they weren’t being pulled out of prison or because they were actually better off was an entirely different question.
“In that case you should work on your observation skills. You may be better with spells, but they won’t help you if you never notice the threat,” Xandra said tartly, her eyes narrowing as she continued. “And I recognize this group now. I don’t remember their names, but that’s because those aren’t important. I thought I’d taught all of you bandits to stay as far away from me as possible. Do I need to leave more examples along the roads?”
A short man in the front blanched as Xandra glared at him, and he quickly looked over his shoulder at the first woman. “Boss? Help?”
The woman sighed loudly, raising her hands further as she spoke up, her rough voice revealing she was the one who’d called for a retreat earlier. “Easy, Keg. Like I told you, Xandra, if I’d known you were here, I would’ve up and run the other way! I’m not suicidal, I was just trying to take care of the job we were hired for.”
“Oh? What job might that be?” Xandra asked, casually stepping forward, which caused all of the bandits to flinch backward. Jasmine couldn’t help marveling at the way Xandra commanded their attention, though she was also concerned at how casual Xandra seemed to be about threatening their lives.
“We were hired to grab the half-elf. Two thousand crowns if we brought her in alive,” the man named Keg said promptly, and Jasmine reeled backward slightly as Naomi inhaled sharply.
“What? That’s enough to buy a ship!” Jasmine exclaimed in shock, stunned by the amount.
“I know,” the man replied glumly. “That’s why we took the job. I never thought she’d be with you. If I had, I wouldn’t have agreed to this.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the bandits at that, and Naomi looked over at Jasmine in concern, then at Xandra.
“That isn’t good, is it? If we’ve got people after us…” the priestess began, then she relaxed as she continued. “No, if they’re not going to attack us again, we’ll be alright.”
“How ignorant can you be?” Xandra asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she circled the thin man with a scraggly beard. “You think that anyone would hire a single group of bandits to capture you? Tell me, how many groups took the job that you know of?”
“Will you let us live?” the woman who led them asked nervously.
“If you give me the information I want, yes. Taking you captive is far too much work, and Jasmine would be horrified if I incinerated you,” Xandra said, her voice perfectly even. “Besides, you aren’t worth the mana that would take.”
“Thank the gods,” a man mumbled, tension visibly leaving his body.
“In that case… the fair folk said that he’d hired five other groups when he offered me money. He told me there were three women, and had descriptions of the two priestesses,” the leader said quickly, her words coming out in a rush. “I don’t know if he hired anyone after me, but he offered two hundred crowns up front, which we could keep in addition to the reward if we at least tried to capture the holy maiden. That’s all I know.”
“A fair folk. No surprises there,” Xandra murmured, nodding slightly as she reached up to tap her lips. “What type of fair folk? Oh, I know you won’t know what court he’s from, but you should at least be able to give me a description. If you can’t, you aren’t worth the air you’re breathing.”
The woman visibly colored at that, straightening as she replied, her voice trembling with a hint of anger. “Of course I can! He looked like a wolf-man, with gray fur all over and amber eyes, standing a little taller than me, with claws on each of his hands. He wore a type of armor that almost looked like wood, but was stitched like hide, and had a big, curved sword on his back that looked like it was made of bone.”
Xandra nodded slightly, glancing at Jasmine curiously. “That was what
I wished to know. Is there anything else, or shall I send this pack of vermin fleeing into the woods?”
“Um, they aren’t vermin, Xandra,” Jasmine said, frowning at the description.
“No, you’re right. They’re scavengers, looking for any target weak enough to bring down, and consuming the fallen if they have no other choice,” Xandra said agreeably, causing the bandit leader’s cheeks to turn an even deeper shade of red.
“Xandra…” Jasmine began, then sighed and shook her head. “No, I don’t have any questions. I don’t know what to ask, you know that much.”
“Oh, we could ask to see the coins, but given fair folk, they’ve doubtlessly gathered them from all over the world, so that wouldn’t be much use unless you’re a collector. We could take the coins, but that would just make it likely for the fair folk to kill them, and if I’m going to do something like that, I’d rather kill them myself,” Xandra explained, her gaze drifting across the bandits coldly, freezing them in place. “I don’t believe in foisting off hard decisions on other people. That’s cowardice, and I don’t wish to be a coward like so many others are. We could ask about the meeting place, the details of the contract, or so many other things… but in all truth, I don’t think they know enough to be worth the time it’d take to interrogate them. The best use of them is to ensure they let all of the other bandits know that if another group comes after you, I’m going to send them to their afterlife without batting an eyelash. I’m in a particularly tolerant mood at the moment, and next time I may not be as restrained.”
The elf paused for a moment, considering, then added, “Besides, the weather is nice, and I’d rather not ruin it by setting the forest on fire. That is a somewhat greater part of why I’m being… benevolent.”
Jasmine winced and looked at Naomi while the bandits shifted in place nervously. Naomi bit her lower lip, then nodded slowly.
“I think she’s right. If we can get them to stop the other bandits… I mean, if they can stop the other bandits from attacking us, it’ll be worth letting them go,” Naomi said, looking distinctly uncomfortable as she fumbled her sentence initially. “I don’t like the idea of letting bandits go, but I think it’s worth it in this case.”
“There will always be bandits. I’d rather leave the ones who have a thought between their various heads alive, as they at least aren’t stupid enough to ruin everything in a region,” Xandra said, sniffing slightly. “It’s the greedy bastards that take everything that isn’t nailed down that lead a country into utter destitution and make it a terrible place to live.”
Jasmine looked at Xandra in confusion, inhaling to object, then paused as she tried to work through what Xandra had said. She thought she understood what Xandra was getting at, but she wasn’t sure she liked it, or even agreed with her. Still, it wasn’t as though she should try to argue right now. Not with a group of bandits standing in front of them.
“You may be right. I’m going to have to think that over, but you may. For now, let’s let them go. Assuming they aren’t going to attack us again,” Jasmine said, looking at the bandit leader and raising her eyebrows.
“Hey, I’m not stupid. We couldn’t beat Xandra when we had an ambush, so you think I’m going to try to take her in a straight fight? I’ll send people to let the other bandits know to leave you all alone and stay the hell away from you. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather never see you again,” the woman replied, glancing away from Xandra nervously. “I should’ve known any job that looked like easy money was likely to be suicidal.”
“Yes, you should have. However, as Jasmine has made her opinion known… go. Take your weapons and get out of my sight,” Xandra said, smiling broadly as she made a shooing gesture with one hand. “Make it fast, we have places to be, and you’ve been a rather unpleasant interruption.”
“On it!” one man yelped, quickly grabbing a blowgun and short sword off the ground as he rushed into the bushes, while the others followed rapidly.
Jasmine watched, a bit confused as the nine bandits vanished in less than a minute, fleeing more swiftly than she would have believed possible. Once they were gone, Jasmine looked at Xandra.
“Were you serious? About mostly not wanting to kill them because it’s a nice day out?” Jasmine asked, concern churning through her.
“Serious enough,” Xandra said, glancing at Jasmine, a corner of her lips quirking into a smile as she continued. “I don’t like killing people. I don’t enjoy it, but I’ll do it if necessary. But neither do I feel any compunction about killing them if they’ve threatened me. I care far more about the weather and my personal comfort than I do about the lives of people like that. Besides, I’ve found that my attitude scares people enough that I don’t need to kill them. Why ruin a winning strategy?”
Jasmine opened her mouth, then shut it, not entirely certain what to say.
“Well then. It’s time to go. We’ve been set behind twice, so we’d best pick up the pace,” Xandra said, setting out at a brisk pace. It was almost as if she’d already forgotten the attempt to kill them.
It took a little work to catch up with the elf, but Jasmine reflected to herself that it was nice to be with someone who knew what they were doing.
Chapter 26
Xandra had almost forgotten the slight tension that came from expecting an ambush at any moment. Over the last couple of years she’d slowly relaxed compared to when she was enslaved, so it was a rather unpleasant sensation, and one that gave her an ever-so-slight headache. Still, at least she knew trouble was coming, and had some idea of what its source would be.
The other two obviously didn’t appreciate that, though, and about the fifth time Naomi had yelped when a bird started slamming a nut against a rock or tree, Xandra had almost lost her patience. She’d been about to snap at the woman when Jasmine had given her an apologetic look and asked Naomi to calm down. That had convinced Xandra to hold her tongue, something that startled her when she thought about it. She normally didn’t hold her tongue just because one acquaintance was sensible.
That proved a distraction for Xandra to mull over, and aside from one incident where she nearly turned a stray bull into a pile of ashes, the trip to Springville was relatively uneventful. Likely because they’d moved so quickly, Xandra believed, looking toward Springville skeptically.
The town was a bit different than Evren, with a short stone wall that formed the base for a palisade. As she watched, she could see a group of workers laboriously pulling an older log out of its hole. They had a new log trimmed and ready to replace it. She thought they would be better served by building the rest of the wall of stone, as wood wouldn’t last nearly as long, but she admitted that her preferences might not be reasonable. She didn’t know where the nearest quarry was, and her knowledge of what stone worked for walls was shaky at best. Her attempts to study architecture had had middling results.
The rest of the town wasn’t much different than most towns in the region, though it was a touch larger than most of them, with about two thousand people, if Xandra had to guess. The roofs were largely clay tile, many of them with layers of dark green moss, particularly on the larger buildings near the hot springs.
“Hm, that looks like a prosperous town for its size. Where are these hot springs? Are they responsible for the moss?” Jasmine asked almost as if prompted by Xandra’s thoughts, looking at the town curiously.
“You would have to ask them, but I suspect that they are. The town has more inns than is typical for its size, from what I’ve seen,” Xandra explained, shrugging slightly, then pointed at the far side of the town. “You see the mist over there? That’s steam rising from the springs. I believe there are numerous ponds, each of different temperatures. At least, such is what was explained to me when I visited my first time.”
“You believe? You haven’t been to them?” Naomi asked, her voice slightly more subdued than it had been earlier. No, not subdued, Xandra corrected internally, seeing how flushed the priestess’s face was. She was exh
austed, again.
“That is correct. While I visited, I have never experienced the springs. I have encountered similar things before, and haven’t been inclined to broil myself. I had quite enough of that when I was a slave, if you must know,” Xandra told her, her eyes narrowing. “Now, shall we continue? You will have plenty of time for decadence and rest once we’re in town. They cater to guests, and I’m sure the two of you will enjoy yourselves. Most people appear to, when they’re here, based on what I saw on my previous visits.”
Naomi opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment Jasmine gave her a look, silencing the priestess as she stepped closer and whispered something in Naomi’s ear. Xandra wasn’t certain what she said, but Naomi’s cheeks colored, and she looked a little… guilty? Was that the expression? Xandra was somewhat curious what Jasmine had said, but shrugged it off after a moment.
“I guess we should go, then,” Naomi said, her voice a little more subdued. “I don’t suppose you know where we’ll be staying?”
“Perhaps,” Xandra said, starting down the path again, examining each of the farmers tending nearby fields skeptically, making certain they weren’t disguised ambushers before her gaze moved to the next ones. “It depends on how much you wish to visit the springs. If you wish to spend a good deal of time in them, there is the Hot Spring Inn, which has the name for obvious reasons. If you want someplace that’s not quite as nice or close to the springs, but less expensive, there’s the Sleeping Unicorn. Last of all is the Copper Mug, which is mostly for those who travel through the town and don’t care about the springs. It isn’t nearly as nice as the other two, based on what I’ve heard. I normally stay at the Copper Mug, but it is up to you.”
Dusk Gate (Soul Bound Book 1) Page 19
