The Maze

by Trudie Collins

  “Whatever happened to ladies first?” Sam enquired.

  “I think we can let him off this once,” Ria replied. “I have really enjoyed seeing him suffer, but he will be much more pleasant to travel with when he is clean and properly dressed.”

  In a surprisingly short time, Patrick returned. Dressed in black leather trousers that clung tightly to his legs and a black silk shirt, left partially unbuttoned, he looked his usual immaculate self once more. His face was once again devoid of whiskers and his still wet black hair had been brushed back away from his face.

  “The wet look really suits him, doesn’t it,” Sam commented to Ria as they both admired the view.

  “I heard that,” a voice said behind them, making them jump. They turned round and faced Brin. “Patrick says there are a number of pools around the river that are perfect for bathing,” he continued, taking Sam’s hand. “I think I need to remind you how good I look when I am wet.”

  “Yeah, she really needs reminding,” Ria murmured, noticing the look of glee on Sam’s face as she was led away.

  Patrick made his way over to Seth and informed him that the river was full of fish, quite large and very friendly. Seth and Dal grinned at each other. Bathing could wait; it was time for another fishing lesson. Grabbing hooks and line from the cart, they first headed into the nearby trees to find some large straight sticks they could use as poles, then made their way down to the river. They were pleased to find that Patrick had been right; the fish were friendly. Taking off their shoes and socks, they both placed their bare feet in the cool water while they strung their lines and attached the hooks. The fish swam around them, not in the least bit disturbed by their water being invaded.

  Seth was the first to have his fishing line completed and, having attached a small piece of bread to the hook, threw it into the water. Almost immediately a fish took hold and pulled on the line. “This is going to be almost too easy,” he declared as he pulled out the fish and watched Dal place his line into the water. Within minutes they had half a dozen fish sitting on the bank beside them. “Can you remember how to clean them properly?” he asked his young assistant.

  “Of course,” Dal replied, enthusiastically taking a sharp knife from his belt. Samson, who had followed them when he heard the word ‘fish’, edged closer, tongue hanging out. Seth watched Dal gut and descale the fish then clean them in the water. He nodded approvingly; the young man had done a good job. Not only was he quick to learn, but it appeared he also had a good memory. Samson whined and Dal threw Seth a questioning look. He nodded and Dal threw the offal towards the hungry animal. The wolf gulped it all down then looked longingly at the cleaned fish.

  “Do not even think about it,” Seth warned. Samson gave him a ‘who me’ look and lay down, his eyes never straying from the food. Dal took the fish to Ellen and returned with instructions to catch the same amount again. Seth threw his line back into the water without attaching any bait. When Dal pointed out his error, Seth explained that they still had a few hours before anyone would be ready to eat and the longer they stayed at the river, the less likely it would be that anyone would find them any other work to do. Liking this idea, Dal too forgot to bait his hook.

  The two young men talked while they ‘fished’. Seth spoke a lot about his childhood and how Tor had taken him in and was continually passing on his knowledge. His admiration for the Prince came through as he talked. Dal listened intently, watching Seth’s face closely. “You really care for him,” the younger man observed.

  “Yes,” Seth agreed. “He is like a teacher and a father rolled into one. I owe him a lot.”

  Seth’s appreciation for Tor affected Dal greatly. Suddenly unable to control himself, he leaned across and kissed Seth tenderly on the lips. Taken completely by surprise, Seth started to respond. Then realisation of what he was doing set in and he roughly pushed the young man away. “What do you think you are doing?”

  “I...sorry,” Dal stammered, stunned by Seth’s reaction. He stood up and ran, tears streaming down his face. He had no idea where he was going; he just knew that he had to get as far away from Seth as he could. He bumped into Sam without seeing her and staggered away, offering no apology. Sam, who had been knocked to the ground, stood up and brushed the dirt from her trousers.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, walking up to Seth.

  “Nothing I want to talk about,” he snapped.

  Sam sat down on the river bank and looked at Seth, a serious expression on her face. “Sorry,” Seth apologised guiltily and hung his head. “I did not mean to snap at you.” Sam continued to look at him, saying nothing. “Dal just kissed me.”

  He said it so quickly Sam thought she must have misheard. “What?” she asked.

  Seth sighed and looked across at her, his face full of anguish. “Dal just kissed me,” he repeated. “When he got drunk in Vada and said he loved me, I did not take it seriously. I thought it was just one of those things friends say when they have had too much ale.”

  “Then don’t take it seriously now. He’s still young. Having a crush on someone you admire is all part of growing up.”

  “He is only a few years younger than me,” Seth pointed out.

  Sam looked him directly in the eye, but he turned away, unwilling to meet her gaze. “That’s not what’s really bothering you, is it?”

  “No,” he admitted reluctantly. “I could forget what happened and put it down to his age and inexperience, except for one thing.”

  “And that is?” she asked when he did not continue.

  “I started to kiss him back.” Sam almost laughed, but stopped herself just in time. This was really bothering the young man. “I do not like men in that way,” he said with vehemence.

  “I believe you,” Sam assured him. “But it sounds like you need to convince yourself, not me. What are you going to do?”

  “I do not know. Any suggestions?”

  Sam stood up. “Right now I suggest you catch some more fish. I’m starving and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Put it out of your mind for now. There will be plenty of opportunity for you to do some self analysis while we travel.” She started to walk away then turned back. “I strongly suggest you don’t mention this to any of the others. Patrick and Ria would have a field day. You will never hear the end of it.”

  “Good advice.” Seth did not watch her leave, his eyes intent on his fishing line. It was a long time before he realised he had still not attached any bait. While he quickly caught and cleaned some more fish, Samson watched closely, his eyes on the man rather than the fish. He could see how distressed his friend was and the wolf was concerned. If he had been able to speak, he would let Seth know that he was there for him, but all he could do was whine and hope the young man understood. He followed Seth forlornly back to the camp site then went in search of Sam. She was someone he could talk to.

  Sam, however, was of no help. She could offer no advice on what either of them could do for Seth and she was more concerned about Dal, who had not returned. Samson was about to set off in search of him, when the young man wandered into sight. The topic of their conversation must have been written all over their faces, as he made his way directly to them and tried to explain his actions. Sam stopped him before he had managed to speak more than a few words, assuring him that no explanation was needed and that neither of them were judging him. Sam said she would be more than happy to listen whenever he needed it. Samson whined his agreement. When Sam pointed out that it was really Seth he should be talking to, panic appeared on Dal’s face. There was no way he was going to be able to face Seth for a long time. Between them, Sam and Samson managed to persuade the young man to join them for food and the meal passed without incident. If anyone noticed that Dal and Seth were avoiding each other, they were polite enough not to mention it.

  Later that evening, Tor took them both out for some more training, ignoring the fact that they were keeping as far apart from each other as possible. He had seen Sam talking to Dal before the
meal and approached her before he departed into the woods.

  “Do you know what the boys are fighting about?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she truthfully replied.

  “And you are not planning on telling me,” he stated when she did not continue.

  “Correct. It is their business, not yours.”

  “Fair enough,” he replied and moved off into the trees, disappearing from sight. He knew there was no point in pushing Sam. If he really wanted to know what the issue was he would have to get one of the young men to tell him. He decided that, unless it became a problem, he would let the matter drop. He remembered some of the arguments he had had with his brothers when they were roughly the same age and thought it likely to have blown over by the morning.

  The evening was warm and pleasant and Sam started to doze as she sat by the slowly dying fire, relaxing in Brin’s arms. It suddenly struck her how happy she was. For the first time since losing both Dean and his baby, she was truly happy. Her whole life had been turned upside down, but she no longer cared. She was in the arms of someone she genuinely loved and who showed that he loved her back. Seeing that she was falling asleep, Brin nudged her so she woke up enough to find a more comfortable patch to settle down on for the night. The others soon followed and everyone was fast asleep by the time Tor, Dal and Seth returned, except for Ban and Modo, who had volunteered to take the first watch.

  The next morning, the peaceful silence of the dawn was broken by the sound of someone being violently sick. Sam looked around and was surprised to find that it was Ellen. Ria and Liselle were with her, one rubbing her back, the other handing her a cup of cool water, so Sam did not get up. Satisfied that Ellen would be taken care of, she lay back down and was soon asleep again. Later, during breakfast, she noticed that Ellen was not eating and asked how she was feeling.

  “Still a little nauseous,” she replied in a strained voice. “I am sure I will feel fine later, I just do not want to risk putting anything in my stomach right now.”

  Sam eyed her suspiciously. She was looking rather pale. When Ellen moved out of earshot, she leaned across to Liselle and whispered to her. “What do you think is wrong with her?”

  “Her kidneys are aching so it is probably something she ate. Why do you ask?” she enquired, giving Sam a questioning look.

  “I just remember that when I was pregnant, I was sick in the mornings and couldn’t face food till nearly midday.”

  “Pregnant!” Ria exclaimed, overhearing what Sam had said. “How could she be?” Three pairs of eyes turned towards Patrick who, thankfully, was far enough away to not have heard anything. Ria grinned wickedly at Liselle. “Oh this is going to be fun.”

  “You’re not going to say anything to him, are you?” Sam asked, a little worried. “I may well be wrong.”

  “Now would I?” Ria replied, sounding a little too innocent. Sam did not bother replying.

  Later in the day, noticing that Patrick was alone, acting as rear guard, Ria slowed down her horse until she was beside him. “I hope Ellen’s morning sickness does not last for too long,” she said casually.

  Patrick, who was not really listening, murmured something in response that Ria could not quite make out.

  “You do know what morning sickness is?” she continued.

  “It is when women are sick in the morning, hence the term,” he replied sarcastically.

  “And you know what causes it?”

  “Of course. Women sometimes vomit every morning when they....” He did not finish the sentence as all colour drained from his face. “Keep guard for a minute will you?” he asked. He urged his horse to increase speed without bothering to wait for a reply. If he had looked round, he would have seen Ria shaking with silent laughter, but his mind was too set on finding Ellen.

  Ellen was talking with Tor when Patrick rode up. “We need to talk,” he announced, interrupting her.

  “Do not be so rude,” she admonished him.

  “Now,” he said sharply, ignoring her. He indicated with his head that he wanted her to move away from the others then started to ride away. Seeing how flustered he was, she made her apologies to Tor and followed him.

  “Is it true?” he asked as soon as he was confident that they would not be overheard.

  “Is what true?” she asked, genuinely confused.

  “Are you with child?” He could not bring himself to say pregnant.

  “Of course not. Whatever gave you that idea?”

  “You were sick this morning and Ria said it was...” For the second time he stopped midsentence. “I am going to kill her.”

  Ellen suddenly burst out laughing. “Ria had you believing that you had gotten me pregnant. That is funny. You look on the verge of panic.” Tears were rolling down her face. “Been in that situation often?”

  “Be quiet,” he snapped.

  “Sorry,” she said, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. “I have got to tell Tor this.”

  “Great,” he said to himself as he watched her ride away. “I am beginning to feel I would have been better off staying in jail.” Tor’s laughter soon reached his ears and he looked over towards them, dismayed to see that tales of his reaction to Ria setting him up were making their way through the group. He returned to take up his rear guard position, noticing that Ria had wisely positioned herself out of his reach between Ban and Torrick. He would deal with her later. He tried to think of ways to get his revenge, but his mind kept drifting back to Ellen. What would he have done if she had been pregnant?

  Ellen posed him the same question later that day as he was helping her prepare vegetables to go into the stew that Seth was cooking. He stopped chopping and looked at her. “I have been thinking of nothing else all day,” he truthfully told her. “I honestly do not know. I have often thought about being a father, but I do not think I could bear to watch my child grow old and die.” Ellen did not comment; she could understand his feelings. “How about you?” he asked.

  “I have not given it much thought,” she replied. “I do want to have children at some point in my life, but not yet.” She gave him a shy smile. “With the right man of course,” she added.

  “And I am not the right man.” It was a statement rather than a question, though his tone of voice suggested he was hoping she would contradict him. She never got the chance as Seth arrived to collect the vegetables.

  “How are the prospective parents doing?” he asked, placing his arms around their shoulders and grinning broadly. Ellen’s reply had Patrick choking and Seth running away.

  “I have never heard you use language like that before,” Patrick said in a slightly strained voice. “Please tell me you do not know what some of those words mean.”

  “Actually, I do not,” she admitted. “I just repeated some of the things Modo says when he does not know I am listening.”

  Patrick chuckled. “Do me a favour,” he said, placing an arm around her waist and kissing her forehead. “Never change.”

  The next evening Patrick got his revenge on Ria by stealing her clothes from the riverbank as she was bathing. She walked into camp wearing just her towel, which barely covered the essential parts, and went to the cart to find her spare clothes. Unfortunately for her, Patrick had hidden her travel bag, so she stole a pair of his trousers and a shirt. She went behind a large bolder to get dressed and emerged with the trouser legs and the shirt sleeves rolled up as they were too big for her.

  “What do you think you are doing?” Patrick cried out in horror. “You cannot treat silk like that.” She smiled at his distress. “Your clothes are behind that bush,” he informed her, indicating which one with a slight tilt of the head. “Get out of my clothes now.”

  “Why. I think I look good like this.” From the look she was getting from Tor, he definitely agreed. Patrick leapt to his feet so fast Ria barely had time to jump out of his way. His face suggested he wanted to strangle her, so she ran to the bush to retrieve her own clothes and quickly got changed. Patrick’s clothe
s were passed to Ellen, who soon had them looking as good as new.

  The journey progressed uneventfully. Seth and Dal continued to avoid each other, occasionally references to pregnancy were teasingly made when Patrick was within earshot and he and Ria found more and more inventive tricks to play on each other. Boredom began to set in and the longing to spend a night in a bed began to infect them all. Eventually they arrived at the edge of Annan forest. It wasn’t until the first trees came into sight that they realised how difficult finding the maze was going to be. The forest was huge. They could wander around in it for weeks and never pass the same tree twice. They made camp at the edge and discussed what their approach should be. They had to find a way of searching the entire forest without covering any ground twice or missing any parts. To make things worse, they all knew the maze might not even be there.

  “I wish Hawk was here,” Sam said sorrowfully. “He could fly over the forest and find the maze for us.”

  “That is a good idea,” Bellak agreed. He had been so quiet during the journey Sam had almost forgotten he was with them.

  “He’s not here though is he?” Sam said, a trace of sarcasm betraying her feelings.

  “No, but the maze is supposed to be very large. By climbing to the top of one of the tallest trees, one of us may be able to see some trace of it, even if all we can see is a gap in the trees.”

  “It is worth a try,” Tor said, looking around. “Any volunteers?”

  Both Brin and Oak, being the best climbers, said they would take a look in the morning, as did Ban and Modo; the former in case his height gave him any advantage over his shorter companions and the latter in case his unique eyesight could pick up anything the others missed.

  Early the next morning, the four chose their trees and ascended rapidly. In a remarkably short time they descended, all with the same story. A potential location of the maze had been spotted.