“Where are you going?” Aaron whispered.
“I'm going to check the placement of the sentries. I don't trust Wylon. If he wanted to cause problems for us, and he suspected that we might leave early, then he might change the guard's rotation.”
Aaron and Mikela were quiet for a moment and then Mikela spoke, “You're not trying to get back at Jefflem. Are you?”
“What?” In her confusion, she actually spoke louder than she had intended.
“Are you going after the boy?” Aaron asked, motioning for Heather to keep her voice down.
The confusion was quickly being replaced by anger, “Now you see here...” she started to say, but Mikela spoke right over her.
“That would not be very smart, you know. If you hurt that boy badly enough, or Adel forbid, if you killed him, there's no way that Wylon would stop hunting you.”
“Yeah and how would Flare like it if you showed up with a bunch of angry wagon drivers on your tail?” Aaron asked.
Even in the darkness, both women could clearly see the smile on Aaron's face.
Sighing, Heather pushed the anger away. “I have no intention of searching out that boy ever again. As I already told you, I intend to check on the guards. I don't know about you, but I do not want to stumble across one of these drunken guards just because we didn't take the time to check.”
The anger started trying to swell again, when she noticed Mikela and Aaron exchanging looks. She was about to remind them who was in charge, but was spared from having to do that when Aaron nodded.
“All right, but be careful.”
Heather slipped out into the darkness, moving without a sound. How dare those two question her intentions? Had she done anything to make them think that she was rash? And why hadn't she told them twenty minutes instead of ten? If she had said twenty minutes, then she would have had enough time to find Jefflem and cut his throat. And why hadn't she thought about going after the boy herself?
Their tent had been on the edge of the caravan camp, and that had suited Heather just fine. It made her sneaking away from the main camp much easier. The main camp was in a circle in a field just off of the road, and the horses were picketed on one end of the field with an open gap between the camp and the horses. Their camp was on the edge of the field farthest from the road, so the best route to the horses was to go into the edge of the forest and circle around to where the horses were kept.
Reaching the edge of the forest was simple, and she made it quickly. Moving quietly through the bushes and small trees that were all around the edge of the field, she took a circuitous route toward the picket line. She moved quietly, as she had been taught since she was a little girl. No sound came from her steps, and her breathing was inaudible. She moved from shadow to shadow, pausing as she did so to make sure there wasn't any movement around her. Even with the constant pausing, she still made good time and soon found herself coming up on the picket line where their horses were tied. The horses were quiet, with the occasional stomp of a hoof.
There was a short open space where the shadows would not provide any cover, and she knelt down in the shadows, peering around. There wasn't much light, as the moon was behind the clouds, but the open space was more lit than the surrounding bushes and shrubs, and she didn't want to take any chances. Cocking her head first to the left, and then to the right, she listened for any sound and watched for any movement that would give away a person's location. Nothing, not a sound or movement. She started to rise to proceed, but something stopped her. Something didn't seem right. Lowering herself back to her kneeling position, she observed the open space again. It was too quiet. Where were the night sounds? Several muted minutes passed, and she was about to rise again, when a snort off to her right confirmed her fears.
Someone was watching the picket lines, and while that was normal, the sentries had not been in this location before tonight. Why were they guarding the horses from the edge of the forest? Coincidence? She seriously doubted it. Was Wylon waiting for them to try and leave early? She hadn't really thought the old man would try and stop them from leaving, but now she was starting to worry. If he wanted to stop them, what was he planning on doing? How long till Aaron and Mikela came through here? Would they stumble out at any minute? Her heart seemed to be pounding, and she quietly got up and started moving slowly back the way she had come; hoping that Aaron and Mikela would not be early. Worrying less about silence now, and more about speed, she winced several times at the small noises that she made, but she kept going.
Aaron and Mikela sat side by side near the coals of their small fire, trying to warm themselves in the cold of the night. Tired though he was, Aaron was glad to be leaving the caravan. They had been good travel companions, well, except for that Jefflem boy. The caravan itself had gotten them safely to Falda, despite all the political turmoil of northern Aramonia. And if not for Jefflem, they could have left in the light of day, instead of sneaking away in the dark. Still though, he was glad they were getting started. Something just hadn't seemed right lately, and it was making him nervous.
Mikela's head bobbed and she jerked back erect. She stretched and stood up, crossing her arms as she did so. “Isn't it about time?”
Aaron nodded and stood, “Yeah. Let's go.” They both got down and crawled back into the tent, closing the flap behind them. Just in case anyone was watching their camp, they wanted to disguise their escape as best as they could. Moving silently to the back of the tent, he pulled up the peg that was holding down the edge of the canvas. This was the same place that Heather had gone out, and Aaron had already placed their packs at the back of the tent. Lifting the flap, he motioned Mikela to go first. It took several moments before he realized that she couldn't see him motioning her, “You first,” he said quietly.
Mikela moved toward Aaron and slid past him back out into the cool night air. The grass was slick with the cold, and she quickly pushed herself up, wanting to be off the cold ground. Aaron was quickly beside her, and they picked up their packs and started toward the edge of the forest. They ran low toward the ground, bent over, and were quickly covered by the trees and bushes of the forest.
They stopped moving and looked back toward the camp. They knelt down and waited and watched for any sign that someone had seen them leaving the camp.
Aaron waited nervously, dreading seeing any movement or a cry, but nothing happened. No one had noticed them.
Mikela glanced over at him, and Aaron smiled back at her. “Mikela, follow me, and try to step where I do. Go as quietly as possible.”
She punched his arm above the elbow, although not overly hard. “Don't tell me to be quiet! I know enough to know that. You just worry about yourself.”
He had been about to stand up when she had punched him, and he had frozen there, half standing. Looking down on her, he shook his head and frowned. If he lived to be a thousand, he would never understand women! “Just stay close and don't get lost.” He moved quickly as Mikela tried to hit him again. Luckily for him, she missed.
They moved quickly through the trees, and while they were no where near as quiet as Heather had been, Aaron was still somewhat impressed. Looking around at the field where the camp was, he couldn't quite see where they were in relation to the horse pickets. “Let's move over to the edge and get our bearings.”
Mikela followed Aaron over to the edge of the field, sure that all of this sneaking around was completely unnecessary. Heather had been a little jumpy since the incident with Jefflem, although Mikela certainly understood why. And Aaron was being over-protective of both women, and she smiled at the thought. His attempt at chivalry was heart warming.
Aaron looked out over the field, and leaned in close to Mikela. “Okay. We're close to the horses, just another couple of hundred yards to where we need to exit the forest.”
Mikela didn't answer, but silently followed Aaron back into the trees. She almost walked into his back, when he stopped suddenly. He dropped into a crouch, and pulled her down by her arm. “W
hat is it?” She asked.
“Quiet!” Aaron leaned closer. “There is someone out there. Moving quickly towards us.”
A bush blocked her view, and Mikela rose up a little ways to peer over it, Aaron was peeking out from the left side of the bush.
“I think it's Heather.” Mikela said after a moment.
“Come on. Let's see what's up.”
Mikela grabbed his arm, “Aaron! There's someone else out there. I can see other forms moving...”
Aaron didn't let her finish, but was already moving forward in a rush.
Heather was almost running back through the woods now, the noise no longer her primary fear. One thought kept running through her mind. She had to get to Aaron and Mikela.
In the distance, she saw shapes moving and almost fell as she skidded to a stop. Whoever the figures were, they were moving quickly towards her. Her hand fell to her knife and she frantically looked around for a place to hide.
“Heather! Look out!” A voice she recognized as Aaron's called out. Then a blinding pain exploded inside her head and she knew no more.
Aaron cursed and drew his sword as he ran towards Heather. His shout had been too late, and Heather and been hit hard from behind. He hadn't seen who had done it, but the shape was big.
He could hear Mikela calling him even as she chased after him. He didn't even listen to Mikela's words. His reason was gone, all he could think of was that someone had attacked Heather, and she needed him.
Heather had collapsed just a little ahead of him. He sprinted past a tree, towards the spot where she still lay on the ground. He never made it. Something heavy fell on him, pushing him to the ground. Twisting frantically, he tried to regain his feet, and that was when he realized he was trapped in a net. Knowing there was no time, Aaron pulled his knife from its sheath and slashed at the net.
“Going somewhere?” A voice sneered at him from near the tree.
Aaron turned, and his blood ran cold at the sight of Jefflem standing over him.
“You're not going anywhere tonight.” Jefflem said with an evil grin covering his face. As he spoke, he patted the club that he carried with him.
Aaron tried to roll away, but Jefflem only laughed and lifted the club. Aaron, knowing what was about to happen attempted to cover his head with his arms, but it didn't help. Pain erupted through his head, and darkness engulfed him.
Chapter 15
Flare knelt over the fire, trying to chase away the chill of the early morning air. They had followed the Southern road until it forked, and then they had followed the southeastern branch. He wanted to avoid any potential problems that traveling through Aramonia would certainly invite, so he had decided to travel south through Dalar. Dalar was a rival of Telur's, and the two countries were always at odds, but trade routes were always open between the two. Plus the roads through Dalar were almost as safe as the roads in Telur.
After the Southern road forked, it was called the Arium highway, and led to the capital of Dalar to the southeast. Dal-Arium was the capital, and rivaled Telur in size and influence.
So they had followed the Arium Highway until it hit the Adelion river. There they had crossed over on a ferry, all the time keeping a look out for anyone who might be paying too much attention to them. No one even bothered to look at them twice. Atock didn't even draw many looks, and his dark skin coloring was rather rare in these parts. Not unheard of, but rare.
On their journey south, they had settled into a routine. They broke camp at sunrise, and traveled almost until dusk, stopping several times for breaks along the way. On two occasions, they had been lucky enough to come across a small town late in the day, and had been able to sleep at the inn. The rest of the nights, they slept under the stars. Each night, Atock took the first watch, Philip took the second, and Flare had the final watch. They had become comfortable in their routine, in fact, he was afraid that they might be getting too comfortable. It was hard to remain alert when all you passed was farm after farm and village after village.
Flare stirred the fire, which was getting close to going out, and breathed into his hands. The temperature had been getting colder each day, and even though they were traveling south where it was warmer, it seemed that the cold was moving south faster than they were. He grimaced, knowing that they couldn't win the race with the cold weather. He was pleased with how fast they were traveling, they were at most several days from Dal-Arium. And from there, it shouldn't be more than seven to ten days for them to reach Helum. The trip to Helum wasn't what concerned him; it's what was to come after Helum that worried him; the Catacombs under Mount Ogular.
Flare's thoughts turned to the other guardians, as it often did. Was their trip going as smoothly? Doubts still plagued him about splitting the group up. Was he just being paranoid? He still didn't think so, even with the easiness of the trip so far.
The eastward sky was turning pink as the sun started to rise. Anxious to get moving, he walked over and prodded Atock with his foot. At first, Atock didn't stir, so Flare prodded a little harder. All of a sudden, Atock bolted upwards to a sitting position, his hand scrambling to find his sword. He stopped after a moment, seeming to realize where he was. “Why do you do that?” He grumbled. “Is that the only way you can think of to wake me up?” He rubbed his eyes while speaking.
Flare grinned, “I could dump water on you.”
Atock sighed, but said nothing. Flare waited a moment, and then moved over and prodded Philip awake. He was even harder to wake than Atock, and complained even more.
As they neared Dal-Arium, towns and farms became more numerous on the eastern side of the road. On the western side of the road, a great forest stretched to the west and south. Even from the road, Flare could see a scattering of ancient oaks with massively thick trunks. He was surprised to see them this close to the road, wondering what types of trees the deep depths of the forest must hide.
Philip watched Flare as they rode along the edge of the forest, “What is it with you elves and the trees?” He asked, shaking his head. “I mean, after all it's just a tree.”
Flare stirred at Philip's words. The oaks had made him think of home, and for the first time in a long time, he thought of Solistine and his family. A sense of melancholy had come over him. “Reminds me of home,” he answered softly. “I miss the forests where I grew up.”
Philip glanced over at Atock, “How about you? Are you missing home, as well?”
Atock shook his head, fighting a small grin. “No. But I do miss the serving girls from my father's palace.”
Philip made a face. “Is that all you can think about? I suppose you think with your pecker.” He said in exasperation.
Atock shrugged, “Well, I do go where it points.”
Both Atock and Flare laughed at the joke, but Philip looked disgusted. “How base can you be?” He mumbled to no one in particular.
They continued south on the road towards Dal-Arium, and Flare was surprised to see that the forest continued relatively close to the road. As they went farther south, the forest was pushed back from the road, but it still was no more than a quarter mile. He would have thought that there would have been villages or farms on the western side of the road, at least this close to the capital, but there were none.
Early in the mid-afternoon, they rounded a sharp bend in the road that curved back around an outcropping of the forest, and were surprised to see a group of people off to the side.
All three of the guardians pulled up short, sensing trouble. Seven warriors, dressed in the green and grey uniforms of Dalarian soldiers, had what looked like a woman captive. Flare couldn't see much of the woman, as she was lying curled up on the ground. As the guardians rounded the corner, the nearest soldier kicked the woman in the gut and she groaned in pain.
The soldiers, all of whom were gathered around the woman, became aware of the riders almost immediately. A large man, who wore a gold stripe on the shoulders of his green shirt, stepped toward them. “Move along. We just caught a wildling,
but we have everything under control.” Flare wasn't sure, but he thought that the gold stripe marked the man as a lieutenant, but regardless, he was the leader.
Flare hesitated, glancing at both Atock and Philip. His hesitation did not go unnoticed. The leader of the soldiers moved closer to the riders, half-drawing his sword as he did so. “I said move on.” He said, his expression hardening. His men hurried over to stand behind him, all except one, who stayed with the woman. Flare was impressed, the men were well trained, none of them drew their swords, instead they just rested their hands on their sword hilts. They watched their commanding officer for direction.
Flare raised his hands out in front of him, “No offense. We're just traveling through and we don't want any trouble.”
The soldiers relaxed a little. “Fine, then move along.”
“If you don't mind, did you say you caught a wildling?” Flare asked looking over at the woman on the ground. “I'm not familiar with that name. What are wildlings? Looks like a woman to me.”
The soldier with the stripe looked from Flare to Philip, and Flare silently cursed himself. Philip was supposed to be acting as the one in charge, and one of the first chances that they get, Flare forgets his own plan and speaks out. He was sure that the soldier would remember them now. Turning quickly to Philip, Flare said, “Your pardon, sir. I hope that you don't mind me asking. My curiosity got the better of me.”
A brief look of confusion flashed over Philip's face, but it was gone almost immediately. “Uh, no, that's fine.”
The soldier looked from Philip to Flare again, and he had a puzzled look on his face. Flare silently cursed again. The man suspected something. Oh, he didn't have a clue what was going on, but he could sense that something wasn't right. He would definitely remember them now.
Ossendar: Book Two of the Resoration Series Page 27
