by Bill Mays
She spent the next two days deciding on what to say and how to say it. Finally, the time came for action. Dalia approached the topic the same way she approached everything, directly. Flade and the lady were on watch together this night. Everyone else slept soundly. They were essentially alone.
“Flade?” Dalia approached the man while holding him under an intense stare. Her clear grey eyes were piercing his very soul.
“Yes, my lady?” The ever-polite man responded.
“I have been meaning to speak with you for some time now, privately, ever since we met actually.”
The lady seemed overly cautious in her speech. Something bothered her. It put the ranger on edge. His own intensely blue eyes held a spark of apprehension.
“Yes, of course. What troubles you? Does it concern our mission, or maybe Tark? Try not to worry about him. I feel in my gut that he is alright, if that is of any consolation.”
“No, it is not about either of those things. I agree. I too sense that he is fine for the time being. Actually, that is the topic I wish to discuss, your, I mean our, senses. I am aware of your special secret.”
Flade immediately became uncomfortable. His nervousness was flashing like a beacon to the lady in white. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand?” He folded his arms in discomfort. Clearly, he was hiding something.
Dalia smiled disarmingly with her pearly whites on full display. “Even now your emotions betray you. Have no fear, your secrets are safe with me,” the lady assured him.
Suddenly, all hints of the man’s emotions were shut off to Dalia. “Very good!” She congratulated. “You have developed basic defenses on your own. I am impressed.”
The ranger took a step back. He eyed Dalia suspiciously. “What exactly are you talking about?” Flade sounded upset and confused.
“Your secret talent, the ability to communicate with animals,” she clarified. “I know you are more than what you appear to be. You possess a trace of mind magic.”
Flade released a slight sigh of relief. The scowl on his face eased immediately. Evidently, he was thinking along a different line. “Oh … yes … you know about that?” The ranger’s tenseness faded somewhat. “How? … What do you know?”
“Let us just say I have experience in the field. Your skills go far beyond the basic animal affinity of most woodsmen. How long have you been aware of this gift? Did it develop over time or was it always present?”
“Since I was a child I could speak with the creatures around me. I think I’ve always known that. No words are exchanged, but they know basically what I’m thinking and I can sense their thoughts as well.”
“And what about people, do you get the same impressions?” She questioned.
“Not so much,” he admitted. “I just get basic emotions from people and then only sometimes. I’m surprised you picked up on that. What does it all mean? I’ve never met another who understood.”
“Who were your parents?” Dalia asked carefully. She wanted to make her point without frightening him. “I have noticed you never speak of them.”
“That is because I was left in the care of a family friend early in my life. Honestly, I barely even knew them. Why, do you think this ability has something to do with my parents?”
Dalia nodded in understanding. She spoke slowly, choosing her words as she went. “I have much experience in this field of expertise. The school I lived at, the one I mentioned before, it was a place where such talents were explored and nurtured.”
“And you are saying you have similar skills?” The man asked in uncertainty. “What did you call it – mind magic?
“You could say that,” Dalia admitted hesitantly.
“I’ve seen your powers. They are nothing like mine. You heal with a touch and discern truth from falsehood with a glance. You can even see events take place beyond normal vision, through obstacles. You’re telling me that your powers and my ability are similar. I find that a little confusing.”
“I believe your ability comes from a mixed heritage, a union of two people from very different origins.” She was speaking cryptically. This was a very delicate subject and she knew tact was an important part of its presentation.
“My lady, I know your own origins are a subject of great discomfort to you. Whatever you have to tell me will remain between us. Your secrets are safe as well.”
“Have you heard of a people known as the idosians?” She basically whispered the name, careful that none of their sleeping companions could hear her.
“Give me some credit,” the ranger chuckled. “I may be a wilderness man from a desert village, but I’m not ignorant. Who has not heard of them? They are still the stuff of nightmares to many.” Flade paused a moment as he evaluated her expression. Then he spoke more loudly than intended. “You mean you and I are of idosian decent?” Dalia looked about the camp cautiously then nodded. “I’m sorry, my lady, but I find that hard to believe, even coming from you. What a curse that would be. Neither of us has the heart of a demon.”
His last statement visibly stung the woman. She resumed her calm and continued with the explanation. “Please, calm down. Your own blood is diluted over several generations.”
Flade sat back in shock. What she was telling him sounded like a fantasy. The idosians died out with the civilizations of old, many centuries ago. He quickly looked her in the eyes. “And what of your blood?”
Dalia was hesitant again. She resolved to hold nothing back. If she were going to help Flade understand then he would need to know everything. “Less diluted,” she admitted. “My father was a nobleman merchant from Merintz. I have stated that before, but my mother …,” her voice fell to a whisper as it trailed off.
The lady had not told anyone of this since leaving her old life far behind. Most people would never understand. She felt that Flade was different. He had an honest heart and a kind soul.
“You’re telling me your mother was of idosian heritage?”
Dalia nodded fearfully. “She had very concentrated blood. The legends are not all true. Idosians are not demons or monsters. They are people just as everyone else. Both good and evil can be found among them.” She was still uncertain how her friend would react to the news. Her heart pounded rapidly.
Flade shook his head slowly. “That can’t be possible. They were wiped from Pangias centuries ago during the purge.”
“Not all of them were destroyed. Several groups fled to quiet corners of the world to live peacefully in secret mixing with other humans,” Dalia whispered. “Though now that fact may be closer to the truth. Some were discovered and terrible things happened to them.”
The woman grew very sad. Flade suddenly felt her sorrow reach out to his senses. The realization of how it was happening unsettled him a bit. Was he truly carrying the blood of such creatures?
“Are you talking about the school you’ve mentioned?” He asked slowly. She nodded. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he moved to hold the porcelain lady.
Dalia always seemed so strong and in control of herself despite her delicate frame. She released that control for one instant. She had bared her soul to Flade and not been turned away. After the fall of the school, she expected never to feel that total acceptance again. The lady sobbed for some time in his comforting embrace. It was well overdue after all she had been through, with everything she had been bottling up. When she finally regained her composure, Flade’s head was racing with questions. She could feel them all bubbling to the surface of his mind.
“For now we will keep this quiet, until there is a safer place to talk. You cannot tell anyone of what we have discussed, I beg you. As you can imagine, the results could be disastrous.” Dalia’s gaze pleaded with the man.
“Of course not,” he assured her.
“And what exactly are we not sharing with anyone else, handsome?” Arianna lay not too far away. An all-too-familiar and disturbing dream had awakened her. She had casually stayed quiet to catch the tail end of her friends in discussion, not want
ing to disturb the tender moment. “Forgive me for eavesdropping, but it looked so touching I hated to interrupt. I had another of those awful dreams. I fear there is an old tomb awaiting me for it comes to me almost nightly. What a depressing and dreary place to spend eternity,” she sighed. “Not the best thought for a good night’s rest,” she smiled wearily.
“Perhaps you ladies should try and get some sleep. I will keep watch over you. We have plenty more hiking ahead of us.” Flade stood quickly and walked away, intent on escaping the uncomfortable situation.
Dalia sat wiping the tears from her eyes. “I take it you chose another to share with?” Arianna smiled again. “I understand. He has quite a nice set of arms to have wrapped around you.”
“It is nothing like that,” Dalia clarified quickly. “There were things we needed to discuss, things concerning our homeland. It went farther than I intended. I got carried away, that is all.”
“As you wish,” Arianna conceded, “But should you ever need another ear mine is always available, without judgment.” The priestess adjusted to a more comfortable position and drifted back to sleep.
The lady caught no stray thoughts to suggest Arianna knew more than she was letting on. Things were becoming more complicated. How simple and pleasant life had seemed when she and her young attendant traveled through the mountains at the gladiator’s side. She missed that feeling of safety under the big man’s protection. Dalia, too, went to sleep, but her dreams were of Tark.
* * * * * * * * * *
Daylight again greeted them, but a nasty storm looked to be brewing on the eastern skies. Flade made no mention of their past night’s discussion, though many questions troubled him. It was not every day that you found out the blood of one of the most feared and hated peoples in history flowed through your veins. While he avoided the topic of his heritage, the ranger did suggest they make for a distant outcropping of rocks before the storm caught up to them. Mani was torn. He could see the wisdom in seeking shelter, but he feared they had wasted much time already in delivering his very important news. Having no idea where the queen or his fellow knights stood in relation to the war, his gut told him to hurry.
“I don’t doubt your judgment, my friend, but our journey has cost us much valuable time already. We will take our chances and push onward.” Rolf and Cuthbert, his two remaining soldiers, obviously shared his feelings on the matter. The others were less certain.
“What if that storm wipes us away, then what of your precious mission?” Ganze commented sourly.
Mani looked to the gangly man with annoyance. “Any who wish to leave the group and take cover can feel free to do so at their own peril.” The two men traded glares.
“You see, Coal, no respect at all,” the rodent-faced man whispered loudly to his blackbird friend.
The whole display between the two brought a grin to both Jillian and Petre. It was the second open display of anonymity between the men in the last hour. “Are they always this way?” Petre asked the girl.
“How would I know?” Jillian replied curtly. “I met them when you did, remember?” She shook her head as if to say the boy was hopelessly ignorant.
“Yes, they are always like this, bickering like old maids,” Flade spoke softly from behind them. All three had a quick laugh at the comparison.
“Be prepared to get wet boys and girls,” Flade called out as the first droplets of rain fell and the sky grew dark. “This storm promises to be a nasty one.”
Mani was beginning to rethink his unwavering decision to press on. “We are not going to melt,” Dalia offered from just to the side of the man. “Be more sure of yourself,” she smiled.
Mani took the advice to heart. The lady was right as usual, he realized. That had been the major difference in Carpious and himself. Carpious never second-guessed his decisions. That was probably why he had been the first assistant to the king while Mani was the second.
Soon the rain was falling in buckets. The storm proved to be every bit as bad as the ranger warned. The wind managed to spit the water into their faces no matter which way they looked.
“Good thing we didn’t go for that shelter back there,” Ganze snipped. “We might not have gotten to enjoy the weather.” Only Flade’s quick intervention kept the knight from cuffing the man again.
“Look over there!” Rolf called out to the group. Though their vision was severely hampered in the windswept rains, a small copse of trees was visible with each flash of lightning.
“Good call,” the ranger stated aloud. “Shall we?” Flade was waiting for the knight’s decision.
“Move for the trees,” Mani called out.
No one hesitated. They were all drenched and tired of fighting with the winds. Flade was the first to reach the tree cover. It consisted of about twenty trees of various sizes and some tangled underbrush. A quick scan revealed no danger.
“This will do nicely,” he mumbled as he evaluated the area.
The ranger was ushering in the last member of the group, Petre, when Ganze called out a warning. “Look up!” The cowardly man shouted as he dove to the ground covering Coal for protection.
The canopy of entwined tree branches and leaves helped to reduce the blinding rain considerably. Flade scanned the treetops but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“What is it, I see nothing!” Mani shouted at the cowering man. His sword was already free of its scabbard.
“I’m afraid I haven’t anything to report either,” the ranger called out. Dalia and Arianna both shrugged, having spotted nothing unusual.
One of the two Kandairian soldiers, Rolf, lifted Ganze to his feet. “Speak up! The commander asked you a question.”
“There was a shape moving in the branches. It was man sized but built differently, in a cape maybe.” Ganze was watching the tree tops nervously.
“Are you sure it was a person and not just a trick of the storm?” Flade questioned seriously. “Maybe the light from the lightning cast a shadow.”
Another crack of thunder drowned out the rain. “I know what I saw,” Ganze insisted.
“Everyone -- keep your eyes open,” Mani growled, though his tone was doubtful. “We can’t leave here just yet, so get comfortable people. This may be a long storm.”
Flade immediately began arranging a camp with some shelter using woven branches and large leaves. He noticed Ganze looking at him as if he was wasting his time. “It may not be much, but it will help, and I hate just sitting still.”
After a couple of hours passed the storm’s worst point blew over. Unfortunately, it was moving the same direction they were. Things were not working in the group’s favor.
“No sense in staying under its path,” Mani reasoned. “We rest here for the night.”
“Are you crazy?” Ganze protested. “What about that thing I saw in the trees?”
“We’ve been here for a while now and no one else has seen anything. Are you sure you weren’t just imagining it?” Mani jabbed. His two soldiers, Rolf and Cuthbert, chuckled mockingly. “Set up camp!” Mani called out and everyone got to work. Ganze muttered a few curses at the man, but he was wise enough to keep them to himself. He spent the next half hour complaining to the bird. Coal listened patiently as he always did.
The rain lessened considerably as the heart of the storm passed them by, but a steady drizzle continued to drip from the branches overhead. This night, the Kandairian soldiers took their turn at first watch. The two men were holding their usual discussion about what they would do when the war was over and they could return to their homes in peace.
“My wife will be waiting with a meal fit for a king,” Cuthbert sighed. “I’ve lost so much weight during these last weeks I fear she might not even recognize me.”
“I have no wife yet, but I’ll be taking one soon after this. Carolyn Tothess is a seamstress’ apprentice in my hometown. By all that is watching over us, she will be mine when I return. I want someone waiting for me if ever I leave home again,” Rolf chuckled. The crack o
f a branch drew his attention upward, but he saw nothing.
“Don’t tell me you let the rat man get to you?” Cuthbert teased.
“Not a chance of it,” Rolf assured him. He drew out his sword just in case.
Just then, a faint sound reached both of their ears. It was so light neither man could make it out, but they both felt the unnatural need to investigate without delay. They left their sleeping companions behind without a worry. As they abandoned their posts and walked from the copse of trees, the sound grew clearer. It was a song. The words they did not understand but the message was clear as a bell. It was relaxing and enticing in one. It called to them to come forward and rest. The men dropped their swords to the ground and moved towards the beautiful voice. In a lone tree ahead of them sat a woman singing out and drawing them in. Her dark-skinned, pretty face and windswept hair held their focus. Without a word, they moved to stand beneath her. Soon they were lying on the wet ground letting the drizzle fall on their faces without a care in the world. Their eyelids grew very heavy.
