by A. J. Searle
“Which one is your friend?” She turned to look back at him when they stood outside.
“That ogre standing there.” Ronan nodded toward Keegan. “He’s not a bad fellow really. And he knows his way around these parts pretty well. But he can climb onto one’s nerves at times.”
“Handsome though.” She grinned when Ronan groaned. “Come on, then.” She slipped a hand beneath his arm, pressing her side against his.
His grin widened when Keegan looked up, mouth falling open, and he almost dropped his ale. “If I forget later, I thank you for this.”
“Who is the young one gaping from beside him?” She lowered her voice as they neared.
“He already worships me. It’s the big one I wanted to impress.” Ronan was surprised when she turned, curling her fingers in the lapels of his coat. Walking backward, she tugged at his coat, urging him to walk with her toward the entrance of the tavern. Up the stairs to his room, she giggled when he closed the door behind him.
“Was that a good enough show for you to answer whatever questions I want?” She asked in a low voice.
“Almost,” Ronan answered and dipped his head. He did not kiss her hard, only tasted of her mouth while waiting for her to demand that he release her. She did not. She gasped but her lips submitted to his with no resistance.
There was a thump on the door. “Go away,” Ronan murmured against her mouth. Another thump sounded, this time more heavily. He growled and stepped backward pressing against the wood grain. The third thump was forceful enough to jerk through his body.
“Yore, I will run you through if you do not leave me alone!” Ronan warned and the woman chuckled lowly from within his arms. He set her to her feet and turned when the thumping did not stop.
Ronan threw open the door. “I have a sword with your name on it, Keegan!” But his eyes widened as they landed on the centaur Bryan’s deep chest.
“Busy?” Bryan tilted his head, looking past Ronan at the woman. “At least she is better than the one I last saw you with. I pray that you left the witch with a dagger in her black heart.”
“I did not.” Ronan sent the woman a glance over his shoulder, “You should leave.”
“That is a centaur,” she said as if he were stupid.
“Yes, I know.” Ronan took another step backward. “We are old friends. He won’t hurt you if you leave now.”
“You should have killed the witch. You know you should have.” Bryan reached to light the lantern on the shelf by the door. “She killed my brother.”
Ronan moved forward, suddenly angry. “You were about to kill the boy. You cannot threaten death without expecting someone to do what they must to protect themselves.” Ronan shook with sudden anger. Light filled the room, glowed out from the lantern and Bryan faced Ronan, looking in his eyes. His nostrils flared.
“Nice shave.” Bryan flipped his hair back over his shoulder. “I saw what happened at the river.”
Ronan turned to the woman. “Leave us. I thank you for what you did but you should leave us now.”
“Why?” the woman asked.
Ronan’s lips twitched despite the situation. “Do you never run out of questions?” Her eyes dragged from the centaur to rest on Ronan. “I’ll be fine. Go.”
“He’ll not be fine. He’ll end up like his friends if he isn’t careful.” Bryan nodded when Ronan whirled. “I told you I would use the weapons you gave me.” The sound of metal breaking free its sheath filled the room and the point of the sword rested at the center of the centaur’s chest. The woman gasped but Ronan didn’t look back at her.
“If you killed them I will…”
“They are alive.” Bryan’s eyes flicked down to the blade. “If I don’t return in twenty minutes with the sword, they will not remain that way.” Ronan’s hand shook but was certain it could not be mistaken for fear. His breath deepened.
“Where are they?”
“Give me the sword. Go home,” Bryan said softly. “That is where you want to be.” Ronan shook his head. Ahearn, find Keegan. Bring him to me. He did not know if he was even sending the thoughts out correctly. He prayed desperately though that the horses were listening. Sorcha, get Ula to safety. Dermot, you get Arien.
“You cannot use that sword.” Ronan had forgotten that the woman was there, behind him. She’d moved closer.
“Oh, yes, I can use it.” Ronan smiled as he heard hooves clomping quickly up the stairs. Bryan looked behind him and Ronan lifted the blade and brought it flat against the centaur’s head.
“No bloodshed.” Ronan nodded approvingly at his blow as the centaur slumped heavily against the wall. “Now everyone can be happy.” He turned to the woman, grabbed her hand.
“Come. You don’t want to be here when he shakes off the pain.” Ronan gave her hand a pull, smile widening when Ahearn halted in the corridor, Keegan’s sleeve gripped in his teeth.
“Damn you, Culley! What is this about?” Keegan snatched his arm from the horse’s mouth.
“Culley?” The woman repeated with surprise in her voice,
“No time for explanations. We need to get moving.” Ronan heard Bryan groan from the room. “Quickly.”
“No, wait. If you are Ronan Culley, I can handle this situation.” The woman argued but Ronan gave her arm a rough jerk.
“He will use you against me,” Ronan ground out when she jerked back.
“I am no one’s weapon. I am Fiona Magle of the Serpentine Warriors. The wizard Thestian sent me here to meet you and escort you to Merisgale.” She put her arm out, pushing the blacksmith behind her when the centaur stumbled from the room holding his head.
“No,” Ronan commanded.
“No?” She echoed.
“No,” Ronan repeated, this time stepping between the woman and the centaur. “Serpentine Warriors can kill easily. I may be ignorant but I do know this much. And I’ll not have this centaur killed.”
“He’s crazed,” Keegan whispered. Ahearn neighed, shaking his head. The horse pushed past them and stood at Ronan’s side.
“Well you can’t chance striking him again with that thing. You could have cut his head open. You have no idea what that would have meant for you and Meris.” Fiona looked past the blacksmith at the centaur as he glared down at Ronan’s head. “I would get out of the way if I were you. He doesn’t look too happy.”
“Don’t make me use it, Bryan.” Ronan did not turn. “I will if I must.”
“You told that lie once before. Give me the sword,” Bryan bellowed and slowly Ronan turned. The centaur towered over him.
“Do it not and I will run everyone of you down and take it,” He added.
Ronan sighed, bowing his head. “Culley, no.” Keegan warned but Ahearn tossed his head, as if to attract the horseman’s attention. Ronan lifted the sword and let the edge fall, turning the hilt out for the centaur to take.
“I’m tired, Yore. At least this way, it isn’t in anyone’s hands that would use it to destroy us.” Ronan bowed his head. For a moment the centaur did not move.
“You will let us go?” Ronan asked, momentarily tightening his grip.
“I will.” Bryan nodded and reached forward. Ronan gave the sword to him.
“You fool!” Fiona hissed but Ronan turned and hauled her onto Ahearn’s back, then swung up behind her.
“Go, Yore! On your horse now. Let’s get out of here before he changes his mind.” Yore hesitated and Ahearn gave the man a nudge. Moments later the horse followed the horseman from the tavern.
“Let me go! I have to get that sword back!” Fiona twisted, attempting to wrestle free from Ronan’s grasp. Keegan swung atop his horse and they both kicked their beasts forward.
“Idiot! Release me!” Ronan’s eyes widened when the woman’s skin color began to change. A forked tongue snaked out her mouth and flicked him sharply on the cheek but he did not release her.
“Keep still,” Ronan growled, tightening his grip around her but her body moved as if it suddenly had no bones and she n
early slipped from his grasp. “I said be still! I have the damned sword!” Fiona grew still and did not struggle again. They did not stop until they were far from Fullerk and rode upon a confused boy with two nervous horses.
“Where is she?” Ronan looked at Sorcha. The horse bowed her head.
She couldn’t find her. Ahearn answered for her.
“Dragon’s Blood!” Ronan nearly threw Fiona to the ground. I’ll go back for her. Stay here. Ahearn flexed his muscles and Ronan sighed, swinging down. He didn’t like it but he couldn’t risk losing the real sword to the centaur. He removed the leather wrapped sword from Ahearn’s back.
“Go then. But if you do not return within the hour I am coming back for you both.” Ronan warned. The horse neighed and then started off in a full gallop back the way he came.
“We should push on,” Keegan advised but Ronan shook his head.
“I will not leave her.”
I’ll bring her back. Go as he says. Ronan kicked at the dirt. He had to trust the horse. He’d not led him wrong yet.
“Fine! Let’s go.” Ronan reached for the woman’s arm but she drew herself up.
“I demand an explanation.”
“I made a second sword. It’s not a very good replica but one that would fool someone at first glance.” Ronan said with impatience. “It won’t take the centaur long to realize the trick.” Fiona stared at him with surprise for a moment.
“Why did you lie to me about who you were?” She didn’t move.
“I didn’t lie, though I did attempt to mislead you. I have people trying to kill me, rivers trying to suck me in, and dark forces trying to take me over. A beautiful woman seems an obvious threat.” Ronan nodded when Keegan grunted with agreement. “Especially one looking for a particular blacksmith that she knows is going to be traveling through Fullerk.”
“Thestian said you had a beard,” Fiona argued.
“He shaved it off to impress you.” Keegan grinned down at Ronan when the man shot him a glare.
“To impress me?”
“I told you I had seen you before. Now, let’s go. Ahearn can be a mule if I don’t follow his advice.” Ronan grasped her arm this time and pulled her along with him. “We can talk as we put distance between the sword and the centaur.”
“Why didn’t you want me to kill the centaur?” Fiona matched his stride easily. Ronan noticed with some admiration.
“Because he doesn’t deserve it,” Ronan answered. “He’s only doing what he thinks is right for his kind. He doesn’t mean to use the sword, just to keep it from continuing to kill his family.”
Fiona grew silent for a moment, and then said quietly, “I thought you were going to be a stupid man.”
“It would be easier if he was,” Keegan mumbled.
“On both of us. You have no idea how stupid I can be if Ahearn doesn’t bring that woman back to me.” Ronan ran a hand over his face, started to scratch at his beard before remembering it was no longer there.
“I could go back for her,” Arien finally spoke. “I’m not afraid of that centaur.”
Ronan smiled wearily at the boy. “I doubt you are afraid of very much at all, Arien. You already bested him once, didn’t you?” Ronan saw the boy’s chest puff out as he nodded.
“I did.”
“But I need you here, with me. I need your eyes. Mine have gotten a bit old over the years.” Ronan glanced over his shoulder. “I need you to keep an eye out for any sign of Ahearn. I have to know if the centaur is following him or not. Can you do that?”
“Yes, easily, Sir Culley.” Arien nodded, eager to be of some use. He made Dermot fall back behind the others so he could turn and look over his shoulder.
“You’ve ruined my horses. They let anyone climb onto their backs,” Keegan said watching the boy.
“You trained them,” Ronan reminded for the second time and Keegan fell silent.
“I don’t know why I was sent. You seem to have everything under control,” Fiona spoke again.
“And exactly why were you sent?” Ronan glanced at her.
“Thestian thought it wise that you have someone watching over you. I believe he is grateful that you took up the responsibility of delivering the sword to him.” She smiled. “It was a very brave thing to do.”
“It wasn’t.” Ronan shook his head. “It was dropped in my lap. There was nothing I could do to get out of it.” Her smile widened at his honesty.
“When we get to where we are going, we can take a break.” Keegan grinned when Ronan looked up at him. “The two of you can finish whatever you started.”
“What makes you think we weren’t already finished when the centaur came upon us?” Fiona didn’t miss a beat and Ronan chuckled lowly.
“She was trying to find Ronan Culley and I was trying to figure out what she wanted with me.” Ronan slanted a gaze at Fiona, saw her smile at his attempts to save her reputation. “We just work the same way.”
“Nice way of working.” Keegan laughed before looking back at Arien. “See anything, boy?”
“Nothing yet,” Arien answered.
“So who is this woman we are waiting on?” Fiona asked.
“His other girlfriend.” Keegan’s grin widened when Ronan groaned.
“She is my friend.” Ronan looked at Fiona but it was too much to hope that Keegan would let that be the answer.
“Some friend. Old as the hills and ugly as a horse rock.” Keegan shook his head. “She’s trouble if you ask me.”
“Well, I didn’t,” Ronan snapped.
Fiona asked no more questions. Instead she studied Ronan’s face. Strong features, a bit broad but not overly so. His mouth was a firm line but she remembered the way it had slanted and softened with his smile. And his eyes, they hid nothing. They opened him when his large body tried to use its size to radiate strength that was meant to protect him.
Thestian had described him as a compassionate man. She had not realized that one word also included loyalty to those he rode with, a good sense of humor, and the ability to make a sword in just a couple of hours to throw off a radical centaur.
“I don’t have to kill, you know,” Fiona said after several moments of silence. “I can just leave them unconscious.” The blacksmith and horseman looked at her.
“Good to know.” Keegan smiled and gave her a wink. “Will make me sleep easier at night.” She started to retort but the boy gave a little shout.
“I see them,” Arien called back and Ronan turned.
“Them?” he asked, his stomach tightening.
“Ahearn, and he does have her. She is unharmed.” Arien nodded, beaming as he looked at Ronan. “She’s safe.” Ronan could see the relief in the boy’s eyes.
“Good work, Arien.” Relief poured through Ronan as well. He nearly went to his knees. To his surprise, the serpentine warrior touched his arm, as if to let him know she was there. He had thought the warrior women were tough, with no emotion other than the one they carried into combat. This one had shown passion and tenderness.
“You care for your friend deeply,” she said softly.
“I care for all of them deeply,” he corrected. “I wouldn’t have left any of them behind.” He saw Keegan look at him but the horseman said nothing.
“Admirable. And here I thought you were saving me because of my wit and charm.” She giggled when he looked back at her for a moment. She was poking fun at him, throwing his own words back at him. And he liked it. He’d felt a bit of guilt when he’d learned that the wizard had sent her to assist him because he hadn’t been completely honest with her about who he was. But she seemed to understand and wasn’t holding it against him.
Ronan turned when Ahearn emerged the darkness and didn’t hide his smile. “I thought we had lost you.”
Ula shook her head, “You should have learned by now. You can’t get rid of me. And neither can a stupid centaur.” She slid from Ahearn’s back and Arien quickly moved to swap out their horses. “You shaved. I told you that you would look
better without that beard.”
“Where were you?” Ronan asked helping her onto Dermot’s back. She settled, adjusting the skirt of her gray dress.
“You aren’t the only one that saw something they liked in the street. I saw a trinket or two of my own. And then the centaur saw me, held up something that looked suspiciously like a stick coated with white paint. So I grabbed the first horse that came looking for me and here I am.” She smiled slyly and then looked past him at the woman. Keegan laughed aloud but Ula’s smile had quickly vanished. Ronan stepped out of the way as the two women stared at one another.
“Fiona,” Ula whispered.
“You!” For a moment neither of them moved, then Fiona brandished an impressive sword. “This woman is a demon!”
Ronan frowned, eyes darting up to Ula’s cool expression.
Seven
Ula slid off of the horse as Fiona advanced with her sword lifted. The horse skittered away as Ronan glanced between the women. This was not good.
“You know better than what you want to accuse me of,” Ula said in a low voice. Ronan’s eyes widened as Fiona’s skin changed, colored in deadly stripes. The yellow flecks of her stare spread until her eyes glowed golden from her face. Scales were appearing on her skin, bright, shiny, and silver.
“What is that?” Keegan murmured as he stepped beside Ronan. The blacksmith shook his head. He didn’t know. He’d never seen anything like it. A long, slender tongue flicked out from between her lips. He remembered the sting it had left on his cheek but Ronan didn’t think she meant to snap it sharply against Ula.
“Theora was my friend, Fiona.” Ula was speaking again, her voice still calm. “But she let the dark forces win her over. There was nothing to be done.” Fiona swung the blade forcefully but Ula ducked out of the way and stepped to the side. The smoothness of the healer’s movement surprised Ronan but did not slow Fiona. The woman whirled, blade extended and sliced the air in half but Ula dodged the sharp of it again.
