The Sartious Mage (The Rhythm of Rivalry)

by B. T. Narro

  She made a sour face.

  “It’s only water,” I explained.

  Her face loosened while I took out the bread and apples as well.

  “Here’s your first option. I’ll unbind your hands and feet, you’ll share a meal with me, and then we can ride the horse together out of the city.”

  “What’s the other choice?” Her voice was skeptical.

  “I’ll feed you, but you’ll stay bound. After we eat, I’ll gag you again, and you’ll stay in the back with the chickens until I’m ready to get you out.”

  “What’s the catch? Why wouldn’t I choose to ride up front, unbound and ungagged?”

  Smart girl, I thought to myself with a smile—though I wasn’t sure if ungagged was a word…it didn’t matter. “If you choose to ride with me unbound, you must promise that you’ll cooperate with me from now on.”

  Her eyes bounced around my face, settling occasionally to stare at me intently. I was glad to see her taking her time. It meant she took promises seriously.

  I tried to ease her into the right decision. “As you can see, I’ll find a way to get you out of the city and trade you for the cure no matter what. It’s up to you how long that’s going to take and how comfortable you’re going to be during your time with me.”

  “Do you have a plan yet?” Her eyes fell to the flask of water.

  I took a breath. It was hard for me to say it aloud, as I knew it could be dangerous for Sannil and Kalli, but I hadn’t come up with anything else.

  “I’m taking you to my farm for a night and then into the forest nearby. My father can deliver a message for me to set up a meeting while I remain hidden with you.”

  Her lips twisted. “If I cooperate, can I have a bath, a bed, and a meal—a real meal?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but she kept going.

  “And a toilet, a real toilet, not a chamber pot.”

  I tried to hold in a mocking look. No farm had access to the sewage system. I figured by her comment that the palace must, but besides the palace, only some bathhouses had a system that flushed away the waste with water. A bathhouse was also the only place to find a shower, and that was rare.

  “Well, unless in the last year my father has found access to the sewage system,” I teased, “a toilet isn’t something I can promise. But a bed, a nice meal, and a warm bath? Certainly.”

  “You haven’t been there for a year?” She looked surprised.

  I shook my head. “I’ve been here in The Nest working with a blacksmith, a friend of my father’s.”

  Her eyes stayed on me a moment before falling to the ground. She looked to be searching for a decision. “I take promises very seriously.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Promises seemed to be the only currency between us. If one of us didn’t take them seriously, we’d have nothing to keep this civil.

  Her eyes fluttered back to me. “What do you mean exactly by cooperate? What will I have to do?”

  “Instead of working against me to escape, you’ll work with me until I’ve traded you for the cure.”

  She waited silently with a curious look, expecting something more specific.

  “So, I’ll need you to do everything I ask,” I said.

  She tightened her mouth, clenching her teeth under closed lips. “No. I can’t make that promise.”

  My heart fell. I thought for sure I had her cooperation.

  I stood up and pulled a loaf of bread from my pocket, getting ready to feed her.

  “But,” she continued, leaning away from me, “I’m sick of the gag, of the dream dust, of being hungry and thirsty, and worst of all, I’m sick of being dirty.”

  She thought I had more of the dream dust, good to know.

  “I just want to go home, but I see you’re too stubborn to let that happen until you get what you want.”

  “So…what are you saying?” I leaned forward.

  Lisanda started pushing herself to her feet awkwardly. I reached out to help her up, but she twisted away. “I’m tired of always being nothing but a pawn in someone else’s story.” She looked hard into my eyes.

  A guilty feeling turned me away from her. The Princess was right. I was using her.

  She continued, “I helped my sister meet her first love and purely by accident. Then I was always covering for her when she sneaked out of the palace to see him. I even helped convince our father to arrange the marriage eventually. Although it ended in tragedy, it was Jessend’s story, not mine. Whether I hated him or loved him, it made no difference. I could either help or hurt, but that’s all. So, I decided to help.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “No.” She shook her head at me. “You don’t get to know that.” She shifted her shoulder with a grimace, trying to find comfort with her hands bound behind her. “Then this turmoil started between Goldram and Zav, so my father found a family with a powerful army and offered me to their prince. Without someone else to marry, I had no say, no control over whether my marriage to him would even matter. I’m nothing in this story of war, either, just a piece on a game board controlled by someone else.”

  “That was wrong of your father—”

  “And you!” she shouted. “You are the worst of all, taking me against my will, wrapping me in a disgusting tarp, stuffing my mouth with a sweaty bandana, and dragging me out of the city like I'm nothing but currency! I’m fed up.”

  I bit my lip. This wasn’t going well, but I couldn’t argue against it. Everything she’d said had been right, but what was she going to request? To be taken back?

  “I sympathize.” I held out my hands. “I really do. But I can’t let you go.”

  “Of course not.” There was heavy attitude in her voice. “Only when you don’t need me anymore will you let me go. I’m just being used like always.”

  Some hair had fallen over her cheeks, giving her face a menacing look as she looked through the tops of her eyes.

  “I want my own story—a love story.” She turned to look at the city around us. “Maybe this is my story after all. Maybe my prince, Varth Farro, will come save me from you.” Her shoulders slumped with a sigh, and she shook her head.

  “Is there even a point to hope?” she whispered. I couldn’t tell if she wanted me to hear or not.

  “Things could be worse,” I said.

  She turned with a sharp stare. “How?”

  “I could be married to your sister. Then you’d never see the end of me.”

  She lowered her head in thought. A wry smile twisted her lips. “I suppose you’re right. That would be truly awful.”

  “Will you cooperate so we can be done with this?”

  She sighed again. “I can’t promise anything without knowing how long it will take for you to get the cure. It could be weeks, even months! I’ll never agree to cooperate that long. But I’m not getting back in that cage with those chickens, so come up with something else.”

  “Fair enough,” I said. “Promise me three more days then, one to get you out of the city, the second to set up the trade, and the third to meet with your father to complete the trade. Three days of cooperation. You’ll do whatever I ask to ensure we make it to the farm by sunset. Then, you’ll continue to cooperate in the forest the following days.”

  “You’re going to have to offer me a lot more than stale bread and sharing a horse saddle with you for that.”

  “What else?” I was willing to offer more, but I didn’t know what else I could do for her without letting her go.

  “You have to promise not to gag me ever again. Not with your sweaty bandana, not with anything.”

  I gave it some thought. I shouldn’t need to gag her if she was going to cooperate.

  “I agree.” I flicked my wand to break the Sartious rings around her wrists and ankles.

  She walked toward me, rubbing her wrist.

  “One more thing,” Lisanda said. “If you haven’t traded me for the cure by the end of the third day, you let me go.” She extended her ha
nd.

  My hand retreated. “I’m not sure about that.”

  “Think about it. If you don’t get rid of me in three days, you’ll wish you had.”

  I imagined being stuck in the woods with her, unable to leave her side. She was right. If this wasn’t over in three days, it probably never would be. I’d be better off letting her go and searching for a cure outside of Goldram than being stuck with her.

  I started my hand toward hers, but she retracted. “I’ll only cooperate when it’s a reasonable request. I’m not going to do everything your vile mind comes up with.”

  I nodded, keeping my hand steady in front of her.

  She eyed it cautiously, her hand still far from mine. “This is a serious agreement,” she warned. “I’ll see to it that your life is miserable if you break your word.”

  “And I’ll do the same for you,” I retorted.

  We grabbed hands in a firm shake.

  Chapter 14: Horseplay

  We ate quickly and quietly, passing the flask of water back and forth. Lisanda looked out over the city beneath us, sometimes sitting as still as a painting for a few breaths before taking another bite of bread. I wondered what she was thinking.

  My eyes seemed drawn to her. It was like studying a puzzle, the kind in stories that are deep in forgotten tombs, in rooms of stone decorated with beautiful symbols and levers, where marvelous treasures and deadly traps awaited.

  Sometimes, the hero’s choice would unveil both a trap and a treasure at once, forcing him to make a decision of fleeing with nothing or risking his life to get what he came for. I always wanted to scream when they left the treasure behind.

  She turned to me. “What?”

  I looked away. “Nothing.”

  I stood and walked toward the horse, detaching the cart and opening the cage to let out the chickens.

  “Have you been on a horse before?” I asked.

  “Of course, but I’ve never had to share a saddle with a dirty farm boy.”

  I ignored her and hoisted myself onto the saddle.

  Lisanda walked over. “Aren’t you going to let the lady up first?”

  “So you can take off with the horse? I don’t think so.”

  Her mouth opened, offended. “I promised I would cooperate, didn’t I? If you’re not going to trust me, then why should I trust you?”

  “I’m trying to trust you. But why would I help you on first? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Because I’m driving.”

  I laughed, thinking she was delivering a joke. But her mouth remained as straight as an arrow. Her eyes narrowed to match it.

  “No way,” I explained. “We’re trying not to be noticed. Two people on a horse is already strange. Imagine the attention we’d get if the woman was driving.”

  Her lips pursed. Her arms folded.

  I continued, “It’s a reasonable request.”

  “Fine.”

  I reached my hand down to offer assistance, but she ignored it. With surprising agility, she jumped onto the horse, supporting herself with her hands and swinging her leg over. She ended up right where she needed to be, just behind me in the saddle.

  As accurate as it was, the horse didn’t like it. I could feel him getting ready to buck. He twisted his head back and forth and gave a little jump with his hind legs. Lisanda grabbed my sides fiercely. It was painful and ticklish at the same time, causing me to twist.

  “Stop,” I told her.

  Her hands didn’t move. “Calm him!”

  The horse was growing wilder, probably because I was pulling on the reins awkwardly thanks to her fingers digging into my sides. He bucked harder, lifting his hind legs and snapping them back in a strong kick.

  “Steady!” Lisanda yelled in my ear.

  The horse bucked again, this time jumping off his front legs first, followed by whipping his hind legs high off the ground. In the air, Lisanda and I separated, her hands coming off my sides.

  When the horse landed, the Princess slammed into my back. She grabbed at my shoulder for a blink, but I felt her hands slip off.

  Lisanda screamed as she fell. She hit the ground and gave a grunt that was far from ladylike. The horse stopped bucking.

  I jumped off. “You tickled me when you grabbed me like that.” I bent down and wrapped my hand around her arm to lift her.

  She yanked her arm out of my hand. “Don’t touch me.”

  I realized my mistake then. I was so concerned she would blame me for falling, I’d started with an excuse instead of making sure she wasn’t injured.

  “I’m sorry. Are you hurt?”

  She pushed herself to her knees. “You ask that, but does it even matter if I am?” She looked up at me with glistening eyes. Her face was frustrated but far from sad. I knew she wouldn’t cry. She hadn’t shed one tear since I’d taken her, and I didn’t expect her to start anytime soon.

  “I’m still going with you no matter what, aren’t I?” Her voice was shrill.

  I took a glance at the horse. He was content eating the grass around him. Lisanda rose to her feet gingerly, brushing dirt from her arms. She found some muck in her hair and grimaced.

  “Yeah, from the chickens,” I said. “I’m sorry about that, too.”

  A lot of it came off on her hand. Her face clenched when she looked at it, and she quickly bent down to wipe it on the grass.

  “I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!”

  I took out the flask and held it above her hands. After a discouraged look from the sides of her eyes, she opened her palms and I let a splash of water come down. She rubbed them together, then looked for somewhere to wipe them. I offered my shirtsleeve. She accepted.

  “I truly am sorry,” I told her again.

  She nodded. “I don’t think this horse likes having two people on him.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” I agreed. “But we have between five and six miles to the south border and then another five to the farm. We have to try again.”

  She exhaled then shook her hair, running her hand through it a couple times and checking her palm after. When she was somewhat satisfied, we walked over to the horse together.

  “I can’t have you putting your hands on my sides like that,” I said, getting on the saddle.

  “You can’t possibly expect me to wrap my arms around your stomach like we’re a couple?”

  “You can reach around and grab the knob on the saddle between my legs instead.” Right as I finished saying it, I realized how it sounded. I shook my head quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  She folded her arms under a scowl. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  “No.” I waved her over. “Come on. Around my waist this time.”

  She sighed and got ready to jump on, but I stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. “I think you should get on differently.” I lowered my hand with an open palm. “Let me help you up slowly so he doesn’t startle.”

  She looked at my hand with disapproval, like I was showing her something disgusting. She turned to my eyes next. I held the sincerest expression I could manage. Her face relaxed. She slapped her hand into mine, and I pulled her up behind me.

  “I’m glad you’re so thin,” I said without thinking.

  Lisanda didn’t respond. She scooted closer, making sure not to touch me with her hands or body. The horse shook his head a bit but stayed on the ground.

  “It seems like he’s steady,” Lisanda said.

  “For now. We’ll see once he starts moving. Ready?”

  She still wasn’t touching me. “Yes,” she said impatiently.

  I looked over my shoulder to find her grabbing the sides of the saddle. “I think you should hold on to me,” I warned her. “I’m not sure what the horse will do.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  I nodded, figuring she would grab ahold of me if she needed to. I squeezed my legs to get the horse going. He didn’t move. I adjusted myself in the saddle and tried again. He still didn’t budge.


  “Remember, you only have three days,” Lisanda teased.

  I tapped my heel this time, and he finally started walking.

  Soon, we came to a long hill that led back down to the rest of the city. It wasn’t very steep, but the path twisted between rocks and cracks in the ground. The horse grew nervous as we started down it, even giving a light buck.

  Lisanda shot forward and wrapped her arms around my stomach. I could feel her breasts pressing into my back. Even her chin, or it might’ve been her cheek, was pushed against me for a few rapid heartbeats.

  “Whoa,” I told the horse, pulling tight on one side of the reins to turn him and keep him under control.

  He calmed. Then I straightened him back out, starting down the path again. Lisanda leaned back a bit but kept her hands around me.

  A mixture of smells came from her. One was clearly chicken excrement and hay, reminding me of the farm I hoped to reach before it got dark. The other was something harder to determine.

  There are some smells that are neither pleasant nor unpleasant. This was that, too far from anything recognizable to describe. I tried to figure out what it reminded me of as we navigated down the hill, but I eventually came to realize that there were no memories attached to this fragrance.

  Instead, it evoked an emotion, but what? I felt like my heart was being pulled toward it from within my chest. It was a strange feeling I didn’t understand.

  She shifted her weight left and right to adjust herself behind me, sliding her hands into a different position on my midsection. I felt a flutter go through my stomach.

  We made great time on the horse. It helped that the farther south we went, the less likely it became for someone to recognize the Princess or me. The people around here tended not to get to the center of the city where the palace was, and they especially didn’t travel farther north where I’d been for the last year with the blacksmith, Drent.

  I’m sure everyone here knew of the Takary family and possibly even knew Lisanda or me by name, but recognizing us was extremely unlikely, especially with the dirty green and gray tunic she had on.

  I asked the Princess to wear her hood. Although it probably wasn’t necessary, it helped conceal her face even more. A few people gave us long looks, each time making my heart jump, but their expressions never shifted from curiosity to anything more dangerous like excited recognition.