by F. P. Spirit
Glo through up his hands defensively. “I mean you are trying to keep your true natures a secret... after all.”
“Ohhhh!” Ves exclaimed. Her shoulders relaxed, her expression softening. “That is what you meant. You were worried about us trying to keep a low profile.”
An embarrassed smile crossed Glo’s lips. “Yes. That’s what I meant. I guess I don’t always express myself as well as I should.”
A warm smile lit Ves’s face. She reached over and patted the rock next to her. “Please sit down.”
Glo graciously accepted her invitation, sitting down on the flat grey rock. It was warmer than he expected, most likely from the rays of the afternoon sun. Once seated, he turned to face Ves. She stared back at him, appearing as if she wanted to speak, but hesitating as if searching for the right words. “That attack by those serpents yesterday was... troubling. You and your companions were very valiant in the way you fought them off.”
“We only did what we thought was right. The Baron and his family have been very good to us, and we wanted to protect them from this Cult.”
A look of surprise registered on her face. “So, the Baron’s family was the target of the attack?”
“We believe so.”
Ves silently considered his words. She seemed rather preoccupied, as if she were struggling with some internal conflict. “I am not… overly fond of dark magic. I could sense the evil flowing from those creatures. It was warped and… quite unsettling.”
A shudder passed over Glo as he relived nearly being consumed by Voltark’s fireball. “I must admit the entire experience was harrowing.”
Abruptly he felt a hand on his. Ves was staring at him, her eyes filled with keen sympathy. “That was rather insensitive of me, after all you went through.”
A wan smile spread across Glo’s lips. “Thanks.”
There was a warmth in Ves’s eyes as they sat there silently together in the glade. Something intangible passed between them at that moment. It was as if they bonded in some ethereal way, then the moment was gone. Ves pulled her hand away and spoke. “Were you able to find out anything more about these dark mages? Do you know where they came from? Were they indeed part of this Serpent Cult that you told us about?”
Glo paused before answering. He felt on some deep level that he could trust Ves. However, the sisters had abandoned them a couple of days ago, never showing up like they promised in front of Maltar’s home. Still, yesterday Ves had saved his life. Without her timely intervention, he would have died from the wounds he had received. Glo finally decided to listen to his gut. “Look, Ves, I trust you, but trust is a two-way street. If I am going to answer your questions, I need to know that you trust me as well. Are you willing to go down that road at this time?”
The young woman’s face fell, and she averted her eyes. She seemed torn as she considered his words. When she finally spoke, her voice filled with trepidation. “This is... difficult. You already know that I have made a promise, and I cannot break it. However, you and your companions have been nothing but kind to us. You don’t even really know us, but you have accepted us at face value, even when it is obvious that we are more than we seem.”
She raised her eyes and peered at him once more. “And if that were not enough, yesterday on the battlefield, you proved the kind of people you are, yet again.”
There was a hint of moisture in her eyes, but she quickly reached up and brushed it away. When her eyes rested on him again, her expression was determined, as if she had reached a decision. “So although I cannot break my earlier promise, I can make you another promise. My sisters and I can be powerful allies. We have much magic at our disposal. My promise to you, then, is that wherever you are, if you need help, we will be by your side. To that end, please take this.”
Ves reached into a small pocket that he had not even noticed before, and pulled out a small amulet. It had a round, lustrous, moon-colored gemstone, the size of a large pebble, inset in the center, surrounded by a bronze border. It was attached to a simple bronze-colored, sturdy chain. She held out her hands, proffering the amulet to him. Her voice was low as she gazed up from her hands to his face. “This is a Pearl of Friendship. With it you can contact us anytime, anywhere.”
Glo felt a sudden warmth rise up in his gut. He had not known such items existed, but he recognized it immediately as being quite valuable and rare. It was therefore not something that one offered lightly, and signified that the young woman was indeed placing a great deal of trust in him. When he replied, his words came out thick with emotion. “This is a priceless gift. I am honored that you would entrust me with it.”
She reached out, grasped his hand, and placed the amulet into his palm, then laid her hand on top of his. “I have seen the goodness in your heart... in all of your hearts, and want you to know that I do, in fact, trust you.”
He could see the sincerity of those words mirrored in her eyes. Any reluctance he may have felt before melted away. “And I you.”
The two of them sat there, hand in hand, staring at each other, and Glo felt that strange bond once more. They he noticed something he had missed before. There was a sadness in Ves’s eyes—a deep abiding loneliness, as if she had spent her entire life walled off from everyone around her. He suddenly felt a deep desire to reach out to this young woman, to show her that she was not alone. Yet something held him back. He pulled his hands away and cleared his throat. “Ahem. Yes, now, I was going to tell you what we found out about those creatures...”
A look of surprise momentarily crossed Ves’s face, but it quickly disappeared. The corners of her mouth upturned slightly, and a small laugh escaped her closed lips. Glo paused, somewhat mystified by her reaction. “Did I do something wrong?”
A genuine smile spread across her lips. “Oh, no, quite the contrary.”
“Then what is so amusing?”
Ves began to blush. “Let’s just say... business would the farthest thing from most men’s minds... were they here alone with me.”
It was Glo’s turn to blush. “Yes... well... there are... pressing matters at hand.”
“Oh, I absolutely agree,” she said with a serious nod. “I just meant that your dedication is... refreshing.”
Glo was now more confused than ever. He gave her a puzzled smile as he wrestled with his tangled emotions. “Very good, now where was I?”
He told her everything that they had found. He affirmed that the serpents and the black mages were indeed part of the Serpent Cult, that their apparent target was the Lady Andrella and/or the Duke, about the discovery of Telvar and the monolith in the Darkwoods, and finally, the suspected return of a Thrall Master. He went on to explain how they believed the disappearances of the wizards from the council, as well as her father, and now Maltar, were somehow all related to this. When he was done, Ves appeared even more troubled than she had when he first saw her here in the glade.
“It is just as I feared. Father has gotten himself into more than he may be able to handle on his own.”
Glo nodded, his own expression grave. “That may well be. I just wish we had some clue as to where he is. We really do we want to help you find him.”
Ves attempted a smile.
“For now, though, we must gather ourselves and our allies and set out for this Dark Monolith. We must stop the Serpent Cult from getting its hands on the Golem Master’s work.
“Indeed, that is probably the most important thing at the moment.”
Ves agreed. “But I do appreciate your desire to help us with our father.” She slowly rose from her seat on the rock. In the meantime, I will find Almax and tell him all this. The Druids should know what is coming as well.”
Glo also stood. “That is an excellent idea.”
Ves smiled briefly at him. Without warning, she stepped forward, stood up on her toes, put her arms around his neck, and ki
ssed him on the cheek. It only lasted for a moment or two, then she quickly pulled away.
Glo felt the blood rush to his face.
Ves gazed at him rather fondly. “Once again, thank you for your concern—and all that you have entrusted me with.”
“I could say the same,” he managed through an embarrassed smile. “Well, it is getting late, and I still have much to do before we leave tomorrow...”
She nodded, her countenance turning solemn. “I understand. Good luck on your journey.”
They smiled at each other one last time, then both turned and went their separate ways. As Glo strode away, a strange sense of sadness washed over him. He glanced over his shoulder one last time, but Ves had already disappeared into the woods and was now out of sight.
Lightning
My apologies for thinking you were just an ordinary girl
Seth sat high up in the stands of the packed arena, waiting for the start of the tournament finals. Everyone was disappointed when they heard that Lloyd had resigned from the competition. Rumors flew around the arena, anything from “He had been badly hurt in his dual with Sir Fafnar,” to “He had run away with the Lady Andrella,” that is, until the young lady showed up again in the royal box with her parents. The rumor that eventually surfaced to the top was far closer to the truth—that the Heroes had an important mission to carry out for the Baron, and that it took precedence over the tournament.
So the competition continued without the favored Penwick warrior. It turned out to be quite interesting, nonetheless, with two very different combatants eventually rising above the others. Those two finalists now stood across from each other in the center of the arena, waiting for the signal to begin the final match. On the one side was the redheaded Knight of the Rose, Alana. She stood at the ready in her gleaming silver full-plate armor, her longsword in one hand and her shield held firmly in the other. The lady knight had reached the finals by soundly defeating her competition, her prowess enabling her to best much larger, stronger opponents, even the huge barbarian Brum.
The second finalist had taken the crowd completely by surprise, all except for Seth, that is. He had a fairly good idea what Alana’s opponent was capable of. Standing casually across from the lady knight was none other than Ruka, the middle sister of the Greymantles. The sandy blonde-haired girl was wearing her standard leather tunic and held that short sword of hers loosely in one hand. Seth had seen firsthand what that sword could do. He had watched with keen interest as she felled opponents nearly twice her size on her way to the finals. Despite the fact that no lightning bolts were thrown around, he had no doubt that they all felt the “shock” of her small blade. The phenomenon of Ruka had the crowd going wild. She quickly became the town favorite in place of Lloyd.
Seth’s mouth twisted into a half smirk. This is going to be a very interesting final.
Dame Alana Benefilla had been a Knight of the Rose for almost five years now. She was fourth generation in a line of knights dating back over a hundred years. Her father and older brother, also part of that order, were both rather high-ranking knights themselves.
Her current mission to pay the order’s respects to the Lady Andrella, the heir to the Duchy of Dunwynn, took a surprising turn last night when the Serpent Cult attacked during dinner. The foul creatures had been repelled, largely due to the efforts of the Heroes of Ravenford. An unorthodox order, they nonetheless fought bravely and with exceptional skill against the minions of darkness. What’s more, their uncovering of the Cult’s further schemes and the possible rise of a new Thrall Master was indeed fortuitous. It was the sworn duty of the Knights of the Rose to stand against evil, and she would proudly support any such effort.
Right now, however, she was proving her mettle in the Ravenford tournament. She had to admit, she was quite disappointed at not being able to face Lloyd Stealle. She was extremely impressed with the young warrior’s prowess. Still, her opponent in today’s final was quite far from ordinary, and would prove to be an interesting challenge.
As the crowd quieted down, Alana carefully assessed her opponent. A slender blonde girl, not more than fifteen years old, stood across from her wearing only a simple leather tunic, a rather crude-bladed bronze short sword with a strangely elaborate hilt grasped loosely in her one hand. Alana had observed this “girl” during her previous matches, and had seen what she had done to opponents nearly twice her size. Well, Alana was not going to be fooled like the others. Despite the girl’s casual stance, she noted the intensity of her gaze and the tight smile across her lips as she prepared for combat.
The crowd hushed as Captain Gelpas gave them the order to begin, lifting his sword and stepping away from the center. The first lightning bolt solidly caught Alana before she could take a step toward her opponent. It was not a killing bolt by any means, but it was more than enough to rattle her teeth. Stunned cries arose from the crowd. No one had seen the girl cast spells in her prior matches.
After the initial shock, Alana quickly sidestepped, moving in with a feint. She kept her guard up all the while, seeking any further sign of casting. There was none, other than a small frown and a quick change of the girl’s eye color from green to amber. Alana managed to dodge the worst of the second bolt, which sprung from the teen’s sword, but the charge was numbing nonetheless. Cries of alarm broke out amongst the crowd once more, followed by a low chanting of the girl’s name.
Ruka! Ruka!
Alana paid them little heed. Instead, she bore down and quickly closed the gap between herself and the little caster. She leapt forward the last few feet and struck immediately with two solid blows. The crowd hushed, and she had a brief surge of guilt, worrying that she may have mortally injured the young warrior. Her worries, however, were short-lived. If anything, Ruka was invigorated by the attacks, replying with a series of skilled strikes, almost too fast to follow. The last blow landed with more strength than any of the opponents she had just fought, and carried an extra charge of electricity to boot!
The two of them stood there in the center of the arena, trading blows as the crowd roared with delight. Her strikes landed easily on the unarmored girl, but appeared to have little effect. Meanwhile, Ruka’s blows pierced Alana’s heavy armor more often than expected, with deft skill and shocking strength.
Alana kept careful watch on Ruka’s eyes, turning her enchanted sword to avoid any further lightning strikes. It seemed like an effective strategy until, without warning, the girl simply reached out with her other hand, touching Alana’s armor almost casually. The electric charge caught Alana full on, and she was knocked back off her feet onto the ground. The crowd hushed as she laid there, rattled far beyond mere physical blows. Alana quickly recovered her wits. What a clever move! She had not seen that one coming at all. As the lady knight rose to her feet, she realized that she would not be able to win this match without deadly force, some- thing she would never resort to against a good, honest soul. Thus, instead of renewing her attack, the Dame Alana Benefilla, Knight of the Rose, stood up straight and gave a knightly salute to her erstwhile opponent, conceding defeat to the blonde teenage girl.
The murmurs in the crowd hushed once again as Ruka watched her opponent cautiously. As Alana sheathed her sword, the audience went wild! Cheers sprang up all around for the girl who had just won the Ravenford tourney. Chants of Ruka, Ruka could be heard amongst the roar.
A grinning Ruka met Alana in the middle of the arena and sincerely thanked her for a good go of it, more like a little girl after an enjoyable game of hearthstones than a bloodied combatant. Alana raised an eyebrow, but merely congratulated the young warrior on her victory. The two of them then walked side by side to bow before the Baron and Baroness, and Ruka was crowned the tournament winner and presented with the five-thousand gold-piece prize for the win.
Early in the morning, the party gathered up on the hill just outside the castle gate. It was another clear da
y, only a few puffy white clouds dotting the otherwise empty blue sky. The sun still hung over the eastern horizon, sending a yellow-orange streak across the bay toward the shore.
Glo sat astride a tall chestnut mare they had rented from the town livery, his familiar, Raven, perched comfortably on his shoulder. The rest of the companions were present and accounted for, with the additions of the archer Martan, the gypsy Elistra, and the Dame Alana. Baron Gryswold, the Lady Gracelynn, and the Lady Andrella had all come out to bid them farewell. Captain Gelpas and the Bardess Shalla were also present.
All of the travelers had their mounts packed for travel. Alana’s horse in particular was rather impressive—a roan warhorse with a broad back and a powerful build; his head was covered with a white hood that had a single scarlet red rose across the forehead. Thick white cloth was draped over his shoulders and ran under his saddle, all the way back to his hindquarters. This cloth was also decorated with a scarlet rose on either side. Glo had heard Alana and Lloyd discussing it earlier. The covering was referred to as a “caparison.” Alana explained that it bore the standard symbol of the Knights of the Rose.
Alana now sat comfortably astride her large warhorse, looking as if she were born in the saddle. Glo had previously thought Lloyd’s white and brown paint was large, but Alana’s roan was definitely the more massive of the two. The lady knight herself was decked out in shining silver full plate. Her sword was strapped to her side, and her silver shield with the heraldic of a golden griffin hung off her left arm. She held her helmet under her right arm as she waited for the journey to begin.
Donnie rode up next to the lady knight, sporting the new pair of boots he had purchased at Haltan’s shop the day before, Boots of the Spider. The enchantment on them would enable the wearer to scale walls and stick to the slipperiest of surfaces. From their retelling of the encounter, Haltan had been most unhappy when Elladan showed him the purchase note from the Baron. The merchant was obviously uncomfortable with the prospect of overcharging the Barony of Ravenford, especially with Elladan’s knowledge of fair pricing.
