by Janet Durbin
"You look kind of familiar. Have we met before?"
Viola did not like the look that entered the stranger's eyes with her question. It had the look of death. Through the years, she had learned to listen to her instinct. It was screaming at her now. She decided to end this conversation quickly and get the hell out of there.
"Look, I'm moving on now. Maybe next time we can have a bit of fun and...” Recognition washed over her face, causing her to pause mid-sentence. “Hey, wait a minute ... I remember you. You're the man from the ruins. I knew there was something about you that bugged me!"
Viola's stance went from a relaxed one to a guarded one in the blink of an eye. She spun around to put some distance between her and the horse. His hand shot out and grabbed a handful of hair before she could move. He fell out of the saddle on top of her, forcing her to land face first into the soft dirt, knocking the wind out of her. She felt her head wrenched back and to the left as she gasped for a breath. The cloud of dirt that rose from her hitting the ground filled her mouth with every intake of air. She started to cough.
The sword she desperately wanted was pinned underneath her body, digging into her heaving ribs. She couldn't get to it. And no matter which way she tried to roll, he was there putting his weight on her to prevent it.
She coughed out a mouthful of dirt, and pleaded, “Why are you doing this? I didn't do anything to you."
"No ... not to me. But you did hurt someone close to me. The captive you had in your midst lost all that was dear to him and that hurts me."
Drayco could feel Viola building up for a major struggle and decided to end this encounter before his weakness was discovered. Showing her the same mercy she showed the slaughtered townspeople, he yanked her golden hair backward, forcing her head up to expose the neck. He immediately leaned over and bit deep into the soft tissue. Viola inhaled sharply, then screamed. She tried to throw Drayco off, but he had a hold on her that nothing could break.
He closed his eyes and savored every spurt of blood flowing from the supple neck. Drayco sucked on the wound to help the flow speed up before the woman died. He needed every drop if he was going to banish the weakness for a while. The screaming stopped as soon as the woman realized nobody would hear her.
Once the pulse under his lips stopped, he let go. No more blood would come from the dead woman now. He sat up with his shoulders slumped and tilted his face skyward, soaking in the warmth of the sunlight. A trickle of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. He automatically wiped it off with the back of his hand. He was lost in the rapture of the replenishment flowing through his veins. It caused him to miss the man sitting on horseback, a look of total shock on his face as he watched what happened to Viola.
* * * *
Randolf could not believe what he just witnessed. He had come back because he felt guilty at having left Viola alone. Brey said she would be along soon. When she didn't, he decided to go looking for her. As Viola took her last breath, the trance freezing him like a statue broke. He snarled with rage and kicked the horse hard. It leapt toward the man sitting on the ground.
The entranced man seemed to feel the vibrations through the ground before he heard the pounding hooves. He rolled his head toward whatever was making its way through the haziness and saw the horse bearing down on him fast. A glint of sunlight forced him to squint. He tried to roll out of the way, but was too slow.
Randolf glanced over his shoulder and watched the dark man slump onto Viola's dead body, unconscious. He had used the blunt side of his sword because he wanted the killer alive. He wanted to make this person suffer for what he had done to Viola.
He jerked the reins to the right and spun the horse back toward Drayco. He jumped off when he was beside the downed man and kicked him off Viola. A nasty, purple welt was rising on the left temple near the hairline, attesting to where the sword hit. Kneeling beside her, the ugly wound on her neck made it plain that she was dead.
What manner of creature would kill like this? He peered at Drayco, expecting to see a monster. All he saw was a man.
The bay colored horse stood a few paces away from his rider. When Randolf moved toward him, the animal bolted in the opposite direction.
"Pity, you would have made a great addition to my stock."
He retrieved Viola's horse and returned to the dark man, then removed the sling that held the right arm. It did not matter why it was there, or if by removing it, it would cause pain. He only knew it would not matter after Ruben was finished with him. Picking up the limp body, he tossed him onto the broad back. The hands and feet of the stranger who killed in such a grotesque manner were secured to prevent him from escaping.
Viola was buried quickly to prevent scavengers from finding her. When he finished, he leapt into the saddle and urged his horse closer to the other animal. Grabbing the reins, he dug his heels in and started up the path at a ground-eating pace, Drayco's animal pulled along behind him.
* * * *
Shyanne woke the next morning and saw an empty blanket where her brother should have been. She shook Joseph awake and pointed toward the bare spot. “What was that fool thinking? He's in no shape to go anywhere."
"His horse is gone too,” Joseph said after he scanned the horizon looking for the missing man.
"We have to find him. He's not strong enough to have gone far.” Shyanne looked around, frantically trying to see every direction at once.
"Shyanne, he was on horseback. He didn't need to be strong enough to go far. The horse will do that for him."
She scrambled to her feet. “Why would he leave like that? Why? I bet it was because I couldn't kill for him. That's what drove him off. We have to go after him. I'll never forgive myself if he dies out there all alone."
Joseph rose and grabbed Shyanne by the shoulders. Shaking her gently, he forced her to pay attention to what he said. “Shyanne, my love, we will go after him. You have to remain calm to help, though.” He looked straight into her scared blue eyes to make sure his message was getting through.
Shyanne reached up and grabbed his hands, giving them a squeeze. “You're right, love. I'm okay now. My emotions took over before my brain could catch up.” The reply was calm and decisive. “Let's get our things together and go after him."
She gave Joseph a grateful smile and broke away to get the horses ready. He watched to make sure she was okay before turning toward the woods.
"I'm going to look for his tracks."
"Drayco said his horse has a distinctive print. It's supposed to resemble a V."
Everything about Shyanne's mannerisms were down to business now, for which he was glad. Joseph walked slowly toward the wall of green and brown, keeping an eye on the ground for the unusual print. He had an idea where to head, but wanted to confirm it prior to saying anything.
He angled his direction toward the path taken yesterday and was almost to the entrance when he noticed something that might be what he sought. He squatted down to get a closer look. A hoof print with a notch shaped like a V was deep in the soft ground. The prints of the animal disappeared with the path into the trees. Making his way back, he also noticed the freshly loosened bark lying on the ground next to a downed tree.
"Damn. Just as I thought.” Joseph frowned and ran to Shyanne.
"What did you find?"
"He's gone in the direction I went yesterday. I can only guess that he's going after the people I found."
"That idiot brother of mine! What does he hope to accomplish?"
"Remember, Shyanne, they have Drizzle,” he reinforced softly. “Drayco promised to come back for him and failed. That's got to be eating at him."
"Yes ... he doesn't like to fail.” Shyanne remembered all the tantrums he used to have as a child.
"Are you ready to go, love?” Joseph walked up and wrapped his arms around her.
She nuzzled into his chest and said, “Yes."
He bent over and kissed her before they separated toward their horses.
"We will find
him. That is my promise to you, Shyanne.” Joseph steered the animals toward the path that lead into the trees. He started into the dimness ahead. Shyanne followed on his heels.
* * * *
When he awoke, Drayco found himself tied to a horse he did not recognize. The path was gone. A main thoroughfare with deep ruts made by wagons during the past rainy seasons replaced it. One person was ahead, while two more followed behind. The weakness he felt before drinking Viola's blood was reduced. But he had been depleted for far too long for that small amount to be meaningful. He had to have more.
His head and right shoulder throbbed with every step the animal took. A moan escaped his lips when the animal stumbled in one of the ruts, causing the throbbing to become an avalanche of pain.
"Well, sleeping beauty is awake. I bet you have one hell of a headache, don't you.” The man leading his horse laughed at his own corny joke.
Drayco kept quiet. He moved his head carefully to glance around at his surroundings, trying not to set off another avalanche. They were traveling on the open road. No other travelers were in sight. He wondered where they were going when the man leading him seemed to read his mind.
"I bet you're wondering where we're going. We're trying to catch up with Ruben. He's ahead of us, making his way to Grandfield."
"Brey, shut up! You're already in enough trouble. Don't add more to it."
"What are you talking about, Randolf? I didn't do anything."
"Tell that to Ruben when you tell him about Viola.” Randolf shook his head while making a “tsking” sound with his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “I'm glad I'm not in your boots."
Brey frowned and faced forward again. Drayco could see the man's shoulders hunch. He appeared to be pouting. The others remained silent. The woman who rode behind Drayco glared at him as if she could kill with her eyes alone. He let his head hang, his eyes closed, as the trio continued after the party they had become separated from.
The group rode for another four long and grueling hours before they saw any sign of the party they chased. The sun reflected off something lying on the side of the road, causing it to cast bright rays of light in the eyes of the man in the lead.
Brey shouted to the other riders, “Hey, something's here! Sheena, come check it out!"
Sheena nudged her horse toward where Brey pointed and leaped to the ground in one fluid motion. An earring made of gold was among the sprouts of grass growing on the side of the road. She bent over and picked it up, holding it this way and that before saying, “It's Andrew's. I saw him wearing it during our last ride together."
"Your last ride together, eh?” Brey had a devilish smirk on his face.
Sheena gave Brey a look of disgust. “Only someone as sick and deprived as you would think up something like that."
"You want me. I can see it all over you,” he cooed as he leaned over in her direction.
Sheena was a hand's span away from Brey. She closed the gap in an instant and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him off the animal with little effort. He hit the ground in a cloud of dust; a look of surprise spread across his face. She started to kick the downed man in the ribs. Brey grabbed her leg as she swung it and tossed her to the ground. He was on top of her before she could roll out of the way. Brey started to kiss her. His hand strayed to other parts of her body. A foot hit him in his side, knocking him off Sheena.
Sheena jumped up and snarled at the man lying on his back. She pulled a knife out of her belt and dove at Brey with the obvious intent of slitting his throat. She was met with a shove before she reached him. It caused her to go reeling into the grass. Both combatants were so focused on each other that they had failed to see Randolf come up beside them.
"That's enough! If you two want to continue this on a later day, that's your business. For now, we have a mission to complete.” He glared at the two, causing them to stop before he brought the sword he carried on his back into play.
"Now get up and get on your horses! We've wasted enough time here.” He moved toward the horse Drayco was on and grabbed the reins, “I'll take over this job. You seem too preoccupied to handle the duty.” He pulled the animal closer to his own horse, then got up into the saddle. He continued to glare at the others while he waited for them to move. When they still scowled at each other instead of getting on their animals, he bellowed, “Now!"
That broke the staring contest. With a lot of grumbling, they got on their animals and started down the road. Randolf brought up the rear so he could keep an eye on the two ahead. If they decided to fight again, he would end it quickly.
I don't know how this band ever managed to stay together without killing each other. Drayco thought.
Three more hours passed. Dried jerky was passed out, but none was offered to Drayco. The tension from the fight had dissipated and everyone was calm again.
"I can't wait to get to Grandfield. I'm going to get me a woman and bed her until she screams for mercy,” Brey boasted.
"More like shudders in terror and revulsion,” Sheena whispered to herself.
"I heard that. If you were woman enough, you'd try my wares and scream with utmost pleasure too."
"Brey...” Randolf warned.
"Well she would,” he challenged.
Sheena rolled her eyes and leaned over, pretending to throw up.
Randolf broke out into a hearty laugh, “You two are worse than children. In fact, you two are worse than any brat I've ever met."
Sheena smiled at Randolf's statement. Suddenly, she stood up in her stirrups and squinted, trying to see what was ahead in the vast openness. Randolf and Brey saw her action and sat up straighter to look. A group of horses was standing off to the side of the road near a clump of trees. The tall, shadowy remains of a city were on the horizon beyond. As they rode closer, a look of overwhelming happiness covered Sheena's face.
"It's them! I'd recognize that big horse anywhere! It's Ruben's!"
She energetically kicked her horse into a full run and flew away. In a flash, Brey was on her heels. Randolf prodded his animal into a gallop, pulling Drayco along. The dark man's throbbing headache had become a dull ache. It returned in full force with the pounding he received. He groaned with every step of the horse, unable to hold it back. By the time Sheena was halfway across the field, she was yelling like an Indian from an old west film Drayco remembered.
"Ayeee-yee-yee! We finally caught up to you!” Her sword was in her hand. She raised it in salute to the group waiting for them.
The people separated as she barreled through their midst. They did not want to be trampled by the crazy woman on horseback. She circled around and came to a halt. In one fluid motion, she slid off the horse and put her sword away. Brey was already amongst the comrades. Randolf was arriving with Drayco.
Ruben walked up to Sheena, a frown covering his face. He flashed a smile and picked her up in a huge bear hug. She kicked and laughed, making it hard for the big man to keep hold of her. He let go and started toward the other two.
"Good to have you back with us, Brey. You too, Randolf. Where's Viola?” Looking around, he finally noticed the man tied to the trailing horse. “What have you brought us?"
"Something you'll enjoy for sure.” Randolf walked over to the prisoner and grabbed a fistful of hair. He jerked the head up so Ruben could see the face.
"You! I never thought I'd see you so soon—especially after our recent encounter—and in this manner. How wonderful this day has become.” Ruben smiled. “Randolf, I want a full report. Andrew, see that his horse is taken care of. Romero, put this trash somewhere close so we can keep an eye on him. We'll camp here for the night instead of moving on."
The band of mercenaries relocated to the opposite side of the trees, out of the direct view of the road. No fire was started so as not to attract passersby and the horses were tethered to keep them from wandering.
Ruben led Randolf out of earshot from the rest. He could tell by his mannerism that Randolf needed to talk privat
ely. They spoke of the events that had transpired since the smaller group had become separated from the larger, and about how Drayco had killed Viola by drinking her blood. A couple of times the two looked toward Brey, but he never noticed. He was too busy trying to get Sheena to disappear with him into the trees.
Later, before darkness covered everything, the mercenaries sat in a circle talking. Drayco, secured in both hand and foot, sat on a fallen log next to Ruben. Drizzle lay behind the group, secured in the same fashion. He looked a bit thin, but seemed to be holding up well under the circumstances.
"Look, kitty, a new plaything for us to have fun with. Don't you wish you could play too?” Ruben smiled slyly at the cat. “Too bad, though. All you can do is watch."
The leader of the mercenaries stood up and faced Drayco. “I've been given orders not to kill you. Nothing was said about what condition you had to be in when I turned you over. I plan on having a bit of fun first."
He pulled a small, thin knife out of his boot and held it up for the all to see. They started to cheer the big man on.
"Let him have it for Viola ... Cut him, cut him good ... Make him bleed ... Cut a finger off...” On and on the words flew. The crowd leaned in close; anxious to watch the suffering about to be inflicted on the man they felt had caused them so much pain.
Drayco sat perfectly still, showing no fear. He watched with cold eyes, his head held high in defiance, as Ruben advanced. The big man stopped the knife inches from Drayco's face. With a flick of the wrist, a small seam led from the corner of the left eye to the area beside the nose. Small streams of blood ran down his cheek and onto his shirt.
"Oops. Did I do that? I hope it didn't hurt ... much.” He chuckled with the rest of the mercenaries. “I've made such a mess of your shirt. I guess we'll just have to get it out of the way."
The knife started to cut again. Ruben made no attempt to prevent the slim, sharp blade from coming in contact with the skin underneath. The shirt hung in tatters around the dark man's waist by the time he was finished. Several streams of blood flowed freely on his chest and back. None of the wounds were deep.
