“I want us to always be together,” she had said, unafraid to stare him directly in the eyes. Her mouth firm and cheeks drawn, she waited.
“I don’t know what I would do without you,” his mouth bypassed the fear in his mind, expressing thoughts straight from his heart. Her eyes sparkled, and the beaming smile touched every part of her beautiful face. He reached out, cradling her face in his hands, gently rubbing her smooth cheeks. She closed her eyes and nuzzled against his palms, while her lips formed into a shape Dartan found his own mimicking. He leaned forward, bringing his face close to hers when suddenly her head grew heavy in his hands, and her forehead knocked against his own. And not gently. He pulled away from her, his hands now the only thing keeping her head from crashing to the table. Her eyes were closed and lips still puckered, awaiting the touch of his own, but there was no mistaking the sound of gentle snoring. The drink had gotten the better of her.
She had been gone when he woke the next morning. When she appeared later in the day, she was quiet, saying nothing of the night before. It was as if she wished it had never happened, so Dartan let it be that way for her. In fact, this was the first time she had ever mentioned it.
“I remember,” he answered as the memory faded and he found himself staring into that same face. She smiled at him and he put a hand on either side of her face. Her eyes half closed, looking at his lips as she nervously licked her own. “And if memory serves me correctly,” he whispered, “we should both go upstairs now, before you pass out, and I have to carry you.” Her eyes widened and the smile changed to an open jaw of surprise, but the smile returned when Dartan mocked her shocked look.
“Well,” she said, leaning back in her chair, “I guess I wouldn’t remember that part.”
“I would hope not.”
She squinted her eyes at him, then stood up. “Are you coming?”
“After you,” Dartan said as he stood and bowed to her, almost falling over in the process. She rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs in a slightly zig-zag path. Dartan followed, and as she began ascending the stairs, found his eyes drawn to the fur dancing around her creamy calves. He held his hand out, reaching for the fur with his mind. A grin formed as it began to slowly rise up her leg. He followed the now exposed upper thigh up the stairs, but only managed two steps before he had to put a hand on the rail to keep from stumbling. Aliet didn’t pause and the fur dropped back into place. Obviously unable to do both, Dartan decided he had better focus on walking instead of on Aliet. It was surprising how hard it was not to try to do both.
Chapter Nine
The pounding in his head was relentless. He lay, eyes closed, afraid if he opened them he would see the room spinning rather than just feel it.
“Are you going to answer that?” Aliet’s voice came from beside him, accompanied by her elbow in his side.
“Wha-?” he croaked.
“The door! Answer it.”
That’s when he realized some of the pounding wasn’t actually in his head. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and felt the fur covering him slide down to his waist. He was still naked. His hands froze mid eye-rub. Please don’t be, he thought, peeking through his fingers down at Aliet. Also still naked. At least it’s not Marcus, he thought, until the banging on the door started again. Most likely, Marcus would not feel the same thought as Dartan upon discovering his bed partner. Dartan leapt from the bed, noticing with some relief the other bed that held Marcus’s sleeping form only hours before, was now empty.
“Close the window, too,” Aliet said. “It’s chilly in here.” Dartan saw no window in the room, and when he turned to tell her he saw her entire exposed backside. With some embarrassment, he reached back and quickly pulled the fur down to cover her. “Thanks,” she yawned. “That’s much better.”
“Yes, it is,” he mumbled to himself, again thankful Marcus was not in the room. He made his way to the door, and opened it mid-knock, almost receiving a face full of knuckles in the process.
“Took you long enough,” Marcus growled, pushing his way past Dartan. He had a large bag, which he threw onto his bed, and then began empting its contents. He pulled out a bundle of clothes and tossed them at Dartan. “Here are your clean clothes.” Dartan nearly dropped both the clothes and his fur, but managed to catch them both just in time.
“Thanks,” he mumbled, looking for a dark corner in which to dress. “What else do you have there?”
“Supplies.”
“How can you get supplies when we don’t even know where we’re going?” He closed his eyes and dropped his head, regretting the idle question even as it was leaving his mouth. The sounds of Marcus unpacking ceased, and Dartan felt Marcus’s eyes on his back in the silence. Dartan remained still, barely breathing, not daring to move. He remained that way until he heard Marcus return to emptying the bag.
“We’re going to the mountains,” Marcus said. “I know how to pack for the mountains.” He almost did it again. Almost opened his mouth to point out they had no idea how far into the mountains they were going, or how long it would take, so how could he possibly know how much to pack? Perhaps sensing more conversation, Marcus stopped him before he could speak again.
“Logan is waiting for you downstairs.”
“He’s already here?” Aliet asked as she sat up.
“Apparently word travels fast in this town,” Marcus said, placing a bundle of clothes on the bed beside her. She grabbed them and disappeared under the fur for a few moments.
“Let’s find out what he has for us,” she said, leaping from the bed fully dressed and searching for her shoes. “Whatever it is might give us a clue as to what the wizard has planned.” Realizing he would easily be left behind, Dartan began looking for his own shoes.
“I’ll be here,” Marcus said. “Packing.” Dartan ignored the sneer from Marcus and followed Aliet out the door.
It was still early in the day, and the bar was as empty as it had been when they arrived. Harold occupied his post behind the bar. He nodded at the two of them as they came down the stairs, and pointed at a figure sitting at one of the back tables. The man was plainly dressed in dark clothes, and cast a look in their direction when he heard them coming. He glanced back at Harold who nodded again, then turned back and raised his mug to them.
“It doesn’t look like he has anything with him,” Aliet whispered from the side of her mouth.
“Maybe it’s something small,” Dartan suggested.
Logan rose from the table as they approached. He was thin and the same height as Dartan, though obviously a few years older. He appeared clean, well-groomed, and almost unremarkable. His eyes, however, were bright, and roamed restlessly over Aliet as they neared. Dartan extended his hand, which Logan took, though barely acknowledged the introduction. He then grasped Aliet’s hand and brought it close to his lips.
“They told me you were travelling with a woman,” he said, looking into Aliet’s eyes, “but what I see before me is a lady.” He gently kissed her hand, and held it until Aliet had to pull it free from his grasp.
“You’re too kind,” she said with no sincerity. Then, after a moment of awkward silence, “So, you have something we need?”
“Yes, of course,” Logan said, moving around behind her. “But where are my manners?” He pulled out a chair for her. “Please, have a seat, beautiful. Care for anything to drink?”
“NO!” Dartan and Aliet answered simultaneously.
“Very well,” Logan said with a shrug. “I just thought you might, considering you’re paying for it.” He returned to his own seat and raised his mug into the air. “Harold, another, if you don’t mind.” He then turned back to Aliet and Dartan. “So, are you two, a … ” he joined his hands in front of himself, “together?”
Aliet and Dartan exchanged a quick red-cheeked glance before shaking their heads and speaking on top of one another.
“Oh, no.”
“It’s not like that.”
“We are travelling together.”
“Right.”
“But it’s not like … ”
“We’ve just always been … ”
“Friends,” they both finished together.
“Friends,” Logan repeated, looking from one slightly reddened face to another. They nodded. A large grin appeared and he clapped his hands together. “Well, that’s just great. Friends are important. Not that I’ve had any of the opposite sex, but good for you two.”
“Can we get back to you now?” Aliet almost pleaded.
Logan leaned in towards her. “Now why would we talk about me when there’s such a stunning creature here I know nothing about?” His smile was broad, but faded a bit when Dartan leaned in between them.
“We were told you have something for us. Something Alain said we would need.” Dartan hoped mentioning the wizard’s name would evoke the same swift change in attitude it had the night before. Logan simply leaned back and crossed his arms.
“That’s right,” Logan said, the smile now completely gone. “I just thought it might be nice to get to know one another first. I mean, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”
“Wait. What?” Dartan looked at Aliet, who merely shrugged. The smile returned to Logan’s face.
“He didn’t tell you anything about me, did he?” They both shook their heads and Logan leaned forward again, propping his arms on the table. “I’m going to be joining your little party on your journey north.”
“What do you have that we need?” Aliet was not looking forward to his company, but she still held hope that whatever he was contributing would reveal part of the wizard’s plan.
“You need my special skills,” Logan answered with what Dartan swore was a wink. Aliet almost laughed aloud.
“Special skills?” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you possess any skill we need or can’t provide on our own.”
“How can you possibly judge my skills when you haven’t experienced them for yourself?” He reached out and touched her hand. “Why don’t we go upstairs and I can show you what I’m famous for, honey.” Aliet threw his hand off and stood up.
“You and I are not going anywhere together.” She then turned to Dartan. “Whatever he has, Alain will have to find someone else with it.” She turned and headed for the stairs.
“Hate to see her leave,” Logan leered, “but love to watch her go.” He turned to Dartan with a half-smile. “Please tell me that girl has Daddy issues.”
“What?” Dartan had no idea what he asked, but he did notice Aliet freeze in mid-stride. Logan, unfortunately for him, did not.
“Those are the best kind,” he confided with what was this time an unmistakable wink. Aliet spun around on her heel, stormed over to Logan, and threw a punch aimed at sealing that eye shut. It caught him completely by surprise. He fell backwards from the chair, and found her boot on his chest before he could even recover his breath. Her brother had taught her how to fight with more than just a sword.
“My father died when I was just a child, you pig,” she spat. Tears streaked down her cheeks, fueled in equal measure by sadness and rage. Logan held up his hands in surrender as he blinked his eyes, attempting to clear his vision. The eye was already starting to bruise, but Dartan didn’t think it would swell completely shut.
“I’m very sorry,” Logan said. “I had no idea about your father. That’s a terrible way for a child to have to grow up.” He looked into her eyes as he spoke, but she simply shook her head, turned, and walked away. Logan saw Dartan was still watching him, so he nodded his head, gave a thumbs up, and mouthed the words ‘even better’. Dartan simply shook his head in disbelief and stood up to follow Aliet.
“Wait a minute!” Logan called out as he picked himself up off the floor. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.” Aliet and Dartan stopped, exchanged a glance, then turned back to Logan.
“We’re listening,” Dartan said. Logan dusted himself off, took a breath, and stood tall.
“I’m a Dragonslayer.” There was only silence for a moment, and then Dartan laughed aloud.
“A what?” Dartan was sure he had not heard correctly. “There hasn’t been a dragon in Pavlora in over three hundred years.”
“Then you know I’ve been doing my job,” Logan said without a smile.
“Great,” Aliet added. “If we run across any, we’ll be sure to let you know.”
“By the time you see them, it will already be too late, sweetheart.” Aliet rolled her eyes, and Dartan simply shook his head.
“There must be something else the wizard needs from him,” Aliet said to Dartan. “He didn’t send us all the way here just for his skill fighting something that no longer exists.”
“Actually, I did.” They all turned, surprised by Alain’s voice. “And there’s a distinct difference between not existing and not existing in this world,” he added with a nod to Aliet.
“That just never gets old,” Aliet muttered. Then louder, to Alain, “Aren’t there any others we could use?”
“He’s the best,” Alain said simply.
“That’s right,” Logan said. “Don’t look so impressed. It’s embarrassing.”
“Are you sure?” Aliet pressed, ignoring Logan’s strut.
“The talent he, and those like him, possess has not been needed for generations,” Alain explained. “After the dragons were defeated, most of his kind moved on to more profitable and useful work. The knowledge and training stopped being handed down and the skill was lost. Logan’s family line is one of a handful to have continued the tradition and kept the talent alive.” Alain paused for a moment, and regarded Logan, who seemed to be standing even taller than before. “If we are to be successful, we will need his help.”
“But he’s a dick,” Aliet said.
“Aliet!” Dartan was barely able to hide his smile.
“I just mean, doesn’t he have a brother, or cousin, or someone else we could go to? Anyone else?”
“I’m afraid I’m an only child,” Logan said with a frown. “And why haven’t we discussed exactly what ‘talent’ you’re bringing to this group?”
Dartan stepped between them. “She’s here because I want her here.” Dartan then placed himself directly in front of Logan. “Whereas you are only here because the wizard says we need you. You are being forced upon us, for reasons yet to be explained, and you’re not making that any easier for us to accept.”
Logan’s eyes grew wide and he stepped back from Dartan, arms raised in the air. Dartan tried to move forward, but his whole body was enveloped in an almost paralyzing cold. He looked down and saw Alain’s body passing through his own. When he looked back up, he was face to face with the wizard.
“That’s enough, Dartan,” Alain said gently, and a tension he didn’t realize had been building within him slowly dissipated. He was left feeling a little light-headed for a few moments. “You have made your arguments clear,” Alain addressed them both, “but the fact remains, you will need him.” Dartan looked down and nodded his head.
“Great,” Aliet said. “What are we supposed to do with him until then?”
Logan stepped around Alain. “I do have other talents that could be of use to you,” he said.
“Like what?” Dartan asked.
“Like I know you’re being followed by another wizard.”
“Impressive,” Aliet conceded. “But what can you tell me about the ogres who are following you?”
Logan’s cocky smile faded fast. “Ogres? Where?” He was looking towards the door, expecting them to come bounding through, but Aliet was pointing behind him. Logan turned in time to see the two hulking figures rising from the table in the far corner of the room. “What kind of establishment are you running here, Harold?” he called out to the keep.
“That’s the same thing everyone who saw you in here asked me!” Harold answered back.
“Very funny,” Logan mumbled, turning back to the advancing beasts. They were both just over seven feet tall with pale, thick skin – Northern
ogres, most likely from the mountains as they had long, coarse hair around their feet and wrists. They were close enough for Logan to see their small black eyes, which was closer than most humans ever got and lived to tell of it. Logan swallowed hard. “What can I do for you … gentlemen?”
A guttural laugh passed between them, and one of them spoke. His voice was surprisingly clear, considering the mouthful of canine teeth. “We’re here to defend our sister’s honor.”
Snickering erupted from behind Logan, who turned to see Dartan and Aliet biting their lips. “You’re not helping!” he hissed before turning back to the maiden’s brothers. “I’m sure your sister is a lovely girl, but ogres are not my type,” he explained.
“She’s our half-sister,” the other one growled.
“Well, now, that does make a difference,” Logan agreed. “Does this sister have a name?”
“Lucinda.”
“Lucinda, Lucinda, hmmm,” Logan tapped his chin, then his eyes lit up. “Wait! Doesn’t she go by Loose? I’m afraid her honor was well past defending when I met her.” It was said as soon as it was a thought in his head, and now he was wondering if the next thing to pass through his head would be an ogre’s club.
“Did he just-?” Aliet began.
“Yes. Yes he did.” Dartan finished.
“Wait! Wait!” Logan said as he saw the club being raised into the air. “Are you sure you fellas want to do this? I mean, there are three of us and only two of you.” The ogre grinned, exposing more of the pointed teeth, and directed his glare to Aliet and Dartan.
“We just need him alive,” Dartan said.
“And able to walk,” Aliet added. “I really don’t think Josie or Marcus will agree to carry him,” she said to Dartan, who nodded in agreement.
“What?!” Logan exclaimed, but was drowned out by an ogre yell. He just managed to roll out of the way of the spiked club that turned their table into kindling. He pulled his sword and sliced across the ogre’s forearm, drawing a trail of black blood and another scream. The ogre swung his arm around, catching Logan in the chest, and sending him across another table.
Spell Fade Page 8
