by P. A. Wilson
Blu rose with the beast as a whoosh of wings lifted them ten feet up and forward. Arrows flew at the beast’s head, tail, and wings, not one came close to the feet and Blu. There was still enough light to see the arrows impact. One wing crumpled and the thing dropped the tiny robed figure.
Madeline saw four men run out to catch Blu before he hit the ground. They tipped him onto his feet, and then all of them ran for the shelter of the larger group.
The flying lizard circled, trying, and failing to gain height with only one working wing. People scattered in small groups. Madeline joined them, her eyes still on the sky. Another volley of arrows whished up and two found the beast’s eye. It folded into a circle as it fell; people scattered from underneath.
Two figures didn’t run far or fast enough and were caught under the slamming weight of the creature as it crashed dead to the ground.
The sudden silence after the crash felt to Madeline as though the world had emptied of everyone but her. She couldn’t hear her own breathing, and couldn’t take her eyes away from the huge body. She knew that two people were under the creature. One had been a goblin. The other, she thought was Asla. Asla, the woman she had spent a whole day with, someone she had thought a friend, dead. Jode pulled her into his arms and the first sound she heard was his heart beating. She felt the warmth of his body seep in to hers replacing the icy cold of shock.
“It is okay,” he whispered. “You are fine. You are safe.”
She took a deep breath that turned into a sob. “It was so fast.”
“It is better that it was fast,” he said rubbing her back, comforting her. “Morge do not eat dead flesh.”
“Is Simon okay?” She pulled back from his chest not ready to face the reality of the moment, but reluctant to hide from the horrible events. “Who else was hurt?”
“Simon is unhurt,” Jode said. “At least his body is unharmed. The two who were killed were his friends.”
“Let me go and help.” She pushed out of his embrace. “I can’t just collapse. People will need help.”
Jode opened his arms and let Madeline go. She walked to where Simon was standing. He didn’t acknowledge her presence. He stood staring at the carcass. She could see tears in his eyes.
She turned him away from the sight and reached up to put her arms around him. “It’s done, Simon. Please don’t keep looking at it.”
26
The clearing filled with people. A mob ran to the carcass and started wrapping ropes around it. Others brought warm blankets and wine for the witnesses, handing them out to the people standing around staring. Madeline watched as the bustle and hurry turned into organized activity. She and Simon stood, arms around each other, watching people as they pulled the carcass off the two crushed bodies.
“Come,” Arabela said gently. “This is not the place to be. You should come away and let people clear up this horror.”
“No,” Simon said not turning away from the sight of his friends. “I need to see this. I should help them with the bodies.”
Simon pulled away from Madeline and joined the group who were wrapping the dead musicians in white sheets. He touched each one on the forehead before the wrappings were sealed.
“What will happen to them?” Madeline asked taking the proffered blanket. “I mean, the bodies?”
“We will build the pyres and they will be cremated before we leave.”
“And the beast?”
“The Morge? It will be cut into pieces and left for the scavengers. It will be bones by tomorrow night.”
“It happened so fast.” Madeline shivered. “I was going to join them. I was half way there. Oh, Arabela, it could have been Jode. He could have been under that thing when it fell.”
“Yes,” Arabela said wrapping her arms around Madeline. “But it was not. We will miss the two who are gone, but they are gone and we are here. Lady Asla would not want you to be so sad. Neither would the goblin, Yorr was his name.”
“Do you not morn them?” Madeline kept watching as people took the bodies to the edge of the light. Others were running with arms full of firewood. “Do you just shrug it off and forget them?”
“No.” Arabela gave her a squeeze. “You are frightened. This is part of our world. I do not know what your own death rituals are, but this is part of life. They have gone to their next life.”
“I have never seen people die before.” Madeline watched Simon help lift one of the bodies to the top of a pile of firewood. “I can’t just watch. Look at Simon he’s helping. I can do that.” She started towards the group around the bodies.
“There are enough people there.” Arabela drew her back. “Come back to the tents. Jode will join us. Let him help you with this.”
Madeline took a deep breath before following Arabela. When they returned to the tents, the two women sat on a low bench in front of a brazier. Alice was waiting for them and she brought caf and a small jug of strong smelling liquid.
“Drink a few sips of this. It will make you feel better, if only for a short while.” Alice poured the clear strong smelling liquid into tiny cups.
Madeline felt her eyes water with the fumes. “What is it?”
“Eldmen brew; they call it howl. It will clear your mind.” Arabela sipped as if to show Madeline it was safe.
Madeline took a deep breath then exhaled, lifted the cup, and shot the contents back in one movement. She swallowed and felt the burn slide down to her stomach. She held her breath for a moment, afraid to inhale in case she started coughing. It made tequila seem like chamomile tea.
“Whoo,” she finally said, “I can hear my blood moving in my veins. That’s some powerful booze.”
“It has brought some color to your face,” Arabela said. “Are you feeling better?”
“I don’t know if I feel better, but I guess I’m not feeling so shocked,” she admitted. “I still can’t believe it. It happened so fast. Where is Jode?”
“He will be here,” Arabela said. “He has some duties before he comes.”
“Tell me what you meant when you said they have gone to the next world.”
“We believe that life exists on several worlds,” Arabela said. “We don’t know what that next world is, but we believe it exists. What is your belief?”
“As I said, we have many beliefs,” Madeline answered. “It doesn’t help, though. We are always sad when someone dies.”
“We do not have time. We will do something when we return from the quest.” Arabela poured a second cup of howl.
“So, you don’t do anything to mark their passing, or say goodbye.”
“Yes, but our rituals are varied. We believe in celebration of life. We do not linger in sadness.”
Madeline sighed. “I didn’t think about people dying. I guess I knew that we would have to kill Sayer, but I didn’t think about the real danger to other people.”
“Part of life is danger,” Arabela said passing the full cup to Madeline. “We live in a world that is full of creatures like the Morge, and people like the Dray. Life and death work together to keep the world balanced.”
Simon and Jode stood beside the pyres, watching the flames as they reached the wrapping and started burning the bodies of their friends. “I am sorry you lost your friends,” Jode said watching the fire. “We will miss them in the band.”
“I had a friend die once. It was a car accident. I watched as he stepped out into the path of the car.” Simon saw Jode start to ask for a definition. “It’s a vehicle like a wagon but faster. It happened just like this. One second he was waving goodbye, the next he was a bloody battered shell in the middle of the road.”
“I am sorry.” Jode patted Simon’s arm. “They are moving to the next life now.”
“It is not a consolation.”
“No.”
“You believe in reincarnation?” Simon saw puzzlement when he looked at Jode. “That spirits come back in other forms after death, like Asla will come back as a butterfly, or something.”
&nbs
p; “No.” Jode smiled at the thought. “No, not a butterfly. They will move to another life as who they were. Lady Asla will return in the form of another Fay, Yorr as a goblin.”
“Will they know who they were?”
“No.”
“I guess we’ll think of a way to honor them with our music.”
“That would be fitting.” Jode pulled Simon away from the fire. “Are there others who wish to join the group?”
“Jeez, they are barely cold.”
“Warm or cold, they are gone. If we are to honor them with music, we will need more band members.”
“It doesn’t seem right, finding replacements.”
“No,” Jode said. “Not replacements. You cannot replace people like a broken chair or sword. If we try to replace the two who were lost, we would not grow.”
“I think we can find two more musicians. Yorr said he had a cousin who played as well as he did. It still doesn’t feel right.” Simon held up his hand to stop Jode arguing. “I know it is necessary. I guess it’s a heart versus mind problem. Don’t worry; I’m not going to break up the band. I understand it’s important, maybe more important now, to keep going.”
“Yes, and I do understand. I, too, feel regret that we have lost them. I know Yorr’s cousin is called Gurn.” Jode nodded. “And I know of a woman who can sing. Perhaps she will agree to join us.”
“Let’s talk to them tomorrow.” Simon shrugged. “If that’s okay, I mean.”
“It is perfectly okay,” Jode said. “We will be continuing on tomorrow. The quest must be completed. I’m sure Arabela will plan something for when we get back. Something that will be fitting to celebrate the lives they lived.”
27
“Everyone is so depressed they look like they are about to lie down and give up,” Madeline said as they rode out the next morning. “We need to get this quest over with.”
“I want that as much as you,” Arabela snapped back. “I am not willing to throw away our chance of success by rushing headlong into a battle.”
“Unless you think that some vision will come from the sky to instruct us over the next couple of days, delay won’t help.”
Arabela shook her head and turned away to investigate a clearing off the side of the road. “We need a safe place to stop for lunch.”
“Jode,” Madeline called back to the two men riding a few horse lengths behind. “Help me convince her to speed up our progress.”
“I cannot.” Jode shrugged. “It is for Lady Arabela to decide how we proceed.”
“Fine.” Madeline turned her horse around and started back to the main body of the camp. Jode started to turn his horse around to follow.
“Let her go,” Simon said. “You will only end up being yelled at.”
“Yes,” Madeline called back over her shoulder. “Stay there, both of you. I need to spend some time with other people.”
“Let it be, man,” Simon repeated. “When she’s in this mood, she’s just looking for a fight.”
“I will trust your experience,” Jode said turning back to follow Arabela into the clearing.
Madeline wandered back around the wagons and files of people walking. The faces around her were solemn. There was no chatting, no interaction at all between the people. She kept riding until she came to the wagon that carried Blu. The priest always rode behind closed curtains. Madeline thought it seemed more like retreat today than privacy. His driver was slumped on the front seat, the horses plodding along without his attention. They were following the wagon in front, which was following the one in front of it.
The entire camp seemed to be moving blindly, automatically. It was as though someone had wound up clockwork toys and set them in motion. The whole camp felt only a few steps short of coming to a complete and final stop.
The curtains of Blu’s wagon were firmly drawn closed. Madeline did not want to call to him in case she was violating some custom. She rode forward to the driver.
“Do you know if the priest will be available to talk soon?”
“Probably,” the driver said not looking up.
“Do you think it will be possible to speak to him when we stop to eat?”
“I don’t know.”
Madeline gave up. The camp was like a funeral march. She hadn’t been with them when camp moved before but she couldn’t believe the lively group of people they joined every night was so morose during the day. No matter what Jode and Arabela said, these people were mourning and needed to have a chance to grieve.
She rode forward again to catch up with Simon. “I need to talk with you,” she said leaning close so he would hear her voice without her having to raise it.
“We’re sending people to stop in the clearing ahead. Arabela says it is large enough to hold the camp for a short break. How about we talk while people are eating?”
“Good enough,” she said. “Meet me on the road as soon as everyone is in the clearing.”
“You want me to tell Arabela to meet us, or Jode?”
“No, just you and me.” She looked around. “We’ll talk to them later, but right now you are the only one who might understand.”
“Fine.” Simon looked back as the first wagon appeared around the corner. “I’m guessing it will take a half hour. I’ll pick up some food and drink and meet you back here.”
Madeline watched as the wagons passed. The people were looking down and dragging their feet. She wanted to go up to them, hug them and tell them it was going to be fine, a feeling that came as a shock to her. As the final wagon pulled into the clearing, she dismounted and led her horse to the back of the last wagon.
Simon appeared around the side of the food wagon. He handed her a bun filled with meat and a mug of water. They wandered back to the road where they were visible to the grooms tending the horses, but far enough away that they would not be overheard.
“What did you want to talk about?” Simon asked around a mouthful of sandwich.
“Have you been watching people today?”
“Not really,” he admitted. “I’ve been kind of wrapped up in my own thoughts. No one seems to be talking much anyway.”
“No one is talking at all.” She nibbled her sandwich knowing she needed the nourishment but not feeling hungry. “I think they are mourning for Asla and Yorr.”
“I’ve asked about that and they don’t seem to have that concept here.”
“I know that Arabela and Jode say they don’t, but I think we might have misunderstood.”
“They were pretty clear.”
“No,” Madeline said wrapping the last of the sandwich and putting it in the pocket of her jacket. “They said that there would be a ceremony after the quest was completed, not that people didn’t need to mark the passing of the dead.”
“So? I can’t imagine you really care about these people. Isn’t that violating some rule you have about not getting involved?”
“Stop it.” Madeline felt her throat close in anger, or grief, she couldn’t tell. “I am not that much of a hard-hearted bitch. Look, I think we need to do something, and do it tonight. Another day of this will kill any hope we have of fulfilling this quest.”
Simon shrugged. “I don’t think we should just barge in on their customs.”
“I don’t think we can just let it be either,” Madeline felt her impatience and frustration bubble up. “Look at them. Everyone is discouraged. What would happen if we had to go after Goddard right now?”
Looking around, Simon saw the whole camp silently going about the business of their lunch break. People serving were walking head down with platters of food held out for anyone to take. Grooms were feeding and watering the horses. Wagon tenders were checking their vehicles for signs of damage, all the action was right, the silence was not. This camp had always bubbled with sound before.
“I don’t disagree with you. If we had to fight right now, my best bet is we would lose a lot more of our friends because they didn’t have the heart to fight. My point is that it’s not t
ime to barge in and tell people what to do.”
“I know, but I have to do more than just ask what we should do, or wait for something to break.”
“What are you thinking we should do?”
“I know if I ask, the answer would be to wait. Arabela is just as affected as everyone else.” Madeline pointed to where Arabela was sitting alone picking at the sandwich in her hand. “And Jode is worse. Any other time he would be here, with us, making me train or trying to talk me into loving him. I can’t even see where he is.”
“Okay.” Simon held up his hands in surrender. “Look, if we were at home I’d suggest a wake. The rest of the band would play sad music, people who knew the deceased would talk about their memories of the lost lives. Everyone would cry and get drunk and then start getting over the loss as they got through the hangover.”
“I’ve been to a wake, and it sounds like a good plan to me,” Madeline said.
“Well, I think the first objection would be that we can’t just have everyone get drunk. We would need to have someone on guard,” Simon said starting to think about the details.
“We can ask for volunteers.”
“No, we should ask people who didn’t know Yorr and Asla to volunteer,” Simon said. “You know that Jode would volunteer, and as you pointed out, he is as badly affected as everyone else.”
“Okay.” Madeline sighed. “What else?”
“Arabela isn’t going to like the idea of a delay. You’re going to need to convince her that it’s worth it.”
“It doesn’t need to be a long delay,” Madeline said. “You know, we may end up moving faster tomorrow if we have the wake tonight.”
“Remember to tell her that. If we have the wake tonight, while we would be stopped anyway, the only delay is us being a bit slower on the trail tomorrow.”
“We can make up the time. I need to get her to agree to that.” Madeline felt her mood change as they came to a workable solution.
