"Take him back with you," she said turning on the surviving mercenary, "and let the others get a good look at him. I will not tolerate those who violate the terms of your employment or steal from me. Understood?"
"Y...Yes, Mistress," he stuttered bowing down again, his face ashen. She had no doubt that he knew about what his partner had been doing, but she'd leave his punishment to his own commander. Who no doubt would be quite upset at their getting caught. Whether or not he knew about this as well, she could care less, her anger now spent she put the matter firmly out of her mind.
She turned and strode back inside, noticing the pleased smiles of some of the guards who had gathered to watch the disturbance. Seeing any of the Human mercenaries brought up short always made them feel better, jealous as they were of the better treatment the mercenaries seemed to get. Seeing one killed so painfully, and effortlessly, by their mistress undoubtedly redressed a number of both imagined and real slights in their minds. Nothing satisfied the lesser races more than seeing the member of another race brought down low to their level, her master had told her. She could see now how right he was.
Once inside, she returned immediately to her workshop and put together a draught to ease her still aching head. What she had just done after the day's work hadn't been easy, and the headache that had threatened all day had come forth with a vengeance. She groaned and leaned back in her chair, drinking deep of the cool wine her guard had brought. Two nights in a row of little sleep were not doing her disposition any good. But then, what did that matter in this place?
She sighed as she thought about what she had just done. At least her master would be pleased. The colder and crueler she was towards the lesser beings, the happier it always seemed to make him. The more pleased he was, the less likely he would find fault with her, her preparations, or her handling of the troops. The less likely he was to find fault, the less the chance of her being punished for any transgressions, real or imagined.
When she had first come here years ago, he had ridden her constantly, watching her every move, overseeing her every task. Things had to be done just so and she had to admit that she had been weak, showing too much compassion and mercy to those who deserved none. There had been many lessons to teach her the error of her ways, and not all of them had come from her master.
However, he needed her, which protected her from the worst fates he often meted out to others. Her master’s command of the magical arts was not that great, unlike hers, which were extensive. There was much to be maintained, and still much that needed to be repaired or set anew that only one with her level of skills could accomplish. She was bound to him tightly by an oath given when he had helped her at her weakest moment, when he had given support to her when all had been taken away. All had left her but him, she could not do anything less than stand by the only one left to her, especially when he had done so much to shelter and protect her.
No, her world was here now; she had nowhere else to go, no one else to go to. She would do as he bid her, and do it well. She had no other options left to her anymore.
On the road to Midway
The wagon moved rather quickly once it got started, the eight-horse team having little trouble with the weight and apparently, they were rather used to the trip. The ride was a little rough, not a lot of thought was given to comfort, so around midday when they stopped to rest and water the horses we all enjoyed a bit of a stretch.
"I'd forgotten how bad that wagon was," grumbled Tam as we walked around it, working out some of the kinks from sitting on the thinly padded seats for hours.
"Still, I guess it beats walking." I winced as she leaned against me.
"Oh sorry, forgot about the arm. Still hurt?"
"A little, probably should change the dressing, it's starting to stick."
"Well let’s do it now before we get back into the wagon. Clint!" She called, "Get your butt over here."
She sat us both down and, with Jenna's help, redressed our wounds. Basic bandaging and the treatment of wounds was yet another skill that everyone learned as a cub. Considering how many of us worked as fighters it was a rather necessary one.
"Well, they look good and clean, shouldn't take too long to heal up." She said before wrapping my bicep and Clint's forearm back up. "The rest aren't really more than scratches, just keep your tunic's on."
I nodded, "Yes, boss!" and she whapped me on the head with her hand.
"Yes, boss, 'sir'" she grinned.
I pulled her into my lap and grinned back, "You don't look like any sirs I can recall."
"Well, I guess you can't be hurting too much," the head of the guards said leading his horse over to where we were.
"I've had worse," I grinned and let Tam get back up.
He nodded, "I'll be taking my men and heading back to Merrick now, you should all be far enough ahead of any Orcs that might have survived last night's attack."
"I'm sure you're right."
"Besides," he smiled at me, "I'd suspect four Shreans fighters wouldn't have many problems with a few Orcs."
I blinked amused, "Shrean?"
"It's your women; they give you away every time." He smiled knowing he'd scored.
"Howso?"
"Simple, they're dangerous!" he laughed and Tam scowled at him.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," I admitted.
"That's why I'm glad I'm Human. Have a safe trip, Sirs and Madams." He saluted and mounting his horse rode off to join the other guards, then gave us and the teamsters a wave and rode off.
A little while later we climbed back into the wagon as the two teamsters informed us that the horses were ready and it was time to move on.
"Dangerous indeed!" fumed Tam, a while after we’d gotten settled again.
"Well, to them you are," Clint laughed and earned a dirty look from each of the girls.
"Someone just might find himself sleeping alone tonight" Jenna teased.
"I never said you were dangerous to me." Clint purred and leaned up against her.
"Don't be too sure of ..."
"OUT! Everybody, NOW! JUMP!" Tam suddenly yelled and jumped out of her seat and out of the rolling wagon to the ground.
I dove out the side and rolled as I hit the ground, I came up just in time to see Jenna following Clint out as the wagon exploded in a huge fireball. I could hear Jenna's scream as the wave fire expanded and engulfed her flying form, the edges of it catching Clint's feet before it dissipated, leaving her to land on the ground, hair and clothing burning as Clint turned and tried to put out the flames.
My blood ran cold as I saw my sister rolling in pain, as Tam gathered herself to cast a spell, attention split between Jenna and a figure on the rocks above.
"Her!" I commanded Tam, pointing at my sister as I charged the rocks, running as fast as I could. The man on the rocks saw me coming at him then and changed his focus to me, readying another spell and pointing at me as he said the trigger word.
I growled and leapt up the rocks, throwing one of my swords at him, and jumping to the side as his spell went off. A lance of fire seared by my side, setting my clothes on fire, and burning my already wounded arm. I didn't care, I launched myself at him, closing my eyes as he turned the lance on me, my body screaming in pain as I slammed into him, breaking his concentration and breaking the spell. I opened my eyes and glared down at the man beneath me, my lips drawing back from my teeth and I growled at him as I crushed his neck beneath my hands, pounding his head into pulp on the rock beneath him, not stopping until I suddenly felt myself dowsed with a blast of cold water.
I shook my head and looked up, Tam was turning back to Jenna and I looked down at myself, half my clothes had burned off, as well as a good deal of my hair. I was covered in burns, but nothing appeared charred. I grabbed my sword and ran back over to them, ignoring the pain.
"How is she?"
"She'll live. I think" Tam said looking worried. "We need to get her someplace clean, with a healer. A good healer, better than the one ba
ck at that town. And we need to get her there as soon as we can."
"Get the horses, Clint," I growled.
"I don't want to leave her," he said not taking his eyes off of her.
"Get the damn horses or I'll break your damn neck, NOW MOVE!" I yelled at him. He looked up stunned but did what I said, changing forms and shooting off after the fleeing team.
"What about the teamsters?" I asked Tam.
"Badly burned as well. I don't know if they'll make it."
"What happened back there?"
"I felt the spell build, he was a Fire Mage. It should have occurred to me after the fire last night. It spread too fast to have just been set."
I looked at the wagon, or what was left of it. The fireball had blown it up and torn it into pieces, and what little was left was burning.
"Based on what they told me, I'd say we have about a two-hour trip left to the inn. Maybe less. It's our best hope for a healer. Can she make it?"
"I ... I think so. She's strong, and the burns aren't too severe, but they're all over her body, and I think in her lungs as well. She's ..." She coughed and tried not to cry, "Its not good, Jareth."
I nodded and she turned and looked at me, and gasped. "You're burned,"
"I'll live." I turned as Clint brought the team back. "Cut the traces, we'll each take a horse and put my sister on one, each of the other men on one as well."
"It might kill them," Tam warned.
"They're gonna die anyways." I said harshly. "This way at least they'll have a chance. Let’s move, I don't want to be burying my sister."
Getting everyone on the horses let me concentrate on doing something and ignoring the pain. It was all my fault, I should have set a lookout on the wagon, we would have seen the Mage before he had done anything. But I'd grown lax, lazy, complacent. Now my beautiful sister was nearly burned to a crisp, clinging to life.
I tried not to gag as I put the two teamsters over the backs of the horses, silencing each horse with a thump to the head when they shied away from the burnt bodies. These were my fault too, just simple folks doing their job. I tried to be as careful with their bodies as I could; if they lived, they were going to have serious burn scars all over their faces, limbs and bodies, and my beautiful sister would probably not be beautiful, ever again.
The ride was agony. I ordered Clint and Tam to take Jenna ahead, as fast as they could. I stayed with the other two; I couldn't risk pushing their mounts faster as they were in such dire shape. Clint wanted me to go but I was in no mind for it. "I can't ride that fast, look at me, Clint. The sooner they know we're coming the sooner they can prepare."
"You're being a fool," he growled at me.
"A mate's place is with his mate." I looked at him, "Unless you no longer want her."
"That's not the point!" he looked like he wanted to kill me.
"When she comes to, it will be."
He looked at me and then back at Jenna. "If you don't make it back, they'll have my head."
"SCREW them," I hissed between clenched teeth. "Their games can wait."
He nodded and took off after Tam.
I'd never been burned so badly before, but I'd dealt with men who had. The water leaches out of your system, the sun hurts, and your body screams with thirst and pain. I was thankful the two were unconscious, but I couldn't stop blaming myself for what had happened.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
I gave it all a lot of though as I rode under that hot sun, there wasn’t much to do but think, the horses knew where we were going, and the pain just kept bringing my mind back to the same thing: I couldn’t hold back anymore. It didn’t matter whether or not I was the Shrean I once was, what mattered the most was that I wasn’t committed to any of what was going on. I didn’t care anymore, I didn’t want to care. I just wanted to muddle through and not make the hard decisions, take the hard choices, take the responsibility.
It was time to either turn around and go off and die, unsung and unmourned, or commit myself to what I was doing. There were no half measures, and no backing out. Obviously, whatever was going on was bad, and it was only going to get worse. I’d seen what happened to halfhearted troops, and the mistakes their leaders made. I wasn’t going to be one of them. I wasn’t going to lead people to their deaths, because I couldn’t be bothered to do it right. Somewhere along the line I’d become satisfied with half measures. No more, I swore to myself, no more.
I got about halfway there, when a galloping patrol caught up with us. They had actually seen the fireball from a watchtower, and then the dust on the trail as Tam and Clint had started riding in with Jenna. They had a healer who I refused to let touch me until he'd started on the two teamsters.
The rest of the ride back was a daze, I fell off of the horse when we got to the garrison, and I think I passed out shortly after that.
"Jareth?"
I opened my eyes, it was Tam.
"How is Jenna?" I asked, my voice a croak.
"Good. Here, drink this." I took the glass she handed me and drained it carefully.
"The other two?"
"They'll live as well, I think, but the older one is in a pretty bad way right now."
"I thought they were dead for sure."
"Well, the garrison here is pretty well supplied. They've got a couple of really good healers. The fire in Merrick was spotted from here during the night, so a rider was sent out to summon help from the city. The healers made it here just as we did."
"God smiled on us." I sighed.
"Yes, he did."
"So, how bad is she?"
"She's going to have some scars, Jareth."
"How bad?"
"Well, they can't tell yet. They say it'll be a while until she's fully healed, even for a Shrean. But, her left arm and side will always bear the marks, and probably her face."
"At least she'll live." I sighed.
"But she may not be beautiful anymore," Tam warned.
"Beautiful is for single girls."
"If Clint still wants her that is," she worried.
"If Clint doesn't I'll gut him." I growled, and started to sit up. "But don't worry. He wants her, her looks have ceased to be important for her."
"If you say so." She put a hand on my chest and stopped me, "And just what do you think you're doing?"
"I want to see her, let her know I'm alright, and see that she's okay with my own eyes."
"You're not in any shape to be walking around, Jareth. You've got second-degree burns over half your body. You're almost as bad as she is."
"Yeah, but nobody cares if I'm ugly." I smiled then winced a little as sitting up caused my burned skin to pull, it hurt.
She pushed me back down onto the bed. I was too weak to resist, though I tried.
"Clint is with her. Leave them be." She stripped down to her undergarments then and slid in bed next to me, on my good side. "The healers will be around again in the morning, they have more work to do. The new skin has to be carefully tended or it'll die and then so will you."
I nodded and yawned, suddenly tired from my exertions. "This is all my fault," I sighed.
"No, it's not,"
"Yes, it is. I should have known better."
"But you don't even know why you're here."
"Do you?"
"No," she admitted. "Clint does though. And it obviously bothers him."
"I hadn't noticed, but yes, he does know. Of course I'd expect the captain of the queen's guard to know."
"You're not supposed to know that yet."
"Elves and their silly political games,” I sighed. “Don't tell him I guessed him out."
"I won't," she smiled and tucked me under her chin for a change, pillowing my head against her chest. "You know Jenna and I are still very close right?"
"Yes," I said nodding slightly.
"I told her about this trip. Not Clint. She used her wiles on him to get him to invite her along."
"What?" I almost growled, "She used him to come along
just to see me again?"
"Don't flatter yourself, Jareth," she hushed me. "She used you as an excuse to get him all to herself for a couple of months, away from the competition. Your sweet little sister has had serious designs on that tom since he joined the guard. He's just been too thick to realize it."
I laughed, "Good for her." I snuggled a bit closer. "Purr for me, will you?"
"The healers will have a fit; they don't care much for cat fur in sick beds here."
"If there is a better cure for what ails me right now, I'll take it. Otherwise ...."
"Okay" she smiled.
A moment later, she had changed and as I pressed up against her I could feel that loud vibrating buzz as it rumbled through me. Her furry warm body curled back against me then as I drifted off.
One thing they didn't warn us about healing from burns: It hurt. A lot. The only good part was they healed in a week what would have normally taken us a month or two. Jenna was in better shape than I had feared, though she was as bald as I was. She'd have some scars, and a part of me felt sorry for the beauty that was lost. But, scars are part of life among our kind, and for me at least a few more were no big deal.
We got space on the wagon to Portsmith two days later. That morning I went and found Clint out by the stables. Tam was helping Jenna dress back inside, she was still weak, her lungs were slower to recover than her skin and healing them could not be rushed.
"It was my fault," I said coming up behind him.
He spun and glared, I could tell he had been beating himself up almost as bad as I had.
"You didn't invite her along!"
"No, she invited herself along. And you couldn't resist my beautiful sister. I doubt few could."
"Well, she's beautiful no longer, and that's my fault."
"I wonder if I was this thick when I was your age?" I chuckled.
"What?"
"There's only one person whose opinion she cares about, and it isn't mine."
Lost Souls Page 7
