by David Ekrut
“What’s wrong, Elwin?”
“There is a bone fragment in my arm,” he said. “I need you to pull it out.”
Feffer stood up and examined his shoulder. The piece sticking out was the size of a small, slender finger. Elwin shuddered and Feffer made a hissing sound with his teeth. “Ouch. Wait. Did you say bone?”
“The cage was made out of bone. It is kind of numb right now as long as I don’t move a lot.”
Feffer frowned at the bone fragment and started fumbling through his pack.
“What are you doing?” Elwin said.
“I brought some cloth bandages and healing salts,” he said, as he pulled the supplies out of the bag.
Feffer stood and pointed at the bone fragment. “Are you ready?”
Elwin took a deep breath, “Yes.”
As Feffer grabbed hold of the bone, Elwin felt numbness travel down his arm to his fingertips.
“I am going to count to three,” Feffer said.
Elwin gritted his teeth and braced against Feffer. “Do it.”
“One.”
“Two.”
If Feffer had said “three,” Elwin had not heard it. Pain blinded his senses. He felt pressure on his shoulder as Feffer moved his arm. Elwin didn’t remember lying down, but he realized that he was flat on his back when he saw the trees circling above him. It took a moment for his vision to settle and the trees to stop spinning. He must have lost consciousness for a moment, because when he sat up, there was a cloth bandage wrapped around his shoulder.
“Elwin?”
“I’m alright,” Elwin said. “I will be alright. Help me.”
The ache in his shoulder was different than it had been, but he could feel his fingers again. His arm was wet. He used his legs and right arm to scoot backward, and Feffer helped him to move against a large redwood.
“It bled a lot,” Feffer said. “I don’t know if you should move.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Elwin said. “Help me up.”
“At least eat something first.”
“Alright.” Elwin let the tree support him. “What do you have?”
Feffer grabbed the pack, pulled some dried bread out of it, and handed some to Elwin. It was dry, but Elwin ate every bite. He was surprised by his own hunger.
“Do you have more?”
“Yes,” Feffer said, “but we will have to ration it out. I don’t have a bow and arrow for hunting, so we’ll have to make our food last. We have a month or more of travel.”
“Did you bring enough to last that long?”
Feffer shook his head. “We will have to find nuts and berries along the way.”
“Help me up,” Elwin said.
“Drink some of this first.” Feffer handed a wineskin to his good arm.
The water tasted like the leather, but Elwin drank a good amount and handed it back to Feffer and said, “We will have to find a stream to refill that, too.”
“I have another one,” Feffer said, “but a stream would be nice.”
Elwin opened his essence to Air and tamed the power for flight. He lifted his body from the ground slightly, but his head spun from the motion. He had to use the tree to stable himself. He could tell that his essence was still weakened from pushing himself, but they couldn’t afford to stay put. And he didn’t think he had the energy to walk. After a moment, the dizziness subsided.
“I can’t fly,” Elwin said.
“You can ride Haven.” There was concern in Feffer’s voice. “She will need to be led through this brush, anyway.”
Elwin nodded. Feffer being on foot would slow them down, but Feffer had the right of it. The large redwoods were not so close together, but there were thorns and brush that would need to be cut away for the horse to make it through.
Elwin grabbed the pommel of the saddle with his good arm and tried to pull himself up but slipped and bounced his shoulder into the horse. He felt his eyes spin into the top of his skull and his vision blurred.
When the trees stopped spinning, he found Feffer’s arm bracing him.
“Maybe you should rest.”
“Help me up,” Elwin said. “We need to move.”
“There’s no way they followed us,” Feffer complained, but he helped Elwin into the saddle as he spoke.
“But we can be sure they are looking.”
“Yeah,” he said as he took the reins, “I suppose we don’t have much of a choice.” Then he drew his sword with the other and began clearing a path. The brush and vines fell away like thread at the swords touch.
“It’s really sharp,” Elwin said.
“It wasn’t sharp enough last night.”
“The cage was crafted by the Death Element. Maybe that had something to do with it.”
Feffer didn’t respond. He led the horse forward, slicing as he moved. After a time he said, “Do you think the stories about giants in the Goldspire Mountains are real?”
“Last night I went into the shadow realm and spoke with Jasmine.” Elwin said. “She said that the giants are real.”
“I thought that was something my Da always told me to keep me from wandering around the Carotid. But of course they are real. Why wouldn’t they be? Do you think they really eat people?”
“Well,” Elwin said, “Jasmine suggested we should avoid them.”
“We will certainly do that.”
“There is something else, Feffer.” He wanted to tell him about Wilton, but he couldn’t make the words come out.
Feffer glanced over his shoulder. “What is it?”
He opened his mouth to tell the truth about Wilton, but his tongue betrayed him. “I saw Zeth talking to someone. He said that he has us cornered, and that he will wait for us in Goldspire.”
Feffer stopped walking and faced Elwin. “Then why in the abyss are we going to Goldspire?”
“He doesn’t know that I know his plans.” Elwin said. “Jasmine is going there too. We can help her capture him.”
Feffer opened his mouth to speak, then he closed it. He turned his back on Elwin.
“Feffer, you caught him by surprise once, we can do it again. He sleeps and eats, Feffer. He is human like you and me.”
Feffer faced him. “Like you Elwin, not me. I am just human.” Feffer felt at his belt pouch. “Believe me, I want to see him hang for what he’s done. But, I don’t know if I can do it. I’m not even a soldier yet.”
“We won’t be alone. Jasmine will be there.”
Feffer studied him so long without saying anything that Elwin got uncomfortable. At last he said, “We need to move.”
After a few moments of working his way through the trees, Feffer asked, “Who was Zeth talking to?”
“I …,” Elwin cleared his throat, “I couldn’t see his face. Another black savant named Fasuri.”
“Where did you see him?”
“Um … they were in the shadow of the woods.”
“It was foolhardy to spy on him, Elwin,” he said. “Don’t do that again.”
“I won’t, Feffer.”
Both of them were quiet for a time. Feffer led Haven through the trees, finding the paths with the fewest brambles. When he could, Feffer would follow game trails, but most of the way had to be cleared.
The predominant trees in the area were the massive redwood trees. They had broad bases and thick bark. The trees were taller than the castle of Justice. The red hue made Elwin think of Benedict. Zeth would tear through it. Thinking about Bentonville made him want to tear at his eyes. He would if it could make him unsee the slaughter of all those people. Even the children. Maybe he could find Zeth in the shadow realm. Maybe he should surrender and bargain for his town. He could save the rest of them.
If Zeth caught up to them, what would happen to Feffer?
He closed his eyes making his be
st efforts push the images of the dying from his thoughts, but he was greeted with Bentonville once more.
“Maybe we should go back,” Elwin said.
“What? Are you insane?”
“I could barter my life for theirs. I could promise to go with Zeth if he spares Wilton and the others.”
“No,” the venom in Feffer’s voice made Elwin jump. “He will not have you. I know what he wants with you Elwin. And that is not happening. No. You are my family too Elwin. He can’t have you. I don’t want to hear such thoughts again. Is that clear?”
Elwin nodded. “Okay Feffer.”
As the day pressed on, neither of them said much. The sun rose, and the humid air clung to his every movement. The shade from the forest provided little relief from the summer heat.
Elwin tried to think of things to say, but nothing really came to mind other than the lie he had told Feffer. They both had lost so much. Elwin lost his father because of Wilton’s betrayal, but could he only blame Wilton? Elwin couldn’t help but feel that all of this was his fault. Thinking on Feffer’s anger, he couldn’t help but wonder, did Feffer blame him, too?
Elwin pushed the thoughts from his mind and focused on avoiding thorns and brambles that Feffer missed with his sword. A few times he tested his essence, but he always had similar results to the morning. Lightheaded nausea.
He wasn’t sure if it was physical exhaustion or that his essence was weakened from pushing it during the escape. But his essence felt restored, so he should have been able to tame flight. His back end felt sore from the saddle and his shoulder throbbed. Maybe that had something to do with it.
“Feffer,” he said, “I need to take a break.”
Feffer walked back to him and studied his face. Feffer’s lips were tight when he said, “You’re pale. You should eat something. Here, take my arm.”
Elwin leaned on Feffer and let his friend ease him to the ground.
Feffer sat across from him, against another tree. “I could use a rest as well.”
Feffer dug some dried bread from the pack and handed some to Elwin. They both ate in silence for a time. When Elwin finished his bread, he said, “Thank you, Feffer.”
“For what?”
“You saved me. Our fathers are dead because of me, and you still saved me.”
Feffer shook his head. “No, our fathers are dead because of Zeth. And besides, you would have done the same for me.”
Elwin nodded. “I would.”
Feffer held more bread up to Elwin. “Have another piece.”
Elwin shook his head. “My stomach doesn’t feel right.”
“Your face is really pale,” Feffer said. “I am afraid your shoulder is festering.”
“It feels better,” Elwin insisted. “I just need some water.”
Feffer handed him the wineskin.
Elwin took a large gulp and handed the skin back to Feffer. “How far do you think we have traveled?”
Feffer took a deep breath, “Maybe a couple leagues or so. Honestly, how is your shoulder?”
“I feel better,” Elwin said. “I promise. My stomach is a bit queasy, but I can move when you are ready.”
“Alright,” Feffer closed the pack and slung it over his shoulder. “Let me know when you need to stop.”
He decided to try again. This would have been much easier if he could fly. Elwin felt for the Air, but opening his essence made his body twinge with pain. For a moment, a black fog seemed to fill his vision. He grabbed the tree for support, but Feffer was beside him before Elwin could blink.
“Okay. That’s it. You are going to rest,” Feffer said, as he eased him to the ground.
“Curse it all,” Elwin leaned against the tree, “Maybe I just need to sleep for a bit, so I can regenerate my essence.”
Feffer shook his head, “You are going to have to explain all that to me one of these days.”
“I will, Feffer,” Elwin said. “Just not today.”
Elwin closed his eyes.
Chapter 20
Trials
Zarah sat in the front row, in the seat closest to the center aisle. The courtroom was not any less foreboding than it had been the first time she had been here. Again, she had been the first to arrive. Only she was alone this time. Mother had been meeting with the White Council all morning. In her younger years, Zarah had been known to eavesdrop, and now she knew how to mask it. That’s why she had been sent from the castle. Not because she needed to stretch her legs before they left.
She hated being treated like a child.
Mother had been the one to teach her to mask the talent. How could she expect her not to practice? Apparently, it was rude to listen in on other people’s conversations.
But she wanted to know what the council had to say about Elwin. It had been over a tenday, almost two, since she had seen him. He was lost in the forest, being hunted by a Death bound. Her Vision had him in a cage of bones, and the black savant had held him in a cage of bones.
Did that mean her Vision had already come true? Was Elwin safe now?
And now, his fate would be decided, despite his absence. The Guardians would be sure to know that Elwin was no longer in the city. Would they hold that against him?
That would not look good for him. Not that she was overly concerned for Elwin so much as that, well … he was innocent. And if he died, that whole end of the world thing.
“He is innocent,” she told the empty chairs. “If you were not wasting our time with this farce, we could be moving north already.”
Elwin was not Death bound. She knew he wasn’t, because she had touched his essence. She had felt his Spirit with hers. It had only been a moment, but it told her much about him. Things she had already known, of course. But now she was sure.
He was too selfless for his own good and brave to the point of stupidity. Foolish boy probably charged Zeth the moment he realized the man was Death bound. That was how he got himself captured. A simple, country bumpkin, that’s what he was. He had a profound sense of curiosity to his nature that would land him on a hotplate someday, but he was not Death bound. Unless, stupidity and obstinance were now crimes, Elwin was innocent.
From behind her, she heard the sound of feet shuffling on wood. Zarah turned her head to the side to look with her peripheral vision. The children had grown taller, but it was the same family as the year before.
The group walked to the front three rows. Despite being farmers, they were all clean. The mother wore a brown cotton dress. The father wore green trousers and a green tunic with brown trim. There was a boy a handful of years older than Zarah. She remembered him from last time.
He had dark hair and dark eyes, and his skin was tanned from years in the sun. He filled his pale shirt more than the previous year, and his trousers looked more snug as well. He carried a little boy, not more than two years old. The little boy had a touch of red mixed into his short hair. He played with a button on the older boy’s shirt with one hand. His other hand held a small wooden soldier. The toy had a shield in one hand and a curved blade in the other.
The dark-haired boy sat next to the parents in the front row closest to the center aisle. He placed the child on his lap, facing the chairs. The little boy alternated between gnawing on the toy and bouncing it in his hand.
Zarah noticed the older boy’s dark eyes on her, and she looked away. From her periphery, she could see that he continued to watch her. She had been sitting up straight with her hands folded in her lap, as was proper. But now she became aware of her posture, and had to make an effort not to fidget.
The boy looked away as criers started shouting in the square, outside of the temple.
“Come see the trial of Elwin Escari!”
“Is he guilty or innocent? Come and witness Elwin’s fate.”
At least they no longer called him a Death witch.
&n
bsp; Guards entered much sooner this time. Their tunics had the symbol of the Guardians of Life, a red crescent moon with a golden sun centered between the moon’s tips. They had twice as many guards as the year before.
Zarah’s heart began beating faster. Why so many?
Other people began to enter as well.
A woman sat to Zarah’s right. She had flowing, blond hair with a natural wave. Her sky-blue eyes reminded her of Elwin’s. The dress she wore was made of a rich green silk, but her bodice was too small for such a large bosom. As more people began to fill Zarah’s row, the woman squeezed in closer to her. She smelled of spiced incense and lavender.
Like the first trial, people filled every seat and lined the walls. The only unused space was down the center aisle. Being close to the sixteenth hour, she knew the heat of the day waned, but the number of bodies did not allow her to feel it.
“How do you think they will kill the witch?” A man’s deep voice said from behind her.
“I don’t know Gond,” another man said. “They will probably burn him at the stake.”
“I bet they behead him,” Gond laughed. “Then they will burn him just to be safe.”
The other man laughed.
Zarah felt her jaw tense.
Mother had told her about the pits in the Kalicodon nation. If a warrior was captured in battle, he had to either become a slave to his captor or prove his honor by battling in the pits. Either way, he would be a slave, but most preferred the pits. People would cheer as a man was killed by other combatants. Sometimes they would capture wild animals and force the warriors to battle the beasts with bare hands. Wagers would be made on the outcome.
It was barbaric.
These men seemed the type to enjoy such disgusting customs. The way these people talked about Elwin’s fate made her stomach ill. She had been debating whether or not to give them a lecture, when she heard her mother’s name on the lips of a woman across the aisle.
Mother wore white robes that announced her station. The crest at the center was a hand that balanced a multicolored flame on its palm. The flame was divided into five equal parts: red, brown, white, blue, and yellow. Platinum embroidered the hems, announcing that she was the highest elementalist of the White Council. All eyes were on her as she walked down the aisle and stood in front of the central chair.
