Tor sighed. He agreed with Sam’s sentiments. “Kings like my father do. He regularly left his castle to visit his lands, making sure he spent time with the local villagers whenever he could. If a Lord was breaking any laws or exceeding his authority, it was dealt with. Sometimes by execution. Unfortunately not all rulers care as much as my father did. Queen Tibia, of Auxland, for example, relies too heavily on her advisors. She has no idea what is really going on in her land and would be horrified if she found out. A few heads would roll if she ever got the courage to go among her people and actually talk to them.”
Sam could hear the frustration in his voice. “That is one of the reasons you are in this ‘race’, isn’t it?” It was not really a question. “You cannot bear to see the same thing happen to your people and you don’t trust your brothers to do a good job as ruler.”
Tor smirked. “Not all of them, no. Petro, for example. While I love him as a brother, he is too interested in gambling and partying and the company of women to be a good ruler. Maybe when he grows up a bit, if, I should say, he will probably make a good king, but not yet. His heart is in the right place, but he is not ready to settle down and take the responsibility.”
At that moment, Bellak appeared, carrying a map. He still seemed angry. Maybe that was how he always looked. Sam would ask Ellen later, when nobody else was around to hear. He threw the map down in frustration. “Nothing,” he spat. “Absolutely nothing on here about a fountain.” He looked up. “Nice to see you all working so hard at solving the clue,” he said venomously.
Tor did not react to his anger. “We are letting Sam know a little more about our lands and what is happening. You can hardly expect her to agree to help us without knowing what she is getting herself into.”
Bellak snorted. “She has no choice. We brought her here so she has to go where we go.”
“Screw you,” Sam replied indignantly. “You really are a horrid man aren’t you? You drag me into the middle of god knows where, without so much as a by your leave and then expect me to just do whatever you say. You are just plain evil.” She swung around to stare accusingly at Torrick. “You were wrong, you know,” she snarled. “There are good guys and bad guys on your little quest. And I am beginning to think I need to start looking for the good guys.”
She stomped into the house, wanting to punch something, but everything in sight would either break or hurt her hand too much.
“Wait Sam,” Tor called, racing after her. “Do not listen to Bellak. Nobody is going to make you do anything you do not want to. The truth is, we need you. Even if we manage to find the fountain in the next clue, it is pointless unless we can take you there. Please come with us.”
Sam felt her anger slowly subsiding. This strange man standing before her had done nothing to harm her and did not deserve having her anger taken out on him. She was beginning to feel like she could trust him.
“Alright,” she made herself say. “You keep that bastard out there away from me and I will come with you. He is not to even look at me, let alone talk to me.”
Tor nodded. “That sounds reasonable.”
“So,” Sam continued. “I help you get the next clue then you send me home. Deal?”
A look of genuine regret crossed Tor’s face. “Sorry Sam. I cannot do that. I do not know anyone who can send you back. You are stuck here.”
Chapter 5
Sam felt numb. She had not said a word to anyone since learning that she was trapped. True, she did not really have anything to go back to, but that was not the point. She had friends there. She knew how things worked. Here she had absolutely nothing, not even a flushing toilet by the looks of things. She did not know where anything was or who to trust. The people in the cottage were the only ones from her current time and location that she had spoken to and, though they sounded sincere, they could be lying to her about everything.
Everyone else was soon packed and ready to leave. Most of their belongings were stacked on a small wagon pulled by a donkey, driven by Seth. Grimmel, the dwarf, sat beside him. The rest were on horses; ponies in the case of River and Oak. Torrick led a spare horse toward Sam. It was a small grey, slightly too large to be called a pony, but obviously still young.
“Have you ridden before, my Lady?” Torrick asked.
Sam thought back to her school days. When she had been fifteen her parents had taken her on a week-long horse riding holiday. It had been fun and she thought that she had been quite good at it, but had not ridden since.
“A little,” she replied. “I’m sure I won’t fall off, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Then she noticed something missing. “Where’s the saddle?”
Torrick looked questioningly at Bellak, who gave a dry laugh. “It is a seat made of leather,” he informed him. “Where Sam comes from, they tie them to the horse’s back. It keeps them in place. They also attach something like a small harness so they can control where the horse goes.” Then he grinned. “This is going to be interesting.”
Torrick looked back at Sam. She shrugged. “So I guess I ride bare back and hold on to the mane. I steer with my knees?”
Torrick nodded. He then bent down and cupping his hands to support Sam’s foot, helped her onto the horse. Bellak looked disappointed that she didn’t fall straight off.
Once she was comfortably settled, Torrick leaned closer and whispered to her. “Sorry about snapping at you earlier. I cannot begin to imagine how you must feel, being dragged from your home and forced to join us. Please forgive me.”
Sam smiled. “No problem,” she replied and a look of relief crossed Torrick’s face. She leant forward and whispered to her horse.
“Hi,” she said, nervously. “What’s your name?”
“Dapple,” the horse replied, a little warily, trying to turn her head to look at Sam without making her fall off. “Well that is what these humans call me anyway. My real name is Thresnine. It means ‘runs with the wind’. I hope to live up to that name someday.”
Sam patted her neck. “I’m sure you will, Thresnine. I am called Sam. Samantha really, but everyone calls me Sam. Can I please ask a favour from you?” It was amazing how easily she had accepted that she could talk to animals and could do it almost without thinking, though it did take a little concentration to hear the reply without hearing the other animal conversations going on around her.
“Of course. I have heard tales about humans who could talk to horses, but never thought I would get to meet one.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” Sam really meant it. To be able to actually converse with animals gave her more joy than she could ever put into words. As a young girl she had often pretended she was able to talk to her pet dog. Now it had become a reality. “I haven’t ridden for a while and never bare back. Could you go easy on me do you think?” She was glad Bellak was out of ear shot.
“With pleasure,” the horse assured her, though Sam was sure she heard a touch of amusement in the reply.
As they headed off, Sam asked Thresnine to move closer to Ellen. Though still uneasy about being with total strangers, Sam felt more comfortable talking to Ellen then any of the others. Looking at the other women, she was glad she was wearing trousers. The rest, apart from Ria, wore long riding skirts, which rose to above their knees as they straddled the horses. Underneath, so as not to show any flesh, they wore long frilly pantaloons, like ladies used to wear in the 19th century. Sam vowed never to resort to putting on a pair. She would rather expose her bare legs to every male in sight than dress like that.
“So where are we heading off to?”
Ellen looked at her, smiling. “We are going to Amenia. It is a southern province of Emvale. Vada, the capital, has a huge library. Bellak is hoping to find some mention of the fountain we are looking for in there.”
Sam just nodded. Why she had bothered to ask, she had no idea. The names meant nothing to her. They might as well have been heading to never-never land. It was then that she noticed the strange rectangular box in the back of the
wagon.
“That looks like a coffin,” she said, nodding her head toward it. Ellen’s demeanour instantly changed from a confident young woman to a nervous girl.
“It is.” She did not seem to be happy about the change of topic. “That is the newest member of our team, apart from you of course. He is Lord Haldon Hawkwing, better known as Hawk. I do not really know very much about him I am afraid.”
“Why is he in a coffin?”
Ellen hesitated before answering, trying to find alternative phrasing. Failing, she blurted out, “He is a vampire.”
“Oh,” Sam said, not really sure what her reaction should be. Ellen looked uncomfortable about having him near, but after what Sam had seen so far, a vampire seemed not too bad. Then she remembered what vampires eat. “Do you mean a real vampire? The blood sucking kind?”
Ellen just nodded.
“Oh,” Sam said again. “Is he dangerous?” She had lowered her voice, without realising, just in case he was able to hear.
“Mama Rose says not. She assured us that he will only drink animal blood. I still do not like the thought of him being so close when we are all asleep though. None of us do. He will wake up as soon as the sun goes down, so you can be introduced to him then, if you wish.”
Sam pretended to think about it. “I think I will pass on that, if it’s alright by you.” One thing still puzzled her. “If nobody wants him around, why is he here?”
Again Ellen hesitated before responding. “Mama Rose said he had to be allowed to join the team or she would not help with the spell that brought you to us,” she said, a little guiltily.
“So the only reason he is here is because of me?” Ellen nodded. “Great,” Sam sighed. “No wonder Bellak hates me.”
“Bellak does not hate you,” Ellen quickly replied. “He is just disappointed that you are not male. He was hoping for a skilled fighter, I think. We have had some problems on our journey with brigands and at one point we got caught in the middle of a province war. And, of course, there is fighting between the teams if they ever meet up. For some reason this quest has brought out the worst in a lot of those involved.” She sighed, unhappily. “I think it was meant to bring out the best, to get the brothers to work well with others to accomplish the goal, but that is not how it has turned out unfortunately. Tor saw one of his brothers kill himself when he got beaten to the last clue.”
Sam shivered. Now what had she gotten herself into? Last night, while being told about the quest and the history of the lands, there had been no mention of fighting or killing, had there?
A few hours later, Sam approached Ellen again. Leaning close, she spoke quietly so only Ellen could hear, she hoped. “How long until we get to civilisation?” she asked.
Ellen frowned. “It will be a few days yet. Tor is trying to avoid the smaller villages as a band this size tends to worry them. Once we hit the North Road, it will be about a week’s ride to Vada. Why?”
Sam looked distressed. “I need to pee,” she said, going red with embarrassment.
Ellen continued to look puzzled, then suddenly broke into a laugh, realising what Sam had said. “Sorry Sam,” she said when she was able to speak again. “I forgot that life is very different for you. Here, when you are travelling, you take a break every few hours to, err, do your business behind a nearby tree.”
Sam was horrified. She had been camping before and had had to do that, but she had been a teenager then. Now she was a grown woman and grown women always used a bathroom. Almost as if he had heard her, Tor’s voice rang out, calling for a half hour break to water the horses. While the men led the animals down to a nearby stream to quench their thirst, the women headed toward the trees.
“You come back here,” Tor yelled out, seeing the wolf following the women. He put his head down and slinked back. “Bad boy, Samson,” Tor continued when the wolf was by his side. “You know the ladies like their privacy. Remember what happened last time?” The wolf lay on the ground, put his paws over his muzzle and closed his eyes.
“What happened last time?” Sam asked Liselle, who happened to be close to her. Liselle smiled.
“Samson followed Ria into the woods, a little worried that she was going off by herself. He was only trying to protect her, we think. She did not hear him behind her, and when his cold nose touched her bare behind, she screamed, swung around and drew her knife in one movement and almost stabbed him. If he was not so fast on his feet, he would definitely still be limping. He bolted out of the woods, tail between his legs. It was two days before he even came close enough for anyone to see him. When he did eventually show up again, first Tor, then Ria took him aside and gave him a good talking to.” She laughed, pleasantly. “I do not think I have ever seen a wolf look so forlorn. It was almost as if he had understood every word that was said.”
Half an hour later, they were all back on the horses and ready to move on. Just before the light started to fade, they came across a clearing, not far from a river, and Tor said they would camp there for the night. It was large enough for them all to sleep comfortably, while still being easy to defend. As soon as the sun disappeared from view, the lid of the coffin slid off, making Sam jump.
An arm appeared, covered in red satin. The hand at the end was pale and ended in the longest fingernails Sam had ever seen. The hand gripped the edge of the coffin and pulled the body up. From the side, he appeared to be a normal, middle aged man; his long black hair hid his face sufficiently for the pale, almost white, skin not to be visible.
“I see Hawk is awake,” Seth said, causing the vampire to turn around. Seeing his face almost made Sam shudder. His eyes were pure black and he stared at her with such intensity it felt like he was seeing down into her soul. His thin lips were such a pale shade of blue they reminded Sam of her grandfather, when she had seen him for the last time, laid out just before his funeral. Hawk smiled at her, showing teeth so white he should have been in a toothpaste commercial. Sam looked carefully, but could not see the sharp pointed canines she was expecting.
Leaping neatly out of the coffin, Hawk stretched, pushed his black cloak over his shoulder and walked over to her. Bowing deeply, he formally introduced himself. “I am Lord Haldon Hawkwing, at your service,” he said as he straightened up. He gently took Sam’s hand and lightly kissed the back of it.
“Hi,” Sam replied, trying to keep the shake out of her voice. A vampire had just kissed her hand. How long before he went for her throat?
Almost as if he had read her mind, Hawk continued speaking. “Do not be afraid. I only ever drink animal blood, or that of my enemies, except in dire circumstances.” He looked around and appeared to sniff the air. “Speaking of which, it is time for breakfast.” He suddenly leapt into the air and flew out of sight.
Sam was stunned. “He can fly?” she stammered in disbelief.
“I guess we forgot to mention that bit,” came the reply.
A short time later, Hawk landed in the middle of the campsite, carrying a couple of rabbits. Handing them to Seth, he informed him that, although all of the blood was now gone, they were perfectly safe to eat and would make a good stew. Looking at Tor, who nodded, Seth took them gratefully and began to skin them. Hawk took off again, to hunt for some more. He soon returned with another three. His skin was no longer as pale; he could almost pass for human, and a touch of pink now showed on his lips. He smiled at Sam again and she tried to smile back, but failed. “Please forgive me,” he said softly, “but I must change my clothes as I have slept in these all day.” He went over to his coffin, took out a back pack that was stored in the bottom, and walked into the woods.
Sam had been so busy watching him that she jumped when Seth spoke to her, asking her to get some of the carrots from the wagon and clean them. After washing them in the river, she was handed a knife to chop them with. Seth already had the rabbits chopped and browning in a large pot over a small fire and was adding small amounts from a number of different jars spread out in front of him. Leaning closer, Sam realis
ed they must be different herbs and spices. The smell coming from the cooking pot was wonderful. Water was soon added, followed by the chopped carrots. A horse whinnied from where they had been posted for the night, making Sam smile. Seth looked up at her, raising an eyebrow.
“She said a few carrots would be a good supper,” she informed him, answering the unspoken question. Taking the ends she had removed from the carrots, she wandered over to the horses. Torrick was there, rubbing each one down with a rough blanket and checking their feet. As he finished with one, he took a handful of oats out of the bag he had slung over his shoulder and went on to the next. Though he could not be classed as fat, he was definitely heading that way, and his clothes stretched almost to breaking point, as though the weight had been gained but no new clothes brought. If he had been a woman, he would have been called plump, but probably not to his face.
“Hi,” Sam said, a little nervously. Although Torrick had apologised to her, she was still unsure of his feelings toward her. She sighed with relief when he grinned at her in welcome. “Thresnine said she wanted some carrots, so I have brought the ends for the horses, if that’s okay?”
“Of course it is. But who is Thresnine?”
“Sorry, I forgot you call her Dapple. Her real name is Thresnine, so that is what I call her.”
Torrick grinned again. “I guess being able to talk to animals has a few advantages. I would be most grateful if you would find out what the rest call themselves. Continuing to address them by the name given to them by their owner rather than by their real names seems wrong somehow. Almost like treating them as pets.”
“Sure,” Sam replied. Torrick obviously had a great deal of respect for horses, as she herself did. Any animal capable of breaking your neck by throwing you off its back deserved some respect.
After rubbing down and feeding the rest of the horses, they returned to the centre of the camp, where the stew was almost ready. A number of wooden bowls and spoons had been retrieved from the wagon, along with a loaf of bread and some butter. Ellen was slicing the loaf and slapped Tor’s hand when he tried to take a piece. “You wait your turn like everyone else,” she snapped, though her mouth curled up slightly at the sides, showing she was not really angry.
The Guide Page 6
