“This is not worth fighting over” Samantha chimed in. “If Xander can help and get me placed on the throne, then I would be happy to give him a plot of land to do whatever he wanted to do with it. I would even play my part in the Queen’s plan and marry you, or do you think I do not know her machinations with your mother?”
“So you escaped one forced marriage to be brought in another” Xander laughed grimly, “The women of Rangel can never be trusted, you are a fool if you believe otherwise.”
“One marriage was with an old man who would never even think of giving me any power, my future was to be laid upon until I squirted out child after child, while he ran the streets sowing the countryside with his bastards. At least with this one I know the people would only see him as my husband, someone to be cheered and celebrated but at least I would have power. I am not silly enough to trust your Queen, but I know she would rather have me on the Throne than any male. I also know while she would give any help she could to help make Thorn into a system like she has set up in Rangel, she definitely does not want to get her hands dirty here in Thorn.”
“Ha Patrick, it looks like whatever plot was hatched did not escape the Thornian’s notice. She had you and whatever scheme was hatched figured out” Xander said with humor in his voice.
“Enchanter, this tossing of insults is not like you at all. Have you gone mad since the attack?” Patrick inquired.
“I am far from mad” Xander began, “You have no idea what I am really like.”
“Can we save this posturing for another day, we need to find out where we are” Samantha said.
Xander created a teleport symbol that was a twin to the one he made in his small cabin in the Norrayan woods. After trying to teleport and failing, Xander sighed to himself, and came to the realization that someone must have somehow altered or destroyed the one he had back at his cabin, his father’s book now lost to him until he could get back to the woods. He told this to his party and they began to walk following the setting sun. Xander had no idea if they were heading deeper into the wilderness or towards a road, but he did take the time to take in the scenery.
Xander felt the slight summer breeze play against his skin. As he inhaled deeply he could smell flowers of a type or name he did not know yet he enjoyed their aroma. Xander looked all around him and noticed although there was no trail, but the ground seemed as if it was disturbed recently, how soon Xander could not say but definitely within the day or so, the broken twigs and branches he spied were still green inside with moisture, not the browning twigs you would have after a day or so.
“Someone has been here recently” Xander said as he pointed to the ground signaling where it had been disturbed at. “Anything big enough to do this is either man or our lunch if we can catch up to it.”
“If it is man, I would be spotted from miles away by anyone with even poor eyesight. I will drop back a ways until you are almost out of sight. If you are in danger give me a signal.” Patrick said as he ducked a little, a futile effort given his height.
“If I raise my hands above my head, I am in some type of trouble” Xander said as he pulled out his dagger. “We need to find both of you some type of weapon, even if it is only a stick, you never know if it might help.”
Xander and his party continued on with Samantha and Patrick hanging in the back with Xander out front scouting. Before long Xander could hear men screaming, followed by a sound Xander knew only too well, the sound of the whip. Xander took off in that direction, careful not to disturb any vegetation his height or taller, less it gives away his position but made no attempt to be silent, his hopes resting on whatever is happening would cover his sounds. Xander could hear men laughing as whoever was screaming screamed no longer. Xander crept up to the site where he thought the noise was coming from and could spot five men all brandishing swords. Xander looked all around them and could see two men who were obviously dead. If Xander had to guess, after they finished whipping one, they ran him through with a sword as one of the men was cleaning his weapon on the dead man’s clothes. Xander saw one of the men snatch someone off the ground, an older man with the whitest hair Xander had ever seen.
“Now there old man, you seen what happened to your boys but I’m going to let you in on something” the man holding the whip said. “I don’t care about the gold anymore; all I want to do is whip your old back bloody.”
The old man spit in the man with the whip’s face as two others lifted him off his feet and tied him to a tree. “You are going to rot in hell for this, there isn’t any money. I pray to the Gods someone pays you back for this O’hare.”
“Well your old ass sure in the hell won’t be around to enjoy it, but here is a little something to remember me by.”
The man with the whip raised it to its apex as the people he was with started sheathing their weapons seeing no threat around them. Xander bolted from his place as the first lash struck home. The old man’s cries muffled the death scream of Xander’s first victim, which took Xander’s dagger in the back. Xander pulled out the dying man’s sword as he spun to face his second attacker who was pulling his sword out. Xander slashed out at his weapon hand, cutting the hand off at the wrist. Xander decided he was no immediate threat as he faced off against two other swordsmen, but this time they had their weapons out. Xander feinted in and out, trying to get them to commit but the attackers had some skill and seemed content to keep Xander at bay. Xander was going on the attack when his back felt like it was doused in fire.
Xander froze for a second and could see his attackers began to go on the offensive so he wisely rolled out of the way as his opponents started to circle.
“So you want some of the action too huh? You can get a better taste of old Charlene here after she is done beating the flesh off that piece of shit tied to the tree.” The man said as he kissed his whip before putting it away and pulling out his sword.
Xander backed himself up as his opponents wisely circled him, testing out his defense here and there but not really committing. These were no sword hacks Xander quickly surmised, these had to be either military men or people skilled in not only the blade, but how to fight together. Xander could tell from the clashes they had he was definitely stronger and faster than his attackers, but they had numbers on their side. Xander Parried a blow aimed at his legs and barely had the time to dodge another aimed at his head.
“Almost got you there boy, you gonna regret getting involved here, and for what, some old man” the whip wielder said as he took another swing.
Xander knew eventually he would get tired and was debating whether to just feint and run when a rock came crashing down on one of the men, not hard enough to do much damage but enough that Xander knew his shoulder had to be hurting a little. “Here is another one for you” Samantha yelled as she threw another rock, forcing the same man to dodge.
Xander could see the men get temporarily distracted by Samantha and quickly took advantage of it, giving the rock dodger a quick death with a sword through the heart. The man still had enough sense that although he was dying, he reached out and grabbed Xander’s sword out his hand as he fell backward, taking the blade that impaled him to the ground with him. Xander saw he had no blade and wisely maneuvered so the two men were on one side of him instead of surrounding him.
“You go take care of the hero while I give his rock throwing bitch something to really scream about, he aint that tough without a weapon” said the whip wielder as he made his way towards Samantha. Xander could see Samantha turn to flee when something knocked her violently aside and suddenly up sprang Patrick, ready to meet the whip wielder.
The whip wielder tried to use his blade but it was no use, Patrick’s speed enabled him to grab the man’s sword hand and deliver a punch which sent the man down in a heap, all in practically one move. Patrick continued on to where Xander’s attacker was and lifted the man high above his head before smashing his back across his knee. Xander heard a loud sickening crack and knew if the man lived, he would never
walk again. Patrick picked up his sword and quickly put the crippled man out of his misery before walking over to kill the whip wielder.
“Stop Patrick, let him be” Xander began. “I have seen that man kill sons before their father’s eyes. I have something special for that one. Xander went over to his dagger and used it to crudely scratch an enchantment on one of the swords, which soon began to glow white and start to deform.
“Enchanter, perhaps you have lost your touch, that weapon won’t hold up to whatever you are doing to it” Patrick said as he notice the sword start to warp slightly.
“It will hold up as long as I need it too, hold him up by his ankles” Xander said as he walked towards the whip wielder.
Patrick held the man up by his ankles, easily lifting the man off of the ground. He had no idea what the enchanter had planned but figured he was going to brand the man in some way. Patrick thought about this as Xander drew his sword back and cut off both of the man’s legs at the upper thigh, the heat of the sword instantly cauterizing the wound. Patrick was in shock as he noticed he was holding two legs as their former owner tumbled screaming to the ground below.
Xander watched as Samantha vomited with Patrick not too far behind her. As his associated were emptying their stomachs, Xander quickly cut off the man’s arms as he screamed in pain. Xander took the whip off of the man’s belt and turned him around on his stomach.
“I believe you said something about Charlene getting a taste” Xander said as he violently gave the man lashes until he passed out.
“You surprise me enchanter” Patrick said as he came to his senses. “Here I thought you were no more than a mere whipped puppy, fearful of his master’s wrath.”
“This was necessary, let’s untie the old man over there and hope he isn’t seriously injured” said Xander as he walked over to where there man was tied up. Xander looked and saw the man leaking out of his side, sometime during the attack one of the men must have ran him through. Although Xander did not know him, to die in such a way after knowing terror made him want to whip the now limbless man again. Xander untied the man and saw that he and his sons received a proper burial. Xander had just finished placing the last clump of dirt on the man’s grave as a crossbow bolt whizzed past his ear and landed solidly in the tree behind him. Xander drew his dagger as Patrick went crashing into the tree line, coming out with a struggling woman who had pure hatred in her eyes.
As Patrick drug the struggling woman closer, he could tell she was older than his twenty one summers but he did not figure her for over 30. Her hair was red, that much he could tell but it was so dirty which shade of red was beyond him. Her face was dirt covered also, and at first glance he would have pegged her for being poor, unable to afford the amenities but then where did she get the crossbow.
“Look Enchanter, if you plan on quartering this one I want no part of it” said Patrick as he ripped the crossbow from her hand and threw her on the ground.
“He will do no such thing” said Samantha as she jumped in front of the woman, blocking her off from Xander.
“Why did you try to kill me?” Xander said as he picked up his sword.
“If you are going to kill me then just do it!” screamed the woman before continuing, “You are supposed to protect us but I’ll be happy to see Frahse come in here and kill all you heartless bastards!”
“Does anyone here have any idea what she is talking about?” asked Xander as he looked to Patrick and Samantha.
“Maybe she thinks you are men you just killed” Samantha offered in reply.
“I know I just saw you bury my father to cover up your crimes “said the woman as she started at Xander.
“You are either an idiot or overcome with grief, you can tell by my and the big man’s accent we are not from the area, what reason would we have to kill your pa?” Xander said as he loomed over the woman.
“The same reasons you all come bother us, it’s bad enough you took all of our armor and weapons from our shop, now you are all looking for mythical block of metal that doesn’t exist!” The woman said as she hung her head, resigned to her fate.
Xander could read her feelings easily, having seen his mother’s body after she was buried. She took a chance with a crossbow, if she had his abilities no doubt she would have tried to kill the lot of them, although Patrick might have been harder to kill than she thought. “My Lady I came upon your brothers and father being killed by that lump of flesh over there” Xander said gesturing to the limbless man. “Me and my associates saw what was happening and killed all of them; I didn’t think it was right for the dead to go unburied, even criminals. What you saw was me paying my respects.”
“What type of person buries the dead; if you were showing respect for the dead, my Da should have been burned!” The woman said now looking at Xander, sure he was lying.
“We do not burn the dead in Rangel; respects are paid by returning woman to the earth, from which she came” Xander said matter of factly.
The woman thought about what Xander had said. He was dressed differently and talked with an accent she could not place. He said he was from Rangel, making him not part of the same bunch of people who had repeatedly bothered her father looking for the midknightium. Looking pass the strange man she could she what she thought was a human, only with his limbs unattached. If they had meant to kill her, she most likely would have already been dead and if they meant for other things, they wouldn’t have a woman with them and would probably be doing it right now regardless. “I believe what you say.”
“Where are we exactly” Samantha said seeing that of the three she would most likely be the most approachable.
“What kind of a question is that? How do you not know where you are” the woman replied.
“My patience is short woman” Xander began. “I have done nothing to you but tried to help your father and nearly got killed because of it. Answer the damn question.” Xander said as he wanted to leave the area before more men came around looking for their buddies.
“You are close to Briar, home to the Kevon, Duke of Best and southern most point of Thorn, we are but a quarter days walk from Frahse.” The woman answered hurriedly, wondering where the gentleman was that tried to first explain things to her.
“You mentioned something about a shop, what do you sell there?” asked Patrick.
“I am a blacksmith; me and my family were blacksmiths at least. My mother fell ill during our trip into town for medicine; she expired before we reached the healers. My father and brother were forbidden to go and were to stay by order of the Duke to make more weapons and armor for the men guarding the border as well as any mercenaries they hire.”
“Do you have any weapons or armor left, something we could use” asked Patrick thinking about how vulnerable they were if they were to face any sizable force.
“Why would I give you anything of my family?” The woman began, “it is all I have left.”
“Because my friends and I aim to end this war, I will defeat the Duke and his men as well as the Frahsch. I am your only hope of gaining anytime of revenge on those who have wronged you. You are too late to take advantage of these men, the limbless one will live out his days in agony. You can still take it to the Duke though, for not policing his men and Frahse for stirring up trouble in the first place.”
“I am grieving but I am not stupid, how can the three of you accomplish that, even if one of you is a giant. You will be cut down by arrows before long or ran down by horsemen.” The woman said looking around.
“I am the son of Erik the Red and an Enchanter in my own right” Xander said before continuing. “As we speak Rangel is engaged in a fierce war on the Northern border. I aim to defeat the Duke and remove Janus the pretender from the Throne.”
“You mean to take the Throne for yourself” the woman asked still dazed that someone claiming to be Erik’s son was before her.
“I am to be Queen” Samantha said before continuing, “I am the only legitimate heir from Erik’s bloodl
ine. My mother was his sister and my father, though not a noble, is one of the most power men in Thorn.”
“What do you mean by legitimate” Xander asked Samantha.
“I mean no offense, but your birth was the product of our Emperor and a Rangelian witch from what I know. You were raised by her and not on this soil.”
Xander’s face changed as he interrupted her “What do you know of my mother?”
“I do not mean any offense Xander.” Samantha said as she saw the conversation was taking a turn for the worse.
“Well offense was taken” Xander began while trying to calm himself down. “You know nothing of my mother; keep her name out of your mouth. I do not need you around, if you are such a ruler then rule without me.”
“Enchanter, she was only speaking the truth” Patrick said as he stepped in-between them. “If her words offended you, does make them any less true?”
“Well here are some true words for the both of you; I do not need her or you. Why don’t you and your future Queen run off and get yourself out of this situation? I am sure Duke Best would be excited to meet the both off you.”
“Enchanter you forget your place” Patrick said as he shoved Xander to the ground.
“No Patrick you forget yours” Xander said as he got to his feet. “You don’t scare me, not even a little bit. Our time together has ended. Let’s see how far you and your little woman get without me.”
“Xander we don’t stand a chance separated” Samantha said as she grabbed Patrick’s arm. “Can we call a truce until we get back to the main part of the army?”
“You mean you don’t stand a chance,” Xander said before sarcastically adding, “My Queen”.
“If you’re really the son of Erik, I have something that belongs to your Da” the other woman began “iff’n you can prove you are who you say.”
The Terror of Thorn: Child of War: Book 2 Page 7
