“I shot the girls with my darts, and the blonde one does this to my face.”
Rick tried his best to keep from laughing, but a sly grin and a chuckle escaped. The boy’s face darkened as his eyes narrowed with hatred.
“I shot the Syarin girl, then I shot the blonde girl, but she woke up and smashed my face.”
“So, you’re the guy who let them get away!” Rick said. “I wish you hadn’t.”
“What?” the boy said unsure how to respond.
“I told you, I’m an old friend,” Rick said standing up. “Devlin, are you an Elementalist?”
Devlin looked at him funny.
“You’re speaking Syarin,” Valla said in Halayn.
The ring shifted. “Oh, thank you,” Rick said. “Devlin, are you an Elementalist?”
“Yeah, but I’m extremely weak,” he said.
“Does it happen to be light?”
“Wind.”
“Oh,” Rick said looking at the boy. “Sorry, I was hoping he could heal your nose.” I'm not using Celestial for something so minor.
“Stand up!” Enis shouted in Syarin. “You should be ashamed of your actions today. We will go talk to your father.”
“But—” The boy started.
“Stand boy, say sorry, and move.” The boy muttered an apology before scrambling to his feet and running to the exit.
“Thank you for not hurting him,” Enis said walking to the flap.
“He’s just a kid,” Rick said shrugging.
Enis chuckled. “You don’t look more than a few years older than him.”
Rick scowled. “I know.”
Valla stood up and started walking out as well. “I think I’ll join them,” she said. “You three will want to go scout, and my bones are tired. Be safe, my guardian angel.”
A twinge of guilt pierced him at that. He couldn’t remember the others anymore, but he still knew what happened.
“Three?” He asked looking at the other two.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Poana said. “Even if my grandmother trusts you.”
“I never said I trusted him, he’s too clever a man,” Valla said laughing before she left.
The rest of the men followed Valla outside. Now it was just the three of them. Rick quickly inhaled his food.
“Where are you from, Rick?” Poana asked.
“I’ve been a traveler for a very long time,” Rick said in between mouthfuls. “I don’t have a home.”
Devlin cleared his throat. “Would you mind speaking in Halayn? I don’t speak more than a few words in Syarin.”
The ring shifted. “You bet,” Rick said with a grin. “Poana, do you have any Elementalists in your tribe?”
“No. Only skilled fighters.”
“Well Devlin, that means you're the only one who can use Elementia right now—” Rick started.
“Don’t count me as an Elementalist,” Devlin interrupted. “All I can do is make my voice extremely loud.”
“Oh?” Rick said. “That could be useful.”
“How?” Devlin asked.
“Troop movement,” Rick said taking his last bite. “But for tonight, It sounds like we’ll be doing this without magic.
“What about the magic you used to escape?” Poana asked.
“I’m out,” he said grimacing.
“The sword you made appear?” Devlin asked feeling his neck.
“I can still use that,” he said and turned to Poana. “Can I get a bow?”
“We can grab a bow before we go.”
“Great,” Rick said walking toward the doorway. “What are we waiting for?”
The last rays of the sun were peeking up over the horizon. Pausing, Rick looked about; he thought the inside of the hut looked cool. But the outside... It looked like a hill! He wanted to jump up and down. It was so cool! Except for the small wooden frame of the door, everything else looked like a hill covered in grass. The entire village was that way. If he was looking at it from a distance, he would’ve thought there were people walking around hills.
“These huts are a pretty clever design,” he said to Poana.
“What is design?” she asked. “I don’t know the word.”
“I like the way you build your homes,” he said his breath hanging in the cold night air.
“Thank you.”
“Where is it we’re going?” Devlin asked.
Poana pointed to a hill in the distance. “First we must grab the bow.”
Walking through the village, they stopped in front of another Hut. A Syarin stood in front of the door, tomahawk in hand. Nodding to Poana he stepped to the side. Devlin whistled once they got inside. Knives, clothes, bows, arrows, tools, and food, filled the Hut. Poana picked up a set of clothes and tossed them to Rick.
“Put a shirt on,” she said.
Rick grinned, looking down. He’d forgotten about the missing shirt. The clothes she’d tossed him were the same as the rest of the Syarins, untanned leather.
“Thanks,” he said slipping the shirt on.
Poana walked back to the doorway. “Put the pants on too. When was the last time you washed your clothes?”
Rick chuckled. “It was only yesterday, I took a swim in the sea.”
Poana stepped outside and he slipped the Syarin pants on.
“Okay,” he said.
Devlin tossed him a bow and a pack of arrows. “Didn’t feel like watching you change so I thought I’d make myself useful.”
“Good idea,” Rick said tying the pack to his waist. “We ready?”
“Yes,” Ponana said poking her head in.
They left the village and headed toward the red rocky hill in the distance. Reaching it Rick looked back. He knew the village was behind them, but he couldn’t tell it apart from the rest of the hills. Climbing, a rock broke off in his hand, causing him to slide back a few feet. He cursed at the slight noise. Poana didn’t say a word, but her gaze said it all.
“I know,” Rick whispered barely audible above the night breeze.
Devlin reached the top first and peered over. Rick hugged the side of the hill as he lifted his head to look at the camp below. Cliffs enclosed three sides, and several men crouched behind multiple small boulders on the fourth. Wagons and tents sat inside and the embers of a fire glowed in the night.
“How often do they change the guards?” Rick asked.
“They change six times, full day,” Poana said.
Rick paused to think. Six times, full day? Twenty-four hours. They switch every four hours.
“When do they switch next?” Devlin asked.
Poana held up two fingers. “Two hours.”
Sitting there for a time, they watched. Lanterns appeared as men left one of the tents. They lead a man to the edge of the camp and pushed him out. The bandits jeered as he fell to the ground. Silver in the moonlight caught Rick's eye. A single shot rang out in the night sky.
“You best get to running boy, before Hank changes his mind!”
The man got up and started running.
“That’s Lou, the scout we lost!” Ponana hissed getting to her knees.
“No. Wait to fetch him,” Rick said. “They could want that.”
Nodding, Poana settled back into place. Devlin pointed in between the running man and the lanterns. Squinting Rick spotted it too. One of the Bandits was following behind.
“So that’s their plan,” he said. “They want to find the village.”
Taking the bow off his back, Rick grabbed an arrow. It’d been a while since the last time he’d shot one of these. But he should still have the skills. Taking a deep breath, he pulled back the string.
“Not your lucky day,” he said taking aim at the bandit.
Closing his eyes, Rick released the string.
Chapter 8
S tella stood at the top of a rocky hill, covering her eyes from the glare of the setting sun. The dry plains of shrubs, grass, and rocks stretched before her.
“I don’t see
signs of water anywhere!” she yelled down to Raven.
At the base of the hill, Raven sat rubbing the side of her head.
“Then come back down!” Raven yelled. “We’ll head further into the valley.”
Licking her lips, Stella ran down the hill, small gray rocks cascading around her.
“I hope we find water soon,” she said to herself. Then louder she asked, “When will we be able to use Elementia again?”
“In a couple days.”
Stella grumbled under her breath. They made their way past hill after hill, trying to locate water, or Rick, or both. She hoped he was okay.
“Tell me about Syar,” Stella said.
Raven looked over her shoulder. “To the east and west are impassible cliffs, to the south is the Everwoods, and to the North is ice.”
“No!” Stella laughed. “I meant the people.”
“Oh. Each tribe is different, and then there’s the Unega tribe.”
“Unega?”
“The invaders,” Raven said.
“Oh, the port.”
“Yes,” Raven said glancing over her shoulder again. “Not that I mind. My father was one, and I’ve spent years out of Syar. It never could have been possible without them.”
“Is that where you met Zaven?” Stella asked.
Raven shot her a glance. “No, I was sold into slavery. My most recent master worked for Zaven.”
“Oh,” Stella said staring at the ground.
“It's okay,” Raven said her voice growing soft. “I wouldn’t have been able to save Rick if I hadn’t been.”
Stella eyed her. “What’s your intentions with Rick?”
“I did what was needed. But I wouldn’t mind having his babies.”
Stella stopped in her tracks, staring at Raven’s back.
“You what!”
“His babies,” Raven said pausing at a clump of bushes. “You have noticed his, um, appeal, haven't you?”
Stella closed the distance, trying to keep the blood from rushing to her face. “This morning you said he might be an evil servant, and now you want his babies!”
“I’m not innocent either,” Raven said staring at her.
“And what about all his other magic’s? Doesn’t that make you wonder?”
“Yes, I’d like to learn all about him.”
Stella tapped her foot. This was not the conversation she’d wanted to have.
“Why’d you save us?”
“I was told to,” Raven said turning to start walking again.
“By who?” Stella asked.
“A prophecy, and a man named T.” Raven said, and then she froze, staring at the ground.
Stella stepped through the bushes. On the other side, the ground dropped into a thin crevice. Unconsciously, Stella took a few steps back, swallowing. Raven, on the other hand, walked to the edge shading her eyes. Stella looked in the direction she was staring. Men on horses had crested a hill and were riding toward them.
There was a soft snap and Raven dropped. Leaping forward, Stella tried to grab her, but she was too slow. Raven grabbed an outcropping of rock a few feet down. Stella reached down but her arms were too short.
“Help!” Raven shouted at her.
“Hold on!” Standing up Stella looked around frantically for anything. Nothing but grassy hills. I need my Elementia, she thought crawling back to the edge. “There’s nothing to pull you up with,” Stella said and swallowed. “I’m going to lower myself down.”
“That’s going to get us both killed!”
Turning around Stella breathed out a deep breath. You can do this, it’s not like you’re going to hang out over a cliff without any magic. That’d be crazy! Sliding back, her feet hung over the edge. “It’s only a few feet, you’ll be fine,” she muttered.
You crazy idiot, what are you doing? She thought sliding over the edge. Hanging with the ground under her arms she felt Raven’s hands grab onto her ankles. One of Raven’s hands shot up, grabbing a couple inches higher. Followed by the other hand doing the same. Slowly Raven made her way up the back of Stella’s legs inch by inch.
“I don’t think I can do it,” Raven said through gritted teeth.
“Don’t quit!” Stella yelled, her arms screaming at her. She was out of ideas. She could barely hold herself up now and she didn't dare look down.
“Hold on missies, we’re here!” a man yelled.
Looking up, tears welled up in her eyes. Several men were sprinting toward them from this side of the ravine.
“I can’t hold on much longer,” Raven said her fingers losing their strength.
“Hurry!” Stella shouted at the men.
The man in the lead uncoiled a rope, but for some reason, he started swinging it overhead. Reaching them, he threw it down past Stella and Raven, Yanking the rope sharply it went up around Raven’s legs.
“Eeek!” Raven exclaimed, the rope tightening around her thighs.
The man sat down digging his feet into the ground and pulled up. The weight of Raven was lifted but her hands still held onto Stella. Two more men slid to the edge lowering ropes to Raven.
A fourth man grabbed onto Stella. “We’ve got you, lass, you’ll be okay.”
“Grab the ropes, Miss,” one of the men with ropes said to Raven.
Stella felt Raven’s hands leave her legs. With all three men pulling Raven shot up. The two men that had lowered the ropes then grabbed Stella’s arms pulling her up.
“What’s with this week and cliffs!” Stella shouted at the air lying on her back. One of the men chuckled and Stella shot him a glare.
“I’m glad y’all are okay; my name’s Tom,” he said. Pointing to each of the men he added, “that’s Bill, Butch, and Chuck.” Bill pointed across the ravine, “We were over yonder and scurried as fast as we could.”
Stella looked at them more closely, now that she was out of danger. They wore boots and wide-brimmed hats with a funny top to them. Their shirts were nice, with black lines criss-crossing over a solid color, and they’re pants were... blue?
“Your pants are blue,” she said before she could stop herself.
The group of men busted up laughing. “I’m glad to see the Miss has the priorities straight,” Butch said.
“Yes, they are blue, they’re blue jeans,” Tom said.
“Jeans?” Stella asked.
“They’re a pants made out of cotton, Miss,” Tom replied.
Raven jabbed her elbow into Stella’s ribs. “Don’t be rude,” she whispered. “My name is Raven, and this is Stella.”
“Sorry,” Stella said standing up and rubbing her ribs.
The grins disappeared, replaced by scowls. “That one’s a Syarin savage,” Butch said.
A sound of agreement rippled through the group.
“Were you part of the group that attacked us?” Tom asked, a dangerous look in his eyes.
Stella shifted her stance getting ready to fight if needed.
Raven shook her head. “I’m not from the local tribe. We’ve had our own problems with them. I’m from the west.”
The glint in Tom’s eye disappeared. “What tribe?”
“Bluewater,” Raven said.
Tom quit frowning, but his smile didn't return. “I’ve had dealings with them. Good people.” He turned to his men. “Relax, they’re only two ladies.”
“Pretty fine looking ladies at that,” Butch said leering at them.
“Hush your mouth, Butch,” Chuck said.
Butch growled, turning to face Chuck. “You’re getting ready to get ye’r plow cleaned.”
“Butch you’ll be the one getting a lickin’ if you don’t quit the hissy fit,” Tom said grabbing Butches wrist and twisting it slightly.
“Sorry,” Butch hissed.
Tom nodded letting go. Butch glared at chuck.
Bill cleared his throat. “Tom, you and Butch ain’t wrong. They’re both fine young ladies, with no weapons and no man to protect them.”
“Thanks for saving us
, but we can take care of ourselves,” Stella said staring into Tom’s eyes.
“I’m sure you can, but this land is full of dangerous savages,” Tom said adjusting his hat.
“We’ve met them, they took our companion Rick.”
“That explains the man,” Bill muttered under his breath.
Stella’s lips pressed into a thin line. But Tom spoke before she could say anything.
“Then you understand why I can’t let you two put yourselves in danger.”
Raising an eyebrow, Stella crossed her arms. “Let us?” She asked realizing that the two of them were surrounded by their rescuers.
“That’s not what I meant,” Tom said. “Would you ladies like a warm bed and wholesome food?”
At that moment Stella’s stomach decided to let out a long loud grumble.
“Traitor,” she said glaring at it.
Tom laughed. “So yes?” he asked.
“I like the sound of food,” Raven said. “What about you, Stella?”
Stella dropped her arms to her side. “Thank you for saving us,” she said. “Food sounds great.”
“You sure about this?” Butch asked.
“They’re going,” Chuck said.
“Ignore him,” Tom said to them. “I reckon we best skedaddle. Ain’t no point in us hanging ‘bout here.”
Everyone seemed to agree and started moving away from the crevice to the four horses who stood a few feet away.
“So beautiful!” Stella said smiling at them.
“Do you know how to ride?” Tom asked.
Stella shook her head. “No, I can walk.”
“Nonsense!” Tom said walking his horse over to her. Mounting his steed, he held a hand out. “You’ll only have to hold onto me.”
Stella stared at his hand. Swallowing she let him help her up. Straddling the horse, she glanced at the ground. Raven hopped up behind Chuck like it was nothing.
Clinging to Tom, Stella nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”
The horse started walking. Stella’s breath froze in her chest. Not daring to breathe, she held on tight. Nothing happened. Relaxing a bit, she started breathing again. She could do this. Tom squeezed the horse’s sides and the animal sped up to a trot.
Maybe not, she thought clinging tight.
“This is as fast as we’ll go,” Tom said.
Gemini- The Beginning Of The End Page 9
