Fire's Song

by J E Mueller

  Looking thankful to see us, she waved us over, “Perfect! Just the two we needed to see!”

  An older woman looked over in surprise at Lee, “I heard you’d been poisoned! You look fit as a fiddle.”

  “I got better,” Lee said with a shrug, “That’s a long story. Catch me up on the problem at hand.”

  “We’ve figured out that the kid who cried wolf is part of the group that attacked you, Marc, Tella, and Bax. It appears there's a town forming that centers around doing away with anything magic. They’ve got enough people now that they’re trying to ‘hunt’ us,” Lanna summed up. “It’s no surprise that they’d start with some place like us rather than the Order, but we need to figure out a solution.”

  That made sense. The Order was on a much larger scale. Not to mention they’d certainly have to deal with people with curses. Here there was a good mix of mostly mundane magic and a few strong gifts.

  Lee nodded. “So this will need two fold support. We’ll need the king’s help. This level of discrimination is uncalled for. With the support of the king we’ll be able to do away with a town based on such nonsense. Secondly, we’ll have to defend our town until help arrives. I believe our main stance should be defense and capture. If we can avoid killing any of them, that’ll support our cause. If it’s life or death, than the gods and demons alike will determine our fate.”

  There were several nods.

  “But we’re not fighters,” a woman said. “I don’t know many who can handle a sword or even find their way out of a wet paper bag.”

  There were even more nods. That fact concerned me. Had they never consider defending their village a possibility?

  “We’ve got a lot of really good magic on our side. I’m not talking about everyone picking up a sword. The ones who can, great!” Lee paused and looked at the woman who had just spoken. “You can manipulate branches. Use them to slap the jerks hanging out near the woods. Whip their butts so hard they’re praying for mercy.” He chuckled a bit and others laughed at the idea. “Gorden, you and so many are great with animals. Get them biting. No, killing, just enough to chase them away. Colleen, you can get inside their heads. Make them doubt their resolve to stay. Patrick, you know what to do.”

  “Yes sir!” A farmer in his thirties laughed. “I’m so ready.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Lee.

  “He can make vegetables come alive for short periods of time. It’ll startle them for sure,” Lee filled in quietly before turning back to the group, “Think of all the annoying pranks we’ve pulled on one another while growing up. Think of the things the kids have been doing now. Everyone can help defend our walls. We just need to be a bit creative.”

  “What’s her involvement?” someone called out. A few people looked as she pointed in my direction.

  Lee nodded towards me. “As Lanna so wonderfully put it, the kid who cried wolf had accused this girl of stealing from him. She was there when Tella came to find me, and healed me from the poison dagger I was stabbed with. While she’s an outsider, I owed her this much. She travels and needs to know where it is and is not safe to go. Key has been a great help with this since the beginning. I don’t doubt she will continue to help while she stays.”

  “Are you a healer then?” Patrick asked curiously.

  I shook my head, “No. Things just um… Worked out. My magic actually won’t be very helpful this fight, but I am all right with a sword and more than willing to lend a hand.” It struck me that I had somehow ended up volunteering just by being present. Helping wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it? I ignored the negative thought.

  “What is your magic?” Colleen asked.

  I hesitated, but I had already stated it last night so what did it hurt to give some information? “I’m not interested in giving details right now. I’m cursed and will be on my way once this conflict is resolved.”

  There were a few nods of understanding. With Lee’s family already knowing my secret it was only a matter of time before others knew everything as well. Juni could have told someone already. Tella was young, maybe early teens, and may not think to keep it a secret. I just didn’t feel like going into details. Not today.

  “How do we know her intentions are good? Maybe she’s actually with them!” someone called.

  I rolled my eyes. “That wouldn’t make sense. Why would I have healed Lee? I clearly have magic and they hate magic. Lanna can confirm that I am not with them. I am whole-heartedly not with them and have been harassed by one of them. My interest is in seeing this come to an end so I can continue to wander in peace. Lanna?”

  “Every bit is true,” she confirmed, looking at me before turning to her peers. “Yes, this situation is one that would make anyone suspicious and uneasy, but let’s not forget the core of our village. The heart of who we are. We welcome all.”

  “That’s my favorite part of calling this place home,” Lee added. “We haven’t turned a good soul away. Let’s not let hatred into our hearts now.”

  “That’s why you have my vote!” Patrick clapped. “Both of you. Well said!” A few others clapped with him.

  “We’ll have to get started organizing our defenders and helping everyone think of how to put their wonderful skills to use,” Lanna said getting everyone back on track.

  “We should have those who can track go and track them first. Get an idea of where they are hiding and be ready for them before they can reach anyone's homes,” Lee added. “We also need a small group of volunteers to take word to our king.”

  “I’ll go,” Lanna stated and raised her hand before anyone could argue. “I’ve wanted to see more of the world for some time now. It’ll be a good opportunity. Many of you call me the voice of the village. Let me live up to this title.”

  “Your gifts are needed here!” Colleen insisted.

  “Disputes that can’t be resolved can be placed on hold. I doubt there will be any such problems. Life went on well before my arrival, and it can do so again for a week or two. I won’t be traveling alone. We just need to decide who to ask.” Lanna stood firm in her decision.

  “I’ll be the first to suggest Jason. He’s got practical sword skills and can hunt,” Lee replied.

  “Don’t forget Amber,” Patrick suggested. “She can start a fire even in the rain, not to mention she knows her plants and herbs.”

  “If you’re going through with this, Caden has the best sense of direction with and without a map.” Colleen relented.

  “Great ideas,” Lanna said with a smile, “Amber is also decent with a blade, so that’ll make it a good mix. I’ll ask them right away. Once we know for sure where our attackers are we’ll plan our route around them and be off. The sooner we go the sooner we can return.”

  “Let’s get to work then,” Patrick said heading out of the room. He nodded at me as he passed. “Welcome aboard.” The others slowly followed, talking up their ideas of how to help.

  Lee put his hand on my shoulder. “If you wouldn’t mind filling in my mother, I’d be very thankful.”

  His touch made me tense up so I shrugged him off. “You’re just afraid she’ll lock you in a closet for the rest of the day.”

  “Honestly, it wouldn’t be the first time.” Lee sighed.

  I laughed at that. “Fine. Let’s be off.”

  “Don’t forget, your fire won’t kill me,” Lee pointed out. “You can relax a little.”

  “Relaxing can get others killed. Better to be the person who doesn't allow physical contact than allow another life to be lost.” I didn’t wait for a reply and went to find Juni.

  Juni was still at home. She looked surprised to see me alone but her expression quickly cleared.

  “Everyone’s fine. They came up with a reasonable plan,” I assured her. “What happened to my pack? I forgot it here earlier.”

  Juni raised an eyebrow. “What is their nonsense plan?”

  Without hesitation I recapped the entirety of the story for her. I assumed she would know where they would go to gather
and organize people and hoped she wouldn’t ask for extra details. Until they had actual information, I didn’t feel the need to ask what was going on.

  “Well, sounds like most people will be put to good use with this. My magic isn’t going to do any good, so I’ll stay with the others.”

  I nodded. Juni’s magic, from what I understood, could only give small truths that affected her life. That wouldn’t do much in a fight other than to tell if her throwing a stone could hit someone or not. “Fair enough. Where did my pack get moved to? I have a sword that may be of use.”

  “Oh that. I moved it into the guest room. Let me show you. I’m sure a proper place to stay will be nice while you’re here.”

  She walked off, leaving me to follow. Part of me was surprised she assumed I’d be her guest. Another part ventured to guess it was her way of thanking me for saving her son. Juni’s home was small and cozy. There were three bedrooms and the one at the farthest end of the hall was the guest room. There were two small beds in the room.

  “Tella and Marc stay here a lot,” she said as she motioned to the beds. “Or used to. Marc only really stops by to visit with Lee anymore. Tella still loves her aunt.” Juni smiled. “They grow so fast.”

  I saw my pack sitting by the wash basin and went to it.

  “What happened to your family?” she asked in a soft voice.

  The question came out of nowhere and I was caught off guard. I slowly dug through my pack as I considered how to answer. They already knew about the curse, so it was safe to assume the truth wouldn’t be the worst to admit.

  “Mos of them are dead,” I answered honestly.

  “But not all of them.” I could hear the magic in her voice.

  “No. It’s better this way. They can’t accidently die now. I’m more good to the world by being out in it and constantly moving. Like now.” I found my sword and strapped it on.

  “I’m sure they miss you.”

  I ignored the magic in her voice again. “I’ll go find the others. This should work without any of them getting hurt.” I let the conversation drop and headed out the door.

  Chapter 13

  There were a lot more people running around now than I had seen here before. No one could easily point the way to where Lee was, but after a few minutes of searching it was clear that the majority of people were heading north of the village. Lee seemed to be spearheading this, so if that was where the action was, that was where he would be.

  I had not yet reached the main part of the crowd when Lee found me.

  “We’ve got a different task for you,” Lee said, pulling me aside.

  I shrugged him off again. “What’s going on?”

  He lowered his voice and kept walking away from the crowd. “Tella’s missing.”

  The young girl with the running magic? I was surprised. “That seems very out of place.”

  “She can outrun a bear. The only way to catch her is to catch her off guard. Even that is hard to do. With all that’s going on, I’m sure she knew to be careful. But we need to find her.”

  “Is anyone else in town missing?” I asked, trying to gather all the facts. While Tella was important, it would be cruel not to try and find everyone.

  “No one else has been reported missing. We’re keeping this quiet so as not to cause a stir, but while our defense goes on, we need to find her. We don’t want them taking her hostage... or who even knows what else. They had better not harm her. ” There was fear in his eyes.

  “What do we know?” I was glad to be away from the crowd and moving towards the edge of town.

  “She hasn’t been seen since after breakfast. She usually helps her mom in their garden, but never showed. Last night she had stayed with us and I just…” He shook his head. “Her home is towards the east. I need to get everyone situated here.”

  “No one here will notice I’m gone. I’ll find her,” I assured him. I felt confident in my words, though I couldn’t guarantee what state I would find her in.

  “Stay safe.” He gave me a quick hug and ran off.

  Startled, I watched him rejoin the crowd.

  Taking a deep breath, I refocused myself. Fine, my touch wouldn’t kill him. That was not the most important thing right now. Tella was.

  I headed east.

  There wasn’t an easy way to breach the wall without being seen and I wondered if she lived outside of the village. That seemed more likely. With the town on high alert, everyone was jumpy at the sight of a new face. A stranger couldn’t have walked in and walked back out with someone.

  At this point, no one was outside of the village. As I approached the surrounding woods, I knew I was very visible. It would actually make finding Tella easier if there was someone waiting just inside the woods, but it was unlikely. Instead I started with the basics. Carefully, I walked along the entrance to the woods looking for other signs of a struggle – dragging or any obvious damage to the plants not related to a normal occurrence.

  Thankfully, luck was on my side and there was some recent activity in the wood. Heavy footprints and signs of something being dragged led me through part of the forest before heading north and disappearing. My guess was that Tella struggled, and her attacker had to knock her out before being able to carry her. The trail was obvious since they hadn’t tried to cover any of their mess. Maybe they heard of the ongoing preparations and rushed ahead with their plan. The thought worried me. Hopefully, that would mean Tella would be left unguarded and safe, but it could just as easily mean the opposite.

  The woods sounded normal. Birds happily chirped to one another signaling all was clear over here. It was calming and reassuring to know danger wasn’t a breath away, but I needed a plan.

  Stealthily, I walked alongside, the trail. It seemed to go on and on, and twist oddly, as if they had forgotten where they were heading. I didn’t want to detour from their trail in case I lost it and had to start over. The further I traveled the quieter the forest became until finally after maybe twenty minutes of searching a crude hut appeared. It was covered with vines and moss. There was no glass in the windows, and a rough hewn door marked the entranceway.

  A figure emerged from the hut. A tall and lanky man did a slow walk around the crude building. I didn’t dare move a muscle. No magic was coming from him, but I could sense something in the hut. Tella? I was going to assume it was her since the magic felt slightly familiar. She was alive, and I needed a plan.

  Not wanting to do anything drastic, I watched and listened. Every so often the guy would appear in the front window and look out. After ten minutes he walked in his careful circle around the outside of the hut. What could I do? Sprinting in when he was out wouldn’t be hard, but then I’d be trapped with him and possibly others inside. If luck was on my side it would only be him. If Tella wasn’t harmed I’d make sure not to kill her captor.

  I waited and listened. Carefully grabbing a rock, I tossed it as far from myself as I could when he made his next round outside. He reacted unexpectedly, running back inside and rushing back out with a crossbow.

  That did change the game a bit. He had some weapons, and if I was being honest, I had no idea how to get around that one. If he had it in his hands, I could be dead. I might have one shot to knock it out of his hands, but that would likely be it – and I had no such skills.

  A strange feeling overcame me and I felt an odd tendril of magic reaching out to me. Frozen in hiding, I tried to recognize it. the Order had taught those they could how to tell whose magic was whose, but I rarely practiced it seeing as I tried to keep mine hidden and to myself. I knew this one though, soft and warm, reminding me of a quiet night. Someone with strength and an abundance of kindness. Minutes passed as I thought on it. Lee. There was no other who I had even tried connecting magic with outside of practice. It felt odd, but I was glad to know I’d have help with saving Tella.

  Another minute later and he was behind me. Ducking down and out of sight, I carefully moved down to his level.

  “She’s a
live but guarded,” I said barely, above a whisper.

  He nodded. “How many?” His voice was as soft as mine.

  “I’ve only seen one. He’s always watching and does circles around the hut. He’s got a crossbow.”

  Lee nodded. “Makes sense that they have weapons. This would be a great time to have fireballs or magic to make objects move. I’d even take illusions.”

  “Can’t you trip him?” I asked, “If we time it right we can knock him out.”

  Lee shook his head. “There's a chance he’d catch himself.”

  “Can you make a man sized hole for him to fall into?” I asked hopefully.

  “That’d be even better, but no. I can’t manipulate the ground that much.” Lee paused. “I don’t think I can anyway. I’ve never tried. Now doesn’t seem like a good time to experiment.”

  We stayed silent for a moment and thought.

  “Well, I’ve got a terrible plan,” I sighed.

  “Yeah?” Lee asked, curious.

  “If you go back a ways and start calling for Tella, I can make my way around to the other side. While he’s distracted I can grab her.”

  “That’d be okay if we knew for sure how many were inside,” He pointed out.This was why I had said the plan was terrible.

  “If there are others and they don’t try to use weapons, I am my own best defense. They’d die just from grabbing my arms.” I removed my gloves and hiked up my sleeves. This was a change of events. My curse was a kind of armor.

  “I hate this plan,” Lee admitted. “I don’t want to send someone in to get hurt.”

  “Doesn't matter. The kid’s got a lot of life ahead of her. She comes first. We really don’t have time to wait for backup.” I shook my head at him. “Are you in or out?”

  He looked upset but shook it off. “In. Let’s get this over with.” He started moving back but paused to add, “You had better not get yourself killed.”

  “It takes an odd amount of effort to kill Cursed born. I’ll be fine. You watch for the crossbow,” I replied smugly as I made my way carefully to my new spot.