by J E Mueller
As I moved I remembered a terrible joke from the Order. Basically it was that Cursed born would be saved by demons if they were going to die from doing something righteous. Demons wanted souls for themselves and by the Cursed born doing good, the angels would get their souls instead. I didn’t want to test the joke, so I shoved the memory aside instead and concentrated on saving Tella.
I tried remembering how to do the trick Lee had done with his magic. How to send a wisp of magic out to seek others. It was a hard skill to master, and without any recent practice my reach was short.
The minutes seemed to stretch on endlessly until I heard Lee start his part. He called Tella’s name in this direction and that, trying to make it look like there was a search party. My heart ached at how badly this could end. It was a terrible idea, but it was the best we had.
The lanky man burst through the door and rushed towards the trees. His crossbow was at the ready, and he waited, watching intently. Moving as fast as I dared, I made my way to the hut and slipped inside. Tella was tied up to a chair and gagged. Fear shone in all her features, but I breathed a sigh of relief. There were cuts and bruises on her skin, but overall she was fine.
I untied her quickly. “Remember not to touch me Tella.” I said as I moved, making every effort to avoid her skin. “You must wait for my signal before leaving, and then you’ll run towards the back of the house and loop around and run home. You’ve seen the crossbow. Go, and we’ll take care of this.”
As the rope came loose she spit out the gag and cried.
“Shhhh,” I urged her. “We’re almost out.”
She nodded but couldn’t stop her sobs. I moved to the door and peered out. Lee was getting close, our enemy at the ready. Nodding to Tella, I motioned for her to come to the door. Slowly moving outside, I pointed and she ran.
The sound caused the guy to turn. I lifted my sword and gave out a battle cry so Lee would know what was about to go down. My scream was the perfect distraction for Tella to get away. The guard turned all his attention and anger on me.
I ran at him, sword raised as he aimed his crossbow at me. Lee appeared behind him The sound of Lee crashing through the bushes caused the guard to turn and I knocked the crossbow out of his hands. The man tried to grab me, but I jumped back just in time to avoid skin contact. Lee shoved him and they fell to the ground. Sounds were heard coming from the forest near us. No magic. Undoubtedly backup for the guard.
Four of them made their way within my line of sight while Lee and the guard grappled.
I hadn’t thought of the fact that by having Lee call for someone, that it would attract other unwanted attention. Cursing, I readied myself for their next move.
I watched them carefully, sword at the ready.
“Looks like Jimmy made a friend,” one guy said loudly.
Lee hit Jimmy hard enough to finally knock him out. Lee stood up slowly and took in the situation.
“You're outnumbered, kid,” the guy continued. “I’d say run home to mommy, but we’re not going to let you off that easy.”
“Well, we weren’t wrong about there being more of them,” I said aloud. “Good thing we’re ready for this.” I could feel my pulse pick up as I bluffed.
My face felt hot. The magic coursing through me screamed for release. I hoped that I wouldn’t have to kill them. Harm them sure, but death didn’t need to be on the agenda.
Lee caught on quickly. “Really? You’re against people with magic, attacking a village with people who almost all have magic, and now you’re trying to tell two people who probably have magic you’re going to kill them? What if I shoot fireballs? This is not in your favor.”
“You wouldn’t have swords if you could do that,” the leader replied, looking unimpressed.
“Why would that mean anything? We’re here to defend our home, but we don’t want you dead. Justice makes no difference to a corpse. You need to be alive for that to come.” I marveled at Lee as his words began working on the men. He was certainly quick on his feet. “You can go home now,” he said with finality.
Lee did a fake lunge forward. The earth shook under the men's feet. One ran off screaming. “Want to rethink your position?”
“Oooh fancy trick. You can make a baby earthquake,” the leader snickered. His face darkened. “Let’s dance.” He raised his sword and charged at Lee, a second guy close behind. The third guy charged me, but I was ready.
I quickly saw that he had no experience with a sword and was able to disarm him. He moved to try and hit me, but I hit him with the flat of my sword. The second guy that was trying to fight Lee saw this and came to try and take me on. He was good, much better than myself. With locked swords I tried desperately to hold my stance, but his strength was greater than mine and I couldn’t shove him off.
My attention was so focused on my sword and my life that I didn't see the man I had disarmed sneaking up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my face from behind.
A moment later he dropped to the ground screaming, causing everyone to pause. Lee understood what had happened and used the unplanned distraction to disarm the leader. The second man took a step back – then another – before turning tail and running. The leader, now disarmed, dropped to the ground and swept Lee's legs out from under him. The leader rolled over, bounced back to his feet and had his sword back in his hands.
Not wanting this to go any more south, I jumped up to block the strike.
Lee stood up behind me and I heard him begin to chant something in a language I hadn’t heard before. Ignoring it, I tried my best to keep my sword between Lee and the leader, but I might as well have not even tried with how quickly I was disarmed. The leader laughed and pointed the blade at me.
“I told you you couldn’t win.” He laughed again and then froze.
His body became rigid as if he was suddenly encased in ice. I glanced back at Lee who was still chanting, eyes closed. Suddenly the leader fell to the ground.
Lee opened his eyes and looked at me. “We need to get back. We’ll tie him up here. The hut should be fine.”
“What did you just do?” I asked, still surprised.
“Put him into a trance then made him go into a deep sleep. It’s hard to do. It takes a lot of energy and isn’t a quick trick. It is very very hard on the person casting the spell, but we were running out of options. Help me move him.”
Not knowing what else to say, I put on my gloves and helped him move the leader into the hut. We tied him to the chair. I gagged him like poor Talla had been gagged. It was petty revenge, but it made me feel better.
“By now they should have chased everyone else off. With the two we scared off I doubt they’ll come back this way,” Lee stated confidently.
“What about the other guy you knocked out?” I asked.
He glanced outside. “We’re out of rope, so he can stay like that. Let’s get back. We can send some people to bring in these two.”
I could see his energy was quickly dissipating. “Let’s go then.”
Lee led the way back, and it was surprisingly quick. Without having a need to be quiet or follow a specific path, we made it out of the woods in just over ten minutes. With the village in sight, we slowed our pace. Half way back, a group met us and Lee quickly explained where about the two enemies we had left behind. Tella had made it back safely and had sent the group our way to help.
Overall, she was unharmed. A little bruised up with some scratches, but there were no other injuries.
When we made it back to Lee’s, Tella rushed to the door to hug us. Thankfully, Lee stepped in the way so she couldn’t touch me.
“Great to see you’re all right Tels.” He hugged her tightly.
Tella hugged him back with all her might, “How did you even find me? They told me they covered the trails and everything.” She sobbed.
Lee carefully lead Tella back inside, “Well, they seem to be full of lies. I actually followed Key.” He looked at me for answers.
I took a breath. “Th
ey had left a very noticeable trail. Don’t worry Tella, they have no idea what they are doing. We’ll make sure they get taken care of.”
“See? It’ll be okay. No more worries.” Lee sat on the sofa with her on his lap. “Now what other lies did they tell you?” He looked at the others in the room. Juni, Marc, and I assumed the other woman was Tella’s mother.
“They were going to use me as an example.” Tella’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t even know what they meant by that.”
“Well, good news.” Lee smiled. “They are now the example. An example of what happens when you mess with an awesome village of people who care for each other. You are safe, and they are knocked out. There’s a group bringing them to jail as we speak.”
“Good.” Tella scooted off his lap and went to curl up with her mother.
“Why don’t we get you back home?” Juni suggested. “I’m sure a good night’s sleep will help wonders.”
Tella looked up at her mother, who nodded. “Home sounds like a great place. Come on, Marc.”
Tella looked back and forth from myself to Lee.
Lee took the hint quickly. “I’ll come with you. I think Key is done with excitement for one day.”
“Agreed. A good night's sleep is very much needed,” I said, hoping it would help Tella agree to try and sleep off her worries. I knew the memories from today would bother her for a while, but she would be okay.
With that they left me alone to rest. I cleaned myself up, and while everyone was still out, decided this would be the easiest time to take my leave. The problem of the village being attacked was being handled, and the outcome was more than likely in their favor. The village would be fine, the king would send his aide, and I wanted no more part in that adventure.
The town was far less active now. They had set up patrols, and there was no way I could get out without someone seeing me or knowing I had left, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t a part of this place, but was overjoyed to know it was there if I wanted a place to visit. A town full of magic would be a perfect respite from my travels if I so desired.
Heading southwest, hopefully away from the anger infused mob, I quickly found my way back into the woods. Dusk was fast falling, and the forest was coming to life with its creatures of the night. Mice were dashing about underfoot, trying to get back into the bushes before any owls saw them. Bats made their appearance as they darted here and there to catch what bugs they could find. The natural sounds of the forest were comforting after a long day.
As the darkness spread into the woods, I continued on my way feeling more and more refreshed by the soothing environment. I could travel a reasonable distance tonight before having to get some sleep.
After a solid forty minutes of walking in the woods, I heard voices ahead. Slowing my pace, I warily made my way towards the voices. Staying as hidden as possible, I peared at the group around a fire. Their voices were angry, swords at their sides, and ale in their hands. They talked loudly of their failed mission, the men injured and taken prisoner.
My retreat was slow and careful. The very people I had sought to avoid were now in front of me. They seemed to have the same idea. Going in an opposite direction in order to avoid being found.
The retreat felt painful, as I knew every step now counted. Was there someone keeping watch? The thought made my heart sink. There was no way I could take on so many alone. I had seen at least eight, but there were tents. Stopping would be the worst thing I could do, so I continued to retrace my steps until I felt I was far enough away to make a wide arc around the group. My journey was now slow going. Unexpected sounds made me jump, hoping not to be found. I prayed that was far enough away from any watch they had set up.
Finally, after three hours, I felt safe enough to take a break and rest. My nerves felt on fire, my brain fried. My pack had dwindling supplies and I cursed myself for not getting more before taking off. Tonight would not be a good night to hunt or make a fire. There was too much at risk. Not wanting to sit for too long, I was back up again and on my way.
I was stalled again as I heard voices in the distance. Another group, one who had traveled further. Were they returning home? Or did they just not have a place to regroup? Once again I had to back up and try to arc around them. My heart pounded loudly, and I did all that I could to stay calm as I traveled.
Stopping once more after an hour had passed I wondered if I should even travel more at all tonight. Finding a good place to hide would be more reasonable. The groups would likely make more noise during the day, and I could keep my distance without blindly running into them.
Putting my new plan in motion, I found a small cave covered in moss. It wasn’t very big, so it didn’t seem like it would be a home to anyone. While the men were to be feared, falling asleep in an animal den could be just as bad. Not that I felt like I could sleep. Sounds were making me jump again, and I felt myself straining my ears, listening for sounds of footsteps or voices.
The night felt long, minutes crept by at a snail’s pace, and from my hiding place it was too hard to see how time passed in the sky. Finally my brain started to doze. I had no idea how long it lasted when I heard a snapping of twigs in the distance. My sword was already by my side, unsheathed in case the moment called for it.
A soothing feeling came over me, and I recognized the magic right away.
That jerk had somehow followed me.
Part of me didn’t know why I was mad at him. If anything I could use some extra help, but the anger was there. Something about his goody-two-shoes-ness just got under my skin.
I didn’t have to wait long for him to appear. Tired and angry, I just glared at him.
Not caring about my expression, he looked happy to see me. “Glad to see you’re alive and well.”
“This isn’t my first trip into the woods,” I pointed out, letting my annoyance seep into my voice.
“There’s eighty people out this way wanting to kill anyone they deem unfit to live.” Lee said, raising an eyebrow. “This wasn’t a good path to pick.”
“I had hoped they had retreated further north. How could I have known they looped around this way?” I retorted.
Lee crossed his arms. “If you had stayed and listened to all the news you would have known. Leaving right after a battle is very dangerous.”
“Then why would you come to find me alone? That’s just as reckless.” There was no way I was going to let him win this argument.
“My magic is practiced and allows me to find people. When it hits a person I can see if they have magic, and if they have magic I know I can find the exact person I’m looking for. It’s a fancy tracking system.”
“How many gifts do you even have?” I demanded with exasperation even though I should have guessed part of his talent after finding Tella.
“If I apply myself, I can see up to a week in the future,” he replied with a sad voice. “You’re not going to make it on this continued path.”
“That’s why I chose to hide it out for the night.” I didn’t like his statement. What did he mean I wasn’t going to make it? I was tired, but doing just fine.
He shook his head. “They’d find you in the morning. Or if you kept walking they would have found you in another two hours.”
“I hate psychics.” I cursed silently, but was grateful he had told me. I could admit my plan needed quick adjusting with this new information.
Lee sat down by besides me and didn’t say anything for a moment. “Why did you leave?” he finally asked.
“This place is nice, but it’s too much. It’s not where I want to be right now.” I left my statement vague. Hopefully that would be enough.
He nodded. “I can see why that would be.”
“So, what’s your solution then?” I knew he had an option he wanted to offer, and was glad he had accepted my vague statement.
“Come back for a while, at least until we can find you a safe path. I won’t ask you to stay if you don’t want to, but I can’t just let you walk to your de
ath.”
“I don’t think there's an easy way back tonight,” I said hearing voices in the distance.
We sat in silence until they had gone long enough for us to be comfortable again.
“There’s a very specific route. We can make it, but you’ll have to actually do as I say,” Lee replied, eyes alight with magic.
“I hate those types of plans,” I groaned, but he had the advantage of visions, and I had the advantage of killing all I touched.
“Working as a group will be good for you,” he chuckled. “You need a friend or two.”
“Too many people die if I let them get close. Forget it.” I paused, realizing that wasn’t completely true. “I do have friends at the Order, just so you know.”
“Good news, you won’t kill me this week. Unlikely you’ll kill me next week either,” Lee stated with glee. “Let’s get going.”
“Great. The only person I can’t kill with my magic is an obnoxious do-gooder. Oh joy is me,” I replied, sarcasm deep in my voice.
“Don’t forget that I’m overly confident and good looking. Got to hit all my high points,” Lee teased, motioning for us to leave.
“How in the heavens did anyone elect you for anything?”
“Because I’m an obnoxious do-gooder always wanting to do what's best for everyone I meet,” he replied without skipping a beat.
I rolled my eyes and followed in silence, concentrating instead on getting back alive.
Chapter 14
The night was full of the sounds of loud talking. Campfires in the distance let us know where to avoid. Lee constantly checked his vision to make sure we were on the right path, and we changed our route as the future changed with the decisions made by our enemies.
We almost ran into a watch twice. Thankful that I couldn’t kill him, I grabbed Lee and pressed us against a tree to stay out of sight. The second time, I had to pull him to the ground. It was becoming more and more obvious as the hours ticked by just how drained and tired he was from constant use of his magic. But he kept going, always checking to make sure I was still right behind him.
