They rose early the next morning and continued on. Ellis found herself in a sort of numb wonder at their predicament. They traveled quickly through a wood more beautiful than any she had ever seen, yet they were always afraid of attack. From something Janth called ‘predators.’ Better not to ask Janth, though, as he may well tell her more than she wanted to know. Or nothing at all. Ellis didn’t bother to decide which was worse.
Janth moved with the sort of elegant grace through the woods that only the very skilled possessed. The ground received his boots like raindrops that never settled. His gray cloak flitted around him and flowed behind him like an extension of his being. His passing was silent and swift, for he had done this many times before.
That much was comforting.
She wondered how her own manner of running through the forest affected Janth’s mood. It could not possibly comfort him. Too many of her footfalls crushed leaves and snapped twigs, trumpeting her presence to the world. She tried to emulate Janth, to match his quick, quiet methods, but such skill did not come easily.
If she was honest with herself, though, Ellis knew Janth probably paid little attention to her, as Regal’s passage was the most worrisome. He did not make much noise when he moved – he had probably been trained for stealth at some point. But he breathed very loudly whenever he was tired, which Ellis judged to be altogether too often. She monitored him, and restored his stamina whenever he required it. Ellis had learned the day before that what she considered tired and what would make Regal significantly slower and louder varied a good deal.
That day, she decided to keep Regal in nearly pristine condition.
After a few hours, though, Ellis realized keeping Regal so fresh meant that she was the slowest and loudest member of the group. She couldn’t do very much about it, of course, being the shortest of the group and female, she thought for a moment. But then she remembered something her father had said to her long ago, before either of them had been slaves. “You can be fast, Ellis,” he had said, “faster and stronger than anyone. Except maybe me.” He had winked.
Black magic. She could be faster, just as she could be quieter, and both required practice. Black magic required darkness, though, and the forest was too well-lit for Ellis to attempt to use it. Ellis could be patient. Night would come.
* * *
Evening drew near to its end, and the light began to fade slowly.
Janth stopped.
Regal and Ellis stopped.
The pause was too abrupt. “What is it?” Regal asked.
Janth raised his right hand, asking for silence. His left hand moved to rest on the handle of one of his long knives.
Ellis shifted her weight uneasily.
Regal drew his sword.
Thunk. Pain. Hit in the shoulder, from behind. Regal spun quickly and ducked down. Two more blades whizzed above his head. His shoulder throbbed, his heart pounded.
Cover. He needed cover.
In a crouched run, he made the shelter of a large tree trunk. Ellis had been closer to it. Blood soaked her left sleeve, and fear was in her eyes. There was commotion in Janth’s direction – the sound of metal clashing. Regal turned to face it. He felt the blade yanked from his shoulder. Pain shot through him and then quickly subsided. Ellis was good.
Regal leaned to peer around the tree and spotted a black shape accented with silver. It was coming towards him. He scurried around the tree in the opposite direction, just in time to come up behind the black-clad man. The man turned quickly, dagger in hand, but Regal’s sword was faster.
Regal’s foe looked down to see the blade through his abdomen. A poor decision. Regal withdrew the blade and struck him again, this time in the heart. The man dropped his dagger. Regal pulled his blade from the man and took a step back.
The day had dimmed enough to drastically reduce visibility. Regal embraced what darkness there was, using its rich coldness to strengthen his limbs, to speed his legs, and he reached out to sense his surroundings. What lingering light there was made his perceptions shaky and unreliable.
Ellis was too obvious. She was a signal flare of darkness. Another figure – a man, hard to distinguish, was stalking her.
Three men were in a battle. One already lay fallen. Janth.
If either died, both would, and then he had little hope to make it out of the woods alive.
Still one more, closer to him. To his left. Close..!
Regal turned just in time to parry another dagger-wielding foe. The force pushed Regal off balance. He struggled to regain himself, but the next blow came too quickly. Regal let himself fall to avoid the jab aimed at his face. He caught his foe’s hand with his off-hand, and pulled hard down and to the left. Regal’s assailant stumbled forward over him, armed hand still in Regal’s magic-strengthened grip. Regal brought his sword around to cut deep into his foe’s forearm, cutting tendons and muscles.
The dagger fell.
Regal forced his blade hard in the other direction. A deep slice to the man’s torso. He crumpled over the blade. Regal rose quickly, frantic to locate the others. Ellis stood out clearly, but someone else was near her. No – almost on top of her. He would not make it there in time. But the darkness around her surged, and when it subsided, her would-be killer lay fallen beside her. Safe enough for now.
Janth was no longer fighting. Instead, he was crouched over one of three bodies littered about him, presumably examining it.
Night had descended on the wood, and all was again quiet.
No comments:
Post a Comment