Collecting my stuff, 3
Chapter 1
Vaelen felt sick. He couldn’t remember the name of the town he was marching towards, but the sight of it made his stomach feel hollow. He looked about, unsettled that none of his fellow soldiers showed any signs of feeling the same. They all looked far too happy.
A hand shoved at his shoulder, making him stumble a step. He half turned and looked into the face of his superior officer, an ugly great balding ox of a man. The officer frowned at him. “Why’re you so glum, boy? Most new recruits are usually excited by this point. This is your first mission! Straighten up!”
Vaelen nodded, hating the man. Did he really not understand? “Yes sir, sorry sir. Are there any enemy soldiers in the town, sir?” He asked, sounding as meek as he felt.
The officer laughed. “Is that what’s scaring you? No boy, there isn’t. By the Void, you’ll be unlucky to find a man down there that can hold a sword the right way up. You’ll get home in one piece, don’t you worry.”
Vaelen’s heart sank further. The officer really didn’t understand. Vaelen was worried that there would be no soldiers in the town, but not because he was afraid to fight them. He nodded anyway. This wasn’t a good time to show dissent. It would be too easy these days to be branded a traitor, a rebel and a deserter. The Torithian Empire tolerated none of these things. The punishment was slow, severe and always fatal. It was best to just obey.
The town was uncomfortably close now. Vaelen could see the people beyond the walls, panicking. A few were trying to close the heavy town gates. The officer chuckled again. “They’ve not needed those things for so long, they’ve probably rusted open. This’ll be short.” He muttered. Moments later, he drew his sword. “To arms!” he roared. “Remember, nobody gets out alive!”
Vaelen found himself charging along with his fellow soldiers, his feet moving him forward, though he despised every step. How did he ever come to this? He slowed his pace as he passed through the gate. The gravel roads were already spattered in blood. The screams fear and agony made Vaelen’s chest ache. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want any part of this. This wasn’t why he’d become a soldier.
He reluctantly drew his sword, turning it over in his hands. Perhaps if he stayed out of sight and bloodied his sword on one of the fallen, he wouldn’t have to actually kill anyone. He could still get out of this. He nervously ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair.
As if to answer and crush his new hope, a familiar mailed hand shoved his shoulder once more. “Boy! Don’t just stand around! Get killing!” Barked the officer, turning Vaelen’s blood to ice. He could smell smoke now. Smoke and blood. He felt sick again. The officer pointed to a nearby house. “There! Nobody’s been there yet! Get inside and kill whoever you find! I’ll be in to check your handiwork myself, so get on with it!”
Vaelen felt himself shoved towards the door, which he found locked, presumably by only a single bolt, judging by how the door moved. Hating himself, and with trembling knees, he barged it open, splintering the light, cheap wood around the lock. Slowly, he stepped inside, hoping against hope that the house would be empty.
It was a simple house, typical of these parts, with unpainted stone walls, wooden beams and a thatched roof. It was far from unpleasant, but far from the grace and grandeur of the Empire. It also held, to Vaelen’s dismay, one small figure, crouched in the corner of the room.
It was a young woman, with brilliant blonde hair and a simple green dress. Her head was tucked between her knees, and she didn’t look up at Vaelen as he approached. He redoubled his grip as he approached her. As he came within striking distance, she spoke. “Yes?” She sighed. “Well? Get on with it.”
Vaelen worked his jaw for a moment. “I… I’m sorry?”
She raised her head, and pinned him with a pair of striking blue eyes. “Are you? I know what you’re here for, Imperial. Get it over with. Or are you planning to use me for sport?”
Vaelen took a step back. “Use you for…? No! No, I wouldn’t!”
The girl shot to her feet. She was, Vaelen felt ashamed to admit, very pretty. “Oh? Oh? Too good for that, are we? Not above killing the unarmed, the innocent, the afraid, but never rape? I do hope they remember your valour, good sir, when they go looking for a new Sainted One!”
Vaelen shrunk back from the ferocity of her attack. This isn’t what he had expected at all. A wave of distress washed over him, and he sought to protest, but no words would come. The girl rolled her eyes.
“Look, do I have to show you how to do this? I’d have thought I’d at least be killed by a decent soldier.”
“I… You’re insane!” Vaelen blurted. The girl folded her arms.
“Insults? You can’t kill me with words, child.”
Vaelen blinked, taking another look at her. “Child? You look no older than me!”
“You’re a child posing as a soldier!” The girl hissed. “You carry that sword, but you have no stomach to use it, do you? Why bother carrying such a thing?”
Vaelen found himself lowering the sword. He couldn’t argue with her. She was right, after all. It was almost as though she had looked inside his mind. “What am I going to do?” He asked, before he could stop himself.
The door swung open behind him, and Vaelen’s stomach lurched. The officer had come to check on him. “By the divine, boy!” He shouted. “This one’s still alive! I didn’t tell you to come in and talk to her!”
“You have no business speaking of the Divine, Imperial.” The girl scolded.
The officer suddenly grinned. “Ah, a feisty one, I see. Normally I’d let you have your way, boy. I’d even join in, but we don’t have time. Put a blade in her and get moving!”
Vaelen hesitated. “She’s just a girl…” He mumbled.
“Don’t be weak boy! For the Empire!”
Vaelen turned back to the girl. She smiled slightly. “Do as you will.” She said simply. Vaelen nodded and raised his sword, pleased to notice her flinch slightly. Then he pivoted and thrust his blade forward, feeling the blade pierce flesh. He pushed harder, just to make sure the wound was fatal. The room was silent aside from the faint chink of broken chain-mail landing on the floor, and a strange rattling gasp from the throat of the officer.
Vaelen looked up into the eyes of his former commanding officer. They stared ahead, unseeing, life fading from them as Vaelen watched. The officer collapsed, almost dragging Vaelen down with him before he was able to withdraw the blade. Vaelen staggered back, feeling numb all over. He had just killed a man. One wound, straight through the heart. Shaking, he let the sword fall from his hand and clatter to the floor.
He’d just killed an Imperial commander. That was an instant death sentence. He felt his stomach tighten. His hands were sweating. He almost jumped as a soft hand fell on his shoulder. “I am impressed, Soldier. I had a feeling you weren’t one of Them.” The girl said, her voice much gentler now.
Vaelen said nothing. He couldn’t think of anything to say. He couldn’t think at all. Her grip tightened. “If you leave now, you could get away before the others notice, you know.” She suggested. Thought returned to Vaelen in a rush, and he shook his head. “They’ll notice you the moment we leave. They’re everywhere out there.”
She stepped around him, looking into his face once more. “I wasn’t suggesting you take me.” She said, her face curiously expressionless. Vaelen chuckled, humourlessly. “I’m not leaving you here.” He said simply. It wasn’t open to debate, although he wasn’t sure why.
“You have a plan then?” She asked. Now Vaelen noticed she looked hopeful. He realised he could still hear the screaming outside. He realised how afraid she must really be, behind the bravado. His resolve stiffened. “Not even nearly.” He admitted.
Llana chewed her lip. “Perhaps you could carry me away, like a prize?” She suggested. “Perhaps nobody will pay much attention?”
Vaelen shook his head. “We’re not supposed to take prisoners, make sport, any of that. It’s supposed to be about quick killing. Nobody escapes. They’d question me as soon as they saw me. I’d end up fighting them.”
The girl sighed. “Just my luck to move into a border town in these times. So, what do you think we should do?”
Vaelen bent to pick up his sword. He still felt dizzy. “Can you run fast?” He asked, straightening up. “I could pretend to chase you. They’d be expecting to see something like that. They might leave me to it. I could chase you all the way out of town! We’ll need a lot of luck, but maybe it’ll work.” The girl grinned.
“I can run like the wind. I suppose it’s worth a try.” She chuckled. “If we’re to die together, Mister Soldier, you need a name, do you not?”
Vaelen scratched his head. Was he supposed to shake her hand? Bow or something? He didn’t get out to meet women much. “Vaelen. I’m Vaelen.” He said awkwardly.
Llana nodded and rewarded him with another smile. “Pleased to be meeting you, Vaelen. My name is Llana’Aranisia’Tharinos. People prefer to call me Llana.”
“Pleased to meet you, Llana. Only run when I tell you, alright?”
Vaelen took one last, lingering look back at the corpse. There was more blood than he’d imagine would come out of a wound. He felt another wave of nausea rise up in him. Looking away, he fought it down, ramming his sword back in its sheath. This was not the time to be fretting about what he’d done. It might not matter at all in a few minutes. Taking a deep breath, he made for the door.
The town outside looked as though it had been drawn from a nightmare. There was blood everywhere, so much so that Vaelen was sure he’d be able to smell it, were it not for the stronger stench of burning that filled the air. Bodies were scattered everywhere, and Vaelen did not dare take a close look at any of them, afraid of what he might see.
Llana took off at surprising speed, with an ear-splitting shriek that made Vaelen wince. Acting as best he could, he gave a shout and took off after her. He had been concerned that he might catch up with her too soon, and ruin the act, but in truth Llana was too fast for him. She streaked away, her hair whipping out behind her.
Vaelen’s heart sank as he saw soldiers posted at the gates. In his confusion and haste, he had not considered them. They were going to try and catch Llana for him. He forced himself to run faster, his legs barely in control.
The soldiers reacted swiftly to Llana’s approach, grabbing her roughly. Their mocking laughter and lecherous sneers made Vaelen hot with anger. The act was over. He threw his weight forward, barging shoulder-first into the soldier that had the best grip on Llana, and used his momentum to drag the girl away from the confused and enraged soldiers.
They were free of the town, out onto the open road beyond, but a quick glance backward was enough for Vaelen to know that he had not yet escaped. Three of the soldiers were chasing him now, weapons drawn. Cold panic grasped at Vaelen’s chest. He couldn’t out-fight them all, he was sure of it.
He glanced up to the skies. The sun was setting, and it would soon be dark. The small forest that surrounded the town was too light to provide cover by daylight, but at night it would be easy to lose two people among the trees. “Head for the trees!” Vaelen yelled to Llana. “Get off the road!”
Llana quickly changed direction and sped into the undergrowth. Vaelen was surprised to see that she had not slowed in the slightest. She dodged roots, rocks and fallen trees with an effortless grace, whilst Vaelen struggled, stubbing toes and banging shins as he worked to keep her in his sight.
It was all too brief, however, and the girl soon tired. Vaelen caught up with her as she sank to her knees. He crouched beside her, feeling his own legs burning with exhaustion. He too couldn’t go on much further. It still wasn’t dark enough, and he could hear the soldiers catching up with them.
“Sorry, that’s the best I can do.” She panted.
“It’s ok, I can help you.” He offered, taking hold of her arm. She shook it off.
“Stupid. You can hardly run either. Get out of here. You can still lose them if they stop for me.” She ordered.
Vaelen looked ahead. It would be dark enough soon, and it might take them a few minutes to finish with her. He growled and shook his head. It might take them longer. “Not a chance.” He replied.
She glared at him. “Stupid! You hardly know me! Why do this?”
Vaelen could hear the soldiers growing ever nearer. He was almost out of time. “I have no idea.” He admitted. “But this feels right. It’s been a long time since I felt I was doing the right thing.”
Llana hung her head sadly. “Then I’m sorry. It was good meeting you, Vaelen.”
Vaelen growled, dragging his sword from its sheath as he rose and turned to face the oncoming soldiers. There were three of them, and he could hear more footsteps approaching from his right side. They had him cornered anyway. It was better to die like this, he thought. Better than living as one of them.
The three soldiers wasted no words, and rushed him without hesitation. Vaelen parried the first blow smartly, but the way the impact jarred his wrist told him he was facing a stronger man. Regardless, he struck back, his own blow being easily parried by the soldier. The second swung a vicious strike at Vaelen’s head, and he barely managed to step out of the way in time.
All three soldiers were on him now, and it was all Vaelen could do to prevent them from wounding him too badly. Several small cuts bled freely across his arms and chest, stinging him and sapping his strength. A lucky blow caught one of the soldiers hard in the stomach. The chain held, saving the soldier’s skin, but the force of the blow winded him badly, doubling the soldier over in breathless pain.
As he lifted his sword to finish the soldier, a blade came down across Vaelen’s face, pitching him to the ground in a splash of blood. White hot pain blinded him, his sword slipping from his hand and landing somewhere in the undergrowth. He rolled onto his back as his vision returned.
The cut ran from the top of his left cheek to the bottom of his chin, and was bleeding heavily. Vaelen struggled to rise, only to find his body refused to co-operate. The soldier he has wounded was back on his feet now, and all three were closing on him. The wounded soldier pulled ahead of his comrades, clearly meaning to finish Vaelen.
Vaelen had only been dimly aware of the fourth man approaching, and his sudden presence startled him, and distracted the soldiers, making them pause in their advance. This new man was also armed, with a sword more finely crafted than that which any of the other soldiers carried. The blade was long, straight and shone as if new, even though the hilt showed some clear signs of wear and tear.
The man himself had long, dark, unkempt hair, though he was strangely clean shaven, and clean looking overall. His old travelling clothes had seen too much repair, and the chain shirt thrown over the top of them needed to see more, but he didn’t wholly look like a vagrant, though he wore no colours. He also bore a narrow scar along the left side of his face, an old wound that seemed to mimic Vaelen’s fresh cut.
The newcomer said nothing, and the soldiers fell upon him as one. Vaelen would never forget what happened next. The newcomer moved like a snake, dodging one blade completely, and catching the other two on his own sword. With a deft flick, he turned his sword and ripped a wound in one soldier’s belly, in a spray of blood and links of chain. He stepped and spun to the next, striking out as he did so and opening the second soldier’s throat. The last soldier made a lunge at him, only for his sword to be knocked aside. The newcomer then thrust forward, smashing his blade through the soldier’s armour with a sickening impact. The soldier sagged and fell as the newcomer withdrew his blade.
Vaelen lay still, dumbfounded. He had never seen another human move like that. He used to watch the Knights practice back in Tor, and even they didn’t move like that. The air finally fell quiet. There didn’t seem to be anyone else looking for them. Vaelen breathed a sigh of relief. The newcomer looked back at him.
“That was a lucky coincidence, boy. You play dangerous games.” He said in a deep, well spoken voice. “Next time you may not be so fortunate.”
“Yes sir, Thank you sir.” Vaelen stuttered, flustered. The man’s face flickered in what might have been a brief smile.
“You are welcome.” He said. “It is a brave man who offers himself to protect another. Once you would have been a credit to the colours you wear. Now I fear they may shame you. “
Vaelen looked down at his bloodied tabard. He nodded silently. He wouldn’t wear it anymore. Ahead of him, the man had turned and began to walk away. “Sir!” Vaelen called after him. “Sir, won’t you stay a while? Won’t you share your name?”
The man did not answer, and soon he was gone. Vaelen lay back, the pain of his wounds returning as the adrenaline washed away. He put a hand to his face, wincing at how bloody it came away.
He heard Llana move over to him, and felt her gently cradle his head in her lap. It was growing very dark now, and he could only see the shape of her on the edges of his vision. “You are wounded.” She said. Vaelen noticed her accent for the first time. It certainly wasn’t Imperial. It had a lilting, songlike quality, strange but pleasant. It wasn’t an accent he recognised.
“It feels bad. Is it as bad as it feels?” He asked. Her fingers traced the wound on his face softly. He was surprised it didn’t cause any extra pain. “It will heal, but it will leave a mark.” She replied. “The other wounds are small, they will heal easily. You should rest now.”
“What are we going to do now?” Vaelen wondered aloud.
“You will rest now. You must learn to listen better.” Llana answered.
“No, I didn’t mean that.” Vaelen began. Llana hushed him.
“I know well what you meant. Now is not the time for concerns. Sleep. We will make plans in the morning.”
Vaelen closed his eyes, but he knew he couldn’t sleep. There was simply too much running through his mind. He’d killed a man. He’d nearly been killed himself and now he was a deserter. If the Empire caught him, the best he could hope for would be a quick execution. It was a slim hope. He’d have no chance of sleeping tonight, he was sure.
Llana began to sing a strange, soothing song to herself. Vaelen didn’t understand any of the words, but her voice was calm and pleasant. He felt the tension and stress wash away from him. His worries and fears became harder to concentrate on, and eventually all he could hear was the song, until that too faded away and left him sleeping.
Chapter 2
Vaelen woke at the first break of dawn. Sleepily, he reached up to examine the wound on his face. There was no evidence of blood, fresh or dried, which surprised him. A quick glance down to his body revealed that his tabard was spattered with a shocking amount of blood. He probed the wound again. It barely hurt to touch. In fact, none of him felt as sore as it should have. Sitting up, he examined himself, looking for the shallower wounds that had also been inflicted the previous night. To his disbelief, some of them had disappeared entirely.
Llana was lying on her back, propped up on her elbows, watching the sun as it slowly peered its way over the horizon. She flashed him a smile as she met his gaze. “Good morning!” She chirped. “How are we feeling?”
Vaelen scratched his head. “Better than I expected. I could have sworn I was more hurt than this.” He gestured at his bloodstained clothes. “How much of this is mine?”
Llana shrugged. “All of it, I think. You’re fine now.” She said, her tone suggesting that this much was obvious.
Vaelen shook his head. “How have I healed so quickly?” He asked.
Llana rolled her eyes. “You didn’t. I helped.”
“Helped? How?” He asked.
Llana made a vague, dismissive gesture. “I dabble in a little healing. A few special salves, ointments and such, did you a world of good. The rest helped you get your energy back. Don’t think on it too much.”
Vaelen bit his lip, unconvinced. She did carry a small bag on her hip, but she hadn’t had any time to pack. Who would carry around salves and ointments with them all day? He noticed that her nice green dress was badly stained with his blood. Guilt pulled at him. “I’m sorry if I ruined your dress.”
Llana looked down. “Hmm? This? Oh it’s alright. We’ll call it even for saving me last night.” She said, with a mischievous smile.
Vaelen chuckled and nodded. “Consider us even then.” He took a deep breath. “What do we do now, then?”
She sat up and turned to face him. Her eyes almost seemed to glow in the pale sunlight. She didn’t look as though she’d spent a night in a forest. “Well, you might not be able to go home for a while.” She said. “Are you leaving any family behind?” She asked.
Vaelen shook his head. “Nothing I’d care to mention. Father died two years ago. I’d rather not talk about it. What about you?”
Llana looked suddenly downcast. She closed her eyes and lowered her head in a way that made Vaelen wish he hadn’t asked. “Not anymore.” She said, quietly. “I’ve been wandering around a lot. I haven’t stayed in the same home for very long lately. I’ve no-one or no-where…” Her eyes snapped open and she suddenly grinned. “So we already know two places we can’t go!”
Vaelen stared at her for a moment. “Well, where do we go? I’ve got a few Marks, enough for a little food and maybe clothes, but we’ll need more soon.”
Llana nodded. “Perhaps we should kill people and take their money. Then we could buy nice things.” She said, matter-of-factly.
Vaelen’s eyes widened. “What?” He exclaimed.
Llana gave him her most innocent look. “Pardon?”
“You didn’t mean that did you?”
Llana gave him a sly look. “Did you say you have a few Marks? I need a new dress…” She said, inching forward. Vaelen shrank back. Llana threw her head back and laughed. “Mister Vaelen, you are a silly man. Or a stupid man. Or perhaps both. Of course I am not serious, besides,” She threw a small bag at Vaelen’s lap, “I have those.”
Vaelen examined the contents of the bag. “There must be about fifty Marks in here. Where did you get those?”
Llana jerked her thumb back behind her, to where the three dead soldiers still lay. “They used to belong to them.” She shrugged. Vaelen grimaced but pocketed the coins, knowing they would come in useful. How such a small, sweet looking girl could stand to rifle through corpses in the dead of night was a mystery to him. He patted his belt, remembering his lost sword.
“Llana, did you see where I dropped my sword?” He asked, starting to look through the undergrowth. Llana just shrugged.
“Those guys had nicer swords than you did. You could keep one and sell the others.”
Vaelen shuddered. “Oh, please…”
Llana frowned at him. “They do not need them anymore. You do.”
“I don’t feel good stealing from corpses.” He complained.
“Then you will have a very hard time ahead, Vaelen.” She said sternly. “You cannot afford to be squeamish. Those swords may be worth two weeks of good food. You do not know how long it might be before you can earn your own coin again. You must take what you can.”
Vaelen picked himself up. He knew she was right, but the idea still unsettled him. He looked around him as he stripped the bodies, trying to avoid looking at them. Hills and trees his the town they had escaped from. “There’s no smoke…” He remarked.
“It disappeared a few hours ago.” Llana replied. “Either it burned out, or they got sick of the smoke and put it out.”
Vaelen blinked. “A few hours ago? Did you sleep at all last night?”
Llana ran a hand through her hair. “Not really. I didn’t feel like sleeping. You didn’t have any trouble though. You snore.”
“I do not!” Vaelen protested. Llana grinned and jumped to her feet.
“Yes you do!” She said, poking his chest. “At first, I thought we were being watched by a boar!”
Vaelen growled and turned away, much to Llana’s delight. She chuckled and danced up beside him. “So what do we do now?” She asked. “We haven’t actually decided yet, you know.”
Vaelen started walking. “We can’t go far with what we’ve got.” He reasoned. “We’re short on food.”
“Can you hunt?” Llana asked, walking up beside him.
Vaelen shook his head. “No. I grew up in Tor. Food comes from shopkeepers. Can you?”
Llana gave him a sideways glance. “Do I look like I specialise in killing small, furry animals?”
Vaelen shrugged. “You never know. So we don’t have much food. I’ve still got enough for about a day, shared with you. We need to get to a town.”
Llana let out a low whistle. Vaelen noticed that she walked oddly. At first he had thought she was limping, but now he was watching, he realised it was something else. It was almost as though she was halfway between walking, skipping and dancing, perhaps about to break into a run. She seemed to have too much energy. Vaelen wasn’t sure he’d seen anyone fidget whilst they walked.
“There aren’t many towns around these parts.” She said, with a hint of doubt in her voice.
“There’s Varwall.” Vaelen said. “We passed through it… on our way to your town. It’s about a day away, I think.”
“Do you remember they way?” She asked. Vaelen was beginning to realise that her odd walk would soon annoy him. She had a collection of silver bangles on each arm, and they clanked and clattered as she moved.
“I think so.” He answered.
“Isn’t Varwall an Imperial town?”
Vaelen sighed. “It is, and it’s probably the first place the army will look for us, but we don’t really have much choice.”
They walked on in silence for a while, before a thought struck Vaelen. “Where did those bangles come from? You weren’t wearing them last night, were you?”
Llana shook her head. “I put them back on while you slept. I took them off earlier that day, whilst I did some work. Which reminds me…” She muttered, fishing out a small pouch from the folds of her dress. From the pouch she took eight thin silver rings, and placed one on each finger. Apparently happy, she turned her attention back on Vaelen.
“So we could be walking right into the arms of the enemy?”
Vaelen nodded. “We could be, but we can’t wait out here forever. Even if we could find enough food to get us to another town, news of us would get around faster than we could.”
Llana turned to face him, walking backwards in order to do so. It amazed Vaelen that she wasn’t tripping over anything. “Do you think people will notice us?”
Vaelen pulled off his chain shirt and tabard. He’d look less conspicuous without them. His tunic wasn’t so badly bloodstained. “You should be fine. You won’t pass as an Imperial if anyone talks to you, but they don’t know your face. They shouldn’t recognise you on sight.”
“My dress is covered in blood.” She pointed out.
“I said I was sorry…” Vaelen began.
“No, I mean it’ll look pretty suspicious.”
“We’ll say I had a fall. Shouldn’t you be looking where you’re going?”
“Fine.” She said, pivoting on her heel. “We’ll say you had a fall?”
Vaelen nodded. “That’s right. This wound should look nasty enough to back that up.”
Llana looked back at him and snorted. “That will barely leave a scar.” She said.
Vaelen reached a hand up to the wound. “I still don’t understand how you did that.” He said. “It doesn’t make sense. It shouldn’t have healed so fast. You’re turning the wrong way there.”
Llana paused and fell back beside him. “I told you, I grew up as a healer. I know things you do not. My family was famous for it, don’t expect me to explain.”
Vaelen ran a hand through his hair. It wasn’t nearly as tangled as he expected. “Did you brush my hair?” He asked, incredulously.
Llana shrugged. “I was bored.”
Vaelen shook his head. “You have a hair brush?”
“A stick and some patience.”
“I don’t suppose you did my laundry as well?” He asked.
“I have no desire to undress you, Vaelen.”
Vaelen blushed. “I didn’t mean…”
Llana cackled. “I think I’m going to enjoy making you uncomfortable. This journey is going to be fun!”
Vaelen sighed. It occurred to him that he needed Llana at the moment. The enormity of what he’d done the night before, the implications and the consequences were just too much to consider. Having Llana there gave him focus, a purpose. He had to get her to safety. Somehow, that was more important to him than anything else. It was his duty. It was easier to worry about someone else, than to tackle his own problems. Maybe she felt the same way. A thought struck him.
“Maybe we aren’t the ones the Imperials are interested in anyway.” He suggested.
Recollection dawned over Llana’s face. “That warrior…”
“He wasn’t there to rescue us. That was luck. He was there for trouble, I think.” Vaelen guessed.
“He was in pain.” Llana commented.
Vaelen frowned. “He didn’t look wounded to me.”
Llana gave him a stern look. “There are more pains to be suffered than those of the flesh.” She said. “That man was in pain. It hung on him like a shadow.”
Vaelen blinked. “Where did you get an idea like that from? You can’t possibly know that.”
Llana placed her hands on her hips. “Oh really? How did I know you weren’t going to kill me last night?”
Vaelen scratched his chin. “It was obvious I didn’t want to do it. You played to my hesitation. You flinched when I raised the sword.”
Llana chuckled. “Even I have moments of doubt when people wave swords at me, Vaelen.” She said. “It was the other soldier. You were afraid of him, and it could have pushed you in the other direction. I don’t need to tell you, I’m glad it didn’t.”
Vaelen patted the new sword on his hip. Last night’s memories were grim. Llana continued. “I’ll admit you were pretty easy to read. Some people are easier than others, some situations are different, but I have a talent for reading people.”
“Another talent?” Vaelen asked, doubtfully.
“I’m allowed to have two talents!” Llana pouted. “Like you have a talent in being both stupid and argumentative, all at once!”
Vaelen smiled. “Well, excuse me. Prove it then. Read something else about me.”
Llana held up a hand, forcing him to stop. Without a word, she walked around him, so that she could once again stand face to face with him. Their eyes met for an uncomfortable moment, her gaze making Vaelen’s back sweat. She smiled, turned and started walking again.
“Well?” Vaelen asked, hurrying to follow her.
“I see a few things.” Llana admitted. “Some would be impolite to share.” She added with a chuckle that made Vaelen panic a little inside.
“Well say something, or I won’t believe you.” He demanded, hastily.
“You don’t really want to go home, do you Vaelen?”
Vaelen felt a wave of cold wash through him. That wasn’t possible. Even he was barely coming to terms with that. “You don’t like the tension back in Tor, do you?” She carried on. “You don’t like what’s happening, but you were afraid to show it. Now you’re starting to think you might be free of it.”
Vaelen stopped walking. Llana carried on a few steps before stopping, turning back to face him. “Am I right?” she asked.
Vaelen nodded dumbly. There was a long silence before he could find any words. “That shouldn’t be possible, you know.” He said, quietly.
Llana suddenly paled, a look of worry forming on her face. “Do I scare you now?” she asked, sounding timid and regretful.
Vaelen shook his head to clear his thoughts, and managed a smile. “No. No, of course you don’t. You just caught me a little off guard, that’s all. You’re turning out to be quite an odd person.”
Llana avoided his gaze. “It usually scares people. Father always told me to hide my talents better, but I just can’t do it properly. People always find out, and then they keep away from me. It makes them uncomfortable, that I can do that.”
Vaelen sagged a little. He had found a chink in her armour, and now she had become more human. He felt bad for her.
He walked forward, patting her on the shoulder and guiding her to walk with him. “It’s alright. I think it could be very useful, Llana. I’d rather have you on my side than anyone else’s.”
She brightened a little. “Really? You don’t mind?”
“I think we’ll be just fine.”
She smiled again. “I can’t tell everything though. Not just like that. I feel like there’s more to know about why you don’t want to go home.”
Vaelen sighed. “That’s a long story I don’t want to go into right now. Too much changed after my father died. I wanted to get away, change my life, and change what I was. I wasn’t quite expecting this big of a change though, I must admit.”
Llana nodded, suddenly serious. “Nor me. I think there is a lot of change coming, Vaelen. Something is stirring within the Empire, I can feel it. It won’t be good news for anyone.”
The morning passed quietly and perhaps a little too slowly for Vaelen. Sharing his day’s food with Llana meant there wasn’t really enough for either of them, and the rumbling of his stomach was starting to annoy him. Llana’s odd little habits, and constant restlessness were also starting to wear him a little thin, yet he still found her company pleasant.
Vaelen had chosen to keep them away from the road, reasoning that the Imperial soldiers would have a harder time finding them. The only problem was that such travel was slow work, as light forest and wild fields were not made for easy walking. It also didn’t help that every so often, he had to stop and find high ground, so he didn’t lose the direction of the distant road. He didn’t want to get lost out here. He barely knew where he was.
He stumbled against a rock partly hidden in long grass, banging his shin and stubbing his toe. “Damned son of a pox-riddled whore!” he cursed, hopping on one leg. Llana gave him a stern look. “Such language!” She scorned. “Do you always talk in such a way in front of a young lady?”
Vaelen reddened, holding up a hand in apology as he tried to examine his bruised leg. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I think the countryside is out to get me.” He said, touching a graze on his face, inflicted from an earlier conflict with a low hanging tree branch. “I don’t understand how you’ve managed to avoid everything.” He muttered.
Llana chuckled. “My, my. You really are a city boy, aren’t you?”
“Oh come on, even a ranger would stub a toe now and again.” Vaelen protested.
“Every now and again, perhaps. Do you have any toes that you haven’t yet stubbed, Vaelen?” She mocked.
Vaelen shook his head and chose to ignore her. It wasn’t an argument he was likely to win. One day, he resolved, he would take her through a city, and see how she fared. He glanced up at her, ready to make the suggestion, but paused as he noticed that she had stiffened oddly. Her energetic amble had been reduced to a slow, tense walk. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
“Vaelen, check the road. Please?” She asked. Vaelen frowned at her request, but looked around for the nearest tree regardless. He picked a short, elderly yew and quickly scrambled up, until he was afforded a good view of the surrounding countryside. It was only seconds before he discovered what had apparently bothered Llana so much. He half climbed, half fell back to the ground.
“The Imperials, they’re headed along the road, towards us!” he hissed, pulling Llana into a crouch.”
“Just the road?” She asked, her voice quivering slightly. Vaelen shook his head.
“No. There are always scouts combing the fields, even when they aren’t looking for people like us.”
“Can we escape?” Llana asked, looking back behind her. Vaelen crouched lower.
“If we move too fast, we’ll make ourselves obvious. Stay low, move slowly. We just have to stay out of sight, that’s all. We don’t necessarily have to keep ahead.”
Llana obeyed, moving slowly and just ahead of Vaelen, her relaxed stance completely evaporated. Vaelen felt his own heart pounding. It was only the very early afternoon, there would be no darkness to hide in this time, nor timely, mysterious warriors to save them. If they were spotted, it would be over.
He knew the Imperials would be moving faster than they were. It was torture, creeping through the grass, feeling invisible eyes on his back, waiting for the shout that would surely end it all. Muscles in his legs and back knotted and cramped. He dared a glance back, and saw nothing.
Llana froze, her head raised slightly as though she were listening to some distant noise. “They’re almost on us. Two of them.” She whispered harshly.
Vaelen glanced behind him again, still seeing nothing. “I don’t see them.” He whispered back. “How can they almost be on us?”
“There’s a slight hill to our left. The slope and the bushes are hiding them from us and us from them. We need to hide, very quickly.”
Vaelen felt a swell of panic, even as he wondered where she was getting her information from. He grabbed Llana’s arm and pointed her towards a patch of long grass.
“In there?” She asked. Vaelen shook his head.
“Not a chance. They’ll be sure to search it. Just beyond, where it gets shorter again. It might be just long enough to hide us, and they’ll be less likely to search it. Not unless they’re being thorough.”
He half dragged Llana over to the shorter grass, and lay next to her. “Keep your breathing shallow. Don’t move, don’t make a noise.” He instructed. She made no response, but Vaelen noticed that the rise and fall of her breathing suddenly slowed. Mere moment later, he could hear the scouts stomping their way through the bushes. Llana had been right.
There was an almost perfect silence, interrupted only by the heavy boot-falls of the scouts nearby. They didn’t talk to each other, and Vaelen wondered if they had heard him whispering. Perhaps they were still trying to listen out for him. Now one of them was walking through the long grass, perhaps only two or three strides from where he lay. Vaelen’s heart thumped and an unwelcome growl of the stomach felt as though it must surely give him away.
It seemed like an age before the scout was gone, his footsteps gradually disappearing into the distance. Even though he couldn’t hear them anymore, it was a full ten minutes before Vaelen dared to rise, with a quiet but heartfelt sigh. His nerves couldn’t take much more of this.
Llana sat up next to him, even her face lined with stress and anxiety. “That was much too close.” She said flatly.
Vaelen nodded. “At least they’re in front of us now. They won’t come up on us like that again.”
Llana pushed her hair back. “It does leave us with a bigger problem though.”
Vaelen fell back on his haunches with a sigh. “It means they’ll get to Varwall before us.”
Comments
Subscribe
Visitor counter
Blog Roll Centre
Blog Hints
2 Comments
Click here to sign up now.