Elf Sight (7 page)

“I want you to check the map again,” Carson said as soon as she reached his side.

“Which one?”

“Don’t be smart.” Carson turned sharply on his heel and disappeared into the tent.

Shadow followed him. She wasn’t being smart. She bit back her protest and took the map he held out to her. She unrolled the map and looked at the drawing she and her brother had made. “It’s different.” She looked up at Carson.

He nodded.

“How did you know?”

“I memorised it. It isn’t a great deal different, just enough to make me question if I remembered it right.”

“It’s one of your men, isn’t it?” Shadow asked

Carson shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Who?”

Carson sighed wearily. He turned away and picked up one of the goblets that Shadow had found that long ago day when Carson and the General had tested Irlan for elf sight. “I don’t know.” He took a drink from the goblet before putting it down.

“I can’t help you,” Shadow said.

“What?” Carson looked over at her sharply.

“Find the man. I can’t help you. Unless I see him doing magic, I won’t know who it is.”

“I hadn’t planned to ask.”

“What do you want to do about the map?” Shadow asked. “Why would they alter it after they knew I’d be able to see it?”

“It was done while we were out chasing your brother,” Carson said.

“So they didn’t know?” Shadow asked.

Carson shrugged. “Who knows? Get your gear. It’s time to call it a night.”

“Do you think they’ll try and change it back?” Shadow asked.

“It might even have been one of the archers sneaking in while we were gone.”

Shadow sighed. “How are you meant to know?” Frustration filled her voice.

Carson grinned. “The joy of being a Captain. Everyone’s life is in your hands and you don’t know if all the swords you’re guarding will be with you or against you.”

Shadow smiled back at Carson. He looked so different when he smiled, younger and carefree, more like the age Irlan had told her he was. She regretted her earlier anger at him. She hadn’t realised how difficult being a captain must be. Her smile faded. “I’m with you,” she said softly.

Carson stared at her solemnly. Silence filled the tent. “Thank you.” The silence dragged out again. “Get your gear, Shadow.”

“What about my training?”

“I won’t hold you to that.”

“Why? Because I’m not a boy?”

Carson shrugged.

“I want you and Iain to continue to train me.” She met his gaze, determined not to give up when she’d come so far. So she’d been extremely squeamish in her first battle. She’d get better at this. Look how she’d improved with the crossbow. She could now hit the target more times than she missed.

“Tonight?”

“Yes.”

Silence filled the tent again. Carson nodded. “I’ll have a soldier move your gear. As soon as you finish with Iain, I’ll continue to teach you.”

Shadow smiled, a sense of victory filled her. “Thank you.” She hurried outside before Carson could change his mind and quickly found Iain. The older man was surprised she wanted to practice, but he patiently stood beside her and occasionally instructed her. Once she was finished, instead of joining the other soldiers seated quietly at the fire, Iain stayed with her while she gathered up the bolts. Handing the bolts back to Iain, she glanced around for Carson. He stood in front of his tent, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the camp. He looked towards Shadow as she continued to watch him and then strode towards her. He waved back the two men he’d set as guards on Shadow and led her into the trees.

Shadow widened her stance when Carson stopped in a clearing and turned to face her. He beckoned her forward and she attacked. She missed, spinning to face him, ducking as his fist came at her, landing on her forehead with little more than a tap. Five times she attacked him before she stopped, hands on her hips and glared at him.

“I know I haven’t improved that much. By now I’d have landed on the ground at least twice.”

“You improve a little every day.”

“A little I’d believe. I must have improved way more than a little to still be standing. You’re treating me like I’ll break. If I haven’t after the amount of times you’ve landed me in the dirt, I’m not likely to now.”

“Fine.” Carson beckoned her forward again.

Shadow attacked, she felt her foot go out from under her and the ground coming up to meet her. At the last second, Carson caught her. She stared at him, their faces inches apart. “Fine?”

“I can’t do it. I’ve been trained from birth not to hit a lady. To protect them.”

“I’m not a lady.”

Carson straightened, pulling her with him, her body against his. He ran a hand down her side, slowing over the slight curve of her waist hidden by her shirt. “This tells me different.”

“Captain-” she couldn’t continue when she met his eyes. Words evaporated. She tried to think, but she’d never had someone look at her like that before, not even Elrick.

Carson closed his eyes and let her go. He turned his back on her. “I’m sorry.”

She forced herself to focus. “You said you’d teach me. I’m still waiting.”

Carson turned back to her. “Tenacious, aren’t you?”

Shadow frowned. “That doesn’t sound complimentary whatever it means.”

Carson laughed. “Like a dog with a bone. Stubborn.”

“Oh. Well, sure, if it’s important.”

“Why is it important for you to learn to fight?”

Shadow stared at him. Why? She didn’t really know herself. But every time she got a little better at what she learned, it felt good. Like a spark igniting in her. As if for years she’d lived in a world of death, doing the same each day, dying a little more. As if everything she did had no worth. “So I can live.”

“We’ll protect you.”

Shadow shook her head, trying to find the words. She reached out and touched his chest. “In here. Live. Everything else I’ve done has been waiting for death.”

Carson placed his hand over hers when she started to draw it away. “I’ll teach you. But maybe we should stick with drills for now.”

Shadow nodded and when he let her hand go, pulled out her dagger. She moved into position and smiled when Carson glanced at her feet but didn’t kick the inside of her boot. The smiled stayed in place even when he moved her hand slightly. She mimicked the movements Carson made, feeling like she was doing a type of dance. Deadly but graceful.

Shadow stared at the two men who’d followed her around since she’d stepped outside the tent the next morning. She growled in frustration before she turned and looked around the camp. Spotting Carson, she strode towards him, her eyes never leaving him once. As if he could feel her glare, he looked up. He stopped when he saw her coming. The two men he’d ordered to guard her continued to follow her.

“I need to talk to you,” Shadow said through gritted teeth.

“I’m busy.”

“Now. Alone,” Shadow snapped, still keeping her voice low.

Carson sighed. “It better be important.” He moved towards the fringes of the camp after telling the men who followed Shadow to wait. “Now what?” he demanded when they were out of earshot.

“I can’t get a single moment to myself,” Shadow complained.

“I warned you last night. We can’t afford to lose you. Now if you’ve finished complaining?” He started to move away.

“Don’t you dare move from there. I need time without someone following me.”

“Why?”

“Because!” Shadow looked away and felt her cheeks turn pink.

Carson chuckled as he realised what Shadow was getting at. “Fine. I’ll take you to the bushes.”

“I’m not going with an audience.”

“I’ll turn my back.” Shadow opened her mouth to argue and Carson said firmly, “It’s me or the two I set as your guard.”

“Argh!” Shadow glared at him in frustration. “Fine!” She headed for the trees and when she found a sheltered enough place, she stood, hands on her hips. “Turn around.”

Carson smiled before he did.

Shadow grumbled under her breath as she squatted behind a bush. “I’m going to kill Irlan myself when I get a hold of him,” she muttered as she pulled her trousers up. She strode past Carson without looking at him.

Carson walked beside her. “Let me know next time you need a private moment. We can’t have anyone else guessing you’re not what you pretend to be.”

“Hmph,” was all the answer Shadow gave him before she strode to her horse and started to saddle up. Anger felt much better than the fear that coursed through her every time she let it evaporate. Her emotions were still raw from yesterday. The anger was a good way of keeping herself together. Especially after the dreams she’d suffered last night.

Carson motioned to the two men to continue to watch her and returned to his own tasks. Shadow watched him move away. She sighed. She should have thanked him. Life was far too complicated. It had been much easier to remain silent.

The soldiers had their horses saddled quickly and were back on the trail leading through the mountains. Shadow rode behind Carson and watched everything. After yesterday, the slightest sound drew her attention, and whenever the forest grew quiet, that made her more nervous. Her horse skittered as if her emotions put her mount on edge.

Carson glanced back at her. “Loosen the reins a little.”

Shadow glared at his back for a moment, but did as he ordered. Then she returned to scanning the area.

The trees on their right soon gave way to a sheer cliff face and the trees on the left started to trickle away to a few as the trail narrowed and the left became a steep drop. Every minute they travelled the drop became steeper. Shadow looked above her nervously, unable to clearly see the top of the cliff wall. She couldn’t see any of the slight glittery glow that meant magic so she turned her attention ahead of them. And there it was, the shine of magic she searched for.

“There’s magic ahead,” Shadow warned Carson.

“Might be the tunnel through the mountains,” Carson said.

“From back here I can’t tell. It might be an army waiting for us,” Shadow said gloomily.

“That wouldn’t be much good to them. They’d be in the same position as us. Single file on a path with a long drop on one side,” Carson said.

“And that makes me feel so much better,” Shadow muttered.

The soldier behind her heard and said, “At least we’d take them with us as we went over.”

“Great,” Shadow muttered.

“Are we there yet?” Carson asked Shadow.

She looked back up the path. “Nearly.”

“An army?” The soldier behind her asked.

“No, Roper,” Shadow answered him.

“Pity.”

Shadow ignored Roper’s comment, glad there wasn’t an army ahead of them. “Stop,” she told Carson as the glow of magic came up beside her.

Carson held up his hand and bellowed out, “Halt!” His order travelled down the line. “What is it?” he asked Shadow.

“The pass.”

“Where?”

Shadow urged her horse forward.

“Shadow?” Carson stared.

“What?”

“I can’t see you. Only your horse’s rump, which is sticking out of rock.” He dismounted and patted the cliff beside her horse. “It’s solid rock.”

“No it’s not.” She reached back outside.

“Your hand looks like it’s poking out of solid rock.” Carson took a hold of her hand and touched the wall again, this time plunging through. “Bad news. I can only get through when I’m holding your hand.”

“And that’s bad because?”

“You can’t hold everyone’s hand,” Carson said.

“Maybe I won’t have to. What if everyone along the way holds hands? Maybe that’d work,” Shadow said.

Carson nodded and let go of Shadow’s hand. He mounted his horse, wrapped the reins around the saddle horn and reached out to take Roper’s hand. “Let your neighbour know. This is how we have to enter the pass. We can’t get through otherwise.” Carson turned back to the wall. “Shadow?”

“Yes.”

“Take hold of my hand so you can lead us all through,” Carson said.

Shadow’s hand came through the wall and she clasped Carson’s hand.

“We’re ready,” Roper said.

Carson nodded and turned back towards Shadow.

She nodded and then remembered he couldn’t see her. “Let’s go.” She moved forward, holding tight to Carson, her arm stretched out.

“At least I can see the entrance once we’re inside the tunnel. It should make returning easier,” Carson said.

“The magic is only to stop people entering, not exiting,” Shadow said. The tunnel grew darker as horses and men filled the entrance. Her horse stumbled over some loose rock but she still managed to hold onto Carson.

“We’ll light a lantern as soon as everyone’s in,” Carson said.

“Providing we don’t all fall down a hole before then,” Shadow muttered.

Carson chuckled. “You’re full of gloomy predictions today.”

“All in,” Roper said behind Carson.

“Good.” Shadow let Carson’s hand go.

Carson rummaged in his saddlebags and pulled out a lantern, which he quickly lit using the tinderbox kept in his belt pouch. Along the line several other men also lit lanterns.

The soldiers travelled silently. They were too nervous at being underground to say much. Even the horses seemed quieter than usual. The tunnel ran on a slight upward slope.

Shadow breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the light from the end of the tunnel. It grew larger and brighter the closer they came to it and then she was out of the tunnel and breathing in the cold, crisp air. The area near the exit was clear of trees but not far from there was a pine forest. A thin layer of snow coated everything and the sky looked like there was more snow to come. Shadow looked over her shoulder, to ask Carson what the plan was, and noticed a glow at the top of the cliff.

Looking up Shadow saw men push at a pile of boulders. “Away from the tunnel mouth! Trap!” Shadow screamed as she kneed her horse forward.

Two soldiers came out of the tunnel as the ones near the opening moved out of the way. Boulders poured over the cliff top, which was about twenty feet above them. Even before those boulders had time to settle more were pushed over.

“Where are they?” Carson demanded of Shadow as he came to a stop beside her amongst the trees. They all dismounted.

“Cowards!” Roper yelled.

“A bit to the left of where the last lot of boulders came down,” Shadow said.

The five men who had made it through the pass with them readied their crossbows while Carson aimed at the area Shadow pointed at.

“You just missed him. A bit to the right and slightly lower,” Shadow said.

Six bolts flew towards the place Shadow mentioned and the man yelled in pain. As soon as the magic on him evaporated another six bolts impaled him, making him sink to the ground before another heap of boulders barrelled down the cliff face.

“They’ve moved over to the right,” Shadow said.

“Roper, only you,” Carson said.

Roper aimed in the general direction.

“More right than that. Good height,” Shadow said.

“Perrun, your shot,” Carson ordered.

Perrun took the next shot while Roper readied his crossbow. The bolt caught the man in his shoulder and the magic on him instantly evaporated. Five more bolts followed. The man had no chance.

“They’re running! To the left.” Shadow watched the bolts miss the men fleeing. “More to the left. The ground! Watch the ground. Every now and then they kick pebbles that go over the edge. Aim a bit in front of that.”

Roper hit a man and the other soldiers quickly fired at him.

“How many?” Carson demanded.

“Two more.” Shadow looked at Carson. “More left than that,” she said when she saw where he aimed.

“Damn it! You do it,” Carson snapped.

Shadow shook her head. “I can’t even hit a still target all the time.”

“You don’t have to get them between the eyes. Just wing them and the magic goes. Here.” Carson handed her his crossbow. “I’ll get yours. We have to stop them from warning anyone we’re here.”

He turned away before she could argue and she was left looking at the crossbow.

“Where now?” Perrun asked.

“Come on, boy. Don’t have all day,” Wardell, who had also managed to get through the tunnel, growled.

Shadow aimed at one of the men moving more cautiously along the cliff top. Not far from them the trees started. She closed her eyes for a second.

“You need to be able to see to aim,” Wardell grumbled.

“Leave him be,” Roper said. “Lad’s tryin.”

“In more ways than one,” Wardell muttered.

Shadow opened her eyes.

“Remember lad. It’s them or us. Them or us,” Roper said.

Them or us, Shadow thought before she aimed again. She aimed for just in front of the man and by the time the bolt reached him, it was behind him. “That fell to the right of one.” She readied the crossbow again and this time aimed further in front. “I hit him,” she yelped in surprise.

“Get the other one.” Carson took his crossbow from her hands and placed her own there instead.

She looked back up to the cliff top and saw the man she had hit fall to the ground. Bolts from the soldiers with her forced him off his feet. Them or us, she reminded herself before she aimed at the last man.

“I missed!” Shadow exclaimed.

“Where did it go? Left or right?” Carson demanded.

“Between his legs. He’s just starting to move again,” Shadow said.

Carson quickly aimed. The man grabbed at the bolt that pierced his hip. Five other bolts followed and he seemed to waver for a second before toppling over the edge of the cliff.

“Shadow, a shot like that would have been enough to freeze any man. Good job.” Perrun clapped her on the back and caused her to stagger slightly.

“Beginner’s luck,” Wardell muttered.

“Who cares? At least we got them,” Roper said.

“All right. Wardell find a way up there and check all the men are dead. Roper, gather the horses together. We can’t afford to lose them. Perrun, Clem, see if anyone else can get out of the tunnel. Gwyn, don’t let Shadow out of your sight,” Carson ordered. “Shadow, have a look around for any more surprises.”