Sword of Light (2 page)

She rode over to Marcus, scanning him and his horse for any injuries.  She reached over to lay a hand on him to be sure when he waved her off.  “I’m fine, but they scored my horse.”  He said, while continuing to watch the surrounding woods.

Hailyn leaned over and set her hand on his horse.  She sent her power into it, feeling the wound lining the side away from her.  Concentrating, she closed the gash, keeping her power in the horse while making sure it was healed properly and there was no poison in the wound.  Satisfied, she sat back upright in her saddle and Marcus gave her a nod of thanks.  He turned his horse back towards the direction they were traveling.

As she headed back to her position at the rear of the line, Hailyn glanced over at Jonas, the glow of his power now gone.  He gave her a weak smile and a nod, his face tired and drawn, the princess right next to him, hand on his arm.  As she passed Dominic, who had drawn his sword with right hand while holding both his reins and Jake with his left, he said quietly.  “Well done, girl; now release your power before we lose all of our night vision.”

Embarrassed that she had to be reminded to do so, she released her power, plunging the group back into darkness.  She took up her position again and they continued on.

Shortly after their fight, Hailyn heard the sounds of half-men calling to each other in the distance from time to time, but those sounds eventually faded away.  They avoided any further contact with their enemies as they rode.  After what seemed to be an interminable period of time, riding quietly through the dark forest with only the soft sounds of the horses in the air, she was taken by surprise when the trees suddenly ended and they came out onto the forest road where they had left the wagon.

As Marcus gathered his bearing and turned onto the road to lead them back to where the wagon lay hidden, Hailyn took in a deep breath and sighed as she surveyed the open space along the road, the faint moonlight seeming bright after the forest darkness.  She continued to regard the open road, relieved to be out of the trees, as she took her place as the rear guard.

It took them another half hour to find the wagon, searching in the dark, as they had come out of the forest a couple of miles east of its hiding place.  Once they gathered near it, Dominic called the group together.

“We only have a few hours before sunrise.”  He said quietly.  “We will move the horses into the forest next to the wagon.  We should feed and water them and let them rest.  I will put Jake in the back of the wagon, but I do not want to attempt to hook up the wagon in the dark.  Once the sun is up, we will start moving back towards Alleon’s forces.”  He glanced at Jonas, almost asleep in the saddle.  “This will also give Jonas time to sleep and recover some of his strength.”

Hailyn and Keria moved rapidly, clearing a space for Jake in the wagon bed, laying down blankets on the wagon floor.  Dominic, with Marcus’ help, carried Jake to the wagon, removed his armor and sword, and laid him down.  Keria covered him up with another set of blankets and made a pillow for his head.  Recalling Jonas’ warning of the dangers of the clerics touching Jake, Dominic waved away Hailyn to ensure no accidental contact with the boy.

Dominic grabbed some blankets and spread them out on the ground next to the wagon.  He helped Jonas down from Dontas and led him over to the blankets.  Jonas sank to the ground and was quickly asleep.

Dominic and Marcus fed and watered the horses, while Hailyn and the princess brought out and prepared some of the travel rations.  After they had all eaten a small meal, Dominic spoke.  “Princess, try to get some sleep as well.  Marcus, Hailyn and I will keep watch.”  Dominic moved back to Shadow, stripping off his torn and bloody shirt and pulling out a clean one.

Hailyn watched as Keria climbed into the wagon bed and lay down next to Jake, moving close to him with her hand resting on his chest, almost cuddling.  Hailyn sighed bitterly and turned away, as she felt the pangs of jealously surge through her, unbidden tears springing from her eyes.

As she turned, she saw Marcus also looking at the wagon, his face a mask in the faint light, eyes dark and brooding.  He was clearly not happy about the arrangement either.

Suddenly, Dominic was there, glancing at the wagon with knowing eyes.  His voice cut through the night.  “I need you both focused.”  He said firmly.  “We do not know what will happen in the days ahead; fate is a strange thing.  Whatever happens will happen, but for now, you need to be alert and put any other thoughts aside.”  With that, he moved off into the forest.

Hailyn shared a look with Marcus before she headed out to guard the eastern approach.  She found a place next to a large tree with several large bushes near its trunk where she could watch the road without exposing herself.  She sat down, leaning back against the tree, trying to stay focused on her task.  But with sleepiness spreading, her thoughts began to wander.

She was heartsick that she could not touch Jake or make an attempt to help him.  Her only option was to watch him lying in that wretched state. 
Would he recover?  What had he done to himself?  Would he be the same?
  Her worry for him overcame the feelings of jealousy as she wrestled with her unpleasant thoughts.

After what seemed an eternity, the sky began to lighten in the east.  She sat there quietly, shaking herself from time to time, her eyes drooping despite her best efforts, waiting for the sun to rise. She sat there until the sun, in a flare of reddish-gold light, lifted into the sky over the mountains.  She wearily stood and headed back to the wagon.

When she arrived, she saw that Dominic and Marcus had already returned and were quietly harnessing the horses to the wagon, to allow Keria and Jonas to sleep.  Once the wagon was ready, Dominic went over to wake Jonas.

It took several gentle nudges from Dominic before Jonas woke with a groan.  His eyes fluttered for a few seconds, then opened.  He took a moment to get his bearings and slowly stood with some help from Dominic.  His face was still drawn and tired, but his eyes quickly regained their focus.  He looked around, saw Hailyn and moved over to her while Dominic went to wake the princess.

“You did well, my dear child.”  Jonas said gently to her.  “Now, you can rest while I watch over you.”  He said with a smile as he held out his hand.

Hailyn quickly put the staff in his hand, relieved that Jonas was up.  “Are you sure you are strong enough, Master?”  She asked, concern in her voice.  “You only had a couple of hours of sleep.”

“I am tired, but no longer have the weariness like before.”  Jonas replied, looking closely at her.  “You look like you are ready to fall asleep standing there.  You can sleep as we travel.”

As they turned back to the wagon, Dominic was speaking to Keria, who was rising from the wagon bed.  “You will be more comfortable on Dontas, Highness, than bouncing around in the back of the wagon.  If you feel you still need to sleep, I can tie you off to keep you in the saddle.”  He said with a slight smile.

Keria gave Dominic an unamused look without replying, but took his hand to help her down.  Marcus came over to help her onto Dontas.  Jonas climbed onto the wagon’s bench, Hailyn joining him.  He reached into the wagon bed, carefully avoiding contact with Jake, and pulled a blanket out.  With a nod to Dominic, who was now mounted on Shadow, they rode back onto the road and headed west.

As they rode, Hailyn glanced back at Jake, lying there pale and unmoving, and tears came to her eyes.  She tried to control them, but with her body worn down, she failed.

“We will find a way to help him, Hailyn.”  Jonas said softly, voice sympathetic.  “Have faith in the One.  I don’t believe that this rescue mission was the only purpose of Jake’s appearance.”

Nodding, she faced forward, tears still flowing.  Jonas rolled the blanket into a tight ball and placed it next to him on the bench.  “Lie down and sleep.” He said gently.  “Things will look better when you wake.”

Hailyn lay down, curling up on the bench and resting her head on the blanket.  She felt Jonas’ hand come down to rest protectively on her shoulder.  That touch seemed to release her and she immediately fell asleep.

…

They continued on for the rest of the day, Dominic in the lead, Marcus in the rear, but they neither saw nor heard any sign of pursuit.  As the sun began to set in the west, Dominic found a small gulch off the road, sheltered on three sides by steep walls and hidden from the road.  There was only one way in, so they could easily defend the position.

Despite this added protection, Jonas agreed with Dominic that it would be better to forgo a fire, so they ate cold rations for the evening meal.  They unsaddled the horses, allowing them to feed and rest.  Dominic and Jonas sent the others to bed, taking the first watch.  Marcus used the blankets to set up a sleeping area for Keria, and then lay down on the ground close to her, quickly falling asleep.  Hailyn set up her blankets next to the wagon.

Jonas went to the wagon to check on Jake.  Covered in blankets, Jake was still unresponsive, looking frail, his hair streaked with white. 
But he is alive.
  Jonas thought gratefully.  He gave a rueful shake of his head, and then turned to head out towards the road where Dominic was keeping watch.

Dominic was sitting on a small log, his sword out, studying the approach to their position.  Jonas sat down next to him, laying his staff across his knees, grateful to be sitting down, his body still tired.  They sat in silence for a while.

“How did you find us?”  Jonas asked quietly, breaking the stillness.  “I did not expect to see you again when you did not catch up with us after that first day.”

“The half-men and their masters were more persistent than I expected.”  Dominic replied, still staring ahead.  “Even though I thinned them out some, I was pushed farther south than I planned and was forced to hide out for a time.  By the time I got clear and circled back, I had little hope that I would catch you, even though I drove Shadow hard.  I almost missed where you left the road.  I moved as fast as I could, but was slowed by a couple of fights along the way.  Once I saw that your trail ended at the road that led to the demons’ lair, I assumed that you went in on foot.  You did a good job of hiding the horses, but I saw the signs leading off from the road.  By the time I got to the rocks, night had fallen and I saw you slipping into the cliff face.  I tried to catch you, but you were good at staying ahead of me.  Once inside, I had several encounters along the way, as you had stirred up the place.  I followed the sounds of the battle and fought my way to you.  The rest you know.”

“Well, I am glad that you were there.”  Jonas said.  “You helped Jake when he needed it and that enabled us to prevail.  I will admit that I thought I had lost you again when the demon lord struck you.”  He chuckled softly, laying a hand on Dominic’s shoulder.  “But you have always been tougher than anyone should have the right to be.”

Dominic smiled slightly at the comment.  “If it makes you feel better, I was not very confident about my chances at that point either.”

His smile faded.  “What are you going to do about the boy?”  Dominic asked.  “If you think it may cost you your life, you had better be sure whatever you do will work.”

Jonas frowned, thinking, and then shrugged his shoulders.  “Jake is alive; that is what is important.  He seems stable, though he does not seem to be improving.  There is always the possibility that he will recover on his own, but I will watch him closely.  If we get him back to Sanduas, I can study him, then determine a course of action.”  He paused for a moment.  “Also, I will send a message to Tomaris.  He may have some insight into this.”

“I think that may be the best option for now.”  Dominic stated.  “From what I saw and heard while at the Keep, Tomaris seems likely to have the knowledge and power to help the boy.  There is no need for you to risk your life.”

Jonas nodded and they fell silent, turning their focus to the task at hand.  They kept watch without incident.  A little past midnight, Jonas woke Marcus and Hailyn.  Jonas handed his staff to her, then crawled into his blankets and let sleep take him.

Jonas woke up shortly before dawn, the air crisp, the night slowly giving way to the approaching sun.  The extra sleep had refreshed him, the residual weariness now gone.  He looked around and saw that Dominic was also up and about.  They grabbed some rations and went out to relieve Marcus and Hailyn.  They sent them back to get something to eat and prepare to depart.

He and Dominic returned to the same fallen log, eating in silence.  As they sat there, the sun finally rose, bathing the hills in light.  Finishing their meal, they were preparing to return to the wagon when they heard the sounds of an approaching horse on the road.  Reacting immediately, Dominic drew his sword and moved quickly towards the road, Jonas close behind.

Dominic found a place where he could take the rider by surprise, crouching behind some thick bushes next to the road.  He brought his sword up, prepared to act quickly as the hoof beats drew closer.  He waited, still as a stone, sensing Jonas right behind him, ready to support him.  He watched the road, which curved away from his position to go around a hill, expecting to see a half-man ride up, planning an attack in his mind.

When the rider came into view, Dominic saw that he was riding confidently, scanning the surrounding trees, dressed in chainmail over leather, a sword hanging from his belt, and a golden eagle emblem on his chest.  Dominic relaxed, stood and stepped out onto the road, raising his hand in greeting.  The rider saw Dominic instantly and raised a hand in response.  Dominic had recognized him; he was the lead scout from Alleon’s army.

C
HAPTER
T
WO

Sergeant Werdan was a short, wiry man in early middle age.  His hair was graying, age lines creasing his forehead and the corners of his eyes, but he carried himself with the air of a veteran.  Despite his age, the brown eyes above his chiseled nose were still piercing and predatory, reminding Dominic of the eagle emblazoned in his chest.  Dominic remembered him from his army days, knowing that Werdan had been a soldier all of his life, never marrying or having children.  He was also a taciturn man, quiet and serious, passing over promotion because he preferred the solitary life of a scout. 
All in all, a good man.
  Dominic thought as he listened while Jonas finished explaining their situation.