The Guardians: Book One of the Restoration Series (43 page)

Several minutes later, the guardians were gathered in a small circle near the wall of the fort. A somewhat dejected looking Aaron stood in the middle of the circle.

“I was not stealing, and how can you steal a person?”

“She's indentured to him. That means that he, in effect, owns her.” Philip snapped back.

“How can you sell someone's life for one hundred gold pieces?” Aaron snapped back at Philip. Philip only shifted his feet and dropped his eyes.

“Are you really bringing her with us?” Kara asked. “Is it really
love
, or is it just physical?”

Aaron shook his head, “No, we haven't
even ..
” He trailed off, thinking that perhaps he didn't want to discuss that topic after all. “Listen, I don't know if
it's
love, but I can't leave her in a life like that. She wants out, and I want to help her.”

“Where is she?” Flare asked, his tone sounding rougher than he had intended.

Aaron locked gazes with Flare and held it, the anger in his eyes painfully obvious. “We can't send her back to him.”

“Where is she?” Flare repeated again, this time his tone went flat, and several of the other guardians caught the sound of his voice and moved closer.

Aaron dropped his eyes, “She's traveling in the supply caravan, riding in one of the wagons.”

Atock nodded over Flare's shoulder, “I don't know what you're going to do, but you had better decide quickly.”

Flare glanced quickly over his shoulder to see Captain Mondell and Dale Stonewood walking toward them. Turning back, Flare nodded toward Enton. “Enton go to the supply wagons and find the girl. Bring her here as quickly as possible.”

Enton nodded and started off at a trot.

Aaron grabbed Flare's arm, “Flare, you can't do this.”

Flare did not respond, except to drop his eyes to his right arm, the arm that Aaron was clutching.

Surprise overtook Aaron's face and he immediately let go of Flare's arm. Flare turned his back on Aaron, ignoring the muttered apologies.

“Well, have you found her?” Dale Stonewood demanded as he marched up.

Flare pointedly ignored the man and focused his attention on the captain, who was regarding the group with a cool gaze.

A smile touched Captain Mondell's face as Dale blushed in anger at being ignored. “Flare, have you found her?”

Flare opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment he noticed Enton and the girl walking towards them. “Sir, here she comes now.” As he spoke, he motioned behind the captain.

A smile broke out on Dale Stonewood's face at the sight of the girl.

Disgust welled up in Flare, the man was a pig, but the law was on his side. There was no way that he wanted to send anyone to be the man's slave. He sighed, there has to be a way.

Enton and Elona reached the group just then. The girl kept her eyes downward, but it was still painfully obvious that she had been crying.

“You see, my good captain. I told you that this man is a thief.” Dale motioned towards Aaron as he spoke. “I insist that he be arrested.”

“Sir,” Flare opened his mouth to protest, but he was cut off.

“Captain.
The man was caught in the act of stealing my property and I insist that he be arrested. I can prove that the girl is my slave.”

“No she's not.” Flare said, blinking as he thought about four little words that Aaron has said.
'One hundred gold pieces.
'

Dale completely misunderstood. “Of course she is, and I can prove it.”

Captain Mondell raised and eyebrow and nodded for Flare to speak.

“Sir, the girl is an indentured servant. She is not a slave.”

Dale grunted, “I assure you that there is no difference as far as the law is concerned. It takes one hundred gold pieces to buy her freedom and I know that she does not have it.”

Aaron stepped forward angrily, “She doesn't have it because you keep all her earnings. You'll never allow her to buy her freedom.”

Dale smiled at Aaron, enraging him further. Philip, sensing the mood of the two men, stepped in between them.

“Are you making a point? I assure you that it is legal.” Dale seemed to be enjoying himself.

Captain Mondell sighed, “He's right. I'm afraid that it is perfectly legal.”

Dale made to move toward Elona, but Flare stopped him. “Wait!”

Reluctantly Dale stopped and turned back, he was still smiling. “Yes?”

Now it was Flare's turn to smile, “When I said that it wasn't stealing, I meant it. Aaron did not intend to take the girl without first paying her bond price.”

Dale's mouth dropped.
“That ridiculous.
I do not wish to sell her.”

Captain Mondell smiled back at Flare, before he answered Dale. “As you pointed out, she is an indentured servant, not a slave. It makes no difference what you
want,
master Stonewood, as long as she is agreeable.”

Flare turned away from the suddenly confused Dale and spoke to the group of guardians. “Dig deep,” was all he said as he pulled out all the money he had. He handed the twelve gold pieces to Aaron. Aaron took the money, but seemed confused as to what to do with it. After several moments, the other guardians began pulling their money purses out and digging through them. Most were gracious when they handed their money to Aaron, but Atock lightly smacked him on the back of his head as he handed his money over.

Aaron quickly counted the money. “Seventy two gold pieces,” Aaron said quietly. Panic settling in again on him as he looked to
Flare
for help. “I can't come up short. I can't fail now.”

Dale smiled and stepped forward. “But you have failed. You are twenty eight gold pieces short.” He feigned pity as he spoke, “Too bad. Perhaps I will think of that when I'm alone with her tonight.”

Aaron made as to strike the man, but Flare and Atock caught him first pulling him away from Dale, who was now chuckling.

Philip calmly stepped forward and pulled out a bulging purse, it was the purse that only a nobleman would have. Opening the purse he counted out twenty eight gold pieces, as he counted out the coins, he dropped them in the dirt at Dale's feet.

Despite the drama of Dale Stonewood's visit, the company was ready to move out less than half an hour after Dale stomped away, angrily counting his money. He had left shooting some pretty hateful looks at the guardians, but the worst he saved for Flare.

In return, Flare smiled at him, silently hoping that he never saw the man again.

The captain had ordered them to their horses, and Aaron had hurriedly led Elona back toward the wagons, while the rest of the guardians returned to their horses.

Despite seemingly ready to leave, the company of soldiers waited in the early morning summer sun. Some men sat on their horses, but they were mostly the young soldiers. The more experienced soldiers either stood beside their horse or lounged in the shade, as they knew once they got on their horses they would be on them for quite a while.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, although in truth it had only been a half an hour or so, a command rang out from the front of the company to move forward.

Men everywhere jumped up and rushed to their horses. Mounting quickly so as not to cause the company to wait.

Shouts rang out behind the men, as the townsfolk had gathered on the eastern wall began cheering the departing soldiers. They knew without a doubt they would have been dead, except for the soldiers.

Flare looked back at the fort and sighed. A chill swept over him and he shook his head.
'
I was angry for being sent here, because I thought that I would miss the fighting.' He thought to himself, shaking his head at the irony. Guilt and depression seemed to roll over him, ‘So many soldiers died there.
My friends and my lover.'
A lump formed in his throat, and feelings of failure threatened to engulf him, but Atock and Kara chose that moment to ride up beside him.

“Are you ready, Flare?” Kara asked.

Flare cleared his throat before he spoke, “I thought that I was, but I can't get her face out of my mind.” He
said,
his eyes suddenly misty and hard to see through. “She's all I can think of...” His voice cracked, and a moment of uncomfortable silence ensued.

Flare again cleared his throat, and turned from the fort.
“All right.
Let's get moving.” With that, he started riding away from the fort, and this time he didn't look back.

Flare rode carefully on his horse, trying very hard not to bounce too roughly. His wounds were mostly healed and he felt fine, but he was still afraid of hurting himself. He expected to be extremely sore by the end of the day. Captain Mondell kept a slow pace, knowing that he was escorting healing soldiers and a civilian priest. They maintained a constant leisurely gait, and Flare found his spirits lifting. The sun on his face, the smell of the woods they rode through, and the feel of the softly blowing wind banished the depression he had been feeling and helped raise his spirits.

Riding on the rough stone road was enjoyable in the early summer sun, and Flare welcomed the smell of the forest. The fir trees were not what he had grown up with, but they suited him just fine, for now. Birds flew over head, and more chirped from limbs in nearby trees. Not surprisingly, birds were the only wildlife they saw. A company of mounted soldiers and supply wagons makes a lot of noise, and the only animals that watched the men pass, watched them from well concealed hiding places.

They rode through the day, taking numerous stops. Flare hurt some from riding the horse for so long, but he didn't complain. It felt good to be doing something again.

They stopped briefly for a cold lunch around noon. The guardians sat together and ate their food. The ride was raising the spirits of all the guardians, not just Flare. They also seemed to be in a good mood, even Trestus. They ate and laughed together for the first time in what seemed like forever.

The grin on Trestus' face almost caused Flare to choke up again, but instead he turned away, and looked directly into Kara's eyes. She too seemed moved by Trestus' laughter, but she also hid it.

Aaron moved gingerly, his leg was healed, but still sore. Dismounting for lunch, his leg had been stiff and he had feared that it would dump him on the ground. It had held, although he had maintained a death grip on the reins, just in case.

Enstorion also walked gingerly after dismounting from his horse.
 
He tried not to give any indication of his soreness to his fellow guardians, but still they noticed. It was kind of hard not to notice with the way he reached out his hands and slowly lowered himself to the ground. Several of them had to hide smiles at the look of relief on his face when his butt finally reached the ground.

They rode almost until dusk, and then Captain Mondell ordered a halt. The captain had picked a good campsite, and judging from the look of the ground, it had been used many times before. The campsite was a small field just to the right of the road, with a stream that ran a few hundred yards back into the trees. Not that there were many trees, they had been well picked over for firewood, and stumps were all around from where trees had been chopped down.

Flare was quite stiff and sore, but he helped set up camp. The camp came together quickly, as the soldiers were well practiced at pitching the tents and building the campfires. The guardians set up their own tents in a circle off to the side of the main company and Flare was amazed at how things had changed. On the trip to the fort, the tents would have been up in moments, but now it took a little longer.

Flare was sore and stiff, and judging by the way Aaron was moving he was about ready to fall over. Enstorion was nowhere in sight, but no one begrudged him.

Finally, the tents were up and Heather was building a small fire in between the tents. She had dug a small hole and lined the outside with small stones. Flare smiled, Heather didn't want the fire to get out of control. There wasn't any reason for her to be so concerned here, as the trees were thin and not close to the camp, but still she took her precautions.

Flare sighed as he moved forward to help with dinner. He had apparently gotten accustomed to having others cook his meals, and that was another thing that he would have to get unaccustomed to.

Watching Flare wobble forward to help with dinner, Aaron felt guilty as he slipped away from camp. He wanted to check on Elona. He had been assured that she would be fine traveling with the supply wagons, but he still wanted to see for himself.

He had seen her briefly at lunch, and she had still been flushed with excitement at being free of Stonewood. He smiled at the memory of her joyous look.

He wound his way through the encampment, back toward the road. The supply wagons were pulled just off of the road, the drivers were afraid to take them any farther for fear of getting stuck in the soft sand.