Alvar chose to employ the very same sentries he had taken the night before to defend his carriage from outside attack. He paid them well, as it was not only his own life he put at stake when he traveled, but those of his men; although they may have gone out of sheer loyalty without pay, the treasury was overflowing this year and the House Nexastrien would not ever be seen exploiting its people. Such was the code of his upbringing, and such was the reason for the loyalty his subjects showed him. During his time of need, he always rationalized, this benevolence would come through to his aid, just as the force of karma found its way to exact vengeance upon the wicked and prosperity upon the good.
Karma, Alvar thought to himself.
They merely experienced karma coming around on them. They sinned, and now they must atone. Justification came cheap, no less in this case than in any other. He peered out of the horse-drawn cart, vision of the world outside quickly stabilizing to accommodate the bumpy dirt road the wheels sank and rose sporadically to conform to. Fifteen retainers watched, eyes almost paranoid in their careful vigil of the forest around them, but professionally confident in their perceptions. It was an interesting thing, seeing such trained aptitude in something as abstract as holding witness to the space outstretched in all directions. Though maintenance of power required a certain degree of awareness regarding one’s surroundings, never could he dream of disciplining his eyes and ears to create such an accurate replica of omniscience. It was a common misconception that a guard was a born killing machine; on the contrary, guards of their stature were selfless and vital extensions of a commanding body; their purpose was not to kill and kill again, but to defend their lord with their very lives if need be, though admittedly they much preferred offering the sacrifice of an assailant as a more pleasant alternative to ending their trip down the mortal coil.
It didn’t take the carriage long to arrive in a fortified area; the guards of the small town welcomed him, and a small dispatch joined the fifteen soldiers to escort them to the manor; despite the nightfall besetting the land, the loud actions signified that safety was a guarantee straight from the town to its lord. Upon his arrival, Alvar marked the faces of these local guards, gauging their valor and loyalty by the expressions they harbored and the feelings they exuded. They were surprisingly courageous for such a small place, material to be warriors in a place that would by size alone be lucky to possess a volunteer militia. It was, to say the least, respectable.
The retainers of the manor noted his arrival, and came out to carry his belongings. “Good eve, Lord Nexastrien; I trust your journey was safe and pleasant?”
“Yes, of course. I must say, it was like riding on the back of a cloud.” It was a bold-faced lie; his back hurt from the restlessness of the prior night, and his body ached, but as situations would have it, the trip was every bit as accommodating as it could have been. Also, responding with the contrary upon first impression would set a shadow of pessimism over the entirety of his stay, and the mood present in the manor had a way of bleeding out into the town. The last thing Alvar wanted was an unhappy population in his presence, especially one made that way by his own doing.
“Will you be having your tea, then?”
”No, thank you. This is a new place to me; I should be loath to sit, even to eat or drink, when such a multitude of sights are pulling at my attentions at once. No, I’d much rather see the sights of the town.”
“At this time at night? It’s dangerous to go out this late.”
He smirked in reply. “Of course. I find things much more beautiful under the veil of the night sky. We’ll stay to the safer areas, if you feel more comfortable doing so.”
“Then let us go, my lord.” Two guards accompanied them, and they went out into the night.
Jennifer turned to the woman in her cave. "We're not in the middle of the desert; we're in the Ki Mountains just to the north of the desert," She replied. "Consider yourself lucky we ran out of supplies. You're free to go as soon as you can." Her voice ran cold.
Ah, thought Dove, so my welcome has already run out. She smiled politely and took Caitir's reins in one hand. "Very well," she said aloud. "The Ki Mountains, eh? Can you tell me in what direction to ride to reach the city the fastest?"
"Northeast is most likely," Jennifer said. "There's a map on the table there; you can take it, if you like. I never use it."
A figure in a dark cloak stood on a hill, watching as the guards left the girls alone. A smile formed beneath the hood. Mirala would be pleased.
"Now, to set the bait..."
He swirled the cloak, and, in a flash of shadow, was gone.
Dove nodded quietly and moved to the table to study the map. She didn't take it; she didn't need anything else cluttering her saddlebags. Instead, she committed her path to memory and led Caitir to the front of the cave. "Well," she said after a moment. "You have my sincerest thanks for rescuing me, and I'll be on my way now. Fare thee well, Jennifer Hartcourt."
With that, she slipped her left foot into the stirrup and climbed into the saddle, murmuring something to Caitir as she did so and riding away from the mouth of the cave, down a slope that would have given most other horses serious doubts.
"Sincerest thanks are worth diddly squat this far south," Jennifer called, "but if you run across some quetzlbloom be sure to bring it back; I could use some." She went back to her work, putting on her helmet and returning to the blaze.
"Are we there yet?" Arin complained as they continued their journey. "I'm not sure I have feet any more!" She paused before asking, "Where
are we going again?"
"We're going to find Karen's friend. You didn't remember that she was kidnapped? Also, you make it seem like this walking is terrible, we've only walked a few miles...we have many more to go." Eleni explained.
"I know
why we're travelling, but not where we're going! I mean, are we heading in towards any specific place?" Arin clarified. "And a few miles is a lot to someone who rarely leaves more populated areas. So I have every right to complain! My logic is flawless. "
Eleni just laughed to herself and kept walking. Arin would be used to this type of walking when their job was done.
Suddenly, a scream ran out from ahead, then was sharply cut off. The woods fell silent.
Eleni came to a sudden halt, waiting for the noise again. Arin did the same.
"Karen, do you think you may know what that is? You've lived here longer and know the woods better don't you?" Eleni asked. She feared the worst, but planned on attacking if necassary.
"It's the boogy man! I knew I never should have left home!" Arin whispered half joking.
The scream did not come again, and the birds and other wildlife gradually resumed their normal activity.
"The boogey man?" Eleni asked. "What kind of nonesense are humans relaying into the minds of their children?" Resting her arm from holding her bow, she sat, taking a long needed break, for all of them.
"I don't believe in it myself, it's just fun to say!" Arin exclaimed with a grin, taking a seat next to Eleni.
Karen chewed her lip thoughtfully. "It might just be a wild cat or close enough. I've heard that they sound like a woman screaming when the yowl. But it could be someone in trouble...." She leaned against a tree.
Eleni stared in the relative direction the scream came from.
"I'm not going to risk it being trouble. I suggest you two stay here while I check it out..." She walked away into the forest.
"Hey! We're not babies? Why can't we go?" Arin complained to Karen as Eleni disapeared.
As soon as Eleni was far enough away not to interfere, fifteen hooded archers stepped out of the woods in a ring around the two girls.
"Don't move." A swordsman, also in a hood, stepped forward from behind one of the archers. "There's no escape."
Farther down the trail, in the direction Eleni went, the body of a young boy lay on the ground. Blood was everywhere.
Eleni walked to the direction in which the scream had come from. She saw the body, and was appauled. Who could have done this? she thought to herself. She heard Arin though, very faintly, talking to someone. Then she heard the man's voice. She needed to get back, she had to help Karen. Arin would be able to handle herself somewhat, but Karen was the one who couldn't afford getting caught.
Besides, if the man or whoever that was there hurt that boy and probably killed him, she couldn't risk letting that happen to her friends.
Eleni turned on her heel and ran up the road. She didn't want to be seen, so she hid behind a nearby bush. Probably the wisest move she could have done at the particular moment.
There was a crackling in the bushes, and three more cloaked men with swords walked towards the girls, stoping not five feet away from Eleni.
Stumble!