Disclaimers: Same thing that everyone else says applies here. Language, Violence, Naughty Bits, blah blah blah.
Chapter 7
We looked down at the little village below us. There was no sign of life in the streets, not even livestock gazed in the fields. Bishop stopped suddenly, holding up a hand to halt our progress. "Hold on - something isn't right."
"It's a little late for everyone to be abed still…" Khelgar burred, concern creeping into his voice.
"I agree - the village is abandoned, no villagers, no smoke in the chimneys... and no livestock. Somehow I doubt they have every animal penned up in the barns…" A sinking feeling crept over me as my hands went to my weapons. My eyes stubbornly peered around, looking for any sign of life and normality.
Bishop gave me the appraising look I was becoming all to familiar with. "Now you're learning, good. Keep listening to me, and you might stay alive."
Indignant, I glared at him but before I could say anything, Khelgar stepped forward. "I think the lass was doing jes fine before ya came along ranger," he said in a defensive growl.
Slightly startled, I glanced at the dwarf. He was always defended me in a fight, but this was the first time he jumped to my side in a conversation. It seemed like Casavir wasn't the only one Bishop was getting to. Like that's a surprise…
Bishop took a step towards the fighter, contempt in his face. "And somehow I doubt that was due to any help from you. You're so loud I could have picked you all off a hundred times over before you even knew I was there…"
"Enough," I snapped. "Ease down, or at least finish this fight later. We are closing in on them and need to move fast to catch up before sundown. They aren't hiding their tracks anymore, but it will still be to hard to follow after dark."
At the look Bishop gave me I rolled my eyes. "You're not the only one who can read some tracks, and the ones they are leaving would be clear to a blind sailor." Sarcasm added bite to my voice. Hopefully everyone would get the hint and we could move on.
Ignoring my comment and turning back to the path, Bishop knelt next to a track, suspicion creeping into his voice. "It's almost as if they want us to keep up. I don't like it."
"Alright then, oh mighty ranger, should we wait here, see what happens?"
I heard Khelgar snort off to the side as Bishop looked at me grimly. "You're being a little cautious, don't normally care for that - but here, I think you're right. Keep your eyes open and your weapon handy. I smell an ambush."
Well, what do you know… I thought as githyanki spilled out from behind the houses and charged us, weapons drawn. Tightened my grip on my own blades, I tensed in preparation.
*******
"Nice little ambush they planned here. Decent effort, sloppy execution. It might have even worked if I hadn't been here."
My back to him, I childishly mimicked his words to the dead gith below me as I struggled to pull my rapier out of its body. My last desperate thrust had slit his throat, but also lodged the blade into his clavicle. The bone made a sickening crack as I yanked the blade out, and I was hard pressed to suppress a shudder.
As soon as it was free I looked around at my companions, trying to assess injuries. It appeared we had survived mostly unscathed much to my relief. Although Elanee was a pain to have tag along, her skills at healing were able to put Casavir's to shame.
With expectancy and a bit of grim pleasure, Bishop's low voice interrupted my assessment. "Ah, and I was wondering where their reinforcements were. Come on, we're not done here yet." Looking over to his direction, I saw more of the green skinned assassins coming toward us. Sighing, I hoisted my weapon and cloaked myself in a nearby shadow as best as possible, hoping to get a clear shot at one of their backs as they came close.
Casavir and Khelgar charged forth to engage the incoming group. Blood flew in the as metal screamed against metal. One gith was quickly dispatched but several more remained. Suddenly I smelled electricity in the air. Looking around franticly I saw the githyanki mage hiding behind a building, hands waving in preparation for a lightning spell. Quickly, I pulled out the shortbow I carried and notched an arrow. After taking a precious second to target, I let it fly. I watched its path with anxious eyes and noted with some pride that it took the bastard out in one shot. Ha! Try casting with an arrow in the throat, you overgrown frog… Uh oh - seeing that I had been spotted, I switched back to my blades as two of the gith broke off of the group Khelgar and Casavir were fighting and headed my direction.
The two were on me fast, and I was having difficulties holding them off. I saw the desperate look Casavir sent my direction, wanting to help me, but unable to fight his way free. I fought as if my life depended on it, which of course it did. A slash here, a slash there and they each bled from several different wounds, but nothing big enough to slow them down.
Seeing that the group the others were fighting was starting to fall, I renewed my efforts, managing to kill one of them. As the gith fell, the remaining one slammed the hilt of his broadsword into my shoulder. As my rapier fell from my suddenly numb fingers, the gith smiled evilly at me. Left with only my dagger, I was certain my end was near. It was one of those crystal clear moments when everything seems to move in slow motion. I saw the paladin and dwarf running toward me and as the planar raised his blade for a killing stroke, I knew they would never reach me in time.
Suddenly, within the space of a blink, the gith sprouted more quills than a hedgehog and fell the ground lifeless. I looked wide eyed in the direction my rescue had come from and saw Bishop lowering his bow, his quiver nearly depleted. We stared at each other for a moment before that mocking smile slide back into place on his face.
******
Casavir's hands were warm with healing energy as he fixed my dislocated shoulder. Rotating it with a happy sigh, I thanked him, and noted with amusement the blush that crept along his cheeks. Have his eyes always been that blue? I wondered as I looked at the man who always was there to watch my back and to fix me when I got in trouble. Before I could think on it any further, I caught the last part of what Bishop was saying.
"They left a large force in this village... which means it'll be easier on us when we catch up to the others - as long as we catch them before they go to ground."
"If their forces are divided, good - but that means the remainder will travel faster, and the trail will be harder to follow."
He looked at me, slight surprise on his face before he could mask it. "Eh? Well, now, aren't you a bright ray of hope." The sarcasm was so thick I could almost feel it.
"She was just pointing out the realities of the situation, Bish-" Casavir started with irritation.
Bishop swung around to glare at him. "I suggest you rein in that attitude of yours, paladin - what, you think our leader can't speak for herself?"
"It was not my intention to speak for her." Casavir said a tad defensively.
"Yeah? Then don't - and maybe next time you'll sound convincing." Bishop's voice was snide as he stalked closer to the other man.
Out of frustration, I gave the nearest body a swift kick to get their attention. Startled, they looked over at me. "Andshe is tired of being spoken about as if shewere not here!" As I glared at the two men, I noticed while Casavir had the grace to look slightly ashamed, Bishop just looked smug. Figuring the point had gotten across; I took a closer look at one of the houses. A curtain had twitched back and a pale, frightened face peeked out.
Out of nowhere anger rose in me. "They… they just hid. No one even tried to fight." My voice was soft and incredulous. I shook my head. When West Harbor was attacked, we didn't just hide. We fought for our homes…
Casavir saw the anger in my face and tried to make me see reason. "The githyanki are not common soldiers, and the villagers are not veterans of battle like we are." His calm words made sense, but I still couldn't shake the feeling of disbelief and a small amount of contempt for these people.
"This is not the first time the githyanki have appeared at a village unawares - surprise and ambushes favor them. I think the behavior of the villagers can be forgiven."
My head snapped up and my anger focused on his last words. "Forgiven?" I spat bitterly. "The people of West Harbor are not veterans of battle and yet they still fought. They fought and died to protect their homes, they didn't just lay down like kicked dogs when the gith came." Without even realizing it, I took a step towards the paladin, fists clenching in anger. Casavir looked at me, blue eyes widening in surprise at my vehemence. I 'm not sure what exactly he saw in my face, as my green eyes blazed at him in warning, but it was enough to make him take a step back.
"Ah yes, that's right. Duncan told me what happened there... what do you think would have happened to your little swamp village if all of you had decided to surrender and wait the gith out?" I quickly turned to Bishop and saw that while his words were directed at me, he was staring at Casavir with a sneer.
The paladin looked back at him coldly, annoyance chasing out the concern on his face. "We don't deal in what might have been, Bishop... and these were untrained villagers - this is not West Harbor, and it is not the same." Disapproval heavy in his tone, and I knew it had to irritate Bishop just as much as it did me.
Oh, you're just digging your self deeper and deeper paladin…
"You know what would have happened as well as I do - at least I admit it."
"Those who stand up for themselves are the ones who deserve to live," I said coldly. I don't remember being so angry before, but seeing the dead gith laying on the ground and feeling our own blood still wet on our clothing brought back memories of that night that I had tried hard to forget.
"That's what I say. After all, if you aren't willing to kill for it, how important can it be?"
"Fighting is not the only option - and a willingness to die is not always a testament to what one believes."
"You keep telling yourself that. I heard a little about Old Owl Well, wonder what you were willing to die for there, eh?"
Leaving them to bicker with each other like fishwives, I took a few deep breaths, trying hard to get the screams and the images of the lifeless eyes of people I had grown up with out of my head. By sheer force of will, I slammed that door shut in my brain. Get a grip Kathrynn, now is not time to revisit that. Save it for when you're very, very, drunk.
"Let's stop wasting time talking and move," I snapped, cutting in to their argument. I raised my hands to my temples, rubbing at the headache I could feel starting to pulse behind my eyes.
"Fine by me. Let's leave this worthless village behind, th-"
Bishop was interrupted as a small blond woman stepped in front of us from behind a building. "Forgive me... you... are you hunting a woman, Shandra Jerro?" she asked tentatively, fear showing clearly on her face.
I looked at her. She was petite, with flaxen hair and cornflower blue eyes, but what really struck me, is how much she reminded me of Amie. As my thought lingered over the friend that I left in West Harbor, staring lifelessly into the sky with such similar eyes, my voice came out harsher than I originally intended. "We are, and the longer we speak to you, the farther she gets."
She shot a scared look at my face before stammering, "Those creatures, we heard her screaming as they were carrying her off - I tried to call out to her, but... I didn't realize they had her at first, but she makes a merchant run through Ember and Port Llast during harvest season. We hadn't seen her yet this year, though, and-" She paused for a moment, as if realizing we didn't know who she was. "Sorry, where are my manners – my name is Alaine. Please, I saw the beasts taking her to the mountains to the northeast - they barely have an hour on you, but they were moving fast. Oh, and thank you for saving us from those creatures, I can't th-"
I cut off her ramblings with an angry wave of my hand. "You already have done enough by letting them ambush us," I snapped at her. Shocked, she just stared at me. "Now get out of the way!" I snarled when she didn't move. Quickly she stepped back and allowed us to pass.
As we walked by, Bishop could resist stopping in front of her. "Listen to our leader. Next time, fight, girl. Or next time, you'll die." His voice was cold and angry as he glowered down at her.
Casavir's deep baritone voice chastised him. "Not if I am here, ranger - should you or anyone else forsake them."
Bishop looked over to him with a sneer. "You can't be everywhere, "paladin." And sometimes defending the weak just keeps them weak."
Having had about as much of their arguing as I could take, I stalked off with the dwarf in tow. I had walked almost to the edge of town before they had even realized we had left. I hadn't planned on stopping to allow them to catch up, but a young voice called out to me from behind a tree.
"It's you... you're the one who will destroy Ember"
I stop in my tracks and looked at the speaker. It was a young boy, with dark hair and eyes that couldn't have been more than nine or ten. He seemed pale but otherwise strangely calm after what had just happened. Something isn't quite right with this boy, my thoughts whispered; there's something creepy about him…
"What are you talking about? I've never been here before," I asked, confused as to his meaning.
He tilted his head to the side, looking puzzled. Suddenly, I felt something radiating off the boy, an unseen force that washed over me in waves. "Wait... no... I was mistaken. Strange... the killer looks like you, but isn't."
As he took a few steps closer to me, the force around him got stronger, making the air thick and difficult to breathe. As if noticing my discomfort he stopped and glanced around calmly, before his eyes settled back on my face. "I am called Marcus. Know that Ember cannot be saved. All within the village when the time comes will perish except one - me. I think you are carrying something which will allow me to survive. You cannot help me in any other way." Hearing him state the impending doom of his village in such a matter-of-fact voice was chilling, especially out of one so young.
I looked into his eyes and saw an age there that belied his years. I tried to ignore the chill that was raising the hairs on the back of my neck. "Only you? What about the other villagers?" I asked softly.
"Ember's fate is set in stone, but mine is not. However, I will share Ember's fate unless you help me." Again, I was struck with how calm he was. Wordlessly I held out my pack to him. "Thank you," he said as he carefully looked through the bag, pawing aside the bones, hides, and teeth that had started to accumulate at the bottom. Note to self, clean out the bag when I get back to Neverwinter. Maybe Sand can take a look at those and see if there is anything interesting he could do with them… He withdrew his hand with a disappointed look. "You have nothing I can use." Looking up, he pointed behind me. "What about him?"
I glanced to where he was pointing, surprised to see Bishop standing there. Somehow the boy's presence had knocked out my perception of the rest of the world and I hadn't heard him walk up. Not a good thing for someone in my line of work, I thought as Bishop stepped forward.
"What about me?" he asked, with the beginnings of anger in his voice.
Feeling as though it was important even though I couldn't understand, I asked Bishop to let him look. After leveling me a long look, he finally turned back to the boy. "Fine. Try to take anything, and I'll take both your hands as trophies. Got it?"
"Ah, such a way with children," Khelgar muttered from behind me, and despite the situation, a tiny smile quirked my lips.
"Your knife - it is... different. I believe it can save me."
Bishop looked at Marcus with interest and drew the knife out of the bag. "My skinning knife? I've had this thing forever, there's nothing special about it."
I stepped forward to take a look. It appeared to be just a regular skinning knife to me. "What's so special about that knife?" I asked curiously.
"There is a power sleeping in it, but it will not awaken while it is in your hands." Like anything would be stupid enough to sleep while in his hands I thought. Or anyone… my body whispered suggestively. I glared mentally at my libido. I merely mean that if any thing or one were to find themselves helpless and in his hands, they might not survive it.
Despite my thoughts, I calmly looked at them both. "I see. Bishop, give him the knife." Seeing he was about to argue with me I held up a hand. "Just give him the knife," I said tiredly.
He glared at me defiantly. "No. Unless this knife is going between his eyes, it's staying with me."
Taking a step closer to him, I tried a different tactic. Asking hadn't worked so I resorted to the next best thing… Bribery.
"Keep traveling with me, and I'll make sure you're rewarded a hundred times over."
He looked at me, as if weighing the offer. "That so? Fine... but I'm not going to forget this, or how much you owe me."
Rubbing my temples in an attempt to sooth the pounding, I nodded distractedly. Grudgingly, Bishop handed the knife to the boy. Without another word, we started in the direction that Alaine had indicated.
