Tangled Visions, Part One

                                                                        Chapter Two

            "One is never alone when the heart is filled with anger."

                                                                        -Brigit Stoneheart

            Brigit looked up, putting a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun's glare.  It was almost noon now, on her second day of traveling out of Jubliant.  Now, as she scanned the horizon in front of her, Brigit felt sure that they could reach this small mountain crest in front of them by lunchtime.

            If only her companion could keep up.

            Bracing one foot against a rock outcropping, Brigit turned sideways to stare down the hillside again.  Twenty feet or so below her was a small black figure, huffing up the mountainside.  Brigit rolled her shoulders, readjusting the weight of the giant sword on her back.  She let out an inaudible sigh.

            "Are you all right, Mouse?" she called down.  Her voice echoed off the mountain walls.

            The black figure stopped, and Brigit saw the halfling turn to look up at her.

            "I'm fine, Mountain Runner!  Jest don' werry about yer little friend down 'ere!  'E's 'avin' the time of 'is life runnin' up mountains an' 'ills all day!  Don' fret about me, human!"

"Mountain Runner" was the name Mouse had given to Brigit, who so easily ran ahead and jumped easily over the almost impassable regions of the rocky peaks.  Mouse did not appreciate the woman's obvious gift of speed.

            "Would you like me to wait for you here, halfling?" Brigit called back.  She rolled her shoulders again.

            "You're sech a delight to travel with, human!  So courteous and considerate!" Mouse yelled back sarcastically.

            Brigit rolled her eyes and sat down heavily on the outcropping.  She studied her companion below.

            Mouse was a halfling, but tall for his species.  He stood almost 3'3'', with long dark hair pulled back tightly along his long skull.  He wore a full body suit of black leather armor, which, Brigit had found out, he never took off.  And that explained its broken in look.  And his.  Mouse's crossbow was slung across his back right now, along with a miniature backpack and bedroll.  As the halfling got closer, Brigit could clearly make out the halfling's thin frame and sharp facial features.  He had a long, straight nose, thin lips, and coal black eyes that glared angrily out at her from under finely arched eyebrows.  Had Mouse been a human, Brigit thought, she might have found him attractive.  As it was, he was a halfling and her traveling companion, so she saw him only as an annoying and somewhat amusing pest.

            And only somewhat amusing.

            Mouse reached Brigit finally, panting.  He gave the sitting, relaxed human a baleful look.

            "What?" Brigit said innocently.

            Mouse's eyes grew darker.

            "It's…all…you're…fault." was all the halfling managed to puff out.

            Brigit stood up, and brushed dirt off her muddy, stained clothing.

            "If we press on," she said curtly, "we can make it to the top of this mountain by noontime.  Then we can stop for an hour or two."

            Brigit looked at her companion for approval.

            Mouse gave her an angry look, and then said finally, "Fine.  Ehll 'ead."

            With that, the halfling stomped up the mountain.

            Brigit stood behind him for a couple of seconds, a little confused by the halfling.  Although he was tired, sweaty and hot, he continued to work, as if some sort of desperate need drove him onwards.  She watched him walk steadily up the mountain, his nimbleness, a halfling trait, helping him to move silently and gracefully up the mountainside.  Brigit sighed, a little envious of the ease with which Mouse avoided loose stones and slippery moss.  Such dexterity would truly have helped her get through tough spots.

            The two continued to trek up the mountain's face, with Brigit slowing her pace dramatically to match speeds with the halfling.  Mouse seemed to appreciate that, even if he didn't say anything. 

            Brigit, as usual, had predicted when they would reach the crest of the mountain.  Mouse had learned that Brigit had a sixth sense about time, and knew how long tasks would take and could always figure out the time by simply looking at the sun.  They stopped together, and sat down on the ridge.  Brigit chose a place with some natural cover- a small nook in the rock face protected from most sides by jutting rocks.  The two sat down for a minute, panting and collecting themselves.  Brigit reached into her bag, and withdrew her waterskin.  After taking a swig off it, she handed it to Mouse, who gratefully accepted it. 

            Suddenly, Brigit stood up, and began to walk off down the mountain the way they had come up.  Mouse's eyes widened.

            "Ay!  Where d'y'think yer goin'?" he yelled down to her.

            Brigit turned, and stared back up at him.

            "You want lunch, don't you?" 

She turned and disappeared out of sight.

            Mouse shook is head, and lay down to take a nap.

            * * * *

            Mouse opened his eyes as drool began to leak out of the corner of his mouth.  A thick, meaty smell, like steak or chicken being roasted filled the air.  He sat up slowly, and yawned.  He gasped in surprise at what he saw in front of him.

            Brigit was crouching in front of a small wood fire, a large male deer lying next to her.  A crossbow bolt stuck stiffly out of its neck.  The deer had been cleaned and sliced, and two large pieces of venison sat roasting on a grill over the fire.

            "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your crossbow," Brigit said to Mouse without turning to look at him.  Her attention was fixed on the steaks.  "I think the quarrel is still usable, if you can get it out."  She gestured to the buck.

            Mouse blinked in confusion.  He had missed most of what Brigit had just said.

            "Wait a second," he said slowly, his eyes on her, "yer tellin' me that you went out an' shotta deer on the mountainside?  An' now yer cookin' it?"  He paused, uncertain.  "Where'd yeh learn t'kill deer?"

            Brigit looked up from her fire.  A stony, confused expression filled her face.

            "I've hunted and killed armed men before, Mouse.  A deer is nothing."

            Mouse didn't say anything.  Somehow, he hadn't quite believed that the fierce, wild looking woman had actually killed before in her life.  Now, seeing that dead deer next to her made Mouse extremely uncomfortable.

            Mouse did not like uncomfortable silences.  They always made him feel like he was being watched.  And that was a feeling Mouse hated.  He made an attempt at conversation with Brigit.

            "Es et far frem the next town?"

            Brigit shook her head.

            "No, it's not.  It will take us some time to get there, I think."

            Mouse nodded, and coughed a bit.

            "Yes.  Erm…So…Deh yeh travel like this a lot, then?"

Brigit turned sharply, and gave the halfling a totally unreadable and very disconcerting look.

"Yes.  I have traveled a very long time."  Brigit looked off from the meat and away from Mouse even.  Her eyes traveled upwards, towards the stars. 

"I have been here…" she paused, and her eyes glazed over, as if memories had swallowed her up for a second and her sentence had dropped out of existence.  Her face went slack, as if something in her had died.  Then she snapped back to the present.  Brigit looked down quickly at the meat, and poked it for good measure.  "I have been here for four years.  Out here.  Yes…" her eyes misted over, and then she turned away so that Mouse couldn't see her face.

"Really?" Mouse said, unable to contain his growing curiosity, "Four years?  All by yerself?"  He sat up straighter in his bedroll.

"I do not think I have ever truly been alone, halfling," Brigit said, her voice gruff and her face hidden, "My head hears the voices of my past and my heart speaks back to them.  I have never been alone."

Mouse had no response to such a comment, and looked away from Brigit.

            They were quiet for some time, both listening to the fire crackle and the meat sizzle.  Other animal noises filled their ears- an owl hooted in the distance, and Mouse even thought he heard the distant sound of a wildcat scream.  Mouse looked up at the sky, and watched the sun sink lower over the protective crest of rocks in front of him.  Obviously, Brigit had decided to spend more than an hour or two on this mountain peak.  Mouse had a strange vague feeling that, perhaps, Brigit had decided to stay here so that the halfling could sleep longer, but he brushed the thought aside.  It seemed impossible that this human was capable of being amiable and nice.  Curious about the sun's dipping, Mouse stood up and climbed up onto the little ledge.

            What he saw astounded him.

Brigit looked up when she heard Mouse gasp.  He was crouched on the outcropping in front of them, and his mouth was hanging open.  Brigit stood up to see what he was looking at.

Spreading out in front of them, stretching for miles in all directions was grassland.  Rolling, sweeping hills, covered in long, golden brown grass filled the pair's visions, like a vast and beautiful type of lumpy quilt.  Over one hill, a herd of long antlered deer grazed, their heads bobbing up and down, routinely checking for predators.  The sun, sinking fast now, slowly dipped behind a mountain in the way far off distance, and suddenly the grass, deer, and sky turned a deep, blood red color washed over with pink.  Mouse and Brigit shielded their eyes from the glare.  A wind blew, and the grass shimmered golden and red.  The area was both beautiful and awe-inspiring.  But somehow, Mouse felt a deep sense of foreboding grow in his stomach as he studied the land.

"What es thes place?" Mouse wondered out loud.

Brigit sighed, and turned away from the landscape.

"That's… the Plains." She said quietly.  She picked up a stick and poked her fire with it.  "It's where the Raiders are."

"Kinda makes yeh jealous, don' it?" Mouse said, still staring at the land.  "I mean, it's so damn pretty.  And sem people's jest get t'live there."

Brigit poked the fire harder.

"It's where the Raiders are."

"I know," Mouse said, turning to her, "Yeh told meh that."

Brigit didn't say anything.

Mouse climbed down off the ledge.  He walked over to Brigit, and sat down next to her.  He sniffed the air.

"I think the meat's dehn now."

Brigit grabbed two plates out of Mouse's bag and slapped a piece of venison on each.  The two waited a bit for them to cool, then ate it with their fingers.

Mouse gobbled his down in a flash.  He ate ravenously, and after all the meat was gone licked his fingers and plate clean.  Brigit, watching him, handed over her half eaten slab.  Mouse almost swallowed it whole.

After he was done, he burped loudly and faced Brigit.

"If yeh cook that good all the time," he said, patting his now slightly bulging stomach, "I mey jest stick around longer."  With that, he unrolled his bedroll and lay down to sleep.  He was out in less than a minute.

Brigit sighed, and shook her head.  She unrolled her own bedroll, but did not lie down.  Instead, she stood up, and pulled herself up onto the ledge of rock.  For a while, she watched the now moonlit Plains, the long grass blowing gently in the night breeze.  The herd of deer was still there.  Brigit knew that they would stay there all night, grazing until that one area was totally eaten away, or until they were disturbed.  She had seen herds like this many times, and always watched over them, like a protective buck. 

Brigit's mind was blank for a long time.  She sat, staring out at the distant ruins in the southeast.  She drew her knees up against her body, and wrapped her arms around her legs.  She sat that way for a long time, pondering without actually thinking about anything.

Finally, when she knew the sun would rise in another four hours, Brigit uncurled herself, and stood up.  As soon as she did, a long, cold shiver that had nothing to do with the wind or weather went down her spine.  A single sentence went through her mind, filling her with indescribable emotions.

It's where the Raiders are.

* * * *

Mouse woke first.  He always did.  He had been an early riser his entire life, and he didn't intend to change his ways over a good bit of venison.  He stretched, and yawned quietly, not wanting to wake Brigit.  He sat quietly behind the rock outcropping, and slowly set to work doing the early morning things that needed to be done.  He started up the fire from the coals, and began to heat some water.  He rolled his bedroll up, and began to pack his stuff up.  As he packed, his eyes fell on Brigit, who slept peacefully next to him.  For a second, Mouse wondered at how easily she slept.  Had it been him lying there, he would have worried most of the night that his newly employed rogue might decide that this little adventure wasn't worth it, and kill the his employer in his sleep.  For a second, Mouse wondered why he wasn't doing that now.

 He reached for his dagger.

Then, a new thought came into his head.  Brigit had been his guide the entire time they were out here.  If she died, Mouse knew it was highly unlikely that he would be able to get back to Jubliant.  Or any other town, for that matter.  One look over those vast, sweeping valleys had showed him just how much land there was out there to get lost in.  Mouse didn't like the idea of fighting Raiders, but he liked the idea of getting lost out there with them even less.  So for now, he would do his best to keep Brigit alive, so that she could get him safely inside a town before he ran off.

Mouse took his hand off his dagger.

Yawning, Mouse set to work putting more deer meat over the flames.  The meat, though cold and not quite well preserved was probably still good for another day or two.  And Mouse was very hungry right now, so he intended to get as much off the deer as possible.

            The flames licked at the meat on the grill, making comforting noises as the grease on the venison heated up.  The smell began to rise up through the air.  Mouse savored it.

            Deciding there was nothing left to do until Brigit woke up, Mouse settled on taking a look around the area again.  Moving quietly past his sleeping companion, Mouse grabbed hold onto the ridge, and pulled himself up without a sound. 

            The sun was just rising over the tops of  the mountains behind him, and the early morning rays lit up the fair lands in front of Mouse pleasantly.  The grass, a sweet honey color, blew gently in the breezes, and Mouse felt a sense of peace wash over him.  He looked over the Plains once more.

            The deer were gone.

            Mouse heard a hissing sound, and something chinked off the rock next to him.  An arrow, long, black and crude looking, clattered down the mountainside.  Mouse jumped back and yelled in fright.  Twenty feet below him, on a little ridge stood two Raiders, each holding small bows.  One was reloading, and the other was just about to fire.

            Mouse ducked, and the arrow that surely would have impaled him flew by over his head. Mouse jumped off the ledge as quickly as he could, landed gracefully, and ran over to shake Brigit out of her sleep.

            She wasn't in her bedroll. 

            Mouse heard a metallic clang above him, and looked up.  Standing off to one side slightly higher than Mouse was Brigit, and a new friend.  The Raider was holding some type of scimitar, and swung it, two handed, at Brigit's exposed middle.

            With a grace beyond anything humanly possible, Brigit dodged the blow and cut in with her own.  Her sword sliced through the man's armor, and buried itself deep in his side.  Blood seeped out of the ghastly wound, which had almost cut the man in half. It blossomed over the man's black robes, and when Brigit withdrew her sword with a mighty yank, he fell to the ground as dead as a stone.

            Chink!  Chink!

            Two arrows hit the rocks next to Brigit, one missing her by less than an inch.  The human jumped down next to Mouse, her wicked sword still held out in front of her.  The two had cover under the huge, jutting stones, and for now the arrows from below stopped flying.

            Brigit turned to Mouse with a wry smile on her face.

            "I think it's time to see how good you are with that crossbow."

            Mouse swallowed, and reached down next to him.  He picked up the slightly beat up weapon, and loaded it.  Walking quietly, Mouse tried to find some sort of crack in the rocks where he could look down upon the Raiders without having to worry about them hitting him.  He found such a crack, and settled down in front of it.

            The Raiders below him were arguing, but Mouse couldn't understand what they were saying.  Their black clothing, which covered everything up the their heads was swishing wildly in the wind, making it hard for Mouse to figure out a vulnerable spot.  Sucking in his breath, Mouse pressed the trigger.

            The bolt hit the Raider closest to him in the back of the neck, and the man slumped forwards, falling onto his friend.  The other Raider dropped the body quickly, and lifted his bow.  He looked everywhere for Mouse, but couldn't seem to find him.  Mouse reloaded his crossbow.  Suddenly, the Raider's gaze stopped roving around, and Mouse knew that the man had seen him.  He ducked as an arrow flew by where his head had been seconds earlier. 

            Mouse ran back to Brigit, who nodded to the halfling.

            "Good job." She said.  Then she turned her gaze back down the mountain.  "There's one left," she said, surveying the scene, "can you get him?"

            Mouse rolled his eyes.

            "Yeh, sure.  O' course I can get 'im.  Ehts jest a matter o' not gettin' meself shot up in the process."

            Brigit looked up.

            "Climb up on the ridge.  I'll distract him.  You shoot."

            "Sure, yeh." Mouse said.  He slung the crossbow lightly over his back and crept up the side of the ridge.

            Brigit sprang up onto it, and started yelling at the top of her lungs.  The Raider turned to look, and aimed his bow at Brigit.  As he did so, Mouse pressed the trigger.  The bolt flew straight, like it always did with Mouse, and hit the man in the chest.  He staggered back too far, and fell off the ledge.

            The crunch his body made when it landed was plainly audible.

            Brigit and Mouse both sighed.  The human, looking tired, jumped down off the ridge and leaned against a stone.  She breathed out heavily.  Wind whistled through the cracks in the rocks.

            "Scouts," Brigit said finally, "Those were scouts.  Whatever party has gone through here sent scouts ahead or behind to check for followers.  I didn't expect to see any Raiders around here, though.  Too close to the next city, Farley." 

            Mouse didn't answer.

            Brigit turned to look at her companion.  She gasped in surprise.

            A large arrow was sticking out of Mouse's side.  The halfling fingered it, a confused expression on his face.  Then, eyes closing, Mouse fell off the ledge and into the nook.

            Brigit leapt forward and caught him before he hit the ground.  She put him gently on the ground, careful not to disturb the wound. 

            With a leap that would have impressed a gazelle, Brigit jumped onto the ledge, and looked down.  Running up the hill, sword drawn and bow across her back was another Raider.  She let out a furious cry and charged Brigit.

            Brigit reached down, and unlatched the axe on her belt.  Grasping the superbly balanced weapon in her right hand, she turned sideways, and watched the woman charge her.  Then, taking careful aim, Brigit flung the throwing axe straight at the Raider.

            It hit her squarely between the eyes.  She dropped dead on the spot.

            Brigit dropped down onto the nook again, and crouched next to Mouse.  Fortunately, the wound didn't look so bad- it seemed to have missed most of the important organs and gone straight through his side muscles instead.   Brigit bit her lip, and sat Mouse up.  She had to remove the arrow, otherwise Mouse would surely die in minutes.  The positioning of the wound didn't mean much-instead of Mouse dying in seconds, as he would have if the wound had pierce his liver or other close by organs, Mouse would now die, slowly and painfully of blood loss.  Unless, of course, Brigit could heal him.  Or, at least, get the halfling to someone who could. 

But first, she had to remove the arrow.  Brigit told Mouse this, and waited for his answer.

Mouse's face was now tinged with green, and he couldn't speak.  He nodded to her though, and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting.  Mouse was gasping for breath. 

Grasping the arrowhead in her hand, Brigit counted to three and yanked.  She pulled the arrow straight through his side.  Mouse screamed in pain, and grabbed Brigit's arm reflexively.  Brigit hugged him close to her, until he had stopped groaning in pain.  Then the human reached into her bag, and withdrew a shirt.  She ripped it into strips and tied them around Mouse's slim waist.  The halfling had passed out by now.  Brigit lifted the little figure up gently, and marveled at how light he was.  Placing him carefully over her shoulders, Brigit stood up and headed down the mountainside.

            Anger bubbled up inside her.  Thoughts, like many angry voices yelling at each other filled her skull.  As she reached the body of the axed Raider, Brigit paused.  Then, without any remorse or sense of dignity, she reached down and yanked the axe out of the woman's head.  Then she kicked her over the side of the cliff.  Let her join her companion on the rocks below.

            Anger filled Brigit.  She wanted to dismember the woman, rip her limb from limb. But somehow, something cool near the back of her mind told her not to give in.  She had to save Mouse.

            Farley was a day's run away.  Had Mouse been in good condition, it would have taken them at least another two days.  Now she could make it there within the hour.

            Brigit ran.