Chapter Eight: Truths shall be revealed...
Always trust in your instincts.
They will keep you alive and well.
Trust in others instincts, as well, for they can be an asset for your side.
-Lady Tamaida of Ninequor to her children in a game of hide-and-seek.
After breakfast her first day back on her feet, Teirra found herself escorted by Wyhon to the stables. She had a feeling about what it was to be about, but she didn't let on. Better to prolong the explanations as long as she could. It was a survival technique her brother and herself had developed and taken a liking to when they were younger.
Wyhon took her along-side the stables and to a hastily built pen for at least two dozen horses and ponies. Alan, Grufford, Taex and the Lioness, along with several other stable hands, awaited them along the fence. At her arrival, several of the horses came for a closer look, including a large, coal black stallion she suspected was their herd-master.
"What exactly did you tell them?" Alanna asked her with a smirk, her arms crossed over her chest.
You said we'd be cared for, the stallion tossed his head at her, impatient for her attention.
They all wanted an explanation first. "I'm trying, please be patient," she told the horse aloud, then she blushed at the curious looks she received.
"Well?" Taex prompted, reminding her that the adults were waiting for her.
"Uh, it required a bribe." Teirra replied quietly and weakly. She didn't know how else to describe it.
"What kind of bribe?" Grufford crossed his arms sternly.
Teirra narrowed her eyes at him before turning her attention to the others. She owed him no explanation. "I promised they'd be well cared for if they helped us."
"Two dozen? Where are the rest?" Alan asked her, for a moment looking very much like his mother beside him, complete with the smirk and amused eyes.
"I don't know. Maybe they ran off." Teirra admitted. She looked to the stallion for an answer. Do you know? The stallion simply tossed his head.
"Several nearby villages have reported the same number of horses there." Alanna supplied. "We can account for most of them."
"I'm sorry." Teirra apologized to them. She hadn't meant to cause a problem.
Wyhon smiled and patted her shoulder gently. "At least she didn't just tell them to run. Then we'd have to find them. She has a habit of doing that."
Teirra blushed deeply. Did he have to bring that up? They would probably decide they wouldn't need her help any further. She couldn't blame them, either. She would decide not to use her help in she were in their position.
"They're good horses. We'll find a place for them; a good place." Alan told her, reaching into his pocket for a lump of sugar and passing it back to the mare that had come up behind him and nudged him.
"It does make life easier." Alanna remarked. "They're unhorsed, but until they officially surrender, we have to assume they are simply regrouping. This is unlike any bandit group I've experienced." The Lioness led them away from the fence and toward the gate.
"It's unlike any I've heard of, and Teirra tells me a lot when we meet." Taex remarked. "You don't think they're-"
"I don't know." Alanna replied when Taex didn't finish, but they all knew what he was thinking, what they were all thinking.
"You would think they had enough." Teirra muttered, not meaning to be heard.
"You would think." Alan muttered in return as he came to walk beside her.
Once outside the gate, Alanna and Wyhon left them to contact the king in Corus and update him. Teirra didn't envy them. The news they'd give him would not be all good. She couldn't imagine he'd be happy about it. Taex waved them good-bye as he headed back inside, probably to talk with the count of Slate Coast.
"Get your bow and some arrows." Alan instructed her. "I'll meet you by the Own's camp. We mustn't get rusty." He left her, heading toward where his mother had gone.
Teirra sighed and headed toward her camp for her bow. She highly doubted that they were ever get rusty, but he had to humor him. Perhaps she'd invite Taex to join them. He would like to see how far she had come and she would like to see him shoot. The siblings had never seen one another use their skills before.
Teirra was in high spirits when she reached the camp and relieved Jak of his duty to watch the camp. He thanked her warmly and headed toward the stream for a cleaning, promising to return quickly. She welcomed the empty space compared to the busy walled city. She was a country girl at heart.
She patted Prancer as she walked by, greeting him warmly. He nuzzled her shoulder in concern and she dug into her pocket and offered him a carrot, then headed for her pack.
She didn't hear him come up behind her, but she did heard the sound of a knife being unsheathed. She whirled around to face her attacker. She couldn't get a good enough glance as she was spun back around and then knife held to her throat. Teirra found herself wishing she were a bit bigger and quite a big stronger.
"You're getting in the way, my lady. Taking horses, tsk, tsk. That isn't a very honorable thing to do. Stealing, isn't that against your honor?" Grufford muttered into her ear.
Teirra grabbed at his arm, trying to pull it away. She kicked her foot back, but Grufford anticipated the move. She kicked again, but missed. All she had to do was keep pulling at his arm to keep that knife away. She had to fight. She wasn't going to be taken like her mother had been, never!
Prancer! She called out, desperate. Saka, get help!
The horses pulled at their ties. Breaking free, Prancer plowed into the back of Grufford with all the force of a raging bull. They flew forward, Teirra falling out of the man's reach and taking a moment to regain her breathe after hitting the hard ground. Ahead of her, Saka pulled free of his reigns and raced to find his owner.
Teirra scrambled just as Grufford did so, reaching for the knife that had been tossed aside. She was on her hands and knees when Grufford reached out and grasped it. She jumped back, climbing to her feet, trying to gain ground. She had to stay out of reach of the blade.
Prancer, behind Grufford, clasped his mouth on the man's hand. Grufford cried out and nearly dropped his weapon as he pulled free, but it had given Teirra enough time to grab her own knife from the nearest pack, probably Iris's. It didn't matter.
"Teirra!" Jak came running from the stream, dripping wet and trying to pull on his shirt.
Grufford lounged for Teirra as she looked at Jak and she nearly missed the blade, jumping back and tumbling over the pack she'd taken the knife from. On her back and with her attacker so close, Teirra felt the panic rise in her chest. She held out the knife in her hand in a mock defense.
Prancer spun around and kicked his hind legs out at Grufford. Teirra heard a horrible crack as hoof connected with Grufford's right leg. The man went down, nearly falling on top of Teirra, who rolled out of the way.
Teirra scrambled out of the way as Jak brought a sword to the man's throat. "Drop the knife, Master Hale."
Teirra collected herself and stood just as Opion came bounding through on Saka. He looked less than thrilled and a man more dangerous than Teirra had ever seen. He slid off Saka's back and strode over to them. "Are you alright?"
Teirra nodded grimly, catching her breathe. "Yes, sir."
"Good." Opion replied sternly and looked at the man under Jak's sword. "Teirra, go and get Wyhon and a few of the Own. Jak, get some rope and tie this man up, then splint his leg." The burly man drew his sword and replaced Jak's as the younger Rider went about as he was told.
Teirra turned to Prancer and pulled herself onto his back. "Where would I find him?"
"The Lioness's tent. Go!" Opion ordered.
Teirra nodded and turned Prancer around and rode off to the other camp. It didn't take her long on Prancer's swift feet and was sliding from his back before he even stopped. She rushed to the tent and uttered a silent apology if she were to interrupt anything, and threw open the flap.
Alanna and Wyhon sat with their backs to her, muttering into the blade of Alanna's sword, when they turned around. Registering her alarm, they stood, Alanna muttering something quickly at the sword.
"Uh," she fought to catch her breathe for a moment. "I was told I could find Wyhon here. There's a man back at camp who attacked me. We need help getting him into custody. Prancer broke his leg."
Wyhon rushed past her, making for his mount, when Teirra stopped him. "Take Prancer. You'll get there faster."
Wyhon eyed the horse warily, but Prancer only knelt, with a slight hesitation and let Wyhon climb onto his back and take off. Teirra thanked the gelding profusely.
Alanna rode up beside Teirra and offered a hand down to her from her tall mount. Gingerly, Teirra took it and swung up behind the legend. "You know who this is, don't you?"
"Instincts, my lady." Teirra replied, looking down as much as she could. Alanna didn't reply, but simply pushed on faster.
They arrived shortly after Wyhon had reached the camp. Alanna slipped down and headed toward the prisoner with a fierce face that made Teirra cringe. She didn't want to face that fury. Instead of following the Lioness, she walked over to Prancer, taking his nose into her hands and offering him encouragement.
Thank you, my friend. I owe you several apples and my life. She smiled at him gratefully.
The apples for your friend. He's a stiff rider. Prancer shook his head out of her touch, clearly not happy with her.
"Teirra," Opion called to her with a wave of his hand.
Teirra obeyed without a word. She knew what came next: the interrogation. She'd done it many times with her own friends in the group after an attack. It was standard in their group, part of which made their group so effective. She couldn't begrudge it.
Teirra told them what happened, sparing no detail of what she knew of Grufford and what he'd done. Her only detail left unsaid remained the night she had snuck into the stables to kill him. When she was done, she looked to the Lioness, hoping she wouldn't mention that night either. It wasn't a shining mark on her record.
"Alright, let's get him back to camp." Alanna ordered, watching carefully as they dragged the man up to his feet.
"I'll stay with the camp." Teirra announced. They had all the information she could give, anyway.
They eyed her cautiously. "Are you sure?" Alanna asked slowly.
"Yes. I have the horses to watch me." Teirra replied, forcing confidence into her voice.
"I'm sending someone over, nonetheless." The lady knight remarked. "Let's go."
Teirra watched as they left the camp and she was alone once more. Grufford's open attack bothered her deeply. He seemed like such a cautious man, a man to be watched. This seemed far to rash an act for the man she'd heard about.
She started a fire and began heating up some stew over it as the night seemed to fall upon them so soon. It reminded her that fall was coming quick and soon the winter. She shivered. How she hated to be cold.
A crack of a twig made her tense and reach for her sword sitting beside her. She had learned her lesson earlier that day: never go unarmed. Slowly she stood. "Who goes there?"
"Easy, my lady. Tis us, your gentle knights." Domitran greeted dramatically and came to stand in the light of the fire.
Alan joined them and Teirra was reminded that she had promised to practice her archery earlier. She blushed a rosy pink at the thought. "I'm sorry I didn't practice with you."
"It is understandable." The blonde knight smiled as they sat down.
"We've come to keep you company." The big knight took up the spoon in the kettle over the fire. "Smells good, maybe it will be edible. Alan is a horrible cook. It makes me long for Aunt Iris's cooking."
Teirra wrinkled her nose. "That bad?" Iris was a horrible cook. Teirra had actually gotten ill over the last meal the Rider had cooked for them.
"Yes, well, I can at least bring the food in." Alan teased his friend.
"That was one time." Domitran stopped stirring. "And after a long days walk. I have an excuse, mighty one."
Teirra laughed and went to find two more bowls for her friends. She stopped short when she got to the edge of the camp's small clearing, resting a hand on the rump of Jak's mount, Stomper. She heard voices a-ways off from the camp, muffled by the sound of the forest, but nonetheless there. How could she not have heard it before tonight?
You were sleeping in that big stone house, Stomper replied, nudging her.
Teirra nodded and hurried back, forgetting the bowls. The two knights looked up at her, laughing over some joke she hadn't heard. "There's someone out there."
"Where?" Alan's features turned serious.
"Over toward the horses, in the brush. They're a way off, but..." She trailed off, the knight's had a mischievous look in their eyes, much like Taex when he was about to do something none too wise.
"Let's take a look. It's probably just some villagers camping out from a hunt. Grab your bow, Lady Teirra." Domitran was already on his feet, followed closely by Alan.
Teirra was hesitant, especially after today. Alan came and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright. We're trained and if it goes ill, we have you to call for help." He smiled at her.
Teirra sighed. She had a horrible feeling about this in the pit of her stomach.
Author's note: Oh, the ball is in motion now. I only hope I can keep it rolling and then be able to stop it when the time comes. The only thing now is to figure out an ending, now that I can see the path the story will take. Anyone reading this and want to leave suggestions, I will be grateful. It may just spark a new idea or some such.
Thanks so much to those who read. It really makes my day.