A World Apart (48 page)

"Can you hear me, Master?"  Hailyn asked gently.

Jonas nodded slowly, looking up towards the sky.  He tried to press himself up onto an elbow, but fell back.

"Just lie still."  Hailyn told him, gently patting him on the chest.

She glanced over at Jake, Dominic squatting next to him.  His color had returned and the white streaks in his hair were no longer there.  He began to move about as well, his eyes opening and looking about.  "What happened?"  He asked, voice soft.  Hailyn almost cried for joy when she heard him speak.

"We don't know yet, boy."  Dominic answered him, resting a hand on his shoulder.  "Just relax for now."

Dominic reached over and grabbed Jonas' staff, shoving it into Hailyn's hands.  "You have to protect us until Jonas recovers."  He said, standing and calling Marcus over.

She had never held the staff before.  Curious, Hailyn drew in her power.  She could feel it flood into her, amounts that she had never held before, her aura shining brightly.  Dominic looked at her, eyes appraising, then nodded.

"We need to get them back to the wagon."  He told them.  "Marcus, you and girl will need to carry the boy.  I will carry Jonas."  With that, he went to the horses and tied Dontas' reins to Shadow's pommel.  He reached down and wrapped his arms around Jonas, getting him to his feet.  Jonas was weak and unsteady, but Dominic kept one arm wrapped tightly around him as he took Shadows' reins, slowing walking back towards the camp.  Marcus and Hailyn maneuvered Jake between them and followed.

It was slow going; both Jonas and Jake were weak and could only go so far before stumbling.  They finally reached the campsite, the dead soldiers and half-men Marcus had finished lying where they fell, the small fire now glowing embers.  Hailyn was glad to see that, in the rush of the battle, the horses and wagon had been left untouched.

Setting the staff aside, Hailyn quickly laid out some blankets in the wagon bed, pushing the supplies to the side and making room for Jake and Jonas.  Dominic and Marcus got them into the bed, then covered them with blankets.  They both quickly fell asleep.

"Come along, lordling."  Dominic said to Marcus as he grabbed a small shovel from the supplies.  Dominic walked into the clearing and began to dig shallow graves for the fallen soldiers while he had Marcus strip them of their armor and weapons.  Hailyn sent clerics' fire into the remains of the half-men, turning them to ash.  She sat on the bench of the wagon, watching over Jake and Jonas as they slept.

Once the soldiers were buried, Dominic tied off Shadow and Dontas to the back of the wagon, as well as the soldiers' mounts.  He climbed onto the wagon bench while Marcus swung into the saddle of his horse.

"We need to find shelter tonight."  Dominic said as he started the wagon in motion.  "The horses need rest and we cannot defend ourselves with Jonas and the boy out of the fight.  We will head to the miners' camp.  They owe us for Jonas' healing."

Marcus nodded, taking the lead, watching the surrounding woods.  Dominic leaned over to Hailyn as they reached the road and turned towards the camp.  "You may need to prove you are a cleric when we reach there.  Be ready."  He said.

He paused, weighing his words, then continued.  "Also, while we are there, you are not to leave my or Marcus' sight.  While most will respect that you are a cleric, these men are rough and have not seen a woman in many days.  We don't want anyone to make a mistake."  Hailyn nodded, understanding.

"So, what happened to him?"  He asked, nodding back towards Jake.  She told Dominic what had happened after he and Jonas had left, the battle and Jake's attempt to save them.  She tried to describe the explosion of white fire, but told Dominic that she had no idea what it was.  She asked how he and Jonas found them.

Dominic explained that he and Jonas had ridden the horses hard, racing back to the camp.  When they arrived, they found the dead soldiers and had ridden after the obvious trail the half-men had left.  They were almost to them when they saw the bright flash ahead.  When they arrived, she was laying next to a tree, unconscious, with Marcus standing over her.  Dominic had left them to Jonas and went into the depression and found Jake as he was when he carried him up.

"There was no trace of the demons or half-men."  Dominic said, glancing back at Jake.  "I only found clothes and weapons."

They came up to the miners' camp, the watch fires still burning.  They were stopped as they approached the gates, but Petrous recognized Dominic and let them through.  After Dominic explained what they wanted, Petrous agreed and sent them over to the main building.

Hailyn, as she stepped off the wagon to check on Jake and Jonas, could feel eyes on her.  She turned to see a couple of the men leering at her, their eyes predatory.  She held their gaze, trying to show she was not intimidated, when Dominic stepped up behind her.  She saw the lust replaced with fear as Dominic stared coldly at the men, hand on his sword.  They quickly went over to the palisade.

After they moved Jake and Jonas into the building and fed the horses, Dominic went over to Petrous to let him know that, until they left, the wagon and building were off-limits to his men.  If he caught any trying to enter, he would not be gentle and would hold Petrous responsible.  Looking into his eyes and seeing the promise of pain, Petrous gathered his men and relayed that order.  Nonetheless, Dominic and Marcus each took a turn standing watch while the others slept, though the night passed without incident.

As the sun rose over the forest, they reloaded the wagon to leave.  Jake and Jonas, though both looked better, were still feeling weak and needed to ride in the wagon.  Marcus tied off Dontas to the back of the wagon, then mounted his horse.  Hailyn took the reins of the wagon, waiting for Dominic.

He was making a last-minute check of their supplies, sorting through the material surrounding Jake and Jonas.  After some thought, he called Petrous over.  He thanked him for allowing them to stay and gave him the extra horses, weapons and armor.  "May you have better luck with them."  He said as he climbed onto Shadow.

They left the camp behind, backtracking to the easterly road.  When they reached it, Dominic had Marcus join them at the wagon.

"We have to make a decision."  Dominic said.  "One of the miners says he saw a young woman with a group of half-men heading east along this road.  He could not describe her as she passed quickly and he was soon being pursued by half-men, but it is possible that it was the princess.  We have to decide whether to continue on or turn back to gather more forces from Alleon."

"If there is a chance it was the princess, we have to follow."  Marcus declared.  "We cannot leave her in their hands a moment longer than necessary."  He spat, hands curling into fists, then continued.  "Also, if any survivors of the fight last night make it back, they would be warned of our approach.  They could move her or fortify their positions by the time we returned.  I say we go on."

Jonas sat up in the wagon, holding on to the side panel.  "I would suggest we continue on at least until we have definitive proof the princess went this way."  He said, voice weak.  "Once we have that, we can explore our options then."

Dominic looked at Jake and Hailyn, who both nodded.  "It looks like we continue on."  He spurred Shadow, turning east along the road.

They pressed on for most of the day, the forest rolling by, Dominic out front and Marcus covering the rear.  The terrain gradually transitioned into rolling hills, with the trees spreading out and more rocks protruding from the soil.  Jake and Jonas slowly recovered, feeling better by the afternoon, though neither had the strength to call up their power.

In the late afternoon, they came across another fork in the road.  While the others stayed with the wagon, Dominic and Marcus each rode their horse to scout ahead.  Marcus went up the easterly road while Dominic headed south.

Marcus returned first, an excited look on his face.  He rode up to the wagon and showed them a small pearl bead that he had spotted in the dirt.  "Clearly, Keria went east.  Once Dominic returns, we should continue on."

They quietly discussed their options, with Marcus and Jake wanting to press on, while Jonas and Hailyn were not so sure.  They were in the middle of their conversation when they heard a horse approaching at high speed along the southern road.  Dominic pulled up, reining in Shadow at the last minute.

"Can either of you raise your power?"  He quickly asked Jake and Jonas.  When both shook their heads, he cursed under his breath.  He sat on Shadow, silent for a moment, then spoke again.

"There is a large party of half-men and several Imps coming this way."  He said, face hard.  "We will not be able to mask our trail and we cannot outrun them.  If you can't help, then standing and fighting is out of the question."  He drew his sword, blade gleaming.  "I will have to lead them away to give you time to escape."

"You can't do that, Dominic!"  Jake protested, struggling to rise.  "It's suicide!"

"Boy, I've done this..."  Dominic began, but Jake cut him off.

"Tell him, Jonas!"  Jake said, voice thick with emotion, appealing to Dominic's oldest friend.  "We'll find another way."

"Boy..."  Dominic started.

"No!  I will not listen!"  Jake cried.  "You can't do this!"

"Boy!"  Dominic tried again.

Jake ignored him, pleading with Hailyn to help him convince Dominic.  She listened, her eyes sad, but did not get a chance to speak.

"Jake!"  Dominic said sharply.

Jake, shocked to hear his name, cut off in mid-sentence.  It was the first time that Dominic had ever addressed him by his name.  He was so stunned that he sat back down.

"I have dealt with the half-men and demons since before you were born."  Dominic said directly, then continued more gently.  "When they see me, they will follow; trust me.  That will buy the time you need."

He reached over and laid a hand on Jake's shoulder.  "You risked all to save Hailyn and Marcus last night.  I must now do the same.  Remember all of my lessons, be brave and you should do well.  I'm proud of the man you are becoming."  Jake nodded, too overwhelmed to speak, tears suddenly streaming down his face.

Dominic turned to Jonas.  "I will draw them off to the west and south, then circle back.  I will catch up or not."  He stated bluntly.  He grasped Jonas' hand and gave him a roguish smile.  "If this is goodbye, old friend, I guess I will see first if you have been right this whole time."

Jonas nodded grimly and squeezed his hand.  "You are my oldest and closest friend, so I would prefer you stay alive.  Don't take any more risks than you need to."  He released Dominic's hand, raising his own.  "Go with the blessings of the One, Dom.  May He shelter and protect you in His hand."  Dominic gave him a slight bow.

"You are their sword and shield until they recover."  Dominic addressed Marcus and Hailyn.  "Don't waste any time.  Move and keep moving."  With a final salute of his sword, he wheeled Shadow around and headed back up the road, angling into the woods.

"Let's get moving."  Jonas said sadly, watching Dominic disappear in the forest.

Several minutes after they started down the road, they heard very faint shouts and screams in the distance.  Steeling their emotions, the sounds faded as they continued to the east.

Following the trail, Marcus dropped back often to scout for any pursuit.  They rode until it was almost dark, with no sign they were being followed.  Marcus found a small culvert off the road that gave them shelter on three sides.  They fed and watered the horses and, forgoing a fire, ate a cold meal themselves.  Hailyn and Marcus kept watch while Jonas and Jake slept.

...

As the sun rose in the east, Jake woke up, feeling almost himself.  He sat up, looking around.  Jonas and Hailyn were preparing a small meal off to the side of the wagon, Marcus and his horse missing.  He must be out scouting, Jake knew.

As he climbed out of the wagon and stood, he tried to call up his magic.  To his delight, it came instantly.  He held it for a moment, then released it.  He went over to join Jonas and Hailyn.

"Good morning, Jake."  Jonas said, looking closely at him.  "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Fine, Jonas."  Jake said.  "And you?"

"I feel myself again."  Jonas replied.  He handed Jake some food.  "We should eat and start moving."

They ate the meal in silence, Jake's thoughts on Dominic.  Marcus returned and let them know that he found no signs of pursuit or of Dominic.  He quickly ate and they moved out.

Jake rode Dontas, his armor and helm in place, as he guarded the rear.  He would drop back from time to time, listening for any sounds coming from behind, but he heard nothing.  He watched the surrounding trees and hillsides for any signs of the enemy, but they had no contact.

After they stopped to rest around mid-day, Jonas asked Jake to let Hailyn ride Dontas so they could talk.  Jake sat next to Jonas in the wagon while Hailyn fell back to the rear.  As they started moving again, Jake brought up something he had wanted to ask.

"Before you start, can I ask you something?"  Jake said.  "What happened to us back in the forest?  I remember the demons and half-men closing in, then Dominic kneeling next to me.  It was weird, but I felt like I was seeing your memories for a moment after I woke up."

"I'm not sure, Jake."  Jonas replied, looking cautious.  "I have some thoughts on it, but I would rather not say until we are both back in Sanduas.  There we can study it safely and more closely."

"Leaving that aside, I wanted to talk with you about Dom."  Jonas continued.  "I know that you heard about his wife and child, as well as a brief account of his command.  Those events are intertwined, both leading him to his current destiny."

"As I told you before, Dom had risen quickly in the ranks, becoming the youngest commander ever of the Royal Guards and the Army.  He was a favorite of the nobles and people alike.  I mentioned that he was pursued by the ladies of the city, but he never showed any interest in marrying, much to my wife's dismay.  Soldiering was his life."