Jalia At Bay (Book 4) (18 page)

Mic stood some distance away, tears streaming down his face. He had loved Bril more than the others of his family and now he was dead. It all seemed so unfair, as Bril had been so young and full of life.

“There was some time between the knife wound and the strike to the heart,” Don remarked. “Blood had time to dry on his hands.”

“It was a mercy killing,” Cara said and Don nodded in agreement. A wound like the one in Bril’s gut was always fatal, but the victim sometimes lived for days before he died.

“Nothing has been taken from him except his crossbow. He still has the medallion father gave him,” Don remarked.

“I did not take those two for grave robbers. Wrap his body as tightly as you can. We will take him home for burial,” Cara instructed. Don began the work as Mic continued to weep.

“Once we have buried Bril, I will be going onto Boathaven,” Cara stated as she looked up to the stars trying to suppress her tears. “I have some things I need to discuss with Jalia al’Dare and Daniel al’Degar.”

“I will come with you,” Don said as he pulled rope tight against the wrappings over his brother’s body.

“No. This is something I must do alone.”

20.
       
Priven

Hadon was bustling around before the break of dawn, urging his fellow traders to move on. He carefully avoided disturbing either Daniel or Jalia but they were woken by the sounds.

Jalia shook Hala awake. The girl groaned at the aches and pains running through her body, especially everything below the waist. She found that her right arm ached as soon as she started moving it. Jalia’s training session had continued after supper, even beyond the point where Hala complained that she could no longer see the tree she was throwing at, let alone the target.

It had taken Hala many throws to get Jalia’s throwing knives to stick into the tree. Then she found that when Jalia moved her two feet further away her throwing went wrong again. Jalia explained to her how a knife turned as it flew through the air and that she had to compensate for that spin by letting go earlier or later. Hala had never known there was so much to learn about throwing a knife and getting it to stick into something at the other end.

“It will become instinct if you practice enough,” Jalia told her when the light faded to the point that even Jalia agreed the tree could no longer be seen. “We will practice again tomorrow.” Jalia promised, though to Hala it seemed more like a threat.

“There’s fresh brewed tea in the pot,” Daniel counseled as Hala got to her feet. “I suspect Hadon will push us hard to get to Boathaven and his boat.”

“I’ve never seen a boat,” Hala remarked. “Why don’t they tip over?”

“I haven’t a clue,” Daniel answered honestly. “The largest boat I’ve ever seen was in the harbor at Ranwin and that had massive hung sheets of cloth they call sails to catch the wind. You would think that the wind would tip it over for certain.”

“You came from Telmar,” Hala said, continuing her interrogation. “That’s supposed to be a city on seven islands in a massive lake. Surely you saw boats on the lake?”

Daniel let his mind wander back to their time in Telmar. It hadn’t been a pleasant time. “We were too busy to look at much. There were fishing boats on the lake, but I don’t remember them being large. It doesn’t matter though. You will see this magic boat for yourself when we get to Boathaven. We may even choose to take it all the way to Slarn.”

“I don’t believe in magic,” Hala said with absolute certainty. “I have never seen a single fairy in all my time in the forest.”

“I was rescued from the marsh by a dragon.”

“So you say,” Hala said sarcastically without thinking. She cringed down, waiting for the inevitable punishment for being cheeky to an adult. After a few seconds of nothing happening, she risked looking up and found herself staring into Daniel’s smiling face.

“You are right to be skeptical, Hala; but it did happen.” Daniel knelt so they were face to face. “I met a princess of the Fairie only a couple of years ago. It was outside Delbon in the Great Forest. She was quite impressive.”

“Daniel finds all women with big breasts impressive,” Jalia said over Daniel’s shoulder. “You may have noticed how he was practically drooling over that Cara woman only yesterday.”

“That seems like weeks ago,” Hala replied. “I have never had as many adventures in my life as I have in this one week.”

Daniel got to his feet and gave Jalia a big grin. She rose to the bait as always.

“What’s so funny, boy?”

“They say that massage makes them bigger. I just wanted you to know that no matter how onerous the task, I will always be there for you, should you need me.” Daniel ran towards his donkeys, laughing merrily.

Hadon had them out of camp and onto the road before the sun rose over the trees. He decided to lead the party, so Jalia and Daniel took positions down the train. They stayed ahead of Ferd, who was leading the donkeys. He had a way of stopping and refusing to budge when Daniel was behind him.

“I wonder what a war is like,” Jalia mused as they made steady progress up the road.

“You’re thinking about all those swords?” Daniel asked.

Jalia nodded. “We have been in many battles, but they were all on a small scale. I find it difficult to imagine hundreds of people fighting hundreds of others. It sounds so impersonal to me.”

“You and I fought an army in Ranwin.”

“You and your dagger fought that battle and it was one sided. I never imagined there could be so much blood spilt in one place.”

“There was no choice.”

“I know.”

Hadon shouted for the train to stop. The traders and donkeys came to a dutiful halt. Jalia and Daniel rode to the front to see what was going on.

They had been traveling down the shallow sloping side of a valley. Forest cut short their view in all directions. When they reached the front they discovered he had turned a corner and almost marched into a village.

“What’s the problem?” Jalia asked. A few villagers had spotted them and stood outside their cottages, waiting for them to continue.

“Is it safe?” Hadon asked Grilt. “Are we going to have to fight?”

Grilt looked down the slope to the group of villagers staring at them. Several small children could be seen, clinging to their mother’s skirts. As far as Grilt was concerned, it should have been obvious to a moron that this wasn’t any kind of a trap.

“I’m fairly sure it’s safe, your grace. However, to be on the safe side I think a few of us should go and talk to the villagers first,” he said straight faced while trying hard not to laugh.

“Best if the ones with horses go,” Jalia opined equally gravely. “Grilt, you could get up on Blaze with Hala if you wanted.”

“Good suggestion Jalia,” Grilt continued in his most military manner. “Tel, you look after things here while we go ahead and check out the village.”

Tel was annoyed that he was going to be left behind, but he appreciated the joke.

“I’ll gather the animals in a circle with men guarding them, shall I?” he asked, trying to add a bit of more humor into the game.

“Good thinking, Tel. I think that would be wise,” Grilt said as he pulled himself onto Blaze behind Hala. Hala had moved forwards and relinquished the stirrups. Hala wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but she felt it must be safe because she wasn’t being told to stay behind.

The horses trotted down the road towards the curious villagers, who were by wondering what was going on.

Tally Belder ran into the Lord’s House panting and much out of breath. Samel Rafe looked benignly at the thirteen year old boy and waited for him to get his breath back. He didn’t look frightened, so Samel felt no sense of panic.

Samel Rafe had been the village elder for almost five years. It was an honor and a privilege but it could also be a severe pain in the posterior. If someone’s bees started to swarm or a child sprained a wrist, it was always Samel they called on first.

Tally looked up through his untidy curly hair at Samel as he tried to get enough breath back to speak. Samel looked very old to Tally, though not as old as his grandfather, who was truly ancient. The village elder was a small round man with a kind face.

Even the fact that his son Torin had gone into the forest with the Fasser brothers had not bothered Samel. He just told his wife and those who asked that ‘he will be home soon enough when he feels the need of good home cooking,’ and then he laughed.

Tally knew enough to stay away from the Fasser brothers. Gef had whipped him for peeking into his cottage window and then Tally’s father had whipped him again for getting that close to Gef and Tom. Tally hadn’t been able to sit down for a week and stayed well clear whenever the brothers were home.

“Traders… at the west end of the village… a lot of them… some on horseback.” Tally finally managed to get out.

“Well, we haven’t had any traders from Sweetwater for years,” Samel said cheerfully. “Gef told me that the river was proving too difficult to cross at Padurs Ford. We must welcome them at once, Tally. You may even have to comb your hair.”

Tally grimaced at the joke. It was well known that Tally’s hair would not stay in place, even when his mother covered his head in goose fat. It was just a fact of life.

As Samel and Tally walked out of the front door, Samel’s wife came running up, her hands and arms soaking wet.

“I’ve just heard about our visitors,” she said rather breathlessly. She was as fat as her husband and walking any distance made her wheeze. “I was washing the clothes when Gerta rushed up to tell me. Don’t forget to ask them if they have seen Cara and the Marin boys. They might have found Torin by now, and be bringing him home.”

“I’ll get around to it in before they leave, my love,” Samel said with a broad smile and hugged his wife. “Torin will be safe with Bril. You know how those two boys do everything together. Gef and Tom won’t have let any harm come to them, you’ll see.”

“I have never trusted Gef…, or his brother, if it comes to that,” Ralta said in a worried voice. “I shall be glad when Torin comes back safe and sound. I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I just can’t get rid of. It’s been with me for two days now. I’m sure something has happened to him.”

“Do stop fussing woman. Torin is fine. He has been off with Gef and Tom many times before, though what they find to do in the forest is beyond me. I am hoping it has something to do with a girl. Grandchildren would be wonderful.”

Samel walked down the road to the other end of the village. Ralta stood watching, wringing her hands. The cold feeling in her stomach had come back with a vengeance and it just wouldn’t let go.

“I believe you are pandering to His Grace’s paranoia,” Daniel said to Grilt as they approached a group of villagers. Something approaching a crowd had gathered, but the people in the front stood back from the road and looked towards a small fat man hurrying to meet them.

“This way, we get to be in charge. His Grace has a way of putting people’s noses out of joint and I had been hoping for a quiet uneventful journey when I started this job.”

“Hello the village!” Jalia shouted in the traditional greeting. Apparently, she meant to be the spokesman.

“Welcome, welcome,” Samel puffed in response. He waved his pudgy arms at them in greeting. “My name is Samel and I am the Elder of Priven. Who do I have the privilege of addressing?”

“My name is Jalia al’Dare,” Jalia stood in her stirrups so she could point out her traveling companions. “The goofy looking one on the black horse is Daniel and the other two are Grilt and Hala. We are with a party of traders making their way to Boathaven.”

“You are most welcome. We haven’t had travelers visit from the direction of Sweetwater for years. We wondered if something had happened. You are most welcome to stay the night and I hope you will tell us stories of Telmar and the world beyond.”

“I’m not sure that Hadon Mallow will want to spare the time,” Daniel said. “He is the leader of this expedition and he is anxious for us to get to Boathaven. However, Jalia and I are looking to buy goods in the village and I am sure we will have something you want in return. I bring spices from the south.”

“Then you are doubly welcome,” Samel said, licking his lips. His wife’s request came to mind and he spoke her question. “Tell me, did you encounter Cara Marin and her brothers on your travels? They were looking for their brother Bril who is with my son Torin. I wouldn’t bother you, but his mother does fret about him.”

Jalia looked at Daniel and waited for him to say something. He was not the kind of man to shy away from the truth, however awkward it might be. To her surprise, it was Grilt who spoke before anyone else could think of the words.

“We did meet Lady Cara and her brothers’ early yesterday afternoon. Just after we crossed the river, as it happens. They left us and crossed over the river looking for their brother, and I am certain they will have found him by now. If he was with your son, they will certainly have found them both by now.”

“Gef told me that the river crossing was impossible these days,” Samel said in an anxious manner, his normally cheerful face twisted into an unaccustomed frown.

“It isn’t the safest ford in the world by any means,” Daniel agreed. “Jalia tripped while crossing it and had some trouble. However, we watched the Marin’s cross it to the other side as safely as we did ourselves.”

Jalia realized that Daniel was going to let Samel cling to the illusion that his son was alive for the time being. It was out of character for Daniel, as he believed people had the right to be told the truth.