Sword of Light (38 page)

“No, girl!”  Dominic shouted as she ran straight at the demon, which was bringing its arm up.  Dominic got to his feet and moved, but could not save her.  The demon’s power struck her, the opposing powers crackling as they met, sending her flying back, her high-pitched scream sounding as her body burned.

Before the demon could react, Dominic was on it, the sword slashing.  The demon cried out again as the sword cut across its belly, trying to move away and gain distance.  Dominic stayed with it, driving the sword deep into its chest, his face a mask of rage.  The sword shone weakly, but Dominic did not relay on its power.  He pushed and pulled at it, cutting into the demon.  The demon’s power flared, burning Dominic, but he did not relent.  He twisted the sword and then yanked it out.  As the demon fell back, he swung it with all of his strength.  The blade slashed across the demon’s neck.  The demon collapsed, its head rolling away from its body.

Dominic staggered back, the pain from the burns intense, but ignored it as he moved to Kalisia.  Dropping next to her, he gently cradled her head, her skin covered in burns.  She was able to open her eyes.

“What was that foolishness, girl?”  Dominic said gently.  “I told you to run.”

“I could not.”  She said weakly.  “I told you that I had to come with you for you to have success.”

“The sword is not here.”  He said softly.

“That is not what I meant.”  She said, voice fading.  “When you freed me, I saw my end.  In that death, I knew that I would save you.  I glimpsed that you have important things still to do, actions that may mean the end of the demons.  I saw that your life was more important than mine.”

“I have survived many things, girl.”  Dominic said.  “You may have been wrong.”

“I am never wrong about what I see, Northman.”  She gasped, then her body relaxed, slipping into death.

Dominic gently picked her up and carried her to the table.  He placed her on it, feeling it was as fitting a resting place as he would find.  As he turned to leave, he saw the table’s glow suddenly increase, filling the room in soft white light.  It surrounded Kalisia’s body, the burns fading away as Dominic watched incredulously.  She remained still, her life gone, but the light stayed in place.  Dominic knew suddenly that it would protect her from any despoiling by the demons.

In that light, he saw what looked like a doorway against the far corner.  He slowly walked over and found a closed door.  After some struggle, he was able to open it.  He saw a set of stairs that extended down into a tunnel.  He followed the tunnel, listening for movement.  He came to another set of stairs.  Cautiously, he climbed them and opened the door at the top.

He found himself in a small building, empty except for a shattered chair in the corner.  Moving to the doorway that led outside, he felt the heat of the day drifting in.  Glancing out, he saw that the building was in a set of structures a block or so away from the large building.  The streets were deserted, but he could hear the demons surrounding the center building in the distance.

Dominic made his way back down the tunnel and returned to the others, grimacing as he went, his injuries making walking painful.  As he sat down to allow Halana to heal him, he told the others what happened.  When he was healed, he stood.

“Have the demons tried to get in?”  He asked Moshanna.

“No.” He replied.  “They have not moved, simply standing out there watching.”

“The demons are probably waiting until night before they attack.”  He told the others.  A sudden smile creased his face.  “Let’s let them find an empty building for their trouble.  Follow me.”  He turned and led them away to safety.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-
T
WO

The cold rain continued to fall as Jake and Hailyn rode through the trees of the forest, darkening his mood.  The weather had turned on them as they climbed into the hills, but Jake had hoped that the trees would give some relief.  To his consternation, all the trees seemed to be doing was gathering the drops of rain and making larger drops that landed on his hood with some force.  He shivered as the cold air seemed to seep into every corner of his body.  Even with his gloves, his hands felt frozen.  With his hand on the rope somewhat numb, he glanced back to make sure the packhorse was still behind him.

They had left Turlic’s two days before, heading in a northeasterly direction.  They were following Hailyn’s interpretations of where the bracelet wanted them to go. 
So far, all it has done is lead us into this miserable rain.
  Jake thought, irritated. 
We could be back at Turlic’s, enjoying a warm meal.

Thinking of Turlic reminded him of the day of the island fight.  The last thing he remembered was stumbling onto the beach.  He had drifted in darkness for a time, and then woke up on Turlic’s boat as it neared the dock, the sun still shining above them.  He woke facing Hailyn, who was sleeping next to him.  He and Hailyn had stayed at Turlic’s home that night, both exhausted from the battle.  When they prepared to leave the next morning, they told Turlic and Ralien that they would be heading towards the northeast.

“You will need more clothing than you seem to be carrying, Jake.”  Turlic said.  “The country in that direction is comprised of hills and forests, with changeable weather.  At this time of year, the temperature can fall before you know it or you can get caught in snowstorms in the hills.”

“Well, that is the direction we have to go.”  Jake said.  “We do have the heavy cloaks that Brother Kal gave us.”

“The cloaks may be adequate, but you need gloves and thick blankets if you want to survive a snowstorm.”  Turlic insisted.

“Is there a market nearby that we can find these things, Turlic?”  Hailyn asked.

“If you will delay your departure for a day, I can retrieve what you need.”  Turlic stated.  “Take your rest here for the day.  I will sail to a merchant and be back before dark.”

So they had stayed at Turlic’s for another day, resting.  Besides eating and napping, Jake had gone out to the barn to check on the horses, and then strolled around the area, while Hailyn stayed behind and chatted with Ralien and Milyn.  Just as dusk was approaching, Turlic returned with the extra supplies.

Early the next morning, after a large breakfast, they packed their supplies and saddled their horses.  Before they could leave, Turlic came out of the barn with another horse, this one with a couple of large packs hanging from its sides.  He handed the guide rope to Jake.

“Take the horse with you.”  Turlic said.  “There are extra blankets, rope and food in the packs.  You can find water as you travel, but there are not many trading posts in that direction.”

“We cannot take that, Turlic.”  Hailyn said.  “You and your family need the horse more than we do.”

“I will not take no for an answer, Sister.”  Turlic said, stepping back.  “You have given us a miraculous gift; the horse is simply a small token of our thanks.  I can always buy another.”

Seeing that he was set on his intention, Jake nodded to him.  “Thank you, Turlic.  We appreciate the gift.”

With some final farewells, he and Hailyn had ridden away.  They made good time the first day. The weather had been mild and pleasant, with the light wind pushing the fluffy clouds across the sun, their shadows drifting across the lake and the land.  They had left the lake behind and were entering the hills when darkness fell.

Today was different.  They woke to a cold wind blowing and a solid layer of grey clouds blocking the sun.  Shortly after they started heading into the hills, the rain began to fall.  The cloaks kept most of the moisture away, though it did not cover their legs very well.  Jake could feel the water soaking his pants, with some running into his boots, despite his best efforts to keep them dry.  The dampness added to the chill he felt.

Hailyn dropped back next to him.  “How are you doing?”  She asked.

“Besides being soaked to the bone and feeling like I am covered in ice, just swell.”  He said grumpily.

“Don’t take out your frustration on me.”  Hailyn said sharply.  “I am riding in the same cold rain as you.”

Jake initially gritted his teeth at her tone, but relaxed after a few moments as he realized that she was right.  “I’m sorry.  I just hate being cold and wet.”  He said contritely.

Placing a hand on his arm, she laughed a soft laugh and said gently.  “I don’t like being cold and wet, either.”

Her form shone brightly as she called up her power.  She pulled off her glove and placed her hand on his cheek.  Besides her warm and soft skin, he felt the heat of her magic descend into his body and break apart the icy grip of the wind and rain.  She held it there for a few moments, and then withdrew her hand, replacing the glove.

“Thanks, Hailyn.”  He said gratefully.  “I feel better now.”

Smiling, she replied.  “You only have to ask if you need me to do it again.”

Continuing on, they headed deeper into the hills, navigating through the mud and muck.  As the light began to fade, the rain finally let up.  Though the cold wind was continuing to blow, the lack of rain was a relief.  Looking for a place to camp, they found an area under a group of tree growing close together that looked like it was mostly sheltered from the rain.  The ground was damp, but not soaked.

After tying off the horses and laying down one of the thick blankets, Jake and Hailyn sat and ate a cold meal of rations, since there was no dry wood available for a fire.  They were sitting there, talking quietly, as darkness descended over the forest.  After a while, Hailyn stood up and went over to her pack.

“We need to change out of these wet clothes.”  She said as she pulled out some dry clothes.  “I think we should string the rope and hang the clothes to dry as much as possible before we repack them.”

Jake got up and pulled the rope from the packs, tying it off between two trees.  When he turned back, he saw that Hailyn had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and was using it to cover herself as she changed underneath.  Jake turned his back to give her privacy, going to the other side of Dontas and changing his clothes.

When he returned, feeling better having dry clothes on, he could just make out that Hailyn was lying on the blanket.  She was leaning on her elbow, with the blanket she used to change and an extra one covering her.  He was deciding were to lay his blanket down when she spoke.

“Jake, we should probably share the blankets tonight.”  She said softly.  “With the coldness of the wind and possible rain, sleeping next to each other will allow us to keep warm.”

Jake was grateful that it was dark as he blushed deeply, taken aback by her suggestion.  He tried to shrug it off as he gathered their cloaks from the rope.  He came over and laid them across the blankets.  “That should help if it rains.”  He said, trying to act nonchalant as he crawled under the blankets.

After adjusting the blankets to make sure they were covered, he rolled over onto his side, facing Hailyn.  With the night being so dark, he could just make out her shadowy outline as she faced him.  He could feel the warmth radiating from her body as she shifted closer.  He began to sweat a little, suddenly nervous. 
Calm down, idiot.
  He told himself.

He flinched slightly when she laid a hand on his face.  They stayed like that for a few moments, and then she sighed deeply.  “You can be so frustrating at times, Jake.”  She said softly as she leaned in and kissed him.

He froze momentarily, surprised.  While he had enjoyed kissing Keria, he found that Hailyn’s kiss felt different, more meaningful and right.  His hesitation now gone, he pulled her close and kissed her back.

…

As the forest became lighter, signaling dawn, Jake softly slipped from the blankets, trying not to wake Hailyn.  He stretched and grabbed his boots, pulling them on, but not lacing them.  Shivering from the crisp morning air, he went over to the horses, checking on their condition.  Seeing that they were fine, he started putting on his armor.  He felt odd, though not in a bad way, as he considered what had happened last night.  It took him a moment to realize that his feelings came from the fact that it was the first time he had slept with a girl.

Just slept.
  He thought, amused, shaking his head as he remembered.  When their passions had risen, holding each other close, Hailyn had gently pushed him away.

“I am a cleric.”  She said as she softly stroked his face.  “We teach that the physical side of love is reserved for a man and woman within the marriage bond, blessed by the One.  I believe that to be true, so I cannot betray my beliefs.”

“I understand.”  Jake told her, enjoying her closeness, though he had to admit to a little disappointment.

“Of course, even if I were to throw aside my beliefs for you, this is clearly not the place.”  She said with a little laugh.  “A rough, damp blanket on muddy ground, with horses only a few paces away, is not how I pictured my first time.”  So, they talked and held each other until they drifted off to sleep.

Smiling at the memory, Jake finished putting on his armor and sword, and then saddled the horses.  As he was finishing, Hailyn woke up and looked over at him.

“Good morning.”  She said contently.

“Good morning.”  Jake replied, walking over and giving her a kiss.  “We probably should eat, get packed and start moving.”

Once they started riding, Jake felt a bit better as the weather was better than the day before.  The air was still cold, though a bit warmer, but the wind had died down and, despite the gray skies, no rain fell.

The forest grew thicker as they rode.  There was no trail to follow; they had to make due with what they found.  Fallen trees and boulders would sometimes force them to double-back until they found a way around.

Despite the setbacks, Hailyn was sure they were heading the right direction.  “I can feel it pulling me, Jake.”  She said.  “We have to continue in the direction we are going.”

So they slowly worked their way to the northeast.  They tried to find sheltered campsites as they rode, as the weather continued to change day-by-day.  Every evening, they were sleeping next to each other, talking quietly and holding one another.