Changes

They emerged into the main room and sat down for the small meal that Loric put o*n no the table for them. He would not touch the food himself, but kept pacing the room silently and casting glances through the window overlooking the valley. The food had been prepared with the same care as all their other meals here, but Kelsia barely tasted it. She knew she would need her strength, so she forced down as much as her roiling stomach would allow. Shael continued to pick at her food for a bit after Kelsia had finished. Loric spoke as soon as she set down her fork. “Get your things. I’ve already packed the horses.”

There really wasn’t much to gather. She had fashioned a new tunic and breeches for herself and Shael from leather and twine that Loric had given her, and she had already put those o*nno. Her old clothes she had washed and left to dry overnight, but they were gone from where she had hung them. She guessed that Loric had already packed them. The o*nly noly thing left to bring was her bow and quiver. Shael looked wistfully at the broken remains of her own bow that Kelsia had retrieved. o*ne noe of the tips had snapped when she had fallen, after the slayer had stabbed her. “Here, take mine,” Kelsia said, knowing that the weapon would serve them much better in her hands.

“There’s no need for that,” Loric said from the doorway. He stepped inside, a leather case swinging from o*ne noe hand. He set the case o*n no the bed and snapped open the fastenings. Inside the padded interior was a bow that was so thin that it looked like it should break as soon as it was drawn. Rather than a being crafted from a single carved piece of wood, it appeared to be composed of layers of different materials. Midway out toward the tips, the bow was bent in an elegant reflex. He handled the bow easily, bending and stringing it in a single motion. He handed it unceremoniously to Shael.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, running her fingers over the translucent snakeskin covering that protected it from water. It gave the bow a distinctly scaly look. She took it from Loric reverently, turning it to examine it from every angle. She held it by the grip with her left hand, testing the heft, and then pulled the string back next to her jaw and held it. She slowly let out the tension o*n no the bow, a look of disappointment o*n no her face.

“Do not be fooled,” Loric chided, “for this is no ordinary bow. The draw may feel weak, but I assure you it is not. You will be able to fire it faster and with less effort than any normal bow because there is less resistance. It was a gift for my father’s grandfather, created by o*ne noe of the finest weapon smiths of his time, or any other. Nearly a dozen enchantments were worked into the creation of it to make it lighter and stronger and to steady its aim. Other, less subtle enchantments, too, it has, such as the ability to pierce metal and to deliver a bolt of lightning to its target. I have thought long about this and it is with no small trepidation and reluctance that I give it to you. As with any magical weapon, it carries great power and great responsibility.”

He closed the leather case and beckoned them to follow him to the main room. “I also have something for you, Kelsia.” He hauled open the lid of a massive oak trunk. Inside was a curious assortment of weaponry, clothing, and old, faded documents. There was even what appeared to be a carefully folded flag, though she could not make out what the device o*n no its face was. Loric set a few of these items aside and withdrew a light gray cloak. "I'm afraid that this gift is far less grand than the o*ne noe I have given Shael, but I have little else of value remaining from when my tower was destroyed. This is called a thiefshroud. If you will it, the enchantment o*n no this cloak will help to conceal you. It is not perfect and works best when the light is dim, but there may be occasion that you will find it useful."

Somehow, no matter how thick the foliage, there always seemed to be room for them to pass. o*ncenoce, Kelsia looked behind and was almost certain she could see the branches of the trees slowly bending to close off the way o*nce noce more.

Kelsia knew the moment they stepped outside of Loric's domain. The vegetation simply stopped. She found herself taking deeper breaths and the cold began to seep through her clothes at o*ncenoce. She looked back wistfully, remembering the warmth of the cottage and the wealth of natural beauty of Loric's gardens. The road ahead seemed all the more cold and lonely. Slowly, she turned away and set her bearing to the journey and the task ahead.

Shael sat down heavily by the roadside and slumped forward, her elbows o*n no knees and head down. "Are you alright?" Kelsia asked, taking a seat beside her.

Kelsia patted her shoulder. "Take your time." She reminded herself to keep a close watch o*n no Shael and to call a rest the next time she began to look weary. Loric was paying them no heed. He paced and sniffed the air while they rested.

The next climb was longer and more sheer than the others, carrying them to the top of a wide, rocky ridge. The morning dragged o*n no into afternoon, but Loric would not stop and besides, there was nowhere to rest o*n no the vertical slope. Kelsia checked o*n no Shael frequently and each time she looked worse. Finally, Kelsia decided she had to call for a halt. Each step Shael took seemed to pain her. She stared at the ground, her teeth gritted in concentration, while o*ne noe hand clutched the knife wound. Then, to her surprise, she realized that Loric had stopped, and moreover, they had come to the end of their climb. They looked down upon a great expanse of green stretching in all directions. The road was a tiny ribbon of brown snaking away into the distance.

Loric allowed them a short rest and a chance to appreciate the view, but they were off again all too quickly, hurrying to keep up with the massive strides he took descending to the plain. Scraggly grass began to appear among the rocks as the air warmed. By late afternoon, they had reached the foot of the mountain and were following a slender trail towards the road. Loric urged them to mount and press their horses to a trot. He ran alongside them at a brisk clip that should have tired him after o*nly noly a few minutes, but which he seemed to manage effortlessly.

Their trail soon joined the road going north. They travelled until nightfall and made camp near a tiny spring that Loric found for them not far from the road. While they cared for the horses, he brought out cooking implements and food from their stores. Soon a mix of appetizing smells--roasted duck, o*nionsnoions, and peppers among them--was calling them back to the fireside.

The food turned out to be a variety of vegetables and duck meat speared o*n no thin sticks, seasoned, and roasted over the fire. It was like a stew without the broth. Loric ate the contents of o*ne noe of sticks quickly and then sat, legs crossed, looking south. Kelsia took time to enjoy what would probably be their last good meal for several days, at least. Loric had warned that, other than the occasional rabbit, there was little food to be found here. The rest of their supplies consisted of food that was meant to last the journey and longer if necessary and it was altogether rather bland.

Shael spoke around a mouthful of potato and o*nionnoion. "Kelsia, what's going to happen o*nce noce we get to Dalmers Ferry and deliver that thing? Where are we going to go next?"

Loric woke them o*nce noce again in the morning, though this time he let them sleep until the sun had begun to creep above the horizon. “I must leave you now,” he said as they prepared for the day’s ride. “Dalmers Ferry is thirty leagues due north. Your enemies will be coming from the east, but will reach the road well south of here. I intend to mask your trail and try to draw them off. If you travel swiftly, you will reach your destination long before they realize that they have been diverted.”

Kelsia had known that Loric would not be with them all the way, but that did not lessen the impact that his leaving had o*n no her, or her confidence. “Goodbye, Loric, and thank you for everything.”

He ruffled her hair with o*ne noe of his huge hands. "Remember everything I have taught you, wherever the road ahead may take you. Know that I have done all I can to ensure your safety, but you must brave the road ahead with steadfast hearts. Fare well, both of you."

With nothing but blue sky and an endless expanse of green in all directions, it soon began to seem as though they were making no progress at all. Kelsia tried o*nce noce to judge their progress by counting the horse’s steps, but had to stop at o*ne noe hundred, unsure of what came next. Listless boredom set in, but she still had peace of mind enough to scan the horizon from time to time.

The first time they stopped for rest, Shael decided to test her bow. She sighted a hollow place near the edge of the road up ahead. Kelsia judged that it was maybe eighty paces. She drew the arrow back, frowning o*nce noce more at how easily it pulled. Then her expression changed to o*ne noe of puzzlement. “Do you hear that?” she asked.

Shael released the tension o*n no the string slowly and the hum disappeared. “Draw it back again,” Kelsia suggested. The hum came back, easily detectable now that she knew what to listen for. Shael gave her an unreadable glance, then tilted the bow up and released.

They pressed o*n no through the day, intent o*n no covering as much ground as possible before nightfall. They spent the night in the open air o*nce noce more and woke for an early start the next morning. As the sun neared its zenith, they came upon a red pole jutting out of the ground near the road. Pausing to investigate, they discovered that the pole marked the site of a well. A rope and bucket lay to the side, tied to the pole. After hauling up several buckets for the horses, they sat in the trampled area next to the well to rest.

“No. But my da went there to trade a few times a year. o*nce noce he brought back sweets for Matias and me, little spice cakes with creamy white frosting. I can almost remember how they tasted. He also bought me a doll with a face made out of porcelain.” She smiled fondly. “Her name was Rosie. She was so beautiful. I was afraid of breaking her, so I almost never played with her. But what I remember is what I felt when he gave her to me, like I’d never been happier.”

Kelsia drew in a deep breath and dropped her gaze. “My father got sick right after that. Seeing Rosie reminded me too much of him, so I put her away in a closet and tried to forget about it.” She felt as though she danced at the edge of a precipice, shielded from grief o*nly noly by a veil of numb disbelief. She remembered how much it had hurt to lose her father. How could she go through that all over again?

“We should get going,” Shael said, standing and helping Kelsia to her feet. Kelsia was grateful for the distraction from unhappy memories and focused her mind o*n no the task of riding and watching the road.

Kelsia reined in Copper and called to Shael to halt. Though it was not yet dusk, Kelsia knew that they needed to have shelter for the night. Loric had given them a tent, but they needed what light was left of the day to put it up. Shael dismounted and helped Kelsia drive the stakes and spread the sheets of cured hides. She seemed to have fared a bit worse for the cold and wet and was shivering the whole time. O*nce noce the tent was erected, they crawled in, stripped off their wet clothes and huddled together under a moist blanket for the night.

Though the sky had begun to clear, their boots sank in up to their ankles when they stepped out o*nto noto the road, each footstep emerging with a wet, sucking sound. The horses splashed through mud and puddles for the rest of the day at a pace barely above a walk. Kelsia had hoped that this would be the day they would reach their destination, but at the crawling pace they had made, it was hardly surprising that they were still trudging through the wilderness by nightfall.

“I think we should go,” Kelsia gasped. She stood, using the staff for support, and it seemed to bend and twist to aid her movement. But Shael’s painful grip o*n no her arm stopped her. She looked to her left, where Shael was staring in rapt terror.

The wolf-druid bared its teeth when Kelsia laid eyes o*n no it, slaver dripping from its jaws. It stood perhaps a dozen paces away, its single eye glinting in the light of the fire that stood between them. It glanced to its left where Shael had carelessly left her bow among their saddlebags and snarled. Were it not for the twisted, bestial features, the look might have resembled a smile.

Before Kelsia could form her next thought, a vicious growl sounded, but not from the druid. The white wolf was a blur of motion as it raced to out of the darkness, leaping high in the air to pass right over her head. The werewolf came o*nno, charging towards Kelsia with single-minded intent, but the spirit wolf was faster, its leap bringing it down nearly o*n no top of the other. They met in a flurry of snarling and flashing teeth.

“Run!” Kelsia shouted, grabbing Shael out of listless shock and dragging her toward the horses. Two steps, though, and Shael wrenched free, turning and dashing back before Kelsia could think to stop her. The druid and the spirit wolf were locked together in a deadly embrace. The white wolf’s jaws clamped tightly o*n no the throat of the other, but its underbelly was being ripped open by the raking of the werewolf’s claws. Shael dodged well to the side of them and snatched up her bow and quiver, then turned and ran back to Kelsia and the horses.

Kelsia looped a leather strap to the staff, tying it down to the saddle, then vaulted o*nto noto Copper, her feet finding the stirrups easily from days of experience. Shael's mounting was slower, as she was encumbered by her bow, but after a few moments they were moving quickly towards the road, picking up speed towards an all-out gallop.

She was right. They would never make good speed o*n no the road. "Let's go overland," Kelsia said grimly and turned Copper o*n no a path to run parallel to the road. The spongy grass was not the best terrain for riding, but it was far better footing than the soupy road surface. The danger in that was that, in the dark and traveling at a near gallop, o*ne noe of their horses could put its foot in a rabbit hole and break a leg at any moment.

They fled over the silent gray plain with the rush of the wind in their ears and fear in their hearts. Kelsia wasn't sure whether it had been just moments or hours when she heard a rustling and the pounding of feet behind her. She turned her head to look, already knowing what she would see. The druid ran on all fours, edging closer with each great, loping stride. It had already closed to less than twenty paces away. With a cry, Kelsia slapped the reins and dug her heels into Copper's side, getting from him a surge of speed that began to open the distance o*nce noce more between her and the werewolf.

And still the wolf came o*nno, grunting with effort now as it ran harder, o*nce noce more closing the distance between them. Kelsia slapped the reins o*nce noce more, but Copper had nothing more to give.

Shael loosed another arrow, this o*ne noe sizzling past Kelsia so close that its magic made the skin of her back and the top of her head tingle. She flashed a look at Shael, who had frozen for a moment with a look of horror at where her shot had almost landed. Suddenly, Shael gave a cry of alarm, pointing.

Kelsia's vision drew suddenly into focus. Somehow, impossibly, she held the staff in her hands. The werewolf stood over her, hunger in its feral eyes. It pounced, its jaws driving for her neck. She screamed as she felt the jaws fasten o*nto noto her, driving jagged teeth into her body.

She forced her eyes open. The staff! It was the staff that the wolf had bitten. She had shielded herself with it. Realizing its mistake, the wolf released its hold. Kelsia focused o*n no the words that kept repeating themselves in her head. They burst from her mouth on the wake of a scream. The wolf's jaws opened as they descended, this time going for her face.

Kelsia sat up, fighting a wave of nausea, and pushed herself backwards from her foe. The words in her head had o*nce noce more faded to incoherence. Whatever she had touched was out of reach again. The wolf sprang to its feet once more, cradling one of its paws while it clenched and unclenched the fingers. It eyed her carefully, but the hatred burning in its eye blotted out all semblance of reason. It lunged toward her once more.

Shael, astride Cloud less than a dozen paces behind Kelsia, snatched another arrow from her back and fitted it to string. As the werewolf rose unsteadily to its feet o*nce noce more, she released. The arrow flew true, striking the beast this time in the chest. It took o*nly noly a single step before the lightning struck it. It fell to the ground o*nce noce more and this time, it did not rise.

"I heard you scream something, some words that I couldn't understand. There was a flash of something I felt rather than saw, and then that thing was lying o*n no the ground away from you, and you were still alive. It was then I noticed that I already had an arrow notched."

They approached the felled beast warily, Shael with her bow still at the ready. A limb twitched as they came within its sight, but it was a feeble movement. Its head rose from the ground and oriented o*n no them, sniffing the air to get their scent. Its lips and mouth began to move awkwardly and it made gurgling noises. It was trying to speak.

“Come o*nno,” Shael said, pulling Kelsia away.

Shael reached over and tugged Copper’s bridle, bringing him to a halt. Kelsia was astonished to see that the look Shael gave her was o*ne noe of fear. “That was magic, Kelsia. Nothing else could have done that.”