The Force of Magic, page 17
Instead, their trail was leading in a direction that would take them towards Dontain, the capital.
Was it possible the rebels were strong even there?
Brant didn’t think so. Maybe the path would turn again before it came to an end. They followed it on through several more twists and turns until it finally branched in the direction he was expecting, back towards the foothills of the mountain range. But after only a short while the path came to an end. It was completely overgrown and no one would be able to pass.
Brant examined the ground to make sure his prey hadn’t doubled back, but when he came again to look at the end of the trail, he could see a place where their feet fell heavily upon the ground. After that, there were no more markings to be seen. Brant looked up into the distance. He knew what lay in that direction, beyond the tops of the farthest trees, the Dragonback Mountains. Brant expected them to head that way and now he was sure that was where they were headed, but how did they make it from here?
Magic, it had to be the girl.
A temporary delay, but Brant would not rest until he found them. He turned and headed back up the trail, his steps now certain of their path.
Chapter thirty-nine
Different Paths
Our bodies are buried in brokenness,
but they will be raised in glory.
They are buried in weakness,
but they will be raised in strength.
The Book of 1st Corinthians 15:43
Perin
“Perin...Perin, wake up.”
Perin heard the voice calling to her, but it seemed like it was far away. She struggled to open her eyes, and when her eyelids finally fluttered open, she only saw dark shadows that seemed to be moving. She closed her eyes again, trying to remember where she was. Her whole body ached and then she remembered. The escape from Riverbend...fleeing through the forest...floating towards the mountains...then, falling.
Her eyes opened again, looking for Sanj. There he was, sitting next to her. She could see his face as dim light shone upon it. He looked very concerned.
“Where are we?” Perin asked.
“I’m so glad you’re awake, you’ve slept all day. This isn’t the first time I’ve tried to wake you. As to your question, we’re in a cave in the Dragonback Mountains. I carried you here after you helped us get away with your magic,” Sanj said.
“We were falling.”
“Yes, but by the time we fell from the sky, we weren’t very high up. Somehow, you slowed our fall, but I think you really overdid it. You’ve been unconscious for hours.”
Perin tried to sit up and look around, but her body felt like it was being weighed down, like someone was sitting on top of her, keeping her from rising.
“It’s not safe to stay here. Because of you, they won’t be able to follow our trail, but if Brant guesses the direction we’re going, there are only a limited number of passes through the mountains and it won’t be long before he picks it up again.”
“I’m so tired. It’s like I haven’t rested.”
“You should eat and drink something, and see if that helps.”
When Sanj mentioned it, Perin realized how dry her throat was and that she was famished. She nodded and Sanj held out a waterskin to her. The cool liquid was a blessing to her parched mouth and throat and she drank her fill.
“Thank you, we have food?”
Sanj opened the pack and produced a few small morsels for her. “Sorry, nothing fresh. I packed for several days and planned to hunt along the way, but I didn’t want to leave you. I don’t know how the magic works and I was afraid you were seriously injured.”
“Thank you for not leaving me, I’m afraid I don’t know much about how it works either. Obviously, it has its limits.” Perin took the food and began to slowly bite and chew. With each swallow, she felt more herself again. “What will we do now?”
“We need to stay ahead of the Brotherhood, but we also need to find Trace. It’s a tricky situation. I don’t suppose your magic can help us find him?”
Perin swallowed and said, “I don’t think there is anything I can do, but I’m not sure about the magic. We met a woman in the woods, before we came to Riverbend. She told us we would find help there, and we did. It was like something was guiding us to the right places and people. Maybe there is some greater magic, something that determines our fates. Maybe that can help guide Trace to us.”
“I hope you’re right about that, but in my experience, we make our own fates. If we want something to happen, we have to seize it ourselves. Do you think you can travel tonight?”
“Must we always travel at night?”
“We can’t wait until morning, that would give them a whole day to catch up with us. We can rest a bit longer, but it would be foolish to wait through the night. If you’re okay, I’ll leave you to finish your food and go out to see if I can spot any signs of our pursuit.”
Perin nodded her assent and watched Sanj leave through the narrow entrance to the cave. Looking around, she saw that the cave wasn’t large, perhaps big enough for 6 or 7 people at the most. She was relieved to see her pack resting beside her. Her traveling cloak was wrapped around her like a blanket. Sanj had stayed with her and cared for her. He was not like other young men she’d known before. Despite his boyish appearance, he was a man at heart, carrying great responsibilities without question. Perin knew she could trust him with her life.
Trace
When he was certain the soldiers searching for him had moved on, Trace moved away, climbing and leaping from tree to tree, in order to avoid leaving a trail below. It was much slower and more difficult than running along the ground, but he thought it best if he didn’t leave them with any clues to his passage. During his time waiting for them to depart, Trace thought about what to do next. He needed to find Perin, but he really had no idea which direction Sanj intended to lead them.
As much as Sanj and Ayna were willing to share, they were very careful about giving the names of others or specific locations when they talked about the activity of the Fringe. Trace supposed that made sense. A secret movement wouldn’t survive if all the details were spread and known widely. Unfortunately that also meant that they could be headed anywhere. Trace finally decided to make his way to the edge of the forest, near where he came from the river and to move along the edge, away from Riverbend and towards the mountains. Perhaps he could see some sign of their passage as they left the forest. This would take time, but he could move quickly during the remaining daylight hours.
When Trace moved to the edge of the forest, he saw the tracks of the soldiers who were pursuing him. There were many, he would guess at least 20 or more. Two sets continued on in the direction he intended to travel in. This gave Trace an idea. He still wore boots that were similar to those of the soldiers. If he followed the tracks, maybe he could surprise the soldiers and no one would know what happened to them. His trail should blend in with theirs. If it was possible for him to get some information out of them, that might be helpful as well.
Trace dropped down into the midst of where the tracks were the heaviest. It seemed as if any soldiers that passed this way must have been long gone. He headed off along the edge of the forest and soon developed a rhythm that matched his stride to one of the sets of boot prints, essentially allowing him to travel in their footprints. This should render his path invisible to all but the most experienced tracker. He moved quickly, while at the same time trying to keep looking ahead to spot the soldiers before they would have a chance to see him.
As he came to a place where the trees curved around the bend, Trace thought he heard voices ahead. Slowly, he moved around to look past the trees and saw the two soldiers sitting under a tree. It looked like they were sharing some food. They were probably close to 300 paces from where he stood and he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He could see they were facing away from him, towards the woods and the direction they were traveling. Looking around, Trace saw a long branch that might serve as a makeshift battle staff if necessary.
He knelt and picked up the branch, as well as a few stones from the ground. He carefully closed the distance until they were less than 50 paces from him, walking carefully to make as little noise as possible. He knew he could close the distance quickly, but wanted to get as close as possible before they became aware of his presence. As luck would have it, he made it to within about 20 paces and they were so focused on their conversation, they still hadn’t seen him. He could see their swords were sheaved and he knew it was time to attack.
Taking one of the stones, he threw it high overhead, so it would fall in the trees on the far side of them.
“What was that?” A soldier asked as they both stood and turned in that direction.
Trace was already on the move, his feet rushing to close the distance before they would know what was coming. One of the soldiers was just turning around, drawn by the sound of his approach when Trace arrived, swinging the branch with such force that it slammed into the soldier, lifting him off the ground and throwing him backwards where he crashed into a nearby tree. The branch completely splintered on impact and as Trace pulled it back to bring it around to face the other soldier, he found himself holding a much smaller stick, with only about a hand's length left.
The other soldier drew his sword and moved in to attack, bringing it around to try and connect with Trace’s head. Trace threw the stick at the soldier and quickly ducked under the sword before bringing his leg around to sweep it across the soldier’s feet. The blow sent the soldier toppling forward, out of control, where he sprawled out on the ground. Trace jumped up and then landed on the soldier’s back, where he wrapped his left arm around his neck while pinning the soldier’s sword arm to the ground. He squeezed his neck until he was certain no air could find it’s way into his lungs. Soon, the soldier lay still.
Standing up, Trace looked at the other soldier and saw he also wasn’t moving. As Trace walked over to him, he could see the damage his blow brought. Blood poured out of the soldier’s mouth and his chest was still, with no breath to lift it.
These two men were not members of the Brotherhood, but only regular Dominion soldiers. They could have been like him or like some of the worse of the lot that he encountered during his time serving in his platoon. For the Dominion, they were nameless, an ever replaceable lot of chaff that existed to be cut down only to ready the next wave to take their turn. Trace didn’t know whether he felt sorry or not, but he knew that they would not have shown him mercy if he were in their place. It was a thought of little solace.
Searching them for supplies and stripping off their swords, he found the man on the ground still breathing. Trace carried them into the woods and tied them up in two different trees. He placed one of the swords in his sheath and imbedded the other one in a different tree, some distance from the soldiers. The soldier who was still alive, did not stir and after watching him for a few moments, Trace decided to trust his fate to the forest. There was still a bit more light and he didn’t want to waste it.
Trace still didn’t know where he was going, but his encounter with the soldiers left him feeling as if he had made some progress. He was free, he had a sword again and he hoped his friends were free as well. No matter what was in front of him, Trace knew he would keep going until he found Perin. He was her protector and he intended to live up to that calling.
Chapter forty
Pursuit
Wisdom is better than foolishness,
just as light is better than darkness
The Book of Ecclesiastes 2:13
Perin
“How far are we traveling tonight?” Perin asked. Sanj and her left shortly before sundown. As they came out of the cave, she was taken aback by the majestic view of the sun setting over the forest they traveled through. She thought she could see Riverbend off in the distance.
“There are two waypoints we might reach that would provide shelter. I’m hoping we will be able to reach the further one. Not only would it be good to put more distance between ourselves and our pursuit, it’s more secure overall,” Sanj said.
Perin believed he was right, but her aching body disagreed. She didn’t break anything in her fall from the sky, but she still felt it from head to toe. Part of her wondered if it was really from the fall, or from using her magic to it’s limit. Her meal and coming out into the brisk mountain air awakened her quite well, so fatigue wasn’t a problem. At least not yet. Still, she realized Sanj hadn’t really answered her question.
“Can we make it there by morning?” Perin asked.
“Perhaps. Our pace is good and if we can keep it up through the night, we will be rewarded. I didn’t see signs of pursuit before we left, but we shouldn't assume they aren’t there,” Sanj said.
“And we want Trace to find us,” Perin said.
“I’ve been thinking about that as well. The farther we get away, the less likely he’ll catch up. After all, he doesn’t know which way we were going. If we can make it to the shelter I’m thinking about, it might provide us an opportunity to wait for him. Much is still given to chance, but at least we won’t be increasing the distance,” Sanj said.
“That would be good. In other words, keep walking,” Perin said. Sanj nodded and smiled. For not the first time she thought to herself, Sanj has a nice smile. It helped to have more of an idea of their destination, of their plan, and to think that it might allow for Trace to find them. She prayed that he was well and that he might come to them soon.
What happened to him after we fled in the night?
Trace
Trace second-guessed his plan to follow the forest around, looking for signs of passage. The trees stretched away far to the mountains and across the plains. Sanj could have been leading them anywhere and what if he missed their trail. Trace grew up tracking game in the woods near his family’s farm and wasn’t a bad tracker, but he knew it was possible that he might miss something.
As the forest curved around, Trace came to the foothills of the mountain range. There was still some light left, but he knew he would soon have to stop for the night, unless he wanted to risk missing some mark of their passage. Before leaving the river, Trace refilled his waterskin and then proceeded onward with the mountains on his right and the forest on his left. There were several paths from the forest leading towards the mountains, but there was no sign that they were used recently.
At the edge of one of these paths, as the last rays of sunlight passed from the sky, Trace made his decision to camp for the night. He traveled a great distance over the course of the day, and hoped it wasn’t away from Perin and Sanj. He was fairly sure they didn’t try to cross the river. The trails leading towards the mountain seemed more likely and he wanted to be careful to check each one. Trace found a tree that was large enough for him to secure himself in that provided a view of the closest path. He opened his pack to find some food as night fell leaving the forest cloaked in darkness.
It never ceased to amaze him how the sounds of the forest increased at night. He could hear insects buzzing and distant birds as the nocturnal world came alive. He found it peaceful overall. Trace knew that a quiet forest often meant a greater trouble was coming. He closed his eyes and listened to the woodland symphony. Other than the sounds of the farm, there was nothing he would rather hear.
Trace awoke with an uneasy feeling. It was still dark and he didn’t feel like he’d slept for long. As he opened his eyes, a flicker in the distance attracted his attention. Through the thick growth of the forest, he saw a fire burning. It wasn’t far away, but still too far for him to see more than just the hint of flames, close to the ground.
Most likely a campfire, but whose?
Trace didn’t think Perin and Sanj would risk a fire with soldiers all around. Most likely, this was more of the soldiers pursuing them. He wanted a closer look, but knew it would be difficult to approach them without attracting their attention.
Maybe just a bit closer.
He dropped to the ground, landing silently on the soft forest floor. Slowly, Trace crept forward, trying to place each step carefully to avoid a fallen branch or other obstacles that would carry sound of his passage into the night. Most of the sounds of the forest were reduced from earlier, as if these intruders were pushing life away from them, leaving a respectful perimeter isolating them in a cocoon of unnatural presence.
As Trace neared the other side of the trail, he realized there was no easy way to draw any closer to the fire. Wherever they were camped, in the dark of the moonlit night, Trace couldn’t see a way to narrow the distance further without making his presence known. Still, he was close enough now to make out more. At least two men sat before the fire. Straining his ears, no voices carried to him across the distance. Either they were whispering or they sat silent where they were.
This isn’t helpful. Maybe I can’t get closer, but I still might be able to get a reaction. Searching the ground for a stone about the size of his hand, Trace readied himself and launched the rock far into the forest, being careful not to make a sound or hit any branches on it’s way up. Quickly, he retreated behind the closest tree, leaning around so most of him was hidden. As the stone crashed down, hitting branches on its way before landing with a thud, Trace saw the two men jump up, turning towards the sound.
“What do you think that was?” A voice asked.
“Sounded like something fell out of a tree,” another answered.
The two men moved away from the fire, in the direction of the sound, but only a few steps. Trace was beginning to step out to see better when he saw another shape moving between Trace and the fire, the dark shadow of a man, standing now as a silent sentinel. Trace froze in place, afraid to move, afraid to breath. After a few seconds, he heard another voice, one he knew from before say, “There’s someone out there.”
