The Gate Beyond Oblivion, page 5
part #1 of Oblivion's Gate Series
Brandt sprinted and tackled her, getting both her and him out of danger just as the wagon crashed over on its side.
Screams came both from within the wagon and from the horses harnessed to it. Brandt looked up, ignoring the noise, just in time to see Ryder get pinned under the same stone that had slammed into his own back just moments ago.
It was the first time Brandt could remember seeing Ryder stuck in place. The man was a human tornado in a sword fight.
Brandt guessed he wouldn’t have a chance at lifting the stone with the bandit forcing it down, so he attacked the bandit directly. Kyler, with his stone affinity and sheer physical strength, was Ryder’s best hope for a physical rescue. Brandt just needed to give Kyler the time and space to work.
Ana entered the fray from another side, a thin sliver of water under her control. She lashed at the bandit’s face, hoping to distract him while Brandt made a fatal cut. Ana wasn’t a strong sword compared to the others, but her water manipulation made her powerful support in combat.
The bandit sent two small stones toward Ana. She dodged, but the attack broke her own focus, giving the bandit time to meet Brandt.
Brandt had the advantage of reach, but the bandit willingly gave up ground, and with the two long knives, his defense was impenetrable. Brandt kept waiting for the bandit to make a mistake, for the heat of battle to carry him away, but his opponent remained unflappable.
In a moment, Brandt was joined by Lola and Ana. They pressed the bandit back, but even the three of them couldn’t execute a killing blow. It was only when Kyler came in with his giant hammer that the bandit seemed to consider them a threat. Whoever he was, his affinity and his martial arts were beyond anything Brandt had ever seen.
The bandit threw up a wave of small stones. The act of affinity lacked the bandit’s earlier control, but made up for that lack with sheer intensity. Brandt and the others were forced to defend themselves, providing the bandit with enough time to turn and run deeper into the woods.
Brandt looked back at the wagon. Its goods had been strewn over the road, but both merchant and wife appeared unharmed. Ryder grimaced as he moved, but the wolfblades looked healthy otherwise.
His choice was simple. He had no particular desire to help the smuggler more than was necessary, and he refused to be beaten by anyone. “After him.”
The five wolfblades gave chase. The bandit ran straight to the west. Brandt guessed he was heading for the mountains a league away. Once there, the wolfblades’ slim advantage would melt like snow under a burning sun.
They couldn’t let him reach the mountains.
The bandit moved lightly through the forest, his feet barely tapping against the ground. The wolfblades followed suit.
Brandt fell behind. Lightness required a calm manipulation of internal energies, and at the moment, he was anything but calm. That bandit had sealed him and Ana in a mountain, condemning them to a slow death. He had tried to crush Ryder.
Brandt’s blood boiled.
“Ryder, cut him off!”
Ryder nodded, but Brandt noticed him grimace as he darted ahead of the rest of them. He was hurt worse than he had first appeared.
Brandt yelled ahead. “Ana, assist Ryder.”
She darted farther ahead of the group, trailing Ryder as best she could. Ryder’s lightness was unmatched, but Ana’s came close.
Brandt continued to lose ground to the rest of the group. His sword and his affinity were strong, but lightness had never been a technique that came easily to him.
Ryder and Ana caught up with the bandit in less than thirty heartbeats. Brandt could just see the initial exchange, which his friends took the worse of.
But it gave the other wolfblades time to catch up, and soon the battle was again five against one. The bandit’s capture was only a matter of time. Brandt burned to know the identity of the man who possessed such an affinity. How had this skill come to be?
Lola collapsed beside him. In the shade of the trees, Brandt wasn’t sure what felled her.
Brandt caught a glimpse of a fist-sized stone as it struck Ryder in the back of the head. Ryder folded over, his eyes blank.
He couldn’t track the single stone. It was moving too fast, its direction changing moment after moment. The remaining wolfblades had also caught on to what was happening, and they looked around warily.
It didn’t save Kyler. The rock caught him in the stomach, then lifted him high into the air. Brandt couldn’t believe his eyes.
He focused on the bandit. He couldn’t stop the stone, but he could kill the man controlling it.
Kyler crashed to the ground, the only warning Brandt had that the stone was no longer occupied with the giant warrior.
Then the stone smashed into his side. Brandt only caught a glimpse of it before it picked him off his feet, just as it had Kyler.
Brandt kicked his legs, clawing for the ground no longer beneath them. His flight only lasted for a moment before it ended with him slamming up against a tree. The stone flew away, and Brandt collapsed to the ground, clutching at his stomach, unable to breathe.
The sounds of battle only lasted another few heartbeats. The thump of another unconscious body against the ground signaled the end of the wolfblades.
Brandt fought to stand. Rage burned within him, but all the hate in the world wasn’t going to make his legs move.
He slammed his fist into the ground as the forest went quiet around him.
He didn’t know how much time passed, but the groans of his squad brought him to his feet. His breath came in ragged gasps, but it came. Maybe he’d cracked a few ribs. He couldn’t be sure.
Brandt stumbled over to Lola, who had dug her sword into the ground and was using it to stand up. “You okay?”
She inhaled sharply. “I will be.”
Together, they checked on the others. Kyler and Ana both responded well, but Ryder took some time to recover. Blood flowed freely from a wound to his scalp.
Miraculously, none of them had died. As Brandt watched his friends recover from the various blows they had taken, he understood a truth.
The bandit had intentionally left them alive. Several of the blows could have killed them. If the man had the ability to lift Kyler in the air with a single stone, the blow to Ryder’s head could have easily sent him to the gates.
The bandit had pulled his punches.
Brandt wished he knew why.
Once everyone was back on their feet, they returned to where the wagon had tipped over. When they arrived, they found another surprise. One surprise too many, in Brandt’s opinion.
The merchant and his wife appeared to be dead.
Ana approached and kneeled down beside them. She put her hand next to the merchant’s face. “He’s alive.”
She moved to the wife and confirmed she lived, too. Ana examined the woman more closely. She squinted as she brushed some of the long dark hair away from the woman’s neck. “There’s a small puncture wound here.”
Brandt examined the merchant, finding a matching wound.
“The bandit?” Lola asked.
Brandt shook his head. “I can’t imagine him using poisoned darts.”
“The walls are gone,” Kyler observed.
Brandt hadn’t noticed, but once Kyler pointed it out, he couldn’t believe he had missed the detail. The short wall that had stopped the wagon during the ambush was gone. The taller wall that had toppled the wagon was, too. The road looked clear as far as the eye could see. “Could you have fixed that?”
Kyler rubbed at his chin. “Not in less than a full afternoon’s worth of work and two full meals.”
“So the bandit returned and repaired the road?”
“That would be my guess.”
Brandt shook his head. Who else had been after the merchant? Why had the bandit fixed the road when he returned?
He had no answers. “Let’s arrest these two and search through what’s left. We can question them back in Landow.”
They went to work, hoping to find answers to the questions that plagued them.
8
Alena helped serve the meal her mother had prepared. Tonight’s meal was simple, if hearty. Mother had roasted a whole chicken and boiled potatoes, a celebration of a project her father recently finished.
One advantage of Alena’s position with Bayt was that she had access to more spices every day than most people saw in a month. Often, in lieu of accepting gold for her activities, she took her payments in spice. Her mother was an excellent cook and used the herbs and seasonings to great effect. Tonight’s chicken and potatoes were no exception.
Their father was home this evening. He owned one of the best smithies in town, thanks in large part to his long history of hard work and uncompromising standards. Many years ago he had started out as an apprentice smith, but the quality of his work slowly became known throughout the area. When his master became too old to lift the hammer, he had inherited the smithy and built its reputation further.
Now the smithy employed four well-regarded apprentices, and the forges were in almost constant use. Father was best known for his blades, but he gave the same attention to a farmer’s horseshoe that he did an official’s sword. It made him the best in the area, but it also meant long absences from his family.
The four of them sat down to eat. The chicken was moist and savory, and the potatoes filled the small spaces in Alena’s stomach. The fireplace warmed the room, and Alena wished she could sit at the table forever. She was eager to explore the world, but less enthused about leaving her family.
Father gave her a pointed glance in between bites. “How are your studies?”
“Good.”
He gave her a knowing glance. “I hear you haven’t been attending your history lessons very often.”
Alena knew where that rumor would have come from. Jace did everything he could to curry favor with their father. Little did he realize their father looked down on a tattletale.
It wouldn’t stop Father from using the information, though.
“I’ve been using the extra time in the shop.”
“You believe you will still pass the exams?”
“Yes, Father.”
He held her gaze for a moment, then smiled. “Very well.”
“Luc!” Mother sounded indignant.
Father chuckled, a low soft sound that put Alena instantly at ease. “She’s nearly an adult, and she’s a bright girl. I choose to trust her.” He grinned at his wife’s glare. “Anyway, if she fails to pass the exams, she knows she’s stuck in this town for the rest of her life, and then you won’t have to worry about her leaving.”
His indirect threat struck uncomfortably close to her heart. She loved her family, but the continent was vast, and she wanted to see as much of it as possible. University was her only legitimate way out. She had been studying history, just not under the tutelage of that old fool at the academy. She wouldn’t miss her chance to escape Landow.
After the meal was over, Alena went to help Mother with the cleanup, but Father stopped her. “Jace, help your mother tonight, please.”
Jace, always eager to please Father, jumped to it.
Alena followed her father and sat next to him near the fireplace. He spoke low, so as not to be overheard.
“You’re not being a fool about your classes, are you?”
“I don’t think so. Our instructor does little more than read from a text. I can do that on my own, and faster.”
“You understand what you risk? History is a key component of the exam.”
She nodded. “I do. I’ve been borrowing additional history texts from the academy library. I will be prepared.”
“Very well. Just remember, Alena, your intelligence is a double-edged sword. With it, you can accomplish great deeds. But left unchecked, it will get you into trouble. It must be balanced with hard work and wisdom.”
“I know, Father.” She meant it, too. He had hammered that teaching into her with the same intensity he hammered imperfections out of steel.
“Good.” He reached into one of his deep pockets, pulling out a hide-wrapped object and handing it to her. “I have something for you.”
She recognized his handiwork immediately. It was a long knife, and it had all the hallmarks of his craft. The blade was simple and unadorned, with a hilt that didn’t draw attention to itself. Her father created the best blades, not the best-looking ones.
She put the knife down and leaped at him, wrapping her arms around his thick neck. He embraced her tightly, his strong arms threatening to crush the breath out of her.
“Thank you, Dad.”
“You’re welcome, girl. I’m proud of you.”
They broke apart and she studied the knife for some time. They were shortly joined by Jace and Mother, and the family exchanged stories of their past few days. Alena went to her bedroom that night warm and full of cheer.
But she didn’t remain there long. As soon as she was certain her family was asleep, she threw on dark clothes and slipped out the window of her room, using lightness to skip across the neighboring roofs. She landed on a street a block away and made her way toward Niles’ house, the same way she had for the past three nights.
After the first night, Bayt had told her to stay far away. Though he’d tried to hide the fact, he had been supremely interested in where the Arrowoods were living. The very spices her mother had used tonight had been a direct result of that information.
Nothing encouraged Alena more than telling her that something shouldn’t be done, though. For the past few nights she had watched the house. She had no specific purpose. She just wanted to learn more about the new named student and his mysterious family. Her curiosity had always been insatiable.
Alena reached her usual observation point without difficulty. She settled in, allowing the shadows to embrace her.
Waiting had never been challenging for Alena. Even as a young girl, she had found the world rich in sensory details. As she watched, she let her senses wander. She traced the smoke rising into the sky from the chimneys, listened to the sounds of people walking on the streets below. Someone in the house beneath her must be cooking, because the scents of roasted meat filled her nose.
It was very late when a now-familiar figure appeared in the darkness of the streets below. Every step landed without a sound, and his head swiveled back and forth at regular intervals.
Zane Arrowood had arrived.
Most nights, Zane walked straight to his house. Tonight, though, he was more circumspect. He doubled back, then walked around a block twice. He even used lightness to reach a nearby rooftop.
Alena pushed herself deeper into the shadows.
Eventually, he came to the door of his house, but he didn’t go inside. He looked around one more time.
Then he climbed to the roof of his own house. He crouched down behind the chimney, and Alena heard the soft sound of brick scraping against brick, barely loud enough to reach her ears.
A few moments later, Zane was back on the street, opening his door as though nothing unusual had just occurred.
Alena bit her lower lip. Zane had hidden something. Given his precautions, she had no doubt that whatever was hidden was particularly valuable. She wiped a bit of sweat from her palms.
Bayt would kill her.
But she would never have a better opportunity.
She could hear her heart thundering in her chest.
She had pulled some foolish tricks before.
But this, this was a whole different level of foolish.
She imagined the look on Bayt’s face.
Perhaps she could earn enough to buy her way into university. It was possible for some. The exam was the only way in for those who couldn’t afford better. Her father would be proud of her admission, even if he could never learn the method she’d used.
She wrung her hands. She wanted to pace, because pacing always helped her think.
Alena cursed. What could Zane have hidden?
Sure, Zane seemed frightening enough, but there was no connection for them to draw to her. No one besides Bayt even knew she had been here. The Arrowoods didn’t even know she existed.
She leaped from roof to roof, using all the lightness she possessed to land on the Arrowoods’ roof.
Alena stepped slowly, testing her weight on every step. Every soft sound echoed like thunder in her ears.
She loved this feeling. Every sense was sharp. Colors, sounds, and smells were all more vivid. When she reached the chimney, she had little difficulty seeing what brick had been removed.
Alena crouched down, listening for any sign her presence had been detected. Then she dug her fingers into the crack and began gently prying at the brick.
She forced herself to be patient. The brick moved, one hair’s width at a time.
Then it was out. Alena reached her hand in and found a small package, wrapped in hide. She pulled it out, then replaced the brick. Remaining close to the scene was a risk, but if it delayed the discovery of her theft, she figured it was worth it.
Then she reversed her path, leaping back onto safe rooftops. As soon as she was clear, she dropped back to the ground, pulling a hood over her head. She walked away, putting as much distance between her and the scene of the crime as she could.
9
Brandt paced outside the governor’s residence. He still felt the aches and bruises from the battle the day before, but he counted himself lucky for surviving a fight of such intensity with as few wounds as he did. None of the wounds hurt as much as his pride. In the whole history of his command, he’d never suffered a defeat.
The bandit would suffer for the humiliation he had caused. Brandt planned on ensuring it.
The rest of the wolfblades recuperated at the inn. Ryder, in particular, required quiet rest. Brandt couldn’t wait for answers, though. The governor had to know more than he was letting on. A bandit that powerful left traces of his existence. Powers that strong left a path to follow, like an army marching across a field.
