7: The Long Road Ahead

7

THE LONG ROAD AHEAD

 

 

The youth gets together the materials for a bridge to the moon, and at length the middle-aged man decides to make a woodshed with them.
-  Henry David Thoreau

 

 

 

          Emma woke up the next morning knowing what a hangover must feel like. She was dizzy, blind, and her head felt ten times its usual weight. She would be able to wash herself if she didn’t keep dropping the soap, and she could get dressed, too, if her clothes would stop moving for half a second.

          Emma walked out of the bathroom to find that Cassidi was sitting on the end of her bed giggling uncontrollably.

“Why is it that every morning I wake up to find you laughing at me?”

This only made her laugh harder. She wasn’t very mature for a woman in her late-twenties, as far as Emma was concerned.

          Lyulf was just as tired as she was; only half awake on the bed. Emma sat down beside him and scratched behind his ears, just where he liked it.

“Telliandra tells me you and her and Rishka are leaving us in a week’s time.”

Emma nodded. “That’s what she told me, too.”

Cassidi put a hand on Emma’s knee. “I’ll miss you, Emma. I think everyone will.”

Emma grinned at her. “It’s not like you won’t see me again. I’ll just be gone for a while. We’re going to make it a little harder for those b******s, and I quote.”

Cassidi laughed. “Sounds like something she would say.”

“And when I come back,” continued Emma, “you’ll meet my brother.”

The two girls smiled at each other.

 

* * * * * * *

 

“Who are you and why are you bathing me?”

The dark-haired girl laughed. “The healers asked me to help out. I’m your rescuer, Trader. Me and Emma.”

Tor just kept staring at her. “You and Emma? Emma rescued me?”

The girl nodded. “She’s the one who healed you, too.”

Tor leaned back for a second, digesting that piece of news.

The girl stopped sponging him and looked at his face. “What did they want to know?”

Tor was silent for a while before answering. “Where Stonehenge is.” He closed his eyes, fighting tears. “I shouldn’t have told them. I should’ve held out longer…”

“If you had held out longer you would have died.”

“One life for the price of a hundred?”

The girl was silent. “You stood it longer than I would have.”

Tor sat up in his bed and cocked an eyebrow at her. “You still haven’t told me your name, girl.”

She cocked an eyebrow back at him. “You never asked for it.”

“I asked…”

“Who I was.” She finished the sentence for him. “But does a name really tell who you are?”

Tor sat there in shock for a moment. “Then, hunter, what is your name?”

The girl smiled. She had a beautiful smile. “Alex. Alexandria, actually, but I prefer Alex. Or Hawk.”

Tor raised a brow. “’Hawk’?”

Alex nodded. “My nickname.”

          She picked up her bowl of water and her sponge, and quietly drifted out of the room, or so it seemed to Tor.

“Feeling better?” Tor jumped at the sound of Emma’s voice.

He smiled. “Thanks to you.”

She sat down beside him on the bed.

“You throw up yet?”

He made a face.  “Last night.”

“I’m sorry about your fingers. I didn’t realize.”

Tor shook his head. “It’s me who should be apologizing, Emma. You did what you were supposed to and I got angry with you. I acted like a jerk and then you go and save my life.” He rubbed his face tiredly. “It’s not supposed to work like that.”

Emma laughed. “You rely to much on what ‘should’ happen. There is no should and shouldn’t. Only what you can, and what you will do. I knew I could save you. Then it was just a question of whether I would.”

Tor shook his head in disbelief. “You’re too old to be eleven.”

Emma sighed. “Everyone tells me that and I still don’t know what it means.”

“You act a lot older than you really are. You are a lot older than you really are.” He shook his head again and covered his eyes. “Great. I’m confusing myself now.”

Emma laughed. “Get some sleep. I’ll send someone with food later.”
Tor stared at her, horrified. “I just woke up!”

Emma waved goodbye and left.

Alex had drifted back into the room, giggling, at the look on his face, no doubt.

He leaned back in his bed and groaned. “I have a headache.”

Alex pulled the covers around him. “Ooh, what a whiner. Would you like me to kiss you and make it all better?”

He rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t know where to put my nose.”

 

* * * * * * *

 

“’Pack light’ she tells me. How am I supposed to pack light with all this junk she gave me?”

She looked around in dismay at the pile of stuff she was supposed to fit into her bags--along with all of her own things.

“How?” She said wearily, holding her hands up like the answer to her problems would fall into them. “How is it possible?”

“How is what possible?” Tor asked, lounging on the doorframe.

Emma glared at him. “Feeling better?” She asked, a little too sweetly.

“Yeah. Four days of complete boredom will do that to a guy.”

“Well, sorry for trying to keep your healing together.” Emma snapped.

“Geeze,” he said, coming in and sitting down on the floor behind her, “you’re cranky! What’s got you so stressed?”

“This!” She put her arms out wide to include the whole mess. “How am I supposed to carry all this on one horse?”

Tor, she realized when she stopped yelling, was laughing hysterically on the floor.

“Great! Just great! I forgot you were a Trader! Will you shut up and help me?”

Tor got himself a little more under control when his wound began to hurt.

“Ouch…”

“Serves you right. How do I do this? Please?”

          Tor began showing her what should go where, and how to balance the weight properly. Emma was amazed at how fast he did it. Of course, traders learned how to pack as soon as they could talk. He had been doing this, and watching it be done, for nineteen years.

          Tor arranged the stuff into organized piles, quickly and quietly, almost like it was comforting to do it again. When most of the stuff was ready he spoke for the first time in around half an hour.

“You going to be careful out there, kidling?”

 “Tor, I’ll be fine. I’ll be with Telliandra and Rishka. Who could ask for better protection?”

He was silent for a second. “It’s not fair,” he said, almost whispered, “The only way to win this war is to act like them. If we don’t they’ll kill us. I just…there has to be another way. We just haven’t seen it yet. Do you think so?”

Emma traced the lines on her palm, remembering how fascinated she had been with Ty’s when she was little, because of the Eye. And he had always let her look at it.

“I don’t know, Tor. I really don’t. All I know is that I can’t concentrate on anything else until I’ve found Ty. Maybe then I’ll be able to think about things a little more.”

Tor smiled. “I’ll have to meet this brother of yours for myself and find out why you love him so much.”

Emma laughed. “You will, Tor. You will.”

 

* * * * * * *

 

“Seeing any visions in that water?”

Tor snorted. “I couldn’t See anything if I tried.”

Alex leaned against the railing of the balcony beside him. He sighed and took a drink from the cup he was holding.

“The city’s beautiful tonight, isn’t it?”

Tor nodded. “Where do you live?”

“In the Seer temple.”

Tor looked at her. “You’re an orphan?”

“I don’t know. My mother died giving birth to me, my father left before I was born. Whether he lives or not is a mystery.”

“You can’t See him?”

She shook her head regretfully. “My abilities have never stretched very far. I’m not that powerful. That’s why I decided to become a knight, so I could protect myself without having to rely on magic.”

He made an approving noise. But Alex sighed and shook her head thoughtfully. “Why do I find it so easy to talk to you? I’ve only known you for half a week!”

“Maybe you just like me more than you think you do.”

Alex sighed. “Training comes first. I want to be a Master Swordswoman as soon as possible.”
“And what about love? What number is that on you list?”

Alex laughed. “Last.” She said. “I don’t need someone to distract me right now.”

“Alex, my dear, you need to get your priorities in line. Training may come fist but love should certainly be second!”

Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Weather you’re a scholar or a warrior I’ll never know.”

Tor laughed at her. “I am a Trader, Alexandria. That’s all you need to know about me.”

“That may be all I need to know, but is that all I want to know?”

 

* * * * * * *

 

The days went by slowly, like a ship with no wind to move it along. Emma hadn’t a need nor a want to paddle. It seemed to her that, now that it came down to it, her days in Tanackniatah had been too short. But, as the strayr song went, she had to see what was up ahead. She could not spend all of her days in the beautiful city.

          So came the day that Emma stood in the courtyard, a little behind Telliandra, as the queen gave out orders for the last time before their departure.

“Are you nervous?” Lyulf nudged her knee.

“Not really. More scared than nervous.”

“Don’t be scared. This is the only way we can find Ty. This is good for us.”

Emma didn’t reply, but her hand went to Matathulaz’ hilt.

“Were you planning on leaving without a farewell?” said Tor as he came up behind her.

Emma smiled at her friend. “Just don’t let any more humans get you while I’m gone, okay?”

Alex giggled, a lot more girlishly than usual. “Don’t worry. I’ll watch him.” The two grinned at each other.

Emma raised a brow but kept her thoughts to herself. Those two had been acting funny lately. Emma and Cassidi had seen them walking across the courtyard closer than necessary just yesterday. Then again, they were the same age, and they made a nice couple…

Alex hugged her soundly. “Be careful, Emma. You’re too good to lose.” And with that she made her way over to where Cheryl was standing, leaving her and Tor alone.

Tor didn’t say anything. For a while the two just stood there, listening to Telliandra’s speech. When she seemed to be coming to an end he turned and hugged her, whispered in her ear: “Make life hell for ‘em, Emma.” and kissed her on the cheek. No more words were spoken. Nothing else needed to be said.

          Tor moved aside when Cassidi came over, tears running down her cheeks at the prospect of her charge leaving.

“Your room will still be here when you get home.” She said, and nearly strangled her with the force of her hug.

Home? Emma thought. Is that what this place is?

“And so friends, I must depart now.” Telliandra was saying, “Don’t be naughty when I’m away. Be good little children. Don’t be sending any messenger birds after me. Cassidi will act in my place. I wish you all the best of luck. Fare thee well.”

          Her horse, Majesty, was waiting for her. She mounted the huge beast with a gracefulness that Emma envied, and turned to her student.

“Are you ready for the long road ahead?” The words sounded funny coming out of her own mouth, as Telliandra had been asked the same question twenty-seven years ago.

And she had nodded, frightened but confident, just as Emma did now.

“Then let us depart.”

Emma mounted Dancer, her hands shaking as they held his reins. Rishka swung up onto the black mare he used as a mount.

          Emma took one last look around at her friends, her family. Tor, Alex and Cassidi stood in the front of the crowd, and as Emma waved goodbye one last time, they waved back gravely.

           She turned her horse towards Telliandra and Rishka, towards the long road ahead, and moved Dancer into a trot. She never looked back, never waved once more, never took one last look at her friends, or the city, or the Divine Tower the castle that had become her home. Looking back was too hard to bear, but looking ahead was easy.




The shafts of light pierced Emma’s skin like so many swords being thrust upon her. She squinted in the midday sun, wiped her sweaty palms on her breeches. The horses walked slowly, heads down, flanks shining with sweat. The only person the heat did not seem to affect was Rishka.

“Aren’t you hot, Rishka?” Emma asked tiredly, lips cracking when she moved her mouth.

He shrugged. “I can’t really feel it. I mean, I know when it is hot or cold, but…”

“Spirits don’t really feel temperature, Emma.” Telliandra put in, then sighed. “It’s completely unfair…”

“How come?” Rishka asked.

“Because I do feel it, that’s why! I’m tired and hot and cranky and you will keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you!”

          It went on like that for most of the time, Telliandra and Rishka bickering back and forth, Emma watching, amused. However much they yelled at each other, they never really fought, and Telliandra never acted like she was his master, that she had caught him. It was funny to think that Rishka had been one of the most powerful--and deadliest--spirits in the universes. She hadn’t really been around him much until now, but she was growing fonder of him by the minute.

          The companions met no one on the road until around four o’clock, when the humans came.

          Telliandra made no move to get off the road, or to move aside, so Emma followed her lead. The caravan was accompanied by quite a few humans, mostly men. A cold pit of hate and pain began to grow in her stomach, but it wasn’t the humans that sparked it; it was the slaves.

          There were four of them, three boys and a girl, all younger than Emma. They were chained with the irons that bound their magic to them, so that every time they tried to use it the metal would grow hot and burn their wrists.  The humans had them walking behind the cart while they rode, roped to the back like cattle. Emma had never seen anything so sickening.

“Morning, gentlemen.” Said Telliandra, seemingly kindly. But Emma knew all too well what that “kind” voice meant; she had felt the lash of her tongue too many times to forget it, and it was always the quietest tones that meant she was really angry.

“Morning, milady. And what are two young ladies like yourselves doing on this road all alone?” Said the human driving the cart, a grey haired, bristly man with a whip on his belt.

“Traveling, sir, as are you. You must be blessed with wealth if you can afford four slaves. And young ones at that!”

What the human had said only truly got through to Emma several minutes after. “Two ladies”? Where was Rishka? When she turned around to check for him neither he nor the pony were there.

“Well, actually I’m taking these to a little town up yonder. Don’t assume that just cause they’re young they’re not dangerous, miss. I worry about two fine ladies alone on the road and I’ll tell you it’s because of these blasted Mythi, or Mythy, or whatever they call themselves. Tricky, they are. They’ll be sweet as sugar one minute and then tryin’ to kill you the next. Even the young ones! I tell you, His Highness is a smart man. Smart man. We’ll see to it that these barbarians are kept in their place, yes sir we will!”

          Emma could hear Lyulf and Bregia growling quietly. The two were under veiling spells. A wolf and a panther can’t exactly be excused as a pet.

“Well, sir, I’d be more worried for my own safety if I were you, because I happen to be one of those Mythi!”         

A dark cloud seemed to form ahead, turning slowly into a huge, dark, but magnificent form. It had the body of a horse, the horns of a dragon and the wings of an Eagle. It was Rishka, in his true form.

          Rishka came down upon the humans with a horrible cry that was the screech of a million Eagles, the growl of a thousand dragons and the neigh of ten million horses all rolled into one. You couldn’t even hear your own heart beating over the racket.

          Emma went instinctively to the younger children and began cutting them loose. They were just as terrified of Rishka as the humans, but the fear of the humans themselves was far worse, so they were quiet as Emma freed them.

          The cart was completely destroyed by the time Rishka was through with it, and the humans had run, horrified, from his menacing form. But Telliandra held the driver captive.  

“Well, human,” she cooed, hatred in her beautiful eyes, “You are right about one thing. We’re sweet as sugar one minute and killing you the next!”

She thrust her sword into his stomach, and the man was dead within seconds.

          Emma turned her head away when it happened. The memory of her family came flooding back to her, her father’s pale face, her mother falling to the ground, the silence…

“Well,” said Telliandra. “Let’s find a place to sit for a while and tend to your wounds, shall we?” She said to the slaves, casual as if nothing had happened.

 

 

Later that night, in a clearing in the woods, the freed Mati slept quietly, stomachs full and wounds tended. Telliandra sat beside the fire, chewing some tree sap. Rishka was asleep, his head on her knee.

          Emma watched her tutor quietly for some time, breathing deep. But however much she tried she could not get the question out of her head.

“Telli, why didn’t you let him run?” she asked quietly.

Telliandra looked at her strangely. “He deserved to die.”

“Why?” Emma persisted. “It is not his fault that Merlin has poisoned his mind. Why should he receive what Merlin deserves?”

Telliandra just stared at her, a nerve twitching in her face. “Are you saying that I shouldn’t have killed him?”

Emma didn’t say anything. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth.

“What are we supposed to do, Emma? If we do not fight back then we will die! Our only hope of survival is to win this war, and that is a hard task to accomplish when you don’t fight!”

“When we kill them like that we are no better than they are!” Emma spat. “We are becoming just like them! There’s got to be another way to survive, Telli! There’s got to be!” Her voice turned into a plea.

“No, Emma.” Telliandra said quietly. “There is no other way.”

 

The two Mati said nothing more to each other that night, Telliandra still chewing on her tree sap and idly running her fingers through Rishka’s dark hair.

          Emma hardly slept, digesting what Telli had said. No other way? Then what were they fighting for? If there was no way to end the bloodshed, whether the Mythics were spilling it or not, than why did they even try? Would life be any better without the humans? Her father had told her once that the two kingdoms relied upon each other.

 

Could the Mythics survive without them?