Dean's Online Fiction

Frozen Prospects

Chapter 6

The leave taking from the village earlier that morning had been harder than Va'del expected. It'd been obvious the villagers still didn't know everything about the Guadel and their powers, but they knew much more than the people in Screaming Wind, and as a consequence, their welcome had been warmer, and their stay much more relaxed.

The villagers had actually been sorry to see the Guadel leave, which had shocked Va'del. It was quickly becoming apparent that a small change in how the villagers perceived the Guadel made a huge difference in how I'rone's family was treated. More and more, Va'del was realizing just how little sense it made for the Guadel to exert so much effort to remain a mystery.

The path the small group followed had broadened out enough for Jasmin and Va'del to walk side-by-side. The heavy coats and hoods they all wore made it hard to tell much about what a person was thinking, but Va'del nevertheless had the feeling Jasmin was deep in thought.

As reluctant as he was to interrupt her solitude, the questions pulling at Va'del's thoughts were so insistent he finally cleared his throat.

"I thought bag'ligs were lowland beasts--what brought them up so high?"

Jasmin picked her way across the hardened snow, her breath frosting the air before her, for nearly a minute before answering. "They are lowland beasts, but they do sometimes come up this high when they have reason."

"What kind of reason would drive them up where there isn't really any food?"

The hooded figure next to him stopped for a second before pulling on her gurra's lead and continuing on. "I don't know for sure, none of us really know why such a large group would come up this high, but I'rone suspects that they were driven up here, possibly as a kind of weapon. There aren't many lowlanders who can survive up here, but if they wanted to make life more difficult for us they could always push the bag'ligs up the mountain. The elevation doesn't bother bag'ligs as much as it does people."

Va'del's question as to why someone would hate the People so much was cut short as I'rone suddenly stopped, his head sweeping rapidly back and forth, scanning an arc before them. Betreec took the lead to I'rone's gurra as Jasmin and Va'del hurried over to her side.

Jasmin took Va'del's lead and tapped his sword hilt as she gave him a nervous smile. Within moments both women had sunk into the trances that would allow them to augment I'rone's speed and strength, and Va'del's heart was racing.

As the now-familiar air of deadliness and grace settled on I'rone; the Guadel pulled Va'del to him. "Be ready to protect the women if I fall."

While the teenager was still processing the words, I'rone took off at a run through the snow towards the unseen danger. The whole situation seemed so surreal to Va'del that he had a hard time believing it wasn't all a dream until six rough-looking men rose from behind a snow drift and pointed crossbows at the lone figure running toward them.

Heart in his throat, Va'del watched six quarrels leap from the crossbows and streak towards I'rone. He's dead. Maybe if I charge them before they can reload?

Amazingly, none of the deadly projectiles found I'rone. Instead, he dodged some of them and even knocked one or two out of the air with his weapons before rushing forward to engage the attackers.

Va'del nearly stopped his headlong flight towards the attackers, thinking that if I'rone had been able to handle eight bag'ligs that he'd be able to handle six men. But the bag'ligs were shorter and didn't have swords of their own. Once they've cut him down they'll use the crossbows to kill the rest of us.

I'rone cut down the first bandit before anyone else could reach him, but the next three engaged him at the same time, and he was only able to kill one of those before the last two attackers joined their fellows.

Va'del was now half way to the battle, his lungs burning from the cold air and his legs starting to tremble slightly from the effort of running with ice spikes strapped to his boots.

The four men seemed to be pressing I'rone sorely now. He still moved so quickly Va'del couldn't follow what was happening with his eyes, but streaks of red were starting to appear on the Guadel's massive body as more and more of the blows he was dodging didn't quite miss.

Va'del stumbled and fell down as a particularly complex exchange resulted in one of the men reeling away with what appeared to be a mortal wound. The teenager stumbled back to his feet just as a scream from behind him brought his head around in time to see Betreec slump backwards, a stubby quarrel protruding from her chest as a pair of gurra fled back the way they'd come.

Oh, Powers! There was one more. He circled around behind us.

A flicker of motion as the bandit disappeared behind a snow drift to reload his crossbow told Va'del where the shot had come from, and he once again broke into a run.

Jasmin is still ok; maybe that will be enough.

Questions about whether or not Betreec was already dead, or if I'rone was still capable of facing three men with only Jasmin's help were secondary to the need to run, to put his body between Jasmin and the crossbow.

Under other circumstances, Va'del might have been able to make it, but not tired and hindered by the snow. Va'del hadn't quite covered half of the distance to the crossbowman when another quarrel sliced through the air and tore into Jasmin.

The sounds of fighting from behind had grown fainter, but there was no time to check whether or not I'rone had managed to kill his attackers before the loss of his wives had made him nothing more than a normal man facing incredible odds.

Maybe she can still heal herself.

The bitter wind pulled at Va'del, but couldn't disguise the sound of footsteps behind him as he got near enough to hear the bandit swearing at his weapon and the bulky windlass that served to ready the crossbow for its next shot.

Just as the teenager felt a sliver of hope that he'd make it before the crossbow was ready, a scruffy-faced bandit appeared above the snow drift and leveled the deadly weapon.

Va'del tried to throw himself to the side, only to realize as the quarrel flashed past that it wasn't aimed at him. A crashing sound announced that I'rone had been hit, and then Va'del was upon the bandit.

Nearly overcome as he was by rage, it was fortunate his opponent wasn't very skilled with a sword, or Va'del would have been killed in the first careless exchange of blows.

Once the bandit lay dead at his feet, Va'del dropped his weapons and ran over to Jasmin. Oh, Powers, she isn't breathing. There isn't a pulse either.

Betreec was already starting to cool, and Va'del felt his world start to crumble as tears formed in his eyes and then coursed down his face.

"Boy, Va'del, come here." The words were weak and full of pain, but recognizable, and Va'del blindly started back towards the sound of I'rone's voice.

"They're dead, they're both dead. I'm so sorry, it was my fault. I should have stayed where I was."

I'rone shook his head, which started him coughing weakly. "Don't blame yourself. Jasmin wouldn't have wanted you to think it was your fault."

Looking at the smooth shaft protruding from the Guadel's heaving chest, Va'del wondered how long I'rone could last. "The gurra ran off, and I can't carry you. Can you walk?"

I'rone shook his head. "Go back to the village. They'll send a group out with a litter."

Va'del felt tears start down his face again. "No, I won't leave you."

"You have to. There isn't any other way to get help."

##

The trip back was a thing of nightmare. Va'del couldn't run, but he pushed himself to the point where his legs trembled and his lungs burned, and then tried to find the energy to go faster. Halfway back to the village, the hint of breeze that'd been present all morning became something strong enough to provide a solid push. It brought a measure of relief to the teenager's tired body, but also increased the risk he'd be pushed into a misstep that would send him tumbling down the mountain to his death.

I can't let that happen, I'rone is depending on me, and I can't let him down again.

Despite the tears still flowing down Va'del's cheeks, dropping to his coat to freeze unnoticed, he got the feeling he was in a state of shock. His mind struggled to protect him from feeling the full effects of the loss he'd just experienced. Even so, the exhaustion he felt as he stumbled the last few steps to the village entrance was a much emotional as it was physical.

Concerned guardsmen caught Va'del as he collapsed, and as soon as they recognized him, a runner was sent for the village Headman. Va'del's strength was exhausted, but he tried to choke out his message around coughs before the darkness claimed him. As he heard footsteps running down the corridor towards them, the teenager lost his battle and slipped into unconsciousness.