Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (9 page)

“What do I owe you for the quiver and arrows?” Seth was asking the man, who now stood frozen.

The shop keeper shook his head taking a moment for Seth’s words to register. He looked at Seth, then back at the girl, obviously stricken by something unspoken.

“That depends,” he replied for the second time, his eyes still on Sara.

“On?” Seth questioned, now familiar with the game.

“It depends on her.” He jerked his head towards Sara.

“OK,” Seth started. “What about her?”

The man now looked at Sara, sure of whom she was. “You’re that girl that lives with John, right?”

Sara nodded unaware of the previous night’s happenings.

“But now you’re leaving with this guy, huh?

Sara nodded again, apparently unsure where the line of questions was going.

“John was OK with that?”

This time Sara shook her head. Seth knew she was trying to put the events of only a little more than an hour ago out of her head, but it was obvious that this man wanted an explanation, so she gave it.

“No. He told me I couldn’t leave and he hit me. He chased me into the street threatening to kill me. Then Seth and Garret threatened to chop him to bits if he didn’t leave me alone.” The last part she said looking at Seth with pure adoration in her eyes and a wicked grin on her lips.

The man thought her words over for a moment, eyeing Seth’s sword. Then, just as before, he grinned ear to ear and continued with his questions.

“That really pissed John off, didn’t it?”

Once again Sara nodded in response. Her nod set the large man to laughing hysterically, and amidst his howls of glee, he handed the quiver with arrows to Sara and told her to take it, as a gift. Still laughing, the man then looked at Seth again and said something about making his day. He asked if Seth wanted another crossbow, which offer Seth readily declined, feeling he had already taken advantage of the man. Both Seth and Sara bade him farewell. In response he waved them out the door, laughing too hard to breathe, and as such, unable to speak.

They stepped back into the street, Sara must have remembered what else it was they needed. She took Seth’s hand and began leading him down the street.

“What was that all about?” Sara asked.

Seth related the story beginning with their arrival at the inn, up to the point where they decided to eat on the porch of the inn, instead of inside, that morning. As he finished his short narration, Sara pulled him up to a merchant’s stall that sat outside covered by a canopy. The merchant sold a wide variety of leather goods, from gloves to bags, from vests to packs. They quickly selected a black leather pack. It was a bit small, but it was cheap and it fit Sara well. They walked then to the place they had left Garret and Ashton nearly two hours before, and waited for them to return. While they did so, Seth helped Sara adjust her pack, mount her quiver on her belt at her hip, and also restrung the crossbow’s strap so that she could wear it over her shoulder yet hanging under her arm, like a woman’s bag.

Before long Garret and Ashton emerged from the rows of shops, carrying with them two parchment-wrapped bundles. Spotting Seth and Sara they hurried to meet them. Again the four companions stood in a small circle, and each Garret and Ashton passed the bundles, one each, to Seth and Sara, telling them it was their food for the next three days, which they carefully untied and packed away. Sara then used the small strap she had untied from her bundle, gathering her beautiful black hair behind her head and tied it there, leaving her delicate neck exposed. Seth stared in awe. She was a wondrous distraction.

Garret then leaned over to his twin and whispered in his ear.

“Guess you’re broke, huh?” he asked jerking his head towards Sara.

Seth shook his head and silently mouthed the word “only” and held up two fingers where only his brother could see. Garret’s eyes widened in amazement, but he nodded his approval to his twin.

The four of them decided then, that it was time to leave Stone Haven. They each shouldered their packs and began walking south, Garret and Ashton in the lead, Seth and Sara following behind. Seth wondered if she would take his hand again.

Seth

They walked through the day, stopping occasionally to let Sara rest. She was unused to the unpaved roads beyond the town’s borders. Neither was she accustomed to carrying three days’ worth of food and a weapon. The boys had all offered to carry her equipment but she refused, stating they had already done too much for her. She tried her hardest to match pace with the longer-legged boys, but they slowed down a little, seeing her struggling to keep up. All of them knew it wasn’t her fault and none of them minded. In fact, they fabricated several reasons to stop along the way so she could rest without guilt. It wouldn’t be long until she was used to the exertion and could keep pace with the rest of them. But they hadn’t anticipated this and now realized that three days’ worth of food would not be enough by at least a day at their current speed. Even Seth knew that if something didn’t change soon, supplies would become an issue.

They made camp earlier than they had hoped that first evening, under a tree away from the path. They had stopped as soon after Sara started limping as they could find a suitable place to make camp. The new boots, it seemed, were not agreeing with her delicate feet.

Seth watched as Sara sat down on a root that protruded from the ground beneath the canopy of the tree’s leaves. Unlacing her boots she pulled them off revealing her mangled little feet. He gasped at the sight and couldn’t believe she had done this to herself. At some time in the day, probably early on, Sara must have developed blisters. Refusing to mention them, she had continued to walk until nearly her entire feet were covered with them. She had still carried on until they had popped and new ones formed beneath the first. Those too had now burst and blood flowed from both of her feet freely. Knowing that Sara must be in terrible pain made Seth’s stomach tighten into knots. Ashton was setting down his pack when he heard Seth gasp and came to see the damage for himself. When Garret noticed the others hovering around Sara’s legs, he too came to see what was going on. Seth had known she was sore, all of them had known, but it was far worse than he imagined.

Ashton regarded Sara’s feet just as he did the man’s mangled face the night before. He looked them over calmly and carefully, examining every injury. He looked Sara right in the eyes and smiled.

“This won’t hurt a bit,” Ashton assured her. “Much easier than the last person I helped.”

Ashton knelt down at Sara’s feet, closing his eyes and tilting his head back with his face skyward. He prayed briefly, or at least he appeared to, as his lips moved but no sound came forth. Returning his gaze to Sara’s feet he began his low chant. To Seth it seemed that this time Ashton used different sounds than he had the night before, but he couldn’t be sure. Almost immediately this time, Ashton’s fingers were consumed by the pale yellow light as they had been before. The light spread again, only today it did not encompass his entire hands, nor his entire body, but stayed focused in his palms. The chanting only lasted a moment, and Ashton stood and admired his work, his childish face stretched into a toothy grin. Sara’s feet were perfect again.

Ashton stopped and leaned back down to where Sara was seated. Still bending the magic in his blood to his will, he summoned it forth once again, this time placing his hand over Sara’s forehead. He removed his hand a second later. Where once had been that terrible jagged cut where her flesh had torn open, now lay a perfectly smooth patch of skin, unscarred by the heinous attack she had suffered. Sara thanked Ashton over and over for his healing. Each time Ashton’s cheeks flushed and he assured her that it was nothing. So it was that the four companions continued to make camp before all light was lost.

It was then Seth realized his mistake. He had made sure Sara was clothed appropriately, wore only slightly improper boots, was able to defend herself if the need arose and had a pack to carry her food. What he had forgotten, however, was equally as important. Sara had nothing to sleep on, neither did she have anything to cover herself up with. It was a simple mistake, but a stupid one. Each night grew colder as winter approached, and he had forgotten to buy her a blanket. It seemed to Seth the only thing to do now was simply give up his own blanket to her. He couldn’t imagine her small, fragile, beautiful body shivering on the bare ground.

They had each placed their packs around the base of the tree, marking their spots as it were. Ashton laid out his bear hide bed and Garret his blanket next to that. Seth dug through his pack and pulled out his own blanket. Skipping the spot where his pack sat, he laid out his blanket beneath Sara’s small pack. Sara saw what he was doing and walked right up to him, stopping just inches away, a pained expression on her face. Then looking up to face him, tears in her eyes, she spoke.

“No,” she told him quietly enough the others wouldn’t hear, but loud enough that he wouldn’t miss it. “I told you, no sacrifices for me.” As she said this a tear slid down her cheek. Her golden amber eyes never left his.

“I’m not sacrificing,” Seth replied. “I will be fine. You need to stay warm. I won’t let you get sick if I can help it. I want you to use it. It would make me happy.”

“Why must you do this to me?” Sara asked, another tear sliding down her face. “Why must you make me feel guilty? If I use it, I will feel guilty because you are without your own blanket. If I don’t use it, I will feel guilty that I have upset you. It’s not fair.” She said, the tears coming more rapidly.

Seth, reached up wiping away her tears, and pulled her head to his chest. He hated seeing her cry. Angels shouldn’t cry.

“Please don’t cry, Sara, and don’t feel guilty. Not over this. I’m actually being selfish by giving it to you.” Seth came up with a new twist.

“How in the name of the gods is giving me your blanket, so you can freeze to death, selfish?” Sara asked him with a tone akin to that of anger.

“It lets me feel like I’m protecting you, taking care of you. It makes me feel good.” It was the truth. It did feel good to take care of her, protect her, give her what she needed, and make her smile.

“Then we will share,” she suggested but Seth shook his head.

“No, it’s not appropriate, and it might make Garret and Ashton uncomfortable. I can’t share. Sorry.” Seth meant every word and it was obvious Sara knew it.

“Why is it not appropriate? Don’t you like me enough to share a blanket with me on a cold night?” Sara was upset, but she really only wanted to understand his reason for refusal.

“It’s not that Sara, I swear. I care for you, I do. It just isn’t time yet, OK?” Seth pleaded with her.

“If it isn’t time yet, when will it be? Sara asked.

Seth shrugged.

“Will it be soon?” she demanded

“I hope so,” Seth replied, wondering why she was being so difficult.

She must have heard the honesty in his voice, for just a moment later she gave in. Finally. Seth did care for her, and wanted to look after her. He just needed something else before he would let himself get too close, too comfortable. Dad had always said, no matter the situation, never rush in.

Seth let her go then, and she walked to the tree where the other two boys had already settled in their makeshift beds. He watched as she lay down then on one half of the blanket, leaving the other half sprawled out beside her. The invitation was open if Seth were to change his mind.

Garret

The next morning all four companions woke early. Seth had been the first to wake, and he waited patiently, watching Sara sleep, for the rest to wake as well. Garret was up next, and seeing that his brother was also awake, motioned for Seth to join him a slight distance away from the others. Seth rose and walked the short distance to where Garret waited, looking at him questioningly.

“So what’s the deal?” Garret asked.

“The deal with what?” responded Seth unsure of what his twin wanted.

“Sara. Are you two a couple or what? Can I refer to her as my sister yet?” he added jokingly.

“I don’t really know,” Seth shrugged. “I mean, sure I like her, and I think she likes me, but until I’m absolutely sure, I really don’t know what to do or say.”

Garret nodded solemnly, his face bunching up in thought, and then he smiled.

“What is it?” Seth asked already expecting the worst from his brother.

“If you’re not sure how she feels, why don’t you go crawl into that blanket with her and make a man out of yourself.” Garret tried to contain a laugh.

“I don’t think that’s what she wants from me,” Seth replied, giving his brother a slug to the shoulder. “At least, not yet in any case.” He quickly added winking to his twin.

They walked back to where Ashton and Sara slept, Garret rubbing his shoulder. Seth approached the sleeping girl. He knelt down beside her peaceful body and carefully pushed her hair back from her angelic face with his fingertips. Kneeling closer, he whispered in her ear, “Wake up beautiful.” He said the words as softly as he could manage, half hoping she wouldn’t hear him.

However, Sara did and her eyes opened slightly, peering up at him. She smiled. Seth stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, returning her smile.

“Am I still dreaming?” Sara asked him.

Seth shook his head smiling still, realizing that if she thought she was still dreaming, then she had dreamed of him. He bent down, slowly, carefully, and pressed his lips against her forehead. Yeah he had just met her. Yeah it was fast. But something inside him told him that it was right. He just had to follow his instincts. Pulling back from the kiss he again whispered to her.

“I’m sorry, but you need to get up. We have a long day ahead of us.” Seth found himself lost in her deep amber eyes, and smiled again.

Sara nodded her understanding to him, then rolled to her back and sat up. She ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to untangle it, and losing the battle, decided again to tie it behind her head with the strap. Seth simply watched her. She moved like liquid, always graceful, always precise. Sara made as if to stand so Seth held his hand out to her to assist her. She gladly took it, smiling at him in thanks. He lifted her gingerly from the ground, and watched her as she smoothed out her clothing. As Sara stretched her muscles, and sat again on the nearby root to put her boots on, Seth rolled up the blanket he had given her and returned it to his pack.

Ashton was awake now as well, following a playful kick to his ribs from Garret. The four of them broke down their little camp and sat to eat a quick breakfast before heading out. They decided to ration their food carefully, knowing the trip would take a little longer than originally anticipated. This came as a surprise to Sara, though it was evident in her face that she knew too well the reason behind the miscalculation.

Gone now were the rocky hills surrounding Stone Haven, replaced by gently rolling fields of tall weeds and wild flowers still struggling to bloom in the chill of fall. Bees and other flying insects buzzed around the fields, and from time to time a flock of birds would rise up from some undisclosed location in the distance to float lazily on the wind a while before settling back down in the fields.