The Return (20 page)

I patted Mieko on her cute velvety behind and sent all the girls out to shower while I made dinner and watched the cloud out of the window. As we ate a dinner of roasted lamb and wild rice, I watched the cloud start to move toward us, pass us, and head for the city. As soon as it was out of range I spoke, “Now we have ten minutes to break camp, and start for the east gate of the city. I want to be in the city in three hours, so let’s move like we got a purpose.”

I was proud of the girls; we had camp broke and were on our mounts in less than ten minutes. We rode hard and fast around the city to the east, and made it to the gate just as they were closing it for the night. We broke up into pairs, and rode around the city until we met again, about fifteen minutes before midnight. When we met, Taina, Mieko, and I had put on black hooded cloaks and brown robes to look like monks of the Pythani order, a peaceful group of healers that were known as extreme pacifists. None of the others would be recognized, or thought to be a fake, so all we had to do was get into the house before they became skittish and split.

We left the horses in Reapers care, and headed for the old manor house.

I was almost in a dream state as I walked the route to my old house, visions of my childhood and family dancing in my head. The smell of my Mother’s baking and my Father’s magic filling my nose. I could almost hear my younger sister’s laughter, as we played tag in the yard under the watchful eyes of our family guards. Then the vision changed to a nightmare, as the ruin came into view, and my mother’s screams as my father was slain before her eyes.

My sisters crying and screaming as the Mages took them over and over. I remembered seeing my brothers trying to fight the mages, while I just sat there with my mind on fire. Then the explosion as my magic surfaced. The screams of the Mages, as I burned them to ashes -- towering in my twelve year old rage. Watching as they slowly burned for more than two hours, while I batted aside ever attempt they made to cast.

I felt my mind finding the switch that had changed in me and setting that switch in my family to make them immortal like me. Then my mother’s words that to this day I have still not found an answer to. “What are you?”, as she fled into the night taking my brothers and sisters with her, leaving me standing there crying and begging her not to leave me.

Tears rolling down my face, I noted the others around me as we approached the gate. Two hiding behind the broken wall on the right, I did not recognize any of them. Two more on the left behind the old garden planter, again no one I knew. My mind raced for possibilities, they were all women, and then I remembered Tia. Lovers? Mates? Friends? Of course they could not be living their lives alone. I would not have asked them to.

We rode into the courtyard, as I saw some of the shadows shift and move. Six, I counted Six women, no men. Had I really affected them that much, that not one of them would let a man touch them? Was I truly being that self centered and cruel? My mother was right; I was something not human, I was just a wrong in the world and needed to be purged when this was over. Likka still in human form said into my mind.

We approached the shattered doors of the grand entry to the manor, the shock of that first explosion of power fresh in my mind even after so long. We entered as I felt the shadows close behind us and follow. Towards the back of the room, we flowed like wraiths in the night. No sound was made, our breathing even muted.

If I could get to Penelophene before they decided to act we would do this. I prayed she would be near the back of the hall. Through the living area and into the back of the ruins we walked. The shadows followed, trying to conceal their drawn weapons. Little did they know I would not attack, only defend to make my withdrawal, should the shit hit the fan.

The doors to the grand council hall were still intact but stood open as they had on that day so many lifetimes in the past. My worst fears realized as I stepped into the room, they all stood with bows and spears ready and Penny was at the front of the room. I had to walk the gauntlet, to get close enough for my plan to work.

We continued to walk with the explosive fury of the Life Wards pointed at us from all directions. 100ft., 90ft., 80ft., all depended on how much of a trap they thought this was. I felt their tensions rise as bowstrings creaked around me; I felt the shift as they all swung their target to me in the front.

My relief was almost a wave; at least the others would have a split second to make their escape. 30ft., 20ft., almost there and no twang had been heard. If I could get within that last ten feet my plan had a chance. 10ft. left and I sprang forward with all the speed I could muster, which is to say I became a blur of motion. Slapping Penny’s bow aside I wrapped my right hand around her waist and my left behind her shoulders; I bent her back so that her weight was in my arms, and locked my lips to hers.

As she gasped in surprise my tongue dove between her lips and I tensed for the pain. Those razor sharp teeth closed on my tongue and blood poured into her mouth. I felt her knife come out and start downward towards my spine, then felt it clatter harmlessly off the back of my armor, as her eyes opened in surprise, and her hand closed around the back of my neck.

I moved my attention to her neck leaving a trail of blood down her chin as she moaned, “Oh Goddess of the bright light, Rhys, you’re here; you’re finally here.” Every one of the Life Ward gasped and lowered their weapons. Voices from behind me. “Rhys?” “Is it really him?” “Will we get to avenge our failure?”

 I stood, looked at the hooded figures behind me, and spoke softly as I dropped my hood. “All of your questions will be answered but we have to get out of the city before sunrise. There are Mages here bringing the city guard together to fight us. We will head out the west gate and ride hard till morning."

Then tears started streaming down my face, "we go now to rescue Morgana. Then I will go to the imperial city and kill the Emperor myself. Likka, we need a scout we have to move to the west gate quietly and quickly. Steer us well my love.”

As Likka dropped down into wolf form, the new gathering of Life Ward gasped, and Penny looked into my eyes. “Still managing to keep secrets after all these years, Rhys?”

“I never knew how you would view our relationship. We comfort each other.”

“Rhys, look at this group of women, there are… Oh Goddess, Rhys, you’re going to be a very busy man. When are you ever going to find the time?”

“I have no idea, if my count is correct there are now eighteen of you here and I already know where this is headed. Soon there will be nineteen because I am going to rescue Morgana, mark my word. Before the week is out Morgana will walk with me again.”

“Rhys it is impossible, no one has ever broken a tailored spell before.”

“No one has ever tried what I am going to do.”

“With every moment you delay the emperor can mass more forces against you. This side trip could cost us.”

I stopped and looked at Penny, locking our gaze eye to eye. “Penny you rode with me for ten years before I made the most foolish deal of my life. That has cost you and the rest of the Life Ward more than I can ever repay. There is still one out there paying for that mistake, and I have a chance of fixing that, but it has to be done while the Emperor is still alive.

I have to do this Penny. My sanity and my life depend on Morgana being there when I face him. If I cannot save her, then I will go on without her; but I must try, just as I would try if it were you or any other one of the Life Ward. The only question I can ask is, Penny, will you and the other Life Ward ride with me into the teeth of hell on the slim chance that Morgana can be saved?”

“Rhys, we would ride with you into the teeth of the Emperor himself, without weapons or armor, if we can save her. We will ride by your side.”

“Why are there so few of you left?”

“The mages tracked us down and killed us one by one there are only eight of the original life ward left. Six of us here and the two you know about. Most of us have companions but they are not trained nor have they ever sworn their oath.”

We moved out of the room where I was introduced to the others waiting there. There was an array of women the likes of which I had never seen. “We will make more formal introductions in the tent tonight. Right now I need to know do any of you have horses.”

“No.”

“We need to make a stop at the City Stables outside the wall then, I am sure the city guards won’t miss a few of them.”

Four nerve wracking hours later found us staring from an alley at the west gate of the city. Taina was standing next to my shoulder watching the guards at the gate. “How do you plan on getting us past them?”, she whispered.

“Do you see the inn there about half a block up against the wall?”

“Yes.”

“It has a very interesting back door.”

“How can it have a back door it is right up against the wall… Ah, I see. How far out does it come back up?”

“One of the exits is in the barn of the city stables outside.”

“And how do you know that the back door is still there?”

“It is way too useful to the thieves’ guild for them to let it get known or destroyed. We move down this alley to the building across the street then we move out in pairs and trios five minutes apart. Try and look innocent.”

“You will never make it across then.”

“I and Likka will be the last pair. Once inside, wait for me. If anything happens to any of us, do not come back out, I will handle incidents.”

“What if something happens to you?”

“Same, I will handle it.”

The move to the Inn was smooth and easy. The guards never even noticed us. I would have fired the whole lot of them if they worked for me. Eighteen people, and a wolf, crossed the street and went into an inn that only has five rooms. I would be wondering what the hell was going on, if nothing else. Don’t get me wrong, I was very happy they didn’t notice. I would have just fired them, that is all. Once I was inside, I saw the Inn keeper arguing quietly with Taina and Mieko. I stepped up to them, “Is there a problem?”

“As I told the ladies sir the kitchen is closed and we will not be open until after sun up.”

“We are not here to eat. We are here to use your back door.”

“Sir, as you can plainly see, we do not have a back door. I will need to kindly ask you to leave and come back after sun up.”

I pulled two gold coins from my pouch and held them up. “I am sure your back door is quite ready to be opened, or should I call the guards and show them where it is?”

He looked at the coins with honest greed in his eyes. “I am sure we could possibly find a small door that could be useful to you.” Less than a minute later we were moving crates, from in front of the wall in the back of the Inn’s basement. Once the wall was clear I surprised the barkeep by reaching up and pulling down on the loose piece of wood that triggered it open.

Once the girls were moving into the opening, I handed him the two coins. Then I silently slipped into the tunnel, as he closed the door behind us. Six thousand years is a long time to remember how many steps to each turn. It took me better than an hour to find our exit at the city stables. Then another thirty minutes to get the horses to move off of the trap door.

We climbed up into the stables, the girls started gathering tack, and saddling the horses we would need. “What about Reaper?” Mieko asked from the dark.

“He will be along, with the pack horses, as soon as the gate opens. We need to be out of here, and on the road, before the sun comes up or there will be hell to pay.” The girls started leading their horses out in ones and twos, gathering a little ways down the road into a hollow. I was of course the last one out, as I led a roan stallion out and started walking him.

That was when the back door of the grooms building was kicked open. A man stepped out headed to the outhouse, belching and scratching his self. My flechettes found their marks but it was not fast enough. His scream of alarm ended in a bloody gurgle, as he slumped to the ground.

I did not wait to see a response as I mounted and shouted to the girls to ride. Behind me I heard the gates to the city being thrown open, and shouts of alarm, as Reaper stampeded through them, leading the string of pack horses. “We have ten minutes tops before they are after us. It is time to make tracks ladies.”

We had the horses at a dead run into the west forest, as Reaper caught up to us. I vaulted from the roan to his back. I pulled the lead ropes for the other horses out of his mouth, and started tossing them to different ladies. “Make for the western gorge bridge!” I shouted as we rode. I could hear in the distance the sound of thundering hooves leaving the stables behind us.

We had good horses, if this was just a flat race we would be in good shape and would stay ahead of them till they gave up. The problem was ahead, the gorge cliffs. We had three sets of terraced cliffs to work our way down. There was a good road, but it wound back and forth like a confused snake. Even the best riders had to take this slow. I didn’t have the best riders with me. Tia was still a little timid with the horses, and I had no idea how any of the other’s friends would be.

I had no choice; I was going to have to use powerful magic to keep the arrows off our heads as we rode down. Then Taina had the best idea I had ever heard. “The tent, Rhys, put all of us in the tent, Reaper and you can outride these guards in seconds flat if you didn’t have us.”

“I don’t know what will happen when I fold it up.”

“There was a roach in one of the bags of potatoes; I missed him when I tried to kill him. The next night he was still there, and I killed him that time. He was fine after folding the tent. Try it on one of the horses; if they are fine we will be.”

“We have to do this quick, as they are only ten minutes behind us. Let the others know what we are going to try, and tell them to be ready. Keep them riding, I will drop back and try it with a pack horse. Then I will pass you and set up the tent, so you can dismount and enter as fast as you get there.”