Ties of Blood (10 page)

“What did I miss? Looks like Ballard ate a bowl of juri peppers. Almost looks like you could cook off his forehead.” Darryl said behind them making Eloen jump slightly and getting Ballard to moan as he rested his head in his folded arms.

“Did you get everything we need?” Eloen asked trying furtively to hold back her laughter.

I gave the shopkeeper a list of what we need. He wasn’t sure if he could get all of it but he’s going to deliver everything he can get to our rooms. I thought about staying around and picking it up myself but my stomach is grumbling louder than you do when you don’t get enough sleep.” Darryl gave a little laugh but stopped when Eloen narrowed her eyes. Backing away he put his hands up in a sign of surrender. “Please forgive me I forgot you have been short on sleep. If I had thought first I would have put on more armor.”

“Go ahead and push it skinny and you can go to bed with an empty stomach.” Eloen said in mock anger.

Laughing Darryl took his seat. “Anything but that. Should I beg for your forgiveness oh benevolent captain?”

Eloen noticed the barmaid returning with their food. She was always amazed at how one person could carry so many plates at once without dropping them. “What do we have here another member to your little group. Looks like a beanpole. Are you sure one bowl is enough for you beanpole? You know ladies like their men to have a little meat on the bone.”

“Well if you insist I’ll take another bowl. I’m not one to turn down a lady’s advice.” Darryl said flashing a childish grin. As soon the barmaid walked away Darryl turned to Eloen and let out a heavy sigh. “Looks like you’re acting more like yourself. I don’t mean to give you a hard time but it’s not as much fun when you’re not giving us a hard time.”

Reaching over Eloen popped Darryl in the back of the head. The spoon of food that was halfway to his face hit him in the nose. Stuttering and cursing he gave Eloen a sideways glace, but she was already enjoying her own meal while humming happily.

As they ate the three talked like it was old times. The tension that had been building drained away, and the stiffness in her shoulders began to fade. Thad was no closer to being rescued but she knew there was little she could do to change that fact. Stressing over it would gain her nothing but wrinkles.

After soaking the last remnants of her food from her plate with a piece of bread, Eloen sat back in her chair and let out a satisfied groan. The food was still spicier than she liked but it was not nearly as bad as some of the other meals she had eaten since being in Abla. Letting out a light groan Eloen stood and pushed back her chair. “Think it's time for me to retire to my room and wash off the dust. With as much as I got stuck on me it’s going to take a good soaking.”

“Enjoy yourself Captain. I know you could use the bath for the past few days I couldn’t tell what smelled worse you or your horse.” Darryl said with a slight snicker.

“You're one to talk whenever I sleep I end up dreaming I am stuck in a room full of used chamber pots.” Eloen said as she walked past the thin man giving him another sharp slap to the back of the head. She was off and up the narrow stairs before she could hear his retort laughing all the way. It had been awhile since she had been able to thoroughly enjoy giving someone a hard time. It felt good to laugh once again.

The tub had already been placed in her room and filled with steaming water. Sticking a finger in the water she was surprised at how hot it still was. She enjoyed hot baths but this was more like a stew pot ready for the ingredients. Placing her pack on the ground she pulled out her dirty clothes along with a small bar of soap. She knew she could send them out to be cleaned but waiting on the bath to cool seemed like the perfect time to immerse herself in a mundane activity.

Scooping some of the steaming bath water into a small basin usually used for washing up Eloen began to soak one of her dresses. The hot water stung her hands as she did her best to wash of the dirt from the road. It didn’t take long for the water to reach a temperature that she could stand so she went to work using a small washboard she carried with her. Unlike many of the men in her troop she couldn’t stand to stay dirtier longer than she had too so she had taken to carrying the washboard with her ever since Thad had given her the magical pack.

Once the dress along with a few undergarments were hanging from the small window in the room Eloen emptied the now brown water from the basin and replaced it clean water, and began to scrub most of the dirt off. Normally she would have simply entered the bath but she wanted to enjoy a long soak and this would keep the water from being fouled as quickly.

Once she was sure most of the dirt was gone shed gingerly entered the large tub. As the hot water washed over her muscles relaxed and she let out a sigh of relief. It was as if new life was being breathed into her. For her it was a moment in heaven after days of torture.

The sounds of spring birds singing reached her ears. The only thing that could have made the day more perfect was if she had a supply of the scented bath oils that her aunt kept in the large bath at her mansion. Relaxing she barely heard the door to her room open. “What is it now?” she said loud in an irritated voice not wanting to waste the energy to turn around.

“I just learned a group of soldiers with a covered prison transport wagon left town shortly before we arrived. If we leave now we can reach them before sunrise.” Ballard said his voice more rushed and excited than she had ever remember hearing before.

Jumping from the bath Eloen began to towel off not even caring that Ballard was no more than a few feet away. Turning around to grab her still wet dress Eloen found the man staring at her his face so red that it looked as if it would burst into flames. “Well if you got enough of an eye full go get our horses ready I'm leaving as soon as I can get down there with or without my escort.” Eloen said her voice wavering between anger and hysteria.

Without a word Ballard ran from the room making sure to shut the door behind him. Eloen could clearly hear his footsteps as he quickly made his way down the hall. It never really bothered Eloen to have her body seen by the men in her troop. It was not as if she lost anything by them just seeing, and more often than not she could get some entertainment from their reactions. She never really understood why some people got so worked up over seeing a bit of skin.

Letting her musing fade away Eloen quickly dressed and repacked her travel sack. Even in a hurry she made sure to double check everything, it wouldn’t do to leave something behind in a rush. Once she was sure everything was where it belonged she quickly made her way down to the stables. The loss of a good night’s sleep on an actually bed nagged at her but she was sure she could take it out on Thad's hide once she got him back. The thought of beating around the poor mage while he apologized for causing so much trouble brought a thin smile to her lips.

Eloen found Ballard and Darryl waiting at the horses. She was amazed they were already saddled. There was also a large pile of goods laid on the ground Eloen looked at them for a bit her mind not able to understand why they weren’t packed yet, then it hit her they expected her to place it in her bag. Slapping herself in the forehead she swung her magical pack off her shoulder and began storing away the items where they belonged. Within moments everything was ready and the three raced out of the small town.

CHAPTER X

The night wind blowing from the mountains chilled Eloen to the bone. Her wet dress clung to her forcing her to suppress a shiver as she rode quietly behind Ballard. She wished she would have had the forethought to put on one of her dry dresses, but it seemed blasphemous to put on something dirty after taking a bath.

It wasn’t long before the sky dimmed as the moon graced the sky and they were forced to slow down their speed or risk losing their way on the path in the waning light. Eloen hated moving slow knowing that Thad could be no more than a few hours away. The Ablaians had to move slower so she was sure that as long as Ballard’s information was correct they would soon catch up to the enemy troop. The only problem they would have once they found them was how they would rescue him against a larger force. Hopefully since they were in their own country the Ablaians would be lax but she doubted it. Abla was known for their well-trained soldiers. Knowing that even if they found Thad it would be hard to get him free didn’t extinguish the hope that had budded in her chest.

The ride dragged on, each passing second feeling as if it took an eternity. Looking around she saw the same grim features on her friend's faces that her own most likely showed. They were finally close to their goal, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. They had nearly given up hope on catching up to Thad and now their goal was so close she could nearly hear his reassuring voice.

When they finally saw the light from campfires Eloen nearly shouted with joy. There was little cover so they were forced to dismount and tie their horses to one of the few outcroppings of trees in the area and proceed on foot. Unluckily the moon was high in the sky and was showing in its full glory lighting up the area as good as if it was predawn.

Using large boulders the trio moved from cover to cover. It was slow but they had little choice. When they got close enough to see their prey their fears were realized. There were at least fifty guards and while many of them were bedding down for the night Eloen could see six who kept guard around the camp as well as two others who stood guard around the wagon.

Even if they could get past the guards the wagon was a problem. It was well built and offered no clue as to what it held inside. “What do you think?” Eloen whispered to the two men standing at her side.

“We still have the explosive orbs, we could use those to spread the enemy thin then try and get Thad out.” Darryl said as he tugged on the red cloth tied to his arm.

“No, it would be better to save those for our exit. Our best bet is for two of us to try and get as close as we can, take out the guards and get that door open. While the other swings over to where they have the horses staked and release them. Once that’s done we can use a few of the orbs to cause the horses to run and scatter their troops. Hopefully that will give us what time we need to get out.” Ballard said giving his normal scowl.

“Sounds like a plan to me. Darryl can you take out the horses?” Eloen asked knowing the lithe fighter would prefer a straight up fight to sneaking around to the horses, but he was the best choice for the mission.

The look on Darryl's face showed his displeasure with the request but after a few seconds the tension evident there relaxed. “I don’t like it, but it’s not like I can ask the captain to skip out on saving her princess, and if Ballard can’t get that door open no one can.” Darryl said slapping Ballard on the back and giving Eloen a halfhearted smile. “Guess trading your brains in for these bulging muscles has its advantages.”

“It’s a little windy tonight so you might want to stick a few rocks in your pocket to keep yourself from floating away.” Ballard said in retort getting a stifled laugh from Eloen.

With everything decided no more words were necessary. Darryl grabbed two of the explosive orbs from his horse and started on his way to where the enemy horses were staked. Eloen and Ballard waited patiently for him to get into position. If they were discovered before Darryl had a chance to get to the horses they would be in a bad predicament. Once enough time had passed the two started making their own slow way toward the carriage.

Her heart was pumping with the knowledge that she would soon be in battle. As she slid her sword from its sheath every slight noise it made set her nerves on edge. All her senses felt enhanced she could feel the slight breeze as it moved over her skin, she could hear her own heartbeat as if it were a drum being beat with abandon. He arms felt taut like a bowstring stretched to its limits ready to snap.

They were close now. She could see the nearest guard who was walking around the perimeter. Eloen took a deep breath to calm her urge to strike as soon as she saw the man. Looking around she noticed the other two roaming guards. They stayed within sight of each other. There was no doubt there were well trained and disciplined even in their home country they stayed on alert. This was not going to be as simple as sneaking up on the carriage and making away with their prize.

Eloen surveyed the situation as calmly as possible. If she was handy with a bow it might be possible to take out the sentries quickly but she had never been able to hit a target at more than fifty yards with any accuracy. That only left one option, a straight rush on their target to see if they could get there before the enemy catches them. If they get held up too long, reinforcements would come and the chance of saving Thad would all but disappear.

Looking over at Ballard she signaled him to follow her lead. His face was grim but he nodded his head in response. Looking back out she watched the guards and waited until they were at their farthest point away from the carriage and started her run. While the Ablaians were fond of heavy armor, the people of Farlan preferred a lighter leather armor that had thin steel plates in it for protection. While the Farlan armor didn’t protect as well, it allowed them less weight and a larger range of movement. Eloen and her men also had the added advantage of having magically enchanted armor that Thad himself had made for them. Eloen wasn’t sure how it worked but whenever something metal came at her fast it was sent back the way it had come at the same speed. The armor’s spell didn’t last forever and if over taxed it would weaken and need time to recharge but in the first few minutes of battle Eloen knew she was safe, but that didn’t mean she would take unnecessary risks. It was better to have the protection available when it matter most and not to waste it on a risky attack as far as she was concerned.