Illara Chronicles: Swordplay

No Escape

Kelith knelt in front of a wooden pale and shoveled frigid water over his freckled face, and through his hair until it hung in dark strands in front of his brown eyes.  The pale light of the damp morning made the glade look eerie and foreboding. Like a faded land that had lost its light. He dressed in grey travel pants, a cream tunic, and he wore Claudias gift on his shoulders. The leather pauldrons were sturdy and thick with "K.B." seared neatly onto the left side. He felt like a swashbuckling rogue. He took one final look at his reflection in the water before he poured the last of it over the already cold fire pit, and rubbed his hands together, to fend off the morning frost.

The only sound was the rest of the camp being broken down around him, and the chatter of his travel companions. Yesterdays tense mood bled through into this morning, and Kendreth was at work lifting spirits. After the wagon was loaded, and the pulling horses were hitched, he sat astride Evrah goading Malcom, and his horse.

"I said no, leave it alone." Malcom turned his horse from Kendreth, who repeatedly rode up beside him.

"You said yesterday any course at any hour." Kendreth pointed out a thin tree, some miles ahead of them. "I will not let that challenge stand uncontested. See that sappling up ahead? The last man to it serves the other supper and tends the winners horse. Yah!" He spurred his steed on, and placed a stinging strike on the flank of Malcoms, forcing his horse into the race, and Malcom did ride hard. They kicked up dust and quickly shrank in the distance.

Kelith had been in Malcoms boots and knew that this was over before it started. Malcom didn't stand the faintest chance.

"Three silver on the loud mouthed maggot man." Taldren wore a knowing grin.

"I'm not taking your money. Not that easily, you know that--" 

Taldren cut Kelith off. "When did you become such a daisy? Hmm? How about you Blacksmith? Three silver says that snot bubble gets to the tree before our favorite stable hand."

"Five." She said with a confident smirk. They shook hands, then Taldren offered Dentren and Flintlen in on the wager, but Dentren declined for them both. Those two sat at the back of the wagon and whispered.

"Their loss." Taldren placed the tip of his dagger between his teeth as they all squinted at the clearing dust cloud in the distance. Both riders had arrived by the small tree, but they were not alone. A man stood beside a carriage there with them.

"Dentren there are travelers?" Kelith held a hand against his brow to block the brightening sun.

Both the knight and the warden rushed to the front of the wagon and whipped at the load bearing horses. They lurched forward with a violent force that shook Taldren, and took Kelith and Aelandra completely off of their feet. She landed on him, he rolled them both over and stood off of her in an instant, that felt like a thousand. Taldren wrinkled his nose at the flurry of apologies that flew between the two. Keliths heart pounded for every reason that a heart does pound, and he gripped the edge of their cart tightly as the thing stopped as hard as it started.

Aelandra put one foot up onto the front edge of the cart and hoisted her weapon onto her shoulder, and cut an intimidating figure as she asked Flintlen, "Are they dangerous?"

If Flintlen heard, she said nothing and had already dismounted to approach the stranger. The strange woman stood by her horse and very well made, expensive carriage. Kendreth stood between them, one hand out to defuse the tension. "She is a merchant, unarmed." He spoke in an even tone, but both squires rested their hands on their swords. "She sells tonics." Kendreth held up a simple vial of glittering orange liquid.

The merchant grinned with just her lips before she bent into an exaggerated flourish of a bow, swinging the long sleeves of her shimmering purple garment, fringed with gold. "I am Zyra, of Magnificent Mixtures and More. I am saved to have found the bladeward in this, the hour of my peril." She bowed her head and did her best to hide it, but Kelith could make out her rotten teeth. Thick filth behind her ears.