Chapter 10 Solance
"The Nachtfliegen Woods of central Falkovnia in the east holds sanctuary from Drakov's forces.", David said as he looked back for any sign of their pursuers. "Perhaps they will give us a chance to let the heat of their searches die down. But legends tell of tiny demons that claim the forest as their own."Marinae gave David an odd glance but said nothing. David continued, "The swifter and more obviously dangerous road leads south into Richemulot. That path holds the chance for either a quick escape or capture by the now frequent patrols."
"I don't fancy being caught by Drakov's people.", Marinae replied. "Have any of you heard much about the demons in the wood?"
"Only a little.", David answered. "Whatever they are, they're strong enough to keep the troops out of the Nachtfliegen."
"The enemy of my enemy.", Marinae mused.
Lynn said nothing. She didn't care. As long as the cart kept moving she felt like it was going somewhere better. The rest agreed to risk the woods.
As they pushed on into the cover of the trees the sun crept upward through the sky. Hours passed with nothing more eventful that the chattering challenges of squirrels. Marinae forced herself to stay awake, but the creaking of the cart made it difficult to fall asleep anyway. Even though the forest was in the center of one of the most bloodthirsty kingdoms in the core, it seemed quite peaceful. As the sun reached its zenith, they come upon a clearing.
"This is almost like some of the woods on the outskirts of Sithicus.", Damon said glancing at Marinae. Then he cocked his ear and held a finger up to his lips. "Shhh. Did you hear that?"
Weamar shook his head. A silence settled over the clearing and the clink of metal was heard from the bushes to one side. Marinae snapped awake and brought up a magical shield, just in case. David moved his hand slowly to a hilt on his belt. Weamar moved closer to David and examined the ground. He noticed that the grass near the edge of the clearing had been walked on recently. The pattern implied someone shuffling rather than taking full steps. Weamar placed his hand on David's weapon arm.
"Wait.", Weamar advised. David nodded but kept his hand on his weapon, "We aren't here to hurt anyone, especially not someone in chains.", Weamar said loud enough for anyone nearby to overhear.
No response came from the bushes. Weamar turned to the others. "Well, we aren't full of arrows. I guess this is a good spot to take a break and eat. Unless someone has a better idea."
"No objections here.", David replied. Marinae yawned and shrugged. Then there was another rustle in the bushes but it halted and quickly as it started.
Weamar looked directly at the bushes. "Hungry?", he asked.
They heard more rustling. Someone was most certainly there. Weamar noticed that the noises had the feel of someone small and light. He guessed that it was probably a woman. Weamar stood and slowly removed his sword and his other weapons. He placed them on the ground and then walked towards the bushes with his hands held open by his sides, palms forward.
"What do you smell?", Marinae thought to Rambis.
Rambis sniffed at the air. "A woman. She smells kind of like you.", he replied.
"An Elf?", Marinae asked.
"I've never met another elf.", Rambis answered. "I guess so."
Marinae stepped down from the cart. "Rambis says it's a woman, and that she smells like me."
Weamar nodded and kept walking. Through the bushes he saw a beautiful young half-elf maiden. She was covered with old dingy clothes and was carrying a basket. Her hands and her feet were chained together. As she turned Weamar saw her sad, frightened eyes and the hawk emblem on her forehead. She stood as though torn between an instinct to flee and a desire to stay. Weamar smiled at her, made a beckoning gesture with his hand, and said, "Come out, have something to eat."
The woman looked away as if to run and then back at Weamar. Weamar put his hand to his forehead and began rubbing the inked emblem off. Marinae walked to Weamar's side and tried to comfort the woman.
"You're safe, you're free.", Marinae said smiling.
The woman walked slowly and carefully towards Weamar, looking back nervously over her shoulder with each step. Weamar smiled and hoped that the woman would keep walking his way. Soon the woman was standing before Weamar. She trembled and reached her hand up towards his forehead. He let her. She reached out and touched the smeared ink and gasped.
"Help me.", the woman said as a tear came to her eye. "Please, help me."
"If we can.", Weamar replied. "Is there anyone else with you?"
The woman shook her head.
"You're a slave?", David asked.
"My master.", the woman said with a bowed head. Then she lifted it, revealing eyes full of fear, "If he catches me he'll kill me."
"We won't let him catch you then.", Marinae said quickly. Then she added under her breath, "And if the bastard pops his head up around me I'll kill him myself."
A spark of hope lit up the woman's eyes. David hopped down off his mount and approached her slowly. He pulled out and unrolled a leather case containing various metal instruments. The woman backed away from David, eying his tools nervously.
"It's okay.", Marinae consoled. "He will release you."
David looked at the slave woman's face for a moment and cracked a sad smile. He went to one knee and laid the tools out on the ground.
"I'm going to use these to take off your chains.", David said as if explaining things to a child. He hoped, deeply hoped, that no one had used tools like his on her for other purposes.
David motioned the slave girl towards him. The woman nodded and held her shackles out towards David. David focused intently on the manacles around the woman's wrists. Using his picks he soon freed her hands and went to work on her ankle bindings. The woman rubbed her wrists. When David finished she put her hands on his.
"Thank you.", the woman said to David.
"Obviously not a wealthy master. These locks are nothing." David said as he placed his picks back in the case and returned them to his pack. David nodded without looking at her and took the chains back to his horse, stowing them in a saddlebag
"Miss.", Marinae asked. "Do you have any injuries?"
"Solance.", the woman said. "My name is Solance."
"Solance then.", Marinae repeated her question. " Do you have any injuries?"
"My back.", Solance replied.
Marinae felt herself getting pale, thinking of what that must mean: injuries on her back. Marinae produced some ointment and bandage material. "May I?", she asked, pointing to Solance's wrists. "I have a little skill in healing."
Solance held out her wrists while Marinae carefully applied the ointment, then she lightly bandaged Solance's ankles.
"That shouldn't take long to feel better. This is good stuff, made by little old Elvish ladies.", Marinae said with a wink. "Would you like some privacy so I can see what can be done about your back?"
Solance smiled just a little at Marinae and nodded her head. Marinae shooed the men away and helped Solance lift the back of her tunic. Solance's back was covered in welts. Marinae hesitated at the sight and fought back an impulse to hunt down and eviscerate the poor girl's master. She then set to work even more carefully than with the chafing.
With Solance being taken care of, David approached Lynn. "Any change?", he asked.
"No.", Lynn breathed. "Why have we stopped?"
"We've found another wayward soul.", David answered, nodding towards Solance.
Lynn nodded and went back to tending to Eliza. No one else seemed to matter to her.
Adederia swayed back and forth in the saddle in front of Damon. She looked up at the sky and sang quietly in Elvish. The words were gibberish, even to someone fluent in the language. Damon lowered her gently to rest against the base of a large tree.
As Marinae applied the ointment to Solance's back a wave of fear came over her. "We need to leave.", Solance insisted. "Before he comes looking for me."
"As soon as I'm done here, you can ride with me in the cart.", Marinae said soothingly. "We don't want to spend a lot of time in the area, ourselves."
Solance nodded but kept looking around nervously. When she finished Solance put her hands on Marinae's.
"Thank you.", Solance said earnestly.
Marinae offered her some of her older clothes. Solance accepted them and put them on.
"They're so beautiful.", Solance said marveling at her new clothes.
"You're very welcome. All I have is riding clothes, but they're well made and comfortable.", Marinae turned back towards Weamar. "I think we should be going soon."
The others went back to their respective horses or to the cart. Solance shuffled over to Weamar's horse and stood next to him.
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in the cart with Marinae?", Weamar asked.
Solance lowered her head and took a step towards the cart. She took another slow step, hoping that Weamar would change his mind. Weamar began to feel bad, even before Marinae gave him a nasty look.
Weamar caught up with her and gently said, "It wasn't an order. I simply thought you would be more comfortable in the cart. If you want to ride with me, that's fine."
Solance turned and looked into Weamar's eyes. Weamar could see a distant longing and a ray of hope in hers.
"Come on then.", Weamar said and helped her up onto his horse. Soon they were off again.
"I wish that you had been my master.", Solance said wistfully as she put her arms around Weamar.
"Thank you, but I wouldn't want to be anyone's master.", Weamar replied. "I'd rather have friends than slaves."
"Will you be my friend?", Solance asked.
"Heh, certainly.", Weamar replied.
Solance hugged Weamar tightly. A tear came to Marinae's eye as she wondered if the girl had ever had a friend. Solance reminded her of herself before she met Weamar and Lynn. The rest of the day passed in peace and by nightfall they had reached the heart of Nachtfliegen Wood. The trees there were very old and their branches shut out most of the sky. Only the faintest of filtered sun or moon light reached the forest floor.
"Is that your dog?", Solance asked, looking at Cujia riding in the cart.
"Yes, her name is 'Cujia'.", Weamar replied.
"You're so kind to her.", Solance said. "And to me too. I know why you have so many friends."
"I don't have many friends at all, I've spent most of my life alone.", Weamar confessed. "I met Lynn and Marinae about a year ago, and the others since then."
"My master didn't have any friends.", Solance said with a hushed voice. "He was mean to everyone. He kept me locked up in a shed outside his house so that I wouldn't run away."
"That's awful. I'm pleased you escaped.", Weamar said in all honesty.
"It was dark and lonely at night.", Solance said shivering. "Thank you for taking me away from all that."
The sounds of evening became evident. Insects chirped and chirred while the light faded. Soon it was too dark to ride by for those without elf sight and so they stopped and made camp. Weamar made a small fire and began fixing stew for dinner. Marinae found a nearby stream and suggested that all the women take a sorely needed bath. After making sure the men weren't going to spy on them, they did so.
"So. What do you think of the new vagabond?", David asked Weamar.
"Not sure.", Weamar paused and scratched his head. "Hard to say given how broken her treatment has made her."
David nodded and changed the subject. "We'll need to take a south east heading tomorrow unless we want to end up walking into the Shadowrift."
"Assuming we're not eaten by tiny demons in our sleep, of course.", Weamar said with a smile.
David chuckled and laid out his bedroll.
The women bathed in the calf-deep stream. The water was chilly but was refreshing and clean. Lynn bathed silently by herself as Marinae gave Solance a cake of soap and other supplies, including a small jar of the ointment and some more bandages. Solance thanked Marinae and gave herself a good bath.
"Is your back any better?", Marinae asked.
Solance nodded. "You get used to it.", she said calmly.
Adederia stepped into the stream and laid down in it still wearing her clothes. Her face remained above the waterline and she stared up at the stars. Marinae raised an eyebrow as she kept an eye on her. Adederia sat up from the water and looked at Marinae with an uncharacteristic clarity in her eyes.
"I used to keep dolls.", Adederia said. "Pretty dolls. Light and dark ones. Tall ones and short ones. They were all so pretty."
"Me, too.", Marinae replied. "Are you comfortable?"
"They're all broken now. I think they did something bad.", Adederia said wistfully. "Why would someone break them unless they'd done something bad." The glazed look came back over her eyes and she started muttering. "Naughty dolls, naughty dolls."
Marinae sighed and sent Rambis to get Damon.
Lynn and Solance finished their baths and headed back in to camp to get a bite to eat. Lynn found a soft place to lie down with Eliza while Solance sat down next to Weamar.
"Feel better after your wash?", Weamar asked. "Hungry?"
"Yes.", Solance answered. "To both." She smiled and snuggled up to Weamar.
Rambis came trotting back to the camp site and started tugging on Damon's breeches. The bard figured things out and followed the insistent animal to the stream. He took one look at Adederia and sighed.
"She talked to me for a moment.", Marinae told Damon. "But when I replied she went back to her usual self, and I didn't know whether I could touch her without upsetting her."
"She does that sometimes.", Damon said, helping the elven woman to her feet and drying her off. "Something about dolls?"
"Yes.", Marinae answered. "What does it mean?"
"I don't know what it means. Not sure I want to.", Damon answered.
"Could it be part of what's wrong with her?", Marinae said curiously.
"Maybe.", Damon shrugged. "That's beyond me to figure out though."
When they returned to camp Solance was enjoying dinner as if she's never had anything so good. David had eaten his portion and went to sleep without much conversation. Lynn had left her bowl half finished and had gone to sleep next to Eliza. Damon and Marinae split the remaining stew and were soon nodding off, leaving Weamar and Solance sitting against a tree next to each other.
"Dinner was wonderful.", Solance confessed.
"You must have been very hungry.", Weamar grinned modestly. "Or maybe I'm just sick of rabbit."
"My master gave me only stale bread.", Solance said sadly. "So I ate whatever I could find in the forest. You're so good to me. And I haven't done anything for you."
"And you shouldn't feel you need to.", Weamar replied. "We only did the decent thing."
"Because you're my friend?", Solance asked.
"Because you're a person, and in the same circumstances we would have wanted a stranger's help.", Weamar replied, hoping that his ideas of freedom and friendship would rub off on Solance.
Solance leaned against Weamar again, looking up into his eyes. Weamar saw awe and longing as he looked into hers. Weamar started feeling more than a little uncomfortable.
"You'd better get some sleep.", Weamar said. "And I better start paying attention, given I'm meant to be on watch."
"Weamar?", Solance asked.
"Yes?", Weamar replied.
As Weamar turned to face Solance he was surprised to see how close her face was to his. He was even more surprised when Solance gently kissed him. He didn't fight it, but he didn't kiss back either. Solance pulled back disappointed.
"Weamar," Solance asked quietly. "Do you like me?"
"Yes Solance, I do.", Weamar answered after a long pause. "But I also have only just met you."
"I want to make you happy.", Solance said. "Like you have made me."
"Thank you very much, but it wasn't just me, it was these others as well.", Weamar said, motioning to his sleeping friends and rubbing his hands nervously.
"For the first time I feel...", Solance paused and looked into Weamar's eyes with wonderment. "...loved."
"That's part of the reason I think you should wait.", Weamar said carefully. He was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. "I'm sure it feels like love to you, but given what you've said, it's simply respect, and an absence of mistreatment. Perhaps in the future…"
Solance interrupted him with another kiss.
"I'm also meant to be keeping watch.", Weamar said pulling away quickly.
Solance turned her head away to hide a tear. "Weamar, do you want me?", she asked.
There was a long awkward silence. Weamar didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted to say yes, but another part of him was telling him that the woman was trouble and Weamar always listened to the part of him that sensed danger. He wanted to let Solance down easy but he couldn't find the words. Instead he sat there staring into space. Solance couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and walked into the woods, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Dumbfounded, Weamar got up to follow. Marinae, who'd only been pretending to sleep, sat up and took Weamar's place near the fire to keep watch. The goings on between Weamar and Solance had been much too interesting for her to miss, but now she could no longer eavesdrop. She frowned and did her duty. Solance stopped a little way from the clearing, her back to Weamar. She sobbed quietly.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to upset you. You sound like you've had enough of that.", Weamar explained hopefully. "It isn't that I don't want you, it is only that I don't feel comfortable under the circumstances."
"I'll make you feel comfortable.", Solance said softly. "I'll do anything you ask. Just love me tonight."
Weamar swallowed hard and fought his desires. "It just doesn't feel 'right'. I'm not sure I can explain."
"Then you don't want me.", Solance said harshly. She walked deeper into the forest.
Weamar followed behind but Solance kept going. "Solance, come back.", Weamar called out, but Solance did not come back.
Weamar stopped. The light from the campfire didn't reach any farther. Solance had disappeared into the dark. The forest was silent except for Solance's footfalls and even those faded into the night. Weamar listened carefully and followed her slowly, feeling his way through the trees. Completely in the dark he found Solance kneeling on the forest floor, weeping. He walked slowly towards her, then sat beside her. Solance was consumed with grief.
"Please, don't cry.", Weamar began. "The last thing I want is that you should be hurt."
"I'll always be alone.", Solance sobbed. "Alone in the dark forever. I thought that you would save me.", she cried, choking up.
"From loneliness? I can't even save myself from that.", Weamar said morosely.
Solance took Weamar's head gently and pushed her lips up to his.
Weamar resisted and broke away abruptly. "You really don't like no as an answer, do you?", he said sternly.
Solance was heartbroken. She rose slowly to her feet and ran into the forest as fast as she could, leaving Weamar alone in the dark. Weamar muttered to himself and then got up to follow. He wandered further and further into the woods but there wasn't any sign of Solance. He stopped and listened but didn't hear the elven girl. Instead he heard the sounds of a large animal moving through the woods near the campsite. It was too big to be a wolf. Weamar turned back towards the camp and hastily made his way back.
"What a doofus!", Kiri screamed inside her head. "How dare he resist me! From now on his name is Mud!"
The dark woman had dropped her disguise. After all that play acting she had nothing to show for it. She was furious, and horny too. She hated that combination, and it wasn't good for anyone around her either. She began thinking about ways to embarrass and humiliate Weamar.
"I should just kill him.", Kiri whispered, cursing. But her master had told her not to, and she had to obey. "Of all the lonely woodsmen in the world I have to come across one who's gay."
"That's it. He's gay.", Kiri mused, trying to convince herself. "I mean, who else could travel around in a group full of gorgeous young women and not get laid?"
Kiri's mind traveled back to a few hours earlier when she had bathed in the stream with Marinae and Lynn. Lynn was so beautiful, and Marinae was sexy in her own way. Kiri wondered how Weamar could resist the temptation. She knew that she wouldn't be able to. And the more that she thought about the two young women, the more she desired them. She swore that she would have them both eventually. Then her thoughts turned back to Weamar and her anger returned.
"The Talon's must have castrated him.", Kiri thought to herself. "For being gay.", she added. "And smelling like a wet dog in a sewer.", she added with a smile even though Weamar didn't smell that bad.
"Yes, they castrated him.", Kiri thought, growing less and less angry. "But not because he's gay. I mean, would a gay ranger dress so bad? No. And would a gay ranger have a girl dog? No way.", she consoled herself. Then Kiri had an idea that almost made her laugh out loud. "No, wait. A girl dog. Aha! Now that explains it. He does it with his dog. And the Talons castrated him because they caught him in the act!"
Then Kiri heard loud noises coming from the campsite and went to investigate.
In the flickering firelight Marinae noticed a hulking shape moving through the forest around the camp. She couldn't make out what it was but it was big.
"Shit.", Marinae whispered to herself and sounded the alarm, waking the others.
Marinae brought up a shield and primed a volley of magic missiles. Her shouting awakened the others and they were greeted by the sight of a twelve foot tall brown bear. It stood up on its hind legs and bellowed fiercely.
"Hmm.", Marinae thought to herself. "The girl vanishes and the bear appears."
"Weamar!", Marinae called out. "We've got a bear in the woods."
Lynn wobbled to her feet, drew her katana, and stood between the bear and Eliza. Then Lynn closed her eyes and concentrated, seeing the camp, her friends, and the bear in her mind. David and Damon also rose and stood their ground. Marinae cast a spell. Searing balls of light flashed across the camp and struck at the bear's feet. Startled it fell to all fours with a grunt. But instead of scaring the bear off as Marinae had hoped, the now very angry bear charged into the camp and David happened to be right in its path. David tried to evade but was too slow and the animal reared up and caught him in the chest with a powerful swipe of its paw. The young man's armor protected him from the sharp claws but not the powerful force of the blow. Marinae watched in anguish as David was knocked from his feet and rolled to a stop against the wagon wheel.
Damon moved to place himself between the bear and Adederia and Lynn shifted to stay between the bear and Eliza. Marinae cast another spell, this time directly at the bear. Her strikes landed one after another against the bear's shoulder and it cried out in pain as Weamar rushed into the campsite. Weamar drew his sword and at near full speed took a swipe at the bear's hindquarters. The bear bellowed again and turned towards the forest. It fled limping noticeably.
Weamar and Marinae rushed to David's side. Seeing that his wound was not fatal Weamar headed into the forest after the bear. Lynn breathed a sigh of relief, then she noticed that David wasn't moving. She went to his side next to Marinae.
"David?", Lynn asked softly.
David coughed with a start, depositing a spray of blood across the ground next to him.
"Broken ribs, probably.", Marinae said quietly. "Hit his lung or something."
David winced in pain at every breath. He coughed again, specs of blood coating his lips. "Who knew they could hit like that.", he said through clenched teeth.
"It would have been worse without your armor.", Marinae observed. "We need to get it off of you to look at your chest."
David tried to sit up but fell back in pain. "Damn it.", he gasped.
"Stop moving around!", Marinae shouted. "You're only going to make it worse!"
Lynn and Marinae helped David get his armor and shirt off with only moderate discomfort. The bruising from the blow was obvious. He had several broken ribs. The bare skin of his chest and arms were laced with numerous older scars. Lynn turned away when she saw the scars. She wondered how many of them he had been given because of her. Marinae laid up some padding over David's ribs and then applied a bandage all around him, finally putting his arm in a sling.
Marinae cursed herself as she tended to David. She blamed herself for being soft-hearted again. She had tried to scare the bear off but she only angered it and David ended up getting hurt. She remembered trying to save their horses and Eliza ended up almost dead. She wondered if being so nice was a fault.
Through clenched teeth David forced a smile and a laugh. "This has been a most strange day."
The trail was so obvious that a child could follow it. The amount of blood the bear lost seemed to grow with every step. Weamar found the bear not far outside the camp. It was laying against one of the ancient trees. The wound on its leg had grown well beyond its original proportions due to the acidic nature of Weamar's sword. The animal was not long for this world. The bear wheezed and slowly moved its head to look at Weamar, then it lowered its head to the ground and breathed its last, still staring at him. Kiri watched the scene with a frown, disappointed that the bear hadn't killed Weamar. Then she got an idea, an evil idea. Quietly she cast a spell.
Weamar looked on as dispassionately as he could while watching the bear die. He couldn't help but notice something hauntingly familiar in the animal's eyes. The form of the bear began to dissolve away. Left behind was the battered form of Solance. A deep wound crossed the back of her left thigh. She moved no more.
Weamar cursed, and blamed himself for her death.