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WHEN LORICA REFUSED to believe him, Chase made up his mind he would find a way to rescue his friend himself. He could journey safely if he traveled by horse across the plains. Fortunately, Influencers did not venture far from their gateways, and the Neverworld tunnels had not yet reached inland toward Prasa Potama, nor the plains of Kevshire so he’d be safe traveling that route as a man. He must transform as little as possible for he didn’t know how long the magic would last. It seemed each time he used it, its power had diminished a trifle. He shivered when he thought of what he might be doing to his body.
Huddled as Chase—the man—in an empty stall in Lord Sylvester’s stables where he often made a bed, he tried to sleep, but he jumped at every stomp of a horse’s hoof, or scamper of a rat. When a mare whinnied well before dawn, he woke with a start and held his breath. There were people in the stable! Why so early? He sank deeper into the shadows, and listened.
“You’ll take Brightness,” a woman said. “I’ll ride Ginger.”
It was Anna’s voice. Chase crept to where he could see her and Lorica leading two horses out of their stalls, raising his curiosity as to where the women were going so early. Perhaps Lorica had changed her mind and decided to plead for Jareth’s release after all. She must have considered Evanora’s advice reliable! But why was Anna going with her? And why were three soldiers saddling horses in the breezeway? His suspicions grew as he listened for he didn’t understand why Anna would go with Lorica to free the mercenary. Unless her father had something sinister up his sleeve.
“This all seems so wrong, leaving Kandace and Crispin like this.”
“Oh, they’ll hardly notice. I told my parents our plans. They’ll take good care of the children.” Anna assured her.
“If I could have said goodbye, or asked them if they wanted to come...,” she sighed, looking at the barn door toward the palace.
“Stop fretting. They’re sound asleep. Better to not wake them. We’ll be there and back before they realize you’re gone, and what a surprise they’ll have when you return with their father!”
Chase knew Anna better than that. She would no sooner bring Jareth, the king’s mercenary to Sylvester’s castle than a wolf would rescue a lamb. Surely, this was Lord Sylvester’s work. She must be leading Lorica into the woods to have her slain.
He must follow them.
Stealing a horse from Lord Sylvester was a crime punishable by death and Chase wasn’t about to take the chance of having soldiers pursuing him, so before the stableman had closed the barn after Anna and her troupe left, Chase dusted the straw off his clothes, slung a saddle blanket over his shoulder, and approached him.
“I say, they left already?” he asked the man, glancing out the barn door.
“Yes, they did.”
“I was supposed to ride with them to Prasa Potama. Lady Anna must have forgotten. Can you saddle me a horse quickly?”
“I...” the man stuttered.
“Quickly, please. There’s no time to waste. Your fastest if you can spare him.”
“Yes, sir.” The man bowed, shaking his head but he made haste to ready a horse. Chase nodded a thank you and paced by the barn door. The stable hand returned with a chestnut gelding, a large Koladan, and Chase smiled, for Koladans were known for their speed as well as their beauty.
“His name is Parapet. He’s a runner!”
Chase should have no trouble catching up to the women on such a marvelous steed. He mounted quickly, nodded a thank you, and let the anxious horse have his head. The chill of morning air blasted across his face as he galloped the horse southwest on the road to Prasa Potama. To his disappointment, they were taking the southern route, the trail that meandered in the mountains past Ogress and the portals. Unfortunately, it meant Chase would have to change again.
When the stables were well out of sight and the dust of Anna and her party drifted over the road ahead of him, he wrapped his cloak around himself, took a breath and—dreading the power he was about to rouse—took the form of Evanora. He must disguise himself until he passed Ogress. Once in the foothills heading west he would be free to be Chase again. It’s there he would attempt to meet up with the travelers.
He had no conception of time, and though he rode for what seemed like hours, still morning had not come. Stars shone above the treetops and shadows blackened the trail. When the road veered west and the tower of Ogress glimmered on the eastern horizon, Chase closed his eyes, called on the power, and let Evanora fade. The woman, her cloak, her gown, all changed into the man’s welcomed attire. He relished having boots that didn’t pinch his toes, a tunic that didn’t strap tight around the waist, hands that grasped the reins with strength. He sighed and pushed the cowl from off his head, glad to be free again.
The way had become less treacherous, the landscape opened enough to see the sun rise behind him, and without the camouflage of the forest, the women ahead were visible. He was just about to prod his horse to a lope when figures appeared out of the brush ahead of him. Riders, five of them rushing Anna’s company. Highwaymen! Robbers. Or were they?
Chase let Parapet loose and the gelding flew over the terrain. Being a Koladan, he should have outrun the robbers, but still they hadn’t gained on the thieves. Not until the muggers met up with their prey, did Chase arrive. He jumped from his horse and without any tangible weapon, threw himself at the first robber he came to who spun around to face Chase.
The wizard was too close for the robber’s sword to touch him. He gripped the robber’s cloak and butted heads with him. The man stumbled and fell. Chase yanked the sword from his hand and drove it through his torso. Coughing through the dust, the wizard staggered over another bleeding body. One of Anna’s escorts.
Where were the women?
The rising sun blinded him and reflected on steel armor on the rise of the hill. A soldier engaged in battle with a man in a dark cloak. Grunts came from the two as they wrestled, sword against sword. Chase sprinted up the hill to them, lifted his borrowed weapon and charged at the cloaked man, running his blade through the poor devil’s side. The soldier who had been fighting, wide-eyed and wounded, stepped away as his opponent shrieked, spat blood, and collapsed.
A woman screamed, and Chase whirled about in time to see Lorica slashing the neck of another raider.
Against a tree Anna leaned holding her stomach, an attacker lay at her feet, the third soldier pulled his sword from the man’s body.
The last raider rode away into the hills.
Slowly the survivors gathered. Chase, Anna, Lorica, and the two soldiers. Anna stepped away from them and emptied her stomach, Lorica tore the hem of her skirt and with shaking hands, made a wrap for one of the soldier’s wounds. The other, holding a gash on his arm, left without a word to gather the horses. Chase, panting and stunned that he had taken a sword to two men, watched the others gain their senses. No one had been prepared for that attack.
“Chase!” The first words spoken came from Anna when she had composed herself and returned. She brushed back her hair and inhaled, wiping her cheeks dry of tears. “What are you doing here?”
“He saved my life,” one soldier said.
“He slew two of the highwaymen,” Lorica added, squinting at him. “You’re Chase the wizard?”
A more confused look Chase had never seen on a woman. Surely Lorica thought about the warning he had given her at the market.
“Did your father plan this?” he asked Anna.
Anna glared at him. “Why would you say so?”
“Lord Sylvester wouldn’t have men attack his daughter. What an absurd notion,” the soldier said.
“Wouldn't he?” Lorica asked, regarding each of them.
“These men were simply highway robbers who chanced upon us, saw the horses we rode, and decided to raid us.” Anna defended.
When the other soldier led the horses up the hill to them, Chase’s eyes widened, and his heart stilled. Every one of the horses, including the dead men’s mounts, were of the Koladan breed. No one owned that breed save for Lord Sylvester and the chosen few to whom he sold. Whoever these men were, they had a connection with Anna’s father.
Chase simply nodded at the horses and silence overcame them at the realization they’d been tricked.
Anna breathed a laugh. “Why are you here, Chase?”
“I thought perhaps you needed a protector,” Chase explained.
“Well, I’m certainly glad you came.” Anna fixed the ends of her hair into her bun and brushed the pleats of her riding skirt flat. “Dear, Lorica, there’s blood on your cloak.”
Lorica gave the stain little mind, her eyes still glued to Chase’s. “I wonder how much more protection we’ll be needing,” she said. “Thank the heavens my children were not with us!”
“Yes. That’s a good thing!” Anna mounted her horse. “Shall we ride on?”
“And leave these bodies here for the vultures?” Chase asked.
“You can bury them.” Anna gave the wizard a cold stare, turned her horse, and trotted on, the soldiers followed but Lorica stayed behind.
“You should ride with them, Milady,” Chase insisted.
“Your warning at the market...Is this what you meant? Should I return to my children?” Lorica asked.
“I cannot tell you for sure what to do. But you're halfway to Prasa Potama, it would be senseless to turn back now. Go and free your husband. You may need him on your return.”
He nodded, urging her to catch up to Anna. He would ride like lightning ahead of them to the king. Lord Sylvester can deal with the bodies when he sends riders to find out what happened.