“Halt!” Dallas raised his right hand, then dropped it. He knew Nellie could not see his raised hand in the ichur light, but hoped she could see his hand in the starlight.
The wagon horses stopped before they ran into Swift’s rump.
The female mage could see the waiting men in the ichur light. A smirk spread across her face.
It was warning enough for Dallas. He tightening his fingers around the staff, ready to raise it if the waiting men released their arrows.
More silvery light surrounded both Swift and Sweetie, and grew until two balls of ichur surrounded Misty, and Dallas, and merged over the mage. Both trackers were ready to defend Dallas and Misty.
“Move out of our way!” Dallas glanced sideways at the mage when she leant towards him.
The mage lost her smirk and regained her balance in her saddle. Then she placed her bound hands on her right leg and glared at Misty.
Dallas followed her gaze. Misty held Sweetie’s reins with her right hand. Her left hand rested on the handle of her long knife, sheathed in the black leather pouch gifted to her before they left the property. She proudly wore it tied to her left thigh, even though it was designed to hang on her belt.
Then the mage looked at both Swift and Sweetie.
Dallas smiled. She finally understood who had created the two balls of silvery light that surrounded her.
She turned towards Dallas and glared at him.
He was sure she was thinking of ways to attack him as soon as she regained her ability to call more ichur. He was not sure if Misty pricked the mage’s leg with her knife, or just thumped her with a fist. Either way, Misty got her attention.
Satisfied the mage would remain silent, Dallas turned his attention back to the waiting males blocking the road north.
The male in the middle, his hands free of a weapon, turned to his left. “Light.”
The short stocky male next to him slipped his waiting arrow back into a quiver strapped to his back, then slipped his right hand through the bow and positioned it on his right shoulder. When both hands were free, he pulled a length of wood out of a holder at the front of his saddle.
None of the other men moved. Dallas hoped they were not planning on attacking, but remained ready to defend if they did attack.
The short stock male raised the length of wood, wrapped in strips of cloth, and held it steady while the next male on his left repeated the first male’s actions of disarming, before he retrieved a lump of flint from a saddlebag and struck it with a small knife. Sparks flew.
He repeated the action and one spark dropped onto the cloth. Flames grew until they covered the top of the torch.
In the growing light Dallas noticed Dart had an arrow notched ready to release.
All the while no one else spoke.
Then Misty broke the silence. “Dallas, I will take the four closest to me, if you would be kind enough to take the other three.”
“Dart can handle the two closest to him. Right, Dart?” Dallas smiled at the seven waiting men. “Move out of our way.”
None of the silent males moved their horses, but the one on the far right sidestepped. Its rider tugged on the reins and pulled the horse back into position.
“Guess that leaves you with two. You should be able to handle them.” Misty drew out her long knife with her right hand, and slipped a throwing star into her left hand. “Let me know when you are ready to begin.”
The male in the middle of the silent group gave a slight motion with his left hand.
Five of his companions moved off the track leaving the leader and the one with the torch remaining.
“Wise decision, boys!” Misty sighed. “I was looking forward to a little practice.”
The male held the burning torch high while he walked his mount forward.
Dart twisted slightly in his saddle so his notched arrow followed the male.
Dallas wondered if the one with the torch was a distraction while the other men readied an attack. He glanced at them but they all rested both hands on the front of their saddles. He missed them lowering their bows.
At least an attack was not imminent.
He eased his knees away from Swift sides, relaxing slightly.
Swift watched the male with the torch, but held her bubble of ichur.
“That is close enough!”
The male ignored Dallas. He almost touched Swift’s bubble of ichur before he stopped in front of the two horses hitched to the wagon, the torch raised so he could inspect the horses.
Next he moved towards Swift.
“Nellie, roll the wagon forward.” Dallas kept his eyes on the male inspecting Swift.
The slap of reins smacking the rumps of the wagon horses sounded loud in the darkness. Nellie moved the horses down the track only lit by starlight once she was out of the reach of the burning torch.
Dallas smiled at the waiting males. He was sure Nellie would roll the wagon over the men if they did not move out of her way. At least Nellie understood the women and children were better out of the area before the waiting men attacked Dallas and Misty.
When the wagon rolled forward Dart did not move with them. Nor did he lower his bow.
Dallas continued to watch the male with the torch who walked his mount around Sweetie’s head and studied her side on. If he was any closer, he would feel heat from the edge of the protective bubble.
“Dart, go with the wagon.” Dallas looked at the leader, knowing Misty would kill the one beside her if he attacked.
The leader waited until the wagon horses almost touched his mount’s nose before he moved to the side of the road.
The wagon rolled on.
Dart kneed his horse forward. He followed the wagon down the track but kept his arrow notched, aimed at the leader of the waiting men.
Once Dart moved out of the torch lit area, all the men turned to look at Dallas, but he watched Dart until he caught up to the wagon.
Then Dallas bought his gaze back to the leader. “If you are here to rescue this mage, I will stop you.”
The leader raised his eyebrows and studied the female waiting with hands bound between Misty and him. “We cut the eyes out of any mage we find. That way they can not see to make magic.”
The one with the torch finally spoke. “These two are the trackers.”
“Good.” The leader walked his horse forward. “Are you Dallas, rider of the tracker, Swift?” He stopped in front of Swift.
Dallas was sure he could not see the ichur bubble around Swift because he would not have moved so close. Neither could the male with the torch. Either that, or they were also mages. “Yes.”
“Come with us.”
“Why?”
“Mage Stantworth sent us south to look for you. Your tracker, Swift, is needed back at Hedgehill.”
“Not until I escort these women and children back to the border.” Dallas smiled at the leader. “Who are you?”
“Cooper White. Guard Captain at Hedgehill.” He turned to his waiting men. “You two, lead the wagon back to the border.”
The two men he pointed to turned their mounts and trotted down the track towards the wagon.
When they reached the wagon, one stepped into the back of the wagon from his horse, then tied his horse to the tailgate. He walked forward and stopped behind the wooden bench where Nellie and Rammie sat.
“Both of you in the back.”
Dallas was too far away to see which of the males spoke, but assumed it was the one on the wagon. “Misty, walk forward.” Swift walked forward at the same time as Sweetie. Dallas pulled on the reins to get the female mage’s horse moving.
“Trouble?” Misty watched the waiting men.
“I don’t think so.” Dallas turned to Cooper. “Get your men to walk in front of us.”
“Lead out!” When the waiting men turned their horses and followed the wagon in the starlight, Cooper rode closer to Dallas’s right side. “We have to turn west where the road turns east onto the Semp bridge.”
Dallas did not answer Cooper, because he needed more information about why Mage Stantworth needed Swift. He allowed the silence to continue, so clearly heard Nellie speak to Rammie. “Climb in the back.”
When Rammie did not move, Nellie added, “I be fine.”
By the time Dallas reached the wagon, Rammie was already seated between Kurt and May, and the male sat next to Nellie, but she still drove the wagon, the reins loosely held in her hands.
Dallas knew she was as tired as the other women. He raised his voice and called to her. “Nellie, give him the reins. You can sleep with the others.”
Nellie passed the reins to the male, but did not leave her position at the front of the wagon on the hard wooden seat.
The five men surrounded the wagon, then two dropped back three yards.
One of the riders lit his own torch off the first burning torch and trotted ahead of the wagon team. The wagon horses picked up their pace once they could see the ground ahead.
“Swift, release.” Dallas whispered.
He received an image of the two males riding behind the wagon, just in front of Swift and Sweetie, raising their bows and firing arrows towards the women.
“I don’t think so. They are dozing in their saddles.”
The silvery glow faded as the two bubbles shrank and snapped out of existence.
Another mile passed in silence except for the creaking of saddle leather and the clip-clop of hoofs on the hard packed dirt track. Even the surrounding insects and frogs fell silent until the wagon and horses moved further north.
The stars faded close to dawn and blackness surrounded them by the time they reached the branch in the road that lead east to the old wooden bridge.
“Why cross into Morecrag?” Cooper’s tired voice sounded loud in the darkness. “Keep going north and cross north of where the Semp enters the Ern. Easier ride and away from Morecrag slavers.”
Silver light surrounded Dallas when both trackers rebuilt their bubbles.
“Slave!”
It was the first time Dallas heard the mage speak. He turned in time to see Misty pull her long knife away of the female’s right thigh.
Misty smiled sweetly. “I am not a slave. Are you?”
The female held her tied hands on her thigh and scowled at Misty.
“Why not kill her now?” Misty smiled sweetly at Dallas. “Or are you planning on leading her up the mountain to your councillors for punishment?”
“We are not killing her.” Dallas focused on her leg wound. “And no more stabbing.”
“No stab, just a small prick to remind her I was watching.” Misty sounded happy.
“I suggest you cut out her eyes. If she can not see magic she can not use it.” Cooper pulled a finger long blade out of a pocket and held it out for Dallas to take.
“That will not be necessary. Did you remove the eyes and hands of a female the other side of the bridge?”
Cooper sighed. “No, that was Jeb.”
The silver ichur light reflected in Cooper’s eyes as he glanced forward.
Dallas guessed it was one of his men, but was not sure which male Cooper looked at, because they all rode in front of Dallas; two behind the wagon full of sleeping women and children, one each side of the wagon, and two out front lighting the way.
“Put your mage in the wagon if you want, but you and your woman have to go north with us.” Cooper slipped his small knife back into his pocket.
Dallas made up his mind. “Dart, continue north.”
The wagon rolled north.
One of the leading males trotted around the wagon towards Cooper. “Need your torch.”
Cooper pulled an unlit torch out of his saddle holder and gave it to the rider. “Should last ‘til dawn.”
When he trotted back around the wagon he held the unlit torch out to touch the flame of the first torch that slowed died as the tarred cloth was consumed. The unlit torch flared as flames wrapped around the cloth.
Dallas guessed by the time that torch burnt down, dawn would arrive.
“Does your horse control the mage?” Cooper rode slightly forward of Dallas and Swift, so he could see the female and her mount, riding between Misty and Dallas.
The spluttering torch burnt out so the male holding it slipped it back into his saddle holder.
Dallas held his breath as he rode through the lingering black smoke of the now extinguished torch. He realised the breeze had died down during the last hour.
Both Swift and Sweetie remained alert, heads held high, watching the road ahead, along with the wagon and outriders. They both pricked their ears forward, listening to Cooper. Dallas was so tired he closed his eyes to doze, but listened for any unusual sounds.
Swift sent an image to Dallas of the mage wrapped in ichur. The image changed the colour of the silvery glow to brown before the glow sank into her skin.
Dallas was not sure if Swift was suggesting she could block the mage from calling ichur to help her escape or if Swift was suggesting Dallas create a spell.
As he had no idea how to make the spell work, and he had no way of discussing it without alerting the Hedgehill men to the fact he was also one of the dreaded mages that needed his eyes cut out, he ignored Swift’s suggestion. He answered Cooper’s question. “My tracker is blocking her from using magic to help her escape her bonds.”
“Good. We need your trackers to remove magic from one wall of Hedgehill hall.”