"The Obsidian Phoenix Chapters 31-35" by Ann Baker

CHAPTER 31

 

 

 

The next day as we picked up camp, I notice him again.  The wolf had jet-black fur, deep green eyes, and very white fangs.  I didn’t bother pulling my bow.  This wolf was either completely ethereal or walked in half-shadow.  He stood there staring at us. 

“What is it?” asked Tolson oblivious to the wolf’s presence. 

I grabbed him by the tunic and pulled him down to the ground where I sat.

I gestured toward the wolf.  “Look over there between those two smaller trees.  What do you see?”

“I see a space between to small trees,” he said making a joke.

Alright, it’s not ethereal, Tolson should have been able to see it if it were.

I reached toward Tolson.  “Take my hand.”

“I was beginning to think you didn’t like me.”

“Why can’t you be serious for a second?”  I grabbed his hand and abruptly took him halfway into Shadow.  He resisted me.  Startled at the sudden change in his perception of the world, he tried to break my grasp.  I faced him and held on tightly.

“Calm down Tolson.  Take another look over there,” I said pointing in the direction of the two trees.

His eyes were closed and he was humming to himself.

“Stop humming and open your eyes. Nothing can harm you here.”  Not the complete truth, but I felt no threat from the strange creature that walked through Shadow.

He opened his eyes and looked over to the two trees.

“There’s a wolf, Crimson!” he exclaimed. 

The wolf was now white, changed by the Shadow’s mutated colors.

“Calm down, if he’d wanted to eat you for breakfast, he would’ve done that yesterday.”

“Yesterday?  Why didn’t you tell me?” he yelled.

I looked him in the eyes and realized how frightening the situation was to him.  He held onto my hand tightly as I brought him back into the Prime.  He was shaking and furious.

I looked to the wolf but he had gone.

Tolson sat down and put his hands on his head.

“Are you alright?”  I asked trying to draw him out.

“Why would you do that to me?  You had no right!”  He stood and clenched his fists.

“I didn’t know you’d be so---”

He cut me off.  “What were you thinking?”

I put my hand on his shoulder but he pushed it away.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think.”

He was almost in tears he was so angry and hurt.

“I’m sorry; let me get you a drink.”  I kept apologizing but he didn’t seem to hear.

I pulled out my bottle of Elven wine and uncorked it.

“Here, drink this.”  He took the bottle and gulped it.

“Slow down or we won’t be walking out of here till tomorrow.”  He was not an elf and another drink like that would put him down for the day.

“You didn’t think?” he said at last after gaining his composure.

“Bards have written epic tales of that place, Crimson.  Tales of beasts and great evil.  Things that sneak out of the shadows at night and take your children as they sleep.  I grew up with nightmares of that place.  My mother told bedtime stories about bad children that were taken there and never returned.

“Tolson, it’s all a tale.  Just a bard’s tale.  There are terrible things there, yes I’ll be the first to admit that, but most of those things come from this place here,” I said, pointing to the ground.

“There’s more evil here in this place.  If you want to be scared of a place, you’re standing in it.”

He looked at me between narrowed eyes and took another drink from the bottle.

“Give me that,” I said taking the bottle and sipping from it before putting it away.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, putting my arms around him. 

What was I doing, dragging this poor man into who knows what?

It took nearly an hour to get back onto the road and Tolson was slightly intoxicated.

“What did you give me?”

“Elven wine, very old Elven wine.”

“How old?”

“Two hundred years give or take.  I can’t remember.”

“Were you saving it for something?”

I sighed and pushed away my heartache.  “I was, but it’s not important now.”

“Well, surely you didn’t know you were going to meet me, so it had to be some other special occasion.”

“Yes.”

“Well?”
“  Well what?”

“What is the wine for?”

“Ask me when you’re sober.”

I helped him walk. 

“I probably won’t remember to ask you when I’m sober.”

“Just as well.”  I didn’t want to talk about it.

We walked for a little while before Tolson spoke again.

“Do you like me Crimson?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Then don’t ever do that to me again.”

“I promise.”  The words seemed to calm him.

“Look there’s a town just up the way.  Let’s stop for a while.  We could check and see if there are any horses.  We’ll never get anywhere this way.”

“True.”

Stopping now would cause us to lose half a day, but Tolson was in no condition to travel.

 

 

 

I tucked Tolson in at a local inn and walked through town.  Traderswell was a traveler’s village.  People of all kinds were here buying and selling goods.  I knew the small pouch of gems I carried would be more than enough for the horses, tack, and supplies that we needed, if the merchants were willing to deal in gem currency and if they understood their value.

 

“Do you have any horses and tack for sale?”  I asked the local stable keeper.

The skinny little man had a few wisps of hair and even less teeth.

He motioned to the left side of the stables.  “See for yourself.  That side only.”

I was impressed to see the old man’s selection.  The horses were exquisite.  I chose a beautiful, tall palomino with golden hair and light blonde mane for myself and a slightly smaller yet muscular red roan gelding for Tolson, first making sure the two horses would get along.

“Excuse me sir,” I spoke to the stable keeper.  “The two at the end.  Palomino and red roan.  Could you have them ready to go in the morning?”

The old man nodded and pointed at an older woman sitting at a table in the corner of the front stables.  “Pay her.”

I walked over and sat at the table with the squat woman.  She looked up at me without lifting her head.  She counted out a few coins and placed them in a pouch.

“Which ones do you want?” 

“The red roan and palomino,” I said.  “What do you accept as payment?” 

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  “Gold.”

“What about gems?”  I asked nicely.

She shrugged her shoulders but didn’t object.

I pulled my gem sack out.  Making sure to keep the contents private, I reached in and pulled out the gem of least value, a ruby the size of my pinky fingernail.  The old man gasped behind me. 

“We don’t have the means to change that,” she said.

“Well, I’ll tell you what, I’ll take the horses and the best tack you have.  Have the horses fully provisioned for a long trip and we’ll call payment even.”

I knew from the looks on their faces that the gem would probably buy them a new stable and enough horses to fill it twice.  They both smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Keep this exchange to yourselves till I’m out of town or the deal is forfeit,” I said taking the gem back.  “You’ll get payment in the morning when I pick up the horses.”  They both shook their heads again and smiled widely.

“Have either of you seen a dark haired elf wearing a mithril circlet with a wolf on it?  He’s also wearing silver colored maybe mithril scale armor.”

“Yeah, two maybe three years ago.  He came riding through.  He had two or three others with him.  Full elves,” the man said.

“Why do you make the distinction, wasn’t the dark haired one also an elf?”

“Yeah maybe part elf, half at least.  He just seemed different than they did, I don’t remember much else though.”

“Thank you and don’t forget to have the horses ready by dawn.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said the stable keeper with a wide toothless grin.

 I went back to the inn, sat at one of the empty tables, and waited to be served.  The place was empty except for a few stragglers and the riffraff had not arrived yet.  When the busty corpulent brunette came over to the table to take my order, she seemed angry. 

“Waiting for someone or do you want to order something?”  She was looking at me as if estimating my worth as a human.  I stood a foot taller than her yet she still gave me the assessing glare of a farmer’s wife picking out chickens for dinner stew.  I didn’t appreciate her body language.

“Just whatever you have ready to eat and be at it quickly.”  I hadn’t been in a good argument for a while.

“Whatever you want, princess.”  She bowed deeply.

“Keep it up and you’ll be stuck in that position for awhile.”  I turned my chair to face her in case she tried something stupid.

She took a step back and wiped her hands on her apron.  She was ready for a brawl.  I laughed inside at her tenacity.

“Calm down and bring me some food, I’m hungry.”

“Why don’t you just go up to your room and I’ll bring you a plate.” 

                “Are you trying to get rid of me?”  I asked.

                “Yes.  I don’t like you or your kind.”  She put her hands on her hips.

                “And what kind is that?  I don’t think you know anything about me.”

                “You’re not human.  That’s all I need to know.”

                I shook my head at her lack of tolerance for other races.  It was not obvious that I wasn’t completely human but she noticed it quickly.  I gave up.

“If you mess with my food, I’ll know and your days will be numbered.  Two plates, no ale.  We’re on the top,” I said.

 I looked her in the eye as I spoke to her.  She looked away and nodded.  I stood up and walked out. 

I didn’t knock, I was sure Tolson would still be asleep, and he was.

Poking at him didn’t seem to work so I pulled the blankets back.  The wine was surely wearing off by now and he needed food in his stomach.  I grabbed the glass of water on the night table and let it slowly drip on his face.  It didn’t rouse him.

“What does it take to wake this guy up?’  I said quietly to myself.

There was a knock on the door.  I walked over to the door.

“What,” I yelled.

“Food,” the woman said.

Quickly covering Tolson back up I answered the door and asked the woman to bring the food to the table.  She didn’t take her eyes off the lump on the bed as she entered the room and was still looking when she was walking to the door.

“We’re going to be very busy tonight, so please no disturbances, understand?”  I said to the rude barmaid.  She rolled her eyes at me as I slammed the door on her.

I walked over to the bed, lay down next to Tolson, and pulled the blanket away from his head.

“You know, if you don’t wake up, I’m going to be forced to do something drastic.”

Still nothing, yet I sensed he was awake.  His breathing had changed slightly.  I rolled off the bed, unbuckled my armor, and slipped out of the breast piece.  I laid it against the wall and sat down at the table.

“It feels so good to be finally out of all that armor,” I said as I removed a boot.  I caught Tolson peeking with one eye.  I threw the boot and hit him in the gut.

“I knew you were awake.  I should have dumped the whole basin of water on you.  I doubt you could’ve stayed silent for long.”

“No doubt,” he said getting out of bed. 
“What’s for dinner?”

“Probably whatever fell lame at the nearest farm with a dash of bitter barmaid spit.”

“Delicious, shall we eat?” he said, sitting across from me.

“So, we haven’t discussed much in the way of where we’re headed.  I mean, we’re heading toward the White Forest, but what lies up the road from here only you know.  So what next?”  I asked.

He shrugged.  “We’re going to have to cross the water soon.  I’ve never been to the other side so once we get there we’ll be on equal footing.”

“How long to the other side?”  I asked wearily.

“A few weeks at least.” he said with his mouth full.

“Weeks?”

“Yeah, why the long face?  I’d say you look pale but you always look kind of that way.”  He laughed.

I stirred my stew and looked for foreign objects.  “I’m just not crazy about large bodies of water.”

“Cant you swim?”

“Yes, I enjoy bathing, I might even take a leisurely swim once in a while, but mainly I swim to get clean or get to the other side.”  I was uneasy and he sensed it.

He put his hands up motioning that he surrendered.

I had become dependant upon using Shadow to evade my enemies.  I wouldn’t be able to do that once we were on the water.  Shadow was useless when you were on a boat unless there was another boat following you around there.

“Once we get to the other side we should find a cartographer or someone who can guide us.”

“Why?  I know where we’re going.”

“Yes, but you don’t know all the terrain that stands between us and the forest.  It would be nice not to turn around repeatedly just because the terrain prevents us from passing through.  It’s not like we can fly straight there.”

“True, good thinking.”

He smiled.

“I prepared us for our trip to the shore.  Our horses will be ready at dawn.”
“  Dawn?”  Tolson asked lifting an eyebrow.

“How much sleep do you need?”  I exclaimed.

“You keep me up all night Crimson.  I need my beauty sleep,” he said looking a little guilty.

“How do I keep you awake?  You’re the one always breathing down my neck; it’s not my talking is it?”  I hoped not.

“Well…never mind.  I promise I’ll try harder.  So did you get me a majestic stallion?”  He changed the subject.

“No, I got you a majestic gelding.  Speaking of which, we’ll have to find transport that will take our horses too.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.  Seasong is a very large port city.  Many ships leave the docks there every day,” he said standing up and grabbing his boots.

“Going somewhere?”  I asked.

“Yeah, I’m going out to try to salvage what’s left of my manhood.”

I wondered if he was referencing his behavior when I took him into shadow.  He had been so scared he almost cried.  He was a grown man and was surely embarrassed at his reaction.

“You seem a little frustrated.”

“It’s not you.”  He sighed.  “I just need to walk around and get some air.  I’ll be back early.  Don’t go to sleep without me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 32

 

 

 

I did not quite understand his last comment but I could fully understand how he felt when it came to other types of companionship.  I still didn’t understand why he wouldn’t sleep in a separate room.  I knew that he was not in my bed to try to sleep with me.  I wondered what he was afraid of.

 

I ate and sat around for a while.  I did a light cleaning on my armor and weapons. 

It was getting late and Tolson had not returned.  He was struggling, I could tell. 

I mulled over the questions I had in my mind.  Between his jokes and flirtations was something he kept hidden.  He had never been over the sea.  Maybe that was it.  Someone had tried to kill him, yes, but I sensed his unease before that.  He was hiding something from me and it didn’t seem in his nature to lie to friends.  I know he sees me as a companion.  That much is evident in his eyes.  Whatever he was keeping from me was wearing him out. 

I got dressed and threw my cape over my armor and sword. 

I went downstairs and walked through a sea of drunken patrons.  One of them reached out to grab me as I passed.  I grabbed his hand and let it burn.  He pulled away and fell to the floor screaming.  Nobody paid attention to him among the other screaming and brawling patrons.  I had no tolerance for such behavior.

I opened the inn door and stepped into Shadow.  Sometimes I preferred Shadow; it was quiet and peaceful most of the time.  I had marked the buildings of the town on the map in my mind so when I stepped back into the Prime I would not be in place I did not want to be. 

I walked down the street a little way and stepped back into the Prime but stayed in the shadows of a nearby tavern.  I could hear Tolson singing; his voice called to me and beckoned me to come.  I walked in and sat at the table furthest from him.  I was transfixed by his voice.  I couldn’t believe he was affecting me this way.  He finished a hauntingly beautiful ballad and walked to the bar for a break.

I watched him order an ale and noticed the ladies start surrounding him.  Ladies only in the sense that they are female.

Tolson seemed to be one away from having one too many.  The Elven wine was still in his system and it probably only took a couple of ales to take him to his limit.  I watched as the women in the bar surrounded him and put their hands all over him.  He kissed their hands as a gentleman would but was turning them all down.  If he wanted to redeem his manhood this was not the way to do it.  His reputation seemed to be suffering with the ladies.  They were walking away and discussing his probable sexual preferences. 

I took my hood down and let my long white hair flow down over my shoulders.  I tried to look as feminine as possible.  I let the cloak cover my armor and sword.  I walked over to the gloomy bard and put my hand out.  He took it without looking at me and kissed it.  He didn’t seem to care. 

“You can do better than that,” I said.

He turned in his stool to look me in the eyes, but said nothing.  He was not surprised and seemed to know I was there the whole time.

I whispered in his ear.  “If you really want to redeem your manhood, you should take at least one of these women back to your room.  I can get another room for the night.” 

He looked around the tavern. 

“Too late it seems.” 

All the ladies had found other men to amuse themselves.

He shook his head.  “Their just empty hearts looking for temporary amusement.  He looked back at me.  The stool he sat on put him eye to eye with me.

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to hear you play.”

“What did you think?”

“I didn’t get here in time to hear much.  I’ll reserve my opinion for later.”  I lied.  He was amazing.

“Feel like helping me out?”  He slurred his words a little.

“Anything, just ask.”  I felt like I owed him.

He reached out and pulled me in.  “Kiss me.”

I looked at him with emotionless eyes.

“You don’t have to mean it.”  He smiled.

“That’s not it,” I said.

“What then?”

I did not want to tell him about my control issues.  I had almost lost it with Steen, and I didn’t want to hurt him.  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second.  I focused all my loose energy back into place and opened my eyes.

“Just don’t get the wrong idea.”  I gave in and leaned closer to him.

His lips slowly touched mine.  He seemed apprehensive at first.  I could feel his restraint and his desire.  I put my arms around him to add to the illusion and he put aside his restraint.  He put his hand on my cheek and ran it down my neck.

I was losing control again.  Like when I tried to kiss Steen. 

“Focus, focus.”  I repeated in my head.

I was not doing well with faking it.  I pulled back to get my breath.

He whispered in my ear.  “What’s wrong?”

“I’m having a problem.”  I closed my eyes.  It was all I could do to keep from bursting into flames.

“I noticed,” He said.

I was warming up and having a hard time controlling my body heat.

“I’ve had this problem before,” I whispered.  “Get me out of here now.”

He grabbed my hand and drug me from the tavern.  I was losing my focus and couldn’t control myself.  I could hear the tavern patrons clapping and hooting at the bard’s conquest.  Everything was a jumble of loud sounds and bright lights.

As soon as we were out the door, I released Tolson’s hand and fell to my hands and knees.  I knew I was about to be engulfed in flames.  I looked up at Tolson, he was yelling something at me, but I couldn’t hear him.  The sound of the fire was deafening.  If I didn’t stop restraining the flame, I didn’t know what would happen. 

I slipped into Shadow and released all the pent up frustration in the form of the black and red flame that was part of my body. 

It felt so good to release all the fire.  I got to my knees and screamed in frustration.  I didn’t understand why I was losing control.  I assumed it had something to do with my emotions, but why did this start happening now?  Once released, I had no problem controlling the flames.  I focused the fire back into its place with no problems.  My cape was gone, never intended to withstand flame, but my armor was fine.  Dannik did a wonderful job at fireproofing the black shadow armor.

“What’s happening to me?”  I said to myself.

I walked back in Shadow and slipped into the Prime in front of the inn. 

Tolson stood outside.

He jumped and put his hand on his daggers.  “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”  He put his arms around me and hugged me.  “I was worried about you,” he said.

 “I’m good, great really,” I said not really meaning it.

“Did I do that to you?” he asked.

“You’d like me to say yes, wouldn’t you?”  I laughed.

“It would boost my ego a bit, yes,” he said.

“Well to be completely honest, you didn’t help the situation at all.”

“Was it that good?”

“You were about ten seconds from becoming roasted bard.”

“You’re burning to get your hands on me aren’t you?” he joked.

“You should be a jester.”

“Where’s your cloak?”

“Roasted,” I said.

He was quiet for a second.  He seemed to realize I was being truthful about how close he was to being burned.

“Let’s get back to our room.” 

We went in and walked straight up to our room.  There was a man sitting in the corner yelling about a burned hand.  When we got up to our room, Tolson had questions.

“Ok, explain the fire thing.”

“I’ll just demonstrate.”  I held out my hand and allowed it to flame. 

“So you don’t just manipulate fire, you can create it too?”

“Yes.”  I let the flame move up to engulf my arm.

“Your armor isn’t affected?”

I shook my head.  “No.”

“What about your under tunic?”

“The armor protects it, but I’ve had a few accidents.”

“So if you didn’t have the armor on the next time you lost control, you would wind up naked?”  He grinned and leaned back on the bed.

“Yes, but I don’t plan on losing control again.”

“You didn’t plan to lose it this time.”
“  Good point.”

“You’ll just have to keep your lips to yourself.”

“I’ll try, now that I have some incentive,” he said.

“Tolson, I want to talk about something more serious.” 

He put up his hand.  “I know, Crimson.” 

“No you don’t.  Let me talk please,” I said

He nodded.

“I’ve been around for awhile, so I’ve got to know quite a few people.  Humans, elves, dwarves… and others.  Some have been friends, some have been more, but none have touched me like you have except maybe one.”

“Jerrik?” he asked.

I nodded.  “You’ve made me smile Tolson.  I haven’t smiled in a long time.”

“You have a beautiful smile.  It makes me want to sing,” he said.

I smiled at the thought of him singing because of me. 

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess.  People are still after me and something has gone wrong with my fire.”

He tried to say something but I put my hand up and cut him off.

“I’m glad you’re here with me.  I’m grateful you didn’t abandon me the first day we met.  I think you helped me for one reason and stayed for another.  Perhaps it’s your song, or maybe it is something more.  I trust you and am willing to accept your secrets for now.”  I sat down next to him and he put his hand on mine.

“Tolson, there’s something about you that I can’t put my finger on, but I can feel music in you even when you’re not singing.  It’s in your voice, in your eyes when I look into them, and in the way you move.  I don’t know if you do it on purpose but I feel better when you’re around.”

“Huh.  You’re deeper than I thought.”

“Thanks a lot,” I said sarcastically.

“You think I’m hiding something from you?” he asked.

“No, you just aren’t telling me everything.” 

He stood up, walked over to a window, and looked out into the night.  I could see he was struggling with something, and I didn’t want to push him away.  I dressed for bed and lay down.

After an hour of silence, Tolson decided to get some sleep and lay down next to me.

“Crimson are you awake?” he whispered.

“Yes,” I said rolling over to face him.

“You know I’d never hurt you, right?”

I looked into his eyes and knew it to be true.

“With all my heart, I know it.”

“How?  You said yourself you think I’m not telling you everything.”

“I know you have secrets and I also know if they were important for me to know, I would know them already.  It can wait, I understand.

“But how?”

“Your eyes tell more than you know.”

He scooted closer to me to see me better.  I had no problem seeing in the semi- darkness but he was human and could not see well in the dark.

“What about my eyes?”

“They reflect who you are inside.  I can’t read your thoughts or emotions, but I know what kind of person you are.”

“Your eyes don’t tell me much.  I can almost see myself in them.  They’re like beautiful blue lakes covered in glistening silver ice.”

“You’re the only person that’s looked into them for more than five seconds without turning away.  Just you, Jerrik, and my family.”  I closed my eyes. 

“My father told me that people see their soul’s reflection in my eyes and it scares most of them.  They can’t face who they are inside and they’re afraid that I will see who they really are, and sometimes I do, when they hold my gaze long enough.”

“What do you see in my eyes?”  He asked without hesitation.  He was not afraid of who he was.

“You know who you are, Tolson.”

“I do, but what do you see?”

“I see a tired bard that really needs his sleep.”  I started to roll over and he grabbed me by my shoulder.

“Tell me.”  He was not going to go to sleep until I told him.

“Tolson.”  I sighed and put my hand on his cheek.  I looked deeper into his eyes than I had before.  “You have beautiful eyes, I’m sure you hear that a lot.”

“Yes, but it means more coming from you.”

“You’re passionate about your music, you feel you have yet to fulfill your potential.  There is a song deep within and you struggle to unlock it.  You think I’m the key,” I said.  I was impressed that he didn’t avert his gaze, but he didn’t speak.

“You’re loyal.  You’ll not leave my side as long as you think I need you.”

“True,” he whispered.

I looked deeper.  “You give and never get back what you need.  People always take from you, and you give freely.  You feel empty and lonely.”  He rolled over onto his back and took a deep breath.  I put my arm around him.

“I’m sorry I can’t fill that emptiness Tolson.  If I thought you were the one for me, I would never even have hesitated, but there is no amount of physical love that can make you whole.  Someone is out there for you; perhaps we can find her together.”

He rolled back onto his side.

“I think I’d be alright with that,” he said and kissed me on the cheek. 

“Have you forgotten how dangerous those lips are?”  I tried lightening the mood.

“You have no idea,” he said.

“Yes I do.  You almost burned the tavern down.”  We laughed.  It felt so good to laugh again. 

“Goodnight Crimson.”

“Goodnight Tolson.”                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 33

 

 

 

The next morning Tolson and I mounted our horses at least an hour after dawn and continued east. 

“You must have spent a fortune on these horses, and these provisions are top of the line.  How did we afford all of this?”

“I told you I had a few trinkets, and to be honest with you, I’ve been feeling guilty about the way I’ve been treating you.  You know the whole Shadow thing.”

“I don’t want to think about it right now,” he said, clamming up at the mention of the shadow realm.

We made small talk as we rode along.

“So how old are you Tolson?”

“Actually, I am almost twenty-four.”

“Huh.”  I said in surprise.  I had thought him younger.

“Huh?  What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“I just thought you were a little younger.  You seem young.”  I tried not to imply he was immature.  “You know, in the White Forest where I grew up, I’d still be considered very young.  Closer to your age.  Maybe even younger actually.

“But you aren’t an elf.”

“I’m not sure what I am, but I do know how old I am, and if I were living with the elves today, I would still be living at home.”

“What other race is there that lives as long as the elves?”
“  I’m sure there are a few.  Dragons live a long time.”

“Huh, well you don’t look like a dragon and that birthmark makes you something more unique I believe.”

“That may not be a good thing, sometimes I feel so alone.  At least with my human side, I can relate to others.”

“You assume you’re half human, but you don’t know that either.”

“True.”  I hadn’t really stopped to think about it.

“Tell me about your family Crimson.”

“No,” I said abruptly.

“Crimson---”

“No!”  I yelled not intending to sound so harsh.  I wasn’t ready.

I galloped ahead of him and kept my distance for the rest of the day.  I wasn’t mad; I just didn’t want him to see me tearing up.  I wish I knew why I’ve been so emotional.  I’ve lost control more times in the past few days than I had in a hundred years.   

 

The incidents with the wolf and the assassins had me on my toes.  We couldn’t afford to be sloppy about surveillance.  After a tiring day on the road, it was tempting to fall into my bedroll and go to sleep.

“Tolson, set camp here, I’m going to scout around the area…please,” I said trying not to make it sound like an order.  We had not spoken all day.

“Yes dear,” he said with a sigh.

I knew he was hurt about me giving him the cold shoulder.

“Do you want to come with me?”  I asked trying to break the ice between us.

“I thought you’d never ask.  I was beginning to feel like your wife, doing the girls work while you did the hunting and gathering.”

“Oh, yeah, the manhood thing.”  I laughed.

“Come on, I’ll give you a few pointers.”

I was showing Tolson the basics of hiding and surveillance when I noticed something that made my heart stop.

I made a hushing motion with my finger to my lips and Tolson froze.  I pointed at my eye and then to the north through the trees.  Tolson shook his head in confirmation that he was seeing what I was seeing.

Not quite alive yet not dead, the ghoul was a horrid beast.  It was pale gray and drenched with blood.  Long talon-like claws on each hand and a grotesquely disfigured mouth with an impossible amount of teeth.  It hunched over a fresh corpse, feasting on its entrails.  It reached out, picked up a stone, and started bashing at the skull to get to the more fleshy parts.

I pointed at Tolson and motioned for him to go back to camp.  He shook his head no.  I looked down at his hands and noticed he already had his daggers ready.  His lips were moving but I couldn’t hear anything, perhaps words of encouragement to himself, or a prayer. 

I took a deep breath and pulled my sword.  I’ve seen these monsters before.  Jerrik and I had killed the ghouls that tried to attack us in the Northern Plains.  They never traveled alone and they were fast.  I knew my bow could take this one but would not be prepared for the second if I used it.  The trees were dense and they were too fast.  I also knew once the flame on the Phoenix blade started to glow the game would begin.

I counted silently with my fingers and Tolson shook his head.  He was ready. 

One…two…three…the blade erupted with black and red flames.  The monster turned its head and screeched loud and long.  It was calling for help.  Tolson’s dagger flew straight and true.  It found the monster’s throat and silenced the abysmal beast.

It fell over and started working the dagger from its pale flesh.  I took the borrowed time to scan the forest.  Another was coming fast.  This ones’ partner no doubt.  The ghoul’s cry for assistance was being answered.

Silence no longer necessary, I ran toward the downed monstrosity and yelled at Tolson.  “Stay hidden, there’s another!”

I knew the second would be on top of me in seconds but I needed to keep it distracted and away from Tolson, I was better protected with my dragon armor.

I stepped over the writhing ghoul and put my sword through its chest.  The beast stopped moving as the flames consumed its black heart.  I pulled Tolson’s dagger and threw it.  It found its mark in the tree where he was hiding and the second beast was on top of me.

It leapt into the air and knocked me onto my back.  It stood there screeching and looking at its mate.  Even evil knew love, of that I was sure.  The beast’s moment of sorrow bought me the second I needed to get to my feet. 

I took my stance, planting myself firmly.  The monster was inhumanly strong.  It leaped again and I slashed at its taloned hand.  It was quick and dodged my blow.  It kept its distance; it seemed to be sizing me up.  I let the sword flame move up my arm and formed a fireball with the other.  The beast was not intimidated.  It only wanted the retribution it was due for the killing of its mate.  If it only felt hunger, it would have ran away at the sight of the overwhelming odds. 

To my surprise, it sprung straight at me.  I put the fireball into its chest as it went for my throat with its myriad of teeth.  It clenched my left arm with one clawed hand and my blade with the other.  Its intentions were clear.  It would kill me and die in the process.  It no longer put any value on its own life.

The ghoul was fully engulfed in flames but it did not relent.  Its concentration was not well focused; it was in pain as it snapped at my neck.  Yet not all of its blows were in vain.  I felt its razor-like teeth sink into my flesh.  I could feel my heart beating in its cold wet mouth.  I felt the life draining from my body.  Everything was getting dark.  Sounds were muffled.  I thought I heard singing and wondered if this is what it felt like to die.  I heard a whoosh through the air above my head.  Through the darkness, I saw Tolson kicking the dead beast off me with his foot.  He was yelling something. 

“Fire….I cant reach you… put the fire out…Crimson!” 

I let go of my sword and reached up to my neck.  I was weak and couldn’t concentrate.

“Focus!  Crimson, Focus...”  I thought I heard my father’s voice, no not father, Tolson. 

“Focus!  Put the fire out!”

With all the energy I had left, I quenched the flames that engulfed my body and Tolson was on top of me, straddling my chest, he held my neck.  The forest was in flames and I knew neither of us would survive.  I was too weak to quench all the flames.  

“Cold…,” I whispered.  I felt cold; I’m dying, I’ve never been cold before.

“So cold…”

“Father...I see you father.  I thought you were...”  I reached out to him.  I closed my eyes and darkness overcame me.

 

I opened my eyes and tried to sit up but my body told me no.

“Why am I alive?”  I said aloud in a rough voice.

“I don’t know,” Tolson said.  He sat a few feet away tending the campfire.

“The forest was on fire, how are you still alive?”  It hurt to speak and my voice was weak.

“I don’t know that either.”

I got a sudden chill and I shivered.  “It was cold.”

“Yeah.”
“  I’ve never been cold.”

“Well besides the fact that you probably lost most of your blood, we had a little help.”

“Who?”  I asked trying to sit up again but my body still objected.

“I don’t know.  They never made themselves visible.  A cold blue chill consumed the fire.  It was amazing.”

“I’m glad you stopped to appreciate the beauty of it all while I was bleeding to death.”

Tolson poked at the fire and remained silent. 

Why did I just say that, I thought to myself. 
I was angry with myself for the comment.  “Thank you, Tolson,” I said, trying to make things right.

He still didn’t speak.

I had tears in my eyes.  I had almost died, he saved my life, and I criticized his technique.

I held up my left hand.  It was bandaged.

“You weren’t hurt were you?”  I asked,

He shook his head no.

“Tolson, please,” I said, trying to sit up again.  He came over and bundled a blanket up to put at my back so I could sit better. 

“I’m sorry,” I said as the tears started flowing down my face.  The pain in my neck was excruciating.  I tried not to let the pain and tears show in my voice.  I could hardly speak.  I whispered my words.

                He sat down with me and took my hand.

“Thank you,” I said as I put my hand on his heart.

“Tolson, I’ve never owed my life to any other.  One hundred and sixteen years of life and never have I owed such a debt to anyone.”

He started to speak but I put my bandaged hand up.

“I vow my life to you Tolson.  I’ll follow you to the grave to pay my debt to you.” 

Tolson took my hand from his heart.

“Why did you do that?”  He had tears on his cheeks but wiped the tears from mine instead.  He understood the oath I had made.

“I owe it to you.”

“I would never ask you to make such a vow Crimson.”

“My life is bound to yours now.  If you’re ever in need, I’ll know.  Your heart will call out to mine.  If I should fail to preserve your life, vengeance will be mine.”

He hugged me.  I tried to hug him back but didn’t have the strength.  The pain was crippling.

“I thought I saw my father, Tolson,” I whispered.

“You lost a lot of blood, you were probably hallucinating.”

“I didn’t see his face, but I saw his armor, his form.  He stood watching as you were on top of me, saving my life.” 

He nodded.  “Yes, I heard you call to him.”  Tolson removed the blanket from my back and helped me lay down.

“Get some rest.  It might make more sense in the morning.”

He was right.  My father was dead.  I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 

 

I was ready to travel the next day but still in a lot of pain.

“You really do heal fast don’t you?” 

“Yes, I’ve always been a quick healer.”

“We aren’t far from Seasong; we’ll find a room for the night.  Maybe one with a real big tub.  You should clean up.”

“That sounds real nice.  I think I have blood clots inside my armor.”

“I didn’t need to hear that.”

We laughed and I wondered how he does it.  I couldn’t stay sad around him. 

 

I was exhausted after a few hours on the road and still in more pain than I was willing to admit to Tolson, but I could tell he knew.  We found a more middle class establishment to stay for the night and I went up to our room while Tolson found stable for the horses.  We paid three times what we had paid at any of the other inns but I wasn’t complaining.  We had asked for the best they had to offer.  Tolson had dinner sent up to the room and I had the best meal I had eaten since before leaving the White Forest. 

The room was nice.  I don’t think either of us expected such a large room.  It was definitely comfortable. 

“Almost as nice as home,” I said to Tolson.

“Home,” I whispered to myself as I sat on the edge of the bed.  I leaned over and put my face into my hands.

Tolson was already in the oversized tub that had been prepared while we ate.  He was lying there almost asleep when I entered the tub and quietly went over to the other side.  It was a very large tub and allowed me the opportunity to stretch out my legs.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I whispered, knowing Tolson was not asleep.  He had a grin on his face. 
“Crimson, the great thing about life is we can have all the ideas we want.  We just need to be wise enough to know when to act on them.”

“Did you peek?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll let you keep your eyes, for now,” I said splashing cold water into his face.

“Close your eyes, I need to get out.  I’m getting cold.”
“  No, stay.”  I let my body warm the water to the perfect temperature.

“Cozy,” he said as he sunk back into the water up to his neck.

“Where have you been all my life?” he said

“Preparing myself to defeat the evil monster that destroyed my family,” I said knowing he didn’t expect such an answer.

He didn’t seem to want to respond.  I didn’t blame him after his last attempt at asking about my family.

I was sore and my neck was scarred but I knew within a week even the scar would be gone.  I sunk down into the hot water. 

“It looks like someone tried to cut your head off.  I tried to take care to minimize the scars.”

“Thank you Tolson, but there’ll be no scars.”

“Really?” he asked sitting up.

“And it’s not the first time someone tried to take my head.”  I thought of Miranda.  “I don’t have any scars.  I’d look like a monster if I didn’t heal so well.  It still hurts though,” I said rubbing my neck.

“Turn around; I’ll rub out the kinks.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”  I smiled and turned around.  “How’d you learn to treat wounds?”

“My mother was the local healer in the city I was raised in.”

“Oh, what kind of healer?”

“A physician, an herbal healer.  She had no magic.”

“There’s a bit of magic in any person who can heal others.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, was she good at what she did?”

“Definitely, yes.  It was as if she were born to it.”

“Her skill was not wasted on you either.  The magic may not have been in her healing, but in the ability to know what she was, and to pass that skill on to her son.”

“Thank you.”  It was a good memory for him.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“My father was an elf.  My birth father…I don’t remember him or my mother.  Before I was in the forest…I don’t know.  Arridor found me wandering in the Northern Plains.  I had no brothers or sisters that I know of until Alyssanna.  Arridor was a bowmaster, the best by far.  Elves from all over the surrounding lands would send their children to learn from him.  He would only accept a few students once every ten years or so.  Great archery contests were held to see who his new students would be.  He didn’t always choose the most skilled but always chose wisely.” 

Tolson rubbed my neck and listened as I spoke.

“I remember coming home from a week long training session in the forest.  I was with another student and was guiding her through some of the basics.  I was a more advanced student at the time and my father let me assist in some of the training.

He would always be there to accept us back into the forest and praise us for a job well done, but this particular day was different. 

He stood at the edge of the forest on a large outcropping of rocks.  A solitary form, majestic and powerful.  His bow was in hand and his white cape was blowing in the wind.  His glistening mithril armor shined like the sun and his hair was flowing like liquid gold.  At that moment if someone had told me he was a god I may have believed them.  Everything about my father was magnificent and beautiful, and he loved me.  Me, Tolson…a scrawny, too tall, white haired orphan girl from who knows where.  He loved me.  He held me when I cried, sang to me when I had nightmares.  He sang songs of love and redemption, and when I was feeling weak, he made me strong by his example.  I’m strong because of him, yet I’m lost without him, just so lost.  I miss him so much.” 

I leaned back against Tolson and he rubbed my sore arms.  We sat in silence for what seemed an eternity.  I ducked my head under the water; he helped me rinse my bloody hair. 

“Your father would be proud of you Crimson,” he said as he handed me the soap.

I took a deep breath and let it out. 

“Thank you Tolson.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 34

 

 

 

We slept well that night and set out early for the docks.  Finding the dock master was easy; finding someone to take us across the sea was not.  We looked for a few hours but had no luck.

As we were being turned down by our fifth shipmaster, a very stately looking man walked up to us.

“Excuse me Sir, Madame.”  He bowed.  “Are you looking for accommodations for the trip across the Eastern Sea?”

“Yes we are,” Tolson said.  I let him do the talking.

“My name is Parson; I’m the first mate of the Crown of the Sea.  I’ve been looking to hire men… and women,” he said looking at me, “to work on my ship.  It’s an entertainment ship.  Gambling, music, a traveling Inn if you will.”

I put my hand up.

“We aren’t interested in being the entertainment on your ship,” I said adamantly.

“I wasn’t interested in hiring you, young lady, or your friend here for entertainment.  I was more interested in your potential use as peacekeepers, if you know how to use that thing at your hip,” he said pointing at my sword.

“What are you offering?”  Tolson asked.

“One of my best rooms, board and you would only have to work every third night,” he said.

“The woman is my bodyguard, but I might be willing to let her go every fourth night,” he said with an air of superiority. 

“We’ll also need stable for our horses,” he added.

“Deal,” said the man

“May we inspect our accommodations and potential workspace before an agreement is signed?”  Tolson asked.

“Absolutely, come with me.  You’ll be most pleased.”

 

We arrived at the dock where the ship was moored.  I was astounded at the enormity of the ship.  The Crown of the Sea was three stories high and remarkably long.

“This isn’t her maiden voyage is it?”  I asked.  I wondered if it would even make it across.

“This is a converted battle ship.  It has made many voyages and all of them very lucky indeed.  She still floats, does she not?” 

I had never thought a boat this size could float, but I have never seen one larger than a fishing boat. 

“Amazing,” I said like a wide-eyed child.  Tolson elbowed me in the ribs when the first mate looked away for a second. 

“Damn it!”  I grabbed my ribs.  The ghoul had done more damage than I thought.

“I’ll massage it out later.”  He looked apologetic.

Our room was as impressive as the ship.  Beautifully decorated and well equipped with the finest linens and fineries.

“We’ll be getting this agreement in writing then, with the Captain as witness?”  Tolson asked.

“Absolutely, come this way.”  He led us to the captain’s day room.

The captain was a short man with a dirt brown beard and moustache.  His skin was weather worn from years at sea.  When we walked into the room, he remained seated, not being considerate of there being a woman in the room.

“What do you want Parson?” he asked in a gruff voice.

“These two will be joining the crew for the next trip across the Eastern Sea.”

The captain gave a quick visual inspection of our potential worth and stood.

“We’re in no need of a bard and we already have plenty of barmaids.”

Tolson and I stood silently not quick to take offense at the captains obvious attempt to bait us.  The captain walked over and looked Tolson in the eyes.  Tolson was steely eyed and held his gaze.  The perfect bard, always ready to give a performance.  I nearly smiled but knew that it wouldn’t be wise; the game had to be played.

He took a step over and looked at me.  He examined the scar on my neck and raised an eyebrow at the severity of it.

He pointed at my neck.  “That should have killed you.”

“Maybe it did.”  I said still holding my laughter.

He craned his neck and looked into my eyes.  Quickly finding a reason to look away, he looked down at my sword.

“Can you use that?”

“Top of my class, sir,” I said sarcastically.  I couldn’t help myself.

“And you?  What are you good for boy?” he asked Tolson.

Pointing at me Tolson said, “I keep her from killing everyone sir.”

“Parson!”

“Yes Sir!”  The first mate yelled in my ear.

“Give these two smart asses a twenty four hour tour of the brig,” he said straight-faced.

Parson took a step toward us and we took two back.  I put my hand on my sword and readied myself for a scuffle.  Tolson took a step in front of me as if to restrain me.  Always the performer.

The captain smiled.  “Parson, step down.  Show these two enforcers to their quarters and draw up the proper paperwork.”  He put his hand out.  “Captain Soloman,” he said.  “It would be my pleasure to accept you aboard the Crown of the Sea as crewmembers pursuant to the agreement made with my first mate.”  I shook the man’s hand and took a step back.

“Take your leave and be quick about it!”

He spoke again as we walked out of the room, aiming his comments at Tolson.  “You know, I thought you were kidding about her.  Keep her under control bard.  There’s always room for two more in the brig.”

Nodding at the captain, Tolson walked out and joined me in the hall.

“Top of my class?” he said trying to be irritated.

“Well, technically it’s true and you made me out to be a cold blooded killer.  As if you could stop me from doing anything.”

We cut our conversation short as Parson stepped into the hall.

“We leave at dawn.  The room I showed you is yours.  You start work on the fourth night.  We will arrange your other workdays then.  Remember, report to the entertainment deck at sundown on the fourth night.”  He held up four stubby fingers.

We brought our things to the ship immediately and got our horses settled into the stables.

“So what now killer?”  Tolson asked as he sat on the overstuffed couch.

“I’m going for a walk around town,” I said

He nodded.  “Maybe you should pick up some extra clothes.  Your armor could use a break, it draws a lot of attention.”
“  Oh?”

“Yes, people can’t keep their eyes off of you.”

“Jealous?  Would you prefer they stared at you instead?”  I asked joking.

                “I’m sure they’ll stare just as much with you out of your armor.  It will just be for a different reason.  One that doesn’t require as much explanation.”

                “What reason would that be?”

                “That dark, scary armor is wrapped around a fairly attractive woman.”

                “See you later Tolson.”  He knew how to embarrass me.

 

 

There were plenty of shops in the middle of town.  I found a currency exchange and discovered the true value of the gems I carried.  Things were backwards in this land but I wasn’t complaining.  I had plenty of money for provisions and the extras I planned on purchasing.  I found the fanciest ladies clothing shop I could find and entered. 

“Can I help you?”  The shopkeeper asked politely between a mouth full of pins.

“I need something delicate and ladylike,” I said

She looked me over and sized me up.  “You’re very tall.  There are limits on what I have to offer, but I do have some things that will fit with slight alteration.”

She found a gown that would fit and let the hem out while I waited.  It was beautiful but reminded me of the dress Alyssanna had described to me.  The one I never had the chance to wear.  It was made from the softest blue and white silk.  It was flowing and airy and looked like something a princess would wear.  A silver braided belt ran under the bust, which accentuated my ‘assets’ the shop owner said.

I asked about tunics and she took me through a side door and into the men’s shop next door.  There was a large selection of silk tunics and cotton.  I picked out a couple of black sets to replace my ragged ones I wore under my armor and a nice pale yellow and brown set for Tolson. 

I purchased blue slippers to go with the gown, a cape that I put on immediately, and asked for all of it to be sent right away to my room at the Crown.

When I left the shop, I knew immediately I was being followed.  He didn’t even try to hide this time.  Black fur, emerald green eyes staring at me, watching, waiting for me to do something.

After tomorrow this lurker will be out of my business, I thought to myself.

I did not like being watched and ducked into the next shop up the road.  A weapon shop.

My kind of shop.  An old white haired man stood behind the counter waving me over.

Never knowing who could be in a shop like this, I quickly surveyed my surroundings.  I was the only customer in the shop.  I walked over to the old man.

“So, what’ll it be young lady?” 

This man made me feel truly young.  He had to be close to my age.

“Well I don’t really need anything right now, but I’d like to look anyway, if I may.”

“Certainly, certainly young lady.  Come on over and let gramps show you around.”

He pointed the swords out to me noting that they were inferior compared to what I currently had.  He had various other selections that didn’t interest me.  There was a mariner section with harpoons and spears.  I noticed as I walked through the shop that there was a curtained room behind the counters.

“Gramps, if I may ask, what’s behind the curtain?”  Being as polite as I could to the old man.

“I thought you’d never ask, girlie.”  He said with a mischievous smile.  “Most folks don’t need this stuff so I don’t even show it, but I can tell you’re much more than ordinary, aren’t ya?”  

How do you answer a question like that?  I shook my head.

Gramps reached out and pulled the cloth covering off a glass display case.  The case held a few lightly magical items.  A short sword, a single bracer, and a pair of old boots.

“No, I can’t use any of this.  They are quite interesting though.”

“Hold on, I have a few more.”  He grabbed my hand and hurried as fast as an ancient man could hurry over to another case.

 I reached out and removed the cloth cover from the glass. 

There they were.  The most beautiful set of four throwing daggers I had ever seen.  The daggers were made from high quality mithril.  They were silvery with a hint of green highlighting the runes etched into the blades.

“May I hold them?”  I asked.

“Certainly,” he said motioning for me to pick them up.

“These are exquisite.  Perfectly balanced…and magic.”

“Yes,” he said.  “They’ll do a little more damage I believe.”

“Yes, I believe they will,” I agreed.

“Can you read runes?”  I asked the elderly man.

He shrugged.  “Nope.  Can you?”

“Well, I’m not from around here but the runes seem a little familiar to me.”

“Cant hurt to try honey.” 

The man handed me a magnifier and I put it up to my eye.

I scrutinized the runes.  “Hmm…I believe they’re the markings for acid and treble damage.”

“Yep, you read them right.”

“I thought you couldn’t read runes.”
He smiled. “Just keeping the customer honest.” 

After a considerable amount of haggling, we agreed on a price in gems and I took the daggers with me.  They came in the original chest strap, which was elaborately designed, and a perfect fit for the daggers.

I walked back to the Crown and scanned the alleys and shadows for the wolf but he was gone for now.

Tolson was sitting at the table eating a piece of fruit and staring at my packages.  “Did you peek?”  A familiar question.

“I didn’t have time.  I saw you coming up the hall right after the delivery team left.  I gave them a tip too.  You owe me.

“I don’t think so,” I said.

“Well are you going to show me?”

I looked through the bags and found the clothes I had bought for him.

“Here,” I said handing him the nicely wrapped bundle.

“Nice.”  He rubbed the tunic on his face.  “Silk.”

“The colors will bring out your eyes,” I said trying not to encourage him but still being nice.

“Didn’t you mean to say, ‘The colors in the silken materials will bring forth the flecks of amber in your pale green eyes’?”

“No.”         

He laughed.  “Yes you did.”

I smiled and pulled out the daggers and belt that Gramps had wrapped in green silk.  I laid the package on the table in front of Tolson.  He sat up in his chair and stared at it.

“It’s not going to open itself,” I said

He picked up the packaged and opened it. 

He looked pleased as he pulled one of the daggers and weighed it in his hand.

“These are finely crafted.”

I nodded.  “Yes.”

“These had to have been expensive.”

“Expensive is a term relative to how much money you have in your pouch.”

He raised an eyebrow at my comment.  “Can you read the runes?”

“Yes.”

“So you know how deadly these are?”

“About as deadly as your lips.”

“You’re as bad as I am, you know that.”

“You’re rubbing off on me.”

“He slowly put the dagger back into its sheath.”

“I guess I’ll need to be careful with these.  Thank you Crimson.  I don’t know what to say.  Why did you get these for me?”

“You’re my friend and I rely on you to have my back.”  I said rubbing my neck.

“And they match your eyes... oh, wait, they accent the beauty in and behind thine eye,” I said smiling.

“That they do,” he said coming over and giving me a friendly hug and kiss.

“How much money do you have, woman?”

Turns out my gems are worth a lot more on this side of the sea, and the stable man back in Greenhaven will probably own the town by the time you get back.”

He shook his head.  “I don’t think I’m going back.”

“Why not?  Don’t you have someone you would like to get back to?  You have family there, don’t you?  What about your mother?”

“Its time to grow up Crimson.  I can’t be a child forever.”

“No, I guess not, but if you ever want to go back--”

“Let’s play it by ear,” he said cutting me off with the old bard’s saying.

“I saw the wolf again,” I said changing the subject.  He shivered at the thought.

“In Shadow?” he asked.

“No, he didn’t even try to hide from me this time.  I caught sight of him watching from the regular shadows between buildings.  We don’t have to worry about him getting aboard the ship.”

“Why can’t he just hide in Shadow and follow us?”

“Not possible.  If he hid in shadow, there would have to be a boat in shadow for him to be on.  If I were to step into shadow right now, I would be swimming.  Most terrain translates over into Shadow.”

“Explain it to me, the whole Shadow, and half-shadow thing.”

“It might take awhile.”

He sat down at the table.  “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Half-shadow or the in-between is a combination of both Planes.  As I transition between the two planes, I can pause and stay there.  It takes a well trained shadow walker to stay in the middle because the Prime or the Shadow will always try to pull you one way or the other.”

“So you took me half way then?” 

“Yes.  You couldn’t see the wolf because you aren’t a shadow walker and can’t see past your current plane.  I can see into half-shadow if I want but the Shadow itself is too far for me to see from the Prime.”

“I think I understand.  What you’re telling me is this wolf is as skilled as you are.  He’s been watching us from the in-between.  I didn’t see him because I can’t see into half-shadow but you could.”

“Yes.”

“Why did things look different there?”

“That’s a question for the time drakes.  Only they could tell you what happened to cause the rift in the world.  It’s as if a great magic wrought the world in two, or created two identical worlds thousands of years ago.  Most of what you see here in the Prime also exists in Shadow.  The mountains and forests, stone are all almost the same.  The land in Shadow and in the Prime has continued to age at the same rate, but there is nobody there to build cities and roads.  Those are things that exist mostly here.”

“There are people who live there though?”

“Yes, some live there but are few and far between.  I’ve heard tales of expansive kingdoms in the north and south but have never seen them.  Some who live there are evil, as you have noted but some are not.  Shadow dragons are bred there.”

“What about the colors?” 

“The colors are reversed, like looking at an opposite.  Black is white and so on.”
                “  Yeah, you look creepy with black hair.  The sound was muted; I had to yell to hear myself.”

“Yes, like I said it’s a strange place, but nothing to fear.”

“I’m beginning to see that.  If you can do it, it can’t be all that bad.” 

“That brings us back to the wolf.  If whoever controls the wolf still wants to follow us, he will have to do it face to face.  When we get underway, we should do a head count and assess everyone on the ship.  How many rooms are onboard?”
                “  I don’t know, maybe twenty-five or thirty.  The middle deck is the entertainment deck and the bottom deck is where we are now, where all the rooms are.”

“And the top?”

“There are a few rooms up there.  You saw the captain’s day room.  His quarters are there and the first mate’s cabin.  Perhaps the captain’s personal guard if he has one.”

“See if you can get a layout of the ship from Parson, for security’s sake and we can map out the ship.  If we’re still being watched, I want to know.
                “Sounds like a plan.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 35

 

 

 

The next morning we woke to the sound of nothing but wind in the sails and splashing waves.  It was a little unsettling but I thought I could get used to it.

“Let’s go get something to eat,” I said.

I saw Tolson’s disapproving glare as I put my armor back on.

“You buy all new clothes and you aren’t going to put them on?”

“We’re going to be the ships enforcers; I would prefer that initial impressions speak for me.  I don’t want to walk around in a frilly dress for four days and not be taken seriously when a bar fight breaks out.  Intimidation is a good preventative measure and not to be dismissed as an enforcement tool.”

“You call me long winded?” 

I gave him my most intimidating look.

“Point taken,” he said as he strapped his new daggers across his chest.

“We should’ve bought you some armor, padded at least, for appearances.

“I have armor.”  He looked surprised that I didn’t know.

“We’ve been attacked by assassins and ghouls and you’re walking around wearing a flimsy little tunic?” 

I held my hand up to keep him from answering.  “I don’t want to hear it.  Just put your armor on and meet me in the galley.”  I knew he would come up with some smart remark about how his charm was protection enough.  I threw my arms up in exasperation as I walked out.

I walked into the galley and looked around.  It was empty except for the cook and his crew and one other who sat in the shadows at a corner table.  He sat with his back against the wall and watched me as I found a place to sit on the opposite side of the room and leaned against the wall.  He seemed intent on making me uncomfortable but it wasn’t working.  

                There was movement out of the corner of my eye and we turned to look in the doorway.  A very handsome man caught me off guard.  He wore a brown leather jerkin and yellow tunic.  Nice, I thought to myself.  He had his reddish-blonde hair pulled back into a braid.  He had the most beautiful light green eyes and a set of daggers to match.  I nearly fell out of my chair.

                “Tolson,” I said almost yelling.  He walked over to the table and sat down.  He was no stranger to his light armor.  I could see how comfortable he was wearing it as he walked across the room.  “You’re full of surprises aren’t you?”

                He laughed.  “I saw the way you looked at me in the doorway.”

                I stared at him; it seemed words would just add fuel to this fire.

                He adjusted his chest strap.  “Your silence speaks for you.”

                I guess silence was just as bad.  “You look good.  I’m sure the ladies onboard will be falling all over you.”

                “Now that you mention it, I did see this pretty little elf on the way up here.”

                “An elf?”

                “Yeah, well not little, but pretty yes.  Not as tall as you, but tall.  A lovely, slender, long legged, black haired beauty.”  He used his hands to trace her form and was overly descriptive for my benefit.

                “You’re not making me jealous.”

                “You mean you haven’t even considered me in that way, ever?”

                I was honest with him.  “Once or twice, the last time being about five minutes ago.  But, I hadn’t recognized you.  We’ve talked about this.  We will always be together.  We have a blood bond.  Even if we didn’t though, I care about you.”  I adjusted the strap across his chest even though he had just done it. 

                He laughed.  “I’m just teasing you Crimson.  You should know me by now.  I know how you feel about me.  I feel the love inside of you, and know it’s not romantic love.

                I finally understood.  “You can read my emotions.”  I had a straight face.

                “I thought you knew.”

                “No, I didn’t but your intuitive abilities make a lot more sense now.”  I put my hand to my temple and thought about what I had just learned.  I knew Tolson was good and knew he would never harm me.  I’ve felt better since he’s been around and I knew I needed him.  He was a good friend and I’ve come to care deeply for him.

                “You want me bad,” he joked.  He knew I wasn’t thinking that.  He made me laugh. 

                The cook brought our breakfast and we ate.

                “We need to watch him.”  I looked at the man sitting across the room.

                “Who?”  Tolson looked around the room and caught sight of the man in the corner.

                “He’s a mage,” I said.

                “How do you know?  He looks like a regular guy to me.”

                “I can feel his magic.” 

                The man still stared at us.  He had a ring on every finger of his left hand and fiddled with them. 

                “Creepy,” Tolson said as we left the galley.

                We walked the ship together taking note of all the passengers, age, sex, and threat level.  According to the captain, there were twenty-six rooms and forty-eight passengers, including Tolson and me.  We received a passenger list from the first mate and tried to match faces with names by introducing ourselves.  There were a few wealthy men with plump, well-fed wives hanging from their arms.  There was a pair of young couples on their first marriage trip, very sweet and innocent.  After a day of walking around and assessing the passengers, we went back to our room and discussed our findings.

                We sat around the table and laid out our map of the ship.  “There are eight people we haven’t seen yet.  If they haven’t been out of their rooms yet, they could be sea sick or potential threats and don’t want to show their faces yet,” I said.

                “I can think of at least one other thing they may be doing.”  Tolson said.

                “Oh yes.  There’s that.  I guess that’s something I try not to think of.”  I sat quietly rearranging my notes.

                “So, you and Jerrik, were lovers?”  He was abrupt with the question and caught me off guard.

                I paused for a moment before answering.  “Briefly.”

                “Why didn’t you stay with him?  I mean, not in that way, but why did you leave him behind?”

                I wondered if Tolson thought I might leave him behind one day too.  “I knew that everyone around me would probably die.  Jerrik had his whole life ahead of him.  He’d put his grief away and wanted to start a new life and find his soul partner.”

Tolson stayed silent sensing that I wasn’t finished with my thoughts.   

“I felt like I’d taken too much from him already.  He had hope, and I couldn’t destroy that.  The Dark One had never in a hundred years left a living person to tell tales of him.”

                “What made you think you could defeat him?”

                “I didn’t care.  I had only one goal; I would defeat him or die trying.  When I struck the artifact, the source of his life, I knew it would kill him, but I knew it would kill me too.  That’s why I sent Steen back.”

                “You don’t seem the type to rush into a situation knowing you can’t win.”

                “There was also a prophecy.”

                “You don’t seem the type to believe in prophecies either.”

                “No, you’re right.  It was not a true prophecy, if there is such a thing.  The time drakes went forward in time and followed him around.  They say they saw me kill him.  They said I would have four pieces of the Obsidian Phoenix and they would destroy him.  I didn’t care if I died in the process as long as he died too.”

                “What four pieces?”

                “You’ve seen them all.  You know what they are.”

                “I’m confused.  I saw the bow and blade.  You have a ring, but where is the fourth piece?”

                I glanced at him and answered his question with a look.

                “You are the Phoenix.  Wow, that is so poetic.”

                I sighed.  “You’re going to write a song now aren’t you?”

                “You’ve already written the song, I just have to sing it.”  He smiled.  “Would you ever leave me behind?”  He asked changing the mood abruptly.

                “In a heartbeat, if it meant saving your life.  You would do the same for me.”  He couldn’t deny it.

                “I only ask that you let me make that decision.  I’m not a child and you aren’t my mother.  The situation isn’t always as hopeless as it seems.”

                I nodded.  I didn’t know what I would do in a similar situation but I would try to honor his wishes.

                Tolson stood and paced the room.  He seemed to be in deep thought.  “Are you blood bound to Jerrik?” 

                “Why would you ask me that?”  It was not an inappropriate question, but it came out of nowhere.

                I had never seen him so serious.  “Just answer my question and I’ll answer yours.” 

                “Yes, he bound his blood to mine.  I’m sure he was going crazy with worry when I fought the lich and his men.  Now answer my question.  Why do you want to know?”

                “He bound his blood to you and you bound your blood to mine.”  He paused.

                I walked up to him and put my hands on his shoulders.  “What are you saying?”

                “I can hear his blood calling out to me.  He needs you.” 

                I couldn’t speak.  I sat down on the loveseat and withdrew into myself.

                “He’s ok Crimson,” Tolson said in a calming voice.

                “What?  How do you know that?  This isn’t how blood bonding is supposed to work.  He should be able to feel my need but I can’t feel his, and you definitely shouldn’t be able to feel his blood call.”

                “The danger I feel isn’t imminent.  Something is brewing in the East and his blood is calling you to the fight.”

                “How long have you been feeling this way?”

                “I didn’t understand it at first, or I would have told you immediately.  I’ve felt it ever since you bonded with me.”

                I shook my head.  “When we reach the shore we must follow his call with all haste.” 

                “I agree.”  He sat next to me and slumped down in the loveseat.  He put his head back and sighed loudly as he closed his eyes.

                “Something else is bothering you,” I said.

                “I’m beginning to think you can read me as well as I can read you.”

                “I can read you through your eyes as well as you can read my emotions.”

                “I’m not looking at you in the eyes.”  He kept them shut.

                “You’re changing the subject.”

                He pulled me down to his level and I laid back.  “Ok, look into my eyes.  Jerrik is in there somewhere.  No, not Jerrik, but his desire.  He wanted you.”

                “Is that why you are having a hard time?  His feelings for me are clouding yours?”

                “Maybe…I don’t know.  I find you very attractive, and wouldn’t mind…well, you know, but Jerrik’s been in your bed and he’s making it hard for me to resist you.”

                “He still has feelings for me?”  I asked, shocked.

                “No, I think he’s found someone else, but his blood is calling for you and with it all the old feelings he had for you.  I’m not even sure he knows that he’s calling you to him.”

                “I’m sorry for putting you through all this.  If I’d known---”

                He cut me off with a finger on my lips.

                “I’m not complaining.  I’m just frustrated.”

                “I can’t sleep with you Tolson, I can’t control my energy, and I’d kill you.  It wouldn’t feel right anyway.”

                He laughed. “It might be worth it.” 

                “I think we need to change the subject before I burn this boat down.”

                I got up, went back to the table, and shuffled through my notes.  “The mage.  We need to watch him.  I don’t know what room he’s in but we should follow him and find out.”

                “Agreed, but he could have been watching you just because you are an attractive woman,” Tolson said from the couch.

                I nodded, agreeing with the possibility but knew the mage was not there to gawk at me.

“I didn’t see the attractive elf woman you mentioned earlier,” I said.

                He laughed.  “Oh, did I say attractive?”
                “No, actually you said lovely, slender, long-legged, black haired beauty.”

                “No, I didn’t see her either.”  He looked a little embarrassed.

                “There are a handful of roughhousers, maybe five or six.  Let’s keep an eye on them and for the eight.”
                He counted on his fingers and looked confused.  “There are only seven.”

                “No, I am counting your lovely elf too.  I haven’t had a chance to assess her threat yet.”

                “What threat?  She looked normal to me,” he objected.

                “We’ll see.”  I was a little jealous.  I didn’t want to share my friendship with another woman. 

                “I’m going to stay here for awhile.  What are your plans?”
                “  I’m going to go find my long-legged beauty.”  He got up and adjusted his jerkin and daggers.

                “You look nice,” I said, “She’ll be falling all over you.”

                “We can always hope.”  He walked out smiling.

                I sat with my notes and thought about the passengers.  I needed to find this elf; maybe she would have some insight into the one that had the white blade. 

                I took my armor off and cleaned up.  I looked through my new clothes and chose the black silk tunic and breeches.  I put my sword on.

                I walked the ship and didn’t see anyone new so I went back to our room and caught up on some long needed meditation.

Later that evening I met Tolson in the dining hall, he was alone.

                “Where’s your lady friend?”  I asked.

                “I think she just arrived.” he said, standing as I approached the table.  “Is that silk?” 

                “Yes, you can wear it later if you want,” I joked.

                He laughed.  “My lady friend, as you called her, has yet to show her pretty little face.”

                “I think she may be hiding on purpose.”

                “That was uncalled for,” he scowled.

                “No, silly, not because of you.  Something doesn’t feel right.”

                “I get you there.  I feel a little uneasy too.”

                “We’re going to have to wait it out.”  I looked around.  “I feel too exposed here.  I’m going to grab a plate from the galley and go back to our room.”

                “I’m coming with you, nothing interesting is happening here.”