Victim of Fate Page 5

  "I don't care why it is!" Tristam snapped. "I just want them dead. Alto's the only one with a bow and they're no easy target to hit."

  "Only took me one arrow," Alto boasted.

  "And now you're down an arrow. You've only got so many and we've not seen the end of these bugs."

  Alto frowned. His mentor had a good point.

  "Come, up the hill," Kar said. He turned his horse and guided it up the grade of the hill. They'd already followed the winding stream around several of the rolling swells. The difficult terrain explained why no farms or houses were built near the stream.

  "By the saints," Tristam muttered when they neared the apex of the hill. The forest was another half a mile to the west but that wasn't what had Tristam swearing. It was the wasps that flew to and from the edge of the woods. They'd seen several that had flown past them but that had only served to grow their concerns. Now they knew they were right to be worried.

  "That's a large hive," Alto stated.

  "That's a poor joke," Karthor reminded him.

  Alto stared at him until he realized what he'd said. "I don't mean the size of it; I mean that's a lot of wasps!"

  Karthor offered him a smile. "Both are true, I suspect."

  "Some of the wasps seem larger than the others," Kar said as he squinted at the flying insects.

  "Aren't they large enough?" Tristam muttered. "Got another of those balls of fire like you used to open the gates of Highpeak?"

  "That nearly consumed me!" Kar muttered. "And if these things came from that forest, there's going to be other things that won't take kindly to having their home burned down."

  "Well, what then, wizard! How do we fight so many of these things?"

  "Do I look like a beekeeper?" Kar snapped back. "Alto seems to know the most about these things. What say you?"

  Alto felt the weight of their expectant gazes on him. "These aren't normal wasps," he stated the obvious. "A hive dies off in the late fall. About this time, usually."

  "What kills them, the cold?"

  Alto shrugged. "They feed on flowers and insects; there are few of them left this time of year."

  "That explains why they've been taking people," Kar reasoned.

  "Lucky us," Tristam muttered.

  "Seems we're drawing attention; perhaps a hilltop wasn't the best idea," Karthor pointed out. A few of the wasps buzzing through the air turned towards them.

  "Why do others ignore us?" Kar asked. "The larger ones, at that."

  Namitus snorted. "I'd say these are big enough!"

  "We can outrun them on our horses," Alto reasoned. He'd raced away from normal-sized wasps often enough as a child, and that was just by running on his own feet.

  "That won't solve the problem and earn us our reward," Tristam said. "Besides, it's too late, make ready!"

  "Wait, over there I see smoke!" Karthor pointed to the north.

  "They'll be more dormant at night," Alto suggested.

  Tristam nodded. "All right, let's go then. Kar, slow them down!"

  Kar muttered something about using Tristam as bait while he turned and pulled out something from one of his pockets. Alto frowned when he saw it was a feather. Was he going to summon his raven familiar, Blackwing? Alto had seen the bird a few times but never had Kar used a feather before to bring it to him.

  Kar began to chant and wave the feather in the air. After a moment, Alto realized the wizard wasn't just waving: he was drawing a picture, even if no one could see it. A moment later, Kar uttered the final word of his spell. A massive black feathered bird appeared on the ground in front of him. It flapped its wings and took to the sky, lifting up and heading towards the incoming wasps. The insects veered away and headed back towards the forest.

  "Why didn't you do that before?" Tristam snapped. "A giant wasp deserves a giant bird to gobble it up."

  "We'd best hurry or you'll find out why," Kar said. When he was greeted with nothing but blank stares, he scowled and explained, "It's nothing but an illusion! I was bluffing and hoping they'd be frightened away by the sight of it. It worked, but if the bird had to try to eat one, they'd know it was fake. Once the illusion loses its believability, the magic breaks apart."

  Alto shook his head, confused. Magic was not the stuff normal men had any right to dabble with.

  "Come, let's ride! And hope it's not just a brush fire Karthor's spotted." Tristam led the way to the north, guiding his horse as fast as he dared down the hill and then fording the river.

  Alto glanced behind as they rode. The magical bird continued to circle in the sky and drive the wasps away. It looked real enough to him; he was glad it wasn't coming after him. It would take four of him laying head to foot to equal the bird's wingspan!

  After Alto crossed the stream, he looked back and saw the wasps were rallying. They came out in a swarm and attacked, overwhelming the bird and thrusting their stingers into it. They met with nothing but air, confusing them as they ran into one another. The bird disappeared, the magic undoing and making it dissipate into thin air.

  "That's what I mean," Kar said beside him.

  "Magic makes no sense," Alto said while shaking his head.

  Kar chuckled. "It makes perfect sense; you just don't understand it."

  Alto nodded. "I hope to keep it that way!"

  "You'd best learn something about it if you hope to live a long and fruitful life."

  "Why's that? My father knows next to nothing about it and he does just fine."

  "Your fate is not that of your father's, my boy," Kar said with a warm smile. "You've a keen mind, a strong arm, and a good heart. I don't need to be an old woman reading tea leaves in a cup to see that you've an impressive future ahead of you. Supposing you don't get yourself killed first, that is."

  "There is that," Alto laughed.

  "Keep quiet," Tristam snapped back at them. "Ride on. If Kar's magic has riled those bees to the point of wanting revenge, they'll come for us!"

  Alto sobered at the thought of a swarm of giant wasps on their trail. He glanced behind them and saw the swarm buzzing about in air, still confused by the bird's disappearance. He turned ahead and put his heels to Sebas, urging the horse on.

  They rode up around two more hills and then up and over a third before the ground leveled into fields filled with crops that looked to have gone untended. Weeds were growing amongst the wheat and cornstalks, threatening to overtake them. Alto frowned; no farmer would knowingly let this happen. Ahead of them, they saw the smoke coming out of the chimney of a farmhouse.

  As they drew nearer, they could make out several wasps crawling across the walls and roof of the farmhouse. The windows had been boarded up and the door was shut. The body of one wasp lay near the door on the ground.

  "Seems promising," Karthor offered.

  "I count four of them, be careful!" Tristam said as he spurred his horse into action.

  Namitus drew a dagger and held it in his left hand. He frowned when he saw Alto pull out his massive broadsword and grin before he followed after Tristam. Karthor joined the two warriors, brandishing his mace.

  The wasps took to the air and met them on their way. They closed faster than Alto was ready for and he barely dodged the thrusting stinger of the wasp that came out at him. He swung his sword but he was already past his target. Alto yanked on Sebas's reins and pulled him around so he could dismount and be better balanced to fight the massive insects.

  The wasp was already on its way back towards him. Alto frowned when he saw that the insect’s path would take it over him. He swung his sword but failed to come close enough. Sebas whinnied behind him in fear.

  Alto turned and saw the wasp hovering over his stallion. He ground his teeth and charged, yelling and waving his arm to get the insect’s attention. The wasp struck at Sebas but the stallion bucked away from it in time to dodge the attack. Alto slammed his sword into the body of the insect and knocked it to the ground. It buzzed about for a moment before laying still.

  Alto turned to see tw
o of the bugs were on the ground near Tristam and a third near Karthor. Tristam thrust into one of the grounded wasps and killed it, and then turned and met Alto's eyes. Both men were on the ground, but Tristam's mount was staggered and blood ran from its haunch.

  "Damn thing stung my horse," Tristam said. He turned to look at the steed and watched as it stumbled and then sat down roughly. His horse was breathing heavily and whickering softly.

  "Karthor, can you help him?" Alto asked as he hurried over.

  Karthor frowned. "Perhaps, but I'm not sure Leander will grant me power to help a horse."

  "I'd think Leander would want to help anyone, man or animal."

  Karthor smiled. "I'd think so, too, but I've never tried it."

  Tristam's horse slumped over on its side as the paralytic poison worked through its veins. The steed's eyes were wide with terror.

  Namitus and Kar rode up, watching the scene. "Sausage in the making?" Kar asked, only to receive a glare from Alto and Tristam both.

  Karthor chanted to the saint of growth and light, causing his holy symbol to glow before his spell ended and the glow faded. Tristam's horse was breathing deeper by the time he finished. "I think he'll be okay," the priest said. "I couldn't get all of the poison out but his wound is healed and I think he's strong enough to fight it off."

  "You think?" Tristam asked.

  Karthor shrugged, earning a curse from the man.

  "Quick, put your horses in my barn!" a voice called from the open door of the farmhouse. "If the wasps can't see them, they'll be safer."

  They turned to look at the farmer. He was older than any of them, but younger than Alto's father. His hair was thinning but he seemed hearty if exhausted from worry. "My thanks," Tristam said. "Alto, see to the mounts, and then join us."

  "I'll help," Karthor offered. He guided Tristam's horse back to its feet. The horse staggered and seemed shaky, but it followed Karthor as he guided it into the barn. Alto took Sebas and gathered the reins of the other mounts.

  When Alto and Karthor entered the house, the farmer shut the door and barred it from within. When he was satisfied that it was secure, he turned back to the others and offered a pathetic smile. "Welcome, strangers. I'd offer you more than just my thanks but our pantry is near empty and venturing a trip outside to the root cellar is a trip to the hangman's noose!"

  "What happened here?" Tristam asked. Deeper into the house, the farmer's wife and a young boy stared at them with a mix of fear and hope.

  "We don't know. The wasps came weeks ago. They've taken my livestock and my daughter," the farmer said. The man's wife let loose a strangled sob at his admission.

  "They don't look big enough to take cattle and horses," Kar thought out loud.

  The farmer nodded. "They're not, but I seen them chew the animals up and take them."

  Alto gasped. "Was your daughter..."

  He shook his head. "She disappeared before the wasps came. She was fetching water for dinner. The bees came a few hours later."

  "Oh, I'm sorry," Alto said. He cast about, trying to think of a way to make the farmer and his family feel better. "We've enough rations we can share; you don't look to have eaten well lately."

  Tristam silenced him with a glare.

  "The girl, your daughter—you say she disappeared a few hours before the wasps came?" Kar asked.

  He nodded. "Does she get water from the forest?"

  He nodded. "Fool child's been told to stay away from there but she keeps going back." He paused and shook his head, and then took a deep breath and let it go.

  Kar nodded. "Interesting," he mused.

  The farmer's eyes narrowed but Tristam stopped him from further suspicion by speaking. "My name is Tristam. We're the Blades of Leander. We've come to help put a stop to these things troubling Fairhaven. A man named Baldwyn sought us out."

  The woman gasped while the farmer nodded. "I welcome the help, but I don’t think this pestilence won't be ended easily."

  "I fear you're right, but we're dumb enough to try anyway," Tristam said with a smile. "I'm impressed you've survived this long, being so close to the forest. Most of the town's been taken or killed."

  The farmer winced. "Terrible news," he said. "My name's James. My wife is Willamina and my boy is Kevard. Our daughter was Rosalyn."

  "Kevard?" Alto blurted out. "Are you Kelgryn?"

  James turned and stared at him. "Kelgryn? No, why?"

  Alto felt the heat in his cheeks. He'd never heard the name Kevard before joining the Blades of Leander and now he'd heard it twice in one year. Seemingly by coincidence. "I'm sorry. My sword once belonged to a Kelgryn man named Kevard. I'm Alto, by the way."

  The farmer grunted without even looking at the ornate hilt at Alto's side. "I planned to take my family and flee once the sun sets. We've lost nearly everything but one another and I'm not wanting to risk that, too. Those things don't come out at night. I suggest you head back to where you came from then, too. There's too many of them."

  "A wise move," Tristam said. "For you, at least. We still want to help what's left of your town. Wait until we leave; perhaps we can be a distraction helping you get away."

  "You're headed to the forest?"

  Tristam nodded.

  "May the saints favor you or grant you a quick death. That forest is evil and only fools go there!"

  "We'll keep that in mind then," Tristam said through a forced smile. "I make it to be about four more hours until the sun sets?"

  The farmer nodded. "That's about right. Make yourselves comfortable; there's naught else I can offer."

  Alto fought back the frown at the man's bitterness. He felt bad for the farmer; he knew how difficult his life could be in the best of times. To lose a child and then be overwhelmed by a plague of giant wasps was beyond thinking.

  "Pardon me, but how much land do you farm?" Alto asked.

  The farmer turned, his eyes widening before they narrowed. "Why?"

  Alto offered him what he hoped was a smile of friendship. "I grew up on a farm like this one. In the northern reaches, not far from the Northern Divide. My father farms nearly two hundred acres."

  "That's a lot of land," James acknowledged.

  "I'm the oldest of seven children," Alto said with a chuckle.

  James smiled. "That explains it. I, well, we made do with the eighty we've got. Before this happened, that is."

  Alto saw his expression darken. "That's impressive all the same, more land per person than my family managed."

  Alto saw Tristam motion for the others to move away from him and the family. Alto took the hint and moved closer to the farmer, leading him into the house closer to Willamina and Kevard. He saw his companions conversing, no doubt making plans and discussing what was to come. He saw Tristam glance at him and offer him a nod, letting him know his job was to keep the farmer and his family busy. Alto returned the nod and focused on the conversation. It surprised him how much he missed talking about his former life.

  * * * *

  Rosalyn gasped when the group of men rode up to her house. She glanced up at the open doorway to the room where Therion had taken refuge. He was working on something, he'd said. She had no idea what it was or what that even meant. For all she knew, he might have been cooking a stew or darning his socks.

  Her eyes went back to the mirror and she watched as they killed the wasps and then were met by her father. Tears filled her eyes, and then dried up when she saw her father turn and gesture at her mother and brother. She couldn't hear them but he showed no sign of being upset that she was gone. Had her disappearance made his life better? He'd always doted on her brother; maybe she'd been an inconvenience. No man wanted a daughter as their firstborn. Other than doing chores around the house, all she could offer would be a closer relation with another family when she would have been married off.

  It looked like she'd solved that problem for him. Now if only the wasps would go away, his life would be perfect. Rosalyn closed her eyes and took a few breaths to try t
o calm herself. She was on her own. The adventurers wouldn't survive, especially if the best their wizard could do was a giant bird that wasn't even real. Her eyes went to the young warrior and she felt a mixture of anger and pity. He was close to her age or maybe a little older but that didn't matter. He was going to die.

  Chapter 7

  "You're all going to die," James said later that night.

  "This isn't the first time we've heard that," Tristam said. "Make sure if we do that you and your family get far enough away while we're gone."

  James nodded. He led his sniffling wife back to a chair and then returned. "I've got nothing to offer for help, but I'd be thankful beyond words if you'd do something for me."

  "Thought we were going to die?" Tristam reminded him.

  "Yes, I expect you are, but even a fool's chance is a chance."

  "I've no shortage of fools working for me," Tristam quipped. "We need to be off, though; what is your boon?"

  "My daughter," James said without hesitation. He looked around until his eyes fell on Alto. "I wish she'd have met you; you probably could have kept her head on straight."

  Alto frowned. "She lost her head?"

  "No," he chuckled softly. "Not in any real sense, that is. We wanted what was best for her, we always did, but no matter what we thought or said, she had other ideas. She used to get so mad, I swear she could plow a field with that angry gaze of hers."

  Tristam and Alto waited while the farmer settled his emotions down. He took a breath and let it go before continuing. "I know she's gone; no one can survive out there for long with them things swarming. If you find Rosalyn, can you treat her right?"

  Alto frowned and turned to Tristam. If she was dead, how could they treat her right? Tristam ignored the young warrior and nodded to the farmer instead. "If we can, we'll bring her back for a proper burial."

  James's face turned pale in the torchlight. "If she's, uh, presentable. I've seen what normal bees and wasps do to other insects they catch."