“You’re doing much better,” Jex praised.
It had been a week and Enari had to admit she’d improved under his patient guidance. Though she didn’t ride in complete comfort, she did find herself much more at ease astride the now obedient pony.
And it wasn’t just the pony she’d grown more comfortable with, either.
There was something about being near the battlemage, a lightness she felt in his company, that she’d never experienced with another person. He was solicitous of her comfort, courteous in his treatment of her, and with the exception of that first lesson, asked before touching her. The latter was a courtesy not even Vasi paid her with any regularity.
At first, Enari held her breath in anticipation that his hands on her would trigger a repeat of that first night. If Jex noticed her reaction, he made no comment, but she noted that he was careful never to touch her skin. Consequently, the only thing that came of their contact was a tingling heat in the pit of her stomach. It was almost a disappointment; he’d felt so warm as he was thinking of her.
Then there was the way he looked at her when he thought her attention was elsewhere…
An enormous yawn that felt like it would split her face in two suddenly overcame her and she shot an embarrassed glance at Jex, belatedly raising a hand to cover her mouth.
“You had a nightmare last night,” he said, tilting his head back to watch the clouds.
Enari shrugged and rubbed her eyes. She had indeed had another nightmare. It had been along the same vein as the one she’d had the night before he joined them, though not as vivid and there were parts she couldn’t recall. But just as before, she’d been unable to go back to sleep and tiredness coupled with the oppressive heat was catching up with her.
“I heard you tossing in your tent,” he continued, eyeing her with some concern. “You look exhausted.”
She grimaced. That was always something a lady liked to hear. “Oh, the purple circles under your eyes goes quite well with that lovely shade of dusty brown you’re wearing. They bring out the red in your sunburn.”
“Have you ever been to Rowan?” he asked, absentmindedly rubbing at his chest. He’d repeated the gesture several times, as if in mild discomfort, and it bothered her for reasons she couldn’t quite put a finger on. Something to do with her dream, perhaps.
She shook her head no, wishing he’d be quiet for just a moment so she could think.
“Outside of Zyr?”
Another brief shake.
“Outside the Temple?”
Enari just raised an eyebrow and he laughed.
“This must all be very strange to you, then.” They rode in silence for only a short time before he spoke again.
“Do you enjoy living among all those women?”
The rapid and seemingly random changes in his incessant chatter were not so confusing or unexpected as they’d been at first. Enari suspected the jumps were indicative of an over-quick intellect, albeit one that was easily distracted, and trying to guess where his conversation would lead had become a sort of game for her. It wasn’t easy and her guesses were often wrong, but the longer he talked, the more she discovered she enjoyed listening to him. It was a pleasant way to pass the time, since the surrounding countryside certainly offered up no distractions.
Jex coughed twice, then turned his face aside and leaned over to spit into the dirt. She noted he was a little slower to right himself than he’d been the last time and wondered if she should be worried. Examining his face more closely, she thought he did look a little flushed, but perhaps it was just the heat. Goddess knew it was getting to the rest of them.
“Well?” he prompted when she failed to answer his question.
She blinked at him in confusion and he laughed.
“What’s it like, living in a compound made up solely of women?”
She shrugged, having never really thought about it. Not knowing anything else, it hadn’t occurred to her to wonder; it just was.
“I suppose it would depend on whether you were a man or a woman,” he rambled on, “I imagine as a woman, it might get irritating to constantly be among females. But a man would well enjoy it. I wonder if that’s why the kvinnas never take male novices.”
“Mage,” grumbled a nearby guard, “Do ya EVER stop talking?”
“When I’m asleep,” Jex shot back, unruffled by the annoyed tone, “although I’ve been told occasionally, not even then.”
“Eyes alert, the both of you,” ordered Captain Bohlale. He rode between the two, thumping his man on the back of the head and shooting Jex a frown.
“Oh, right, because we’re in so much danger here. Out in the open. In the ass-end of nowhere,” the mage scoffed.
“I’m surprised you still have all your teeth, what with you making such a ready target of em all the time.” snapped the captain. “But dun’a think I won’t thump you, too, Mouth,”
‘Mouth’ had become a rather catching nickname over the past days, much to the mage’s displeasure.
“The ladies have always enjoyed my mouth.” Jex snickered and ducked his head, dodging the first blow.
The second caught him square as he looked up and knocked him from his saddle. He tumbled into the dust with a curse as the men around him burst into wild laughter.
Captain Bohlale came to a halt and looked down on the sprawled form impassively. “If you spent as much time looking around as you did flapping your gums, you’d have been ready for that.” He didn’t wait for a response before riding on.
The mage lay on his back for a moment more, gazing up at the sky before rolling slowly to his hands and knees and spitting out a mouthful of blood. He regained his feet, fingering his split and swelling upper lip.
“Bastard,” he hissed, catching Phetos’ reins and remounting.
Because his back was turned and her eyes were on him, neither saw the danger until it was too late. The only warning they had was a deep and angry buzzing sound and the shrill scream of the pony.
Before she could blink, Enari found herself tumbling head over heels along the rough ground. She came to a halt in a tangle of bushes and began struggling to free herself, to make sense of the sudden chaos. Brambles tore at her exposed flesh and caught in her hair as she fought against them.
“No!” Jex barked out, his voice sharp as a whip crack above the horrible noise. “Nani, be still!”
She froze at once, not even daring to draw breath. Through the jumble of branches, she had a clear enough view of the nightmare that had descended upon them. It was a sight that would haunt her for years to come.
The size of a very large dog, the thing appeared to be a combination of several insect-like creatures. It had the brownish-red, thin-waisted body of a wasp and enormous wings shimmered in the sunlight. Instead of the expected short stinger, however, it had a tail like a desert scorpion, curled up over its back and poised to strike. Black, multi-faceted eyes and a pair of oversized pinchers called to mind the cutter ants often seen marching along tree limbs in the jungle, carrying leaves back to their nests.
The thing in their midst now had no such innocent intentions.
It crouched over the violently thrashing body of Enari’s pony, mandibles busily ripping gobbets of flesh from its side. Enari could see a few ribs gleaming within the gaping wound and a wave of nausea swept over her.
A hail of arrows struck the shining carapace of the creature and bounced off without doing any damage. It shrieked in rage, waving its tail threateningly and fluttering its wings.
“Stop shooting at it!” Jex bellowed, ducking as another arrow whistled past his head. “It’s an aspion, you idiots! Stop, stop!”
He was still mounted, though he was now standing in the stirrups with his staff held tightly in one hand. His eyes darted between the creature and Enari, gauging the distance. She remained perfectly still, sprawled half on her back in a thorny blackberry bush. Blood oozed from several scratches on her face and neck, but otherwise she looked unhurt and the thing hadn’t spotted her.
Yet.
He’d no idea aspions could grow so large nor were they normally this aggressive. It must either have a nest nearby or their party had inadvertently ridden into its mating territory. Fire would drive it away or kill it readily enough but he was afraid that if he attacked it now, even a precise strike would also catch Enari. And if he missed, he ran the risk of setting the whole plain alight and killing all of them.
Alternatively, he could call up an illusion and try to frighten it away. That approach would pose the least risk, though it required more concentration.
Closing his eyes, he drew on his power and visualized what he wanted. He crooked his fingers and when he looked again, there was an enormous rattlesnake slithering out of the bushes beside Enari. The young woman stared at it in abject terror, but it ignored her and headed straight for the Aspion. The rattle of its tail was loud and ominous.
Another arrow suddenly flew past and buried itself to the fletching in the aspion’s eye, and the thing went mad.
Thrashing and screeching, it began to scuttle in Enari’s direction. It passed right through the snake without even noticing and it became clear there was no longer any hope of simply driving the creature away.
When Jex figured out who had fired that shot, he would skin him alive
Cursing viciously, he let the illusion fade and put his heels to Phetos. He had to duck beneath a whirring wing and felt the air stir as the aspion’s venomous tail flashed past his cheek. As soon as he was close enough, he leaned almost completely out of the saddle and made a grab at the novice’s belt. He jerked her clear just as the deadly stinger buried itself in the earth where she’d been. The aspion screamed again and a small spattering of liquid struck his sleeve. It immediately began eating a hole in the fabric.
Oh, now he remembered; in addition to a stinger the size of a spearhead, mandibles that could crush a man’s leg, and exceptionally creepy eyes, they had acidic venom. It ate through anything it touched, even solid stone.
Damn. This tunic was one of his favorites.
“Hold this,” he told Enari, thrusting his staff into her arms before ripping his tunic off over his head and flinging it away, “and don’t drop it!”
She nodded and clung to it with one hand, seizing his belt with the other in a desperate bid to stay mounted.
Wheeling Phetos around to face his adversary, Jex called fire. It built rapidly in his cupped palm, soon surrounding his entire hand in a snapping ball of flame. His first shot missed by inches, roaring past the aspion to explode in a shower of red and gold embers in the dirt of the road. Several of the Zyrite guardsmen cringed and threw their arms up to shield their faces.
His second volley didn’t miss.
While its carapace was impervious to arrows, it burned like oil-soaked wood, and within a few seconds, the aspion was a howling, jittering torch. It collapsed to the road, writhing and arching even as it burned and Jex dismounted at a safe distance. He took his staff back from Enari and strode forward. Upon reaching the aspion, he brought the butt of the oaken rod down with all his strength, cracking open its head like a ripe melon dropped on cobbles. The twitching and screaming abruptly stopped.
But the dreadful ordeal wasn’t ended yet.
Gut twisting and bile rising in his throat, Jex went to the side of the road and crouched beside the downed pony. The poor beast was somehow still alive, bloody froth foaming out of its nose as it breathed. Pain-filled brown eyes rolled towards him and he reached out to pat the lathered neck lovingly.
“I’m so sorry, girl,” he breathed, “You didn’t ask for this. May Suman welcome your spirit and may you ride the wind for all time.” Yanking a dagger from his boot, he drew it sharply across the pony’s throat. Her life’s blood flowed out and stained the dirt at his feet a deep crimson. Mercifully soon, the beast lay still.
A choking sound behind him made him look over his shoulder. Enari stood, both hands over her mouth and tears running in diamond tracks down her dirty face. She wept silently, shoulders jerking as she gasped for breath between sobs. Jex rose swiftly to his feet and took her by the arm, turning her bodily away.
“Come on, Nani. Come away.”
She didn’t resist as he led her back towards Phetos and stood woodenly as he fished a clean tunic from his pack. Once he’d pulled it on, he caught her around the waist and swung her into the saddle before climbing up behind her. His thunderous expression halted the few men who’d dared to approach. One man’s gaze slid away from his for an instant and he knew he’d found the careless archer. He mouthed an ‘I’ll deal with you later’ before turning his attention back to Enari.
His hand smoothed across her forehead, fingers lingering over her temples, and her skin tingled wherever he touched her and there was a hazy wash of color in her mind. Exhaustion settled on her, the weight of it nearly suffocating, and she leaned her head back against his chest.
Enari closed her eyes, tears still leaking from under her lowered lashes and was quickly asleep, lulled by the gentle swaying of the horse beneath her and the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek.
No one, not even Vasi, dared speak, and the party journeyed on in stony silence.
* * *
It took another week to reach the walls of Rowan and the closer they got, the more soldiers they encountered on the road. Standard patrols, they called themselves, and they were always made up of fourteen Legionaries with at least one battlemage in their midst. Jex stopped and exchanged whispered words with the man, or occasionally, woman, and Enari felt deeply uneasy as she watched them talk. Folded scraps of paper changed hands and disappeared into pockets when they parted ways and there was always a tight wariness to Jex’s posture for quite some time afterwards.
The soldiers and tense conversations had ceased to be a primary concern, however, when the mage had fallen ill five days back. He’d been a wretched traveling companion ever since.
He currently rode slumped over almost double, letting out the occasional groan when Phetos traveled over an uneven patch in the road and jostled him. Even Vasi was more than a little concerned.
It started with a few sores around and inside his mouth, a day or so after their encounter with the aspion. He’d been clearly mortified by the unsightly eruptions, yet refused the kvinna’s initial offer of a salve to put on them. All assumed he’d just come into contact with a little of the creature’s venom and that the blemishes would heal.
Then the vomiting had begun the next morning, accompanied by a low-grade fever and body aches. Symptoms that could be attributed to the heat or one of the various summer maladies that plagued the land each year, if it weren’t for the rash. Enari first glimpsed it around his neck when he’d leaned over in his saddle to surrender his breakfast and it resembled deep, vicious scratch marks, of all things.
Despite his obvious misery, Jex continued to ride and waved away any concern expressed by the others, politely at first but with increasing acrimony as the day progressed and he grew more unwell. Captain Bohlale kept an eye on him nonetheless, and Enari rode close. Vasi was convinced the mage just had a bad case of influenza or the like, and forced a few herbal teas down his throat, most of which he threw up almost immediately.
The third day had been worse.
Jex had risen in the morning stiff and cramping after a night spent tossing restlessly without much sleep. He refused anything to eat or drink and moved as if the touch of clothing against his skin was painful.
After watching for a few minutes, Vasi threw up her hands in exasperation and ordered him back into his tent, following on his heels with her pack of herbs and medicines in tow. In a brisk and clinical manner, ignoring his loud protests, she commanded him to strip. He’d done it grudgingly and she assessed him with more than a little alarm.
The man was a mess; the rash had descended from his neck and now covered one side of his chest in angry red lines that he’d clearly been picking at and he had what looked like bite marks and blisters on the inside of one thigh and on his back. He’d tried to cover his groin with his hands, and she’d struck them away with an irritated sigh. As if he had anything she hadn’t seen before and modesty would do him no credit if it hindered her examination.
“Black Goddess, what have you gotten into?” she demanded, digging in her pack. “Here, this should help with the pain while I mix something up to cover those. You should thank Enari, by the way, as she insisted on packing that. Take only one for now.”
He tried to refuse the small brown packet of leaves she thrust into his hand, but capitulated under her stern glare. She watched him swallow one, just to be sure he did it, then left the tent, threatening him with bodily injury if he moved before she came back.
When she returned, she found him standing exactly where she’d left him, not even trying to cover himself now. The slightly glazed look in his eyes told her the anesthetizing herb had done its work. She handed him a steaming cup and told him to drink its contents slowly while she addressed the rest of him.
Like a suspicious child, he sniffed it first and made a face. “What is this?”
“Ginger and Valerian. Don’t burn your tongue.”
“It smells horrid,” he whined.
“If it makes you feel better, does it matter how it smells?” she snapped back as she broke the seal on a little ceramic pot. The scent of apricots filled the air.
‘You’re going to make me drink nasty tea, again, and put whatever-that-is on me so I can walk around smelling like a basket of fruit. Grand,” Jex sighed, sipping at the liquid and trying not to grimace. “Do you intend to leave any of my masculinity intact?”
“It could be worse. That could be dandelion and milk thistle tea and I could make you smell like an old lady’s sachet.” Vasi reached towards him, fingers covered in light pink ointment. Jex hopped back a step, sloshing tea down his bare chest. He hissed and tried to brush it off as it burned him.
She rolled her eyes. “Or I could just let you suffer, if it saves your precious pride.”
“Give me the damned jar. I can do it myself,” he insisted, eyeing her as he backed away another step.
“You’re not putting your dirty fingers in my jar.”
“I’ll wash them first, or buy you more when we get to Rowan, but you’re not rubbing ointment on me like I’m an infant!” His face reddened, whether in embarrassment or pique or both, she couldn’t say, and he reached for the jar.
“Considering that’s exactly what you’re acting like—” Vasi advanced on him, but held the container just out of his reach. They circled each other and when Jex’s back was finally to the tent flap, he began retreating again. A shadow loomed outside and the canvas was jerked aside. Captain Bohlale stood in the entrance, a frown on his face.
“Mouth, hold yourself still so’s the kvinna can treat you, or we’ll be in this place all damned day!” he thundered, “Pardon my language, Kvinna.”
Jex jumped and spun toward him, dropping the now-empty tin cup. Vasi took the opportunity to reach up and seize his ear between thumb and forefinger. It was a tactic learned over many years as Master Apothecary, treating uncooperative patients. He snarled an expletive not meant for polite company and started to struggle, but stopped immediately when she gave the lobe a warning pinch with her nails.
“Hold still and you’ll leave here with that ear in its rightful place.”
The wounds were treated and covered quickly after that, despite an enormous amount of complaining on the part of her unwilling patient. He was smart enough not to move in the face of the stoic guard captain, but it didn’t stop him from scowling at them both in fury. The expression softened as the herbs began to take effect and by the time Vasi had finished, the mage looked more content than angry.
“Get dressed,” Vasi said at last, clearing up the little scraps of bandaging and putting things back into her pack.
“And what do you tell her for taking care of your sorry self?” Captain Bohlale asked, still blocking the exit.
With a roll of his eyes, Jex turned to Vasi. “Thank you, Kvinna de’Curande, for your assistance.”
She snorted and tossed another jar at him, which he caught deftly. “Put this on the rash.” Then she stalked out, calling over her shoulder, “And stop scratching at it or it’ll get infected and scar.”