Dark Wood: Legends of the Guardians Read online

  “How’s your ankle,” Allos inquired as he jumped down next to her.

  “Good enough for jumping down onto a pile of logs,” she argued.

  “You’ll get better with the trees eventually.” Her eyes rolled at his lecturing. “Come help me pull these tunics off of them”

  They had the guards stripped of their insignia and donned them in their stead. She hung her cloak in a tree. Allos had to wear his to hide his markings. Together they hid the guards off the road. Roughing up her hair, Aryaunna let it hang down over her face in places. At first glance, she could pass for a guard. As long as no one looked closely. Or at all.

  Running her hand up and down Sita’s nose, she kissed the soft grey of her nose before bidding her to stay hidden, and stay close.

  Allos held his hand out to Aryaunna, and helped her climb back up into the cart. “You should know,” she started with a heavy sigh. “it wasn’t my intention to leave you. I’d fallen asleep. When I woke, Sita had brought me to these woods.”

  “You must always trust your instincts, Aryaunna. If you’d not rode ahead to Kenan, we’d not have known in time that the prophet was to be executed at the Church. Dusk has fallen. Within hours the moon will reach its peak in the sky, and the fires will be lit. Tell me, Ary, do you have any plans about how we get the Wood Nymph out alive?”

  “Of course I do. We are going to find the Nymph’s feathers.” Aryaunna flicked her wrist, hitting the reins lightly against the horse’s back to signal him to move on.

  In the dark of night the only thing people bothered looking at was the gleaming thread of the crest embroidered on the tunics that covered them. They rode through the vast entry way into the great stone walls that surrounded the Church.

  In the center of the courtyard were three great tree trunks, braced up with supporting wooden beams. A small plank was hammered in place on each one. Upon each plank balanced two bare feet. The Owl Maiden, and her two consorts were tied to the trunks. Thick rope tied their ankles, bound their wrists behind the trunks though their hands couldn’t touch. Sacks hung over the faces of her companions while a rope was pulled tight through her open mouth and tied behind her head. She wouldn’t be able to speak, but they would still hear the screams when the pyres were lit.

  People were gathering in the courtyard to watch the show. Some worked in the Church while many had walked here from Kenan. “You need to relax,” Allos warned under his breath. The hatred that boiled inside of her stomach made her sick. Bile rose to the back of her throat when she saw a group of children spitting at the ground before the three set to die within hours.

  They brought the cart to a stop next to the pillars. What dry wood that could be spared was already stacked carefully around each pillar. Aryaunna had never seen such large stacks for burnings. They were so large, each pyre had a small wooden ladder leaned against it to get the platforms where the intended victims stood. Indeed, the Magistrate wanted those far and wide able to see the glow of death.

  Guards jumped to work unloading the wood from their cart. A robed priest had to stop and cough between swearing over the Owl Maiden’s blasphemous ways. If they knew what she was, no one was calling attention to it, calling her only a heretic witch. Aryaunna was listening but not closely. She was too busy looking around them, counting the number of guards, present clergy, and congregation. “Do you see the Magistrate?” she asked quietly. Even if she could pass as a guard at first glance, her voice could not.

  “Not yet. Close by though, no doubt. Why?” His eyes narrowed as he looked over at Aryaunna. A heavy thump sounded from the back of the cart twice, signaling them to draw the cart around to the next pillar. A light flick of her wrists got the horse walking on to the next pyre.

  “Seems to me if someone is keeping her here by holding her feathers, it would have to be him.” Allos looked doubtful. Was it possible? Certainly. His opinion differed for one reason.

  If the Magistrate held her feathers, he held her power. To Allos it seemed more likely he would hold onto that power and use it rather than snuff it out. He explained as much. “Now is not the time to make a move against the Magistrate without a sound platform to stand on. Our one goal here is to free the Wood Nymph, and if possible, her companions. Nothing more. We don’t have the manpower to take on all of these guards.”

  Her teeth grit as she thought about it. “What do you think about this horse?” She nodded at the black gelding who had obeyed her every silent command with the reins. He had gotten excited with Sita, but never over reacted. He seemed calm enough when Aryaunna had been climbing around on the harness as well.

  “He’s not too old, not a yearling either though. Well trained. A good horse by any standard.” Allos looked at her with question. About that time a hand thumped the side of the cart twice to signal they could move on to the next pillar. “I think he’s in for a bit of exercise, but he should be able to handle it.”

  “Got any ideas?” She was down to one, and it wasn’t her most brilliant. Three men were working behind them to unload the rest of the wood. It wasn’t taking as long as they’d hoped.

  “This is your run, my friend.” He smirked bitterly when he caught her scowl. There was no smooth way to do this. She wondered if this was some sort of test, or perhaps a lesson to prove that she should rely more on her friends than she’d been willing to. It was easy to see that having a third would have been a great help.

  Her eyes darted between the three pillars, not hiding her determined expression. Allos grabbed her forearm and pulled her tight against him. “I know your heart begs to save them all but you must be realistic about this, Aryaunna. Getting the Nymph out is going to be hard enough.” Aryaunna looked up at Nymph. She was silent.

  “Allos… be ready to draw your sword. Try to keep the cart close.” Jerking herself free of his grasp she stood up. In the roughest voice she could muster she called at one of the guards. “Her bloody ropes are loose! Who tied these?”

  Aryaunna jumped out of the cart on the left side closest to the pillar. She’d had to step over Allos to do so. Carefully she climbed the wobbling ladder, watching her footing as she did so. The wood was as stable as she’d hoped. The dry wood had been well stacked to ensure the hottest flames to ignite the damp wood of the forest.

  Three guards were surrounding the cart curiously, but one soon moved on. Shame washed over his face. It must have been him to tie the ropes, Allos suspected. “The ropes have to be tight! They’re not just gonna stand there to be burned if their ropes won’t hold them! Bloody moron.” Aryaunna scoffed as she went about to apparently fix the rope. Allos bellowed a laugh as he looked at the guard who was swiftly finding work to be done somewhere else. To draw some attention away from Aryaunna he stood and shouted mockery at the guard who’d run off.

  “You don’t move until I tell you, or we’re all dead,” she warned in a whisper to the Wood Nymph. She placed the end of the rope into the woman’s hand, turning her hands so they looked pinned back properly. She’d wrapped the rope around her wrists so they looked tightly bound, but the knots were slipknots, easily pulled loose. With fingers. She couldn’t do the same to the rope at her feet.

  “’Ey! While you’s at it, get their shoes off. Shouldn’t be wearin’ them shoes either,” Allos called to her. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she knelt down. The Nymph sobbed, feigning struggle against Aryaunna.

  Rising up suddenly, Aryaunna back handed the Wood Nymph across the face. It wasn’t hard, but enough to get her to react properly. Aryaunna had to hold onto the pillar to keep from falling backward as she maneuvered the rope loose, and unlaced her shoes. Not knowing what else to do she tossed them into the back of the cart. The woman’s dress now hid how loose the rope was around her ankles, though she was cautious enough to make a show of tightening it properly.

  One of the two guards had gone about adding kindling into any empty space he could at one of the other stakes. The remaining guard was still watching Aryaunna and Allos closely.

 
; Aryaunna jumped down from the wood stack and turned for the next. “You there! What’s your name?” the guard called to Aryaunna as he approached her from behind.

  “Thas Henrick. I’m Robert,” Allos spoke up for her.

  Aryaunna turned her head to look back but continued walking to the wood stack. “You will address me accordingly when I speak!” The guard was an older man, with pure silver hair, combed neatly back. He was no ordinary guard. He was a company commander. It was a risk Aryaunna knew she faced, because none of the guards could be identified by rank. The Church wanted all his people to respect the guards equally. Only amongst each other would they have known the rankings of another guard. This one wasn’t familiar to her, she realized as she turned. Her eyes skimmed him closely. His beard was nicely trimmed. His armor was polished. Even his chainmail glistened in the light of the torches that were lit throughout the courtyard.

  “You guards have no respect. No dignity! Look at you, filthy as a pauper.” He was a knight. A knight of Valhanna.

  Aryaunna’s heart began to race though she tried to look only properly chastised. Her chin dropped down, letting her matty hair fall over her face. “Apologies, sir. Forgive me, sir, I only meant to help,” her voice cracked and squeaked, forcing her to pitch into a fit of coughing to hide the slip. The knight backed up, not wanting to stand too close to the ill. She gurgled up some phylum and made a good show of it as she did so.

  “Don’t mind him, sir. Got that nasty sickness thas been spreadin,” Allos bowed his head to the knight when he looked up.

  “Get out of here then. I tied that one myself,” the knight instructed. “The pyres will be lit soon, get that horse to the stables so it doesn’t spook.”

  “Let me just check the last one to be certain then, sir.” Aryaunna turned for the third stack without waiting. She’d gotten a foot propped onto the first rung of wood. “It’s something terrible when the ropes don’t hold and they start running about while they’re burning.”

  “Disregard me again, and I will tie you to him myself, boy.” Aryaunna risked a glance at Allos. It was now or never. She’d only managed to get the Wood Nymph untied, but the thought of leaving the other two there to burn was unbearable.

  “It will just take me a moment,” she’d not done so well to hide the feminine quality of her voice as she climbed. It confused the knight and made him take pause. Aryaunna’s hands were already braced to the top stack. She had to scale it quickly, which was difficult because they were not so well fit as the first stack had been. As she stood to her feet, she drew her sword.

  By the time the Valhanna knight understood, Allos had the tip of his sword against the man’s exposed throat. He was at a disadvantage however, because he had to lean down to aim properly. All the knight had to do was step off to the side to avoid being cut. The knight didn’t have to call his men to arms, though he did as he backed to a safe distance from Allos’ blade. They had all been under close watch and had been a focus of attention for several minutes.

  Allos played hell fighting off the guards who were able to jump up into the cart. Many had a rough time climbing over the bodies of dying guards that Allos had dropped before they could make it up the sides. Aryaunna managed to cut the ropes that bound the man’s wrists, but had not yet gotten to his feet as she had to fight off soldiers that were coming to surround the pyre. The stack would not hold two, and this was clear as her balance was quite unstable and she was forced from log to log as they began to tumble.

  “Light the fires!” They did not know where the order had come from, but the guards surely didn’t care.

  “Evangeline!” Aryaunna cried for her to run while she tried to fight off the blades that came for her. From the corner of her eye she saw the woman leap from the plank to the cart. She fell into it with a cry of her own. Allos was now doubly charged with defending himself and the Wood Nymph.

  A torch was tossed onto the pyre Evangeline had stood upon just as she jumped. It lit into flame swiftly, filled with dry and ready kindling soaked in oil.

  Aryaunna drew her knife in her left hand as her right parried the swords that stabbed for her legs. She felt heat against her leg, and feared it was the torch though she saw no flames. There were too many guards surrounding her. The torch bearer didn’t want to kill his own men, and so he was hesitating.

  Warmth spread down her leg. In the back of her mind she registered it as blood and not flame. Dropping to her knees she drug the edge of her blade across the faces of two men as she fought to get her knife to the last rope. Heat overwhelmed her as the second pyre was lit. The screams were deafening over the roar of flames and clashing of metal.

  The guards that surrounded her began to thin out. It didn’t take her a moment to realize why. Taking the advantage she rammed her knife down into the trunk, splitting the last rope. The man’s legs had been cut by the guard’s swords and he stumbled, sending them both crashing to the ground as the stack collapsed beneath them sending logs rolling out in all directions.

  As they fell, the final torch was thrown. Brushwood and dry logs soaked in oil caught fire instantly. The guards had all backed up as the torch had been thrown. A warning must have been yelled, but the only sounds she could hear were the screams of the dying woman.

  Rolling to her feet, she grabbed the man’s arm to pull him to his feet with the hand now free of the knife, lost in the fall. Fire caught to some of the logs that had come loose from the third pyre. Townsfolk added to the chaos as they ran like headless chickens screaming to match the burning woman.

  The heat licked at Aryaunna’s flesh even through her clothes. As she got him to his feet, his body became an inferno in her arms. The sound of breaking glass barely registered to her as the flames erupted. A lamp of oil had been thrown at them.

  At nearly the same instant, something grabbed her by the arm and jerked her backwards. Her feet kicked at the earth that moved too quickly beneath her feet. She dropped her sword in favor of grabbing Allos’ arm as he tried to pull her up. It took a moment of her kicking at the side of the cart with him pulling before she was perched on the edge.

  As they raced for the front gate, their only exit, Aryaunna watched the madness. No one was coming after them, because the burning man was running at the guards. Even as he screamed in agony he ran for them. The Nymph was slapping Aryaunna’s leg, as some of the oil had hit her and lit. She hadn’t even realized she was on fire. The Nymph extinguished the flames swiftly.

  Aryaunna watched in horror with tears streaking down her face. Not even minutes had passed since the first torch had been thrown. The woman bound to the post was still screaming her pain of death, as the man fought to his end as the guards took him down. She watched as he fell to his knees. A sword stuck into his back was thee blow that brought him down.

  “Ary, this path will narrow soon as we hit the wood. We have to get the harness off.” Allos was straining to get her attention as he made way for the harness. “Aryaunna, call for Sita!” he demanded.

  Her bird like whistle chirped only twice before she saw the grey blur through the trees. Allos maneuvered himself to stand against the harness as he helped the Nymph onto the gelding. Aryaunna would have to release the harness for them and get to Sita on her own. As Allos mounted behind the Owl Maiden, Aryaunna released the leather straps that held the wooden harness of the cart.

  The gelding ran hard as he was freed. They were lost to the woods as the cart went haywire without a lead. The wheels bounced on the frozen road, pitted with holes where the ice had tried to melt and failed.

  With little other choice, Aryaunna bailed over the side and pitched herself to roll when she hit the ground. It was a harsh landing, but one easily survived. Coming to a rough stop against a tree trunk, she pulled herself up and started into the woods. Her run was weakened with a limp, but Sita was already running for her. As were three manned horses from the Church. Sita only slowed enough for Aryaunna to grab her around the neck, being left to pull herself upright while the horse
rode on.

  “Ride hard, Sita. Ride hard.” Aryaunna lay against the mare’s neck, holding onto her tightly.

  They’d remained in the woods for hours. Dawn was coming before they began the trek to the Hollow. The guards that had followed hadn’t been difficult to lose. Aryaunna had lost her weapons. Fighting them off hadn’t been a sure plan, so they’d opted to lose them in the woods. It hadn’t been difficult in the dark. They’d had to stop to rest their horses, the gelding being worn to the bone from his burden of two riders.

  Conversation had been minimal since making it to the wood. Even when they were sure the guards had given up their search for the night, the silence lingered heavily between them. They were haggard, stricken with sadness, tired, and hurt.

  Upon reaching the Hollow Aryaunna remained mounted on Sita as Allos and the Wood Nymph dismounted. Aryaunna called for Mayla to gift the Wood Nymph with sight. “There’s no need. My kind is the very embodiment of magic. This cast does not affect me.”

  “She’ll still wish to speak with you, and look you over to be certain you’re all right. If you’d please, my lady?” Allos’ hand waved in front of him as he half bowed to her.

  “Perhaps your bleeding friend is of more importance than I,” she said with a glance spared for Aryaunna.

  Righting himself, he looked sharply up at Aryaunna. “I’m fine. Just nicked is all. Tend to our lady. There’s something I must see to.” Without waiting Aryaunna squeezed Sita’s sides with her feet lightly and the horse took off at a brisk trot.

  “I’m starting to dislike it when she does that,” he mumbled under his breath as he held out an arm to the woman at his side.

  “Our Emissary is young and therefor very stubborn, certainly.” His brow arched. He hadn’t been sure if the maiden realized who Aryaunna was until now. “Still yet, what she’s been through this night will mark her. She just needs some time. The wound is heavy, but her heart is at greater risk this night I fear.”