Story: Part Three

(Find Part One Here, and Part Two Here.)

 Hazel had slept badly and woke early when the sun came through the window. She didn't know if the watery sunlight was because, as the physicists had suggested, the sun was weaker here, or if it was just winter. They had left at the height of summer but she hadn’t felt warm since she’d arrived. She looked out of the window and saw the yard below had turned to mud overnight. The rain had stopped now, but people were still moving around in large coats. She got dressed and repacked her bag. She wasn’t sure if anyone had gone through it, but her hope was that if it was neatly packed, she’d notice if they did.

The General had walked her back to her room the previous evening after sharing his magic with her. Part of her brain was still trying to work out how he did it, but if it was an illusion he gave Paul Daniels a run for his money. Once he had seen her inside she had waited for the click of the lock, but it never came. She had waited a couple of minutes to be sure he'd gone before opening the door. Either he didn't know that they'd been locking her in, or had forgotten. She felt better knowing the door hadn’t been locked from the outside, but she couldn't lock it from the inside. She’d rammed a chair under the handle like she'd seen in movies, or possibly cartoons, which made her feel better. She removed it now and quietly opened the door. Everything was quiet. She was sure the servants were busy below stairs, but not a whisper up here. She tiptoed down the corridor to Robin’s room and tapped at the door.

“Roro, it's me.”

He opened the door a crack to check before opening it enough to let her in. His hair was mussed up but he looked alert, like he’d been awake for a while. “I thought you were mad at me.”

“I was.” She shrugged. “But we can't change it, so we move on. I’ve been mad at you before, I’ll probably be mad at you again. But we’re still friends.”

“When have you been mad at me before?” He sat on the edge of the bed.

“When you snogged James Bishy at the year 11 disco. You knew how much I liked him.”

“Well, you dodged a bullet there because it was not a good kiss. And he spent weeks following me around. If anything, I did you a favour.”

She smiled slightly. “Just promise you won’t do it again.” 

“Easy. I promise I won’t snog James Bishy again.”

She frowned. “You know what I mean.  Promise you won’t glamour me again.”

He chewed his lip. “I promise that, unless it is absolutely necessary, I won't glamour you.”

She cocked her head. “ ‘Absolutely necessary’?”

He nodded. “We're not at home, things don't work the same way here. Words have power. I don't think I can break a promise, but if anything were to happen… if I hadn’t helped you after we came through the pillar you might have been sick for longer. Or worse.”

“Why do you think that?”

He gestured to the rest of the bed. She hadn't noticed it was covered in bits of paper, some looked old, maps on brown paper, and some looked new. There was a notebook with a WHSmith logo on it. “Yama gave me a pack of stuff that was meant to help.” He picked up the notebook. It was full of handwriting belonging to several different people, but she didn't understand the script.

“What does it say?”

“A lot of things. It looks like she got loads of people to contribute. People's memories about this place, where it was safe, what can be eaten. I can't read it all yet but I'm piecing it together.” He put the notebook down carefully.

“Why did Yama choose you? I thought she was just an old friend of the family. What was this House of Mor…Mar…”

“Moeric. They were the ruling house of where my parents came from. A bit like the Duke is here.” He mumbled the next bit.

“”What?”

“And I'm the only male heir, and youngest of the line. The only one that she thought was fit to do this. The only one who believed her.”

“So you're like a prince? You should mention it more often. You’d get laid more.”

“I wouldn't go that far.” He looked a bit embarrassed. “We’re a distant branch of the family tree.”  

“Who she sent to take back the family lands.” She looked at the documents on the bed and spotted a large map. “Is that where we're going?”

Robin pulled it towards them. It was beautifully hand-drawn, features and populations carefully labelled and at the top was a castle carefully labelled and decorated in gilt. 

“I think we’re down here,” he pointed at where a black square had been marked by a small symbol. “That's the Stone but this is marked as a farm. I expected the map to be out of date but I don't know by how much. I'm hoping the roads haven't changed that much.” 

“The mountains will still be there at least.”

Robin nodded. “We’ll have to get through them.”

“Is that the sea?” The landmass they had located the pillar on was separated from their destination by a wide stretch of water. Hazel was glad to see that there was no ‘here be monsters’ drawn on it.

“Yes. We’ll have to find passage on a  boat or something to get across.”

There was a sharp knocking on the door that made them jump. 

“Quick, hide, behind the door.” He hissed at Hazel, while trying to cover up the papers on the bed. “Hold on,” he called out in Elvish. She didn't have time to argue and was barely in place when the door opened.

“Where is the girl?” The General demanded, as he barged in.

“Which girl?”

“Hazel. She's not in her room. She's in danger. You're both in danger.”

Hazel couldn't follow what was being said but Robin unconsciously glanced over at where she was hiding. The General saw him look and turned around.

“You need to get out of here. I overheard the Duke, he's found some foretelling, a prophecy, and thinks you two are a key part in it.” He dropped Hazel's pack on the floor. “I'm going to get you out of here and back to the stone so you can go home. Be ready to leave when I return.” He turned and left, long coat swishing behind him before they could ask any questions. Hazel shut the door behind him.

“Fuck.” Robin broke their stunned silence and started folding all the papers on the bed. “Fuck.” He repeated.

“What are we going to do?”

“We need to leave now, or I do. You can wait here for him to take you back to the pillar and go home. I didn't bring you here to get you killed two days in.”

“I know, I thought we’d last at least a week.”

“This isn’t funny, El.”

“I know. I'm not going home though. We can strike out from the pillar if he gets us there, or tell him where we’re…”

“No! I don't need help from a Tallese, especially not that one.”

“He can't be that bad, he is trying to help us.”

There was a knock at the door but it opened immediately. The General frowned but Robin was packed.

“I have horses, but it won't be too long until you two are missed.” He hurried them out of the room, but paused to lock it behind them before leading them away. He had a long stride and Hazel almost had to jog to keep up. He led them out of the house by a side door. Three horses were waiting. They seemed massive to Hazel. Robin walked up to one with his hand out, letting the horse smell him before resting his forehead against the horse’s.

“Come on,” the General said gruffly. Robin swung himself into the saddle easily. “Do you need help mounting?” he asked Hazel.

“I'm not very good with horses. I never…we didn’t… I can ride a cow.” Hazel managed to get out.

The General looked confused. “I will help you up, just hold onto the saddle.” He gave her a boost and she sat awkwardly. “Just hold on tight here,” the General patted the pommel at the front. He uncoiled a thin rope from his saddle and attached it to the bridle of her horse. He mounted and looked back at her. “Keep close, sit tall.”

“And try not to fall off.” Robin added. The General shot him a sharp look.

“Since when did you become a master horseman, anyway?” Hazel asked Robin.

“I was seeing a horsey girl a while back.”

“So she taught you?”

“No. I told her I could ride, read a book and blagged it. Fell off quite spectacularly the first time out too.” The General snorted. “Never done anything stupid for someone you liked?” Robin asked.

The General ignored the question. “Just keep quiet until we’re out of the keep.” He clicked his tongue and their horses started walking. Hazel tried not to look down. The horses had seemed huge from the floor, but they seemed even bigger now she was sitting on one.  She gripped the front of the saddle as she’d been told. 

They crossed the yard and no one paid them any attention. It was suspiciously quiet in fact, and she wondered if the General had kept his men out of the way or created some kind of diversion. They passed through the outer wall, between the heavy looking gates. In the daylight Hazel noticed that there were marks on them; deep gouges and scorch marks that she hadn’t seen on their arrival. She tried to draw them to Robin's attention, but that meant she had to let go of the saddle with one hand. She didn’t immediately fall off which she was pleased about. Robin looked at the marks and nodded. The General had said last night the area around the castle was dangerous, but it looked more like an organised attack rather than wild animals. Unless of course those animals could breathe fire…

“We should speed up.” The general broke her train of thought. “You can stay sitting but you'll be more comfortable rising. Heels down, back straight and when you feel the horse rise, stand, and sit as they lower.”

Hazel gave Robin a worried look, but the General kicked his horse and hers hurried to catch up. She did try to do what he said but it didn't make sense. Dear old Daisy had never moved like this.

“You're off beat,” he said looking at her. “Sit down for two bumps and try again.”

She did as she was told and it was slightly less uncomfortable. She was going to feel it in the morning though. Her usual exercise routine was walking to the coffee shop on her lunch break. The General gave her a satisfied smile and went back to looking around them. Hazel did the same. The castle was in a forest. The trees had been cleared from near the walls but otherwise it was surrounded. The road they were on was well used, so even though they were leaving tracks there were many others for theirs to blend in with.

They slowed as they came to a crossroads. There was a signpost and Hazel recognised one of the destinations from Robin’s map. The General appeared to be listening for something in the woods. She saw Robin check his map and dismount. She dismounted too, but she landed awkwardly and fell over. The horse whickered and danced sideways away from her.

“What are you doing? The gate is still some way off.” The General steered his horse towards them.

“We're not going home,” Robin said as he pulled Hazel to her feet. “Thanks for getting us out though.”

“You cannot be serious. There will be search parties all over these roads. You won't make it far on foot, and that's it nothing else finds you first.” He looked around at the trees again.

“Well, we'll stay off the roads for a bit. Horses don’t exactly have silent running. We can lie low when they get close.”

“They’re your men, can't you just order them not to look, or look elsewhere or something?” Hazel asked.

“Any interference on my part might seem like I was helping you escape, and that would be treason.”

“But you are helping us escape! What happens if they catch you? How were you going to explain our disappearance this morning? All those people saw us leave with you.”

“No one saw us leave this morning, I guarantee it. I will get back before absence is discovered. I will lead the search but there will be nothing to find. Rhasplund is a wasteland. There is nothing to find but dead rock. Don't throw away your lives for it, because if you are found that is what you will have done.”

“El can go back, but I have to see for myself.” Robin shifted his backpack.

“I said I would come with you, so I will,” she insisted.

Three short, sharp horn blasts sounded in the distance. Hazel and Robin looked back the way they’d come and then at the General. He said something sharply in Elvish, Hazel guessed he swore.

“You’ve been discovered missing. That was the Huntmaster. They'll be leaving any moment.”

“Then you’d best get back now.” Hazel said.

“It's too late.” He looked pale.

“Then come with us.” Hazel looked over her shoulder at Robin, who didn't seem happy about her offer but he shrugged at her. “I can guess the outcome of treason charges if you're found guilty, so why not take a chance with us?”

“Potential death over almost certain death.” Robin said. It was Hazel’s turn to look unhappy  at him. She didn't want to use the ‘D’ word, it felt like she was catastrophising, although that was often the penalty for treason in a lot of cultures as far as she knew, and if it was against your own brother she doubted they went easier on you.

“Get back on your horses.”

Robin gave her a boost before leaping on his own horse. In the distance they could hear the faint sound of dogs barking.

“We're going to ride very hard. Sit tight and hold on.” The General kneed his horse and they seemed to go from stationary to galloping. They had gone down the road Robin had wanted to. It was still a wide road but seemed less used than the one they had been on. Hazel copied the others and bent over her horse's neck. The trees rushing past made her feel sick so she closed her eyes but that made her wobble and lurch to the side.

“Eyes open. Look between the horses ears at where you're going,” the General snapped. They were riding for their lives and he was still giving her a lesson. She looked straight ahead and it wasn't great but it was better.

The trees thinned a bit and the General ordered them to pull up.  He led his horse off the path, Hazel’s still attached to his and following behind. The ground dropped down into a riverbed which they entered. Hazel could feel her horse's feet shift on each step as the pebbles on the bed moved under their weight. The river was wide and shallow, the horse’s feet splashed with each step.

“Is this not a bit noisy?” Robin asked in a low voice.

“The water will mask our scent from the dogs. We need to get out far enough downstream that they won't find it by spreading out here. I think we have enough time for this little noise.”

Robin made a noise to suggest he didn't think much of the General’s timing, given he’d miscalculated when they would be discovered missing, but didn't say anything.

Eventually they left the river and walked through the woods. They dismounted and had to lead the horses because the branches were so low they threatened to knock them out of their saddles. Hazel was having trouble stopping her horse from eating everything as they passed. Suddenly the wood stopped and they were standing beside a road.

“Should we be here? Won’t the riders be checking the roads?” Hazel could feel the panic rising in her throat.

“It doesn't meet the roads we were on, it will take time for them to get here. There's a village ahead but we’ll skirt around it.”

“Wouldn’t that raise suspicions? Wouldn’t we be better just passing through like everybody else?”

“No. These are good horses and they’ll be remembered if anyone asks. We won't be seen going around. We'll have to stop and rest the horses soon if we want to move at speed again this afternoon. If we did that there, people would notice that you were… different. Even if they don’t know that Antelé is after you, they might decide that you could be of interest to someone, for their own financial gain.”

“What's the name of the village? We’ve come away from the road on the map.” Robin was pulling out his map from a bag.

“I know where you want to go, and I doubt this village is on that map of yours. When we stop for the night we can consult it and see how much use it is to us.” 

They did stop for lunch to give the horses a break. They’d left in a rush so no one had a chance to pack supplies but the General found some sort of field rations in his bag. He wasn't sure how long they’d been there but was happy to share. Robin had actually packed some useful kit in his bag, he produced some flasks they could fill with water. They sat in a small clearing, the General seemed slightly more relaxed as they sat around listening to the horses eat some browse he had found for them.

“So, what do we call you?” Robin asked. 

“Sorry?”

“You have a name we can call you, I assume. I'm not going to be calling you General Gosht all the time. You're not my commander.”

“I see.” 

“It doesn't have to be your true name, obviously. And Antelé might have people listening out for that name.” Hazel jumped in.

“You don't get to keep your rank if you commit treason either, of course,” the General said quietly.

Hazel looked horrified. “You saved us from who knows what. You could have just got on your horse and gone out on patrol until Antelé had done whatever he was going to do to us, without looking back and returning when he was done.”

“I would have had to have been gone for a long time.”

Hazel tried not to think about the images that sentence conjured up. “But if he would take your title for saving our lives then maybe it wasn't a good title. Yes, you had to save us but we want you to think of us as your equals, not your men at arms to boss about. We have our own skills and stuff to bring to the group, probably…”

The General was silent for a while. Hazel was sure that the longer he was silent the more likely he was to get up and leave them.

“Mika. You can call me Mika. It was my father's name. There aren’t many people who refer to me by something other than my rank.” 

She put her hand over his. “Thank you, Mika. I'm sorry that helping us has caused your life to change so much.”

He squeezed her hand back. “I'm not sure I'm sorry.”

Robin cleared his throat. “I'm going to go and check the road or something.” He practically ran from the small area where they were sitting.

“I should check the horses. We need to move soon.” Mika got up too. 

Whatever moment they had been sharing was gone. She brushed down her jeans as she stood. “What can I do?”

“I thought you said I wasn't to give you orders?”

“I’m asking for a job, not being ordered to do it. There's a difference. I don't know what needs to be done.” 

“Packs need packing, water topping up…”

Robin burst through the trees. “There’re riders coming this way!” 

“What sort of riders?” Mika demanded.

“I don't know. The kind that are blokes on horse and coming this way. They’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”

“Right. Get the horses ready. Go through there,” he indicated a gap in the trees. “Get Hazel in the saddle. If we need to ride, we need to be able to go. And if I say go: you go.”

“We're not leaving you!” Hazel was indignant.

“Go where?” Robin asked, ignoring Hazel.

“Towards the mountains. There should be a town on that map of yours called Trebut. The innkeeper is a friend. They’ll look after you.” He put a hand on Robin’s shoulder. “When I say leave, you leave me behind.” Robin nodded and started getting horses together.

“I will not be shunted around like baggage! We won't leave you behind.” Hazel put her hands on her hips.

“Do you have weapons?”

“No.”

“Can you fight? Against men that do?”

“Probably not.”

“Then I need to keep you safe. If they take you then I've risked all for nothing. Is that what you want?”

“Of course not, but still…”

“Get on the damn horse. I'll catch up with you. You are the ones they want.”

“But the treason…”

“I will think of something.” He lowered his voice. “I can make you get on that horse, but please, do it because I ask.  Because you trust me.”

She quickly turned and found Robin had saddled the horses and got their packs together. He helped her to get in the saddle and then stood waiting by the horses. She could just hear him talking to them quietly, keeping them calm. They were waiting in silence. Hazel had to force herself to breathe, even though it sounded loud to her. Even the birds had fallen silent. She tried to see Mika through the trees, but she couldn't. He’d vanished. Then there was a lot of noise coming from the direction of the road. She tensed, and saw Robin stiffen too. She hoped the riders would just keep going past and miss them. They hadn’t lit a fire and they’d been careful when they left the road to minimise their trail.

The noise from the road got quieter again as the group moved past without noticing them. Hazel breathed out in relief. Mika appeared from the trees and stroked the neck of his horse.

“They passed by. I didn't expect them to catch up so soon. We’ll have to find a different route or they’ll catch us when they turn around.” His horse suddenly snorted, ears flattened and pulled back. Mika turned, not towards the road but the heart of the forest, and drew his sword.

An inhuman scream came from the trees and a giant beast came lumbering towards them. It was the size of a bear but no bear Hazel had ever seen in a zoo looked like this. It was covered in dark, shaggy fur, except its head where the fur gave way to feathers. It had large, round, golden eyes. Instead of a snout it had a beak. David Attenborough had never filmed an animal like this.

“Back. Out. Get up, get to the road.” Mika shouted at them. 

“What about the men?” Hazel shouted back over the strange animals screams.

“They may kill you, this thing will kill you.”

Robin was struggling to control the horses when the riders that had come to investigate the noise burst in. There was a split second when the world seemed to hold still, everyone taking everything in. It was broken by one of the riders throwing a fireball at the creature. Robin was still trying to move the horses when a fireball was aimed at him. Hazel screamed and he held up his hands instinctively. Hazel felt her ears pop as the air pressure around them changed. A pillar of air pushed out from them and the riders flew in all directions. Robin stared at his hands.

“Ride! Now, before they have time to recover. Leave!” Mika was pushing Robin towards his horse. Robin still seemed dazed but gained his saddle and started moving. He had tethered Hazel’s horse to his own. She turned to check on the General, but just as he pulled himself into the saddle the terrifying creature swiped at him with its huge claws. He was thrown to one side. His horse skittered away to follow hers and out of reach of the animal. She cried out but nothing happened. Robin had picked up speed and they were almost immediately out of the woods and galloping down the road.

“Ro! We need to stop and go back! That thing got him!”

“He said to go without him.” There was no emotion in his voice.

“He was coming with us. He might be hurt!”

“No. He said to go.” He was staring straight ahead. She looked at his face and thought she knew what had happened. The only thing she could do was hold on.