Rise (War Witch Book 1) (7 page)

The warrior set aside her utensils to scan the list he handed her. Bedroll, tent, cooking pots, rope, riding gear, water skins and dried food fit for a long trip. Impressed, she nodded, handing the list back to him.

"Good, good," Diem said. "I'll get it all gathered as soon as I can. Mike, the farmer on the end of town—you met him last night—he has a couple of horses he might sell. One’s good for riding, the other a decent enough pack animal. I'll see what he wants for them."

Touching the mark on her forehead, the warrior smiled, expressing her thanks not just for herself, but her Father as well. Diem's smile brightened and he nodded back, grateful only that he could be of aid to a Blessed.

"So, Chara?" he said a moment later.

"Hmm?" she answered, still staring at the warrior.

Diem frowned a bit and then shook his head, waving the list under her nose. "Be a dear and see get some prices for me from around town. I'm sure our friend is eager to be on her way."

"Huh?" Chara started, suddenly noticing the piece of paper. "Prices? For what?"

Diem's frown turned to a scowl. "Really, Chara. People are talking right in front of you."

"Sorry," she muttered, taking the note and scanning it. "I guess. I mean, if she doesn't need me for anything."

The warrior glanced towards the door, where Lucy loitered, looking towards Chara with all the discretion of a basilisk in heat. Grinning, she waved the girl to go on.

"Are you sure?" Chara pressed.

"She's sure," Diem said. "Now come on, get after it. I imagine you can get some help from Lucy there. Gods know, the girl needs something to do with her time."

"Lucy? Where?" Chara stammered, then spotted the other girl and waved. Lucy shuffled about a bit, giving a slight wave in return. "Okay, I guess. But if you need anything, let me know."

The warrior gave her a sharp salute and smiled as the girl reluctantly rose and headed away, glancing back at her several times. As soon as she reached the door, Lucy took her by the hand and yanked her from sight.

It wasn't too hard for the warrior to figure out the annoyed look the mahogany-haired girl had given her yesterday after that.

"I swear," Diem sighed. "I don't remember girls being so annoying when I was young."

The warrior gave him a surprised look, reaching out to finger his long white hair, before making an awed face.

"I was young once," Diem snapped, shoving her hand away.

She snickered silently and set about finishing her breakfast as he snorted and headed back to his own chores. Even though she clung to her belief that attachments were bad, she found herself growing ever fonder of the old innkeeper.

Which made it all the more urgent she be gone from this place.

To her surprise, her Avatar serenaded her with doubt, encouraging her to stay longer. Asking it why, the little Rabbit warbled out that she needed attachments more than she knew. With a mental wave, she ignored it, though it continued to hum how wrong she was in the back of her mind.

"I’d appreciate it if you wouldn't go filling my daughter’s head with silly ideas," Kate said suddenly.

The warrior looked up at her in surprise, then confusion. She gave her a shrug to show she had no idea what the woman meant.

Kate frowned, looking down at her with agitation. "You know exactly what I mean. Don't pretend you don't."

Holding her hands up, the warrior tried her best to assure the woman she wasn't trying to do anything.

"Coming in here with that mark on your head, wearing armor, carrying around that big sword," Kate chided her. "It just isn't womanly."

Cocking her head to the side, the warrior stared at her in absolute bewilderment.

Kate's frown deepened. "I want a good life for her, you know. She's my daughter. She has no idea what she wants. All these silly notions of traveling about, seeing far off sights, it sounds grand and romantic, but we both know how it'll end up. Some horrible monster from Hell devouring her, or getting hauled off to be a slave. That's just if she's lucky, too!"

The warrior tried to figure out how to tell Kate that there really wasn't a lot of slave trading these days, but just ended up looking up at the woman in slack-jawed puzzlement.

"Not for my little girl," Kate insisted. "No, not for her. She's a decent girl. A little too bright for her own good, but she's kind and sweet. She deserves a life that will give her fulfillment, here, with a husband and children to care for. Traipsing about the world, getting dragged into Gods know what, that sounds like fun for her because of the likes of you."

The warrior really had no idea what she was going on about, but decided it best if she give the woman her most somber attention. If for no other reason than so she would go away sooner.

"I know what's best for her, you understand that, Miss," Kate continued as she gathered the breakfast plates from the table. "Tend your business here and be on your way, as soon as possible. Stay away from my daughter in the meantime. Understand?"

The warrior nodded, which seemed to satisfy the woman. As she marched away toward the kitchen, her guest sighed heavily and slumped over the table.

What in all the Hells had that been about?

"What's the deal with the bimbo?" Lucy asked as she and Chara walked down the only road in town, heading for the south end, where the rest of Rheumer's businesses were.

"She's not a bimbo," Chara snapped. "She's a Blessed of Ramor, and a Cleric!"

Lucy recoiled slightly. "Sorry. Didn't know you two were dating already."

Chara turned red instantly. "We're not! She's a hero, that's all. Saved my life from Demon Seed."

"Yeah," Lucy scowled. "I heard you telling the story several times last night."

"Oh," Chara managed after a moment, realizing she hadn't even seen her there.

"Still don't see what's so great about her," Lucy grumbled. "Unless you just like big boobs or something."

Chara felt her face flush again, remembering the sight of the warrior nude last night. "That's got nothing to do with it."

"Sure. Whatever," Lucy grimaced.

Chara frowned, looking at her friend and sometimes lover with concern. "What's gotten into you today?"

Lucy's face contorted into a mask of anguish for a moment. "Nothing. Forget it. I don't want to talk about her anyway."

"Doesn't seem that way," Chara grumbled.

"Says the queen of her fan club," Lucy muttered.

Chara stopped, taking her by the arm. "Okay, something’s bugging you. What is it?"

Lucy seemed flustered for a moment, looking up and down the road. Taking Chara by the hand, she pulled her off the trail, into the old apple orchard, long since overgrown after old man Ghetter had died. No one else could manage the time to deal with it, leaving the once tidy rows of trees to become part of the Softwood again.

Ignoring Chara's cries for her to stop and wait, Lucy pressed deeper, weaving through the trees until she reached the old barn that had been the heart of the orchard. Only there, inside the weather worn and creaky old building, did she relent, letting go of her friend.

Chara glanced around a little, saying, "What was that all about? Why did you drag me here?"

"I didn't want anyone to hear us," Lucy replied hotly. "Gods, Chara, sometimes it's like you forget who we are."

Glowering, Chara paced the room, the scent of moldering hay and rotten apples surrounding her as oddly bittersweet perfume. "I don't forget. I just have to be careful how I act around you in the open. You know that."

Lucy snorted in resentment. "Oh, believe me, I know. You couldn't even be bothered to say ‘hi’ to me last night. You were too busy talking about her."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Chara shot back. "I got caught up in the moment."

"Yeah, sure," the other girl lamented. "A moment that lasted for hours."

Seeing the distraught look on her face, Chara bit back the retort that teetered on her tongue and reached out a hand to her. "Lucy, I’m sorry. I didn't think. It was wrong of me, and you deserved better."

"Better?" she cried. "What better am I going to get in this place? You’re all I have, Chara. The worst part is, you don't even love me, and I hang on because it's all I've got. So, yeah, better. There's a laugh."

"Lucy," Chara said softly, grasping her by the hand. "I know it's hard."

She jerked her hand away, wrapping herself up in her own arms. "It isn't hard. It's murder. At least you get to go to Adel twice a month. I never get away from this place, and the constant talk. Hells, everyone wonders why I'm not married yet. I heard Molly and Sarah saying the other day I should be with child by now."

"It isn't like going to Adel is really getting out of here, you know," Chara told her. "It's the same as this, just a little bigger. You still can't really do anything."

"Seems to me you do plenty," Lucy snorted.

Chara felt a cold knot form in her stomach. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Please," Lucy whimpered. "I've spent enough time between your legs to know others have as well."

For a long moment, Chara simply stood there, staring at her as she began to cry. She felt as if she’d been hit in the stomach with a Troll's hammer, making it almost impossible to even breathe. Desperate, she tried to think of something to say.

"It was always fine, though," Lucy told her, trying to wipe her eyes. "As long as it was just boys, it was fine. I could tell myself you were still mine, that we were going to leave here and find someplace we could be together. We aren't, though, are we?"

Chara found she couldn't look her in the eye, staring instead off into the corner, her face crestfallen. She’d long known this day would come, and now that it had, she couldn't lie to Lucy anymore. She’d never wanted to, never wanted to be the kind of person that misled others for the stupidest of reasons, but found she had become that in her mad rush to feel like she wasn't who she was.

A hick girl from a nowhere town.

"No," she whispered. "We aren't. I can't see any way to do it. We wouldn't get twenty miles before our parents came looking for us. Then, your dad would send you away, and I'd be trapped here, alone, without even you."

"I figured as much," Lucy sniffled. "So this Bles-sed comes along, and you jump to her, hoping to get out and leave me?"

"That's not it," Chara roared, looking back to her, face hot with shame. "If I could walk down the street holding your hand, kiss you no matter who was looking, then I’d be fine staying here!"

Lucy gave her a weary and hurt look. "No, you wouldn't. Please, don't lie to me."

Chara closed her eyes for a moment, turning her face to the Heavens. "I'm not lying, Lucy. Yes, I want to leave this town, see what all the world has to offer, but I know that's probably never going to happen. Even if it did, I'd want you by my side more than anything. I know that's never going to happen, either, though. I'm going to end up married to Hale, having his babies, and I'm going to hate every minute of it. I can't stop it, no matter what I do. If I could, I'd be with you. At least I know you love me."

"But do you love me?" Lucy asked, her voice both plaintive and tired.

Chara tried to smile, but it was a wan, worn thing. "More than I’ve ever loved anybody."

"Even Allen Dale?"

"Especially Allen Dale," Chara laughed, rubbing her face. "I just don't know what to do, Lucy. I want to feel happy and alive. I can't have that here, with you, and even in Adel, it's fleeting."

Lucy glanced at her sadly. "Then why do it?"

"Because I'm weak," Chara admitted. "And stupid. Because I'm selfish, scared, and angry. Because you aren't there. Mostly, though, because I can, and nobody tells me I'm bad for doing it."

Lucy stared at the ground. "Because no one is reminding you every five seconds of what a woman’s place is."

"Yeah, pretty much," Chara sighed. "I didn't do any of it to hurt you. You know I've asked your father a million times if you could make the trip to Adel with me, where we could share a bed, instead of the ground."

"He always says no," Lucy nodded. "I've got my training to tend to, so I can replace him as the village healer one day."

"So, here we are," Chara murmured. "No matter what we do, we're wrong."

Lucy reached out to her and Chara took her hand willingly. With a gentle push from her heartbroken lover, Chara found the wall of the barn at her back as Lucy nestled against her, holding her tight. Her own heart cracking, she squeezed her as close as she could.

"You'll get out of here, you know," Lucy whispered in her ear. "One day, you'll leave this town, and me. I know it. I can feel it. I'm losing you, and I don't know how I'm going to live with that."

"Lucy," Chara said as the other girl pulled back from her, trembling fingers sliding up along the linen shirt her lover wore, fumbling with the buttons.

"Just love me; that's all I ask, before you are gone," Lucy murmured, sliding the shirt from Chara's shoulders.

"What if someone sees us?" she asked as Lucy's lips found her nipple and teased it gently.

The look in her eyes as she stood straight was pure sorrow. "I really don't care anymore. Is that okay?"