The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I (25 page)

Garild glanced up as Kirheen approached his face inquisitive. She could see the hunger in his eyes and his gaze wandered to her hands. Finding them empty, he frowned. “Did you not find anything?”

It was hard to explain what she’d seen, to explain the way she’d been treated. “There is a whole village full of people and nobody willing to help. I did find someone though that seems very interested in us and our powers. He said he’d help us out if we meet him at the edge of town.”

“And you trust him?”

Kirheen felt no hesitation in her reply. “I do. Allseer help me, I don’t know why, but I do. Just…don’t use your powers until we’re well away from here, Garild. I get the feeling our powers would get us in trouble in this place.”

Kirheen helped Garild gather up their packs. Perhaps with something in their possession, people would stop thinking she was out to steal from them. Kirheen guided Garild to the outskirts of the village, taking care to avoid the dead bodies she’d found earlier. She didn’t want him to see that.

“This…this isn’t what I expected,” Garild said as they slipped through an alley way. “Everything is so different.”

“If you think they look different, think how we must look,” Kirheen grumbled, catching the eye of a man passing by. He took one look at her ragged clothes and grimaced, quickening his pace. Her eye caught the large spotted creature the man had been leading and she hurried across the street with Garild, dodging people and carts alike.

The man stepped into view and seeing Kirheen, he motioned her over. He glanced over the crowds again before addressing them. He took a quick look at Garild, hovering his gaze on his injured hand. “We need to get out of town. If we get stopped along the way, just say you are my niece and nephew. You don’t look anything alike but it’ll have to do.”

“I…don’t know what that means, but we’ll do it if it means you’ll help us.”

The man huffed. “I’ll do what I can for you, but let’s get to a less eventful area. I promise to explain more when we’re safe. The name is Therin.”

“I’m Kirheen and this is Garild. It’s a pleasure to see a friendly face.”

There was a scream from up the road that caught all of their attention. Just a few doors down, a young girl was hauled out of a building by two men. She screamed, her legs flailing as she tried to break free. She was pushed down in the dirt while a circle of people gathered about, curiosity drawing them in like moths to a flame.

“This little bitch is one of them. One of those cursed ones,” said one of the men, circling her like a hawk. The other man held her down by the back of her neck, pushing her face into the dirt. She shuddered, tears leaving tracks in her dust covered face.

“Sharon,” yelled an older heavy set man as he weaved his way through the crowd, hands pushing aside people frantically. Before he broke through the edge of the crowd, he was grabbed by two men. He fought against them but a punch to the gut from a man in the circle stopped him. He slumped to his knees. When he recovered his breath, he met the eyes of the man who’d punched him. “Clive, you’ve got it wrong! She isn’t one of them. You leave her alone. Leave my girl alone!”

“You hear that,” Clive barked. “He thinks she isn’t cursed. He thinks she’s just normal. Well, isn’t that what they all say.” The man worked the crowd, raising his hands with emphasis, stalking around the edges of the circle while he whipped them into a frenzy. He drew a dagger from his belt and stepped towards the man who’d tried to stop them.

Kirheen took a cautious step forward, hands clenched into fists, but Therin reached out and stopped her. “We can’t get involved with this, girl. You show your face and you’re as good as dead. We need to move.”

But she couldn’t move, she couldn’t drag her eyes away from what she was seeing. She was watching death creep along the edges of the circle and she couldn’t look away. The girl on the ground, seeing the man draw a dagger, squirmed beneath the grip of the man above her. She pleaded for them to stop, pleaded for them to not hurt the man. They didn’t listen.

Clive drove the dagger into the man’s stomach and the girl screamed. There was a ripple in the air around her and then the man holding her was thrown back into the crowd, pushed away by a wild blast of uncontrolled power. “You see! Cursed! The girl is a monster! She strikes out against our savior. Her power comes from the unholy one herself.”

The girl cried, holding her hands over her face. The crowd was like a pack of rabid dogs crowding around her. They screamed and yelled and spit on her, jostling each other to get closer. “You know what we do to those that worship the Allseer?”

“Kill her,” yelled a woman from the crowd! “Beat her to death!”

A chorus of cheers rose from the crowd and Kirheen covered her mouth with her hand. She was too shocked by what she was seeing. They couldn’t actually mean to hurt her. Garild was at her side and he gripped her arm tightly. She could feel him shaking.

“I like that idea,” said Clive, taking a long heavy piece of wood handed to him by a bystander. He gripped it in both hands, testing its weight as he made a mock swing. The girl recoiled, shuffling to the edge of the crowd but someone kicked her in the back, sending her back into the center of the circle.

It was like someone had unleashed a wild animal. Clive struck her, the blow earning a fervent cheer from the crowd. And then he continued to strike her over and over again, smiling as he did. The crowd was laughing as the young girl was beaten to a bloody pulp in front of them. 

When Clive had finished, he stood and hoisted the bloodied club over his head. He flashed the crowd a wicked grin and proceeded to drag the body towards the other unfortunate souls that had been found by him and his pack of wolves. They’d hang her as a warning.

Kirheen stumbled to the side, dry heaving into the bushes. Even when she closed her eyes she could still see his white teeth, shining bright in a mask of blood. Therin was gentle as he grabbed her, helping her back to her feet. “This is why,” he whispered. “This is why they can’t know. They can never know.”

The trip out of the village was a somber one. Kirheen and Garild walked in silence, listening to the clip clop of hooves as they made their way out onto the main road. A war between hunger and disgust fought for dominance in her stomach and once they were out of the village a ways, Kirheen spoke up.

“Could you spare a bite to eat? I’m not so sure I’m hungry anymore, but I need something.”

Therin walked in front of them, holding the reigns as he guided his great beast along. He looked back at her over his shoulder, seemed to scrutinize her and then drew the beast to a stop. “You both are just skin and bones, aren’t you? How long has it been?”

Kirheen shrugged. “I honestly can’t say. Time has been…funny where we’ve been.”

“I see.” He flipped open a wide leather pouch hanging from the side of the horse and from it drew something out from a paper bag. It was a loaf of bread, its top golden and buttery. It was soft and still warm, the smell alone making Kirheen’s mouth water. He split the loaf in two, handing half to each of them. “Eat slowly. If it’s been as long as you say, you’ll make yourself sick if you force that down too fast.”

Therin pulled himself up onto the strange beast he led, sliding himself into some leather contraption that acted as a seat. Kirheen eyed it curiously and tentatively reached out with her free hand to touch the beast. The fur was bristly and rough and she nearly jumped out of her skin when it twitched beneath her hand. 

The road out of the town was wide and rough, the ground made uneven by a patchwork of cart tracks. As they got further away, the amount of people grew to a trickle until they turned off another, smaller road. They only passed a few people and those gave a friendly wave to Therin as they traveled by.

They walked in silence, too absorbed with the food in their hands to say anything. Despite the warning, they ate faster than they should have, scarfing down bites of bread as fast as they could chew the one that came before it. It was a meager meal, but food was food. When she was through, Kirheen wiped the crumbs from her mouth and looked to Garild.

While the food may have eased his hunger it did little for his current condition. He looked pale, sweat beading his forehead. When she reached out to touch his hand, she found he once more burned with fever. “Are you okay?”

Garild shrugged. “I’ll be alright. I just need rest,” he said, but he slid his hand out of sight, away from her prying eyes. She hoped that wherever Therin was taking them there would be a healer to help Garild.

The road broke free of the trees after a time and the land before them was all rolling hills and swaying golden grass. The sun was starting to sink in the sky, the heat of the day dissipating as it did. They came upon a village, much smaller than the one from before. There was only a single road dotted with shops that were closing up for the evening.

A few of the shopkeepers looked at Kirheen and Garild with curious gazes, casting questioning looks to Therin. He merely waved them off, continuing through town. The landscape was dotted with houses, quaint little things built of sturdy wood. Many had small gardens teeming with vegetables and flowers. Therin led them to one of these small homes, set further away from the others. A larger building was set to the side and he led his creature to this building.

Swinging off the saddle, he landed with a thump. He started working on the packs, unloading them from the animal with practiced ease. He piled them at his feet and then led the beast into the building. While he was busy, a woman came busting out of the front door of the house. She was short and sturdy, her long gray hair pulled back in a messy bun. She huffed down the steps and pulled up just short of them. She surveyed them with dark brown eyes that were alive with agitation and curiosity.

“You were supposed to be back hours ago,” she called towards the barn. “I’ve been worried. And what are these you brought back with you? I told you to get bread, not children!”

Therin smiled as he made his way back towards them. He ignored the woman’s complaints and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry. This has been an…interesting day to say the least. And these aren’t just children, Leann. If my suspicions are correct, they come from the North.”

Leann gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. “You jest.”

“I wouldn’t jest about something like this.”

The woman looked upon them with renewed interest and she shuffled forward, grabbing at Kirheen’s left hand before she could say otherwise. The woman flung back her sleeve, revealing the beautiful tattoo that seemed to have been put there so long ago. Tears sprung to her eyes and she pulled Kirheen into a hug.

Kirheen laughed nervously, patting the woman on the back as she looked at Therin, one eyebrow raised. He smiled in such a way that she knew it was only a matter of time before they would find out more. The woman released her and stepped over to Garild.

He too was forced into a hug but Leann pulled away quickly. “Boy, you are burning with fever. Let’s get you both inside.”

While Therin finished hauling in the packs, Leann led them into their home. The front room was small and cozy. There were a set of cushioned chairs in front of a fireplace to the right and to the left was a rectangular table lined with chairs. The room was lit with small bronze lamps that glowed softly. The room smelled of spices and Kirheen could hear something bubbling away in the next room. Despite the bread she’d eaten, she was still starving.

Leann coaxed them to the table and made them sit while she helped Therin unload the supplies. Kirheen smiled when she overheard her ask about the bread. A few moments passed and she came bustling back into the room with two steaming bowls. She set them down on the table with a smile.

Kirheen inspected the food before her. It was a soup of some kind, a delicate blend of chicken and rice and vegetables. It smelled amazing and little curls of steam rose from the bowl, warming her face. Therin set a bowl opposite Kirheen and sat himself at the table. Leann joined them last, settling in a chair next to Therin.

As if sensing her questions, Therin nodded to the food. “Eat first, then we’ll talk.”

She frowned but took to eating her meal. Once she started eating she could barely stop. She had nearly finished her soup when she looked to Garild. He was trying to spoon soup into his mouth with his non-dominant hand and failing. The spoon shook badly as he brought it to his mouth and he stared at it, brows knit in frustration.

“Garild, do you want me to help you,” Kirheen asked cautiously.

He dropped the spoon back into his bowl and sunk back in his seat. It wasn’t just his hand shaking, his whole body shook. Kirheen pushed back her chair and leaned towards him, raising a hand to press it against his brow. He felt as if his skin were made of fire. “Garild?”

Leann raised her head, studying him with concern. She pushed back her chair, stepping around the table to be closer. “What happened to him? Is he ill?”

Kirheen frowned. “He was bit by a snake on our way here. I cleaned the wound but I didn’t have supplies. I don’t know if he was poisoned or not. Garild?”

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he fought against a wave of pain. Leann reached down, grabbed his hand gently and pulled back the bandage. “Therin, can you go ask for Carra. This needs seeing to right away. Dear, help me get him to the back room please.”

Kirheen rose from her chair and slid her shoulder under Garild’s arm, helping him from the table. They led him past the kitchen and into a small side room. The room had a small cot against the far wall but looked to otherwise be used for storage. They lowered Garild down onto the cot and Leann fetched a lantern and a blanket and draped it over him. She pulled back the edge of his bandage and gasped. A smell like rotting meat followed and she lowered his bandage back down carefully. “How long has he been like this?”

Kirheen shook her head. “I don’t know. Time has been…funny.”

Leann nodded her head knowingly. Footsteps sounded in the hallway and a moment later a young woman poked her head into the room, surveying them with bright blue eyes. She was tall and lean, with curly brown hair that was pinned back away from her face. “Leann, is everything alright? What’s happened?” Her eyes drifted to Garild and Kirheen. “Who are your visitors?”

“I’ll explain that later dear. This young man was bit by a snake. I fear the wound is terribly infected.”

“Let me through,” Carra demanded, stepping between them. She sunk down next to Garild, her hand touching his forehead. “Fetch me water and a rag, we need to bring his fever down.” Leann turned to get it but Therin was already on the way. He returned, handing it over to Leann. She sat the bowl down and Carra dipped the rag, wringed it out and set it upon his brow.

She reached for his bandaged hand and set to unwrapping it. Garild moaned and tried to pull his hand back but she held it firm. Her face grew pale as she examined the wound. His hand was a terrible thing to behold. The wound had blackened and the skin around it was devoid of color. The skin was cracked and peeling away from the bites and vivid red veins snaked up his wrist.

“Oh no,” Kirheen whispered. “Is there anything you can do?”

Carra looked up at her with sad eyes. “We can save him, yes, but this hand… there isn’t anything I can do about this. If I don’t remove his hand, the infection will kill him… I’m sorry.”

Kirheen felt something crack inside her, felt the entirety of her guilt and anger spilling over. She sank to the floor and cried while a stranger she’d just met wrapped her in her arms and whispered comforts in her ear.