“What do you think you’re doing? That’s a…,” the older soldier started.
“I’ll have a go at anyone that calls my fiancee a whore!” Kovos roared at the men.
The soldier on the ground was getting up and spluttering. “She’s a whore, I know she is!” the younger one said.
Arkin turned Sara around and lifted the back of her hair, showing her unblemished neck. “Are you sure?” he said.
The older man stretched his neck to look and then turned to his companion and hit him in the gut.
“You imbecile! She’s not marked! And to think I was going to defend your worthless hide.” He turned back to Kovos and Sara. “I’m sorry, he’s new. I would still warn you, however, not to hit a soldier, but in this case I understand. I would have done the same. Just move along.” He eyed his downed companion with distaste.
Kovos walked up to Sara and placed his hand gently on hers. “Come on, dear. I’m sorry about this.” There was no way that had worked. He thought for sure the men would figure it out. He and Sara hadn’t even been standing close to each other. They mounted their horses and started south away from Salez.
After they had some distance behind them, Arkin rode in close to him. “That was some fast thinking on your part.”
“Is that a good thing? I took a big risk.”
“Perhaps, but shocking the men was about the only way to get out of that, I’m afraid.”
It was good Arkin agreed. The guy knew what he was doing, so if he said it was a good job then that’s what it was. And what the hell had Legon done to Sara back at the tavern? It kind of gave Kovos the creeps. Not that what Legon had done was bad; it was good that Sara was free now. Still, the thought of his friend being able to use magic was odd. How did he do it? Salez was moving farther away and they would set up camp in the next hour or so. Then maybe he would find out what was going on.
Legon looked down at his hands, still trying to figure out what he had done back at the tavern. The scariest thing was that he hadn’t really done anything. He had just wanted it to happen and it did. He was having a hard time looking over at Sara. In a way he felt like he’d violated her by taking on memories that weren’t his. At the same time he felt for her and cared for her in a way he never had before. He was also confused because she didn’t seem to be mad at him for delving into her mind. Maybe it was because he had freed her and now she felt obligated. At any rate, he needed to apologize for what he had done. He steered Phantom up next to her.
“Sara?”
She looked over at him.
“I’m sor- sorry for going into your head like that. I shouldn’t have.”
“Why are you sorry?” she asked, looking perplexed.
“Aren’t you mad at me? That was private stuff I saw and felt.”
Sara reached out and placed her hand gently, almost lovingly, on his arm and looked him in the eyes. “You took my pain from me. You gave me relief from my suffering. You should never feel sorry for doing that for someone.”
“I guess I don’t understand.”
She paused, gathering her thoughts. “Ok, when you saw all those things that happened to me, you felt it, right?”
“Yes, everything. It was horrible.”
“Yes, it was, but when you were in my head suffering those things, I couldn’t feel them anymore. I only felt the compassion that you had for me. Now you are truly the only person on earth that can completely understand that part of my life and who I am.”
“Ok, but don’t you still have the pain? And aren’t you upset with me for invading your feelings?”
“Not at all. I can remember the pain, but I can also remember the compassion that you have for me. And if I ever want to talk about it I know I can go to you and you’ll understand perfectly. Have you ever truly felt love from someone? Actually felt what they were feeling?”
“Well, no, I guess not.”
She smiled. “Exactly. I have now, and I will always remember that. I can say that I truly know that someone does care about me and that I’m not alone. Do you realize what a gift that is?”
She gave his arm a squeeze, trying to emphasize her point. He felt himself begin to smile. He hadn’t thought about it like that. When she put it that way he realized that perhaps he had done something kind for her. There was something noble about taking on another’s burden. He was willing to do it again, too. In fact, he was willing to do anything for Sara’s wellbeing. He would pay whatever price he needed to.
“I guess it hadn’t occurred to me to look at it that way. Thanks.” Legon paused. “Oh, I almost forgot. What was that word you called me back at the shop?”
“I called you a Venefica.”
“What does that mean?”
Arkin spoke from behind him. “It means ‘user’.”
“‘User’?” Legon asked.
“Of magic,” Sara clarified.
“Good. Sara, I take it living in a city close to Iumenta has taught you a thing or two?” Arkin said.
“That’s one way of putting it,” she said with a bit of a grimace.
Arkin’s voice took on the teacher’s tone that was becoming the norm. “What you did today was magic obviously, and people who use magic are called Venefica. They practice the art of Imperia.”
The word was foreign to Legon. “Imperia?”
“Yes. That is what it is called when you use magic. The word is Elfish. All magic is done in that language.”
Trepidation started to creep into Legon’s mind. “Arkin, do you know magic?”
Arkin paused for a while. He then held up his hand and clicked his fingers saying, “Flamma.”
From his fingers a jet of green flame shot up about six inches.
Legon reared back. “What kind of…”
“The color is different for every Venefica, but the more magic is infused in the flame, the stronger the color will appear. We’ll talk more after we set up camp somewhere.” Arkin didn’t seem surprised by this development in the least bit. If anything, it seemed to be what he’d expected.
The sun was still relatively high in the sky. They had a few hours before dark, plenty of time to move away from Salez, which was good. Sooner or later Sara’s former owner would realize that he was a person short. There was a lot to worry about, but nothing that Legon could do at the moment so there was no point dwelling on it. In his mind Legon recited a script that Arkin taught him.
Fear is the blinder. I am the light and master of sight. I will master my fear and never again see night.
As he repeated the script, he took deep breaths through his nose, each time letting tension out of his body. As he calmed, more things brought themselves to his attention. He focused on his sense of smell. With each breath he inhaled the scent of grass and trees. Next to his ears was the sound of the horses, Sasha and Sara talking, the creak of leather, and the buzz of a fly. Now he concentrated on touch, feeling the soft breeze as it cooled, telling him the sun was on its way down. The northern breeze was moist and dense. It would rain tonight. He had better take extra care setting up his tent.
“What the hell was going on? Legon could do magic?” Keither wondered what he had gotten himself into. He shifted himself in Murray’s Saddle. Kovos slowed his horse and fell back in step with him.
“What do you think?” Kovos asked.
“I don’t know. We’re in over our heads, I’ll tell you that much,” replied Keither.
“Why is that? What do you know about magic?”
The others couldn’t hear him, but he still kept quiet. People who used magic were rare, and magic itself was treated with respect and care. People were also scared of it because, frankly, not that much was known about it-at least not by the common person.
“I don’t know much about it, but it may explain why Arkin was able to hide in Salmont without detection,” Keither answered.