Sapphic Voices Fantasy

Encounters Of The Mixed Sort

She got through his guard and her sword slid into his abdomen. With a swift cut she disemboweled the man and turned to her next opponent.

The reasons why she was fighting for her life stood looking scared off to the side. The brother and sister hugged each other close, and watched the fight with grim fascination.

Lydia had her opponent backed into a bush and on the defensive. Izzy thought to hell with it and dazzled her foe before he could attack, The dazed man dropped his sword and started rubbing his eyes, which did no good. Izzy finished him off with a quick thrust as Lydia ended her opponent with a flourish.

“You are going to have to teach me that trick with the dazzle, it comes in so handy.” Lydia said as she cleaned and put up her weapon.

“It would be easier to teach a stump, you just haven’t got the power sweetheart. Hey you two okay or what?

“We are fine Izzy.” The boy began, then he lost his lunch. His sister stood still looking pale and about to do the same.

“He is still alive.” She murmured as she watched the man trying to stuff his guts back in. Izzy went over and with a stroke ended the man’s misery. The girl turned away, but she didn’t retch.

This deal was going south like it was on greased skids. They thought it would be easy money to escort the two children to their aunt’s ranch. They hadn’t figured on Clausen’s men.

Clausen wanted the aunt’s ranch, and would do anything to keep her from strengthening her claim, such as bringing in her brother’s heirs. This hadn’t been the first attack, but the other one had only ended in some dazzled and befuddled opponents. Now it had gotten serious.

“Mount up kids, this isn’t a good campsite anymore, we are going to have to ride on a little farther.” Izzy told the two, who went and mounted their horses. The clearing now smelled of sudden and violent death, a lone streamer of blood showed in the creek where one of Lydia’s opponents had fallen.

They quickly turned down the trail and headed off away from the site. Likely it would be a dry camp tonight, for that creek had been the only water for kilometers in any direction. Izzy reached out with her mind to try and discern what was in the land around them.

Like a web her consciousness fell on the land around her, and she located the second set of pursuers just at the edge of her awareness to the southwest of them. The trail they were on led in a roughly southeast ward direction, so they would be getting closer, not further from the pursuers if they kept on this trail. She looked for a trail heading east.

She found a trail leading off in that direction after about five kilometers. They turned on to the trail as Lydia looked a question at Izzy.

“Yeah, we were heading closer to them, so we should ride east for awhile, maybe we will get lucky and come across another stream.”

The two children looked tired, but Izzy was loath to slow down or stop. She wanted to put as much distance between them and the ambush site as possible. Though tired both siblings wore a determined expression.

“We should go another eight or ten kilometers, the other party was heading to cut us off to the south east of here. If we keep going east they should miss us.” Izzy explained to the kids.

“But if they are between us and aunt Em’s then how will we get around them?” The girl asked, tiredness apparent in her voice.

“We will find a way. Don’t you worry about it.” Lydia said, looking at Izzy for reassurance.

Izzy smiled a feral smile. “Yeah we will find a way that might not hurt them too bad.”

Lydia chuckled at Izzy’s comment, the two children just looked at each other.

They rode another five kilometers in silence when they came up to a seep along the trail. Izzy figured it as likely a spot as any, and they dismounted. While Lydia and the two children tended to camp chores Izzy went into the brush around them with her bow. She killed a couple of rabbits, but also warded the area around the camp as she was hunting. She wove the wards tight, for this was a wild land, barely touched by the hand of man. There were things worse than their pursuers out there.

The others had the fire lit and water on by the time Izzy got back, she dropped the field dressed rabbits off to Lydia and went to get her scrying crystal and map.

Both children watched her in awe, with just a twinge of fear, as she settled down and started to scry the area around them. Mages were not a common lot, and many folk found their ways strange and forbidding.

Izzy located the pursuing party and cursed. They had a mage with them, who was probably doing the exact same thing she was doing by now. She could feel the faint flicker of his power amongst the group of men she was scrying.

“Bad news sweetheart.” She murmured to Lydia who was busy slicing up the rabbit for a stew.

“What is it?”

“They have a mage with them, so our little dodge today will do little good. He is bound to find us if he looks close enough.”

“Can’t you conceal us?” Lydia asked.

“Yeah, I can try a standard concealment spell, as I would on a troop, but there is no guarantee it will fool a determined scryer.” Izzy said.

She went and stood quietly in the center of the clearing, muttering arcane words under her breath, she threw her arms out and a kind of light seemed to radiate from them for a split second.

“For what it is worth we are shielded.” She said.

#

The ward went off in her head like a flash of heat. Izzy was up and looking around warily as she shook Lydia awake.

“What is it?” Lydia asked in a sleepy voice.

“Visitors, something big.” Izzy told here.

The fire had burnt to coals, so there was no light to confuse their vision. Something big moved in the woods to the south of the camp. Izzy prepared a dazzle spell and kept a watch out for whatever was out there.

It was a troll and a big one at that. It came out of the brush and rushed towards the campsite. Izzy hit it with the dazzle and then followed up with an immolation spell which burned it’s right arm.

The second troll came out of the dark and swung a massive club at Lydia who had rushed forward to engage the first troll. She barely got out of the way of the club and cut at the creatures arm. She felt her sword bite into the flesh, then the arm was wrenched away.

She ducked as the immolation spell struck the troll full in the chest. The creature let out a roar and fell over dead. Lydia looked for the wounded troll and saw that it had run off, it’s arm a charred stump. The creature was howling and gibbering. Lydia followed the creature out and finished it off.

The two children were sitting up wild eyed and scared, but unharmed. Izzy caused the fire to flare up and kicked some wood into the flames.

“What were those things?” Lily asked as Lydia got a brand from the fire and went to sear the wound on the one armed troll. The creature was dead but she was taking no chances, the things could regenerate unless the wounds were burned.

“They were trolls Lily, they just stumbled onto our camp. The wards will warn us if anymore are out there.” Izzy told the girl.

Lydia cleaned off her sword and put it away, she went to sit with Izzy at the fire.

“Yeah, trolls are nocturnal, which means they hunt at night.” Lydia explained. “These two probably caught our scent or smelled the horses.

“Couldn’t you have tried to scare them away, rather than kill them?” The girl asked.

“Trolls don’t scare over anything, I mean you can make them dodge away from a flame, but they are afraid of nothing and no one.” Izzy told the girl.

“Now what do we do?”

“Go back to sleep if you can, otherwise lie there quietly, me and Lydia will keep watch the rest of the night.”

#

They were away early the next morning after leftover rabbit stew. Izzy did a scrying before they broke camp and located the pursuers to the southwest of them about fifteen kilometers away.

For what it was worth, Izzy put a moving concealment on the group and they headed off east by southeast, finding a game trail heading in the right direction. They put a good twenty kilometers between them and their old camp site by mid day, when Izzy got down and scryed the position of the enemy again. They ate while Izzy scryed and were ready to travel on by the time she was finished.

“Well they came across our old campsite and are on our trail, we still are about twelve kilometers ahead of them, but they are gaining on us.” Izzy told them.

“We can’t travel much faster, the horses can’t take it, what do you suggest?” Lydia asked.

“They need to slow down sometime or founder their mounts, I think we should press on to a likely spot and see what comes up.” Izzy said cryptically.

“What is a likely spot?” The girl asked.

“I will know it when I see it.” Was all Izzy would say.

#

The likely spot was a tree covered rise that gave them a good view of their back trail. The moved their horses off the rise and Izzy took up a position keeping her eye on the way they had come. She stood concealed in the brush overlooking the trail.

Soon a tall fellow came riding out of the brush and got down from his mount. He seemed to check the trail as three more men rode into view. Izzy spotted the man in the flowing robes and took careful aim with her long bow. It was at about 300 meters, or long range for the bow. She breathed in, let out her breath and held her aim, then loosed.

It was as if someone had dropped a rock in a still pond. A feathered shaft seemed to magically appear in the shoulder of the robed man, and all those around him dashed for cover. The robe man tottered and fell.

“That should give them something to think about.” Izzy said, a feral grin on her face.

She and Lydia moved back under cover down to where the children waited. The boy looked accusingly at Izzy and the bow.

“That is not very sporting is it” Robby said accusingly.

“No, but then neither is tracking us by magic, now they have a wounded man, and they won’t be so fast to follow us.” Izzy told the boy, who frowned.

“It just doesn’t seem very chivalrous to shoot at them from hiding.”

“Chivalry and real life have few things in common. Those men following us follow no such codes, and they will kill you and leave your body to the wolves. It doesn’t pay to have too many principles when you are on the run.” Was all Izzy told him as she mounted and they started to ride off.

#

They rode into the yard of the ranch house at about noon of the second day. Robby and Lily were tired but happy that their journey was at an end. The ranch had about thirty hands on it, so the youngsters would be safe enough.

Izzy and Lydia stayed on as guests for a few days, to rest and recuperate from their journey and give their horses a rest. They weren’t too worried about their former pursuers for with the children on the ranch there was no point for them to attack.

#

Lily snuck out to take a ride early one morning and wasn’t back by noon. They organized a search and found her horse about three kilometers north of the ranch. The note pinned to her saddle said simply “Bring the deed to shadow rock canyon.”

While Emily mounted her group to go, Izzy and Lydia decided to sneak out to the site and see what they could do to try and fix the situation. They rode under a concealment spell by Izzy until they go to within a kilometer of the canyon. Izzy scryed the set up and didn’t like the looks of things.

Clausen had ten men down there, all hard bitten rough looking fighter types. The mage was busy scrying for Emily’s group of four men, so he missed Izzy and Lydia sneaking up to the camp. He hadn’t set wards on the sides of the canyon, so Izzy and Lydia snuck down to the rear of the camp where the girl was guarded by three men.

Lily was tied up and sitting on a rock at the edge of the camp. Three men stood around her, keeping an eye on the fidgeting girl. Izzy and Lydia waited concealed for Emily and her four men to get there.

They heard the horses coming up the trail before spotting them, and Izzy made ready to act. As the horses drew the attention of all ten men, Izzy hit the back three with a deep slumber spell. The men folded like origami figures and Lydia was out of cover and cutting the girls bonds in an instant.

A shout sounded as Lydia turned to face the camp after cutting the girl free and pushing her into the bushes. Izzy got an arrow shield up in time to save Lydia and herself, then the fighters were among them.

Lydia took care of two who had overeagerly rushed her, the other fighters started circling warily. Four fighters and the mage faced off against Izzy and Lydia who stood side by side, swords drawn and ready to sell their lives dearly.

The mage started to cast a befuddle at Lydia, but Izzy blocked it and cast a tangle foot at the mage, sending him sprawling. Lydia in the meantime engaged her opponents and sent one back with a wound to the abdomen. Izzy engaged the fighter closer to her and succeeded in dazzling him.

Clausen yelled for order, and the fighting stopped. The combatants took a step back and Izzy could see why he had called it quits, Emily had a big crossbow aimed at his head. Lydia reached back and grabbed the girl from behind the bushes and led her to the safe circle of riders, one of whom helped her up behind him.

“This is as far as it goes, Clausen, attack me and mine and you will have a fight on your hands. I am not afraid of you and I don’t quit.” Emily told the big man.

There was nothing Clausen could do but take a tongue lashing, he was covered by the crossbow. Izzy and Lydia snuck back out through the back of the camp and got their horses. They rode back to the ranch house and got there at the same time as Emily’s group.

“Thanks you two for getting the girl out of the way and holding things until I could get the drop on him.”

“Is it over, I mean will he back down” Lydia asked.

“Well he lost face tonight, and I reckon we put the fear of god in his men. He won’t try anything as highhanded again I don’t think.” Emily said.

“Let’s hope for the best and plan for the worst. You should keep a guard on the kids to make sure he doesn’t try that again.” Izzy said.

“I think Lily has learned her lesson.” Emily said as she looked to her niece, who was standing quietly nearby.

“In the meantime I would check with the local constabulary and make certain the deed is duly filed and notarized. You might want to take it to court, just to clear your title.”

“The land was in my husband’s name, I need to go file the inheritance deed with the proper authorities and clear the title. I have just been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to.”

“So that is why he figured he could get away with trying to steal your land.”

“As long as the title is clouded like that he can move in and make a play for the property.” Emily said.

“You need to get the deed filed and cleared as soon as possible. We will take you into town so that you can do that. As long as the deed isn’t filed your life is in danger.”

#

They made a somber group going into town. Each one rode wary in the saddle, watching for ambush.

They made it to the hall of records and got to work on filing the new deed. When it was over everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Clausen and his men were waiting outside for the group to come out.

“So you think it is over now?” Clausen asked.

“It had better be, the constable knows everything, and if anything happens he’s coming after you.” Emily said.

“Well there is a score to settle here with those two you have riding with you. They treated one of my men roughly, and we can’t let that stand.”

“Listen Clausen, it might be best to cut your losses and let it ride.” Izzy said in a reasonable voice.

“I would, but Greely wants your hide, and he means to have it. We just want to make certain it is a fair fight, just you two mages.”

“Oh brother.” Izzy sighed.

#

They stood about ten meters apart. Both had full shields up and were standing ready to unleash magical power to overcome their foe. Greely still favored his arm, while Izzy stood in an easy relaxed stance.

At the signal both started circling. Greely cast the first bolt of Levin power that impacted on Izzy shields with no effect. Izzy cast a befuddle, that broke on his shields and they both moved forward.

Greely suddenly fired off an immolation spell that struck Izzy on her left arm. Izzy countered the worse of the burns then hurled a dazzle that had no effect.

Greely started to step forward and Izzy’s tangle foot caused him to trip and flub his next spell. Izzy poured power into a deep slumber spell and threw it like a blanket over the man. It looked like he was going to resist it, but then it took partial effect, making him drowsy and off balance, Izzy followed up with a befuddle spell that caught him full. Greely’s eyes lost focus and he started wondering aimlessly.

Lydia came up to Izzy and had a look at her burned arm, they wrapped it in a clean cloth and Izzy went over to Clausen.

“I see that things are even. Are you going to be able to convince him of that or do I go cut his throat while he is befuddled?” She told him flat out.

“He had his shot at you, I think that will satisfy him. How long is he going to be like that?” Clausen asked as Greely wandered off towards the stable.

“Oh it will be awhile, you better put a man on him to keep him out of trouble. It should wear off after an hour or so.”

“Guess I will have to watch over him for a time. Thank you for playing it fair with us, you could have killed him outright, I appreciate your not doing so.”

“That is not my way, he took his chance and came up short, unless he is the really vindictive type he should be satisfied.”

“I could always use another mage.” Clausen began.

“Sorry, me and Lydia have places to go, things to do. I still haven’t seen the country to the east of here, I hear it is mighty nice.”

“Well if you change your mind you know where to find me. I can always use a sharp fighter and mage.”

“We might look you up when we come back through here, take care.”

Izzy and Lydia went over to where Emily was.

“Are you going to be all right now?” Izzy asked.

“I suppose so, now that the title is secure things should calm down here for now.”

“Well tell the kids bye for us and we will be heading out.”

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t rightly know, whichever direction my horses ears are pointed.”

“Guess that is as good as any place, Good luck Izzy.”

If you have enjoyed Elle Goff's "Encounters Of The Mixed Sort", then please be certain to  Contact The Writer  and thank her for posting this Story.

Click here for a list of all of Elle Goff's Stories at  Sapphic Voices Authoresses.