The Long Road To... - 24. Treasure Trails and Trials

The sun was high when we came to the outer edge of the ruins of the village. We walked in further. Not one structure was intact. No homes and no people. None, alive or dead. We made our way out again and to what was left of a house, burned, like the rest. We stopped and I looked into the shell. Nothing. Anything that could burn, had. Anything of value, taken. I could not even find a memory anymore.

"Where is it?" Foal whispered.

"Around behind."

"You buried it with a friend of yours?"

I nodded.

"Couldn’t he have gotten to it first? How do you know it will still be there?"

I shrugged.

I knew better.

We circled round the back and found the first post. It was broken, but it still marked the starting point to the others around the pen. It had been used for small animals. It had been needed to be built to let them graze without wandering into the wagons passing by. Once, a long time ago, a few posts needed replacing. At the time, I had thought the idea inspired. We were digging a hole anyway.

I counted off the rails and came to the one I wanted. The post was leaning a little, but that had come from the weather it seemed. The ground was solid.

I pointed and Foal nodded. With the help of the short shovel in his pack, we were able to dig around the post and pull it out. It was a deep hole, enough to hide our treasure. We dug down in into the hard soil and hit the rough wood. More digging around to free up the box.

Eventually, we pulled it up and out. I trembled inside as I unlatched the clasp. Foal stood behind me, barely breathing.

We had buried it together. I had stood watch in the twilight while he finished hooking the lock and placing it into the ground.

I opened the chest.

Bright coins glinted in the sun. Foal gasped and then laughed with joy. I was speechless. It was more than I had remembered. Had he added to it later? There was more. I turned it over.

Totems.

Two Love Totems.

All was silent in my mind.

I stared at the symbols in my hand. I felt myself begin to break and stopped myself short.

I handed the box to Foal. "Here," I croaked. "Empty it. In your pouch." I took the totems and walked a short distance away. The wind blew on my skin.

Another gift from Thorn, meant for me. For me to find. I wished he were here now.

"Are you alright?" Foal approached cautiously.

I nodded.

"More that you thought?"

I nodded again.

"Do we even need to find the other now?"

"Another stop."

"Alright."

"One more thing."

I walked back to the chest, the post, and the hole. I gently placed the totems back in the box, alone together. Carefully, I placed it back into the hole and began to bury it. We placed the post to its original position, hopefully never to be disturbed again.

~ ~ ~

The night had been as quiet and undisturbed as the night before. We had stayed in the wreck of what was left of Thorn’s grandfather’s barn. When the morning came, I knew it was time to go. To go and not come back. Ever. The place was dead. It was no longer his or anyone else’s anymore.

We tramped off slowly through the ruins of the town, and back out into the wilderness. There was another stop to make.

A long day in the hot sun brought us into the canyons on the edge of the territory. There was no need for fire again. The heat lingered from the day. Foal looked exhausted.

We sat in the growing darkness and it was not long before I could hear him having fitful dreams. I reached out meaning to wake him. He was still hot, very hot. I poured water on my sleeve and wiped his forehead with the cool, water-soaked fabric. His eyes opened, startled at first, then almost instantly calm.

"Thanks."

~ ~ ~

I opened my eyes on my own in the morning without being woken by Foal. I looked over and he was asleep. We were safe and undisturbed, even without keeping watch overnight.

I swallowed some water and sat with him. There were clouds in the distance but they did not look like they would bring rain. Another dry season was ahead.

Foal stirred then blinked into the sunlight. I handed him some dry rations.

"Sorry… I fell asleep." He colored a little.

"Not again." I said softly, but firmly.

He nodded.

We packed up and headed out. Foal seemed to walk slower. He looked tired but his step was sure. I let our pace slow so as not to wear him out. It would be a long day of walking.

By nightfall, we made it to my birthplace, the ruins of my home from another life. It was along the ridge in the highlands and trees. It was as different from the plains and Thorn’s birthplace as could be. When the stars were high, I stole away from the firelight. The white from the moon shown scattered beams between the clouds. It was enough to find my way past what was left of the town and out to the unplowed rock spine. About two-thirds of the way along, I found my spot and dug down, deep.

Everything was still there. My money and my hidden possessions, the things my family had never known about. The things I had told Thorn of, but he had never seen. This time, I took it all and did not even bother to fill in the hole. I had no plans to come this way again either. I had no home. I had had a place that I was born in, that was here. It was a dead shell already decaying into the ground. Not a trace would be found within a few years. The place of my childhood would cease to exist and would hold no place in my memory anymore. Years from now, I would be able to walk right though it and not even know it.

Daylight started us back towards Arrowpoint. The route would be slightly different, we would stray to Wild Crossing and eventually Deep Channel and catch a boat up river hopefully. We would be a little closer to one of the enemy tribes, but with any luck, we could be gone before anyone would even notice.

I was relying on luck too much lately.

I had had a place in mind to stop for our mid-day meal, a more green place with pools of water to refresh ourselves. When we arrived, it seemed to be more overgrown than I had remembered. The birds chirped from the trees and the frogs croaked from the marsh. We rested and ate some food.

"How much farther to Wild Crossing?" He asked in between sips of his water.

"Half day."

He nodded.

I looked at him. A strong young man. Determination in his face. He looked up and smiled in his shadow. A playfulness was there.

"So why all this?" He sat back.

I was puzzled and showed it.

"Why help us?"

"I promised Colt." We had talked of this already.

"But us, Petal and I?"

"Best for Mane. For Petal. For you."

He thought on that a moment and sighed.

"My father would never have seen it that way." He looked away. "He was more strict… more traditional."

There was a space between us and he turned his face away.

"I wish he would have been more like you."

I heard more than saw him gulp down more water.

"Your friend, the one you buried the money with…"

There was a pause, one I was thankful for.

"…the totems…?"

No words came to me. Surely, one like him would not be shocked, my predilection was less strange than his.

I nodded, not knowing if he could see me from the corner of his eye.

"Is he still alive?"

I looked away and did not answer.

"I wish I had known him."

We took our time and refilled out water. The rest had been good for our feet but not our thoughts. We were about to leave when I heard the sounds of people approaching. I gestured to Foal to stay quiet. The speech was too soft yet to understand. Other than the water, there was not a lot of reason to come this way.

I gestured for him to follow and we crept around away from the pool and a short distance to an outcropping. I had no I idea what Foal was capable of yet and no idea of who was coming. It would be best to wait and see.

At first, we were rewarded with the sight of some of our people. Then sadness set in: all were dressed in rags, clothes worn thin and not replaced. They were tied to one another, a length of rope from one waist to another pulling a small wagon. There were four men and a woman. They began to fill up empty skins from the cart with the water.

They barely spoke, devoted to their task. There would be a lot of water to carry back it seemed. Foal looked at me and made to stand up. I flattened my hand to keep him from moving. From behind them appeared another man, this one was not one of ours. His coloring and features suggested one of our enemies’ more exotic allies. He had on light armor and held a spear. A sword dangled at his hip. Our foes had not completely abandoned the area it seemed. This one watched the water gatherers intently. He growled at them to cease them from talking.

Foal watched closely, his hand rested on his own half-drawn sword. I caught his attention and made the sign to stay silent. He nodded and kept his sword ready as I had hoped. Poor Foal, he would have to be the bait. Hopefully, all would go easily.

I crept back and away from him and retreated opposite behind another mound. It did not take long to spot him: the other man. I knew one to guard five was an unlikely ratio. He approached stealthily, like a panther, slowly behind Foal.

I stayed quiet and waited. Could there be a third? Foal continued to watch the others at the water. The second one was closer. He closed the distance cautiously. I couldn’t wait any longer, he was almost at spear’s length. I grabbed a rock and threw it at the man and was rewarded when it hit him directly in the back. The sound it made roused Foal from his post and he turned in time to catch the man recovering from the hit. Both stood with their swords drawn. There was another shout and the man with the sword suddenly dropped to the ground. An arrow whizzed by missing Foal.

I turned and located the archer a short distance away. I heard the twang and another arrow flew past me as I ran at him from the side.

The bowman turned to me, loaded another arrow and let loose. It caught my arm with a sharp pain. But I was able to get to him easily before he could reload his bow or even think to pull his sword. I rammed my blade into his chest before he could utter a word.

I yanked the arrow out of my sleeve while running to Foal who was now engaged with the swordsman. An arrow was sticking out of his leg. I threw the broken shaft in my hand at the man’s head. He pulled back sideways to see us both in his peripheral vision.

I closed quickly to draw his attention from Foal, he decided quickly who was the threat and cheated to me. It was enough that Foal slashed out at him, cutting his arm. He reflexively turned to face him. I leapt to him and brought my sword down on his other arm. Without warning, Foal sprang over the rocks towards the water.

I heard the scuffle without seeing it. I was too busy finishing off the second man.

I came around the outcropping to see Foal pulling his sword out of the dead spearmen. The others approached him slowly and stopped when they saw me.

I walked up to Foal. I now felt sore for the arrow to the arm. Foal looked at me. I looked at the arrow in his leg, it had went in a little but had stopped, seemingly cleanly. He deftly pulled it out and threw it away. My mouth opened in surprise.

"What? You think I had never been in a fight before?" He grinned.

"I can wrap that for you," one of the men said. The prisoners approached together while trying to untie and untangle themselves. I tossed my dagger to them.

"Only three?" I asked the man directly.

He nodded. "Yes."

I nodded to the dead man near us. "Two more." I pointed back to when I had come from. "Get their weapons."

"Check for supplies, medicine, anything," Foal added. The man wrapped Foal’s leg while the others ran off to retrieve what they could from the bodies. I sat and checked my arm. A deep purple bruise was forming around the light puncture. There had been no real penetration the blood had already stopped, but it would be sore.

"How does that feel?" The man asked Foal.

"Not too bad. I’ll heal."

The man stood up. He was odd in appearance. His coloring suggested one of us, but it was too light. His overall shape suggested a Bullman, but he was too small.

"I’m Hoof," he said.

He turned to look at me. His eyes were a light shade of blue. I could see it clearly now: he was a half-breed.

"What is going on?" Foal prompted him.

"We were getting water for the others. We were in, are in, a camp. A prison."

Some of the others were returning. A few more weapons and rations for us.

"How many?" I asked.

They looked at me.

"At camp. How many guards?"

~ ~ ~

We made are way to the compound. The plan would require good timing, without, it would be a disaster. We had filled the rest of the water and pulled the cart back. The others would need it regardless of the outcome. Foal assumed the role of a wounded Hoof in the cart, and Hoof, with his lighter skin and shorter appearance, could pass as one of the three dead at distance. The gate would be opened for a party fleeing from an attack.

I watched them from afar. I was already near the side wall. Upon examination, it was weak at best. They did not expect an attack or assault of any size. When the wagon came around the ridge they shouted for help. They struggled toward the gates portraying a group under attack. If there were guards, they had already left to see the incoming cart. It would not be long before the wagon was at the gate. I pryed my way in.

Two dozen guards at most was what Hoof had said. Less than one hundred locked away to be slaves or worse.

Two dozen. Now only around twenty or so to go.

I rounded a corner and into the face of one of them. He did not expect me. He was dead just before his sword was out. I opened the first hut was with it. Just a few men. I sent them to open a second as I moved to the third. The next guards I found were on the way to the gate when I took them from behind with the assistance of some of the prisoners. More swords now, more numbers for us. They would be needed at the gate. I told them to run.

Less than twenty to go.

We surprised and killed a few more and before long we were at the gates and at their backs with the others. It was a bloody affair, but by shear numbers we prevailed.

The bodies were striped. The gates were closed. The wounded were being attended.

Foal had a few more cuts, but had faired well. Hoof had done well too, only a gash in his arm. Others had not been as lucky.

There was a commotion from near one of the cells. A few of the former prisoners were yelling at what looked to be a former guard on the ground. Others were yelling amongst themselves. There was some shoving in progress and I saw a few of them begin to pound on the enemy even though he was already unarmed and his hands were tied together. One of our people threw a punch at another one of our people. I strode with purpose towards them. Foal pushed ahead with me. I had to stop this before it turned into a brawl and more would die. We needed to stand together.

I shoved one of them down to the ground.

"We got one of them!" Someone shouted.

"Kill him!" Someone else yelled.

"HE was not one of them."

"He helped let some of us out."

I looked into the face of the man that was causing so much division. He was all wrong. He was more them, but there was us in him too. Another half-breed. Right now there was a combination of fear and sorrow written across his brow along with splashes of blood. He had not been taken without a struggle.

"You speak?" I crossed to stand between him and the crowd. He answered in an combination of grunts and half words followed by a shake of the head. "Nut gud but undirstond o littli."

"Not enough," Hoof said from next to me.

I glanced at him sideways. The opposite in a half breed. Hoof was short for one of us, this man was too tall for one of them. Hoof’s skin was a hazy off color resembling ours, this man wore a muddy mix of light and dark. His eyes a bright foreign green to Hoof’s blue.

The crowd was restless; there was a certain violence and tension in the mood.

I caught Hoof’s eye and nodded to the man.

"He was one of the good ones…" He shrugged. "Well, for what they are I guess. He was kinder than the others."

I looked again at the man. He was now in a position of what looked to be prayer. Making peace with his god.

"So what should we do? Question him?"

I shrugged. "Could be useful."

He nodded agreement. "Con hilp yu con hilp thi will cumi sun."

"We can try," Foal frowned a little.

I looked at the man. "Safer in cell."

Foal and Hoof nodded and took him inside, closing the door behind them. I turned to the crowd. They looked at me for guidance, leadership.

"Tend to wounded," I said loudly and with as much authority as I could muster. I was no leader. I left them to talk to him.

Later, with the advice of our guard-turned prisoner, we patched ourselves up, buried the dead, and prepared to leave; we had to go as soon as we were able. The enemy would be wise to the skirmish and would mount an attack. We needed to be long gone.

I walked alone in the dying light. Plans would need to be made. We could travel with the survivors to Wild Crossing. There would be safety in numbers. Even though we were not armed well, the more of us that could be seen, the more likely raiders would think twice.

When I came back to the low light of the dying fire, I found most asleep. Foal and Hoof were soundly snoring not far away from where they were supposed to be: with our prisoner.

He was awake and looked up at me eagerly. With his untied hands he offered a skin of water.

I drank a few gulps and handed it back.

He nodded, smiled, and lay down to sleep.

I sat back and closed my eyes.

He was the only one who had waited up for me.