Quirk: Chapter 3

 Here is the third chapter from my teen fantasy WIP. Thoughts?

Can three ever be company?

 

            We traveled throughthe night, trying to put as much distance as possible between us and ourcaptors. Finally, as dawn was breaking above the hills, we came upon a cave inthe pass we were trekking through. We all headed for it without a word.

            Once inside, weslumped to the dirt floor. Lying back against the cold, hard rock of the cavewall, I breathed a sigh of relief. At least we’d been able to find someshelter.

            “I suppose we shouldgather some firewood and build a fire,” I said.

            Hugo nodded. “Uh,huh. I’m hungry.”

            “Mmm, yes. We’ll needto hunt up some grub, agreed, but I’m not inclined to go out hunting while theCratt soldiers are anywhere about.”

            Hugo nodded glumlyand slumped back against the wall next to me.

            All this time ourcranky companion had been staring at me. Her hazel eyes were boring into me asif she were trying to peer into my very soul. It was just a touch unnerving.

            “Look, I don’t wantto be rude, but why the hell are you staring at me like that?”

            “How did you do it?”she barked.

            “Do what?” I asked.

            “Release us from ourchains.”

            “Oh, well, it’s nogreat thing, really. I’ve always had a gift for, er, extricating myself fromsituations like that.”

            “Lightning sprangfrom your finger. Don’t deny it! Are you a sorcerer?”

            I laughed at that.“Sorcerer? Hardly. It’s just when the need is great, I’ve found that I can comeup with ways to help myself. It’s purely self-preservation.”

            She looked at medoubtfully.

            “Look, who are you? Idon’t know you. You’ve been cranky and bad-tempered this whole time, and youdemanded to come with us. What is your name, and where are you from?”

            “I am Rosetta. I wasa soldier in the Cratt army,” she said with a somewhat defiant look.

            Hugo gave a hugelaugh. “You, a soldier? Your chest’s too big and your muscles too small.”

            The words were barelyout of his mouth before Rosetta had leaped across the cave and had him in aheadlock. I really think she would have throttled the lad if cooler heads(mine) hadn’t prevailed.

            “Well, Rosetta, noneed to do away with a third of our fighting force. I think it’s fairly obviousthat you’re quite a talented and, uh, unusual warrior. Isn’t she Hugo?”

            Poor Hugo barely hadany breath left with which to speak, but thankfully he had the wits to nod hishead as vigorously as he could.

            With a grunt, Rosettareleased her hold. “Forgive my anger, but your reaction is all I’ve heard sincemy enlistment.”

            Hugo sat back againstthe wall, rubbing his neck. “I’m sorry. I just never seen a woman warrior.You’re tough though. What were you doin’ in the cage with the prisoners?”

            “Yeah, that’s a goodquestion,” I said. “What were you doing in that cage?”

            “A couple of my tentmates were trying to be more than friendly. After I disabled them, they went toour captain with a tale that I had tried to kill them in their sleep,” Rosettasaid.

            I nodded and rubbedmy neck. Judging from personal experience, I could see how her accusers’ storywould be believable. “So, what does Cratt hope to gain by raiding my country’sneighboring villages?”

            “The Cratt governmentis under a lot of stress at the moment. I think the raids are a means ofdiverting the attention of the masses away from the capital,” Rosetta replied.

            “I guess thatwouldn’t be the first time something like that has happened,” I said. “So wheredo you fall in all this? Do you support your government’s initiative?”

            I noticed that Hugohad straightened up a little bit and was watching our companion curiously.

            “As a soldier, I hadno opinion one way or the other.” Her eyes hardened. “But butchering helplessvillagers is not honorable.”

            “Good, so I guesswe’re more or less on the same page then. The question is what to do now? TheCratts might just forget about us. After all, three people in the wilderness isnot really much of a threat to their national security. Still, we don’t wantour paths crossing.”

            “Maybe we should gohome,” Hugo suggested.

            “There isn’t any‘home’ to go back to. The Cratts leveled everything, remember?”

            Hugo sighed. “Ohyeah. I forgot. It doesn’t seem like it really happened.”

            I nodded. “Yeah, Iget that. So again, I’m asking. What should we do? Rosetta, we’re in yourterritory now. What do you think?”

            “Our garrison isbilleted at the foot of the mountains. My unit will be making for that, so Iguess we better head farther west.”

            Hugo nodded, and Ishrugged. One direction was as good as another to me, as long as it took usaway from our marauding friends.

            “What’s that way?” Iasked.

            Rosetta shrugged.“The Forbidden Lands.”

            “Huh?” Hugo asked,looking slightly alarmed.

            “You said it, Hugo.What the heck are the Forbidden Lands?”

            “Nobody really knows.Its history is shrouded in myth and legend. Some say it’s a land of shamans whowield a deadly black magic. Others say fell beasts and monsters inhabit theforests there, and that they guard mystical truths.”

            “Mystical truths?” Iasked. “Like what?”

            “How to find the pathof wisdom and the secret of eternal life.”

            “Wow,” Hugo said. “IfI could live forever, could I maybe learn to be wise, Quirk?”

            “Um…I think you’dhave to live a long time, so maybe eternal life could get you there,” Iadmitted. “So why is this land forbidden? I get that shamans and black magicand all could be a little off-putting, but if there’s a chance to gain eternallife, well, why not check it out? Is that why you want to head over there?”

            Rosetta shook herhead. “No, but where else can we go that we won’t be hunted? Not to the east, themost heavily populated area of the Cratt kingdom. Not back across the mountainsto your land—the Cratts patrol every pass, and your folk have border patrols aswell. Where else then but west to the Forbidden Lands?”

            I rubbed my chin. Shehad me there. We didn’t seem to have many options.

            “How do we getthere?” Hugo asked. It seemed he had made up his mind at any rate.

            “First, we have toget out of the mountains and head west. Then, we have to get past the wall.”

            “Wall? Your peoplebuilt a wall to keep people out of the Forbidden Lands? How are we supposed toget past it?” I asked.

            “We did not buildit,” Rosetta said. “The shamans built it to keep us out.”

            “Hmmm, that brings tomind a couple of questions, the first of which is that maybe Splendaria shoulddo the same to keep the Cratts out. Seems many people, even evil shaman andfell, magical beasts have little use for your people.”

            Rosetta frowned. “Awall alone would not keep the Cratts out. It is said to be protected by magicalspells and wards. It cannot be climbed over and cannot be tunneled under.”

            Hugo shook his head.“So why are we even tryin’ t’ go? Don’t sound like there’s much chance ofgettin’ in.”

            “There’s a door,”Rosetta said.

            “A door? Is that it?”I asked. I doubted very much it would be as easy as walking through a door.

            “The door is locked.The lock is guarded by many magical spells, or so it is said.”

            “So, what makes youthink trying to get through the door would be any less impossible than tryingto go over or under?” I asked.

            “It’s the only placewe can go to evade capture by the Cratts.”

            I shook my head.“Yeah, but it sounds like our chances of getting into this Forbidden Land arenext to zilch. We’d need a way to get through the lock.”

            Rosetta gave a slylook. “True, but I saw you get through several locks as easy as can be.”

            “Those were regular,run of the mill padlocks, unguarded by any kind of magic. I don’t have the powerto get through a magic lock.”

            “I’m guessing youdo,” Rosetta retorted. “I think you possess more power in you than you let on,or than perhaps you know. One zap from your finger and those locks were fried.I’ve never seen anyone else with anything close to a skill like that. Hugo, haveyou?”

            Hugo scratched hishead. “Have I what?”

            Rosetta rolled hereyes. “Have you seen anyone who can shoot lightening out of his fingers?”

            “No, no. Have you?”

            “Yes, our friendQuirk here did it to release us from our chains.”

            “Oh, I was asleepwhen he done it. Hey, Quirk, I didn’t know you could shoot lightning from yourfinger. That would be a good trick t’ play on the Cratts. They’d leave us alonefor sure then.”

            I shook my head.“That’s the only ‘power’ I have, if that’s what it is. I’ve only ever been ableto do it with locks. I don’t know if I can do it for anything else.”

            “Aha, you don’t knowfor sure!” Rosetta said, an ‘I told you so’ look on her face. “You’ve nevertried, I bet. For all we know you could be a great shaman yourself.”

            “Okay, okay, hold onthere. Simmer down a bit. I think you’re getting a little bit ahead ofyourself. I’m no shaman. I’ve spent my whole life drifting from place to place.My parents either abandoned me, or were killed, depending on who you talk to. Iwas too young to remember.”

            Hugo scratched hishead. “Um, so that means you could be anyone, don’t it?”