Page 43 of Ties of Bargains

“Brace yourself!” Harm yelled as the tree flashed past to Val’s left.

Val jerked to a stop by her wrist with such force that something popped in her shoulder. She cried out at the flash of pain, even as she twisted around to catch a glimpse of Harm. He had flung himself around the tree, and he currently gripped the cord in both hands, his feet braced on the tree trunk.

The grain sprites chittered. Then their teeth flashed as they swarmed over her, biting at her legs and working their way up her body as they chomped. Val’s leather clothes protected her for the moment, but if the sprites got to her exposed skin, they’d take the flesh right off her bones.

With her free hand, Val reached into her pocket and fumbled to draw a sword, a spear, a halberd. Anything long and pointy with enough reach to beat off the sprites.

“Grab your fire thingy!” Harm’s words ended with ayell of pain, followed by a shout that didn’t seem to be directed at her. “Get back, you blighters!”

“The bottled dragon flame?” Val caught a glimpse of a few of the sprites swarming Harm.

“Yes!” Despite the sprites chomping at him, Harm didn’t let go of the rope to beat them off.

Right. Val fumbled through her pocket, willing the item to come to her hand.

Something smooth pressed into her palm, and she yanked it out of her pocket. She held a small, stone jar with a hinged lid. Even with the lid closed, it felt cozily warm in her hand.

With her thumb, Val popped the lid open. A tongue of blue flame licked out the top. Val brandished the stone jar at the nearest grain sprite. “Back! Get back! Or I’ll set this whole field on fire!”

The grain sprites skittered backward, though the ones by her feet didn’t let her go.

“I mean it! This is dragon fire! If I set this field on fire, it will go up in seconds, and there will be nothing you can do about it!” Val held the stone jar only inches from the nearest unbroken stalk of wheat.

Chittering in their strange language, the grain sprites backed away even more.

Harm released the cord, rolled to his feet, and drew his sword. Batting a few of the sprites aside with his sword, he rounded the tree to stand over Val as he pointed the sword at the sprites.

Val rolled upright. Her left arm hung uselessly at her side while she still gripped the bottled dragon flame in the other. She gathered her legs beneath her, then roseto her feet without using either hand. She nodded her head at the line of trees along the nearest edge of the wheat field. “Head for the border.”

Before either of them could take a step, Daisy crashed through the wheat and bowled into the nearest grain sprite. All three of her heads were out as she barked and growled.

With shrieks, the grain sprites scattered into the field. Daisy raced after them, disappearing among the wheat, though the crashes, screeches, and barking rang over the whole field.

Harm glanced over his shoulder at Val, his sword still in his hand. “Do we make a run for it?”

“Yes.” Val flicked the lid closed on the jar, then stuffed it into her pocket. Holding her dislocated left arm, she broke into an awkward run.

Harm kept pace with her as the two of them crashed across the field, heedless of the wheat stalks they broke and trampled. With one last leap over the creek dividing the two courts, Val stumbled from the wheat field into the fall forest of the Goblin Court.

Harm staggered to a halt next to her, gulping in a deep breath. He held up his sword. “Are we safe now?”

“Safe enough.” Val stepped to the edge and whistled. She had to whistle several times before something crashed through the wheat and Daisy popped out. She plunged through the creek, heedless of whatever creature might lurk within the water, and clambered out on the other side, promptly shaking water all over the two of them.

Harm jumped out of the spray and sheathed hissword. Then he gestured to Val. “Do you need…uh…your arm…”

“I’m fine.” Val clenched her teeth, rotated her arm, and braced herself. With a firm motion, she snapped her joint back into place. “We should keep moving.”

Harm gaped at her for a moment before he nodded and fell into step with her.

Val set out in the direction of the white-capped mountains in the distance. As she walked, she dug into her pocket, pulled out a vial of healing potion, and uncapped it. She tossed it back, swigging it down in a single gulp.

This trip sure was getting expensive.

Worse, Val couldn’t get the image of Harm standing over her, his sword drawn, his stance protective, out of her head. When it had counted, he’d had her back.

Though it wasn’t like he’d had much of a choice, given the magic rope tying them together. And he had been the one to bring the grain sprites down on them by touching the wheat.

Val cleared her throat and flicked a glance at Harm, trying to force the words out. He had a few scratches on his face and hands, adding to the rugged look he’d gained thanks to his growing beard and leather jerkin.

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