Page 33 of Aofie's Quest
He approached, his bulk towering above me. A warning sang through my body but I did not step away. I closed my eyes against the desire to run while he tied a bag around my waist. “This contains the healing balm and dried meat.” He stepped back. “When you reach the city, you should have someone apply more balm to your back, and let the wounds breath in open air. They will heal faster that way.”
I nodded, my eyes smarting with the fear of being alone again, for when I was alone, trouble found me.
He picked up a staff and handed it to me. The end had been sharpened into a point, making it both a walking stick and a spear. My stomach churned as I wrapped my fingers around it, unable to shake away the anxiety that plagued me. I was a warrior. Jezebel was gone. I could handle whatever was out there, and yet, I wasn’t so sure. My breath came thick and fast and I opened my mouth to beg my host to let me stay another day and night. I was slow and lightheaded; I wasn’t myself yet and I did not know who or what I would meet out there, beyond the cave.
“Come.” He moved past me, keeping his distance.
I followed, the words stuck in my throat as we walked toward the glowing light. Daylight. He halted before we reached the light and stepped to the side, hidden in shadows. “Follow the light to the countryside. A muddy track leads to the city. You’ll see it in the distance and as long as you stay on the track, you won’t miss it. The shepherds graze their flock in the lower hills, for none are too brave to come up here and risk my wrath. Little one, you are unlike many I’ve met. I wish you well on your quest for revenge.”
I clenched the staff and took a step. When I reached his side, I paused, torn between going to the light or staying in shadows. “If you change your mind and decide to come with me, I would like the company,” I admitted.
He grunted, but I chose to believe the grunt was almost a chuckle. “You would make many enemies with me by your side.”
“I already have a fearsome enemy,” I replied bitterly.
The light shifted over him and he stepped back, but I had seen enough. Deep-set eyes, broad features, large and sad. Blue skin covered in runes, and wings—he’d found his wings? They were beautiful. He was all thick muscle, without any hair, and naked from head to toe. Naked and aroused. He wanted. . .no. I would not allow the thought to form. Clarity pierced my muddled thoughts. It would not be wise to stay with him any longer, and thoughts of begging dropped away. Still, a cloud of deep sorrow surrounded him and without thinking, I reached out a hand, as though my very touch could dispel it.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
His fingers brushed mine, so cold they sent a shock through my body. I should have snatched my hand away but my reactions were slow. I gasped and glanced up at him, heart thudding so hard I thought he could hear it. If nothing else, the touch of his skin confirmed my suspicions. He was no human. The moment hung and the air went thick with tension.
He was the first to break it, yet before he did, a bubble of warmth surged through my lower belly and my skin tingled. “You should go, little one,” he murmured. “It is imperative you reach the city before the light fades.”
When I did not move, he backed away, fading into the shadows. “My name is Adomos.”
My brow furrowed but only one word passed between my lips. “Adomos,” I repeated, his name hung on my tongue. I waited, but there was nothing else. The shadows did not stir and his luminous eyes had all but faded into the gloom. A strange sensation came over me and I peered into the shadows, emotions twisting, whirling inside of me. But my mysterious host had all but vanished.
At last, I drew a shuddering breath and struck out for the light.
Chapter Thirty
My confusion regardingAdomos faded as I stepped out on a lush hillside. A haze of emerald green awoke my senses and the picturesque landscape stole my breath away. Below me rolled green hills with great gray boulders sticking out here and there. White and gray sheep grazed and the sun beamed on the slopes, where dewdrops glistened like crystal.
Anxiety dropped away. Had I stridden into paradise? Lifting a hand, I shielded my eyes against the sun and peered around for a trail. A dirt track led over the hills and in the distance rose a tall structure surrounded by smaller buildings. Was it a castle? I’d heard of such buildings, made of stone, that took years to build. My heartbeat quickened. There lay my path. I knew where to go for help.
I strode toward it, leaning on my walking stick and moving at a slow but even pace. I listened for birdsong or the rustle of grassland creatures, but heard nothing. Other than a gentle wind stirring the blades of grass and the far-off bleating of contented sheep, there were no other sounds.
Within an hour I was exhausted. The warmth of the sun beating down on my head was calming until it turned too hot. A sheen of sweat covered my head and my breath came short and fast. I bent over and almost sat down in the grass to rest, until I recalled Adomos’s adamant warning about being out at night. Fighting to calm my rising panic, I eyed the looming structure and sighed.
The day wore on in silence and while I walked, I had plenty of time to dwell, once again on my past. It was easy to feel sorry for myself. My wounds began to weep, my side ached, and my legs itched. An occasional cool breeze provided some temporary relief, but there was no shade from the sun. The track led over the rolling hills, and each uphill climb took more energy from me, energy I did not have in the first place. I leaned heavily upon the staff.
Despite my progress, the city seemed no closer. However, I wasn’t entirely alone. Men in robes guided the sheep back toward the city. Their heads were covered with a cloth, tied with a band around their foreheads. They also carried staffs but with a crook at the end. They never looked my way, and a sinking sensation came over me.
The sun began to sink, casting a halo of fiery glory across the land. By that time, sweat dripped down my nose, and the sack I wore was soaked through, likely with a mixture of sweat and blood. Each step made me clutch the staff and bend over as my broken ribs stabbed at me. My eyes were wet with tears. If I could just lie down for a few moments and gather strength, everything would be okay.
The last hill rose in front of me but weariness overtook me. Dropping the staff, I sank to my knees and closed my eyes. Horror plagued my mind: again I recalled Jezebel with blood dripping off her knife, holding my mother’s sightless head in her arms. Her cruel laughter echoed in my head and my shoulders hunched. Words swirled around my mind, the bitter black words of my mother’s letter, like a poison seeping into me. I was not who I thought I was and my quest was naught but a lie. Even worse, the very thing I feared had finally happened. I was alone in the world. Why strive to go on?
Tears leaked out of my eyes and a soft keening sound came from the back of my throat. I fought against it, telling myself to breathe, relax, and focus on the first step to my revenge—finding food and shelter. I needed a place to heal before traveling to the elves to learn about my magic and take up the red sword. But my body would not move.
“Aye!” a voice shouted from above.
I ceased crying and lifted my head, hastily wiping tears off my face.
“What are you doing down there? Hurry up now, the gates will close soon and we have to be indoors before night falls.”
I squinted up at the person, but they blocked the light. Slowly I stood up, my limbs shaking from effort. “I could ask you the same,” I rasped. “What are you doing out so late?”
The cloaked figure moved down the hill, revealing himself to be a shepherd with a lamp tucked under his arm. His brown eyes darted to the sky and his fingers shook. He waved his arm frantically at me, his words sharp but edged with fear. “Come on then, don’t just stand there. We have to make a run for it now.”
