Dark Soul Silenced - Part One (13 page)

Choking down a sob she spoke of her vague memories of being rescued from the water by Daniel, then of her next memories — waking naked in Daniel’s arms, his naked body pressed against hers.  She saw Jon’s face tighten, his jaw clench, but she pushed on, not wanting to hide anything from him. 

As she described how cold she had felt, how Daniel was using his body to drive the deadly chill from her body, she saw Jon’s face relax.  She explained why her shirt was damaged, how urgently Daniel had needed to warm her body.  Then she told him of Daniel’s words about the nature of power, how she was at least partly convinced that Mary might not be tainted, not yet at least.

Finally she told Jon how much she loved him, tears falling as she apologised for having pushed him away and for having lain naked in another man’s arms.  Finally she fell silent, studying Jon for any sign of his feelings.

“
I have one question,” he said, voice tightly wound.  “When you lay in his arms did you enjoy it?”

“
Only at the very beginning, when I was still not fully awake and I thought they were your arms.  Only then, I swear!”

Tears started to run down Jon’s face as he moved towards her once again, this time she didn’t resist — instead clinging tightly to him, trying to get as close as possible.  They clung together for some time, telling each other how deep their love was by words and by touch.  For the first time since learning of Mary’s powers Sarah no longer felt alone.

As time passed the feel of Jon’s body against hers, and her recent brush with death, stirred a burning warmth inside.  She started kissing him passionately and he responded in kind.  Soon they were pulling each others clothes off and tumbling onto the bed together, desperate for the most intimate closeness their bodies could share.

Chapter Fourteen

Josef cursed the storm for the hundredth time, chafing at how it slowed their progress.  The path was full of puddles which could hide holes anywhere from a finger’s width deep to shin high.  Difficult enough for a person to navigate, potentially deadly for a horse.  He and the guards were all dismounted, leading their horses, and if anything they were moving slower than a normal walking pace.  Instead of catching the girl they chased they were probably falling behind.

They should have easily reached the next village, Muddy Creek, by nightfall.  At their earlier pace they would have reached it late afternoon or sooner.  It was looking highly likely that they wouldn’t reach it at all that day.  The light was fading fast, much earlier than normal due to the heavy storm clouds, and there was no sign of the place.  They couldn’t push on after dark — their lanterns would struggle to pierce the pouring rain and the hidden holes beneath the puddles would become even more dangerous.

With a final curse he signalled a halt and had a quick discussion with the guards.  They agreed with the need to make camp soon, so Josef led them off into the trees.  It was slow going as the forest was particularly thick, part of the reason they had stuck to the path while travelling.

Once they reached a slightly larger open space that was still covered by branches above they started to make camp.  Soon a warm fire was burning and dinner was cooking.  The guards started to relax as they warmed up but Josef remained tense.  Frustrated at the failure to catch their prey, he stared sightlessly through the trees to the north.

Rafael woke in the darkness of a hidden cave, instinct honed over centuries telling him the sun had now set.  Not that he would have seen it anyway, the storm that had woken him several times during the afternoon still raged outside. 

The cave was small and snug, sealed off by a large rock he used to block the entrance, but the sound of the storm still echoed around.  It would have slowed the Prickers down significantly which was good, but if it kept on during the night then it would slow Rafael too, and those of his children close enough to respond to his call. 

Travelling in a storm carried risks for the Chosen.  A lightning strike would be fatal, the energy contained in the bolt enough to vaporise the unlucky victim.  While exceptionally unlikely to happen Rafael avoided travelling during storms unless it was vitally important.  His current quest was, so he rolled the stone aside and stepped out into the full fury of the storm.  Wind and rain pelted him, along with leaves and twigs whipped up by the storm.  Growling he drew on his reserves of power, fuelled by his anger at the weather, generating a shield a fingers width away from his body to deflect the storms force.  Then he checked his bolt hole, shoving the large stone back in place to block the entrance.  Satisfied with the result he turned and marched off, heading back to the coastal path and then north.

The race to reach the girl was much harder to call now, the equation had been completely changed by the storm.  Maybe the Prickers would still reach her first, maybe he and his children would.  Either way he would take the girl, nothing would make him pass up this opportunity.

He was vaguely aware of the lost soul that had been a Pricker and was now a wandering corpse, somewhere off to the north.  He’d quickly outpaced it the day before but had left it with instructions to keep going with no stops.  It had overtaken his sleeping place during the day and was somewhere ahead, though apparently nowhere near the other Prickers yet.  Rafael expected to pass the creature again through the night but its ability to keep moving day or night would be useful.

Rafael could have been closer to his prey if he’d been willing to run a risk.  With the sun hidden by such thick storm clouds he could have travelled by day, staying hidden from the sky below the trees.  While possible it was fraught with dangers.  If the sun broke through, even just for moments, he could be trapped with nowhere to hide facing agonising, and permanent, death.  Even if the cloud cover just thinned he could be in danger, body attacked by the rays of the sun that pierced even clouds.  He hadn’t lived for centuries by taking such risks.  Though on many occasions he’d driven one of his blood children to do so, which was why he knew the risks so well.

He stretched out his awareness, searching for those of his children within reach.  He was in luck, twenty-seven were definitely close enough to help.  Others might be close enough too, depending on when he reached the girl.  Combined with Rafael's own power that was more than enough to overwhelm the eleven Prickers.  Grinning fiercely he continued his fast march, knowing that whatever happened the girl would soon be his for the taking.

Despite breakfast of hard bread and more weak beer the party were in good spirits as they left Southcott.  Daniel thought that leaving Southcott might be part of the reason for the good spirits.  He was certainly glad to see the back of the innkeeper and his family.

The change between Sarah and Jon made a huge difference too.  They walked together now, holding hands, with Mary riding alongside them.  Sarah was far more relaxed than Daniel had seen her so far on the trip.  She still treated him warily but the outright hostility had gone.

They’d left the inn as dawn broke, knowing how far they had to travel that day.  Thankfully the storm had died away towards the end of the night, and the sun was even managing to stab through the clouds in a few places.

Once they’d been travelling for an hour or so Sarah called a halt, telling them they needed a proper breakfast to sustain them during the days long journey.  She filled two pots with water from a canteen, adding tea leaves she’d bought in Muddy Creek to one and porridge to another, then looked pointedly at Daniel.

“Starting a fire would take too long, and I don’t think there’s anyone around to see.  Would you do the honours please?”

Daniel stared at her for several seconds, the change in her attitude to his powers throwing him completely.  Finally he raised an eyebrow.

“Really?  You trust me to heat them using my power?”

“
I figure that if you’re going to somehow taint and corrupt us then it’ll already be well underway.  If so then we might as well get hot food out of it, and if you aren’t going to then why turn down the chance of a hot meal?”

A smile flickered around her lips and eyes as she spoke.  Jon was clearly as surprised as Daniel.  Mary just clapped her hands together, leaning forward to watch the trick.  Daniel shrugged and placed one hand on each pot, focusing on drawing in energy from the surrounding area and pushing it into the water within.  Pretty soon they were eating hot porridge and sipping piping hot cups of tea.

“You still look surprised,” Sarah told Daniel.  “I meant what I said.  You’ve used your power to help Mary heal Jon and then to save me.  If your powers will drag us into evil, whether you plan it or not, then the damage is already done.  If not, and I have to say I’m starting to believe that’s the case, then we might as well make use of them.”

“
What you say makes sense, but it is such a major change in such a short time.”

“
Yes, well… a brush with death can do that for you.”

Her expression darkened for a moment and Daniel felt like kicking himself at forcing her to think about the previous day again.  Jon leaned over and hugged Sarah tightly.  Slowly the clouds left her face and she smiled again.

“Thanks,” she whispered to Jon, even Daniel’s acute hearing only just catching the words.

“
Anytime,” replied Jon.

They were soon on their way again.  Daniel felt warmed inside by the hot meal and outside by being around the family now they had resolved their issues.  Sarah spent much of the morning helping Mary learn to control the horse herself.  Daniel smiled as he walked.  Things were truly looking up.

Josef slept poorly that night, the howling wind merging into dreams of chasing a young girl who moved slowly but somehow stayed just beyond reach no matter how hard he ran.  Gerome was in the dreams too, features burnt but still recognisable.  Josef wasn’t sure if Gerome was chasing the girl or chasing Josef, both possibilities chilled him.  Each time he woke to the violence of the storm he tried to clear his mind, yet he kept returning to the same dream whenever he fell asleep.

He woke with a start, blinking at the pre dawn light.  The two guards taking the final watch were feeding the fire, preparing to start on breakfast.  The storm had blown itself out and sunlight was breaking through the clouds.  Josef pulled off his blankets, stood, stretched then made his way to a patch of bushes to relieve himself.

The repeating dream stayed with him, in particular the thought of Gerome chasing them.  He was tempted to put it down to guilt over having killed Gerome, but it still niggled at him.  Could Gerome truly have survived the sword thrust and being burnt on the pyre?  No.  He dismissed the thought.  Only those deeply seeped in the dark powers could manage such feats, and even they wouldn’t survive a wound from a blessed sword like Josef’s.  The Purity Orb had shown that Gerome was not possessed by dark powers, though his mind had clearly been seeped in darkness of another kind.

Josef returned to his bedroll and blankets, quickly packing them away.  He considered ordering a quick cold breakfast then changed his mind.  The day would be long and trying.  While many puddles would dry out during the day, and it would be easier to spot clear paths without the driving rain, they would still need to take care.  Better to start with a hot meal to keep spirits and energy up.

Despite knowing it was the right decision he fidgeted through breakfast, unable to shake a feeling that they needed to be on their way.  Even once the meal was done and they were underway the feeling remained, a sense that time was running out.  No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t work out the cause, nor could he shake the feeling.  As time wore on he pushed their pace faster and faster. 

When they reached Muddy Creek it was still early morning.  Josef stopped at the inn long enough to confirm their quarry had passed through, and had left the morning before.  The good news was the family had only planned to reach Southcott, half a days travel on foot.  Josef pushed the pace even faster, hoping to catch them before nightfall.

As it turned out the pace was too fast.  One of the horses placed a foot badly and screamed in pain, rearing back.  The guard on its back managed to hang on and settle the horse down but it was clearly in pain.  Josef called a halt while the animal was tended.  It soon became clear that while painful the leg wasn’t lame.  Josef gave a prayer to the almighty and had its rider transfer to the spare mount that had been Gerome’s. 

Then he led them off at a slower pace, very aware that the next time they might not be so lucky.  Losing another horse would mean slowing to a walk, someone doubling up or splitting his forces.  Leaving one man alone in these lands wasn’t an option, even for the relatively short walk to Southcott or back to Muddy Creek.

It was late morning when they reached Southcott, a god forsaken place Josef felt.  The innkeeper was particularly unpleasant, demanding a significant bounty for giving Josef the information he sought.  It was worth it though.  They were still on the right path and closer now, under half a day behind their quarry.  With luck they might still catch the family before nightfall.

They ate a cold lunch while the horses were watered at a stream and fed some grain.  Nothing hot as Josef didn’t want to spare the time.  Soon they were on the move again, Josef fighting a mounting urge to push the pace faster.

Soon cliffs started to rise at the edge of the sea and the path became far smoother with hardly any potholes or puddles.  Josef risked increasing the pace again, balancing caring for the horses against the need to make up time.

The cliffs and headlands lasted for nearly two hours, during which time they moved far faster than their quarry.  A tight knot developed in Josef’s chest, anticipation building as the afternoon wore on.

When the cliffs gave way to shallow beaches once again he slowed the pace, mindful of the horses, despite a growing desire to throw caution to the wind.  Then, mid afternoon, they rounded a shallow hill and Josef saw figures in the distance.  Three adults walking and a child riding a horse.  It was them!

Throwing caution to the wind Josef spurred his horse forwards, hearing startled cries behind him before the guards joined the chase.  It no longer mattered if one or two of the horses were injured.  They would be returning at a walking pace anyway with their captives.  All that mattered to him now was reaching the child as quickly as possible.

Daniel suddenly stopped, turning to check the path behind.  He couldn’t have said why, just a feeling or instinct.  He saw riders galloping towards him and the family, closing the distance rapidly.

“
This way.  Quickly.”

He grabbed his horse’s reins and jogged towards where several trees clustered by the side of the path.  The trees offered no cover as such but did mean the riders couldn’t simply ride Daniel and the others down.

“Do not be scared.  You have my protection.  They will not harm you.”

He turned back towards the riders, moving several steps ahead of the family, then stood with his hand on his sword hilt.  He counted eleven men in the group, and one spare horse, closing rapidly but in ragged order.  If the riders sought to attack then their force would be spread out, easier to deal with.  He found that he was surprisingly calm.  Ready for action, but not fearing it.  Not resigned, simply accepting.  He waited for the riders to reach him.