The Outskirts: The Sky Raiders (Jace x OC)

Part 43 *

I felt relieved as we got back into the autocoach.
I had worried that more drama might arise from the humiliated slave, but at the end of the meal, Mira settled up with Mr. Dunford, and the owner offered a final apology as they walked out.
"After going over the bridge, turn left down the first lane we reach," Mira said to Bertram, repeating directions Will had shared. "We're looking for a cottage with a walled garden." The autocoach rolled forward.
Mira turned to Jace. "If you want to keep traveling with me, you have to fix your attitude."
"Me?" Jace exclaimed. "That guy was a jerk!"
"You started unnecessary trouble," Mira said.
"We're lucky the owner sided with us. Mistreating another man's slave can be taken as a personal insult. Mr. Dunford didn't know who was outside in the autocoach. He didn't want to risk crossing somebody important. Otherwise things might have gone the other way."
"The slave was way out of line," Jace maintained.
"He made some rude comments," Mira said.
"Have some empathy. The man probably hates his job. He wasn't excited to wait on five spoiled kids on holiday."
"Don't forget, I was a slave," Jace said. "I know how it works. They don't get to treat us like that.
Ever. And it wasn't just us. You saw him abusing Will."
"I get that you had reasons," Mira said. "But just because you can punish somebody doesn't always mean you should. Have some restraint. Show some class."
Jace scowled. "What's classy about letting people trample all over you? Letting them act like bullies? Not even bullying us, bullying a little kid? You guys are lucky to have somebody along with a backbone!"
"You have courage," Mira said. "I question your judgment. We don't want to lose the war because of needless battles. Show some patience. Don't stir things up out of vanity. Use your experience as a slave to make you more lenient, not harsher."
Jace exhaled angrily. "I can't believe a princess is lecturing me on what I should learn from being a slave."
"I was marked as a slave long before you were born," Mira said. "It's been my cover for more than sixty years."
"Exactly," Jace said. "Your cover. You knew it was an act. You had people looking out for you.
I get it was hard. It wasn't palaces and parties.
But don't tell me what I should learn from my life. You don't survive by acting weak. That makes you a victim."
The confrontation was making me uneasy. It felt like I was eavesdropping. I wanted to stay out of it. Twitch seemed equally uncomfortable. Cole watched out the window as if he wasn't interested.
"What if it went the other way in there?" Mira asked.
"I had my rope," Jace said.
"So we solve the problem with violence," Mira said. "If you used the rope to beat them up, how fast would the story spread? Not a very big town. My guess is minutes. How soon before the legion hears about a kid using a golden rope to trash an inn? How soon before hundreds of horsemen get a second chance to corner us? And why? Because you couldn't handle some miserable slave making fun of your hat."
Jace folded his arms across his chest and glared at her crossly. He almost said something once, twice, then kept his mouth shut.
"Yes?" Mira asked.
"You might have a point," he allowed grumpily.
"I've been hiding for decades," Mira said. "That doesn't work if you attract attention. You had your reasons for how you acted. You're right that the guy kind of had it coming. I'm asking you to be smarter than that."
"So you want me to let people treat us like dirt?"
Jace said.
"Don't let others control you," Mira said. "Don't let them prod you into making stupid moves.
Let them have the meaningless victories. Let that stuff go. Think bigger. Play to win."
"Never stick my neck out," Jace said as if making a mental note. "Fine, we'll see how that goes."
Mira shook her head. "Don't deliberately misunderstand. When it matters, go all in, fight to the finish. Just not when it doesn't matter and could mess up what you want most."
"What if I most want my self respect?" Jace shot back. "What if that's the thing I care about most in the world? What if, with out that, I wouldn't be a guy who could stick his neck out when it mattered?"
"How others treat you doesn't have to hurt your self respect. And we all know that the thing you care about most isn't self respect. Or should I say who?" Mira said, clearly angry.
Mira, Cole, and Twitch all looked to me.
I made a face. "Wait what?"
Mira continued. "If things had gone the other way in there, and that someone got hurt or worse, what would you have done Jace?"
Jace shot daggers at Mira. If looks could kill, she would be dead. There was something scarily dark in Jace's expression, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out what it was.
Mira continued, turning back to Jace. "Forgiving some poor guy who didn't know who he was messing with doesn't have to hurt your self-respect. Neither does being smart. Neither does playing to win. But if things went the other way in there, and that someone got hurt? You would never forgive yourself. So you need to be more careful."
Jace chuckled cynically. "You were definitely born to rule. You know everything I should do.
You even know how I should feel. You don't want friends, Mira, you want semblances. Guess what? I'm not a puppet. And I'm not stupid. Maybe I thought sticking it to Baldy would make us look like we really were rich kids on holiday. Maybe that's why the owner treated us so well. Maybe the rest of you looked like imposters because you let some mouthy slave act like your superior."
Mira hesitated, finally shrugging. "Maybe. It felt unnecessary to me."
"Fine," Jace said. "I get it. I'll try to pick the right battles. But I also need to follow my instincts. I'm good at surviving too, Mira. Without any help."
"That's fair," Mira said. "But I'll part ways with you if I feel you're endangering me. Not out of meanness. Out of self-preservation. I don't want to control you, Jace. But I have every right to control my own fate."
Having crossed the waterway, the autocoach took the next left. We seemed to be heading out of town. The lane wasn't paved, and homes were becoming infrequent.
"I see a wall up ahead," Cole said after a moment of silence, obviously trying to change the subject.
"Good work, Cole," Jace muttered. "If I'm gone, at least you'll have an expert wall spotter."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cole asked.
"It means, what's your opinion?" Jace said. "It's easy to let Mira do all the talking. Should I have left Baldy alone? Did I make a mistake? You didn't back me up at the lodge. You just sat there looking awkward. I know what Twitch was thinking. He was figuring out which window would offer the quickest escape. That's what he does. Maybe it's a bug thing. But what about you?"
"I thought you crossed the line," Cole said.
"Pouring the soup on him was too much. It could have started a real fight."
"I couldn't show weakness," Jace said. "If I was going to stand up to him, I had to go for the throat. How would you have handled it?"
Cole sighed. "You saw how I handled it."
"You would have taken it?" Jace asked.
"Yeah, until Baldy crossed the line, I would have taken it. I did take it." Cole said defensively.
The autocoach came to a halt. "Would you like to investigate whether this is the desired destination?" Bertram asked.
"In a second," Jace said. He towered over Cole, at least a few inches taller. "Twitch can spot the exits. Kendal is the strategic. Cole can take the insults. I'll keep us alive."
"Cole has saved my life more than once," Mira said, fire in her tone. "Remember when he helped us escape?"
"Last I checked, that was Kendal." Jace said.
"Don't bring me into this!" I said to them, but they ignored me.
"I didn't see any arrows in the legionnaires running to get you," Jace said. "I forget, who took them out?"
"I'm not saying you didn't help," Mira said. "I'm saying Cole came to my rescue first. Don't insult the only people on your side. You could learn a lot from Cole."
I cringed inside. I knew Mira was trying to help, but I also knew she was making it worse.
"Good to know," Jace said. "I was wondering who I could study for some pointers."
"One of my secrets is watching for walls," Cole said, trying to lighten the mood.
Jace smiled knowingly. "Another is staying in the autocoach when it's about to be destroyed.
"You're right. I froze." Cole said.
"It happens," Jace said. "Usually it gets you killed."
"Guys! Stop it!" I said, stepping between them.
A real fight was brewing between the boys, and I didn't want to see that happen. "Seriously. You need to stop."
Jace shot me a look. "Who's side are you on?"
"Neither!" I said.
"No, It's okay," Cole said, angry now. "Jace probably saved my life back there. He can teach me a lot. What's your secret? Practice? Reflexes? True love?"
Jace looked so stunned that Cole almost looked sorry. I just stared at them, my brows furrowed.
Twitch laughed really hard. "You guys are hilarious!" I could tell it was forced. "We've come a really long way to talk to this herb lady. We're outside her door. And all we can do is squabble." Twitch said.
"He has a point," Mira said.
"Of course I do!" Twitch said. "I'm part bug. We have instincts about these things. We all have plenty to think about. If we keep talking, it'll just get mean, and things will come out that are better left unsaid. Let's just go see what we can learn."
"Fine with me," Jace said. Only a little worry lingered in his glance at Cole. "I've never been more bored."
I could tell Cole wanted to get in one more dig, but he resisted. "Let me see if I have this straight. When dinosaurs attack the coach, don't stay inside."
Jace smirked. "That's the idea. And I'm not supposed to dump soup on people unless it's absolutely necessary."
He opened the door and got out of the coach. Cole followed him, so it was me, Mira and Twitch let in the coach.
I sighed in relief. "That was an experience."
"We all learned something," Twitch said.
"Like not to mock Cole," Mira said to me, with a little smile.
"Will someone tell me what he meant by that?"
I said to Twitch and Mira.
They shared a look before Twitch said, "You're so oblivious."
I shot him a glare, and he laughed.
A wall of fitted stones draped with ivy blocked any view of the cottage until they reached a wrought-iron gate. Testing it, Mira found the gate unlocked. A gravel path bordered by white pebbles led from the gate to a tidy wooden cottage. To either side of the path, plants grew in rich soil, occasionally divided by lesser paths and weathered wooden beams.
Elaborate carvings of vines and birds were embossed on the door. Mira knocked.
"I'm out," a female voice called from inside.
"We have to talk," Mira replied.
There came a pause. I heard a bolt slide back and the door opened. An older woman with short, graying hair opened the door halfway. She was quite thin and not much taller than Jace, who was the tallest out of the five of us.
"Children? I'm out of sweetroot."
"We don't want sweetroot," Mira said.
"Speak for yourself," Jace grumbled, and I elbowed him.
"What is it, then?" the woman asked. "Father have a fever? Mother sprain an ankle? Cow not giving milk?"
"You're Gerta?" Mira asked.
"The crazy old herb woman," she replied with a small curtsy.
"Declan sent us," Mira said quietly.
Gerta looked beyond us, surveying the area.
"Who's in the coach?"
"A semblance," Mira said.
"You're serious," Gerta said, opening the door wider. "Come inside."
She guided them to a parlor with some fancy chairs and many shelves of fragile ceramic figurines. Jace claimed one chair, me and Twitch the others. Cole and Mira used the sofa, reserving the biggest armchair for Gerta.
The herb woman used the armrests and sat down with a weary sigh. "Where is Declan?"
"We can't tell," Mira said. "It's for your good as much as his."
She smiled, showing imperfect teeth. "You were with him alright. He's well?"
"Old," Mira said.
"He was old when I was a girl," Gerta said.
"He doesn't get around so well anymore," Mira said.
Gerta nodded. "He sent you to me for a purpose?"
"I'm looking for," Mira began, then seemed unsure how to phrase it.
"A monster that has been tearing apart Sambria," Cole jumped in. "A really powerful semblance."
"You can't mean Carnag," Gerta said with a gasp.
"That's what people call it," Mira said.
"There have been no eyewitnesses," Gerta said.
"I've heard tales of the devastation. The ruined towns, the missing people. We're all worried it'll head this way."
"Is it close?" Mira asked.
"Don't act eager, child. I've felt its energy from afar. It's like nothing we've ever known. What does Declan expect you to do?"
"We have to find it," Mira said.
"No," Gerta said. "You leave Carnag alone. Try not to let it find you. What did Declan tell you about it?"
"We have to find it," Mira repeated.
Gerta squinted at Mira. Then her eyes widened.
"You're connected."
"What?" Mira asked.
Gerta spoke slowly. "You're connected to Carnag. I wouldn't have seen if I wasn't really looking. Same type of energy, much fainter, but pure."
"Where should we look?" Mira asked.
"Carnag moves erratically," Gerta said. "This whole region of Sambria has been in awful suspense. We never know where it will strike next. Head southeast. Follow the screaming."
"Straight southeast?" Mira asked.
"More or less," Gerta said. "There will be a path of destruction. Ask the people fleeing. I expect you'll find Carnag sooner than you'd like. What can you possibly hope to accomplish?"
"We probably shouldn't tell you," Mira said.
"That might be sensible," Gerta agreed. "Declan really sent you to me?"
"Really." Mira said.
"Did he shape the semblance in the autocoach?"
Gerta asked.
"Yes," Mira said.
"Mind if I have a look?" Gerta asked. "It's not that I doubt you, but times being what they are . . ."
"Feel free," Mira said.
"I'll be back," Gerta announced.
Me and the others watched from the window.
"Think she'll try to take something?" Jace asked.
"From the autocoach?" Mira said. "No, but it doesn't hurt to watch."
Gerta didn't spend long at the coach. She returned along the path wearing a small, satisfied smile.
"That's his work all right," Gerta said as she reentered the room. "Bertram is a funny old character. He's very adamant that he's enjoying the countryside with his grandniece and grandnephews. You poor dears. You've gotten tangled up in something frightful. The whole garrison of legionnaires at Bellum went to fight this thing. Over a hundred men. None returned.
If you go bother Carnag, I'm afraid that will be the end of you."
"We have to try," Mira said.
"Your connection to the entity is undeniable," Gerta said. "I could speculate . . . but I better not. I'm glad to hear Declan survives. I'm happy to lend what aid I can. I've devoted myself to working with my plants. Vegetation is much easier to shape successfully than animals or even semblances. Given time, I might be able to whip up something powerful. Since you seem to be in a hurry, I'll give you some of the best of what I have on hand."
"That's not necessary," Mira said.
"I help Sambria little enough," Gerta said. "I spend most of my time here shaping herbs. I avoid the ugly politics. Nobody wants to antagonize the woman who can help a toothache and cure an upset stomach. Every now and then I get a chance to help people who are still trying to make a real difference for Sambria. I suspect you five fall into that category."
"We'd appreciate anything you can do," Cole said.
"I have single carrots that will fill your stomachs for three days," Gerta said. "Not an illusion, mind you. It will be like you've eaten healthy meals throughout. I have pumpkin seeds that will give you extraordinary night vision. The effect lasts four or five hours. You wouldn't want the extra sensitivity during the day, so eat them with care. And I have many herbal remedies for injuries and illnesses. I'll provide a full assortment. I'll even throw in a delicious tea that can induce prolonged slumber."
"You're too kind," Mira said.
"It's the least I can do for friends of Declan," Gerta said. "Would you five like to stay the night here?"
"We should be on our way," Mira said. "There are people after us."
"At least rest from your troubles while I gather my gifts"
Gerta said. "I'll bring you some snacks shortly."
"She's nice," Cole said after she had left the
room.
Mira sighed. "Yes. And informed. The problem is, the more I learn about my powers, the less I want them back."
"Maybe we really should go on vacation," Cole said. "We have money. I bet Bertram would be thrilled."
"I wish I could," Mira said. "I really do. You all don't have to join me. But I must face this."
"We're with you," Jace said.
Mira gazed out the window. "I hope it doesn't mean we'll all go down together."