An Axe in the Flames

Spearing Fish in a Barrel

The prisoner wagon caromed and jerked across the rocks, the wooden wheels bouncing and doing nothing to stop the constant jarring. Draxx's head throbbed from the insistent bobbing; he rubbed his temples and wiped his hands across his face. Anese and Pela sat directly across from him in the wagon. Pela sat facing him, and Anese sat with her head against the bars. He watched her head shake and bob as the wagon lurched and struggled to continue. The other three prisoners were barely clothed, wearing only dirty brown linen pants and rough-sewn, dingy white linen shirts. They were also barefooted and grimy, with hollow eyes and cracked lips. How long had they been kept captive in this cage? Draxx tried to make eye contact with one, but he shied away into the corner of the wagon; he caught Pela's eye and whispered.

"Can you use any of your magic to get out of here?"

She looked up at him and held her hand out; a small flame ignited into existence in her palm and then winked out. She did it again with the same result, then looked at him and shrugged.

"Your magic isn't working? Why? When?"

She looked at him and shrugged again. He was growing frustrated with not being able to communicate with her fully. He looked behind the wagon as the forest lands turned to sandy, low tree growth and faded into the distance. He was still determining exactly where they were, but he had guessed they were heading north towards the Thanish lands since this was a Thanish army. A guard rode horseback on either side of the prisoner wagon, both adorned in an iron breastplate of purple and brown with a snake in the center and iron leggings to match. If they were in such armor, surely they wouldn't have ventured that far from their camp? Draxx had never been a fan of so much armor, especially when having to ride into battle. It was cumbersome and hot and chaffed in all of the wrong places. He decided to try to speak to the one riding beside him.

"Hey, horse guy."

The rider glanced his way and then snapped his reins to pull ahead.

"Fine, didn't want intelligent conversation huh?" Draxx called out.

"He doesn't speak the common tongue." The other horseback rider said as he pulled closer to the wagon.

Draxx turned and smiled; as he crossed the small caged wagon, it groaned with his weight, the other prisoners quickly shifting to the opposite side.

"Where are we going?" Draxx asked.

The rider pulled off his helm and set it on the saddle handle; wiping his brow, he responded in a clipped accent, "War camp. Maybe a few miles away. We should be able to see the flags soon."

Draxx tried to look ahead, but the front of the wagon was walled off. Anese had turned and was trying to hide that she was listening.

"What are we going to do at the war camp? I can't imagine we'll be treated to a hearty breakfast."

The rider smiled, "No, no breakfast. Minnow is there and will decide what we do with you and the boys."

The boys, Draxx, had forgotten that Pela and Anese had shaved their heads to mask the fact that they were girls; it hadn't fooled Poppy and anyone from Dry Lake but these Thanish soldiers it had worked on.