A Forest of Secrets

Chapter 31

As the figure approached, Alaric frantically searched inside the backpacks; Wyn and Laurentius were preparing an escape plan involving knocking the guard out and running as fast as they could somewhere else, maybe leaving the guard tied up to a tree without pants.

"Here it is," Alaric was holding something, it looked like a piece of cloth: what in the world would he do with a piece of fabric? Why wasn't he helping with an escape plan? Those three were hopeless without her around to make decisions: she would've suggested they fled somewhere, maybe to another town while they had time, they could contact grandmother in the morning.

From around the mage's neck, she watched as Alaric approached her newly fixed body: he was carrying a shirt and a pair of trousers. Creators, that man! She had barely registered her nakedness-- her body seemed foreign, like it didn't really belong to her-- and there he was, worrying about her modesty, making sure she was covered before doing anything else. She felt thankful for it, even if it meant wasting precious time: she wasn't looking forward to meeting the guards, or whoever it was, butt-naked.

Alaric clothed her under Wyn and Laurentius' impatient looks; they paced nervously around him, checking the light in the distance. The bright dot got closer and closer, whoever it was had probably seen them. The holder of the light picked up their pace, there was no escaping anymore: they'd have to fight them.

Wyn and Alaric stood in front of Jo's body, the young knight held his sword and shield, the girl a very dangerous looking flask; Laurentius propped himself a little further ahead, lifting a barrier around them. Jo could feel his heart beating fast but evenly, his breath was rhythmic, steady. He was ready to strike.

"Goodnight there!" A female voice greeted them from the distance. As she approached, her face became visible. She wasn't grandmother, clearly, and she didn't look like a guard either; she was wearing leather trousers and a loose blouse, her weathered face looked at them with suspicion.

"Goodnight, beautiful night for a stroll, is it not?" Laurentius didn't move a muscle as he said it, Jo couldn't feel a change in his heartbeat: his focus was admirable.

"Aye," the woman answered. She was now within arm's reach of the mage. Jo noticed the lines on her face weren't really wrinkles, but dozens of fine scars that formed-- patterns? Like tattoos made of skin and flesh. Her jet-black hair shone under the moonlight as she kneeled to put her firedust lantern down. "You're not Jocasta, are you? I was expecting a girl," the woman smirked.

"I didn't catch your name, fair lady," the mage's words dripped with fake politeness.

"I'm Roisin," she answered, picking her nails.

"Who sent you? What are you doing here?" Alaric chimed in- he didn't have Laurentius' patience.

"An old woman paid me to smuggle a Jocasta into the city. And-- Ontur's ass, I forgot the names of the others, but two men? I assume it's the two of you? But you-- you don't exactly look like a knight, do you?" she pointed at Laurentius. "And the little one must be Jocasta? A sweetie," Roisin looked over Laurentius' shoulder; Jo could picture Wyn making an annoyed face, but she couldn't see through the mage's body. "Nobody said anything about a dead girl, I'll charge twice for that; the guards will put me to the gallows if they see us carrying her. I know a place where we could dump the body, it's not--"

"She's not dead," Alaric sighed, "she's unconscious."A half-truth, but it would do. "And she's Jocasta, the girl you were paid to smuggle in? We're carrying her."

"Deadweight either way: I'm not carrying her. You seem like a strong lad, I'm sure you won't have any problems?" Roisin picked up her lantern, then turned it off. The firedust particles hid as the glass turned pitch black. "Come on now, follow me. One of the guards owed me a favor, he won't be passing through here until a couple of hours," she beckoned them to move, then strode on. Alaric held Jo's body carefully in his arms, cradling her.