The Shattered Path

Chapter 16 - The Lands Far Away

Alara opened her eyes to darkness. There was a loud rumble. Her face and the back of her head ached. Her head bounced against something hard. Did she hear horses as well? There was something over her face. It was cloth! She clawed madly until she pulled it from her head.

Sunlight from the blue sky blinded her. Storefronts raced by as she sat up in the back of a wagon. Two men stood next to her, one with a sword and the other with a thick staff. Wood and steel clashed repeatedly. The swordsman was her father! She did not recognize the strange man with the long hair and beard. He wasn't a Raujornian. He didn't have tattoos and his brown robe was torn as if he were a common beggar, or perhaps a woodsman.

What had happened to the Raujornians? Her eyes focused on the body of a man in a black robe, slumped backwards over the driver's bench, bouncing lifelessly.

Alara touched her throbbing left eye and cheek. Her mind was foggy. The Raujornians had been inside of her head after she had fallen unconscious, keeping her trapped in a magical sleep. She recalled feeling alone in the darkness, trying to awaken but unable. There was little question now why they had released her. Her father had come to save her!

The brown robed man swept her father's legs from under him and he dropped onto his back, holding his sword before him to block any downward thrusts.

"Father!" Alara screamed as the brown robed man raised his staff. She called to the magic, any and all that she could. It took only a moment to fill her, but seemed an eternity. The roar of energy in her blood sent waves of agony through her head. Spirit flooded her body as well, soothing her weary mind. She felt sick and out of control, but she had to focus! She had to save her father!

The bearded man already held his attack, taking a step back, swaying in the bouncing wagon. His eyes darted from Lastes to Alara and back before he held up a hand. Alara thought he was calling magic, but she realized he asked them to hold off their attacks. Or, at least, he asked her father to hold off.

Lastes took advantage of the hesitation and sprang back to his feet, standing ready to prove that he would not go down so easily again.

"I am Theseus of the Circle of Neanuil," the man shouted. His robe, hair, and beard flapped in the wind. He lowered his staff when he saw that her father was not pressing another attack.

His words meant nothing to Alara. She wondered if any of it meant anything to her father. She doubted it.

"You are Lastes?" Theseus asked. He seemed to already know the answer and did not wait for it. "I am here to help you."

Alara had no idea how they had come to fighting on the wagon, or even how they had gotten in a wagon. Once she realized they were not going to fight, she climbed to the driver's bench. Continuing to watch the brown robed man over her shoulder, she shoved the Raujornian corpse, trying to flip it over the side of the wagon. She had to use both hands and shift to get leverage and finally it flopped to the street; it made her feel nauseous to touch a dead body. Dark blood stained the wood of the seat and she checked her hands, thankful to have gotten none on herself. She reached down and snatched the reins, taking control of the running horses and slowing the wagon. She had driven many supply wagons to the academy, including this same wagon.

"Help us how?" Lastes asked.

"I gave the girl to Lasen. He gave her to you," the man began.

"No. He gave her to my father, who was too old to raise her," Lastes corrected. "She is my daughter," he added loudly; too loudly. "And did you give her to my father when you were ten seasons of age? What are you? Thirty seasons?"

Alara spun on the driver's bench. They were talking about her! Her grandfather had been named Lastes as well, though he had died before she had been old enough to remember him. This man had given her to someone named Lasen, who had given her to her father? Were they saying someone else was her father? Her mother was not her mother? It couldn't be possible.

Her father cast a sideways glance at Alara. His face showed his anger, but there was some hint of sorrow in his eyes. Was that a confirmation? Was it true? She turned and jerked the reins. The wagon groaned to a halt.

"They will come for her. They already have. We must leave the city," Theseus warned.

"Is that your idea of a warning? Thanks for nothing. Why should I trust you?" Lastes asked. "Lasen warned us not to trust Draechai."

"Lasen was correct," Theseus agreed, stepping down from the wagon. "But you can trust me. You have to trust me. I was the one who told him that. Besides, we both have the same love for Raujornians." He pointed to the red liquid staining the blade. "There will be others now. Not just Raujornians. Others who are worse."

"Did you visit him and his wife recently?" Lastes stepped down, next to the bearded man, lowering his blade, as if casually.

Alara felt huge tears in her eyes and her magic fell away. Lastes was her father. He had to be. Imaen was her mother. She had to be. Why wasn't her father arguing with the man? He had to be wrong.

"Sadly, Lasen's wife passed away some years ago," Theseus responded grimly. "I spoke with him a few days ago."

Her father moved to her. His eyes were sorrowful, but anger colored his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her in a rough hug, still holding his sword.

"I am your father, girl," he assured. "Those bastards will pay for all of this trouble. I promise you that."

"Where is Syrs?" Alara asked tearfully.

"I don't know," her father said softly. "The Raujies didn't know either. He must have gotten away."

"We must hurry," Theseus moved through the onlookers into an alleyway. "They will spot this crowd with ease and we may not get lucky against them again."

"Where will we go?" Lastes asked.

Alara allowed herself to be pulled through the crowd by her father. Her eyes were blurry with tears. She was aware of people commenting on their smoking wagon or making remarks about the fight between her father and the nature priest, but could not comprehend what was being said. Her mind still spun at the excitement, the pain in her cheek, and the possibility that her father was not her real father.

"There are those who will help us, but they are in lands far away."

"I mean, right now. Where are we going now?" Lastes clarified.

"We must get out of the city. There is a secret way. I have a ship waiting." Theseus didn't look back, continuing forward at a brisk pace.

"A ship to where?" Lastes pressed.

"Lands far away."