Chapter 4
                      

          



Riding on a horse for two days can be tiring and somewhat painful, add the fact that you have an arrow hole in one of your legs and have been effectively poisoned by the same arrow and you’ve got yourself a one way ride to hell. So the last few days have been what could only be called a fiery delusional hayride to pain and misery. So excuse me if I seem somewhat on edge. Or rather somewhat ready to wring Tadels’ neck.
“ Rase?” He leans over, looking down at me grimacing. I’m glaring daggers at him, my leg on fire, my head swimming, and my vision almost gone. “ Look, I said I was sorry about having you go out the window, I couldn’t have known she was a mind reader.” He’s been saying that for the last two days. “ Look, I just wanted to tell you we are almost there, and I haven’t seen that woman at all, or even heard her. I think we lost her.”
I can feel the horse slowing its stride, coming to a halt. A head of us the trees begin to clear out, thinning in to grass and flowers. In the middle of the newly formed meadow is a small cottage. The wooden cabin is clean and sturdy; a small deck sits just in front of it, a small swing hanging upon it. In the swing is a man, about Tadel’s height with long brown hair, at the ends of which the hair turns a deep red. His skin is tanned by the sun and he’s wearing a loose pair of brown pants, his chest is bare save for a single leather sash baring a long blade.
“ Evening.” He says, standing. He waves his arms at us, motioning us forward. “ What brings you here Tadel? Is that Rase?”  I can see him heading towards us now. The horse has stilled. Tadel begins to dismount and the mans face slowly becoming visible. Its Nick, my brother, concern lighting his eyes. “ What happened to her? Why’s she lying like that?” He leans over me, his cold hand touching my head, “ Rase?” he looks into my eyes, lifting my head with his hands.
“ We were attacked.” Tadels voice is calm, constrained behind Nick.
“ Attacked?” Nick turns, his back to me now, the clean scars crossing his flesh drawing my attention. “ Who?” He turns back to me, his hands on my face again. “ Why?”
“ A job went bad. We were followed, and jumped.” Tadel seemed to be ready to give only so much to Nick, and Nick could tell, his face slowly filling with rage. “ She was shot with a Hunii Target Arrow, doused with Palm Seed oil.”
“ Palm?” Nick’s eyes grew, his face changing back to concern. “ Has she started to hallucinate yet?”
“ She’s been hallucinating for the last two days. I gave her some Talc weed, and it’s lowered her fever.”
“ Well of course it did.” He turned his eyes up to mine. “ Rase? Rase can you hear me?”
“ Y-yes.” My voice came out as a chirp.
“ How are you feeling? Can I move you?” His hands fall on my hips, resting gentle as to not harm me.
“ I-“ My voice is horse, having not been used in days. “ You can.” I groan. His hands harden on my hips, shifting me toward his body. As my leg brushes the horse I groan, pain shooting up my body. Nick shifts an arm under my knees, cradling me against his chest.
“ Sorry.” He whispers into my hair. He rests my head on his shoulder and begins to head for his house. “ Tadel, that person who attacked you, did they follow you here?”
“ I’m not sure, this is her horse.” I hear him begin to follow us in, his voice full of concern.
“ Get rid of it then. If she comes across my house and finds her horse she’ll know you’re here.”
“ If she comes across your house she’ll know we are here, she’s a mind reader.” Nick stops, turning back to Tadel. My eyes are drooping again. I can see that symbol in my mind, the blue sigil, turning and turning.
“ What?” Nicks voice is high, irritation coloring it. “ A mind reader? What the hell did you just say?” I feel Nick moving, my eyes are closed and I can’t see where. “ What the hell was this job you were doing? Who is after you? Hunii?”
“ Look, isn’t Raseleane more important than this? Look.” Tadel’s voice is still calm, centered. “ She’s passing out. We’ve got to get her the antidote and treat her leg.”
“ Your right.” Nicks body spins, and I can feel cool air flowing against my face. “ We’ll treat her, clean the blood off her face, and then-then you are going to tell me the details.”
“ Fine.”

                                                          

I woke up.
My head was clear and the pain in my leg was gone. I sat up, looking down at my leg. The thigh was wrapped up, covered in red cloth. Or rather white cloth stained red. I looked around and saw that it was night, the moon streaming in through the window. I was sitting on Nick’s bed, the fireplace encasing the room in a warm glow. The room was quite; no noise entered it in the dim silence of the early morn. On the table beside the bed were leaves from various plants, and a couple seeds. Amongst them was a goblet filled with an orange liquid. Beside the goblet was a note:
“ Rase,
Please take this when you wake up. Nick and I are out placing traps incase that woman comes again. He expects the whole story when we get back, and to be honest so do I.
Tadel”

I sighed. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
Suddenly I heard a loud pop. Outside the noises intensified. Then a loud hiss. The
room shook, the noises vibrating off the wall.
“ What-“ I felt the ground shake, and then I heard a light flush of water. I stood, walking to the door. My leg felt better, I was able to walk easily to the door of the room, pulling it open. On the floor just outside lay Tadel, his body soaked in water, his hands lying motionless beside him. I stepped over his unconscious frame, scanning the yard for Nick.
I saw him, just beyond the tree line, lying upon the ground unconscious.
“ Evening.” I turned around and there she was. Standing tall and lean in the meadow, her blond hair pulled up into a bun. She had her katana sheathed, her black cloth loosely hung against her skin. “ You know I’ve been looking for you for the last 5 days.” Five? I thought it only took two to get here… “ Oh. You must have just woken up. Well. “ She walked toward me, her posture relaxed. “ It’s nice to know you’ve healed from that little arrow wound. Sorry about that.” She continued toward me, calm and without purpose.
“ Your sorry about that?” I glared at her, all the pain from the last few days flowing out of me and up at her. “ You shot me with an arrow! A POISONED ARROW!”
“ In my defense you did break into my home and steal from my employer.” She smiled at me, stopping a few inches from me. “ Now of course you understand that I still am going to have to kill you.”
“ No, actually, I don’t understand.”  I stared at her, at her stupid gold hair, at her stupid blue eyes, and at that stupid fissure of water heading to my face. Wait. I jumped to the side, avoiding the jet of ice, the woman’s clear blue gaze following me.
“ That’s hardly going to work little girl. I knew you were going to jump.” She smiled at me, her long thin arm caressing the katana at her hip. “ Forget the ice then. Lets do this with steal.”
“ But I don-“
“ I never said anything about giving you a blade.” And then she was moving, a golden bullet heading at me, and I ran, leaping into the trees. Years of training in the dense foliage had given me an athletic edge to the chase, sweeping from tree to tree. I could hear the woman behind me, her feet whispers on the dense forest floor. My only chance was to exhaust her, her mind reading would allow her to follow me no matter where I ran, but if I could get her into a hard enough terrain she’d loose her wind and fall back. I headed to the cliffs, if I could get her to follow me on to the rock face I could drop her, of that I was certain.
As we neared the edge of the forest she shot in front of me, her katana slicing my check in the sweep. I froze in place, surprised by the sudden attack.
“ Weren’t you leading me to some cliffs?” she sneered; black eyes stared up at me from a pale face, her long blond hair falling free in the wind. I knew she could hear my thoughts, the edge of the forest close enough to touch. I glanced to the edge, hearing the breaking waves, contemplating my avenues of escape. I knew now I wouldn’t be able to take her in a fight, she’d kill me in a heartbeat if I so much as touched the forest floor.
And then it happened.
As my gaze swept back from the cliffs I glimpsed the moon, my blood running cold. The woman’s feet shifted on the dirt, a small sniff coming from her position. My eyes began to blur, my hands burning. I looked down to them and saw a sigil, the seal of Doshidania burning bright upon my palms. My eyes fell, darkness incasing me. I could feel the wind on my body; fire taking me over, and it was so hot I couldn’t see. The flames licked at my skin, burning to my soul. I screamed till my breath failed.
And then I floated into blackness.

                                                     
I could see her sitting in the tree. Her face torn between running and running in another way. She’s finally realized how truly screwed she was when…the unexpected occurred. One moment the child’s sitting in the tree peeing her pants, then she is screaming, and clutching her head to her chest. I stare, transfixed, as the child’s hair grows, a steady pace spanning down to her feet. Her body begins to grow, slowly at first and then picking up speed. Suddenly she drops from the tree, her burned hands raised high above her head.
“ Child?” I walk toward the bushes. Despite myself I am concerned. Is she injured? When did her hands get burned? “ Are you there? Can you move?” Why am I concerned for someone I am supposed to be killing?
Then another little surprise occurs.
Behind me I hear bristling, turning I stare straight into green eyes. It is the girl, and yet it isn’t. If it is she then she has grown, now around 6’2”, her hair reaching down to her knees.
“ Nice to see you.” Her voice is different. A deeper more feminine tune. The woman walks toward me, she is smooth and graceful. Her figure is tall and lean, similar to my own. Her movements that of a swordsman. “ So I believe you’re here to kill me? Is that correct?”
My eyes scan her face. In my head I can hear the name Raseleane. Her name is Raseleane. So like that girl…and yet not like her at all.
“ You are…Raseleane.” I try to remain calm. Try to keep the surprise from my voice. “ You are… much older than you were. Surely you are not that same girl.” I scan her face, listening. But nothing comes; her inner voice is silent, her green eyes gauging me.
“ It’s rude to read peoples thoughts.” A slow smile comes to her face, a knowing grin. “ You’re not going to be able to pull that trick with me. I’m not as easily prayed upon as those kids.” Her hands flip forward, twin blades glistening in her now clear palms. “ Now, care to settle this?” she lowers her body, spreading her feet, ready to strike.
I lower my katana to the ground behind me, then jump. My body leaping through the air, my ears open to her mind. She is silent as she sweeps to the side, sinking into a reaction based attack she swings one of her blades high, I drop to the ground in time to catch her other blade with my katana. Then leaping back I dodge the dropping of the blade from above.
She’s an excellent swordswoman. Clearly well trained and highly experienced. She steps forward, her stance changing. A blade above her head and one swung out behind her. Raises her leg and puts it more out in front, a clear jest at my skill, leaving her leg bare and unprotected. She stares at me with her green eyes, seemingly filled with the patience of the world. Then I hear her. In her mind she calls for a swipe at the left, caging me into a tree, then a barrel drop strike to take out an arm or hand. She means not to kill me.
I smile at her. Letting her know I heard that. Her stance changes and then she springs, her mind clear. I pull down my katana through her blades, glancing off steel and swiping at her hair. A few strands fly free and I jump back, her swords coming up just above my belly as I lean back. I raise my feet, grabbing a hilt from her hand, throwing it at a near by tree.
“ Hardly fair.” She sighs. Her mind laughing at me.
“ I wouldn’t say so. I think I am being pretty fair.” I smile at her. She has yet to taste the full range of my abilities. As she slides to the left, going for her sword I drop to the ground. Gas flies up into her face as I dissipate from view. She looks around for me as the fog clears, picking up her blade from the tree.
“ Running away is not what I would call sportsmanly.” Her voice is irate.
“ I’m not.” I leap out of the fog, coming back together from my dissipated form and congealing in time to strike. My blade takes her though the shoulder, dropping her to the ground. “ Don’t ever underestimate your prey. You never know what they are capable of.”
“ Demon.” She sneers at me, her ices ice. Then, just as sudden as it came to begin with, she begins to shake, her face falling into her chest. Her hands start to smoke, her body shrinking, her hair shrinking, till all that remains is the young Raseleane from before. The girls head lulls side to side. Disoriented and confused.
“ Wha-“ she begins, then draws back her head, wincing as I turn my blade in her shoulder.
I knew why Sumnesia wanted her dead.
“ What was that little stunt you just pulled?” I could feel that ice inside me again, clawing its way up. I tried to calm down, closing my eyes and leaning against the blade in the girls arm.
“ Urrgh.” She winces again, groaning at the pain. I can smell her blood and feel her pain. She can’t even form a coherent thought. I glance down at her hands; her palms are burned, smoking slightly. On the palms, at the very base, are blisters, small sigils burned into her flesh. I lean down, placing a knee on the ground as to get a closer look. The ice inside me begins to calm, falling back. I have to remember not to use those powers, or I’ll lose myself.
“ What did this?” I raise her hands to her face, trying to will her eyes open. The girl is incoherent, her mind a fog of pain. She’s on fire inside, her palms heating at my touch. I stare at her.
I want to help her. I’m staring down at her with concern in my heart, wanting to end the fire in her mind, the burns on her hands.
I stare down at her. And then against my better judgment I pick her up and head back to her brother Nick’s.
                                                  

Ugh.
“ H-Hey….” I hear from above me.
As I open my eyes I see Nicks face staring down at me, concern on his features.
“ You okay man? That vixen got you to I assume.”
Vixen? That Hunii!
I jump up, my body wobbling as I stand. I begin to scan the area, Rase’s face shines back at me in all the shadows.
“ Rase?” I choke out.
“ I don’t know I-“ We hear a twig snap to our right, and then the shine of long blonde hair.
From the shadows of the woods comes the Hunii woman, Rase’s limp body hanging from her arms. My heart begins to . The woman’s movements seem so slow, while the warm red blood falls ever faster from Rase’s chilled flesh.
Some how everything felt colder, darker. Looking up I saw into the woman’s eyes. Their intensity seemed endless. The eyes where different than any eyes I had ever seen. She seemed to glow from her pupils. Where a Fulins’ where back, hers were an intense blue, flowing out like a river of light.
She laid Raseleane in front of me, placing her head in my lap. As Rase’s body rolled I saw her hands. The palms were burned, small sigils crowned her wrists, Orn, the symbol of eternity, and the Lady of the Dead.
My stare returned to the woman, who leaned over me, crowned by the rays of the sun, glinting off her waist length blonde hair, and haloing her glowing eyes. She smiled at me, running her hand down Rase’s back, in a motherly comfort. Her smile was small, her lips thin, but some how seemed…sweet. An innocent smile.
In my arms I felt Rase shift.
And then the damn on my fear broke, my arms wrapping around her breathing body. The sound returned, and I felt my heart begin to race.
For some reason she had returned to us.
This murderer had spared her, and then brought her back to us again.
As Nick lifted Rase from my arms with a frown and a scowl, I looked back into those glowing blue eyes.
“ Why?” In spite of her return of Rase, I still felt fear near her. Her eyes scanned me and her face seemed to chill. The warm halo of light no longer adorned her thin body, no longer glinted off her hair.
She stood there cool like death. Her ice eyes bore into my own. Her pale blond hair hung straight down her thin shoulders, while her pale skin seemed to take on a blush hue.
The temperature too seemed some how to drop.
I remembered her powers, and took a step back.
She confused me. The woman was a Hunii, but ran out killing, and had the powers of a demon while not wanting to kill, while trying to kill Rase and instead saving her. She was a conundrum. One that was staring at me as if she held my future in her hands.
We stood like that for longer than I can ever know. Her taking my measure and I trying to stand my ground.
At last the air seemed to lift. Light glowed gold in the trees again, the warmth coming back to the world. Some how even the woman seemed to become warmer, her eyes, her hair, and her smile.
She walked slowly across the grass, standing once more in front of me.
“ She is going to get killed pretty soon you know.” She whispered to me.
“ If that was the case why bring her back unharmed?” I asked, confused by the situation.
“ Unharmed?” She laughed. “ I’m sure you’ll notice a few cosmetic changes if not more.”
Umm…. What?
“ What did you do to her?” My voice was cold. I can’t believe she was enjoying this.
“ All I did was stab her shoulder with a poisoned sword.” She stepped back. “ But I think you should know that someone else has been there before.” She laughed and then- smoke. She seemed to vaporize. In one moment solid, then a gust of wind and she floated away.
I stared, transfixed.
“ Magic.” I whispered.