Not Magic Enough and Setting Boundaries

chapter Eight



Daylight couldn’t come soon enough for Delae. With no sign of Kort she had the animals brought back to the stables and sheds.

“It’s your fault,” Cana shouted, charging down the quadrangle. “It’s your fault Kort left so quickly.”

“And his fault if we starve through the winter, Cana,” Delae said back, just as sharply, “for lack of the grain to feed us. There will be little meat this winter as we may have to sell one of the cows. No milk, no cream, no cheese, either, if we do.”

The furious woman came up short at the threat. No milk for her bread and honey each night? She turned and stomped away in a huff.

Delae closed her eyes, pressed her fingers to her eyelids as she took a deep breath. With a shake of her head, she turned back toward the great room.

“Pay no attention to her, Delae,” Petra said, stoutly. “And we can do on half rations.”

With a smile, Delae patted Petra’s comforting hand on her arm. “For all my words to Cana, it’s not so bad as that yet, Petra, we might simply have to butter the bread a little more thinly for a time until I’m sure.”

A breath of a relief burst out of the aged little woman. She loved her bread soaked in cream and honey as much as the old bitch did.

With a small chuckle, Delae went on her way.

Her fingers drifted over the tapestry on the loom, remembering… Her throat tightened as she sat before it and chose her threads. In her thoughts was Dorovan’s lovely deep voice, telling her about life in Talaena, of how beautiful it was. She could only imagine it but some of it she set into the threads of the tapestry she wove, smiling as afternoon light slowly gilded the room in light.

That smile didn’t last long when she heard the first cry of alarm from the yard.

The first shout had Delae racing for the doorway, some instinct telling her that this, this, was what Kort had truly feared.

Morlis had spotted the black-clad riders coming and now ran to try to shut the gates, calling for help.

Damn you, Kort, what have you done? she wondered as she spun and ran for her sword.

Petra and Hallis rushed down the hall toward her at the shouts from the yard.

“Bar all the entrances, Hallis, Petra,” Delae said, snatching up her sword, fighting back her fear. “Go as quickly as you can. Get water heated and bandages ready. Go.”

Frightened, Petra said, “What is it, Delae?”

“I don’t know,” Delae said, as they heard another shout of alarm from outside. “But it’s bad. Bar the doors behind me. Your lives on it if you don’t.”

She ran, her skirts flying.

It was too late.

The riders hit the rapidly closing gates hard with the speed of their arrival, sending Morlis flying as the wooden gates slammed against his body, flinging him backwards.

Dan came running from the forge, a hammer and a piece of heated iron in his hands to face a dozen men on horseback, all armed with swords, some in leather armor.

The horses and riders milled around in the courtyard, disturbed by the smell of the hot iron, turning for the oak and iron-clad doors to the great room.

Where Delae stepped out with sword in hand to face them.

Behind her, she heard the bar on the door fall into place with a solid chunk.

There was no retreat, but if she didn’t win here retreat was not an option. A part of her wanted to weep, but she couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

“Dan – get Morlis,” she said calmly, seeing her hostler sprawled by the gates, shaking his head to clear it. She turned to the men before her. “The gates to the homestead itself are barred. Name your business here.”

She gave a significant glance to Dan, whose eyes widened at her words, knowing the doors would have to be battered open. He nodded, keeping his eyes warily on the intruders as he went to Morlis.

The leader of the invaders looked at her.

“You won’t gain entrance,” she said. “What is your business here?”

“Do you even know how to use that?” he asked, glancing at the sword.

A week’s lessons from an Elven Swordmaster were better than nothing by far, and certainly better than many of these who would know only how to hack and slash.

“Well enough to cut the first one or two who try me,” she said evenly. “Who wants to go first?”

The leader burst out in laughter as he eyed her.

Beyond him, Delae could see Dan help Morlis back to the barn before releasing him so he could close the stable doors as well. Dan gestured to the women and children, including his own Lucie, sending them into the miniature fortress that was the forge. Morlis quietly drew the doors shut behind him. All the smallfolk were safe and secure.

Now she was truly alone.

Dan shut the outer doors behind him, mallet and steel in hand, to guard the entrance and to aid Delae if he could.

His loyalty and courage touched her.

“Again,” she said, as much to keep their attention on her. “What is your business here?”

“Is this the homestead of landowner Kort?”

Kort.

She closed her eyes. She might have known. Now she understood his fear, his anxiety. He must owe a great deal to engender this result.

“You just missed him,” she said. “He left only hours ago, heading south and west. If you leave now you can probably catch him.”

With a roar, the leader burst into laughter.

“I like you,” he said. “You’re a feisty wench. It must be the red hair. You must be the bitch he speaks of? His wife? Is that you? Are you his wife?”

“There’s nothing for you here,” she said, evenly, in answer. “Just go.”

Behind him, she saw Morlis reach out for the door to the hayloft and draw it closed. At least they wouldn’t fear fire.

“Kort owes my some money,” the leader said.

“A pity,” Delae said. “He should know better than to lend it to drunken gamblers. There’s no money here, Kort took it all.”

The leader looked around at the homestead, only then noticing doors that had once been open were now shut and Dan standing guard at the forge.

“As I said,” Delae repeated. “There is nothing for you here. Kort has every coin we had. If you leave now, you might catch him.”

It would serve him right to face the consequences of his actions for once. Or perhaps he could ride fast enough to outrun them.

Eyeing the closed and barred courtyard, the leader turned to her. “Somehow I don’t think so. You seem a smart woman. Too smart to let him take it all.”

Delae swore softly in her mind but took a page from the Elves - from Dorovan - and kept it from showing on her face.

If they took the money, it was die now or starve later. Even if they sold all their stock - if these didn’t take them, too - barring a miracle they would simply starve the next winter instead. And Kort would still be out there between waiting for more…or coming back for what little remained.

There was nothing else to do but brazen it out.

“I repeat,” she said, “there is nothing for you here. Just go.”

With a shrug, the leader said, “There is always you. Better a bird in the hand. Sell you to the slave markets and we’d get something at least. You’re a little thing but bold and pretty enough with that red hair. If nothing else, you’ll fetch a hefty price.” He smiled. “I’d be first in line to break you in. You’ve got spirit.”

Just the thought sent a shudder through her although she didn’t show that either. Or how utterly terrified she was.

She would fight, though, because she must.

With a shake of his head the bandit signaled to his men.

“Get the doors down,” he commanded. “Take her.”

Delae looked at Dan, holding one hand low, praying he’d listen as his muscles bunched.

It was likely they’d both die here but those they loved might not.

The riders dismounted, pushing their horses out of the way. Delae never took her eyes off the leader as two of his men headed toward her. The others gathered together laughing and shoving each other as they turned toward the doors to the great room.

If they did break in, they’d be sadly disappointed to find only two old men and two old women inside. Kort’s mother and Delae’s servant.

But they were Delae’s. Her responsibility. She set herself as the two men neared and then she nodded.

Dan charged with a shout, mallet and heated iron swinging.

It was a distraction and all she needed.

Delae ran and spun, her wrists locked as Dorovan had taught her. She felt the impact of steel against skin and bone, as sharpened steel sliced effortlessly through flesh. Her mind shied away from the thought and from the shower of blood that drenched her skirts even as she turned to the next, ducking beneath a swing that might have taken her head off.

A blade flashed in the late afternoon sunlight as the second drove his sword down at her head. She took it on her own with both hands. The force of the blow made her hands sting but she didn’t drop the blade, only her shoulder as she slid out from beneath it and danced away. Even as she spun and turned she drew the sword after her and felt it bite into flesh as the man shouted in pain.

It was the movement of mass – the sudden beat of hooves that made her turn – spinning and ducking as the leader spurred his horse at her, grabbing for her hair.

He missed.

Setting his horse on his heels, the leader turned it and swung even as a third man charged toward her.

Her long hair flowing around her like liquid fire in the sunlight, Delae fended off one blow even as she arched to avoid another, the smith Dan swinging his mallet mightily, encircled by swordsmen.

As Dorovan rode toward the gate that was what he saw - he set heels to Charis’s ribs unnecessarily as the sound of battle rang in the air. Charis was stretched full out but the gallant Elven-bred reached farther.

His heart nearly stopped even as a part of him admired the wonder and beauty, the grace of Delae, her courage as she fought, always, against impossible odds.

Then his swords were in his hands. He spun the blades around them, bright Elven steel sending shards of light coruscating to splinter against the buildings.

It was that light that startled the raiders; it caught their attention, even as he shouted, “Delae!”

Hope against hope, Delae heard Dorovan’s familiar deep voice and cried, “Dorovan!” even as she spun away from the third raider, dodging the leader as he rode down on her.

The leader turned at the shout, his eyes widening as he looked up to see an Elven warrior bearing down on him.

In an instant, two of his men fell to the Elf’s swords as the Elf’s horse spun, its feet lashing out to send one of those battling the smith flying.

With a roar, the leader set his spurs to his horse and charged as his men scrambled to rally themselves.

At the last minute he threw himself off his horse - dodging the Elf’s blades - scrambling out of the way as his horse slammed into the huge Elven-bred.

Prepared for the impact, trained for it, Charis braced, staggering only a little as he drove the lesser beast off with teeth and hooves.

Dorovan was off the horse in one smooth motion, striding across the quadrangle as the bandit leader ducked behind the shelter of his men. They came at him.

Against swordsmen of such little skill as these, it was hardly a contest. Dorovan was Elf, Swordmaster for Talaena. These were bandits with no skill and less training.

Spinning in, dropping low, Dorovan ducked one sword and parried another effortlessly before his longsword took one even as he went beneath the other man’s guard. His shortsword took that one as he turned another’s blade with a flick of his wrist. One staggered back, mortally wounded. The other two were already dead.

He advanced on the leader.

“Dorovan,” Delae shouted, seeing a bandit behind him, preparing to throw his sword like a javelin.

It was like watching a dancer, Dorovan was so smooth as he spun and turned to avoid the thrown blade.

To Dorovan’s alarm, he saw the leader smile.

From the corner of his eye he saw one of the men charge Delae, catching her around the waist from behind, lifting her from the ground. But the man hadn’t caught her arms. Or the sword in them.

She arched backward, driving her sword back over her head to glance off that of the man who held her.

With a shriek, the man released her.

Dropped to her feet, she spun, cleaving the man’s head from his shoulders.

His swords at ready, Dorovan advanced slowly as Delae ran lightly but swiftly to join him, waiting until she had his back.

The leader of the bandits and the remainder of his men charged.

Dorovan wove a curtain of steel around them, moving and turning as blood flew and men screamed - Delae fighting at his back, keeping it safe.

These, unskilled and untrained, were nothing against an Elven Swordmaster and his friend-of-the-heart.

Then there was only the leader left and Delae stepped away, however much her heart was in her throat, even knowing Dorovan was Elf, to leave this for him to do.

Once more she was caught by the beauty and grace of him as the leader of the bandits screamed and charged, hammering blows on Dorovan’s swords.

Dorovan simply parried and then his blade flicked. The bandit leader staggered. Dorovan stepped cautiously away, sheathing his swords as he reached for Delae.

Blood gushed but the bandit appeared not to notice it as he toppled.

Delae went into Dorovan’s embrace with relief, pressing her face into his chest.

“How did you know?” she asked.

Looking down at her, Dorovan said “You are the friend-of-my-heart, my only bond and you are loved. You were hurt and so I came.”

A little frown crossed her face. “But it would’ve taken days…”

Her breath caught, remembering, knowing what it was he’d sensed and she pulled away, color draining from her face, shame and horror piercing her…

Dorovan caught her, seeing the stricken look in her eyes. “What is it? Tell me…”

“Kort was here,” she said, softly, raising her hand almost involuntarily to the bruise on her cheek. Her voice sank. “I couldn’t stop him...”

It took a second before Dorovan understood. This was a thing of men no Elf understood. How could one gain pleasure from such a thing, to turn something of such beauty into ugliness…?

Fury nearly hazed his vision. “He forced you…”

She closed her eyes.

“He’s my husband…,” she said, miserably, tears streaming.

Taking her chin in his hand, Dorovan tilted her face up so she could see his eyes.

“He broke his oath to you a thousand times, Delae, yet you have never broken your faith to him. He married you to this duty, not for love or honor. You have done it and still do it. In honor you owe him nothing. Nothing! Do you hear me?”

Brushing her hair back from her face, he said, “Know this, Delae. What we have is a faith of the heart. It can be broken only by death and nothing else. We could not have it if you were faithless. As the friend-of-my-heart, I love you. I don’t care what he does or what the laws of men say. In your heart, you know honor and keep it. As I can, I will always come, as quickly as I may.”

Delae bowed her head against his chest.