Chapter 6: Exodus

As they left the smithy behind Garren hesitated, glancing towards the woods that held such history for his new companion. "I should like to one day see the beauty of your childhood fields. But haste must prevail - we've far to go this day."

Katalin felt a sense of uncertainty now that they were actually leaving the familiar shelter of her family's home, especially not knowing which direction their journey would take. Katalin looked longingly back at her home and the smithy and finally asked Garren which way they were going.

"Your brother and I discussed this before I agreed to help," Garren answered. "The question is, which way gives us the best chance of avoiding Lord Tamas' men."

He inclined his head northward. "We could make for one of the coastal ports but Lord Tamas's men are likely to arrive at each of them before us. And even if we did manage to find a ship, where would we go? North across the Pride Sea is frozen wasteland, to the east we would be at the Ardrihorn Mountains, and to the west are hostile Eldenfeld territories that view anyone from Stonehaven with suspicion."

Garren then pointed west, "Directly west is the shortest way out of Stonehaven lands, but again that takes us straight into Eldenfeld. We would have to travel far to the southwest to circle under their lands. He then gestured to the Ardrihorn Mountains in the east, "And we have the mountains to the east. They can be crossed but we would have to deal with the mountain clans which would presents whole new problems, not to mention the difficulty of passing over in winter."

After a brief pause to consider Garren's words, Katalin inquired, "So, we head south?"

"That is my plan," answered Garren. "I serve Veridus Suller, a merchant well-regarded for his southern caravans. In under a week he will be leading a caravan from Stonehaven City all the way down to Harbor's Rest in the Kingdom of Danebridge on the coast of the Iontar ocean."

"I propose we avoid the main roads and travel south-east for the first few days. We can then loop back to meet up with the caravan as it heads south. My first choice would be to join them at Springvale Junction but that town is still inside Stonehaven lands. If necessary, we can continue and rendezvous further south."

Katalin weighed his words, before asking, "What happens once we join your caravan?"

"You would join up as just another guard. A bit of armor and a helm and you will blend in easily enough. Once we reach Harbor's Rest you can wait there until it is safe to return home, or you can continue with us by ship to Celestria. There you would be back in the Starcrest kingdom, but Lord Tamas is unlikely to have any influence with King Thaddeus and the city is massive, hiding there should be easy."

Garren smiled before continuing, "And it is just my opinion, but I think every citizen of Starcrest should visit our capital at least once. There will be sights and wonders there to rival even some of the places described in your father's journal."

"Alright then," Katalin answered. "It seems you and Cassy have put a good deal of thought into our path. And I can wait until we make it south to decide what to do next."

Garren nodded and looked to Wulfgar, "You heard the lady. Southward it is."

"Aye, best we make good time before the day warms and turns these trails to mud," Wulfgar said, squinting up at the brightening winter sky. "Using hidden paths won't serve us bogged down to our knees if there is a thaw."

With no further words the party turned southeast, woods and village soon falling behind their brisk pace. By late afternoon they had traversed fields and farmlands on rarely used rural paths. The landscape a patchwork of brown earth covered in snow with bare trees stretching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. Garren finally broke the long silence to outline the road ahead.

"We will hold to these back routes for today and much of tomorrow. Come afternoon tomorrow we skirt past Stiltonvale to turn directly south. Pray my master Veridus leads his caravan from Stonehaven as expected in three or four days. We will get ahead and wait where we can avoid Stonehaven authority and wait for them to pass so we may join them undiscovered."

Garren glanced at the sun to get his bearings as they set out. "The caravan will be moving slow through the duchy as it adds merchants along the way so we should easily stay in front. Keeping wide of other travelers means we cannot hold speed over distance. But better to walk slow in freedom than swiftly to captors should Lord Tamas send his agents along our trail."

He eyed Katalin and added gently, "I promise to keep you as sheltered as I may. But the sooner we fall behind Veridus' caravan line, the easier I'll breathe."

As the sun climbed high overhead, Katalin divided chunks of torvgras to Garren and Wulfgar in lieu of halting for a meal. She took pride as the scout raised his eyebrows after tasting the nutritious travel fare.

"Would your family be inclined to share this recipe?" Wulfgar asked between chews.

As they walked, Katalin explained the process of crafting torvgras to the curious guide. Come mid-afternoon Wulfgar trotted ahead to scout their path and select a site for making camp.

In Wulfgar's absence, Garren described the lands they would soon travel as a way to pass the miles. With a grand wave of his arm, Garren described the vastness of the open landscape before them to Katalin. He spoke of rolling plains, scattered woodlands, and winding rivers that they would encounter during their journey, along with the occasional village they would pass by over the next few days. Once they were out of Stonehaven lands it would remain much the same until would arrive at a great expanse of dry barren flats they would have to traverse. At the other side of which they would finally reach the modest but bustling port city of Harbor's Rest. There the independent tradesmen would leave the caravan and sell their goods while Veridus would have a chartered ship waiting to load his wares. The ship would carry them south until reaching Celestria where Veridus would sell his goods and plan his return trip to Stonehaven.

Katalin listened with rapt attention, eyes lighting up trying to envision the scenes Garren painted. Never had she imagined seeing lands so far beyond Butterridge's provincial confines.

"Are the wasters of the Iontar truly as blue as the sky itself?" she wondered aloud. Garren grinned at her captivation. His own wonder at broader realms had dimmed with time and experience. But through Katalin's eager ears, he felt again the long-dormant thrill of what it was like to see new lands for the first time.

They walked along a narrow dirt track following fading hoof prints and the ruts left by years of pushed handcarts and pulled wagons. The old farm road was flanked by hedges and the occasional tree holding patches of snow in their shade. A few times as they passed a hare wandered out from the roadside brush, pausing nearby before catching their scent and bolting away. When the animals drew close, Katalin could see a steady white aura radiating from them. But the glowing essence shifted to vivid purple once the creatures became startled. The auras quickly faded from sight as the animals fled.

Seeing the way Katalin watched the animals Garren gently questioned what she was seeing.

"It's like colored smoke around living things," she answered. "With people it can be all kinds of colors, but the animals are simpler. They are a steady white until they get frightened and run off, then it turns a bright purple."

"So the purple means fear then?" Garren asked.

"I think so," answered Katalin. "According to the journal, I give the colors meaning based on my understanding, but I can only guess at what most of them mean." She shook her head apologetically. "When I fought Laszlo it was even more confusing. I saw glimpses of where blows would fall against me but it wasn't smoky like the auras."

"No?" Garren prompted when she had remained quite, apparently lost in thought.

"No...it's, it was like seeing a ghost image of him attacking me or moving. Always right before he would move. Sometimes he would attack just like the image but usually he would do something else. It confused me more than any help it gave. More often than not if I responded to the image I would leave myself open for Laszlo to attack. He could have easily killed me many times."

"Why do you think he didn't?" Garren asked.

"He was toying with me," Katalin growled in answer. "There is a long history between us and he was enjoying himself."

Garren nodded, "Luckily he pushed his fun too far."

When Katalin did not respond Garren added, "That must be what the book meant about improving with your experience. I imagine if you learn to fight these images will be more helpful."

"I think you are right," Katalin said sadly. "But I never imagined that I would need to learn to fight."

"It's up to you," Garren said. "But if you like, once we join the caravan I can see about getting you some training."

Katalin let out a deep sigh, "Thank you. I may never have imagined needing it, but it seems learning to fight would be a very good idea."

"Your new strength will help," Garren offered. "How strong are you now?"

"I was always stronger than other women, even matching most men thanks to years at the forge," she shared. "Father said our family had sturdy stock. Now I realize he meant the blessings passed down in our blood. I imagine it has always granted some benefits. I was strong, I never got sick, and I always recovered quickly from the minor injuries and accidents that happens working at the forge."

"And now?" Garren asked.

"It is hard to say," Katalin answered. "I feel myself stronger but I don't know how strong. Looking back at the fight with Laszlo I remember smashing tables with my hammer when I would miss him. I remember one swing caving in a section of the bar," she said with a grin. "Poor old Fredrick had to dive out of the way."

Garren just raised his eyebrows in surprise but continued to listen.

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"I'm glad he wasn't hurt," Katalin added quietly. "If I was forced to guess I would say I am close to twice as strong as I once was."

Garren whistled as he scratched his chin, "Making you about as strong, or stronger than any man."

Katalin just shrugged.

"And from what you read to us, this level is based on your current skill as a blacksmith," Garren noted. "How would you rank yourself as a smith?"

When Katalin seemed hesitant to answer Garren prodded her further, "Now is no time for modesty. You have an unknown road in front of you, I would suggest you try to make an honest assessment of where you are now."

"I'm good," Katalin whispered, almost too quiet for Garren to hear. "If I had been a man I would have been judged a master before I was sixteen."

But then she spoke up, "I am young, obviously. But I learned under the best blacksmith in the Starcrest Kingdom. The best smith in any kingdom," she added. "And it all came so easily to me." Katalin turned to look Garren in the eye before looking back to the road ahead. "It was probably the blessing again, in my blood, making the forge such a natural place for me to be."

They walked side by side for a few minutes without speaking, past a creek half covered in ice cutting through the frozen mud of the farm road. With a sigh Katalin continued, fondly recalling the smith that had been her sanctuary. "I loved it," she said, holding a closed fist out in front of her remembering the weight of a hammer in her grip. "The feel of striking the anvil. The sounds and smells of the smithy. Even the heat of the forge - working there with father and Gregory, I was happy, as happy as any time spent in Mayfair Meadow with my friends."

Garren half raised an arm to place on comforting hand on Katalin's shoulder but let it drop. They walked on in silence the rest of the day.

That night they made a frigid, exposed camp in a shallow ditch well beyond Butterridge's familiar bounds. The second day of plodding south on disused farm tracks passed quietly. On the third they saw dark clouds gathering by afternoon, but the snows held back and they made another dry camp. So far the cold had held, keeping the ground frozen. It was uncomfortable but made travel much easier. Thankfully there had been no real wind.

The fourth day dawned with a dusting of snow and thick fog that blanketed the landscape like damp cloth. As soon as it was light enough, Wulfgar set out to assess the road ahead.

Garren and Katalin silently packed damp gear then continued trudging along the narrow snow covered track as the fog slowly thinned.

By late morning Garren noted they would soon be approaching a crossing road leading to Thistleham village. They would avoid the village itself as their passing through would draw attention and be remembered.

As they reached the top of the small hill, an open field stretched before them, adorned with a fresh layer of snow. The lifting haze revealed the crossroads ahead - but it delivered an unwelcome sight.

Three soldiers stood guard near the wider east-west road, their breath visible in the chilly air. One of them sat stride a restless courser, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon. His gray, heavy cloak, worn and stained, shifted with each movement of the mount, giving a glimpse of chain armor beneath. Below the cloak, leather and padded armor protected his legs. An unkempt mane of hair and bushy beard framed his bare head.

Flanking him were two footmen, similarly cloaked and clad in leather and padded armor, wearing pot helms. Their hoods were up hiding their faces but one, armed with a crossbow, appeared to be clean-shaven, while the other's face was obscured by a thick beard.

Near the trio, gear was stacked – backpacks and bedrolls arranged for quick access.

Wulfgar was nowhere in sight, likely scouting farther down the wider trade road. The three men now waited, watching Garren and Katalin with interest.

Katalin clenched her walking staff tighter, boots rooted briefly to the dirt as options flitted through her mind. From this distance all she could see of their auras was a barely perceptible white outline. Looking around, the road behind and land on either side offered neither concealment nor escape.

"Well... damn," she muttered under her breath as she considered what to do next.

Garren scanned the distances around them and weighed their chances should it come to drawn steel. He kept his tone low when finally saying, "Let's continue on slowly for now. Could be they merely intend to question random travelers...but be ready."

Katalin gestured for Garren to lead them closer, eyes flitting between the mounted man now moving to block the route ahead and the other two soldiers waiting with him. This was clearly an ambush laid specifically for her.

As they started forward Katalin leaned toward Garren and whispered urgently. "If I get half a chance I will cause a diversion for you to escape - they're only after me. Don't risk yourself for a lost cause."

Garren firmly shook his head. "I told your brother I'd see you safe away. Gave my word to protect you the best I can."

"And fat lot of good you'll be filled with quarrels or stomped flat under that horse," Katalin pressed.

Garren thought about it for a moment as they walked then reluctantly nodded his agreement. "If they take you, I'll find Wulfgar," Garren promised. "We'll track you and find a way to free you. They don't have extra horses and from here it will take four or five days to walk to Stonehaven Keep. Longer if they stop every night at an inn."

When Katalin and Garren had approached to about ten paces, the mounted soldier raised a hand, ordering them to halt. Katalin noted the rippling azure and silver heraldry of House Stonehaven on his cloak and tunic. This close she could also discerned the shifting shades of red, brown and green she had begun to associate with hostility and greed within his and his men's auras.

The horseman eyed them both with a smug sneer. "Well well...you wouldn't happen to be the fiery young blacksmith's daughter causing my Lord Tamas such troubles of late? Come, introduce yourself properly."

Katalin advanced a step, staying calm under the baiting tone. "We're just passing through on a pilgrimage to see the dragon's boneyard and the temples." His two associates watched the exchange with casual menace, the crossbowman's weapon held loose, untroubled by any potential threat from this young woman or her companion.

The leader guffawed. "Do I look a fool to you? Pilgrims!" He glanced down at the larger, hairy footmen. "Charlie, do these two resemble holy devotees to you?"

Charlie licked his lips, hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "Nah. More like two plump partridges ready for stewin'." At that, all three men bellowed with mocking laughter.

Katalin clenched her jaw, struggling to maintain composure. She took another step forward, "Fine, you have me. But please, allow my traveling companion here to depart in peace. He is just a stranger who joined me for safety, he knows nothing of my troubles."

The mounted man sneered down at her. "Afraid not. He has been aiding an enemy of Stonehaven. We can't have that, can we lads? You both shall have equal opportunity to entertain Lord Tamas with your excuses."

Katalin stepped forward again, grabbing a coin purse from her tunic. "Please, I can pay you something..." She extended her hand holding the purse in surrender.

The two soldiers on foot glanced at the purse with renewed interest, but the mounted leader waved the bribe off dismissively. "Come now girl, everything you carry already belongs to me and Lord Tamas."

Katalin shuffled closer, eyeing the loaded crossbow now hanging loose in the other man's grip. Behind the soldiers she glimpsed Wulfgar's dim aura as he slowly approached in the roadside ditch. Hopefully he would recognize the chance when it came to help Garren escape. She stepped closer again, "I pledge to come along without trouble if you just let my friend here go free. He's done nothing wrong."

The horseman barked a scornful laugh. "Oh-ho! Hear that Charlie? The little wildcat promises to behave if we let her pilgrim friend go. What say you to that?"

Charlie's lips curled into a lewd grin, his tongue darting out to lick his dirty teeth as he toyed with the handle of his sword. "I was hoping for a bit of resistance first, if you catch my drift. We can tussle in the dirt before getting down to play a bit of the ol' slap and tickle." He ogled Katalin's body crudely.

At that, Garren loudly scoffed and spat to the side. The coarse soldier glared his way. "Ya got something to say over there granddad?"

As all eyes briefly turned toward her companion, Katalin seized the distraction to subtly shift another half-step closer, gripping her staff tightly.

As the soldiers all stared at him Garren's face drained of color. He jerkily backpedaled, eyes wide, shaking his head in submission. "N-no' sir, nuthin' at all!" His boot appeared to catch a stone and he spilled onto his back with a cry.

As the men roared, Garren sheepishly scrambled to stand again, discreetly palming a rock.

Having worked her way close Katalin silently prayed Wulfgar would not do anything foolish. Dropping the coin purse, she took a white knuckled grip on her staff and thrust up at the horsemen. Her sudden lunge caught everyone by surprise as the end of her staff connected solidly under the horseman's chin. With a loud crack of breaking bones and shattering teeth he let out a pained cry and toppled backwards falling from his saddle, foot catching in a stirrup to be dragged violently as the startled horse bolted...

There was a frozen moment as all absorbed the sudden violence. Then chaos erupted.

The soldier with the crossbow started to swing his weapon toward Katalin. But she forcefully threw her shoulder into his chest, causing him to stumble backwards with a grunt. At the same moment, Wulfgar erupted from the ditch, thankfully choosing to tackle the off-balance soldier rather than wield his axe. They tumbled to the packed dirt wrestling fiercely as the crossbow skittered across the road. Katalin turned to yell at Garren to run but was just in time to see him launch a rock at Charlie. Instead of yelling she brought her staff up in a guard position and turned to face the last soldier still on his feet.

Seeing Katalin attack his comrade, Charlie began to draw steel from his baldric but staggered back when the stone thrown by Garren bounced off the side of his helm. By the time he had his sword out Katalin was squarely facing him as Garren began circling, his long knife now in hand. Charlie threw a quick desperate swing at Katalin but she blocked it easily with her staff. Her combat vision having accurately warned her. Gripping her oak staff in sweat-slicked hands, her heart hammering wildly Katalin circled the opposite way to bring Charlie between her and Garren.

Charlie assessed the situation - his leader dragged off, his fellow disarmed and brawling in the dirt with another unknown man, and who knew if more men wouldn't spring up from the ditch soon, while the girl's companion now circled at his back. It was too much. Charlie turned, dropped his sword, and bolted back the way he had come.

Katalin and Garren rushed over to help Wulfgar fully subdue the struggling crossbowman. In moments, they had the cursing soldier face down in the dirt. Wulfgar took a moment to relieve the soldier of his dagger and held it to the prisoner's throat.

"Should I finish this snake off and go catch the other?" Wulfgar growled.

But Katalin hastily answered, "No! We aren't killers."

As they tied him, the soldier spewed threats about Lord Tamas seeing them swinging from the gallows, Wulfgar impatiently tapped the man's mouth with the dagger's hilt eliciting immediate, sullen silence.

"Mind that foul tongue if you want to keep it," the scout warned as he roughly cinched the prisoner's hands and feet with leather strips handed to him by Garren.

With the soldier properly trussed and his threats silenced, the group finally had a moment to assess the situation. Charlie was out of site down the road, and off in the adjacent field, the previously bolting horse now stood placidly nearby its thrown rider who lay ominously unmoving in the snow.

Leaving Garren and Katalin, Wulfgar hurried to examine the figure. He knelt briefly next to the man before standing and waving for assistance.

Katalin rushed through the field while Garren kept watch on the prisoner. As she approached, Wulfgar was leading the now calm horse back to its master.

"He's dead," the scout informed flatly upon her arrival. "Help me get him slung over the saddle." Working together, they hauled the body atop the horse. Wulfgar took the reins to lead them back to the road.

Once there, Wulfgar and Katalin lowered the corpse to the dirt beside the bound soldier. The back of the dead man's skull was gruesomely stove-in, dashed against a stone during his violent dragging.

Wulfgar gestured to the helmet still tied behind the horse's saddle. "Fool ought to have worn that, then his head wouldn't be such a sorry sight, or at least a different kind of sorry."

Garren eyed the corpse's shattered jaw and gave a low whistle. "Sorry state indeed. Look at those broken teeth - damn near down his throat."

Wulfgar grimaced, involuntarily running his tongue over his own teeth. "By the gods, that had to hurt like a dragon's wet kiss."

Garren nodded down at the body's gruesome head wound. "Probably dashed his head open himself to end the suffering."

Wulfgar grinned. "Aye, looks a clear suicide to me."

The pair chuckled darkly. Meanwhile Katalin blanched a little but forced a weak grin at their grave humor.

Wulfgar then went back to the commander's mount and returned carrying heavy iron shackles and dropped them next to their captive. "These were hanging behind the saddle."

Looks like it would have been an uncomfortable journey to Stonehaven for you Katalin," Garren remarked grimly, glancing at the thick manacles.

Wulfgar then plunked himself down heavily atop their living captive, eliciting muffled curses into the packed earth. The scout looked over at Garren expectantly and asked, "Well, what do we do know?"

Garren sighed, weariness creeping over him. "This is going to make things a bit more difficult."

"Well... damn," Katalin muttered under her breath as she considered what to do next.