The march to the orchard took an hour of steady walking, however, it was easy going as there was a beaten track to follow and a stream gurgling alongside them. Judd had seen on the map that the stream fed, first the orchard, then went on to fill the well of Fort Faine so he knew they were heading in the right direction. They climbed over a small hill of clover and took in the sight of the orchard.

It was extensive and there were hundreds of trees planted in semi straight lines but not a piece of fruit could be seen. Not only that, but the leaves were also a faded hue and the tips were curling as though they were withering. Judd shook his head.

“That’s a lot of trees…”

“You do have a habit of stating the obvious.” Caste remarked.

“No, what I mean is…it’s a lot of trees so it would be a lot of fruit…so where is it all?”

“O’Dear said the tenants absconded with it.”

Judd looked at Caste. “All of it?”

They turned around on the spot, surrounded by fruitless fruit trees.

“Perhaps…the trees were not particularly bountiful?” Caste offered lamely.

“O’Dear said the tenants were dutiful taxpayers,” Judd reminded him, “unless Sir Jesa was demanding far more than he ought…”

“All dealings with tenants become part of O’Dear’s clerical account of Fort Faine.” Caste shook his head. “Sir Jesa would not be able to do so without O’Dear’s collusion and we are held to a higher standard of integrity than any other human in Terra.”

“Then I’m baffled.” Judd leaned forward to see Aalis with her hand resting against the trunk of a tree. “Any ideas from our travelling botanist?”

Aalis had looked up at the leaves, her hood falling back, exposing her dreadlocks. She shook her head and turned to him. “I can tell you that these trees are sick. Even if you ignore the lack of fruit, the leaves are almost tortured…withering from the inside out…” She sighed. “I would not be surprised if these trees could not produce a harvest in even the smallest measure.”

“And O’Dear did say that the tenants asked for help last year regarding their taxes.” Judd added. “Well, we’re not going to find anything more out here. We’ll head into the forest and find somewhere to camp.”

“You mean to go blindly into the forest without any idea of direction?” Caste asked scathingly.

“No, we’ll follow the stream. After all, the bandits need to drink water too.”

Two hours later they had all reached their walking limit. The forest surrounded them, a carpet of red, brown and gold beneath their feet, smooth white trunks like marble pillars stretching upwards and the reach of their branches tangled with the others nearby until the canopy was almost solid above their heads. Yet, while the sun was up, the forest was not dark. The leaves were not opaque, letting down warm, friendly light, tinted by the colours of the leaves.

However, the sun had set and they were hungry, thirsty and tired. Fortunately there was plenty of wood around for Judd to build a fire over which Aalis set her pot and began to make their supper. She poured water into the pot from her waterbag and added carrots, potatoes, the remainder of roasted chicken meat and a sprinkling of herbs from one of her many pouches.

“I hope that’s the ‘taste amazing’ pouch and not the ‘feel better in the morning’ pouch.” Judd chuckled.

“I have pouches for just about everything.” Aalis smiled, stirring the pot. They both looked up as Caste returned from the stream only a stone’s throw away from their campfire. He was just capping his waterskin, wiping his mouth.

“Going to try some of my cooking tonight, Caste?” Aalis scooped some out and waved it towards him. “I promise, no frogs legs or eyeballs were sacrificed in the making of it.”

Caste’s expression was dry. “I will do quite well with my water, my bread and my cheese.”

“Your loss.” Judd chuckled.

“I am going to go…” Aalis blushed slightly and jerked her head towards the shadowy darkness that lay beyond the light of the campfire.

“I’ll keep the stew from burning.” Judd promised and watched her go. He turned back and saw Caste’s disapproving glare following her. “I take it you’re not convinced yet that she’s not a witch?”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“It sits alongside other failed endeavours, like convincing you that you’re not capable of becoming a knight.”

Judd sighed and stirred the pot. “Caste, Aalis has done nothing to warrant your suspicion.”

“So that tunnel of terror was what? Her way of saying, hello?”

“Given what people like you assume about people like her, it makes a certain amount of sense!”

“And what if I’m right?” Caste eyed him. “A knight has no place alongside a witch.”

Judd shook his head. “I, for one, am glad she agreed to come with us. If nothing else, for her fantastic cooking skills.”

When Aalis returned to the campfire, she took over stirring the stew until she decided it was ready. She and Judd ate heartily while Caste nibbled on his hard cheese, stale bread and bland water. Aalis put a cover over the pot.

“If we keep some coals hot and stoke the fire tomorrow morning, we can have a hot breakfast.”

“Mmm, hot breakfast,” Judd winked at Caste who shook his head, “hey Caste, you’re sitting a little close to the fire.”

“I’m cold. It’s a cold night.”

Judd and Aalis looked at each other. “You’re…cold? In all those robes?” Sitting on the ground Caste’s stiff cleric robes bunched around him like he was sitting inside a tree trunk stump.

“Some of us do not come with inbuilt insulation.” Caste retorted, shuffling as close as he dared to the fire’s edge.

“Are you calling me portly?” Judd glanced at himself.

“You are not portly.” Aalis insisted. “You have excellent muscle tone.”

Judd’s head lifted. “Really?”

Aalis’ complexion turned bright pink and her eyes darkened into a deep purple. “I mean…what I mean to say is…not that I was looking! I just…” She closed her eyes. “You have quite a toned…muscular form. Better than most knights.” She groaned at Judd’s chuckle. “I only noticed because of your tan line.”

“My tan line, huh?” Judd leaned back on his bedroll. “Well, all the time I spent on the fishing boats, gaining my muscular tone…I rarely wore a shirt so I’m not sure where my tan line would be…”

Aalis glared at him, her pink deepening to crimson. “You took your boots off two days ago. I noticed that the hue of your feet was richer than your leg.”

“Ah,” Judd rubbed the back of his neck, “yeah I rarely wore shoes on the boats either…but I always wore pants.”

He was about to say something else when Caste gave a violent shiver. Aalis sat up straight.

“Caste, are you feeling well?”

“I’m fine.” His chattering teeth gave him away and his forehead was dotted with sweat.

Aalis shook her head. “No you are not.” She stood up and shifted around the fire to kneel next to him. Caste lurched away from her, fear that seemed exaggerated even for him in his eyes. She put her hand on his forehead then yanked it back. “Caste, you have a fever. You are burning.”

“I’m cold.” He argued.

“It’s a warm night.” Judd argued.

“Some of us aren’t used to sleeping outdoors.” Caste snapped in return, his freckled complexion becoming pale.

“Perhaps you’re allergic to fresh air and exercise.”

“Maybe she poisoned me!”

“How?” Judd exclaimed. “You haven’t touched anything Aalis has cooked!”

“She did it…” Caste blinked sweat out of his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Aalis had her mortar and pestle out, grinding herbs. “I am making a broth for you to drink that will bring the temperature down.”

“No, no, no, no, no…” Caste shook his head, his muscles becoming loose and wobbly.

“Caste, you are getting very sick, very quickly. I do not think you have the internal fortitude to combat this fever.” Aalis scooped some of her stew into a bowl and sprinkled the herbs onto it, mixing it through. “Eat this.”

Caste shook his head, lips clamped together like stubborn child refusing their supper.

“Caste I swear I will kneel on your chest and force your mouth open, so help me…” Judd grunted.

Even the threat of violence did not sway the red headed cleric. Aalis put her fingers over his as they clutched tightly at his robes.

“Caste,” she said gently, “I know you do not trust me…but the way this fever has taken hold…you cannot beat it on your own.”

He stared at her with glassy eyes, a dribble of sweat slowly making its way down the side of his face. Without agreeing, he grasped the bowl and gulped the stew down, swallowing it with force and thrusting it back at her, retreating to the sanctuary of his clerical robes. Within ten minutes, Caste’s chin had dropped to his chest. Judd eased him onto his bedroll, the cleric’s large pack resting close by. Aalis wrung a cloth out of water, folded it into a little parcel and laid it on his forehead. Judd squatted by his side.

“What caused the fever?”

“I am unsure.” Aalis admitted. “It is possible he contracted something while at Fort Faine.”

“Caste isn’t a people person. I would have been more likely to catch something.”

Aalis lifted her gaze to look at him, her eyes cast in a soft amber glow. “I do not think Caste’s bodily defences are as strong as yours.”

“Tanned, muscular and bodily strong.” Judd winked at her and she shook her head, her dreadlocks rippling. “What if it was a snake bite or something?”

“I cannot imagine Caste not feeling something like that but there are many small insects that could carry toxin or a virus…”

“Don’t tell him that when he’s conscious. He won’t go another step further with me, royal edict or no.” Judd studied her. “You’re really worried about him, aren’t you?”

“Is that so surprising?”

“Considering he calls you ‘witch’ and makes no disguise of his dislike.”

Aalis brushed her hands. “I called myself witch, remember? And Caste has no reason to trust me.”

“He will when he wakes up and the fever is gone.” Judd glanced at Caste who was shivering. “Want to take turns watching him?”

“I will watch until I know the broth has lessened the fever.” Aalis insisted. “I will wake you when I need to sleep.”

Judd nodded. “Alright. Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight Judd.”

Judd lay down on his bedroll, turning his head to gaze at Aalis who watched Caste with sincere concern across her pretty face. He couldn’t imagine how anyone would label someone so caring as a witch. It seemed petty and cruel.

His eyelids became heavy and soon it was impossible for him to keep them open. He was sure they had only been closed for a moment when he felt someone shaking him and he immediately remembered that he was going to switch places with Aalis to watch Caste.

However, before his eyes had a chance to open, he heard Caste bark at him.

“Judd, wake up! Aalis is gone!”