The Mercenaries

Seth

Confirmation of Lona's fall only led Seth to press the horses harder and longer. Brutis handled the journey better than Opal, because of his stocky build and the fact that he usually pulled a heavy cart behind him. Opal tended to slow down near the end of the day since her long, slender legs weren't used to traveling such great distances. The extended days of riding had given Mia plenty of time to read mom's journal. Seth thought this was well since they'd probably need that knowledge again.
She'd began to stop while they rode to pick flowers from the ground or to unearth roots. Seth never asked their uses because healing had always been beyond him. He much preferred the straightforward practice of swordsmanship over the complexities of combining herbs in certain rations to form poultices and memorizing the correct application to different ailments.
Watching Mia jot down something in her journal, Seth struggled to comprehend how someone that young was able to grasp the principles of healing. Then again, she'd been very devoted to studying with their mom, much like he'd been devoted to their hounds and sword practice with their father. Once again he mourned the lack of his father's sword.
From his bag, he pulled out the dagger. Mia and him would need sheaths for them so they would always be within reach. Seth slipped it into his boot, thinking, This will have to serve until then.
They pulled the horses off the road for the night. After untacking them and setting up camp, Mia showed Seth what she'd been working on. In her journal she had taken inventory of their healing supplies and written down other poultices and medicines they might need as well as their ingredients. It was a good idea considering Mia's desire to expand her healing knowledge and experience as well as its usefulness of keeping them organized. Not for the first time Seth wished he had something to occupy his time. Almost immediately, however, he shook the thought away, knowing that someone needed to lead the horses and pay attention to their surroundings.
As clouds rolled in, blocking the view of the stars, Seth knew they could expect a storm. And sure enough, not ten minutes had passed when the first raindrops began to fall. He sighed at the thought of sleeping on the ground while being soaked with rain. Mia looked to the sky with annoyance as she hurriedly packed away the journals.
For now it was only a drizzle, but Seth had no doubt they were in for a downpour. Dark, ominous clouds had been creeping their way towards them from the horizon all day. Lightning flashed. The horses jumped and shifted apprehensively.
"I'll be back," he said, "I'm going to set up some snares."
He noticed Mia roll her eyes. Each night since they had left, excluding the first one of course, Seth had attempted to catch small animals in a simple snare his father had taught him. He'd had Mia fashion several lengths of rope by unraveling his breeches, which he hadn't discarded as she had done with her own clothing, and braiding them into durable stands. The snare itself was a simple slip knot that tightened around an animal's neck if one got caught in it. So far he'd had no such luck. It was surprising how quickly salted meat and dried fruit got old.
Ignoring Mia's lack of faith, Seth walked away from their camp to a more secluded area. He set up several traps, moved to a different space, and set up more. The rain was falling more heavily now. While attempting to disguise a snare, he heard it. A scream.
His heart stopped. Mia. He found himself running back to camp. Branches caught at his clothing and scratched at his skin while roots grabbed at his feet, hindering his speed. Please let it have been my imagination, he hoped uselessly. At the edge of the camp he stopped, peering through the foliage to see the scene beyond. Mia lay on the ground motionless and he was struck with terror until he saw her turn her head over. It was obvious she was unconscious and he could see that a purple bruise mottled the side of her face. For a moment he was convinced that the storm had caused a branch to fall and strike her, but the winds weren't strong enough and he noticed that the contents of his saddle bags were poured onto the ground, suggesting an alternative explanation.
Motion drew Seth's attention towards a figure moving through the woods. A middle-aged man with a bald head, black beard, and beady eyes came into view. Seth stiffened in anger. "John! I didn't find nothing valuable," he called with a nasal voice.
A second man, this one younger and clean-shaven, appeared. "Me neither," he responded in frustration.
"What about the girl? She could fetch some gold at auction."
Seth hissed under his breath, they were thieves and slavers. He needed to get them to leave, but how? The younger man nodded in agreement and took out a rope from his bag. As he moved towards Mia, Seth was consumed with rage. "Check around once more. There must be another person with her, she can't be traveling by herself and there are two horses," he said while uncoiling the rope.
The bald man grunted and shuffled back into the trees. He waited as his sister's wrists and ankles were tied together until he was convinced the other man was a good distance away. Seth crept out off his cover and snuck his way across the open space towards the man. His hand shook as he reached for the dagger in his boot. Somehow grew managed to curl his fingers around the hilt. Without being quite sure of what he was going to do, he approached the thief from behind. In a single motion he jammed the blade into the man's gut.