Chasing Sparks

Chapter 1.2

Tiel had been tracking Sar for a long time and had not really gotten all that close to catching him. In fact, the nearest he had come to actually seeing Sar's face was when the Runner was forced to double back down a trail after being ambushed by a sect of religious zealots further up. 

Tiel reckoned at the time, he had passed within an hour of Sar's position but it made little difference, a miss was as good a mile. And, of course, this was more to do with pure luck than anything Tiel had actually done. He needed a new plan and maybe now was the time. 

Tiel was beginning to suspect he knew where Sar was going and this provided an opportunity. The Runner wasn’t following exactly the same route as before, but Tiel was getting the eerie feeling that they were heading back to the Gardens again. Why? He had no idea.

Every person Tiel had ever known lived their life according to certain habitual patterns, it was human nature after all, but Sar had seemed different. He was the ultimate carefree spirit hopping from place to place, not staying for longer than a day or two, going wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. But even Sar's running was starting to show some kind of pattern and unless Tiel missed his guess, he would be turning south towards the Gardens in the next few days. Unfortunately, Tiel couldn’t be sure exactly when.

Studying his now very soggy and barely readable maps, they suggested two possible tracks off to the south. Of course, Sar could leave his current westerly path at any point and wander off through the brush, but this hadn’t been his style up to now and there seemed no reason for him to change it. Sar tended to stick to trails and roads, confident in his ability to outrun Tiel. A confidence that was not misplaced, given Tiel’s lack of progress over the last two years.

The rain was still falling, when Medhi quietly reappeared alongside Tiel, and said, “There is a small village up ahead. It seems Sar went through the village. We could bypass it to the North?”

Tiel thought for a moment and looked at his soggy map. It showed no village but it did seem to show a crossroads of sorts at the point where the village should be. “No,” he said, “I think I would like to see this village.”

...

Light was fading and night not too far away, when the four sparked affines walked up to the central crossroads in the village, “Medhi. Are you sure he continued west?” Tiel asked.

Medhi raised a slight eyebrow, but kept his reply civil, “Yes, I’m sure.”

This was the first of Sars two opportunities to head south and he hadn’t taken it. That meant, if Tiel reasoned this correctly, that he would take the next southerly track about four days from here. And according to Medhi, Sar was about two days ahead of them at the moment.

Was it time to roll the dice? He wasn’t normally one for taking chances. He was methodical and relentless but this wasn’t working with Sar. Maybe, it was time to gamble. Head south here and try to get ahead of the Runner.

If Tiel missed his guess and Sar didn’t head south on the next path, that was it. They would be days behind the Runner and there was a good chance they would lose his trail completely. But Tiel knew it was time to try something different, two years of traipsing around on the heels of this guy was enough. 

As the four of them stood at the crossroads, a group of villagers was beginning to gather in what accounted for the village square. Most of them held clubs and scythes but a few wore rusty old swords on their belts. It seemed word had spread of four strangers passing through the village and the locals had come out to greet them.

Presumably, to either welcome the four weary travellers and offer them food and a warm place to stay for the night. Or, alternatively, threaten them and force them to move on.

In his many years of travel, Tiel had yet to experience the first of those two possibilities, whereas the second was as common as grass. But you never know, he thought.

As the crowd in the makeshift square gradually grew, someone eventually stepped forward and said in a loud voice, “We don’t want any trouble, here. You should keep going and not stop until you are well clear of the village.”

Tiel sighed, number two again. Putting aside his disappointment, he replied, “Excellent. My sentiments exactly. We don’t want any trouble, either. However, there is one small thing you could help us with before we move on. We need four horses.”

Tiel knew, getting ahead of Sar would mean travelling quickly and that would mean horses.

“There are no horses here,” the man said.

Tiel gave the man a look of confusion, “But is that not a stable over there?”

The man who had identified himself as the leader of this little group was looking at the others clearly wondering what to do next.

“And what is that poking its head above the stable door? I’m no expert on horses but I’d say it was of equine origin,” Tiel continued.

Alona winced. Tiel’s manner was not helpful in these situations. She had also noticed two men take up positions on the roof opposite where they stood now. She knew Medhi would have noticed too.

Before the leader could reply, Tiel spoke again this time in a more neutral tone, “We have good money and will pay a fair price for each horse. I just ask that you bring us four horses.”

Just bring the horses, Alona thought.

To emphasise his point Tiel pulled a full purse from his belt and jingled it loudly. “You see I speak the truth.” 

Then looking the leader straight in the eye, he added, “Bring us four horses now. We will pay a fair price and be on our way.”

The leader hesitated and looked around. It was another man who then stepped out of the crowd. A big man. The sword that had hung from his belt was now in his hand. “How about you hand over that little purse and we let you live?”

Alona sighed, there was always one.

“This is your final chance." Tiel said, "Bring out four horses and we’ll be gone.”

Emboldened by his friend, the leader said, “Hand over the purse.”

Tiel looked at Alona, shrugged his shoulders and said, “I did try.”

With that Tiel released two ice bolts. One hit the leader square in the chest, the other went straight through the stomach of the big man who spoke out of turn.

The two men, camped up on the roof, suddenly appeared from their hiding place only to find an arrow heading straight for their heads courtesy of Medhi’s bow. At the same time Bolo had drawn his huge twin bladed axe and stood there impassively looking at the crowd.

Tiel then turned to the group. “Now, that is four unnecessary deaths. If you don’t want anymore, I suggest you bring all the horses in the village to the square, so that we may choose four.”

No-one moved.

“Now!” bellowed Tiel.

The villagers started running in all directions.

Less than five minutes later, fifteen horses stood in the square, together with a few scared stable hands. The horses were pretty sorry looking things but Tiel picked out four of the more sturdy looking beasts.

When all four of them were mounted, he turned to the small group of stable hands and said, “Don’t expect any money. You had your chance.” 

And with that he spurred his mount into a trot and started south along the trail.

Alona looked back over her shoulder at the four dead bodies still lying where they had fallen. Why? She thought.