He rummaged through his backpack and found what he’d been looking for. He couldn’t risk using the wrong thing this time. Their lives depended on it.
He took one last frantic look around. He saw no sign of Doran, Levi, or Naavah Ora, but the other bandits were closing in on him. He threw his bomb and pulled the dead leader’s body over himself.
An explosion tore through the forest. The very air burnt for a brief second, the body on top of him shielding Ash from the heat.
It wasn’t the brief burst of fire that would do the damage. It was the impact of the explosion wherever his bomb had landed.
His ears rang. He counted to twenty, pushed the body off him, and stood to examine the aftermath. Where the bomb had landed, trees were torn to shreds. Only a handful of bandits remained; the others lay dead riddled with splinters, some larger than Ash’s arm.
He heard something behind him and spun around. Naavah Ora stared back at him, eyes wide.
“Have you seen Doran?”
She nodded, and he followed her gesture. Not far from where they were standing, Doran and Levi emerged from under two large bandits. They looked shaken but unharmed otherwise.
Only ten bandits were left that he could see. Three scattered into the woods, but the other seven composed themselves and dropped their weapons.
“We should kill them,” Naavah Ora said. “We don’t want them reporting back.”
“Actually, I do,” said Ash. “Tell Maksim Kult he’ll have to do better than that.”
Doran frowned. “Ash, no.”
“Okay, no, don’t do that. Tell him I’m dead.”
The bandits nodded and ran, leaving their weapons in their hurry to get away.
When they walked over to him, Ash didn’t miss that Doran was limping. Dark patches stood out against his left shoulder and right leg.
“Are you injured?” Naavah Ora asked, and Ash shook his head. “Valynaan be praised. I don’t think I have enough left in me to heal you.”
Ash nodded toward Doran. Levi had noticed the injuries too, and helped him walk. “I think Doran needs it more than I do.”
“We should get to the town,” Naavah Ora said. “You need help.”
“What about the men who got away?” Levi asked. He wasn’t even out of breath. “Are we sure they won’t come after us again?”
“Someone should follow them and kill them,” Naavah Ora said. “If we let them live they’ll tell Kult what really happened and he’ll send more next time.”
“I don’t think so,” Doran said. “They were terrified. I doubt they’ll rob anyone for a while.”
Naavah Ora shot him a look. “You don’t know that. If they report to that merchant he’ll know you’re not on your own, and what you’ve done here. Do you really think he’ll believe you took out all these seasoned bandits by yourself?”
“Or,” Ash said, “we kill them and Kult gets suspicious because no one returns to collect their pay. Taking this job for Kult doesn’t make them honest mercenaries, they aren’t well enough equipped for that. They’ll care about the money more than him. Besides, I told them to run. I’m not a liar.”
Doran grimaced. “It sounds like they’d have earned a lot. Bandits are greedy, they wouldn’t abandon it.” Doran’s voice was strained and his breathing heavy.
“We should get to the town,” Ash said. “You need help.”
Naavah Ora sighed. “Fine. But I think you owe us an explanation and an apology.”
“An apology? We’d have been slaughtered if I hadn’t acted!”
Naavah Ora glared at him. “You nearly killed us. We were lucky to hear you.”
“But we were fine,” Doran said. “We’re alive because of him.”
Ash went to support Doran’s other side. Levi was doing an impressive job on his own, but Doran was taller than him. He needed the help.
When Ash moved his shoulder, Doran winced.
“Sorry. It’s not far. Someone can patch you up.”
“I can help a little,” Naavah Ora said, and placed a hand on the cut on Doran’s shoulder.
“Leave it, I’ll be fine.”
She ignored him, and the pain on Doran’s face eased.
“That’s all I can do. Let’s move.”
Our mother always told me that I took too much interest in humanity. How could I not? Race doesn't matter. We all go to the same place when we die. You all come to me. My children. Your souls, wandering forever carefree in the sanctuary I have created.
Chapter 44
Naavah Ora
When the wooden gates and walls of the shaded forest town came into view, Naavah Ora was relieved. The remainder of their walk took longer than Ash and Doran had promised, and they had been slowed further by Doran’s injury. Levi supported him, but Levi was struggling.
They’d taken two more breaks along the way. She had tried to heal Doran each time they’d stopped, but she needed to recover. The fight had sapped her energy, there was nothing left. She could barely stand upright, never mind walk, but a worthy leader didn’t show her people how exhausted she was. She simply led and got on with it. She’d be all right once she got some sleep and food.
Naavah Ora felt as out of place as she’d done in Alt Võina. People were staring at them. Covered in blood and injured as they were, they must have been a dreadful sight.
“Stop right there.”
Two men drew their swords and stepped in front of them, separating them from the rest of the town. Their armour didn’t look strong enough to fight the bandits she’d just fought, but their voices were strong and their backs straight. They had the authority of guardsmen about them, and she was too tired to argue. She just wanted a bed and a hot meal.
“We’re looking for a place to stay the night,” Doran said. “Is there an inn in this town?”
Several people had formed a curious crowd behind the guards. Many had stopped what they were doing and now whispered without taking their eyes off her little bloodied group.
“Move along, travellers. We don’t welcome your kind here.”
The insult stung. Elves and humans didn’t always get along, but she’d hoped that people were more open-minded this far from the large cities.
“We’re hurt and tired,” Ash said. “And my friend here is wounded. He needs medical help.”
The guards didn’t budge. “There’s nothing for you here. You’ll have to—”
“What’s going on here?”
An older man with thinning grey hair and a medal tucked into his shirt stepped out of the crowd. He reminded her of her grandmother. They both looked like they didn’t tolerate any nonsense.
“Mister Mayor, sir, these bandits asked for a room. We told them to leave.”
She blushed but didn’t turn away from the mayor’s scrutinising gaze. The guard hadn’t referred to elves before. He thought they were bandits.
No wonder the guardsmen didn’t want them to stay.
“We’re no bandits, sir,” Ash said. “We’re just travellers looking for a room.”
“Not sure I believe you,” the mayor said. “We’ve heard talk of bandits in the forest. Who’s to say that’s not you?”