The Outlands

The Outlands

                Anthony with Caden on his horse was worried.

                “What if they catch us before we reach the Jasmine Coast?’  He asked aloud.

                Bytor who had the injured Kindle upon Traya stated “Kindle has put a spell of both Stealth and a Shell of Protection over us.  We will make it.  We also have put some distance between us and the evil inside Carum and his mistress Ryanne”.

                They trotted along with every bump, Kindle grunted in pain which hurt Bytor even more and made him even more angry at Carum for doing this to her.

                When they reached the outlands, the decided to rest.  They knew they were far enough out that Carum and Ryanne would not find them there.  Both believed that Kindle was too soft to sleep out in the open air but Bytor knew better.  If Kindle could take a beating the way she did from Carum and still live, then she certainly was strong enough to sleep out in the open air.

                It was colder than normal in the outlands and Bytor knew Kindle was cold.  So he built a fire, keeping the fire to embers as to not be seen from a distance.  Then he lay next to Kindle, wrapping his arms around her cold body to keep her warm.  He was surprised that she let him do this after all she had been through.

                Anthony, Chris, Ty and Caden lounged around the embers.  No one spoke.  Each one was in his own little world that was far different than the one they were in only a day before.  They all missed their nice comfortable beds.

                Anthony decided to take the first watch letting Chris, Ty and Caden sleep for a while.  He was nervous that they had been followed but trusted Bytor when he had said that Kindle had put a spell of Stealth and Shell of Protection on them.  Still, he was worried.  What if Kindle’s spell had worn off?

                As Bytor slept, Kindle got up and sat next to Anthony.  She knew he was worried so she took his hand in hers telling him through a vision that Carum and Ryanne were still at the village ransacking the place searching for the stone.  They would now burn the village to the ground after killing everyone in sight.  No harm would come to them.  They would be able to make it to the Jasmine Coast and meet with the Priestess by the name of Clea.

                Anthony was comforted by her visions.

                “You look tired Anthony.  Sleep now”  She said as she waved her hand over his head, effectively putting him into a deep sleep.

                Not tired herself and her hair still matted with her blood from the attack, Kindle took a walk until she found a small watering hole.  Stripping off her dress, she climbed into the water to soothe her sore muscles and clean off the dried blood that was matted to her head.  As she lay there soaking she had the feeling she was being watched.  It was Bytor with the horses ready for a drink from the small watering hole.

                “I thought we agreed to stick together” he scolded her, then quickly turned around so she could dress herself.

                When she finished dressing, he let the horses drink from the watering hole.

                “Anthony was tired so I put Sleep on him.  I needed to wash this blood out of my hair so I walked until I found this small watering hole”  She had no idea why she needed to explain anything to him yet felt the need to.

                “Kindle, I am so sorry I was too late to save you from Carum.  Alia had warned me and I did not heed her warning.  Then the Myriad had stopped Chris, Ty and myself by putting our horses into a trance.  Are you positive they can be trusted?”

                Kindle pondered this question for a moment.  Why had they stopped the three of them when they were trying to save her?  “I am not certain of anything anymore” she finally conceded.

                “We have company.”  She stated as she looked into the distance at three men and a woman on horseback coming their way fast.

                “Who are they?” Bytor asked Kindle who studied them intently.

                “They are nomads.  The saw the embers and are interested as to what we are doing all the way out here in the outlands.  They are not bad.  The woman is with child.”

                Instinctively,  Bytor shoved Kindle behind him and drew his sword.

                The first man un-mounted his horse and drew his sword also.  “Whoa” the man said “is this how you normally greet someone?  Sword to sword?”

                Bytor responded “I do if I don’t know who I am up against”

                Anthony, Chris, Ty and Caden came running to aide their friend and father.

                It was Kindle who broke the tension “we are just looking for safe passage to the Jasmine Coast”

                The woman who was with child un-mounted and walked up to Kindle.  “You are to see the Priestess Clea?  Are you the prophecy that has been foretold?” 

                Smiling, feeling a kindred spirit with this woman, Kindle told her “yes, yet I am not so sure about the prophecy part”  She then turned to all the men now each with a sword in hand and with a wave of her hand, all swords dropped to the ground.

                Surprised, one of the men nearly shouted “You are a mage?”

                The woman smiled at Kindle and stated “A very powerful one at that!”  Then she introduced herself “I am Kiera.”

                Kindle smiled and told Kiera “My name is Kindle the names of these men are Bytor, Anthony, Chris, Ty and Bytor’s son Caden.  They mean no harm.  They were just protecting me”

                Kiera introduced the men in her group as Bryan, Kinley and her husband, Peter.

                Kindle knew that the men meant no harm either.  They were just protecting Kiera and her unborn child.             

                Peter was the first to speak “May we join you for the night?  Safety in numbers, right?”

                Bytor was still skeptical until Kindle placed her arm on his telling him that it was ok.  These were good people.  Nomads that just wanted company for the night.

                Bytor finally smiled and said “Sure.  We could use the company for the night.”

                Then all the men laughed as they shook hands.  The mood finally joyful for the first time since they left the village in haste.

                They all went back to the makeshift camp and built the fire larger.  Kiera, who had a beautiful voice sang a sweet song of love while looking at her husband.  This pained Kindle a little since it was not long ago that she herself had been in love with Carum.

                Bytor watched Kindle closely, wishing she could love him the way she had loved Carum.

                Kindle could feel Bytor’s eyes on her.  She sneaked a glance at him with a sweet smile.  She was getting used to having him around.

                She finally made a move that shocked Bytor.  She stood up and took him by the hand and led him to a more secluded place within the camp and started swaying in time to the music in which Kiera sang.

                Bytor did not know how to dance, so Kindle took his hands and placed them on her hips.  Together, they swayed in time to the music.  He really did not mind but was more or less determined not to fall in love with her.  This was not easy since she seemed to be able to do just that.

                She is enchanting, he thought to himself which made Kindle smile.  She could hear his thoughts.

                Suddenly, Bytor dropped his hands from her hips and walked off toward the watering hole.  As he washed his face with the cool water, he wondered What was happening to him?  Was Kindle putting a spell on him?

                Kindle followed him to the watering hole, the singing continued in the background.

                “Are you alright?’ She asked Bytor

                He thought for a moment then answered rather gruffly “ I am sworn to protect you and your unborn.  Not to fall in love with you”  Then continued to splash water on his face.

                “My unborn?”  She asked.  This was news to her.

                Bytor finally raised his head up and looked hard at Kindle.  So naïve and innocent, he thought.  “Yes.  The Elder who held up my team informed me that you are now with child.  Carum’s child.  You are not the one Kindle, your unborn child is.”

                Kindle was shocked and Bytor was glad for once that she was.  She knew he was telling the truth.  She just did not want to accept it.

                Then there was a scream of pain in the distance.  Both Kindle and Bytor ran toward the scream.  It was Kiera.  Her baby was coming, now.  Kindle sprung into action, using anything at her disposal to help the baby make its transition into this world.  She sent Bytor back to the watering hole for a pot of water to heat up by the fire.  Then she used the men’s cloaks to put over Kiera and under her hips to elevate them.  She could see the baby crowning.  She called upon the High Priestess Alia to aide her in helping out her new friend and guide her in delivering the baby. 

                With three good pushes, a baby boy was born into this harsh environment.  Kindle cleaned the baby off with the warm water, tied off the umbilical cord with some twine that the nomads had and then cut the cord with Bytor’s sword.  She then handed the beautiful baby boy to his mother so he could feed.  Feeding, Kindle knew would help the placenta to exudate on its own without much more bleeding.

                The baby cried then started rooting at Kiera’s breast to feed.  There were tears of joy all around.  Both mother and child were healthy.  Bytor sighed with relief because it was three annuals ago that Caden’s mother had a hard pregnancy.  The midwife did not tie the placenta off before cutting it and Caden’s mother died in the process.  He was impressed with Kindle for her quick thinking.

                “You must rest now, Kiera.  Childbirth is hard and you will need all the rest you can get.” Kindle told Kiera,  who nodded in agreement.

                So the rest of the group settled in for the night.  This time Bytor took first watch with his son sleeping right next to him.

                He watched Kindle over near Kiera, holding the baby as Kiera slept.  She was so good with the baby that he wondered how had she known how to deliver the baby or was her cry to Alia heard and answered.  She looked up at Bytor watching her and smiled.  She knew in time that she would be holding her own baby.  Carum’s baby.

                The bruises on Kindle seemed to be healing very quickly.  Almost all the way gone now.  She had good bone structure and healed fast which amazed Bytor because when he first saw her lying on the ground in a pool of blood, he thought for sure she was dead.  Now, just hours later she was swimming in the watering hole, dancing and delivering a baby.  He knew now how powerful her magic really was.