Chapter 8: It All Goes Wrong From The Start

On three horses laden with what were now all of our worldly possession, Catherine and I left without a single soul to see us off.

It was a somber procession as we took the road north under the light of the moon. Leaving our family home and everything leading up to that point was without a doubt a bitter experience for me. Yet, as our family lands disappeared out of sight behind us, I was also filled with an unexpected sense of relief and even excitement. It was only at the moment when I was finally leaving it all behind that I realized just how smothering living at home with father had been, how oppressive and pointless and unhappy I’d been as I attempted to play the part of the dutiful son. Had I really planned to spend the rest of my life like that? The stark realization that everything I had been doing for years had been so wrong headed and profoundly miserable was sobering. You would think that it was something obvious that I would have recognized sooner but somehow, in the grind of day to day life, the sort of effect that living like I was supposed to had on me went unnoticed. Which naturally led to the question: If doing what I was supposed to didn’t lead to the happiness and satisfaction I was promised, then what would?

I only wished it hadn’t taken my sister being [Cursed] and wanted by a powerful cult in order for me to realize my mistake.

We rode in silence for several hours, the both of us lost in thought. The skies were clear and filled with stars and the spring night was cold enough to warrant wearing a heavy coat. When we came to a fork in the road I took the left path and Catherine followed without question. It was only a few minutes later when Catherine urged her horse forward until it was next to mine.

“So where are we going?” asked Cat in a subdued voice.

I blinked at her question as I realized that I hadn’t actually gotten around to telling Catherine my plan. Granted, it was more like the first part of a very rough outline of a plan at the moment rather than something that would definitely get us out of this mess. How was I actually going to get the cult off our backs? Honestly, I didn’t have a clue. But Cat didn’t need to know that. For morale it was important to always look like you were in control and like you knew perfectly well what you were doing in front of your men.

“The priests, the Cult of Abadeth is extremely powerful and influential,” I said, turning to Cat with a smile. “But only in Iskander. Abadeth is a regional God worshiped pretty much exclusively in this province. The laws that say we need to hand you over to them also only apply within Iskander. So the first step is getting out of their sphere of influence. That means leaving the province. That means we’re going to Galia.”

“Galia?” asked Cat, her eyes widening with a sense of wonder. Her reaction made me chuckle. From her perspective her reaction was easy to understand.

Iskander, situated in the furthest south-eastern corner of the empire, was considered to be something of a backwater. It was filled with a rough dour people who scratched out a living amid rocky hills and whose nobility still thought the height of fashion was to walk around draped in animal furs. Iskander in general had very little patience for things that weren’t salt-of-the-earth and practical, a hard life and repeated barbarian invasions throughout the centuries making the people fiercely independent and deeply devoted to their Gods.

Galia, though it neighbored Iskander to the west, could not have been a more different place.

While most of Iskander could be thought of as jagged hills and rocks and forests at the foot of the Sky Tyrant Mountains, Galia on the other hand was widely famed for it’s seemingly endless fertile farm lands and it’s beautiful green rolling hills. Galia was also one of only two provinces in the empire without external borders and thus had never known the threat of invasion from barbarians or savages from outside the empire. Thus over the long centuries wealthy Galia had earned a reputation as the breadbasket and cultural heartland of the empire, rivaled only by the Imperial Province itself. Galia boasted the best wine in the empire, fine food, theater, lavish balls and galas, the latest in noble fashions, poetry, literature, gentlemanly sports, all these things and more were supposedly highly prized and found near everywhere in Galia.

However on the other side of the coin, supposedly the lack of external enemies to worry about had led to the people of Galia and the nobility in particular to treat intrigue, intricate plots and viciously stabbing each other in the back as if it were practically the official pastime of the province. The Galians I had met in the service had seemed both disgusted and yet somehow oddly proud of that fact for some reason.

At least all of that information was what I had heard from many people, including a fair number of native Galians. For all that serving in the legions had exposed me to many different people and cultures throughout the empire the truth was that I myself had never left Iskander in my entire life. It was something that I found I was rather pleased that I was soon going to correct. At least from all of the stories I’d heard over the years I would have at least some idea of what to expect.

“Yes, Galia,” I said with a nod. “We’ll first stop by Bassett, a Galian city only a couple of days from the border. Then we’ll figure out what to do from there.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Cat rode silently next to me for barely a minute before speaking again.

“So, can I get a dueling sword?”

“What, you mean a rapier?” I asked, her sudden request catching me by surprise. “Why? I thought you’d rather get a fancy Galian dress or something.”

“I’ve heard that women learn dueling just as readily as men in Galia,” Cat said with a sniff. “It just seems more practical. Besides, we’re outlaws now. Buying a fancy dress hardly seems practical, now does it?”

“We’re not outlaws,” I corrected immediately.

“Aren’t we?” asked Cat with a raised eyebrow. “I thought the whole reason we are fleeing Iskander is to escape the law.”

“That’s…,” I said before trailing off, realizing that she had a point. “Well. We’re not proper outlaws. We haven't broken any imperial laws which are the laws that really matter. We’re only technically guilty of breaking provincial law, and even then the law is obviously stupid and flawed to begin with. Once we cross the border into Galia we’ll be proper law abiding citizens of the empire again in all the ways that really matter.”

“Really?” asked Cat, looking at me skeptically. “Won’t the Galians ship us back over the border if they find out we’re wanted in Iskander?”

“That’s not how the law works,” I told her confidently. “Provincial crimes only apply within the borders of the province, and any legal authority from Iskander can’t cross the border to chase after us for breaking provincial law. And Galia won’t care a single bent copper about what Iskandite laws we may have broken once we’re inside their borders. Officially we’ll be in the clear.”

Cat seemed a bit skeptical yet at the same time considerably more relieved at hearing that. However even though everything I’d said was true I did not for one second expect that it would be that easy. Though the Cult of Abadeth wouldn’t be able to get to us through any official channels once we were in Galia, there was nothing stopping them from using their influence to attempt something through more “unofficial” channels. Mercenaries, criminals and bribes were only the start of the tools a determined organization might bring to bear. I needed to find a more permanent way of either getting them off our backs or protecting ourselves from them. However at that moment I couldn’t think of a single damn thing that might work.

It was a frustrating situation to say the least and one frustratingly without any clear solution in sight.

Hours later it was my distraction and wool gathering while thinking about the enormity of the problem facing us that nearly led to disaster. As our horses exited a small canyon and turned a blind corner suddenly I found myself staring down five men on horseback. The five of them came to a halt, apparently just as surprised to see us as we were to see them. Schooling my face to hide my surprise I quickly surveyed them. The five of them wore chain mail, helms and were heavily armed. On their shields was a depiction of a wolf and a mountain, the symbol and heraldry of the province of Iskander. These men were Outriders of Iskander, soldiers charged with patrolling the roads of the province and making sure they remained free highwaymen, magic beasts and other assorted hazards. Their leader, a huge man with a great red beard, eyed me warily as I returned the favor.

On reflex I used my [Observe] skill on him.

Level: 17 [10 Equite, 5 Soldier, 2 Military Engineer]

Name: Jurgen Lange

Skills: Relentless Pursuit I, Navigation I

Status: Healthy

Stones of Apotheosis: 0/4

I took a look at the others and very quickly decided I didn’t like my chances if this came down to a fight. All of them were relatively high level, only two or three levels lower than their leader. Under normal circumstances two or three men I might feel confident in taking down. Five would be tricky. However, I was also missing most of the equipment I’d grown used to carrying with me which I had not kept after the war. Without armor or even a buckler getting out of this in one piece suddenly became that much more of a coin flip. On top of that, there was also keeping Catherine out of the crossfire to consider.

No. Getting into a fight here would absolutely have to be a last resort.

“Greetings sir,” said the leader as he eyed me up and down with not-quite-but-almost suspicion. “Bit late to be out riding isn’t it? Especially with such a young one in tow?”

I felt Catherine shift uneasily just behind me. Mentally I begged her to not say or do anything and to let me do all the talking.

“Greetings, Outrider,” I returned, putting on my best merchant’s smile. “Normally I would agree with you. Gods know riding through the night would hardly be my first choice. Unfortunately an urgent matter came up suddenly and simply could not wait even a few hours until dawn. Our family is in the merchant business you see. And I must say it is quite good to see you, sir. I can rest easier now knowing that the road ahead of us has been cleared of any bandits or other unfortunate hazards.”

I took a quick look at all of the men. The four apart from the leader appeared generally indifferent, except for one. The youngest looking Outrider of the group was glaring at me with poorly veiled suspicion.

“Is that so?” continued the large red bearded leader, not looking to have been put at all at ease by my words. “Pardon me for saying so, sir, but you don’t have the look of any merchant I’ve ever met.”

The pleasant smile on my face began to feel strained as I forced myself to remain outwardly calm. “Well, to be honest I don’t consider myself much of a merchant. Never quite got the knack for it, I’m afraid. Other members of my family do the heavy lifting in that department. I do have other skills however, which is why I’m really the only choice for a late night ride that simply cannot wait.”

“I see,” said the leader, his tone skeptical. “And what does an ‘urgent’ late night ride involve taking a young lady of her age with you along for the ride?”

Before I could reply the Outrider who had been eyeing me with hostility suddenly cut in. “Sir, those two match the description of who Major said we should keep an eye out for!” he blurted out.

The tension between our two groups suddenly became so thick you could have used it to smother someone in their sleep. I resisted an urge to do something rash as the other three men in the group suddenly became very alert and focused in on me like hawks. Damnation. I’d really wanted to avoid violence but now it might have just become inevitable.

While I did my best to keep calm on the outside on the inside I was furious and confused, furiously trying to work out how this could have happened. The cult must have used one of the local augurs to get the word out to all of the surrounding settlements to be on the lookout for us. But how could they have possibly known to do so so quickly? For these outriders to know to be on the lookout for us meant that the warning must have gone out hours ago. The Cult of Abadeth must have learned about us escaping from our home almost immediately. Had there been other observers that I had missed somehow? Had father decided he might be able to save his own skin if he immediately betrayed us?

In the end it didn’t matter, at least not in that moment. Looking at the men in front of me I couldn’t help the premonition that things would soon be coming to a head in blood. I tried to smile one more time, though I could tell that it didn’t look nearly as genuine or sincere as it had just a few moments ago. “On the lookout for us? I must say I’m not sure what you mean. We’re simply on urgent family related business, that is all.”

“A simple merchant on urgent family related business, are you?” asked the leader gruffly, his eyes suddenly very intent. “Innocent people with nothing to hide, I take it? Is that why your hand has been hovering over your sword since the moment you first saw us, sir?”

Instantly I realized he was right and had to resist the urge to curse out loud. Habits die hard and having to talk my way out of trouble like this wasn’t something I had any experience in. I moved my hand away from my sword but by then it was far too late. The leader scrutinized me, then looked down at the sword on my hip for a few long moments before slowly bringing his eyes back up to my face. His expression then suddenly became carefully blank and I readied myself to tell Catherine to run while I tried to deal with these men.

Instead of demanding our surrender or giving the order of attack however, the leader instead motioned towards my sword. “Interesting design on that sword of yours, sir. Tell me, did you happen to come by it honestly?”

Realizing that my simple merchant act was well and truly blown, I let go of the fake smile and allowed my face to naturally slip into the stony professionalism of a soldier. “Aye, I did.”

The leader nodded as if he had been expecting that answer all along. Then he switched subjects so fast it could have made your head spin, his voice casual and conversational. “You know, seeing a sword like that reminds me of the war. That was some nasty business. You have the look of a veteran about you. Were you by any chance at the Emerald Passes? It was a hell of a thing, that battle. The 12th legion doing what it did, they and their commander saved a lot of lives that day. Mine included. Were you able to witness that by any chance?”

I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but I slowly nodded anyway. “I was there. And I did witness what you speak of,” I paused before narrowing my eyes at him. “And it was the 13th legion that climbed that mountain and repelled down those cliffs to attack the enemy flank, not the 12th.”

The leader paused and then very calmly nodded at that before looking me straight in the eye. “Aye, of course. I misspoke. It was the 13th legion that were the heroes on that day. It’s still a daily topic of conversation among us veterans, you know? Most of the men here and many others that are now Outriders were at Emerald Passes or at the very least served during the war, and we all know the story. Hells, most of the men who served with the 13th hardly ever have to pay for their own drinks anymore. And as for the man who led them at the end? I only wish that I could shake his hand and thank him for what he did.”

My throat was suddenly dry and I found it very hard to speak. “I’m sure that that man would be humbled and grateful for that sentiment, sir.”

The leader – Jurgen was his name, wasn’t it? – gave me a slight smile and another nod before turning to address his men. “We were ordered to be on the lookout for a brother and a sister, one Garrett Chapman and one Catherine Chapman. We were told that they are wanted some supposedly serious crime that our superiors did not deem necessary to disclose to us mere outrider grunts. However it is obvious for anyone to see that these two individuals are father and daughter rather than siblings. Thus it would be impossible for them to be the pair that we were told to be on the lookout for. Is that understood, Outriders?”

There was only a heartbeat of hesitation before a chorus of “ayes” rang out from Jurgen’s men. All except for one. The same young man who had spoken up earlier looked at his fellow outriders with disbelief and outrage written clear on his face.

“What? You can’t be serious! These are obviously them,” the young man exclaimed, jabbing a finger in our direction. “We should at least detain them and question them more thoroughly!”

Jorgen turned towards the young man, his expression fatherly but firm. “Your heart is in the right place, Karl, but you still need to learn what orders should be followed to the letter and what orders… don’t. We’re moving on. Ride next to me and I’ll explain it to you as we continue our patrol, all right?”

I could see the conflict in the young man’s face, no doubt torn between what he had been taught during training and what his trusted superior was telling him now. After few long, painful moments Karl consented with a jerky nod. Jurgen gave him a broad, proud smile before raising one arm high in the air and turning to address his whole group.

“Outriders, move out!”

Jurgen kicked his horse into a sprint and his four subordinates followed, five horses thundering by us close enough to make our horses neigh unhappily. In seconds they were out of sight, the sound of their horses’ hoofbeats quickly fading in the still night air.

I blew out a lungful of air and practically sagged in my saddle. Damnation. Damnation! Not even one night on the lam and I’d already nearly gotten us caught. If it wasn’t for Jurgen and his sympathetic take on me there was a very high chance that Catherine would have been hurt or captured on this very night. Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. I had been too lax, too cocky. I knew better than this. I knew better. If we were going to have any chance of making it to the border I was going to have to stop screwing around and start using all of the skills that I had learned as an [Imperial Scout].

“Brother?” Catherine asked me once the outriders were long gone, her voice frightened and confused.

“Put on the sturdiest set of clothes you have, Catherine,” I said, my tone hard and serious. “We’re leaving the roads and traveling cross country from now on.”

The possibility of encountering magic beasts was a more acceptable risk to me now than the possibility of running into another patrol that wouldn’t be as willing to turn a blind eye as this one did.