horse."
"I'd think Leander would want to help anyone,
man or animal."
Karthor smiled. "I'd think so, too, but I've
never tried it."
Tristam's horse slumped over on its side as
the paralytic poison worked through its veins. The steed's eyes
were wide with terror.
Namitus and Kar rode up, watching the scene.
"Sausage in the making?" Kar asked, only to receive a glare from
Alto and Tristam both.
Karthor chanted to the saint of growth and
light, causing his holy symbol to glow before his spell ended and
the glow faded. Tristam's horse was breathing deeper by the time he
finished. "I think he'll be okay," the priest said. "I couldn't get
all of the poison out but his wound is healed and I think he's
strong enough to fight it off."
"You think?" Tristam asked.
Karthor shrugged, earning a curse from the
man.
"Quick, put your horses in my barn!" a voice
called from the open door of the farmhouse. "If the wasps can't see
them, they'll be safer."
They turned to look at the farmer. He was
older than any of them, but younger than Alto's father. His hair
was thinning but he seemed hearty if exhausted from worry. "My
thanks," Tristam said. "Alto, see to the mounts, and then join
us."
"I'll help," Karthor offered. He guided
Tristam's horse back to its feet. The horse staggered and seemed
shaky, but it followed Karthor as he guided it into the barn. Alto
took Sebas and gathered the reins of the other mounts.
When Alto and Karthor entered the house, the
farmer shut the door and barred it from within. When he was
satisfied that it was secure, he turned back to the others and
offered a pathetic smile. "Welcome, strangers. I'd offer you more
than just my thanks but our pantry is near empty and venturing a
trip outside to the root cellar is a trip to the hangman's
noose!"
"What happened here?" Tristam asked. Deeper
into the house, the farmer's wife and a young boy stared at them
with a mix of fear and hope.
"We don't know. The wasps came weeks ago.
They've taken my livestock and my daughter," the farmer said. The
man's wife let loose a strangled sob at his admission.
"They don't look big enough to take cattle
and horses," Kar thought out loud.
The farmer nodded. "They're not, but I seen
them chew the animals up and take them."
Alto gasped. "Was your daughter..."
He shook his head. "She disappeared before
the wasps came. She was fetching water for dinner. The bees came a
few hours later."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Alto said. He cast about,
trying to think of a way to make the farmer and his family feel
better. "We've enough rations we can share; you don't look to have
eaten well lately."
Tristam silenced him with a glare.
"The girl, your daughter—you say she
disappeared a few hours before the wasps came?" Kar asked.
He nodded. "Does she get water from the
forest?"
He nodded. "Fool child's been told to stay
away from there but she keeps going back." He paused and shook his
head, and then took a deep breath and let it go.
Kar nodded. "Interesting," he mused.
The farmer's eyes narrowed but Tristam
stopped him from further suspicion by speaking. "My name is
Tristam. We're the Blades of Leander. We've come to help put a stop
to these things troubling Fairhaven. A man named Baldwyn sought us
out."
The woman gasped while the farmer nodded. "I
welcome the help, but I don’t think this pestilence won't be ended
easily."
"I fear you're right, but we're dumb enough
to try anyway," Tristam said with a smile. "I'm impressed you've
survived this long, being so close to the forest. Most of the
town's been taken or killed."
The farmer winced. "Terrible news," he said.
"My name's James. My wife is Willamina and my boy is Kevard. Our
daughter was Rosalyn."
"Kevard?" Alto blurted out. "Are you
Kelgryn?"
James turned and stared at him. "Kelgryn? No,
why?"
Alto felt the heat in his cheeks. He'd never
heard the name Kevard before joining the Blades of Leander and now
he'd heard it twice in one year. Seemingly by coincidence. "I'm
sorry. My sword
"I'd think Leander would want to help anyone,
man or animal."
Karthor smiled. "I'd think so, too, but I've
never tried it."
Tristam's horse slumped over on its side as
the paralytic poison worked through its veins. The steed's eyes
were wide with terror.
Namitus and Kar rode up, watching the scene.
"Sausage in the making?" Kar asked, only to receive a glare from
Alto and Tristam both.
Karthor chanted to the saint of growth and
light, causing his holy symbol to glow before his spell ended and
the glow faded. Tristam's horse was breathing deeper by the time he
finished. "I think he'll be okay," the priest said. "I couldn't get
all of the poison out but his wound is healed and I think he's
strong enough to fight it off."
"You think?" Tristam asked.
Karthor shrugged, earning a curse from the
man.
"Quick, put your horses in my barn!" a voice
called from the open door of the farmhouse. "If the wasps can't see
them, they'll be safer."
They turned to look at the farmer. He was
older than any of them, but younger than Alto's father. His hair
was thinning but he seemed hearty if exhausted from worry. "My
thanks," Tristam said. "Alto, see to the mounts, and then join
us."
"I'll help," Karthor offered. He guided
Tristam's horse back to its feet. The horse staggered and seemed
shaky, but it followed Karthor as he guided it into the barn. Alto
took Sebas and gathered the reins of the other mounts.
When Alto and Karthor entered the house, the
farmer shut the door and barred it from within. When he was
satisfied that it was secure, he turned back to the others and
offered a pathetic smile. "Welcome, strangers. I'd offer you more
than just my thanks but our pantry is near empty and venturing a
trip outside to the root cellar is a trip to the hangman's
noose!"
"What happened here?" Tristam asked. Deeper
into the house, the farmer's wife and a young boy stared at them
with a mix of fear and hope.
"We don't know. The wasps came weeks ago.
They've taken my livestock and my daughter," the farmer said. The
man's wife let loose a strangled sob at his admission.
"They don't look big enough to take cattle
and horses," Kar thought out loud.
The farmer nodded. "They're not, but I seen
them chew the animals up and take them."
Alto gasped. "Was your daughter..."
He shook his head. "She disappeared before
the wasps came. She was fetching water for dinner. The bees came a
few hours later."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Alto said. He cast about,
trying to think of a way to make the farmer and his family feel
better. "We've enough rations we can share; you don't look to have
eaten well lately."
Tristam silenced him with a glare.
"The girl, your daughter—you say she
disappeared a few hours before the wasps came?" Kar asked.
He nodded. "Does she get water from the
forest?"
He nodded. "Fool child's been told to stay
away from there but she keeps going back." He paused and shook his
head, and then took a deep breath and let it go.
Kar nodded. "Interesting," he mused.
The farmer's eyes narrowed but Tristam
stopped him from further suspicion by speaking. "My name is
Tristam. We're the Blades of Leander. We've come to help put a stop
to these things troubling Fairhaven. A man named Baldwyn sought us
out."
The woman gasped while the farmer nodded. "I
welcome the help, but I don’t think this pestilence won't be ended
easily."
"I fear you're right, but we're dumb enough
to try anyway," Tristam said with a smile. "I'm impressed you've
survived this long, being so close to the forest. Most of the
town's been taken or killed."
The farmer winced. "Terrible news," he said.
"My name's James. My wife is Willamina and my boy is Kevard. Our
daughter was Rosalyn."
"Kevard?" Alto blurted out. "Are you
Kelgryn?"
James turned and stared at him. "Kelgryn? No,
why?"
Alto felt the heat in his cheeks. He'd never
heard the name Kevard before joining the Blades of Leander and now
he'd heard it twice in one year. Seemingly by coincidence. "I'm
sorry. My sword
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