“Good, I’m glad you’re being more agreeable, Jenn, even if it is for the wrong reasons,” said Rupert. “Now, we’d better see if anyone else here is still alive, and what we can salvage.” Rupert set off to search through the remains of the wagon train.
Jenn simply stared after him. There was something really strange about Rupert, he was not acting like a boy his age. He was so business like, when he should have been scared witless, and to treat a demon so. Surely he really had gone insane. At least he had the decency to avoid the blackened corpses, and even get sick looking at them. If he’d been able to do that, she’d known for sure he was lost.
She looked back at the demon, who was watching Rupert, if she didn’t know better, she’d swear it almost appeared as puzzled as her about Rupert’s actions. She suddenly had a horrid chill, what if, while she’d been out, the demon had possessed Rupert. She’d never seen such a thing, but, naturally, she’d heard of it. Could the boy already be a puppet of Evil. Good Goddess, was this some monstrous plot to get her?
Jenn shook her head, no that was foolish, she was just an unimportant student wizard. No fourth order demon would go to that much trouble over someone so menial. Still, she’d have to watch them both. The demon had some sort of strange hold on the boy. Goddess, if only it wasn’t too late already to save him. Finally, she came to a decision.
“Well, if we’re stuck with you, until we reach safety. Then I guess we had better head for Freehold.” That was the closest ‘safe’ place. “So, I had better see what we can salvage.” Jenn glared challengingly at the demon. She then set off to look for her things.
They found no one else left alive. They still had two horses left, Timber Leaf and Bitterwhite, Chestnut and her partner were still paralyzed on the ground, eventually they’d be all right, but it would take a day or so for the spell to wear off. So in the meantime, Jenn undid their harnesses, so that they’d be able to get up and move. Unfortunately, all of the wagons were inoperable, Jehenna’s guide poles had been broken when the horses fell, Trisfelt’s had a hole in it and the rest were torched. The hole in Trisfelt’s wagon was most interesting. Apparently, he was in such a hurry to leave, that rather than take the extra time to individually select the people and things that would go with him in his teleport spell, Trisfelt had simply done an area teleport, and taken everything within a certain radius of himself. Aesthetically it was considered crude, but it was a considerably faster and easier way to teleport multiple objects, than the more traditional way; however, given the circumstances, few wizards would have faulted him for his inelegance.
Actually, it was all for the best, Jenn reflected. The demon could fly or whatever it wanted to do and riding horses would be considerably faster than pulling a wagon. Fortunately, Jenn had few, truly important belongings, her extra clothes, toiletries, a few notebooks and her diary. The problem would be carrying food.
That problem was solved however by the demon, surprisingly enough, it did at least provide the service of going through the pile of melted soldiers and locating some leather saddle bags and other equipment, that could be used. The leather was in bad shape from the fire, but enough was salvageable that they were able to get two complete sets of equipment. Thus in only a few hours they were ready to go.
The best they could do for the dead was a mass burial. The demon, reluctantly, piled all of the dead from the wagon train together. Jenn then cast a Moriella’s Move Earth Spell, and parted the ground under them, so that the corpses would at least be buried. She then closed the earth on top of them. She wished she knew some words to say, but what with all that had happened, she couldn’t think of what would be appropriate. She simply offered a small prayer to the Goddess. Besides, she reflected, what with an Agent of Evil standing by, anything she said could easily be perverted into a mockery.
The problem came when Jenn mounted her horse, and Rupert refused to. He’d seemed reticent about the whole saddle thing, but hadn’t said anything until it was time to mount. “I just can’t Jenn. I can’t ride a horse.”
“Oh Rupert,” she said in despair. “It’s not that difficult. Here, I’ll get down and help you mount, then just hang onto the saddle horn. I’ll lead and Timber Leaf will follow.” She dismounted to do as she said.
“No,” he said backing away. “It’s not that Jenn... it’s just that, well, remember Chestnut.”
That did give her pause, true he had reason to fear horses, after that. “Rupert, that was Chestnut, Timber Leaf is a lot more gentle, she won’t act that way, I promise. I don’t know what got into Chestnut, but it was just a freak thing.”
“No, no it wasn’t Jenn,” his eyes were starting to get watery, and his voice a little choked. “Horses don’t like me, none of them.”
“That’s nonsense, Rupert. You can’t make generalities about such things, simply based on one experience and your own expectations.”
“I’m glad you agree,” the demon interjected dryly.
She glared at him for interrupting, and ignored him. “Come on, I’ll help you mount.”
“No, please Jenn.” Rupert was on the verge of tears. Jenn was frustrated, but at least she was reassured to see Rupert acting like a normal scared kid again.
“Rupert, come on. Horses do not hate you, come on. Just try petting Timber Leaf, you’ll see.” Rupert shook his head, but didn’t actually say anything. “I’ll hold your hand Rupert, that way if Timber Leaf does anything, I can protect you.” That should get him to try it.
Rupert looked doubtful. “It won’t work, Jenn, Timber Leaf doesn’t like me.”
“Come here, let’s just try it.” She knew if he did this, he’d see there was nothing to be afraid of. Slowly, Rupert came forward. Jenn took his hand. “Here, we’ll come from the front, where Timber Leaf can see us, and there is no way she’ll get spooked.” As they approached the horse, it eyed them speculatively. When they got within about two feet, it backed up. Jenn sighed with annoyance, “Silly horse.” They approached a little closer. The horse backed up again.
Getting frustrated, Jenn reached out with her other hand to grab the reins and hold the horse still. It was just like a horse to do exactly what you didn’t want it to. As she held the horse in place, she moved Rupert’s hand up to pet Timber Leaf. As the boy’s hand came closer, Timber Leaf shook her head and tried to get away from the hand. Jenn frowned in puzzlement, Rupert looked nervous again. As she tried again, Timber Leaf reared in fright, just as Chestnut had the night before.
Jenn let go of Rupert’s hand, and he backed quickly away. Jenn started murmuring and calming, trying to relax the horse. It took just a few minutes, and Timber Leaf was standing fairly calmly again. Jenn turned to the boy, a grimace of frustration on her face. “Well, Rupert, I guess you knew what you were talking about. So what do we do now?”
Rupert shrugged, happy to be relieved of having to ride. “I guess I’ll walk, you ride. “We’ll just have a spare horse.”
“Great, we’ll never get to Freehold.” Jenn said, “I guess we’ll just have to walk the horses. If you’re going on foot then I guess I can too, for now.” Rupert, just bowed his head looking guilty, but not unhappy.
“Well, let’s go then.” She still had Timber Leaf’s reins, so she loosely tied them to a rope, which she then attached to her horse’s saddle. Jenn then set off down the road leading her horse, followed by Timber Leaf, then Rupert, and the demon hovering behind.
They followed the trail onward and upward, once again following the mountainside. The day wore on slowly, their pace hampered by Rupert’s slow walking pace. Actually Jenn was quite impressed, an hour later Rupert still hadn’t complained, and for all that they were slowed by their going on foot, they were still moving at a considerable pace. For his part Rupert marched steadily onward, quite content with walking and the way things were. Jenn’s own feet were beginning to hurt.