It took nearly an hour for the knife to heat so that it glowed red on the outside and yellow in the center.
“It’s time,” Theros said. He glanced over at Huluk. “Fortunately, he’s unconscious.”
Nevek swallowed hard. He rolled Huluk onto his back. “I’ll do the burning, but you sit on Huluk’s head, between his horns. Don’t let him get up, or we’re both dead. Hold that burning brand above so that I can see what I’m doing.”
Theros sat on the minotaur’s head. Nevek picked up the white-hot knife and moved to the officer. He sat across the small of Huluk’s back. “Hold the brand higher. I can’t see.”
Theros did as he was told. Nevek struck.
Huluk woke with a howl, began to buck and thrash about. Theros held on for the wildest ride of his life. The brand went flying backward, falling on the forest floor. Theros held on to the two horns with all of his strength.
The sound of sizzling flesh, followed by a sickening smell, turned Theros’s stomach.
The smell dissipated. The thrashing stopped, ending in a groan. Theros stood up.
“How did it go?” he asked.
Nevek retrieved the brand, stomped out the tiny brush fire that it had started. He walked down to the creek edge and dropped the knife in. The sizzle indicated that the blade was still hot. He washed off his hands and face.
“I think it went all right. I sealed the wound, and it stopped bleeding. We should wash it out again, though.”
Theros agreed. He found his shirt that he had used to stem the bleeding earlier in the day. He washed it out thoroughly in the running stream, rubbing out the hardened bits of dirt and blood in the cloth.
Scooping water in the shirt, Theros went back to Huluk. The minotaur still lay as he had when they had finished. He had not moved. Theros cleaned around the wound and poured water into it, letting it drain. He then gently cleaned out the wound.
Nevek sat down, took out his axe and set it across his lap. “I’ll take the first watch. I’ll wake you in a couple of hours. You wake me when you can’t keep your eyes open anymore. I’ll take it from there to sunrise. I’m not good with humans-I can’t read your emotions or what you are trying to say under the surface of your words. But I do think that you need more sleep than I do right now.”
Theros nodded. He didn’t bother to respond. He pitched back onto the moss and fell asleep.
* * * * *
Nevek nudged him in the morning. The sun was rising over the trees and there was no sign of a cloud in the sky. Theros started. “You were supposed to wake me!”
“I know. I rested and was comfortable. I had no problem just sitting here. Huluk suggested I leave you to rest. He said you had earned it.”
“Huluk?” Theros looked back to where the minotaur had been lying. He was not there. Theros looked over to see the big minotaur washing in the stream.
“How is he?” Theros inquired.
Nevek nodded. “He is much better. He is not well, by any measure, but he is better than he was. I think his fever has broken. He awoke halfway through the night, sweating like a pig. I gave him some water. He felt better and went back to sleep.”
Theros breathed easier. It looked as if Huluk would survive. He was kneeling gingerly in the stream, cleaning his wound as best he could. Theros stripped off his trousers and went down to the stream to join the officer in a bath.
Huluk looked up. “Ah, it is the army! I see you are looking better than yesterday. I am glad to report that I am, too. My back end feels like it has been shot with an arrow, which it has, but it does not feel like it is on fire, which it did yesterday.
“Today we must make many miles. If I cannot keep up, Nevek will go ahead without us, to warn the village and send word to the Supreme Circle. You must help me. You will be my support.”
Theros nodded. “I understand, sir. We should eat and drink, then be on our way.”
Huluk agreed. Theros helped the wounded minotaur out of the water. They dried in the sun as they ate and prepared to move out. The road was four days’ march for an army. Nevek could probably make it in two. Theros and Huluk would take at least three.
By noon sun, it was clear that Huluk had overestimated his strength. They rested by the path in a glade and sparingly ate of the meat and drank from the water-filled wineskins.
Nevek was clearly nervous. Huluk regarded him with interest. “Are you looking around because you hear something I do not, or are you trying to figure out a way to tell me that I am too slow?”
Nevek avoided his superior officer’s eyes. “I am sorry, sir. I must abandon you here, by your own orders! I will send help back as soon as I arrive.”
Huluk nodded and grunted. “Yes, you must go. Now that you do not have us as a burden, you must hurry. Here.” Huluk handed the young warrior the rest of the meat, the full waterskin and the commander’s own axe. “Take these. We will find other food along the way. The axe is to prove that I still live, and that you have not deserted. Send help for me. I will not be stranded here on this damned elf-infested mainland!”
Nevek took the supplies, and left without another word. He broke into a run on the other side of the glade.
“Well, my army, are you ready to aid your commander for another few miles?” Huluk struggled to stand up.
Theros sprang to his feet to support the minotaur officer. They continued down the road.
They were still moving as night began to fall. Theros left Huluk by a tree and looked around for a place to conceal a fire.
The trees changed to pine and spruce in this area. The flat land gave way to gentle, rolling hills. As they drew closer to the coast, the hills would be greater. There was no stream.
Theros found wood. The tinderbox in his pocket was all they needed to start the fire. They both drank from the waterskin. Huluk took the skin back for a second drink.
“I will take the watch tonight. You are still wounded and need the sleep.” Theros said.
Huluk handed the skin back. “No, we will both sleep tonight. Let the fire burn out. We are far enough away by now that no elf will find us.” Then Huluk added, with a wry smile, “If the elves find us, lad, they will miss Nevek.”
Theros understood. If they were indeed being hunted, they were to be the decoys.
He stacked up the fire. Huluk lay down on his side, and almost immediately went to sleep. Theros lay down, but he stared at the small sparks rising above the fire, wondering what it really meant to be free.
Chapter 11
Theros awoke with a start. The fire had gone out. Only embers remained.
A very distant scream, one of terror and pain, had stopped as suddenly as it had started. It was so distant. Theros had no idea from which direction it had come.
He sat up, hurriedly tossed dirt and sand over the glowing embers. Could it be elves? Who was doing the screaming?
Theros continued to listen. His nerves were stretched. He could feel his heart beat, hard and strong, the adrenaline keeping him awake and alert.
The scream came again and now sounded quite close. Theros was on his feet, Nevek’s axe swaying gently back and forth, waiting. Huluk was awake, too, propped up on his side. A red glow erupted from behind them. Theros turned around. The glow intensified. A tree was burning. He saw, in silhouette, a body flailing, black against the flames, but he heard no sound.
As suddenly as it had appeared, the red glow vanished, as if the tree’s flame had been snuffed out.
Sorcery. It had to be.
Theros crouched, afraid to move, not knowing what might leap out at him from the darkness. And then, the flapping of the wings of a huge bird, black in the night, nearly bowled Theros over. The bird came and was gone. A red glow shimmered where the bird had vanished. Theros was reminded of something, vague childhood terrors came back to him.