Chapter 2

I tied the rowboat to the ladder that had been left down on the outside of the covered river barge. Even if I wasn’t able to sense anybody there, I did a quick check of the barge and everything seemed to be just as it had been when I had quickly visited the place a few days prior. This barge had belonged to Elise, who had inherited it from her late husband, who in turn ... well, I guess it had been a payment of some debt. Now this barge was the first vessel of a private trading company and a young businessman named Arne Holth would be using it while looking for some new business possibilities along the canals some way inland. Quite a way inland and - to the other part of our Kingdom, in fact.

For a while, I had been worried that I would need to do several trips in order to get all the books to the Hidden Valley, but during my discussions with the people keeping the restaurant and running a few coastal carriers I had gotten a different idea. People had mentioned that they could have done some of their shipping if they could avoid some bribes that were demanded in the coastal checkpoints. The problem was that, for most of the produce, this kind of transport was just too slow. Besides, there was no reason to pay tolls inside the Kingdom, taxation of the sales was already hard enough. For me, the main point was that by using the canals, I would be able to avoid some checkpoints and I would also be able to get all the books on magic that I had rescued at least close to their destination.

My clothes were still wet, but I had been working enough to keep me warm. There were still a few important things to do before I could rest. I first checked the shoreline but there was nobody close by and I didn’t expect anybody to come. There were usually quiet days before everything started really working again after the celebration. I opened the hatches and prepared the simple winch for use. An experienced user would probably have been able to lift all the barrels in less than half the time it took me, but I was still quite satisfied with myself when I was finally able to close the hatches again. There was one more thing to lift and I wasn’t quite sure how to do that until a saw a shorter pair of planks that could be used in boarding.

When I finally had Kara inside the barge and under the hatch, I took off the canvas that had been covering her. Then I took off the gag I had put on her earlier.

“Do you agree to behave...”

She spat on my face before I was able to finish my sentence. It didn’t take me long to put that gag on her again.

Soon I was back on the row boat - but not until I had secured Kara in one of the two hammocks that were in the cabin of the barge. She shouldn’t be too uncomfortable there - and I hoped that she could control her bladder a bit longer - just because her old clothes were still wet and her robe quite ruined. Like I would ever allow her to wear it again.

When I got back to the row boat I realized for the first time how tired I really was - and how bruised I actually was. It felt that all parts of my body ached and when I had released the boat and started to row it, I actually wanted to scream in pain. When I finally had secured the boat outside the barge dock, I almost fell down when I jumped to the shore. I had to balance myself for a moment before I started walking on the side of the fence towards the guarded gate of the barge dock. In a way it felt silly that the area was sort of guarded - if you came by foot. However, you could access the area by boat without anybody seeing it if you did when it was dark enough. I didn’t mind; this suited me quite fine.

“So, you are coming to your barge already?”

The guard by the gate was an older man and everything in his behavior told me that he didn’t really care as long as he could stay inside the small, heated cabin that stood next to the gate. I couldn’t really blame him, since the weather was now terrible. Or worse.

“I thought that I could save a little money if I slept in the barge - if that’s okay? Name is Arne Holth.”

I knew it was technically forbidden to go to the guarded area but I was quite sure I could convince the guard. At least I looked miserable enough in my soaked clothes. The man looked at me for a moment.

“Okay kid, you can go to your barge if you promise to shout and warn me if something happens out there. After all, I’ve been telling the managers that there should be two guards, one at the pier and one here.”

“I promise, thank you!”

“Close the door after you!”

I had been prepared to bribe the man, either with some liquor or even money, but he had been happy enough to get somebody else out there where the barges were.

Once I was back in my barge and protected from the rain, I let out a sigh of relief. Now, if everything would go as I had planned, I would start our journey through the canals upstream sometime before noon tomorrow. Once I had emptied my bladder over the side of the barge, I returned to the cabin of the barge. Once inside I lighted the candle before turning towards Kara and once again removing her gag. There was also a lantern but I hadn’t checked how much lamp oil was available. So, a candle would do for now.

“Please, would you agree to behave? I’d prefer that you’d be able to help yourself while eating, drinking and taking care of your business.”

Kara looked around the small cabin that had two hammocks, a small stove, fixed seating for two persons and a small table between the seats. Quite far from a luxury and most likely it would often be really cold here, especially during this time of the year. On the far end there was a bucket and a curtain that could be used, while giving some limited privacy. Yes, not really luxury. I guess that I had gotten a bit soft myself.

“Do you ... do you think that I would take care of my business there?”

“I’d guess that you’d have some serious difficulties doing it the same way I can do it over the gunwale.”

“For sure I will not do my business there if you’re watching!”

I just had to laugh.

“Miss, what makes you think that I’d had any interest to really watch you take care of your business?”

I almost told her that I probably knew female anatomy much better than she did, but then I remembered that I probably shouldn’t reveal anything she didn’t need to know. Most likely there was nothing I could do that would change her mind, now. I did a quick inventory inside the small cabin before releasing Kara from the hammock and finally I released her hands that had been tied behind her back.

Then I turned her around so that she was facing me, but I kept my arms straight so that I held her as far away from me as possible.

“I would really not like to tie you again, but I’ll do that if I have to. Now, do you agree to behave so that I can make a fire in that stove so that it might make things at least a bit more comfortable for us?”

Kara didn’t say anything, but finally she nodded.

“I hope that your eye hurts!”

Well, maybe this was a truce. I started to think that the coming weeks were going to be long ones. I didn’t even dare to think what might happen if the canals would freeze so that we would need to stop somewhere. It hadn’t felt like a really big deal before, but now I started to think that those weeks might feel quite long. It should get better once we got out of Aston. I hoped.

Somehow we got through the evening and I even managed to find some new clothes for myself. With the heat coming from the stove, it felt almost tolerable inside the cabin. I did nothing to hide myself when I took off my old clothes and used a washcloth to clean myself somewhat. That didn’t sound like much, but now I was really starting to feel all the bruises I had gotten during our escape through the sewers. I could have tried to heal myself, but I didn’t dare to try since I knew how exhausted I would feel after that. As though I didn’t feel exhausted already.

Being angry with me didn’t stop Kara from sharing the food I had stored in the cabin for myself. Which reminded me about one more problem. Now we would need almost twice the amount of food and that would cost more. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the needed money but getting the food here might be a problem. I still remembered how she had been able to untie her hands - and I knew that there had been nothing wrong with the knot I had used. Maybe that was a ‘magic trick’ she now had. Being able to open knots, maybe even locks. I hoped not, this trip was going to be hard enough in any case.

A few times I tried to open discussion with her, but she just ignored me and looked through me like I didn’t exist. I understood the message, drank my tea and prepared us for the night. She took care of her business and I gave her as much privacy as possible inside the cabin. (Taking into account how much I trusted her.) So, when it was time to go sleep I took two small nets off the wall and tied them around Kara’s hammock. The look of disgust on her face was unmistakable.

“Afraid of a little girl, I see.”

I shrugged.

“I’m sure that you could find several things in this cabin that you could use for killing me. Even if you don’t feel like a killer to me I’d still like to have at least some sleep. Besides, I have no idea what you already might have learned at the University, so it’s better safe than sorry.”

Something flashed in her eyes that showed me that there might actually be a vulnerable young girl behind that strained Magician mask. If the competition within their own group was as fierce as it had seemed in Halvard’s room, I could understand why she needed to protect her inner self. Still, I couldn’t help wondering if she could change. If not, then my Elven friends would curse me sooner, rather than later.

When she wasn’t looking, and when I was sure that I was directly behind her so that she wasn’t able to see me, I created a magic thread and connected it to the cargo net I had used to tie her to the hammock. The other end was connected to one of the small logs that were piled there for heating. Yes, there were way too many things that she could use for hitting or even killing me. I put a larger log inside the stove and adjusted the draft so that it would burn, but slowly. Then I took my extra clothes off before taking the two remaining blankets and blowing out the single candle. For a brief moment, I considered wishing ‘sweet dreams’ to Kara but decided against it.

My last conscious thought was that I hoped that I would be able to fall asleep.

The sound of the falling log mixed up with the nightmare I was having and, for a brief moment, I was happy that it had only been a nightmare. Then I was again aware where I was and that Kara had managed to free herself from her hammock. My whole body ached and I wanted to scream when I forced myself up from my hammock. Just in time to prevent Kara picking up the fallen log. Of course, she just might have been a person who loved to keep things in order but somehow I doubted that.

“Let me go you bastard, let me go!”

I could feel her hands hitting my chest but now there wasn’t really any power in her blows. Instead of hitting her back, I just pulled her closer and held her body against mine, so close that she wasn’t able to hit me any longer. When her struggles stopped, she started to cry desperately, not with that much voice but the general feeling she gave was the one of total despair. I almost would have liked to offer her some solace but since I didn’t want to lie, I didn’t say anything. However, I knew that I would need more sleep, and I was too tired to tie her again. The solution to my problem was so simple that I cursed myself for being so stupid before.

Once Kara had stopped crying I offered her one of the two towels that were hanging there over the small washbowl. She used the towel to wipe her face and I persuaded her to use one of the two chairs while I opened the stove and added another log to the embers. No use feeling too cold once I was awake anyhow. Then I turned to Kara again and pulled her up from the chair and guided her towards my hammock that was bigger than the other one. Once I had Kara there, I joined her and I could hear her gasp. I shook my head.

“Please, Kara, we both need to sleep. I promise that I will not bother you that way, and I don’t really blame you for attacking me. I can only hope that someday you’ll understand that all this happened for your own good, for your protection. Now, try to sleep.”

In any other circumstances that might have been a nice experience, sharing a hammock with a girl. Now I was able to tell that Kara was terrified and, instead of relaxing, she was stiff as a board which also made it a bit difficult for me to be there. We were spooning there which didn’t help in the sense that the closeness made me hard enough that she probably was able to sense it. Or most certainly she was, since she did her best to avoid contacting my midsection, which was quite difficult in a hammock.

I put my hand on her shoulder.

“Kara, I’m sorry about that. Trust me, I will never force you to do anything, never. My mother would come back from her grave and kill me if I would force myself on a woman. Unfortunately that part of me senses the familiar shape and reacts accordingly - but it will never do a thing against my will.”

Kara didn’t say anything, but she relaxed a bit. Then, without any really conscious thought I started softly telling one of the fairy tales my mother had told me when I was young. A simple story about a young boy and a young girl and their adventure among good and bad people. I had no idea if it was the story or what, but at some point Kara relaxed and started to breathe more evenly. Once I was finally sure that she was sleeping, I dared to sense her for the first time since the incident at the river bank.

Her magic signature was different than any other I had seen. Well, all the magic signatures now seemed different when compared to others, but hers was the only one I had seen with two layers. There was that internal shimmer just like there was in all magical beings I had sensed, but in her, it was almost like a gray core. It was like the hollow, black, emptiness of the Magicians who had been filled with that shimmer, leaving only that grayish core. Like a reminder of what she had been. Of course, I didn’t really see any of that, but that is a way of explaining what I sensed.

Wondering about that different shimmer was the last thing I remembered before falling into dreamless sleep.

When I woke up, I was immediately alert as I remembered - and felt - Kara. Instead of spooning she was now facing me, looking directly into my eyes. Then I remembered that we had actually rolled over a few times, but most of the time we had been spooning. The thing that really woke me up was that she had turned around so that she has now facing me. It was still dark and, this time of the year, it would remain dark in here even through the day, since the small windows didn’t offer to allow in much light, and the little light coming from the stove, was no more. However, even though it was still dark I was almost able to feel Kara staring at me.

“I’m not going to apologize for that black eye.”

“I didn’t expect you to.”

“You kept on poking me almost all night.”

“I already apologized for that. I’m not going to do any more apologizing.”

Kara didn’t say anything but just kept on staring at me and the look on her face was almost neutral, as far as I could see. It was too dark to see the color of her eyes, but I had a feeling from yesterday that it was somewhat exceptional. If I remembered correctly, the color of her eyes was amber, almost golden.

“Did you make up that silly story you told me last night?”