Forged in Fire

Chapter 5-4

“So, I have two questions for you,” Dahlia said firmly. Hunter swallowed, nodded, and tried to keep her gaze instead of guiltily looking away. “Did you spy on me and try to peep in on me?”

“No!” he cried, flushing, and unable to keep his eyes locked with hers. “I mean, I scouted your ranch. I scout everything. So I saw you. From a long ways away! I was curious, but I assumed you had a husband. I stayed away. I can’t…I shouldn’t be meeting people anyway.”

“Fine,” she said. “I’m glad for that. I swear to you, this morning in Dangritown, Mayor Ednis tried to reach up my skirt and I slapped him onto the ground, and, by Quam, I nearly gutted him. You’re a sight more courteous than him, but I will not hesitate to do the same to you or anyone else if I catch you peeping on me.”

“I’m a monk, for Quamsake, and sworn to chastity,” Hunter protested, then tried to hurry her along. His throat was desperately dry and his face as hot as the cookfire coals. “Your second question?”

“Then as a monk, sworn to virtue – including truth – tell me what you’re hiding from way out here in the jungle.”

“No,” he said.

“No, what?”

“I’m not telling you. Don’t ask again.”

“You’re not ordinary deserters,” Dahlia pressed. “You did something. Something that included killing Imperial soldiers. You tried to cover for Chekwe when he let it slip. There’s something about that sword too. Is it stolen?”

Hunter stared at her for a dozen heartbeats. Quam, she’s a quick one, he thought. Admirably quick. Maddeningly quick. He cleared his throat and shifted his body to face her squarely.

Quam, she’s a quick one,Admirably quick. Maddeningly quick. “Ma’am, you’ve been clear and firm with me. Now I’ll be clear and firm with you. I don’t want to lie to you, but my secrets are my own. So never ask me again.”

“I want to know who I’ve hired to help me,” Dahlia replied.

“You should have thought of that before you stepped foot in the jungle looking for dangerous men. I didn’t ask you to come here, remember? And Chekwe and I will help you, like I said. But there is a price.”

“What price?”

“No one else can know we’re here.”

“That’s easy,” she said. “We won’t say a word.”

“No, you won’t. Because one of you won’t be leaving the jungle.” Hunter saw Dahlia’s eyes flash lightning again, and her hand moved towards the knife in her daily bag. He rolled his eyes. “Oh, Quam, I’m not going to hurt you. But I told you that back on the trail that you couldn’t go back, and I meant it. Before I leave on the trail of your cattle, I will have your word that you and Paul will stay here.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Dahlia shot at him. “I have a ranch to run. What good does it do to get my cattle back if I can’t take care of them?”

“I’ll make you a deal then. You can go home. Paul goes with me.”

“You must be mad…” Dahlia started.

“No, listen,” Hunter interrupted. “You want to keep him away from the conscripting agents…well, how are they supposed to find him if he’s out here with me? And all I want is to ensure that you’ll keep quiet until…until I’m done here. Chekwe and I will teach Paul a few things, starting with how to hunt goblins, which I would think would be worth something considering you live on the edge of goblin territory. Then I bring Paul back to you, drop him off, and your life returns to normal. What do you say?”

“What do I say? You’re telling me you’re going to hold my son hostage as if you’re doing me a favor. And for how long?”

Hunter sat for a moment, avoiding her eyes, chewing his bottom lip, thinking. For how long? By Quam, that was the question, wasn’t it? He looked up, into her eyes again.

For how long? By Quam, that was the question, wasn’t it?“It can’t be long,” he said, hoping that was the truth. “And I assure you, when my stay here is done, the war will be over, and you’ll have nothing to fear from the conscripting agents.”

“Do you have children?” Dahlia replied. Hunter looked off again, out into the dark jungle.

“Not alive,” he said slowly.

“Then you know how terrible it is to have them torn away from you,” she said softly. “Hunter, I beg you, for Quamsake. Please don’t separate me from my son.”

“I am truly sorry,” he said, still staring into the darkness. “You can take my offer and one of you can stay, or you can both stay. But look, I have something that might make it easier for you. Hold out your hand.”

Dahlia gingerly held out her hand while he pulled a tiny pouch on a cord from under the collar of his robe. He fumbled briefly with the pouch, then tipped a creamy white gem out and onto her palm. Her eyes widened as the gem caught the firelight on a hundred facets.

“What is it?”

“Close your palm.” He reached over and closed her fingers around the gem. “There. Keep it closed a little longer. Good. Open it again.”

She opened her hand. The gem was glowing softly. She gasped.

“It’s a moonstone!”

“Enchanted moonstone,” he corrected.

He watched Dahlia stare at the light, her tough motherly expression melting into a girlish grin of delight. After a dozen heartbeats the light began to fade. She watched, entranced, as the light finally went out, smoothly and without a flicker.

“Where on earth did you get an enchanted moonstone?” she breathed.

“Umm,” he said. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that if you hold it in your palm, it begins to glow. The longer you keep your hand closed, the longer it will glow after you open it. Careful though, if you hold it tight too long it gets hot enough to burn. I’ve heard they’ll even set tinder afire.”

“It’s so pretty! But they must cost a fortune. Where did you…” she cut herself off and gave him a piercing look. He shook his head.

“That’s another question I won’t answer. But listen, there’s something more. It has a twin. Chekwe’s got it now, but we can give his to Paul in the morning. Whenever one of the stones glows, it’s twin will glow too. It’s a way to signal a friend, or a son. Set a time each day to use it, and you’ll know that each other is safe and sound.”

“It’s stolen,” Dahlia accused. “You want me to leave my son and communicate with him with a stolen moonstone.”

“No,” Hunter said. He reached over and folded her fingers over the stone again, this time holding her hand closed with his own. “I want you to get your cattle back. I want your son to be safe. I want you to know he’s safe. But I’ve taken a holy vow to do something else as well, and I will bleed and die and give up everything else in the world before I break that vow.”

Hunter let go of Dahlia’s hand and she slowly opened her fingers. The moonstone lay glowing in her palm. She stared, mesmerized by the gem. Hunter stared, mesmerized by her face, until the glow winked out and she looked up.

“Do we have a bargain?” Hunter asked.

“I don’t know if it’s a devil’s bargain,” Dahlia said slowly, “but yes. We do.”