Free Witch Bane by Tim Marquitz Page A

navigate. Though he preferred the
certainty of the Red Guard to the unknown threat that lurked behind
them, he said nothing. It was also too early to provoke his
father.
    Sebastian retrieved his equipment and passed
his father a piece of salted beef he’d pulled from his small pack.
He grumbled as he gnawed at the leathery meat, slivers of it
getting caught between his teeth. They hadn’t been ready for a long
journey, and their quick departure from Deliton had left them
unprepared for more than just a few days in the wilderness. They
had not claimed the supplies promised them by Jonas, setting off
without them. Fortunately, they’d reach the village of Cammpras
before the day’s light failed. They could buy what they needed
there, or scavenge it; whatever they deemed most appropriate at the
time.
    Barely awake, Sebastian set his mind on the
task ahead and focused his senses once more on their surroundings.
Their unwanted companion had all night to re-position for a fresh
start, so until they could pick him out of the background noise of
the forest, it was best to stay alert.
    His father looked over at him and
motioned to Sebastian’s leg with his eyes. Sebastian waved him off.
“If he didn’t take the bait when it was fresh , he’s not likely to do it now,” he
whispered.
    Darius shrugged in agreement and slipped
between the foliage cover, and out into the woods. Sebastian
followed, adjusting his scabbard for ease of access just in case he
was wrong. No longer pretending his injuring to be limiting, it
felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
He could move freely until they reached the deeper forest.
    They moved through the clustered trees, not
bothering to hide their trail or quiet their passage. It had taken
only minutes for Sebastian to pick out the telltale sounds of their
shadowy friend. He smiled when he realized he had done it before
his father had. Darius gave him a furtive glance over his shoulder
when he’d spied the tracker, and caught Sebastian smiling.
Sebastian winked and continued on. His father slowed just enough to
nudge him in the side with a sharp elbow. Sebastian covered his
laugh with a cough and pulled ahead so Darius couldn’t see the grin
that was still plastered on his face.
    Several hours later, the grin had melted
away, replaced by a fine sheen of sweat, which misted his face and
stung his eyes. The space between the trees had shrunken, the
trunks growing incestuously close together. Gnarled roots and vines
tugged at their feet to make every step a challenge. Sebastian
wiped the moisture from his brow and mumbled a curse as he
gracelessly slipped between two massive tree trunks.
    Though the sun only peeked through the
canopy on rare occasions, its heat penetrated without effort.
Beneath his tunic, Sebastian sweltered. He’d taken his cloak off
long ago, its length rolled and stuffed through his belt. Once
through a cluster of bushes, he paused and looked to his father.
Darius smirked with cruel abandon, mouthing words but not saying
anything aloud.
    Sebastian didn’t need to hear to know what
was said. “Get used to it, boy. This is what warriors do,” he
muttered, mimicking his father’s inflection. He’d heard the saying
a million times during his training, Darius repeating it every time
Sebastian complained. It was like a mantra these days, reminding
him to keep his tongue in his mouth and his grievances to himself.
He did just that.
    By the time the sun began its descent, the
trees had thinned a little, easing their effort and speeding their
pace. Their shadowy companion still behind them, Darius called a
halt, raising his hand but saying nothing. Sebastian drew up beside
him and peered through the branches ahead and spied what had
brought his father to a stop.
    Off in the distance he saw what he presumed
was Cammpras, a number of small buildings marking the edge of the
village. Distorted sounds drifted past, harsh voices raised in
anger. He listened