Free Spell Fade by J. Daniel Layfield Page A

someone to carry our bags.” Aliet smirked and steered Josie back towards the other side of the yard.
    By the time the sun cleared the roof, headed towards mid-morning, Marcus was more than a little restless. What started as a simple shifting of his weight from one foot to the other escalated to full on pacing across the entire length of the wooden porch. Mixed in with the noise of creaking planks, Dartan could just make out Marcus’s mumbling. The words weren’t clear, but the frustration was. When both sounds stopped directly behind Dartan, he froze, not daring to even breathe. Two more steps brought Marcus’s worn black boots into his peripheral. His chest started to burn as the silent seconds ticked by. Finally Marcus grunted, and the boots moved swiftly past Dartan.
    “We’re leaving,” Marcus announced, walked down the steps, and headed across the yard without another word. Dartan sat still for a moment, catching his breath, unsure he had heard correctly. Had he missed the wizard’s arrival? No, a quick glance around showed there was still no sign of him. So, what was Marcus doing?
    “Wait!” he called out, grabbing his bag and scrambling off the steps. “Leaving? Where are we going?”
    “Amstead, of course,” Aliet answered as she guided Josie around behind Marcus, who had not even paused when Dartan spoke.
    “But, the wizard,” Dartan argued. “Who will guide us?”
    “Marcus knows the way,” Aliet assured him. She spoke over her shoulder, not turning Josie to face him, or even slowing. “I’m sure the wizard will find us, when he has a use for us.”
    How could Marcus possibly know the way to Amstead? Dartan stood at the top of the road and wondered. Then something caught his eye, a patch on Marcus’s pack. It was faded, but still recognizable – the crest of the Capital Guard. He remembered now, Marcus had once been a member of the elite Royal Guard. Head of his watch and destined for Captain, to hear Aliet speak of it, though she rarely did anymore. It had been before their parents got sick, and he had traded that life for the one he had now.
    Dartan stood in the yard, uncertain. The house behind him was empty and dark, while his friends moved further away, leaving him alone. There was nothing left here for him, and if he waited long enough it might not be the wizard who showed up looking for him. Aliet was right, Marcus knew the way, and the wizard could find them whenever he got around to thinking about them.
    Dartan had a short jog to catch up, and he fell into place beside Aliet and Josie. “How long will it take us?” he asked after catching his breath.
    “It would take me two days,” Marcus answered. “Us?” He turned slightly, looked at Dartan, and added, “Most likely more.” Dartan looked up at Aliet. She gave him a smirk and a gentle shake of her head. She was right, best not to poke the bear.
    Dartan spent the next couple of hours at the back of a more or less single file line, occasionally peering behind them for any sign of the wizard. A few close calls later he decided it better to concentrate instead on avoiding anything Josie dropped in his path.
    The first fork in the road came upon them unexpectedly as they rounded a curve in the woods. Dartan slowed, looking for some sort of sign or direction, but Marcus moved steadily on, picking a path with barely a glance. It was the same each time an alternate path presented itself, and after each one Dartan thought of the wizard less and less.
    It was well past midday before he finally appeared. Dartan first saw him as a solitary figure in the road ahead. The robes, hat, and beard appeared as they drew closer. The last thing to come into focus was the smile so broad it crept up into his squinted eyes. He raised his hand, as though greeting old friends, but he wouldn’t find any in this group.
    Marcus gave him little more than a glance and grunt as he passed. Alain’s smile faltered a bit. Aliet glared as she passed and Josie