Chapter Seventeen
Saffi awoke, groggy and in pain, laying on Devon’s Road somewhere near the Robber’s Spine. The night sky had lost its stars, and the pervasive black had started to turn a dark shade of blue. Fog blanketed the plains, and she wondered just how long she’d been unconscious. Her eyes stung, but that was inconsequential compared to her thundering headache. She reached up and pressed her hand to the side of her head and groaned, surprised at how tender her face was when she touched it.
“Good, you’re awake,” said a gruff voice from nearby.
Next came a heavy snort and gasp from just behind Saffi, and she turned to see a black horse laying nearby. It was on its side, mouth open and eyes wide, struggling for breath. Dessidus stood beside the creature, collecting his gear.
She remembered the fight on the hill in the Steel Plains, and how the Black Rider had chased her down. “Where are we?”
“On our way back to the city,” said Dessidus. “I was afraid I’d have to carry you.”
She looked at the wounds Ebon had inflicted, each of them now appearing like scars from a battle fought long ago. “You’re a half-dead,” she said, repulsed by the revelation.
“Just now realizing that, are you?” He smiled and then motioned with his finger for her to stand. “Get up. We’re leaving.”
“I thought the Drakes wiped out all the half-deads.”
“Not by a longshot. Now get up, we’re leaving.”
“What happened to your horse?” asked Saffi as she moved closer to the pained animal. She set her hand on the creature’s cheek, and its nostrils flared as it gazed at her in fear.
“Ebon poisoned it, the crafty bastard. I thought he’d missed me, but he stuck the mare on purpose. He’ll be headed this way soon. We passed a merchant wagon camped out that way,” he pointed north, back the way they’d come. “We can go steal it and be on our way.”
“No,” said Saffi. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Don’t make this harder on yourself than it needs to be,” said Dessidus. “I’ll give you a matching welt on the other side of your head if you don’t do what I tell you.” He took out one of the axes from its loop at his waist.
“Why do you need me? What does The Scholar want with me? I’m just an Apprentice-Baker.”
Dessidus smirked and eyed her quizzically. “Is that what you really think?”
“It’s the truth. I’m just an orphan. My father said they found me after some battle, and they thought I was special because the zombies didn’t eat me, but that’s all I know. Whatever you think I can do, whatever The Scholar’s hoping I can do for him… You’re wrong. I’m nothing but a baker.” She was on her knees beside the horse, petting its cheek in an attempt to soothe the dying beast.
“That might be, but it’s not for me to say. All I know is The Scholar wants you, and I’m going to get you to him.”
The black mare huffed, and started to kick its back legs as if suffering as the poison coursed through its body. Saffi hushed the animal, and moved closer as she pet its muzzle.
“Come on,” said Dessidus. “I’m not going to tell you again.” He spun the axe in his grip so that the flat end was facing outward, and then raised it as a threat.
The horse struggled and lifted its head up and away from Saffi’s hands. The massive animal rolled itself over so that it was on its belly, and then surprised both Dessidus and Saffi by getting back to its feet, huffing and shaking its head back and forth.
“Beast still has some fight in her,” said Dessidus, pleased at first but then shocked as the mare stomped her feet down in front of him. “Settle down, girl. Settle down.”
Saffi backed away, afraid that the horse was dangerous.
Dessidus tried to grab the beast’s reins, but the animal began to kick, angry at the man’s attempt to subdue her. She spun, and then knocked Dessidus to the ground. He was shocked by the attack, and rolled away as the animal came stomping toward him. “Damn thing,” he said as he scampered away, readying his axe to kill the creature if needed. “Why’re you fighting with me?”
There was no mistaking the steed’s attempt to hurt Dessidus. It was stomping the ground all around him, chasing him away as he did his best to avoid the angry creature. He raised his axe and said, “Quit it or I’ll cut your legs out from under you.”
“No!” Saffi screamed out and started to run towards him. The horse moved to stand between her and The Scholar’s man, keeping Saffi from harm.
Dessidus threw his axe, and the weapon lodged deep into the animal’s neck, causing the steed to neigh in pain and anger. Saffi yelled as well, tearing up as she heard the animal’s pained cry. The horse staggered, but was too strong a beast to be felled quickly. Dessidus had moved further away, and was holding his second axe, ready to finish the job.
“Leave her alone,” said Saffi as she again tried to intercede, but the horse moved away from her, pushing towards Dessidus despite the man’s threats. The creature was determined to kill him, and it was becoming clear to Saffi that the horse was protecting her at the expense of its own life.
The Scholar’s man decided it was time to end this, and rushed forward to deliver a quick chop at the horse’s neck. At the same time, he retrieved his first axe, ripping it from the creature and causing blood to gush from the wound. Saffi screamed out in horror as the animal tried to keep fighting, but succumbed and fell to its knees. Instead of fleeing, the horse kept its place between Saffi and Dessidus, and dropped down to the ground, huffing and snorting as its blood filled the path carved in the plains by wagon wheels.
“You bastard!” Saffi wept as she put her arms over the dying animal.
“I don’t know what got into her,” said Dessidus, perplexed. “She’s ridden with me for months, and never gave me any trouble at all.” He looked at the girl that The Scholar had tasked him with retrieving and asked, “What did you do to her?”
Saffi didn’t answer, her head down on top of the animal’s mane as she wept and comforted the dying beast.