Chapter 11
On The Run
Lasinna had been walking all day when she finally came upon the winding dirt road that would take her out of the Kingdom of Roaf. Eventually, this road would connect with the main path that went all the way to Hunath. That’s where Lasinna was headed, but it wasn’t her final destination. She’d still have to make her way to the Istern River where she’d hopefully find passage to Isolan. It would not be an easy journey nor a quick one. But I must do it.
At least, she had found the road finally. She had meant to cut through the woods and meet up with the road once it was far enough away from her village where no one would see her, but she’d planned on reaching it by lunchtime and now, it was getting on to evening. It didn’t leave her much time to find a place to stay for the night. Lasinna hadn’t been able to bring a map with her provisions, but she’d always heard the nearest settlement along the road wasn’t more than a day’s trip. I just hope I haven’t passed it already.
Even if she had, all Lasinna could do was press on. She had a sleeping bag just in case she had to spend the night outside, but that thought, which hadn’t seemed like such a bad idea two days ago when she was planning this trip, did not appeal to her at all now that she might actually have to do it. But Lasinna kept her resolve as the sky darkened overhead and the insects of the night began to come alive with their chirps and songs.
Fortunately, after only another half-hour, Lasinna saw lights in the distance. The trees on either side of the road started to thin as fields and fences took their places. Then Lasinna could see houses and buildings along the road, and before she knew it, Lasinna was walking through the quiet town of Ostir.
The main street of this town was the same road Lasinna had been traveling on, but there were smaller streets that branched off and ran between the buildings of the small village. Actually, in truth, it wasn’t that small, for it looked to be bigger than Lasinna’s own meager town. At this time of day, only a few people were still walking the streets, and no one really noticed Lasinna as she made her way towards the two story building with a sign out front that named it the Road’s Inn.
Lights were on inside, and Lasinna stepped out of the evening twilight and into the welcoming brightness. The Inn wasn’t very crowded, just a few travelers like herself. Well, not exactly like herself. These travelers were all men with rugged faces and unshaven chins; their clothes were dirty and worn. Lasinna felt dirty and worn, but she knew she didn’t look it. Not after just one day of walking.
She received a few glances from the men at the tables, taking in this sixteen-year-old girl with a pack on her back. She knew right away there’d be questions and there’d be talk; rumors in this part of the world could spread like brush fire. Lasinna just hoped a rumor hadn’t reached this village yet of a young girl who had run away from home. Maybe I should have just slept on the side of the road tonight.
Just then, a tall, elderly man with hallow cheeks walked up to her from between the tables. She noticed an apron tied loosely around his narrow frame and assumed he was the Innkeeper.
“What can I do you for, young lass?” His words were polite, but Lasinna sensed a tone of suspicion in his voice.
“Just looking for a warm meal,” she replied.
The Innkeeper nodded. “Well, we can offer you that, but only if you’ve got the coin for it. I don’t tolerate no urchins in my place.”
Now, Lasinna understood. He was suspicious that she’d eat and run. But Lasinna had some coin. She definitely had enough for a meal and a room tonight. That might not be the case throughout the rest of her journey, but she’d worry about that when she had to. Over the last few years, Lasinna had saved up a good amount of money, hiding it away under the floorboards in her room. When she had first started saving, she wasn’t sure why she was doing it, but it had always made her feel better that she had money tucked away just in case. Good thing she did, or she’d still be stuck on her family’s farm.
“I have money,” Lasinna responded evenly, tilting her head up to look this innkeeper directly in the eye. “But if you’d like me to spend it elsewhere I’d be happy to oblige.” She turned to go.
“No, no,” the Innkeeper protested quickly. “I didn’t mean to insult. We just don’t get many young girls like yourself stopping at the Inn, unless they’re run aways. But I assure you, you won’t find a better meal in this town than right here.” He began leading her to an empty table, but he hadn’t gone two feet before he was questioning her again. “So what does bring you to our village tonight, Miss…?”
Lasinna could feel several eyes turn in her direction, but she had already prepared an answer. “Pulmer. Almisa Pulmer. And I’m on my way to Roaf. My sister’s sick, so my mother sent me to the city to bring back the medicine she needs.”
The Innkeeper stopped at a table, and Lasinna took a seat as he said, “I’m sorry to hear that. Will you be needing a room then?”
“Yes, thank you.”
The Innkeeper soon left and then returned with a plate of sliced chicken, rice, and a few vegetable on the side. Once he was gone for good, Lasinna began eating, and only then did she realize just how hungry she was. This journey was definitely going to take its toll on her, and it was really only the beginning. Once she got to Isolan then the real journey began.
A few of the men in the common room still gave her the occasional glance, but Lasinna kept her head down and her eyes on the meal. She hoped everyone in the room would forget her as soon as she was gone, but that might have been too much to hope for. Her parents would probably know by tomorrow night that a girl fitting her description had passed through this village. Lets just hope they’ll be too busy with Delphi to come after me.
But then Lasinna’s dinner was interrupted. A man came through the door, letting in some of the nighttime coolness. Everyone’s eyes went to this newcomer, but before the man had a chance to looked around the room, Lasinna had already dropped to the ground. Luckily, her table was in the far corner, so by the time the newcomer glanced in her direction, it just seemed like an empty table that hadn’t been cleared yet.
The man at the door might have been a stranger to everyone else, but Lasinna had recognized him instantly. He was from her village and had sometimes even assisted Mage Warnett in their classes. His name was Mr. Surkit, and Lasinna knew without a shadow of a doubt that he had come for her.
She watched through the legs of the table as Mr. Surkit made his way over to the bar where the Innkeeper was now serving drinks. Lasinna had to get out of the Inn right now, or she’d be on the road back home in a matter of moments.
Grabbing her pack, she walked quickly toward the door, trying as she did not to seem as if she was in a hurry. She didn’t want to draw anymore attention to herself than she already had. Reaching the door, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Mr. Surkit talking with the Innkeeper. But before either of them had a chance to look for her, Lasinna had already slipped back out into the night. I guess I did eat and run.
Lasinna couldn’t worry about this moral dilemma at the present, however, as she frantically searched for a place to hide. Then she saw the stables situated next door that housed the horses of those who stayed at the Inn. If there was a hayloft in there, not only would she have a place to hide, but she could just stay the night there as well. First, though, she had to make sure no one came looking for her.
There was only one horse tied to the post outside the Inn, and Lasinna could only assume the horse belonged to Mr. Surkit. She untied the animal quickly and then slapped the horse on the rump, sending it trotting off into the night. Let them think I stole that too.
Before the sound of the horse’s hooves had faded completely, Lasinna had already made it into the stables, which were even darker than the moonlit night outside, but her eyes slowly adjusted as she made her way to the back of the stables. Lasinna moved quietly, trying not to wake any of the animals in their stalls, and found the ladder that led to the hayloft. She scurried up i
t and flung herself into the hay. Now, I just have to wait it out.
It wasn’t long before she heard voices outside the barn; sometimes getting louder, sometimes getting softer. As she crouched there tensely, Lasinna thought maybe she had made a mistake. What if Mr. Surkit hadn’t been looking for me at all? What if he was just passing through? If that was the case, Lasinna could have shared a pleasant meal with the man and maybe even traveled with him for a time. But now, she had not only run out on her meal but had, for all intents and purposes, stolen his horse as well. Of course, the more she reasoned with it, Lasinna realized even if Mr. Surkit hadn’t been there for her, he’d never had let her go on anyways. He would have taken her straight home no matter what her argument. That thought helped Lasinna justify her actions to some degree. I had to do it.
Then the doors of the stables opened and a glow illuminated most of the inside. Lasinna buried herself deeper into the hay and listened as she heard voices down below.
“She couldn’t have gotten far.” That was Mr. Surkit; Lasinna recognized his deep voice. “She’d stick to the road, which means there’s only one way she’d be going. I just hope she doesn’t injure my horse, galloping in this darkness and all.”
“Don’t you let any harm come to my horse either; I ain’t going to be taking a refund on her if she comes back with a limp.” The crispness of this voice left Lasinna no doubt that it was the Innkeeper.
“The amount I’m paying ya, I should be getting two horses out of this deal.” Lasinna felt bad as she realized Mr. Surkit was having to buy a new horse to go after her. Maybe I didn’t think this plan all the way through. “I’ll bring your animal back as soon as I get the girl, so you best not go spending any of my purse.”
“Wouldn’t think of it.”
As they talked, Lasinna had heard the sounds of a saddle being fitted onto one of the horses in the stable, and now, Mr. Surkit had mounted the steed. “Thanks for your help Innkeeper. Next time, you might not want to let a sixteen-year-old girl make a fool of you.”
Before the Innkeeper could utter a response, Mr. Surkit had heeled his horse into a gallop and sped out of the stables. The Innkeeper was left to mutter under his breath as he closed the large doors of the stables. Lasinna next heard him shuffle back to grab the lantern, which, once he had it in his hand, made the light inside the stables swing back and forth. Now, she held her breath, counting the moments until he was gone and she could finally release the tension in her shoulders.
But then her foot slipped in the hay. It was just a slight rustle, and for a fraction of a second, Lasinna thought maybe the Innkeeper would dismiss the sound as one of the animals moving in its stall. But she wasn’t so lucky.
“Who’s there?” the Innkeeper called out, spinning around and causing the lantern’s light to dance along the ceiling.
Lasinna didn’t dare respond.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” he continued, moving closer to the hayloft. “The little girl on an errand for her poor sick sister.” That’s true actually. Sort of. “Get down from there. Or I’ll use my pitchfork and make you get down from there.” His voice had lost even the hint of pleasantness, and Lasinna felt a chill run down her spine. What to do?
There was no exit from the hayloft except the ladder, so she couldn’t escape from way up here. But maybe if she was on the ground, she’d be able to escape by just outrunning the Innkeeper. He was old and hopefully not very fast. But she had to get down there before he really did get a pitchfork in his hands. This guy might actually be serious about his threats.
The Innkeeper was about to call out again when Lasinna stood. “Okay, I’ll come down.”
“That’s right you will, little girl,” the Innkeeper sneered. “I told you we don’t like filthy urchins around here, but liars and thieves, we especially hate.”
Lasinna tried to remain calm as she descended the ladder, thinking as she did that she’d bolt for the front door as soon as her foot hit the ground. But before she had even reached the second to last rung, the Innkeeper already had her arm in his grip and pulled her off the ladder. She stumbled and tried to run, but it was too late.
“Gotcha now, girl,” he grinned as he began dragging her toward the exit. “That man might be thinking he’s going to take you on back home, but I’m here to make sure you get thrown in jail where you belong.”
Lasinna tried to struggle, but even though he only held her with one hand, his grip would not yield. His other hand still held the lantern aloft, which cast wicked shadows across his already grotesque face.
“Let me go! You don’t understand,” she pleaded with him.
But he only laughed. “Oh, I understand. I understand that you are going to pay for what you’ve done.”
They were nearing the door, and Lasinna knew she had to do something quickly. Anger was burning inside of her for this old man who had no right to keep her here; to throw her behind bars. She’d done what she had to do. She couldn’t go back. I can’t go back.
Then that anger became something else. It changed into an electric current. It was like a switch had been flipped inside of her, and suddenly, energy flooded her veins instead of blood. She was beyond feelings now. She didn’t know how, but she realized with a strange clarity that this was Magick inside of her. This was power inside of her. Power that she could use. She just had to unleash it. She just had to let it out. I just have to strike with it!
The next thing Lasinna knew, she was laying on her back staring up at the ceiling of the barn. The lantern’s glow still illuminated the inside of the structure, but the light was no longer moving; everything was still.
Lasinna sat up slowly, feeling light headed and dizzy. She rubbed her temples as she looked around. But her eyes didn’t get far as they immediately stopped on the Innkeeper laying unconscious next to her. The lantern was on it’s side, but luckily, it had not caught the whole barn on fire. Even so, it did look like the Innkeeper had been burned. The arm that had been holding her was now black and charred. What happened?
But Lasinna had no time to figure that out, for suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. Then the barn doors were swinging open. Lasinna was going to be caught, and she had now done much more than just steal. How am I ever going to get out of this one?