Chapter Nine

The journey to Kanaan continued down the south arm of Solomon's Road in the Rheinwoods. The road linked each of the three great cities to Kanaan, the capital. The west arm ran from Nahor eastwards, the east arm ran from Blue Cove westwards and the south arm ran from Rulem northwards. The three roads met in Kanaan. It was built by the Solomon, Golden King, son of the Bard King. Aldar was its richest during his reign and he had built the roads to foster trade in the nation. 

The south arm ran from Rulem through Rushford, across the Euphrates and through the Rheinwoods and past the Tiberias lake into Kanaan. It was only a week's ride to the capital from Rushford. 

The Rheinwoods was so named for the many branches of the Euphrates that went through it. Its trees were wide at their trunk and tall with overarching branches that hid much of the forest from the sun. Nevertheless, many weeds and brushes grew on the forest floor fighting and competing for space, water and nutrients. Many of the trees were covered in thick green vines that seemed almost alive and spooked Gideon. It was nothing like the Mettlewood.

"It's amazing how much the vegetation changes just a few days ride away from home" Gideon commented looking around the forest but Elias paid him no mind. Instead, his gaze was fixed on their new companion Rahab with a frown.

"Staring at the back of her head like that is not going to change anything" Gideon said pulling his friend out of his thoughts. 

"I still think that this is a bad idea" Elias hissed in reply, his gaze never leaving the girl. Gideon could just make out his face in the light of the moon as it filtered through the trees. He had been quiet for the most part after they had left Rushford. Probably something the bishop had told him.

"Let me guess. Your guts?" Gideon asked

"Yes, my guts." Elias replied. 

Gideon glanced at the girl in question. She had been more guarded ever since the meeting in the bishop's office, offering nothing but nods and scowls in response to any questions he asked her. Maybe that's just how she is. He mused. After all, he'd only known her for half a day. 

"Well, did your guts tell you she saved my life?" asked Gideon.

Elias' head swung so fast to face him that Gideon feared that his neck would break. "What?" His question was loud enough that it drew Rahab's attention to them.

"Is everything all right back there?" She asked.

Gideon forced a smile even though she could barely see it. "Yeah, it's fine. He just thought he saw something in the dark."

She nodded hesitantly. "Okay. We need to stop soon. It's almost too dark to make out the road." She turned to look at the sky where a crescent moon hung before returning her attention back to the boys. "Do either of you know how to build a fire?"

"I do." Elias said.

"Good" she said. "I know a spot just ahead. We can camp for the night"

They ate porridge that night, the best food that Gideon had eaten on the road since he and Elias left Mettledown. He had been the one to cook while they travelled through the Mettlewood and he wasn't the best at it. Elias was even worse. His food was only one step away from being poison. Rahab, on the other hand was an excellent cook. She took some of the supplies that bishop Annanias had given them and turned it into a culinary delight. 

"That was delicious" Gideon complimented as the three sat around a small fire. Rahab insisted that the fire be small and inconspicuous. Apparently, the smoke could attract unwanted elements, anything from bandits to predators. Elias had grunted in agreement, though he looked like it killed him to do so.

"Thank you" Rahab replied quietly but she kept her eyes on her food. 

There was an awkward bout of silence punctuated only by the sounds of them eating until Gideon spoke again in a desperate attempt to fill the quiet. Elias was usually the one who did the talking while Gideon kept quiet but his friend's animosity towards their newest companion meant he was content to simply shove his food down his throat. 

"So where did you learn to cook?" asked Gideon.

Her spoon paused on the way to her mouth for the fraction of a second before she recovered but Gideon noticed. The question had caught her off-guard. Gideon had no idea why since it seemed like a normal conversation starter. Not that he was an expert on the subject. He expected silence in reply and was beginning to prepare an apology if he had overstepped his boundaries when she replied.

"My mother." She looked up for a moment. Her eyes were inky black like his and they reflected the fire back at him as she spoke. "No girl was going to live under her roof and not know how to cook"

Gideon nodded. Lady Elsa had the same approach when it came to Elizabeth. The thought of his sister reminded him of the necklace she gave him, its stone was warm against his skin. "Do you have any other siblings?"

She nodded. "One." She wasn't eating any more. Instead, she was stirring the stew in clockwise circles. "My sister"

"Oh" Gideon said. "Me too"

Her eyes rose sharply to his and he swallowed. "I mean I have a sister as well. Her name is Elizabeth. She's only thirteen but she's amazing. She actually looks like her mother and …" Elias jabbed his elbow into his side before he could continue. "Sorry, I tend to talk a lot"

"Her mother?" Rahab said. Her eyes flickered between the two boys. "I assume the lady of the house did not treat a bastard so well, did she?"

"It's none of your business" Elias said. It was Gideon's turn to jab his friend in the side but he didn't stop. "What? We don't know anything about her either. I mean why is she going to Kanaan?" He turned to her. "And more importantly why were you spying on us back at the inn?"

"I wasn't spying on you" she said, glaring at Elias. "I was only going to my room"

"I don't believe you" 

"Suit yourselves." She replied and jerked to her feet. "I'll be going to sleep now." She shuffled her way away from the fire they had gathered around to her sleeping spot. Gideon watched as she dug through her bag searching furiously for something withing their depths. She eventually found whatever it was and closed the bag. She glanced back at them and he averted his gaze. By the time he looked back at her, she was lying in the ground with her back to them. 

He let his gaze remain on her back for a few more moments. She had not removed her cloak the whole day, not even when it had been hot in the afternoon. Now it was cold and Gideon wrapped his own cloak a bit tighter around him. He finally looked away from her to the suspicious face of his best friend. 

"What?" He asked.

Elias looked at Rahab's sleeping figure. "You like her" he accused.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Gideon. 

"Unbelievable" Elias laughed humorlessly. "Gideon, you know I'm the first to support you. I mean it's a miracle you're able to look at another girl apart from Jane but not her"

"Why not?" Gideon asked without thinking. He realized what he had said and quickly tracked back. "Not that I like her but if I did. Why not?" 

"Because she's trouble, Gideon" Elias said. "The people out here are not like folks back in Mettledown. Just because a girl is pretty doesn't mean she's necessarily good"

Gideon wasn't naïve. At least not as much as Elias thought he was. There was no denying that Rahab was beautiful and only a fool would ignore that she was dangerous or at the very least, capable. Barrabas might have killed him if not for her intervention. But beyond that, there was something about her that intrigued him. Something he couldn't explain to his friend even if he tried so he changed the subject instead.

"Since when did you start going to church?" He asked. He knew his friend had been listening to some of their sermons but he had assumed it was just the odd time.

Elias stiffened at the inquiry and looked away. "It's nothing serious. I just went there once in a while."

"The bishop seemed to know you. The store owner said he summoned you by name" Gideon pressed. 

"I've …" Elias stopped and glanced at Rahab's sleeping body. She didn't move or even make a sound but he shifted closer and his voice lowered to a whisper. "I've actually never met him before. I've heard of him before. They say he knows things about people"

"Things? Things like what?" Gideon asked, matching his friend's whisper.

"I don't know. But he's blessed by Yachwah. Jabez said he's a witness" 

"Witness" asked Gideon. That word again. It was a normal word. It meant one who had seen an event take place. But when Gideon said, it sounded like it meant something else. It sounded like it similar to the man with the glowing eyes from his dream. "What does it mean to be a witness?"

"From what I gathered. It means someone blessed by Yachwah" said Elias leaning closer. 

"And what does it mean to be blessed by Yachwah?" 

"Remember the story about Eleazar? The Bard King's General from the Battle of Ashford? They say he was blessed by Yachwah."

"So that bishop can fight a thousand men and win?" asked Gideon. He couldn't particularly imagine it. The man was old, older than his father and his father was already complaining of a bad back. Gideon imagined the bishop complained of far worse, like terrible knees. Old men with bad knees made poor warriors.

"No. Not like that." Elias leaned back frustrated. "Look. It's only rumors but the bishop knows things. Things he should not know. About people. Things about the future. That no one should know."

"And he told you about your future?" asked Gideon

"Not..." He glanced at Rahab. "Not exactly."

"Then what did he tell you?" Gideon asked. Elias was acting on edge and the way he kept looking at Rahab meant she was involved in whatever the bishop had told him. "Was it about Rahab?"

Elias' eyes snapped to Gideon. He could see flecks of green in the sea of blue before he averted his eyes once more. For a moment, he simply stared into the flames before he spoke again. Gideon only heard him because he was sitting so close. "He said she was the catalyst"

"Catalyst to what?"

"Everything" 

Gideon woke up the next morning to Rahab tapping on him urgently. 

"We have to go" she said and moved on to Elias to wake him up as well. The sun was hidden behind grey clouds and there was a slight chill in the air that made Gideon shiver. He looked over to the fire place but there was nothing but a small pile of ash remaining. 

"We need to leave" Rahab repeated as soon as Elias was awake.

"It's barely morning. What's the rush?" Elias asked. Gideon agreed, there was still time for him to get a few more minutes of sleep before they got on the road again. But Rahab clearly wanted to continue their journey as soon as possible. Her foot was tapping urgently on the ground but she looked as though she had not slept. Her cloak covered her clothes but there were bags underneath her eyes and her braids were unkempt. 

"We need to go" Rahab repeated, her eyes flittered from one spot to the other never really settling one. "It's not safe here"

That woke Gideon up fully. "Why?" 

"I think they found me."

"You think who found you?" Elias asked, eyes narrowed at her as he climbed to his feet. "Who are you running from? What have you gotten us into?"

"I haven't gotten you into anything" Rahab said. "If we leave now. Everything should be fine. We can get to Kanaan as soon as possible and all will be fine."

"Why wouldn't everything be fine now? Who is after you?" Elias pressed again. 

Gideon was paying more attention to their surroundings. The forest was quiet. No birds singing. No rodent scuttering. No creatures squeaking. Just silence. It was unnatural. There was always some sort of noise. Even in the dead of the night. Forest creatures were only ever truly quiet in the presence of predators.

Then the horses starting neighing. They were tied to the trees surrounding the clearing and had been mostly agreeable but now they were causing a ruckus. They snorted and snapped and pounded their hooves on the ground pulling at their cords and trying to get away. 

It drew Gideon's attention and he carefully approached Chestnut, placing a cautious palm on its snout and slowly calming the animal down. Midnight and Wind followed its lead but they still made nervous thrills and their eyes darted around searching for some unseen predator. 

Elias and Rahab were still arguing by the pile of ashes that had once been their fire places, neither of them had noticed the peculiar behavior of their horses. 

"Something's wrong, Elias," said Gideon. His eyes scanned the trees that lined the clearing searching for anything could hint at what was going on. He found none but the unease in his belly remained. Elias had not heard him and continued his argument with Rahab

"Elias, we need to go" Gideon said, this time a little bit louder. 

His friend finally paused and turned to him. "What?"

"I don't know what it is but we need to go. Now" he said.

"Another..." He looked at Rahab uneasily and came closer to Gideon before whispering the rest of his sentence. "Another dream?"

"What?" asked Gideon

He glanced back at Rahab again and turned his body so that she couldn't see his face. "Did you have another dream? Like the one you had before?" He whispered urgently to him. 

Gideon looked at him confused but shook his head. This had nothing to do with the dream. Instead, it was a feeling he couldn't explain, something primal within him that caused every part of his body to scream run. From what, he wasn't sure but he didn't want to find.

Elias sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I told you she's trouble" he declared. 

"We'll deal with that later, Elias" Gideon said. His friend nodded and, in a hurry, they started to pack up. The pots and pans were packed into their packs and their swords were sheathed in its place. Rahab did not have much to pack so she simply stood and waited by her horse, petting and calming the creature.

"Is that all?" Gideon asked when they were done, his eyes surveying their campsite. The only remaining proof of their presence was the pile that had been the fire.

Elias nodded and mounted Midnight. Gideon followed his example but Rahab instead headed for the ashes. She bent down and packed dirt in her hand and dumped it over the ashes. Satisfied with her effort, she nodded. "Now we can go"

Suddenly, a black bolt shot out of tree line and buried itself into Wind's eye. The poor mare reared back and neighed in terror. A second bolt buried itself into its neck and it fell to the ground making a pitiful whining noise even as the life fled from its eyes.

"Wind!" Rahab cried and rushed towards her horse. Maybe to save it, maybe to comfort it, whatever her intentions were, they were thwarted by another arrow that shot past her and buried itself into a tree, missing her only by a hairsbreadth. She stopped in her tracks and tried to find where the bolts were coming from but the assailant was hidden somewhere in the trees

"Rahab!" Gideon called and pushed his horse closer to her, letting his hand down for her to grab. He pulled her onto his horse even as another bolt whistled past his head. Elias was already next to them on atop Midnight. The horses were surprisingly calm even with the death of Wind and responded to their owner's command. Perhaps they thought it was the best option for survival. Perhaps they thought their riders probably knew best. Gideon definitely did not feel that way. Nevertheless, he pulled on the reins and spurred Chestnut forward, Midnight and Elias by his side

The chase was on. They might not be able to see their assailant but there was no doubt that he would be right behind them. 

Even as they thundered down the rough path through the woods, Gideon knew they could not make it. Neither Chestnut nor Midnight were bred for heavy work like this. They were not warhorses. Nothing like their pursuer's steed – a brown destrier covered in armor. Its rider was even more impressive. He was covered head to toe in shiny armor. When he had first caught sight of him, Gideon's heart almost burst out of his chest. 

"Why is there a bloody knight after you" shouted Elias a few paces ahead of Gideon and Rahab. She did not reply him, instead her hands tightened around Gideon's waist and her scowl deepened. 

"He's almost on us" She shouted; her voice uncomfortably close to his ears. 

"I can tell" Gideon replied irritated. 

"We need to fight him" Elias' voice carried across to Gideon.

This time, Rahab replied. "Are you crazy?" Her shout almost burst Gideon's ears.

"Don't shout so close to my ears" Gideon shouted right back.

They were fast approaching a bend in the road when she did the exact opposite of what he asked.

"DUCK!!" She screamed.

Gideon did so instinctively, pushing his body down almost parallel to his horse. A sharp blade sliced its way through where his head had been moments before and the knight galloped sharply past them. Panicked, Gideon pulled on the reins of his horse. The sudden stop caused Chestnut to rear up and Rahab's hands wrapped tightly around him to keep from falling off. The same could not be said for Elias who fell off his horse, startled by the knight sudden appearance. Lucky for him, Midnight did not crush him as he laid groaning on the floor.

The knight pulled his destrier to a stop at the bend. He cut an imposing figure atop his armored steed, taller than even Elias by a head. His sword was longer and wider than Singer and looked sharp enough to cut through stone. He could have easily lopped off his head when he swung. There was no symbol or insignia on his armor with which to recognize him. His eyes were hidden by his helmet but Gideon felt a chill run down his spine when he turned to look at him. He watched frozen as the knight jumped down from his horse, every motion accompanied by the noisy rattle of his armor. He stood in an almost lazy stance, his sword held loosely in his hand.

"Come with me girl" His voice was muffled by his helmet but it was clear enough for Gideon to hear. He turned to look at Rahab. There was a tightness around her mouth and barely suppressed anger in her eyes even as glared at the figure before them.

She replied with more courage than he felt. "Never"

The knight shifted and Gideon finally recognised him. He was one of the three knights that they had seen in Rushford. Three. Where were the other two? 

"What do you want with her?" Elias suddenly asked. He was no longer a groaning mess on the floor. He had taken his sword off of Midnight and he now held it defiantly in front of him. What was he thinking? Did he think he could fight a knight and not lose his head? A bloody knight of Aldar. Knights were men who had performed exemplary service to the realm and have proved themselves worthy in combat. One could only be anointed knight by another knight, one of the three wardens or a member of the Council of Kanaan. In other words, Elias was way out of his depth.

"It is none of your concern. I answer to the Warden of Rulem"

"Lies!" Rahab spat. They were still atop Chestnut. If they took off now, would they be able to make it past the knight in time? Even if they did, they would have to leave Elias behind. It was not an idea worth considering. If they left Elias, he would surely die. But if they stayed, then they would all die. 

The knight levelled a glare at Gideon and he could have sworn the man's eyes glowed in the shadows of his helmet. "The girl?" He asked.

Gideon swallowed. His throat felt like a desert and his heart was beating wildly against his ribcage but he shook his head. "No. Sorry. She stays with us."

"Very well" The man said almost resigned.

Faster than Gideon could track, he crossed the space between himself and Elias and brought his blade down in a mighty arc aiming his split his best friend's skull. Elias barely brought his own blade up in time and Gideon saw his arms wobble under the force as a loud clang filled the air. 

Chestnut tittered nervously at the loud noise but Gideon ran his hand though its mane, calming it. His eyes remained on the fight before him. The knight bore down on Elias, pressing down with strength but his eyes remained on Gideon. "Hand over the girl" he repeated. Gideon did not reply.

"He's going to kill your friend" Rahab said softly behind him. "We have to help him"

Gideon barely registered with a nod. He swung off his horse and pulled Singer from its sheath. Its leather hilt felt foreign in his palm and it looked considerably less impressive compared to the knight's sword. He looked at Rahab "Stay put"

The knight was still in a deadlock with Elias and Gideon saw it as an opportunity. He rushed at the knight with his sword held tightly in his hands.

What a fool he was.

The knight easily broke the lock with Elias and pushed him back. Gideon rushed through the opening swinging wildly at him. The knight easily parried the attacks and stepped into his space. Gideon's eyes widened for a second before he felt the armored man bury his fist in his guts. Pain exploded from the point of impact and pushed the air from his lungs. Gideon crumpled to the ground, Singer falling from his grasp. The world blurred before him and he faintly heard Elias say something but it felt like it was miles away. His world was nothing but blinding pain.

It felt like hours before Gideon was able to breath properly again and open his eyes. Rahab was standing by Chesnut watching the fight between Elias and the knight. It was deadly dance of blades cutting sharply though the air. Elias was fairing much better than Gideon but he was losing and losing badly. Worse, the knight was clearly playing with him. 

Gideon growled and grabbed Singer off the ground and climbed shakily to his feet. The pain was still there but it was pushed to the side by something else. It felt like fire shut up in his bones. With a roar, he rushed at the knight, and swung at his helmet. His hit rattled it and distracted the knight long enough for Elias to escape a deadly cut. The knight instinctively backhanded at Gideon but he stepped back just in time to avoid it. 

Elias stumbled to Gideon's side panting and sweating. He looked much worse than Gideon had thought. His tunic was torn in several places and he was bleeding beneath them. There was an ugly bruise forming under his chin and a cut to the side of his left eye that would definitely scar. 

"Are you okay?" Gideon asked as they watched the knight tear off his helmet from his head.

"I'll live" replied Elias. 

The knight looked even more intimidating without his helmet. His bald head was marred with ugly scars and his beady black shone with anger above his large red nose. "You're going to die. Both of you" He twirled his sword and lowered down slightly in a crouch. "I was only playing with you before but now, Now I'll cut off your head and feed it to the birds"

Gideon felt no fear at his words. All he could feel was the heat emanating from inside of him. It felt like his blood had been taken out and instead lava flowed in his veins. He felt more alive than he had ever felt before and braver than he had ever been. He nodded at the knight. "Come"

Their assailant exploded at them, faster than before. In a second, he was in front of them blade swinging at Elias' neck. Somehow, Gideon had predicted it and raised his sword to block it. The knight's eyes narrowed and he skipped back to avoid a retaliatory strike from Elias. He snarled and came at them again even faster than before. His blade blurred through the air and sliced across Gideon's forearm opening a bloody red line along it. He skipped back away from Elias' retaliation and examined his handiwork from afar. 

"You'll be having much more of that before this is over" He declared with a snarl.

And then he descended on them. Gideon and Elias worked well together. When Gideon blocked, Elias would attack. When he went above, Gideon would go below. They seemed to have an instinctual understanding of what the other would do. But the knight was simply the superior fighter. He seemed to be able to attack from every angle and he came at the duo like a hurricane, twisting and turning and bending. His armor seemed to do nothing to reduce his speed

Gideon was barely keeping up with up with him with the strange fire that flooded his body with energy and he was now starting to tire as was Elias. The knight was still going strong, scoring cuts and bruises on them. 

Gideon slashed at him once again but he ducked under the attack and used the opportunity to attack a tired Elias. His sword came hard and heavy against Elias tearing through his meagre defense and opening a massive wound across his leg. 

Elias fell with a cry, hands holding on to his bleeding leg trying to stem the flow of blood. Gideon took his eyes off the knight at his friend's cry and a gloved fist slammed into his face. He felt the fire drain from his veins and his vision blurred as he fell to his knees. His grip on Singer loosened and it barely stayed in his grasp as he gasped for air.

The man stood above him triumphant. "I told you boy. I'll cut off your head and feed it to the birds"

He could only watch helplessly as the knight raised his sword intent on separating his head from his body. However, before he could finish his task, a blade erupted from his throat in a fountain of blood. He dropped his sword as he gagged around the blade and he reached helplessly behind him trying to grasp at his assailant. 

The blade slid back out of his throat leaving a bloody hole in its wake. The knight fell noisily to his knees and Gideon watched the life slowly bleed out of him through his neck even as he struggled to hold on to it. He watched with morbid fascination as he gagged and gurgled as though he was trying to say something and then there was silence. 

Gideon's tired eyes shifted upwards. Rahab stood over the dead man, her black cloak wrapped tightly around her and her knife dripping with dark blood.

"Good riddance" she said softly.