Chapter Ten

Rahab wasted no time after the death of the knight. 'That she killed' Gideon reminded himself. She hurried towards Elias, removing her cloak for the first time since he'd met her and knelt by him. She tore at the bottom of the cloak with her teeth and she grabbed at his leg but Elias jerked away from her. Even bleeding, he was still defiant. 

"Don't touch me" He bit out through gritted teeth. His blue eyes glittered with hatred as he glared at her.

Rahab glanced at Gideon annoyed. "Can you please tell him. I'm only trying to help him. There will be more on their way and we need to leave as soon as possible"

Gideon remembered the three knights he had seen riding down the streets in Rushford. Which meant there were still two others. He glanced at the dead body of the Knight. Barrabas had been his first taste of true combat but this knight had been a monster. The man could have killed them easily from the start if he had wanted to. He had only been playing with them. Even then, they barely stood a chance if not for that strange fire that had consumed him. Without it, he felt empty and exhausted. What was that?  

"Gideon" Rahab's voice snapped him out of his thought. He turned to look at her and she looked unperturbed by her earlier actions. The knight's body lay slowly growing cold and she had stood over it, like a dark angel. Beautiful and dangerous. 

"You killed him" Gideon said. It wasn't an accusation. It was a statement of fact. 

"Yes" she said. There was no remorse in her eyes. Only a strange determination, as though she was expecting him to say something. To accuse her of something. 

He turned back to look at the knight. His armor was stained with blood and his neck was a bleeding mess. His eyes were open and unseeing, the blue had grown pale. Gideon had never seen a man die. He had seen many sheep die and had even helped his father slaughter some. They would give some token resistance at first but in the end the sharp edge of the knife would silence them, just like Rahab's knife had done to the knight. It was eerie how similar it is. A man's death and that of an animal. There should have been more of a fanfare. A man's life was not like that an animal, it was more significant. He glanced at the sky. It was grey and overcast, almost like it was in mourning. Did the knight deserve to be mourned? Did he deserve to die?

"He was going to kill me... us" Rahab continued. Gideon ignored her slip. The man was after her, not them but now was not the time to discuss that. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the sky darkened even further. A storm was coming.

He looked once again at the knight before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"We need to leave" he said. "There are two others. Probably on their way"

"How do you know?" asked Elias. He sounded weaker and his face was damp with sweat causing his blond hair to stick to his forehead. His pants were getting soaked through with blood.

"We saw them. Remember, back in Rushford" Gideon climbed to his feet and dusted his pants. There were some blood on them and on his tunic, from some cuts and scrapes but nothing like Elias'. His friend looked like he was struggling to focus on him. "Let her help you"

Elias nodded and when Rahab reached for his leg again, he was more cooperative. She ripped the leg of his pants and exposed the wound. His entire left leg was covered in blood and he gritted his teeth in pain as the edges of his pants scrapped at the wound. It was impossible to even tell the size of the wound. 

"Grab me a canteen" ordered Rahab.

Gideon nodded and headed for Chestnut. He skirted around the body of the knight and his abandoned sword beside him. The sword had looked imposing when wielded by the dead knight but next to his dead body, it looked ordinary. Like any other forged steel. Singer was still in his hands. The sword his father had gifted him had served him well. Gideon sheathed it and returned to his task. 

The water canteen was hanging off the side of his horse and he quickly grabbed it and returned to Rahab.

She collected it, pulled the cork off with her teeth and poured its content on the wound, cleaning away the blood. "It isn't as deep as it looks but it could still get infected. I'll need to clean it and bandage it until we get to the next town."

"The next town is still miles away," said Elias. "Zarepeth. It's close to the capital"

"There's another village closer." Rahab said.

"It's not on the map"

"Not everything is on the map" Rahab snapped. "Now stay still and let me treat you"

Elias was quiet after that. She opened a small pouch on her belt and pulled out some leaves. She squished them together and spat on them before placing them on the wound. Elias whistled sharply in pain but she ignored him and rubbed it in. "This will help to prevent any infection" Then, she got to work wrapping her rudimentary bandage, made from her torn cloak over the wound. She knew what she was doing. Had she done this before? Why? Was she a healer? The mystery of Rahab only seemed to be growing.

While she worked, Gideon kept his eyes on the road for any approaching travelers. They were after all standing in the middle of the road. Anyone traveling wagon could come down the road and catch them next to the dead body of a knight. Worse still, one of the patrol guards that guarded the roads from bandits. His gaze inevitably fell on Rahab and he took the time to observe her. 

She was smaller than Gideon had originally thought without her cloak. She was slender and even shorter than he was. Her attire consisted of mainly men clothing – black riding pants, brown boots, white tunic underneath a black jerkin. A few pouches hung off her belt and most importantly, a dirk. The same one she had plunged into the knight's throat.

"Done" She finally declared and stood to her feet wiping sweat from her brow. She turned to Gideon. "Now can we go?"

"I'm not riding anywhere, anytime soon" Elias said, gesturing at his newly bandaged leg. He was already looking better without gallons of blood spilling out of him.

"You can ride with me" Gideon said holding a hand out to his friend. "We'll take Chestnut and she'll ride Midnight"

Midnight snorted suddenly and they all turned to look at the horse. It simply stared back at them with its beady black eyes and Gideon could almost hear it. No way am I letting her ride me. He turned just in time to see Elias hide his smile behind his arm.

"I guess you'll ride Chestnut then" Gideon said. 

"What about him?" Elias said, pointing at the knight. "Do we just leave him there?"

"We'll have to move him out of the way." said Rahab. "We don't want any travelers finding him and reporting back to Rulem"

"Of course, we wouldn't want that" Elias said, the sarcasm in his voice was almost palpable. "Now why wouldn't we want that? In fact, why was that knight chasing you? You've said nothing about that"

"It doesn't concern you" Rahab said. 

"Doesn't concern me?" Elias asked incredulous. "You must be joking. We just risked our lives for you and you still think it doesn't concern us."

"I'm the one who killed him" Rahab pointed out. "I saved your lives."

"It wouldn't have needed saving in the first place without you. What did you do? Why was he after you? Are you some sort of Valarian spy?"

"I'm no Valarian" she spat. She seemed genuinely offended by the accusation. 

"But you don't deny being a spy" Elias said almost triumphant.

Rahab rounded on him, standing over him. "Don't you dare assume to know me. You don't know the things that I've done. You don't know risks I have taken to be here. You don't know how crucial it is that I do what I do. You know nothing" She was breathing a lot deeper after her tirade. "So don't speak about things you know nothing of"

The silence that followed was lifted only by the rumble of thunder once more. Closer than before. 

"Enough of these arguments" Gideon said stepping up to the duo. "This is neither the time or the place for any of it. We need to hide his body and leave now. We're in the middle of the road. Anyone could find us here. The Road Patrol could be riding down this road for all we know and then we'll have everyone from Rulem to Blue Cove searching for us"

The weather took a turn for the worse as they journeyed further north through the forest. The winds picked up and the storm grew closer. The forest felt darker and less welcoming than ever. The shadows of the trees stretched longer and their canopies felt like cages. The wind whistled through the trees shaking their ancient branches and making eerie noises. It also brought with it a cold that caused Gideon to pull his cloak tighter around him.

"Where are we even going?" Elias whispered behind him. His friend had his hands around him and was holding on for his dear life as they rode but he was still not afraid to let his mind be known. 

"She said she knows a village close by" replied Gideon.

Elias snorted. "I have poured over the maps countless times. Master Anthony was planning a trip to Kanaan at the end of the year. There are no villages in the Rheinwoods. Who in their right mind would settle here?"

He was right. The Rheinwoods were not particularly prime lands for settlement. These dark woods were infested with predators of every kind. Many travelers told tales of being set upon by beasts of every kind – wild boars, panthers and large cats and other creatures straight out of a nightmare. The road was the only safety in the Rheinwoods and even then, it was guarded by the Road Patrol.

"Let's give her the benefit of the doubt" Gideon said.

"Last time we did that, I ended up with a wound in my legs for my troubles" Elias said. "We don't know anything about her"

"Except for the things that the bishop has told you about her" Gideon said and felt the way Elias stiffened behind him. "What did he say to you that has you so distrustful of her?"

"He said nothing. What did she do that makes you trust her so much?" Elias countered. 

"It's not what she's done. Or said." Gideon looked at the girl riding only a few paces ahead of them. "It's more of a feeling."

Rahab stopped ahead of them interrupting their conversation. 

"We need to go off the path" She called. 

"What?" Gideon asked. 

"The village I told you about. It's off the path. They like to keep to themselves." she said and pointed somewhere in the forest. "It's this way" 

"And how do you know that?" Gideon asked. There were no markers for her to follow, at least none that he could see. All there was a thick wall of trees and even thicker undergrowth.

"I've been here before. I know it by heart" she said. "And with luck, the knights will not be able to find us there"

She steered Chestnut off Solomon's Road and into the woods. The horse neighed in protest and wouldn't move which made Elias snicker. "Even the horse has good sense enough to not head out of the road"

"Would you rather continue riding through the rain?" Rahab asked and that shut Elias up. It was already starting to drizzle, little droplets of rain bypassing the canopy above. It would get worse if they didn't find any shelter. Rahab gently leaned down and caressed Chestnut's neck. She whispered something in its ear and the mount sighed. Gideon watched intrigued as she steered it once more into the forest and it responded without any resistance. "Let's go"

Gideon nodded numbly and followed. 

They rode through the thickness of the bush for hours. Their progress was slow and at times non-existent but Rahab led them through with a determination. At some point, Gideon and Rahab unhorsed and continued by foot leading their mounts and Elias by the reins. They plodded through the thick brush, hacking through any stray branches that got in their way with their swords. Gideon used Singer and Rahab borrowed Elias' sword. The canopy of the trees provided some shelter from the rain but there was only so much it could do. Soon, the rain soaked them to the bones leaving them shivering as they continued. It was worst for Elias who barely held on to consciousness as he shivered miserably on his horse. 

Gideon turned away from his friend to the girl leading them. "How far away is this place?"

"Not very far" She replied, her blade slashing out at an errant vine. 

"What is the name of this village?" he asked even as rain water dribbled into his mouth. He spat it out to the side and it was quickly replaced by more of the same. An annoying cycle. 

"Adulam" replied Rahab.

Gideon racked his brain trying to place the name but only came out blank. "I've never heard of it before"

"You've also never left Mettledown before" Rahab said.

"Yes, but even in Mettledown, we know of Rushford and Nazar, of Capernaum and the Black Hills. I've seen maps with Zarepeth and towns as far north as the Deadwoods. I've never heard of any village in the middle of the Rheinwoods. I've never heard of Adulam" Gideon said. He was not a cartographer or an adventurer but he did have some general understanding of the layout of Aldar. And he had glanced through some maps before they had even left Mettledown. It wasn't strictly necessary to do so, to be honest. Getting to the capital was easy, just ride north on Solomon's Road. It's at the end of the road. 

"Not everything in Aldar is drawn on a map. Gideon, son of Jesse from Mettledown" Rahab said. The way she said his name that brought a pool of warmth to his stomach that he couldn't explain. "There are things in this world, secret things that need not be put on a map for the whole world to see. These secret things are for a selected few to know."

"And Adulam is one of those things?"

"Yes, it is" She replied.

"And how did you come across this secret knowledge?" Gideon asked pulling his cloak tighter around him. It was pointless and only made him shiver more but he did it anyways. 

"My master was one of the chosen few who knew these things" she said vaguely. 

"And who was your master?"

Rahab stopped abruptly causing Gideon to almost run into her. "We're here" she declared. He righted himself and looked around.

Here was just more of nothing. The ground beneath them was covered with thick undergrowth. The trees stood all around them covered with thick vines snaking their way around their trunks while their roots stretched greedily for space and nutrients. The rain continued to pour down heavily blanketing everything in a wet sheen and soaking his clothes even more. Yet Rahab stood in the middle of it, squinting around looking for something.

"There's nothing here" Gideon pointed out. He looked back at Elias. The boy was barely hanging onto the horse now and his shivering was getting worse. Rahab was still squinting around; she hadn't found whatever it was she was looking for and she was now muttering to herself. "There's nothing here" He repeated for her to hear but she paid him no mind and continued her incessant muttering. 

Gideon was starting to get angry and he took a few steps towards her. He grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her roughly to him. She spun with a scowl on her face to face him. "What?" She was drenched – same as him and her cloak had done nothing to help. She was shivering slightly and her wet hair hung down limply by the side of her face. She looked like a drowned rat and Gideon felt a sliver of pity but he swallowed it up. 

"There's nothing here. We need to turn back and find shelter under one of the larger trees." said Gideon. "Elias is not faring well under this downpour. He'll die at this rate"

"I know. That's what I'm trying to prevent here. I'm trying to save your bloody lives." She snapped and turned away from him to continue her inspection. Gideon felt anger stir up in him at her words. 

"Our lives wouldn't need saving if you weren't here in the first place" He retorted. Rahab froze in her tracks. With her back turned to him, Gideon could see the tension in her shoulders as she took in his words. He felt some regret at his words but he squashed it down mercilessly. There was no turning back now. Elias words swam in his mind. Words he had heard from the bishop like some sort of prophecy. She is the catalyst. Her cryptic answers only made things worse. Elias was right. She was trouble "We wouldn't be in this mess without you. Knights don't just attack women on the road for no reason. It must have been something you did."

"I did nothing wrong." Rahab said. She stood tense and her back remained turned to him. Her words were clipped, Gideon could make out the anger in them even if he couldn't see her. But his own anger overwhelmed any regret he might have been feeling. She had no right to be angry. Elias had been right when he spoke earlier. They had risked their lives to protect her and she had rewarded them by staying tight lipped and aloof. Now she had led them to the middle of nowhere while Elias lay on the horse shivering like a leaf in the wind. 

"And how am I supposed to know that?" He asked. "You tell us nothing of yourself. Of why that man, a knight of Aldar was willing to cut down two innocents just to get to you"

"I tell you nothing for your own good," said Rahab. She turned and he finally got a look at her face. She looked like she was crying. It was hard to tell with the all the water streaming down her face but her lips were quivering and her eyes were a slightly red. She took a step forward. "Telling you would only burden you and cast a target on your backs" Her voice was earnest and pleading. Her hands were little fists by her side. 

Lightning flashed somewhere in distance and it illuminated the forest like it was the middle of the day. Somewhere behind Rahab, he caught sight of a figure hidden in the darkness. Alarmed, Gideon reached out and pulled Rahab by her arm towards. In the same moment, he pulled Singer from its sheath. He was still far from a capable swordsman but he had survived his previous two bouts. What was one more?

"What is it" Rahab asked trying to pull away from his grip but he held on tight.

"There's someone here with us" Gideon said and raised Singer up in front of him. The horses snorted somewhere behind him but he paid them no mind. Lightning flashed once more and this time, Gideon saw more clearly. There were more than one figure and they were scattered in the forest around them.

"Come out" He called. "All of you. I know you're there"

And come out they did. Or rather, they melted out of the forest. It would have been impossible to tell they were there if not for the lightning. Gideon counted up to fifteen of them surrounding them on all sides. All men. They all had very similar features; long silver hair that fell all the way down in their backs, held in braids and colorful ribbons. Gideon wondered how he had not seen them earlier with such colorful accessories. They were all shirtless and covered in intricate blue paintings that not even the rain washed off. And most alarming of all, they all held long spears in their hands. The shaft was made of some sort of pale wood and a dull grey metal capped its top. 

"Who are you?" Gideon asked turning around wearily. These men were not with the knights, that much was obvious from their attire. They did not reply and instead stood stock still watching both of them. Then one of them stepped forward. There was nothing to mark him as any different from the others, save for a metal band around his upper arm. He said something in a language that Gideon could not understand and the men around him grunted in agreement. 

Suddenly, Gideon felt pain blossom at the base of this skull and darkness took him.