It was a beautiful day outside. The sun had not yet reached its peak so it was not too hot yet, and the dew had not quite completely dried off the leaves of the old maple. At the base of the tree sat a young woman, dozing happily with a sunhat pulled over her eyes. Her hair was long and platinum white; pulled back with a simple leather thong with a few long strands escaping to hang in front of her face. Her skin almost matched her hair with its powder white complexion, except for the bluish tinge around the tips of her long fingers, which absently scratched the back of her neck.
Her clothes were quite conservative, long robe-like travel dress with long sleeves and a high neckline. It seemed like an old outfit; since the fabric looked well broken in and the once vibrant colors now faded so severely that it was near impossible to make out the original patterns and stitching. Despite the bagginess of the clothing it was plain to see that her body was thin and lanky. Though it bunched around her as she sat, the fabric hung off her bony shoulders making her look extremely gaunt compared to the supple curves and full hips that blessed most of the women working in the field across the road.
She yawned sleepily, stretching out her thin arms above her head. She was fully aware of the little spy watching her as he crouched behind a bush.
“Well, ya gonna stare at me all mornin’ son, or are ya goin’ ta introduce yo’self, eh?” She spoke. The boy was startled and almost bolted from where he was, but slowly stood from the bushes, a bit embarrassed about being caught staring.
“S’okay son, I don’t have bitin’ teeth. What’s yer name?”
“Um…” the boy answered, “Ren, ma’am.”
She smiled at him warmly, “Ren, eh? That’s a nice one. Call me Nicole.” Her accent was strange to this area, in fact it was hard to place exactly what region it might have originated. Not a dialect that the boy recognized at least. She reached out and grasped her walking staff firmly with both hands, then slowly began to pull herself up on her feet. Such a simple task seemed to be more of a workout for the woman that it should have been which caused the boy to tilt his head to the side a bit. Once she was to her feet she smiled, then let out a sudden shiver.
“Are…are you alright ma’am?” the boy asked.
“Yep, I’m fine. Just a bit too cold out this mornin’,” she reassured him, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them. The boy tilted his head again in puzzlement, as the spring morning was quite warm enough in his opinion. The woman gave no further explanation to her strange behavior. Instead she asked, “So, what brings ya my way son?”
“My father sent me to town to get some supplies.”
“And that’s what yer doin’ now, eh?” She asked with a wry smile.
The boy waved his hands defensively, “I only just stopped for a bit. I wasn’t slacking!”
Nicole just chuckled and patted his head, “I’m just teasin’. I’m sure you were on yer way. How ‘bout you be my guide, eh? I ain’t been through these parts befo’ an’ I need some good directions to the nearest cup o’ stew. An’ if yer good at guide’n, then I might be willin’ ta part wit a couple ‘o coppa’s”
“All right, sure thing!” the boy agreed, and took the lead down the road. Nicole smiled and followed behind. In truth she already knew the way, but the boy would give her some amusement for today. Also, being ‘guided’ by a local would make it easier for her to walk around the town with more acceptances. A frail looking young woman in foreign dress traveling alone would be seen as extremely unwise at best, highly suspicious by many, and someone to be avoided by sensible and prudent folk. She would have problems going about her business amongst the locals unless she could endear herself to a few of them.
“Can I help you?” asked the tailor when he noticed the young woman with a young boy enter his stall.
“Yeah. I figa’ ye can sir,” Nicole replied, “I got some patchin’ need done.”
“You do now? Then bring let me take a look,” the man offered.
“Aight,” Nicole said as she reached around her waist and undid the sash around her robes. She unwrapped the outfit and showed the places in the fabric where there were simple tears, especially one in particular along one of the seams. After that she turned around a bit and pointed out a hole in the back that had formerly been concealed by the sash. “There ‘tis tailor. How much an’ how long?”
“Hmm…” the tailor appraised the damage. No wonder the fabric was starting to tear. The cloth was old and the threading was worn and thinning in a few places already. The dyes used to color the unusual patterns along the sleeves and neckline were severely faded and were barely noticeable anymore. As he ran his hands along some of the seems, his eye caught the sizeable coin purse the woman was carrying. For a person of such wealth, why would she be wearing something so past its prime…
“Miss, I should be able to fix it no problem, however might I suggest instead that I make you a new travel robe? Perhaps even a nice dress? I have some wonderful patterns just recently shipped in this year all the way from Ablion, guaranteed to be the latest of the city’s fashion,” the tailor offered.
“Nope, but thankye. Patch job’ll do me fine.”
“You sure miss? I have some beautiful dyes to pick from to replace your faded outfit. Wouldn’t you like a softer new cloth? A simple measuring and I could make you a very nice replacement for not much more in cost or time,” the tailor offered again.
“Nope,” Nicole declined again, “I’m too sentimental. Just patch the ol’ one.”
“Very well miss. If you insist then I’ll have it ready by this afternoon.”
“Good, ‘ere ya go then,” Nicole took off the robes, folded them with the care most guardsmen would their lord’s flag, and handed them over to the tailor. She wore another layer of clothes under her robes, which was uncharacteristic for the warming weather. Her underclothes consisted of a simple tunic fitted tightly around her bony torso and a pair of cotton pants that needed the help of string to stay on her thin hips. The tailor concealed his morbidly curious stare, as it was not polite and she was a customer, however he could not keep his mind from puzzling.
“Aight Ren,” Nicole said to the boy as she ushered him out of the stall, “Let’s see ‘bout gettin’ some food, eh? My treat.” As they walked out the door, the tailor shook his head and went on with his work.
Nicole leaned back in her chair sipping from her mug as Ren dug into his meal. They had found an outdoor dining area with mismatched tables and a canopy to shade the customers. Ren was enjoying tearing apart the boar meat that was slowly roasting over a pit fire nearby. It was rare that a small farmboy got to enjoy the luxury of meat. His mother always warned him not to trust strangers, but he couldn't possibly see how this lady could be dangerous. Though she told him she was in her mid twenties, she seemed to walk around and act like she was older, and her thin fingers looked like it’d take a lot of effort just to squash a bug. Yes, she was a bit odd, but she was just passing through and needed some directions through town, and with her promise to pay him he couldn't help but agree to help her out. Didn’t his mother also say that lending a helping hand always paid back ten fold? Surely the coppers that Nicole was paying him were what his mother was talking about.
As Ren ate, he noticed that a man at another table was staring at them. He didn’t seem to be anyone Ren recognized, so he must not be from around the area. His clothes were dusty and there was leather armor underneath his canvas cloak. His face was unshaven and his brown greasy hair cut short and held back with his hat. The hilt of a short sword stuck out from under his belt. Ren naturally felt uneasy by the strange man’s attention and tried to keep his eyes averted as he chewed away. The salty pork was good but made him extremely thirsty. He reached for his mug and took a large long drink from it, nearly draining a third of its contents. When he sat the mug down the man was standing right beside him at the table and Ren jumped back in his seat from the surprise.
“Are you the one they call Nicole?” the man asked in a rough voice.
Nicole was still leaning back in her chair, and when she finished sipping from her drink she sat it back down on the table and gave him a pleasant smile, “Well now, Nicole’s a pretty common name.”
“Don’t give me that sly talk, I don’t have all day. Long white hair, pale skin, and bony gaunt, just like they described to me. Are you Nicole?” The man asked again. Ren looked around nervously.
“I prefer the term lanky o’ slender, but yeah, I’m Nicole,” she answered him.
“Well then, Nicole,” the man said as he reached his hand into his cloak, “I know exactly where you’re from!”
Nicole didn’t take her eye off the man as her hand reached into the satchel sitting beside her. She drew out a large purse and tossed it onto the table. It landed with the top open, showing a substantial amount of gold coins inside. Ren’s eyes widened as he had never seen so much wealth contained in such a little space before. That much gold could buy his family’s farm many times over, livestock and all. The man pulled out a gold coin from his cloak and tossed it into the purse on the table.
“You’re full name is Nicole Alestia Ha’lindel, last of the noble line of Ha’lindels and granddaughter to the late king that ruled the Kingdom of Relexor until its fall during the great peasant revolt. You were born in the Galister province of Relexor but your family was forced to flee to avoid execution by those who sought to wipe out any trace of the family line, the most notable physical trait of which is their platinum white hair. Admit it Grand Dutchess, I’ve found you out!” the man shouted triumphantly as he thumped his hand squarely on the table.
Ren’s eyes widened as he stared at Nicole. She was the heir to the throne of Relexor? He had heard many bardic tales of it’s tragic downfall, but they were just tales of a distant land. To think the woman he’d been helping out all this time was a duchess! No wonder she had so much money. Now that he thought about it, she did kinda have a regal air about her. He had heard tales about peasants who got big rewards from helping out strange travelers who revealed to be more than they portrayed themselves to be. Maybe Nicole would make him her squire and let him travel with her, maybe she was on a quest to restore her position as queen of Relexor and she’d invite him and his family to live there and given the position of nobility in exchange for helping her! Ren’s heart beat fast with excitement. What an adventure!
Nicole smiled at the man standing before her. She then reached forward with both hands, closed the bag with a swift tug, and tossed the purse back into the satchel. The man’s looked highly distressed. “What?!” he exclaimed, “That isn’t right? Com'on!”
“Sorry sir, but nope,” Nicole told him, “Good story though, very creative. I liked the part ‘bout me being a duchess an’ all. I’m flattered that ya’d take me fo’ bein’ so regal, really I am.”
“But com'on! I was told it was guaranteed. The white hair, pale skin, you have to be from Relexor! At least tell me I was close.”
“Nope, ya know the rules,” Nicole explained in a pleasant tone, “One gold coin per guess, righ’ guess gets ya the entire bag, wrong guess means I keep the bag plus yer bet. Ya guessed wrong, so it belongs ta me.”
“Why you…” the man growled, “How do I know you aren’t lying just to keep your precious money?”
“Now sir,” Nicole’s voice got a tad sterner, “don’ be a sore loser. It’s just a coin. If ya don’t have any mo’ business wit’ me, then I’ll have to ask ya ta leave. Yer scarin’ the boy.”
“Just a coin? I demand a refund. Com'on, it was my last coin,” the man insisted.
“Sorry sir,” Nicole explained, “I ain’t gonna do that. If ya couldn’t afford the bet, then ya shouldn’t ‘ave made it in the first place.”
The man stood there for a long moment, glaring at the woman. Nicole calmly met his gaze in return. Ren was considering an attempt to back out and away from the table when the man gave one last grunt, turned around in a huff and stormed off.
It was late afternoon, and Ren had finished gathering all the things he was into town for. Nicole had even been so kind as to give him a small handful of coppers for showing her around town. After the incident with the man earlier the boy felt that the woman could afford to give him more than what she had, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. She had retrieved her newly repaired robe and was escorting the boy out of town.
“You sure you’ll be fine ma’am? I could probably talk father into letting you stay with us. Mother never turns down a guest,” Ren offered.
“Nope, I’ll be ok ‘ere. You just run ‘long ‘n get back befo’ it gets dark.” Nicole answered, though she smiled grateful for the offer. The boy nodded and waved as he started to take off down the road. Before the boy could travel very far a figure stepped out from behind a tree, sword in hand. Ren froze.
“Hold it right there,” the figure spoke, and as he walked out from the shadow Ren realized that it was the stranger from before. The man had a wild look in his eyes and Ren was too scared to move as the man began to walk toward him. Just as the man got close to him Nicole’s slender figure stepped in front of Ren, blocking the man’s path.
“I want my money,” the man growled.
“Stay away from th’boy,” Nicole stated.
“Give me my money,” the man repeated, his tone deeper.
“Skedaddle,” Nicole said.
“Not without my f#*king money. Now give it you bony bitch before I slice you into unrecognizable pieces!”
Nicole answered his cursing with a sarcastic grin, “Watch yer language, children’re present.” The man growled in frustration and swung his sword at them. Ren closed his eyes. Ren heard a solid thump as the sword hit some sort of invisible barrier and the man cursed as his hand throbbed from the force of impact. Nicole grinned. The man shouted and came at her again and again, the sword clanging harmlessly off some sort of barrier, though with each thrust the weapon was starting to get closer and closer to hiting Nicole. The barrier was degrading.
“Run!” Nicole shouted at Ren, and emphasized the command by placing her open palm on his chest and shoving him backwards. Ren lost his breath as the blow knocked him back a good ten yards and landed him on the ground. Ren sputtered to regain the breath that was knocked out of him, startled at how far he had traveled, wondering how such a large force of strength could come from such a weak looking hand.
The man cried in triumph when his sword finally broke through the barrier that had been blocking him from Nicole’s body. Nicole dodged out of the way just in time but the man was fast and well trained in fighting. He grinned, for despite the woman’s magic tricks, she would be no match for his skill. He swung the sword at her again, confident that he’d slash her open and end the struggle, then be able to take all of that money. He’d finally be able to pay off his debt now.
It didn’t happen like he planned though. His face twisted in frustration and horror as he found his sword stuck in the air and unable to move. Energy was emanating from Nicole’s hands and cracked around the sword, holding it perfectly still. The man growled, “Witch!” Nicole answered the insult by throwing her hand in front of his face. The man’s head flung backwards from the invisible force that shot from her hand and crushed his nose.
He staggered backwards, but he discovered he still had his sword. She must have released it during her next attack. The man screamed in a wild rage and charged at Nicole again, blood streaming down his face. Nicole threw up force shield at an angle and the man hit it hard, his momentum taking him off to the right. She turned and outstretched her arm, making a grabbing motion with her hand in his direction. She then twisted sharply as she whipped her arm backwards and the man rose off the ground and flung through the air in sync with her movements. His body made a sickening thud as it hit the tree trunk like a rag doll.
Ren sat there on the ground, his jaw hanging open, trying to believe what he just saw. Nicole stood still in that last position for a long moment until slowly lowering her arm to her side. Her chest was heaving and her mouth was wide open, gasping for breath.
“M-ma’am?” Ren asked tentatively. Nicole staggered forward one step, then another, her head hanging down as her chest heaved for air.
“M-ma…m-m-m-…?” Ren was hopelessly stammering. Nicole’s hand reached in front of her as she started coughing between each heave of her lungs. The coughing got exponentially worse till Nicole dropped to her knees, holding herself up with one hand while the other covered her mouth. The coughing continued to worsen, and her chest shuddered at each violent hack. Ren’s eyes grew wide with horror as he saw blood drip from the hand that feebly covered Nicole’s mouth.
“N-N-….Nicole? What’s going on?” Ren finally got his feet to work and he started inching toward the woman tentatively, too shaken to really know what to do. With unexpected speed Nicole’s bloody hand snapped out and gripped Ren’s tunic like a vice and pulled him forward. Ren whimpered as she pulled him close to her face. He could see the blood spray from her mouth with each hack and shuddered. Between coughs Nicole managed to speak, the words barely audible even with Ren’s ears as close as they were. “Vial…*cough* ba…*hack*…ba…*hack*…bag…NOW!” Her body punished her for the fierceness in which she said the last word and her hand lost it’s grip from Ren’s tunic and she fell sideways onto the ground in another nasty fit, her lungs rasping.
Ren waved his hands around and stepped back, a bit too panicked to know what to do, but then spotted Nicole’s plain brown satchel laying over on the ground. He ran over to it and fumbled with the flap, his fingers feeling extremely clumsy. After what seemed an eternity of rummaging around in her bag he found a multitude of small vials of bluish liquid. Grabbing one he rushed over to where she lay, her body half curled into a fetal position. Trembling fingers reached out and took the bottle from Ren’s hand and Nicole forced the liquid into her mouth, trying to gulp it down amidst the coughs. Slowly, the coughing lessened as the medicine started to take effect, and after a minute the woman’s lungs had calmed and she was breathing regularly again, albeit weakly and with a bit of a rasp still. After conserving her strength, she pushed herself to a sitting position and with the boy’s help propped her back up against a tree.
“Are you alright ma’am?” The boy asked. Nicole nodded. The boy added, “Do you want me to get help from town?” Nicole slowly shook her head. “But…you’re really sick!” The boy protested.
“Think I don’ know that ‘’lready boy?” Nicole managed to finally speak with a little sarcasm peeking into her tone. Ren took it as a sign that she was feeling better. “Sorry,” he replied.
“’So’kay. I’m bein’ a bit rude on account o’ stress. Thought I told’ya to run.”
“You kinda knocked the wind out of me when you pushed me back,” the boy replied.
“Ah,” she said with an amused smile, “Sorry ’bout that.”
“How’d you do that anyways?” The boy asked.
“Do what?”
“That,” the boy pointed to over to the tree with pieces of bark missing and the man’s body lying at its foot.
“Oh,” Nicole replied. She sat there in silence for a long moment, her chest slowly rising and falling in a steady rhythm now.
“Well?” the boy asked impatiently.
“Well what?”
“How did you do all that! Are you some kind of witch or something?” the boy exclaimed.
“You’ve been listenin’ ta too many bards, I ain’t a witch,” Nicole corrected him calmly, “Don’t care too much fer warts as a fash’n statement.”
“Then what?” the boy asked.
“Hmm…” Nicole seemed to ponder, “I guess ya could call me a sorcerer? Nah, sorcerers seem ta make me think of flingin’ fireballs ’round everywhere. I ain’t a pyro. Wizard? Nah, I can’t shoot stuff from mah fing’rtips, an’ I ain’t got a familiar. Pet dander ’n hair ain’t good fo’ my health. Maybe adept is a better term. Yeah, call me a…Force Adept. That term sounds right.”
“You didn’t have a name for it before?” The boy asked, confused.
“Nope, not really. No one eva’ asked me what I’m called befo’. Folks usually too busy tryin’ ta guess where I’m from.”
“Aren’t there supposed to be guilds, or master/apprentice kind of setups?” the boy asked.
“Never had a teacher,” Nicole explained, “an’ I never belonged ta no guild or went to any kind o’ school. I just kinda picked it up as I went ’long.”
“Oh, wow,” Ren said. “Could you…um…could you teach me how to do that?”
Nicole chuckled weakly from that comment, then brought her hand up to her mouth as she coughed a little bit from the exertion. “Heh, no son, don’t think I can even if I wanted to. It’s a natural talent. Somethin’ that I was born with. Ya can’t learn it, only hone whatcha got.”
The boy looked a bit disappointed and Nicole gave him a pat on the shoulder, “Don’t mope, ya wouldn’t want it anyway. Much mo’ trouble ’n it’s worth. Yer betta’ off stayin’ on yo’ farm. Might not be as excitin’ as you’d like righ’ now, but ya’ll appreciate it much more when yer older.”
“I don’t know…” Ren said as he kicked a rock, not quite sure he wanted to listen to her mini lecture.
“Well, look at it this way. Simple peasants stare at the stars ’n dream o’ bein’ big adventurers. Adventur’rs look at the stars’n dream o’ the simple peasants life. Logically, that tells me that it don’t matter where yo’ are, but ’ow yo’ make use o’ where ya are. Get me?”
“Guess so, but I still wanna get away from this place,” Ren replied.
Nicole smiled. “Well, why don’t ya sit on yer little notion for ’bout ten mo’ years, then see if yer still up fo’ the change in scenery. Believe me, faraway lands ain’t so excitin’ in person as they are in paintins’ o’ stories.”
“Well, when I’m older, can you come back and see me? Take me with you then?” Ren asked hopefully. Nicole regarded the boy for a moment, then looked at the ground, not sure whether she should tell him the truth or not. She was tempted to tell him she would. To promise him that she’d make sure to come back and visit when he was older. That she’d let him journey with her and they’d go adventuring together. But as she looked back up into those eager innocent eyes, she mentally sighed, unable to lie to him. Yes telling him what he’d want to hear would make him happy now, but later it’d only end up hurting him, filling him with disappointment over a broken promise that she knew she couldn’t keep in the first place.
“Ren…” Nicole paused for a moment, then finally came out and said it. “Ren, I’m dying.” Ren’s face dropped. “But…”
“Heck, it’s miracle I’ve managed to last this long. I’ve been told I shouldn’t have lived past eighteen, but here I am, seven years later.” Nicole smiled wryly as she leaned her head back.
“Don’t say that! If you lasted this long despite what they told you, then you’re bound to live longer. Maybe you’ll even find a cure soon! I heard about clerics in the big city that can heal the sick by touching them and praying.”
“Thanks fer the thought, but it don’t work like that. The abilities o’ a cleric’re a bit exaggerated. Believe me, if there were a cure, I wouldn’t be lyin’ ‘ere with half m’lungs poured out on the ground.” Nicole seemed to have a macabre humor about her condition. Ren just sat silent with a depressed look on his face.
“Hey hey now,” Nicole said as she gave his shoulder a little nudge, “Don’t get all sad. I ain’t dyin’ tonight. I’m just sayin’ that I ain’t likely ta last long enough to show up fer yo’ weddin’, is all. Don’t go writin’ my eulogy yet.”
“Well, how about you come stay with my family, at the farm? We can take care of you!” Ren offered.
“You’ve gott’n mighty attached ta me fo’ only knowin’ me part o’ a day,” Nicole grinned. “Look kid,” she said as she slowly rose to her feet, “Thanks fo’ the offer, but I’ve got somethin’ I need ta do, an’ that means I gotta keep movin’. Can’t lollygag aroun’ when I gotta time limit.” Nicole picked up her staff, and leaned on it as she picked her satchel off the ground. “Well, I’ve spent too much time ’lready ‘n this place, so I betta’ be head’n out.”
“What?” Ren exclaimed and got to his feet, “You can’t just leave, not in your condition! Plus, it’s getting dark.”
“I’ve traveled in worse condition Ren. Also, I travel bett’r at night. The air’s cooler ‘n easier ta breath. Good walk tonight, then a nap in the mornin’ through afternoon…” Nicole trailed off as she thought outloud. Ren was frustrated as he didn’t think it was good to just let her go like this. Nicole began to walk off, then looked back at the boy. “Better get back home, son. Yo’ family’ll be worryin’ ‘boutcha.”
“But, I don’t even know where you’re from. Or what you’re traveling for!” he blurted off as he watched her walk away.
“Don’t matter, not important,” Nicole replied, “and yer too po’ ta make a guess. See ya aroun’ kid. If I managed ta live long ‘nough, I’ll bring a weddin’ gift or birthday present fo’ yer kids. Can’t guarantee anything tho…”
Ren watched her walk off, wanting to just run after her and join her on her journey. He wanted to see the sights, to have adventures, to see the wonders she must see every day. Then he realized that it was getting dark and his father would kill him if he were late for supper. Plus, the cows would need to be milked again and he was supposed to help his brother rotate the sheep to another grazing area. Forgetting all about his thoughts of grand adventure he turned and ran down the road, worried about the farm.
When his father later asked him about his day Ren said nothing about the strange woman he met on the road, and when locals discovered the body of an unknown traveler just outside of town, Ren said nothing to shed light on the cause of the wounds on the man’s body. Being that the man was found without any money on him, the constable ruled that orc bandits might be coming down from the mountains again for raiding. Everyone was advised not to travel at night and extra sentries were posted at the town gates.