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Caspyn
As the sun was setting they pulled the wagons around in a giant clearing similar to how I had seen that morning before we had set out for the day.
The horses pulled themselves around without me even guiding them, the large sweaty beasts moving through the actions they had clearly done a thousand times. Each wagon pulled into place behind them, the animals in the center of what became a wall of painted and rickety wagons. Only then did everyone begin moving at once, pulling out tents and unpacking wagons, the men setting camp while the women built fires, children already cutting and prepping for the evening meal.
In a matter of minutes they became an active village, chatting and laughing and working. All within what I quickly realized were the protective walls that the wagons had built. Security for a traveling village that so many fear, and perhaps hated.
Ryndle had insisted I drive the wagon, but now my body ached and screamed in protest of the day spent sitting and bouncing along the unkept road astride the forest. Every turn of the wheel had sent more pain through my body, the agony ripping and grinding as I was left alone on that seat in pain. The more I hurt, the more that rage that had been so prevalent in me grew, until now I was left a snarling pained mass. I moved to stand, everything from neck to knee screaming as I forced myself up.
I was sure I should take it slow thanks to the pain that was screaming in my abdomen, even though I wanted to run from them all. I was done with this place, and these people. Done with their songs and their smiles, and done with Ryndle’s nonsense. I wasn’t sure if I could take another day of this. We couldn’t be that far from the temple, perhaps I could find my blades and leave. I would leave now, but those blades were irreplaceable, and I had no interest in losing them.
“You are going to rip your wound open,” Lyani came up beside the horses, helping some of the younger boys remove bridles and straps to leave the horses to wander toward some tall grasses where the other horses and a few goats and sheep had gathered.
“Then I rip it open again,” I snapped as I moved between the wagons, pulling and tugging at my clothes in my need to find relief. When sitting my need to pee was manageable, but the second I stood it had become an agony. I needed to take a piss, and bad.
“You rip it open again and I’m going to have to heal you again.” She came up right behind me, that calm harsh reprimand I had heard from her before coming right back.
“Then you’ll heal me again.” She was right behind me now, as though I had not been darting between wagons in an attempt at privacy.
“Do you mind?” I hissed, turning as much as I could to glare at her and shoo her away.
“Mind that you will ruin all the work I did? Yes.” Her eyes were like fire as she placed her hands on her hips.
“No!” I tried to angle myself at her, careful to keep myself still facing between wagons. “Do you mind giving me some space while I take a piss.”
She rolled her eyes, “No, I don’t mind. I’ve seen hundreds of cocks in my life, either pissing or doing more enjoyable things. Sorry to tell you, yours is not very special.”
She grinned, and any attempt at relieving myself vanished. She leaned against the wagon, looking directly at me as if daring me to continue. As if I could.
“What do you want, Lyani?” I tucked myself back into my pants. Like hell if I was going to be able to take a piss now.
“I want you to take care of yourself and perhaps not jump down from wagons when you are still recovering from something having cut its way through you.” Those bright eyes bore into me, daring me to challenge her, to snap back. I just froze, even that fury boiling underneath my skin was trapped underneath the fury of her gaze.
“I’m fine.” I was snarling.
“You are not. You are going to ruin what the Goddess gave you–”
“The Goddess gave me nothing but a shit life, honey. I don’t need to take it easy, I need to get out of here and finish the job I spent my life training to do.” I was fuming, all of the heat of my magic rippling off my skin, stronger than it had since my injury. I was sure she could feel it, but she didn’t even flinch, she stepped closer, her own fire flashing in her eyes. Except hers was pure rage; there wasn’t a drop of magic there that I could tell.
“I don’t care how strong you think you are, Caspyn. I will put you on the ground if you discriminate against the Goddess in any way. She gave you this gift and I will not have it–”
“Stop with that nonsense,” I tried to push her away; she didn’t budge. “I know you believe it, but I don’t need you forcing that shit on me. The Goddess has done nothing for me. Nothing.” Nothing but ripped me from my life and what was important. Again and again. Nothing but killed those who mattered. Again and again. I bit my tongue. I had no reason to share that with her, not even a whisper of desire. “Your Goddess means nothing to me.”
“You may feel that way now, but I have seen her power, and I see her power in you. Some day you will discover what she has done.” Lyani leaned closer, all of that gold in her eyes flickering. “I just hope it’s not too late.”
“Too late for someone else to die?” I laughed, the sound loud and heartless as I leaned over her, letting all of that anger pour into her. Her and her stupid Goddess. She pressed her palm against my chest, her hand tiny against the breadth. There was barely any pressure, but she still shoved me back, my back slamming into the wagon. She was so small, breakable. Somehow, she made me feel as though I was the breakable one.
That may have been due to the giant hole in my gut, however.
“Don’t try me, Caspyn. You aren’t the first man who’s thought themselves stronger than they really are and found themselves in need of help.” She pressed that tiny hand against me again, it was clearly supposed to be a threat but I barely felt anything before she strode off. She didn’t look back.
She left me there snarling as I watched her vanish between the wagons, that too-big dress of hers swaying and dragging against the grasses and dirt the wagons were set in.
“Damned woman,” I growled and turned, thankful to at least relieve myself in peace.
Or, almost. I had barely finished when a thunder of tiny steps came up behind me. I didn’t need to turn to know who that was.
“Are you one of the Queen’s warriors?” Ziah’s over-excited whisper drifted over to me as I turned.
