While Quint rubbed his hands and wrists, he examined the cabin and found nothing to eat and an old broom which he modified into a pointed stick with his magic. Quint was tempted to follow the horse tracks, but he decided to head west and walk through the forest. He’d run into the ocean at some point. Baltacco and his officers hadn’t stolen his purse, so Quint could buy whatever he wanted as long as he could convince a willot to sell to a hubite, having lost his wide-brimmed hat in the process of his abduction.
The strategy would work if he could get out of the forest, but Quint had no idea where the forests were within a decent ride of Bocarre. His walk continued, and Quint was getting tired since the forest wasn’t level and he was walking up and down hills.
Quint heard a rustle in the bushes not far from him. He faced the sound and backed up. A forest lion emerged and growled. Quint thought they would scream or something, but the low growling was more sinister and set Quint on edge. He hadn’t killed an animal so large. Even at home, his father slaughtered the big animals, leaving Quint to help skin their source of meat.
The animal crept closer. Quint couldn’t turn and run, or the animal would be on him in a heartbeat. Magic was his only defense. He began to shape tendrils into threads and threads into strings of fire.
When the lion squatted down, gathering itself for a leap, Quint couldn’t wait another second. The lion leaped and roared as Quint’s fire spear went into its mouth. The roar turned into the gurgle of a scream, and the beast dropped, its head emitting smoke, and fell into Quint’s legs, pushing him back and onto his rump.
Quint scrambled backward and then he turned and ran into the forest. He didn’t stop until he lurched onto a roadway. A village was less than a hundred yards away from where he emerged. He put his hands on his knees and drew in huge gulps of air until a traveler driving a wagon looked at Quint with a mixture of amazement and revulsion.
“There’s a beast in that forest,” the man said.
“A forest lion?” Quint asked. “The animal is no longer among the living.”
“You killed it?”
Quint waved his sharpened stick at him.
The traveler snickered. “There is no blood on that scrawny pole.”
“I used a little magic,” Quint said, quickly weaving a magic light string.
“Don’t use it on me!” the man said, snapping the reins of the donkey pulling the wagon.
Quint watched the wagon move a little faster than Quint’s walking pace. He followed the wagon into the village and saw it travel though the village without stopping.
“I need something to eat and drink,” Quint said as he walked into a general store. “I have money.”
“Hubite, eh?” the shopkeeper said with suspicion in his voice. “This morning, I heard about a hubite massacre in the south. Did you escape from it?”
Quint shook his head. “I had relatives killed,” he said. “Mother, father, brother, old friends, but I’ve been living in Bocarre for two years. I became lost traveling and decided to head directly west. I have no idea where Bocarre is from here.”
“A few hours’ walk. Follow the road out of the village and take the south fork.” The shopkeeper showed Quint what food he had ready to eat and, in a few minutes, Quint had a new hat, a bag slung over his shoulder with a jug of watered wine, bread and cheese inside.
He ate as he walked and when he heard horses behind him, he left the road to see General Baltacco and the officers ride past. They would arrive in Bocarre before he would, but Quint wouldn’t be too far behind.
Quint wasn’t shocked that word of the hubite slaughter had arrived at the village he just passed. At least the shopkeeper was able to muster a small measure of pity on him. It was enough for Quint at that point in time.
The forest ended, and in the misty distance, Bocarre stood with the faint outline of the ocean beyond. Quint was coming from the southwest, now that he could get his bearings. He trudged underneath an unmanned gate mid-afternoon, fighting against a stream of citizens leaving the city. The capital was in turmoil. The city guard fought a losing battle against those wishing to flee and as Quint observed the situation, it appeared that the guard was merely providing some order to the evacuation.
Another observer leaned against a building, watching people move past.
“What is going on?” Quint asked.
“The factions finally took arms against each other all the while Emperor Colleto is said to be two days away from the city. Unless they get together to fight off the Gussellians we will be absorbed into Gussellia before the end of the week,” the observer said. “You didn’t know?”
“I was taking a walking holiday in the forest and have been out of Bocarre for a couple of days. I didn’t expect this.”
“I heard the fight is for the privilege of handing the keys to the city over to the emperor when he arrives.”
“Don’t wait too long to leave but be prepared to return in short order. Unless there is resistance, I don’t think there will be much bloodshed. Colleto would rather conquer without a loss of life or resources,” Quint said.
The observer snorted. “How would you know?”
“I’ve met him a few times.”
“You, a teenager?”
Quint cocked his head. “Amazing how life works.”
Chapter Thirty-Tw
o
The flat was mostly undisturbed. Amaria hadn’t returned to abscond with his sword and knife or any of his notes. Quint gathered what he wanted to take to Narukun and left the flat after writing a note of thanks to Marena.
Quint had never seen the international quarter filled with so many people, but many were willots making their way out of the city through the quarter. Quint walked to the Danko flat, but it looked empty. He had a sudden attack of panic. What if they had left in the ship without him?
He rushed to the docks. There were lines of people trying to get out of the city on ships, but Quint wouldn’t get on a ship just to leave the city. It was easier to leave through a gate and find place to hunker down, something much harder to do in the middle of an ocean.
Quint was happy to see men moving crates in the warehouse and the purser at his stand-up desk.
“You are getting ready to leave?” Quint asked.
