Dream Drive Ch. 07

"You never know," Rachel said. "Be prepared. I learned that in Boy Scouts."

She could just make out the puzzlement on Tell'ad's face. But then, it turned into a smile, and he chuckled. "You always do that."

"Do what?"

"Totally destroy any sense I have of successfully following your thoughts," Tell'ad said. "It's like trying to catch a greased pig."

"I'm kinda all over the place," Rachel said. "It's a thing. About me. I mean, how I think." She fiddled with her reins. "Do you think that's weird? That I'm like that?"

"It takes some getting used to," Tell'ad said, "but actually, I find it rather endearing."

"Greased pigs are not endearing. It sounds disgusting. Grease, not pigs. Pigs can be cute."

"I couldn't say I'm overly fond of grease myself."

"Then don't call my thoughts grease!"

"My apologies for the confusion," Tell'ad said. His scarred face made a twinkling smile that reminded her of Charles. "I'll be sure to refer to you only as a pig, and not grease."

She missed Charles. She bent over her saddle, trying to do something about the sudden tightening feeling in her stomach, but it didn't help. It just hurt. And now she'd never get back. Tell'ad wouldn't let her go. Hale would never let her go.

After a time, the tension faded -- or maybe she just got used to it. She looked back again, and this time, she couldn't see the camp at all. "How far are we going?"

"About here, I think," Tell'ad said. "I'm starting to get a headache." He brought his horse up short. Rachel pulled on Juniper's reins, and he promptly came to a skipping halt on the grass. Tell'ad looked at her. "Rachel. You were going to tie yourself to your horse, weren't you?"

"No idea what you're talking about," Rachel said loudly. "Not a single clue. Tie myself to Juniper? Don't know why I'd do that. Can't possibly imagine."

"Presumably," Tell'ad said, "so that when the pain rendered you unconscious for getting too distant from Hale without his order, you would not fall from your mount."

"That's ridiculous," Rachel said. A wave of threatening pain prickled at her shoulders as the truth was thrust into the front of her mind. "Tie myself to my own horse? That's stupid. How would I even start?"

"You'd probably do a poor job of it," Tell'ad said. He slowly brought his horse around Juniper, until they were side-by-side, him staring down at her. "I don't imagine you've tied a firm knot in your entire life." He held out his hand.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"The rope."

"I need it."

"Lady Ransfeld. Please don't be childish."

"Get your own."

"Rachel."

Rachel glanced at the horizon. She briefly considered trying to outrun Tell'ad, but she wasn't tied down, and his horse would probably beat hers in a straight contest. She had no essence to fight with. She'd leveled up her passive skill in swords from fighting here and there, but he was still decades more experienced than her. A former knight would dispatch her like a fly.

She sighed and handed him the rope.

"Thank you," Tell'ad said. He slid off the saddle. "Now, don't move."

He grabbed one of her feet. She thought he was about to pull her right off her horse -- but the moment never came. Instead, she felt something tighten around her ankle, and then her other ankle. Her legs were pulled down Juniper's flanks.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm tying your feet under Juniper's belly," Tell'ad said. "I can't have you falling off the horse."

"Um...huh?"

"I'm your bodyguard," Tell'ad said, "as ordered by Lord Hale. I have to keep you safe. So, if, by chance, you had the silly idea of trying to take off at a full gallop on Juniper in the middle of the night in some sort of wild escape attempt, you could fall and break your neck. This will make sure you stay attached to the horse."

"Oh," Rachel said.

"Hands around Juniper's neck."

Rachel automatically leaned forward and put her hands around her horse's mane. Tell'ad moved in front of Juniper, then tied Rachel's arms down. She was now strapped securely to the animal.

The vulnerability of her position suddenly struck her. She couldn't move her arms or legs. Tell'ad had her right where he wanted her. Shit.

"Safe and sound," Tell'ad said. "Now then." He drew a small steel spur from his cloak. "This is going to hurt Juniper, but I suspect it will hurt me even more, so it evens out."

"Are you...what are you doing?"

"Rachel," he said. "I'm helping you to escape."

Rachel was torn. Part of her wanted to ask what the hell he thought he was doing. Part of her wanted to know why he was helping her; another substantial bit wanted to cry for a while. The last part of her was busy trying to think of things that would stop the collar from giving her the dangerous warning pain that was currently on her throat.

"How come?" she managed to choke out.

"You reminded me that I am a knight," he said. "I need no other reason."

"You're right," she said. She tried to blink the water in her eyes back. "I dubbed you and everything."

"So you did."

"You don't belong with him."

Tell'ad drew the high neck of his uniform out with a finger. Clasped around his body was a wooden collar. "I have no choice," he said. "I have not disobeyed his orders in...I'm not sure. A long while. He destroyed some of my memories."

"Your memory?" she whispered.

"The pain...it starts to affect you. You'd be surprised at what your mind will do to itself in order to follow orders. To escape the pain. I..." He shook his head. "Things are fuzzy, from then. He made me into his tool. But I can still remember some things -- I was a knight, I think. I had a family. My sister's face...I can still see that. I still dream it." He looked up at her. "I will not see him do the same to you."

"If I can leave, so can you. Come with me."

"You're his little project. You have flexibility. He long since filled in the loopholes with me. I was too...rebellious, probably. I don't much remember it." He shrugged. "I have partially convinced myself that what I'm doing now is in his best interest and your safety. A skewed perception can control the worst of it. But it's coming. You can't bury it for long."

"Are you my knight?" Rachel asked.

"Considering the circumstances," Tell'ad said, "I believe that I am."

"Then you'd better figure out a way to get free. That's a command from your lady."

Tell'ad smiled. "And here I thought you wanted me to just know you as plain old Rachel."

"I'm not old, so fuck you. Also, as Lady Ransfeld..." Rachel struggled with her binds, but she was tied down tight. "...this is really not the dignified sort of bearing I need for these situations."

"You'll have to make do."

"As Lady Ransfeld," she said, in the most domineering manner she could muster while strapped bodily to a horse, "you shall send me galloping in that direction and then return to me after doing as much damage to Hale as possible."

Tell'ad bowed his head. "Might I ask my lady a question?"

"Um...sure."

"Why the plains people?" Tell'ad asked. "They're dangerous. Unpredictable when it comes to outsiders."

"I...a friend, I know," Rachel said, "was dressed like them. So I thought, maybe he's there."

Tell'ad nodded, then slammed the spur into Juniper's rear.

Juniper whinnied, reared up, then tore off into a gallop. Rachel barely squelched her shout as the horse sprinted off toward the looming mountain in the distance. Soon, she was a tiny dot retreating into the night, and then she vanished, disappeared in the murky black.

"Goodbye, Rachel," Tell'ad said.

He got on his horse and turned back to the camp. He could barely ride straight if left to his own devices - the pain was already on him, and it would get worse. Luckily, his horse was of a good breed. It would get him back to camp.

He was so tired of the pain. But he couldn't fall on his own sword. The collar put him down before he could do so.

He tried to steel himself against it, remind himself of his resolve. This was for the best. Get Rachel away before she started to be truly changed. Before he faltered.

He was no knight. He couldn't even remember his own name. His original name, anyway. Now he was Commander Tell'ad.

He would lead Hale's army into battle, and, God willing, he would die in the process, and Rachel would live. Free. As free as her spirit.

The aged knight sighed, and closed his eyes against the oncoming pain.

****

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