Nature Mage by Duncan Pile Read Free Book Online Page B

north, a long way from here. You wouldn’t have heard of it.”
    “Well, I’m sorry to say we don’t have any spare food. Just enough rations to get us to the next way station,” Jonn replied, which Gaspi knew to be a lie. All three young adults stayed silent, sensing something was wrong, but not being experienced enough to know what it was.
    “Well, me and my friends are hungry, and I’m not sure I believe you,” the stranger replied, his tone suddenly aggressive. The thin veneer of friendliness vanished like smoke, and as he spoke two scruffy-looking men moved out from the trees and walked towards them.
    “We don’t want any trouble,” Jonn said, placing his walking staff squarely in front of him, his strong hands set apart and curling firmly around it in a familiar manner.
    “Trouble is what you’ll have if you don’t give us your food; and while you‘re at it, you may as well give us your money too,” the stranger replied loudly, his voice cracking at one point, his face twisted by a look of greed.
    Jonn motioned for his three charges to move backwards, and as they did he swung his pack smoothly onto the floor, and hefted his staff into position in one easy motion. The first man came on suddenly, running at Jonn with a drawn sword in his hand, yelling incoherently as he attacked. Jonn waited for him to near, took a small step back, and cracked his staff hard on the attacker’s head, who collapsed instantly and lay still. Jonn’s attack had been lightning fast; just that slight step and his staff moving almost faster that the eye could see.
    The other two men came on warily; one brandishing a battered sword with coarse wire woven round the handle, and the other a rusty, but wicked-looking, hunting knife. They looked less sure of themselves now, but not put off. They spread out to come at Jonn from both sides. The knifeman flipped his blade from hand to hand, looked at his partner, and then the two ran in at the same time. Jonn span his staff round his head, and just as they reached him stepped to the right, smashing the thick wooden stave into the outer side of the right hand man, his ribs snapping loudly under the blow as he was forced into his partner. The other man was thrown off balance, and before he could get his blade up Jonn stepped in and smashed the butt of his staff into his face. Blood flew from the man’s shattered nose as he fell screaming into the dirt. The first man was still lying on the ground, moaning and holding his side as if he was about to fall apart.
    Jonn placed his foot hard on the man’s head and he was instantly still, his cheek grinding into the ground. “Don’t follow us,” Jonn said, his voice cold as steel, and, beckoning to his charges, he moved away from the three downed attackers. Before they had gone a hundred paces all three of them were yammering at him with questions, and even Taurnil was babbling excitedly. 
    “Keep moving, and shut up,” Jonn said firmly. Glancing at their chagrined faces, he softened his tone. “We’re not out of danger yet,” he said in hushed tones. “I’ll answer your questions later.”
    “What danger?” Gaspi asked. “You downed them in thirty seconds! They’ll never come after us.”
    “Fighting skills are good to have, Gaspi; but all it takes is one mis-timed blow, a lucky slip of a blade, and it’s all over. Now shush!” After ten minutes there was still no sign of pursuit, and Jonn began to relax. “I’m sorry,” he said seriously. “I didn’t think we would meet this kind of trouble out here in the country. Maybe I should have asked Seth to come along.”
    “Where did you learn to fight like that?” Taurnil asked, a hint of serious intent in his voice.
    “When Gaspi’s Pa and I were young we travelled outside of the mountains for three years,” Jonn answered. “For about a year of that time we joined the King’s army in Dernoth, a city even bigger than Helioport.” Gaspi was taken aback by this revelation.