Orb and Prophecy Prophecy Part 10 of about 13
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Orb And Prophecy: Departure (Part 3 Of About 13) free porn video
(Asterisks around text indicate the character's thoughts)
Bright morning sunlight informed me of one more thing I had lost in my
bodily transition: for the first time in years, my internal alarm had
failed me. By the height of the sun I judged it to be about midmorning.
Departure today was a necessity. I would have preferred to leave under
cover of darkness, but I could not wait for night to come again. My
guarding spells appeared secure on the doors and windows still, but I had
allowed only three days for the host family to be kept away, and that time
would be ending this afternoon. When they returned, they would know
someone had been here, and soon Moranna's agents would probably learn it
had been me. I had to be far away by then.
My violet aura was still gone.
My preparations were simple: the same plain shorts and blouse I had
exercised in yesterday, a pair of sturdy, low-heeled boots, and a pouch
holding as much food as I could carry, and, for a change of clothing, a
muted yellow dress I had made during my magical binge. It pained me not to
be able to bring some of my more spectacular designs. I tied my hair back
in its least noticeable and least attractive fashion. That too was
something I did with great reluctance. In a moment of unwelcome insight, I
included a handful of small rags in my kit--I did not know how soon I
would need female protection.
The city center laid to the south; thus my route today would be to the
north. I had no idea what I would find in that direction, but anything
would have to be better than staying close to Moranna. I looked one final
time out the doors and windows, and saw occasional wagons and walkers on
the street. Was there menace to me in any of them? I had no choice but to
risk it. With fear, and yet also with a measure of relief, I opened the
door to leave my place of confined safety. I set the sun behind my right
shoulder and began to walk.
It seemed that everyone was looking at me. I felt exposed and confused.
That man who brushed close to me along the walkway--what was his interest?
Was I an attractive woman to him? Or did he know me as the queen's new
creation? That other man whose eyes almost caught mine at the next turning
of the street--was he appreciating my figure, or tracking a fugitive? That
thrill I felt at this male attention--was it fear, or was it my new desire
for a man? It seemed likely that a practiced female would be able to tell
the difference. Apparently Moranna's spells had not taught me everything a
woman grows up to know.
I headed north, not by a direct route but circuitously; not with a hurried
pace, but trying to blend in with the normal flow of traffic in the city,
slowing down from time to time, acting as if to study the goods at a
market, at the same time surveying the streets to see whether I was
followed. By slow progress I reached the edge of town in the late
afternoon. The remaining small houses stood scattered among gardens and
stables; beyond them, there was nothing but low hills.
I stood straight and smiled happily. I had made it out of the city!
Finally--something that felt like freedom! I had no money, no weapons, no
tent or other shelter, but I was on my way out of this accursed city.
There would have to be new beginnings wherever I went. But with the fresh
breeze in my hair, the dangerous city behind me, and the open hills before
me, a sense of hope flowed in me again at last. Yes, I would need to use
my best survival skills to traverse the hills ahead of me, but that part
was familiar; in fact, it was the first challenge I had faced in days that
was not brand-new to me. I marched on past the final house, climbed a few
hundred yards up the first tree-covered hill, sat down behind a large
spruce tree, and laid out a banquet before myself of bread, apple, and
grapes. This was not home, but it certainly felt more like it.
A full stomach added to my sense of contentment, and I was enjoying being
who I was once again. I continued up the hills, jumping from one large
solid rock to another to hide my trail, making it into a dance as I leaped
about, making the most of my new lightness and agility. I navigated by the
reddening sun, glowing through the trees on my left side. It was just
turning dark when I made a final sweep of the visible hill with my eyes,
satisfied myself that I was alone, and stretched out on the forest floor
to sleep. The noises of the woods were familiar, and not disturbing to me.
*It's not exactly a woman's place to sleep,* I thought with a smile, *but
I guess I've had a lot of experiences other women haven't had!*
Breakfast was as sweet as dinner had been, the selection in my bag
enhanced by wild strawberries I found nearby. The sun was strong and
clear, providing again the compass to guide me in a constant direction
away from the city. It no longer seemed urgent to stay alert for trackers.
Out of habit, though, as I stretched my limber body in preparation for my
journey, I faced down the hill and scanned the trees and rocks.
A large, man-sized dark shadow moved behind a tree.
I froze, feeling the same panic I had felt twice earlier that week. In an
instant my sense of freedom collapsed, in dark knowledge of my desperate
vulnerability. I felt acutely the lack of a weapon. As a man, I might have
grabbed a fallen limb for a club; as Marisa, I knew that if there were a
man out there, he would be armed at least that well, probably better, and
he would be much stronger. I felt trapped--again. If I made it out of
this, it would not be by bodily strength, it would not be by magic, it
would only be by my wits.
I stood and watched for several minutes, seeing nothing further. And now I
doubted myself: Was it my imagination? My only recourse seemed to be to
move on and hope no one was there after all. I returned to my previous
practice of stealthy progress as I climbed north again. I looked back
often. Once I thought I heard a footstep behind me, but no threat
appeared. *If someone is following me, he's good.* The thought was not a
reassuring one. I pressed on through midday without stopping, ignoring my
hunger. I neared the crest of the hill, where trees thinned and large
rocks dotted the landscape. *If only one of them had a cave where I could
hide.* Then I found something nearly as good; a large boulder with a dark
hollow beneath. I scrambled beneath it and tuned my senses for the sounds
of a hunter on my trail.
I need not have concentrated so. It was not a shadow I saw this time, nor
the snap of a twig, but just outside my I shelter, above my head, I heard
the whistling of a song. The lighthearted melody created a strong contrast
to my terror. I drew back hopelessly into what little dark I could find
under the rock.
Gravel fell in front of me; footsteps scratched down from atop the
boulder. The cheery whistling drew nearer; a shadow darkened my space,
then a bearded face followed a strong man's body dropping down before my
hole. I trembled; I could not make myself small enough.
"You're very, very good in the woods, Miss Marisa!" the man said with a
warm smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marcus, and no, I do
not intend you any harm. No harm at all." He was a tall, strong-looking
man, clean-shaven, dark haired, probably not more than 30 years old. Under
other circumstances, there would have been nothing in him to inspire
fright. Here, though, I felt completely vulnerable before him. I huddled
motionless, eyes dark and wide toward him, my hair prickling on the back
of my neck under my pony tail. I found myself unable to answer him.
"Sure, I know it's a fright. I'll give you a moment to calm down. You have
to give me credit, too, though, for some courage in following you; I
didn't know what you might do to me with your magic if you saw me. This
morning when you saw me behind the tree, why, I think I was as scared of
you as you are of me now. You're acting like a cornered rabbit. Is your
magic gone already?"
So he knew who I was. "I just don't want to use it." I tried to bring
forth some bravado. My voice squeaked, though, betraying my fear.
"Well, you're probably wondering if you can trust a man who just shows up
on you in the woods when you're trying to hide. Especially after what
you've just gone through. Sure, I know about it. I was just outside the
hall when it happened. I didn't really want to watch whatever she was
going to do with you, you see." He sat down cross-legged on the ground
just outside the rock hole. The sun shone bright across his face,
revealing an open, frank, smile. "Just be aware that I'm taking some risk
of my own by approaching you. Maybe you still have some of your magic like
you say, maybe you don't. I'm not eager to find out what you might do with
it if you tried. But I am eager to talk with you about Moranna, and how
she violated you."
He spoke like a rider calming a skittish horse--with a gentle smile, a
relaxed voice and folksy tone, a quiet posture. I felt the muscles in my
arched back begin to loosen, but I stayed deep in the hole. "So talk," I
muttered. How strange to be in this position! As a man I would have stood
him eye to eye.
He moved to sit cross-legged, as non-threatening a position as I suppose
he could have picked. I appreciated that. He picked up a pine twig and
traced a figure in the ground near his knee. It was a moment before he
looked me in the eye again. There was still no threat in his face. "Well,
it's like this. Some of us were wondering if you might be a bit upset
about what Moranna's done to you and to your men. We haven't been too
happy about her ourselves. You were a pretty good fighter, it seems, and
you might even have some skills no one else has against Moranna. So we
decided to keep an eye on you and see if you might want try to help us
solve this problem we have with her."
"You-- you've been following me? How?"
"Well, like I said, you're mighty good at staying hidden. Some of us are
pretty good, too, though. Lucky for us, when you used your magic to make
sure no one in that big hall would stop you, you didn't say we couldn't
follow you. Moranna, now, she was too shocked to go after you, and
probably your magic would have prevented her or any of her men from
following, because they would have intended to hurt you. I was nearby,
though, and I wanted to help, not hurt you. Maybe since I was just outside
the hall the magic didn't apply to me anyway. So I followed, and waited,
and followed, and here we are having this talk together."
"I didn't see anyone running after me."
"Oh, you left a pretty good trail of witnesses, and I'm not too slow,
anyway. I showed up just in time to see you walk in the door of that
house. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who saw that, by the way. I
couldn't bring myself to come get you in there--it just seemed too early,
and I wasn't too sure what you might pull on me with your magic. One of my
friends saw you leave yesterday, though--"
"There's more of you?" I interrupted.
"Well, I think I already mentioned that. Yes, there's a group of us, and
you might even get to meet some more. My friend there, by the way, he went
in after you left. He says you must have stumbled on some unusual woman's
home--the fanciest clothes he ever saw were in there. He sent word that he
borrowed some of them for you in case you might need a spare outfit later
on." I could feel my face turning red. "Don't worry, though," he
continued. "If you don't like that lady's clothes you don't have to put
them on. I just want you to feel comfortable, and safe." Somehow, the more
he talked, the better I felt. I was seeing him with less fear now, even
noticing some charm and handsomeness in him. It occurred to me that I must
look a mess to him--an oddly unhappy thought.
"Tell you what," he offered. "This isn't such a comfortable place to talk.
Why don't you come out here, and I'll promise not to hurt you if you'll
promise not to hurt me. My name's Marcus, by the way, or did I already
mention that?" He extended a hand to me. Hesitantly, I reached out, felt
his strong male grip, and let him pull me gently to my feet. He sat down
on a low rock, motioned to another one nearby for me, and I sat down too.
"Did you bring some food with you? Good. I was going to offer you some if
you were hungry. I guess it's awfully strange, what you've been going
through lately." I looked at the ground, away from his eyes; I was not
ready to go into that with this strange man. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not
trying to be insensitive or anything. I'm just trying to figure out if
there's a way someone might help. Of course, we're hoping you'll be
willing to fight with us against Moranna. You know she's holding your men
prisoner, don't you?"
"Has she -- has she done anything else to them?" I wasn't sure what was
greater: my dread for what Moranna might have done to them, or my own
sense of guilt. What had I led them into? I could stand anything--even
this!--happening to myself, but not to my men.
"No, they're just locked up. She's treating them okay." I thought I saw
his eyes go dark for a moment. "But they're not going anywhere," he went
on. "She wants you to turn yourself in, then she says she'll let them go.
She's using them to get to you."
"That's awful! What a witch!"
Marcus laughed at my choice of words. "I'm sure you never meant that quite
so literally before! But you're right, she's a sorceress and she's not to
be trusted. You don't need to bother thinking about giving in to her
demands, because chances are she'd finish her work on you and keep your
men locked up besides."
"How many people do you have?"
"That's not widely known. It's risky, you know, running an underground
movement against a magical tyrant queen. We try to stay as loose as we
can. I'll introduce you to the group a little at a time. There's one in
particular you'll want to spend time with. She lives in my home town, just
a few miles west of here. Her name's Alwyn, and she could be a real help
to you right about now."
I weighed my options. I had no way to resist him, if he were to try to
force the issue; nor did I care to reveal my weakness to him. The only way
to maintain the fiction of my magic would be to go with him as if I
trusted him. And maybe I did trust him. His words made sense, he had
attempted no assault, and he had risked exposing himself to my magic. His
charm seemed sincere.
Above all, I realized that his words had to be true or I was truly in a
bind. I had been fooling myself about my chances on my own, and I knew it.
Yes, I might have escaped being found for a while, maybe even forever; but
what did I know about being a woman? How could I keep myself safe in this
new condition? How could I provide for myself? Even if I succeeded there,
my men were stuck, their wives and families had no hope of seeing them
again, and an even more horrifying fate might be in their future. If I
trusted Marcus and he proved true, then there was hope. It was the only
hope I realistically had. He offered me his hand again as I rose to my
feet. I accepted his gracious gesture, then picked up my bag and followed
him through the rocks and trees to the west.
Julianne
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