The Glorious Love

“Yup, can’t find nothing better than good old hick magic.”

Kait made a face, and looked at the salesman. Was there a way to describe him other than drabby fop? The finest silk clothes, torn and travel stained. Hair that should have been in the latest fashion, if it weren’t for the growing bald spot. And a ready smile that was a tad too wooden, practiced, and perhaps a little doused with alcohol.

She sniffed, and wrinkled her nose. Nope, not a little.

The sales gnome spread his arm wide, smiling. “Right here, warrior woman, is a little type of old-style, countrytime magic. I give you, Crescent Farms.”

Rashid’s Estates deserved the introduction. A ring of apple trees served as a wall and marker for where the Estates truly began. A break in the trees was a single wooden gate. A crescent moon with a single star in its crook, with the words “Crescent Farms,” etched below.

“The finest grain, apples so succulent the mouth waters just thinking of them!” He smacked his lips. “And the suckling pigs! Oh, we must…ahem.”

He coughed, and looked meaningfully at Kait. She raised an eyebrow, confused. He motioned towards the gate. Oh, he couldn’t be serious. He coughed again, and checked his hand mirror.

Kait jumped off of Clari-Ann, and walked on over to the gate. She opened up the gate, and held it open for Clari-Ann (who snickered), the ill-kempt dandy and his stupid pony, the wagon carrying all the valued possessions, and Clari-Ann again, who waited for her to close the gate behind her.

The sales gnome continued to babble on about grain, and fruit, and the pastoral quality of people he just pitied for not having the same privileges as those of true quality. Kait contemplated shoving a stake somewhere painful.

Kait sighed, and shook her head. “I’m not allowed to kill the gnome, I’m not allowed to kill the gnome.” Even if he deserves it.

Killing him could make sense. Perhaps he was a demon in disguise, sent by Carzic to spy on her. Certainly the last few months had been constant in their torment. The gnome, whose name was so long and superfluous that Kait could not bring herself to keep it in her head, was clearly incapable of…well, anything. Her guard duties not only extended to usual bodily protection (which included food and drink tasting, and too many invitations to check for assassins under his bedsheets), but tasks so menial she could have believed him incapable of lifting a handkerchief. She had blown his nose before, something Clari-Ann was not going to let her live down anytime soon.

She’d have abandoned the gnome two weeks ago, after the first time he commented on her unusual bulk. But he was paying, and going in the right direction. More importantly, he kept Lila and Jude in the wagon, with absolutely no questions about a half-demon, a crystal prophet, and…Jude. Just having the opportunity to have real meals, and a cot that wasn’t in the middle of the elements just for a couple weeks was a welcome change.

Jude watched out the back of the covered wagon. His hood was down, leaving himself free to survey everything. The air felt nice against his face, his jaws. Made him seem like not such a freak for a moment.

So was laughing at Kait. The Rider was making her way back up to the gnome, her hands clenching around the reins as if she imagined it was his neck. He and Clari-Ann had shared more than a few giggles at her exasperation with their employer.

Still, he was nice. Jude liked him. Liked his antics. And he was a good salesman. The wagon was never empty, trading one crate of goods for another. Yet his purse always bulged further after another meeting. Jude and the others knew the truth. He was an idiot to most of the ways of the world. But business, business was his art form.

Kait finally made it back up to him. She dismounted, and sent Clari-Ann away. She was sure the horse would start biting if he got too close. She cleared her throat, in a far coarser manner than he had. “We were planning on going further west, gnome.”

He smiled. “Well, my travels actually take me further east, warrior woman.”

She grit her teeth, and smiled. “So I guess this is our last night together. I’m so sorry.”

The gnome smiled, and patted her cheek. “It doesn’t have to be, love. Plans can change in an instant.”

“Oh, no…” Kait said. “I’m sure that we have to go that way.”

“And I may have to follow you,” He said happily. “We make such a lovely team. I feel so much safer around you, and the profits have been just sublime.

“Besides, we still need to get to know each other…”

“Here’s the thing,” Kait gripped the hand that was trailing up her leg. “You keep calling me warrior woman. I don’t call myself that a lot. But if I have to prove it true by ripping something off you, well, that’s okay by me.”

His smile widened, maybe thinking about the prospects. But the hand was removed quickly.

“Ah, me, I just seem enraptured by these outward qualities.” He waved to the upcoming building. A sprawling mass of buildings joined together with no true plan, there was a beauty in the haphazard manner of trying to fit in with such strange figures.

“Like these lovely people.”

The people. Humans, for the most part. Sweat-stained, dirty, trying to focus on their work. Wrangling chickens back into the coop as the sun started its descent. Shoeing a horse. Folding clothes, re-shingling the roof. Everyone just seemed busy.

No one seemed particularly happy to see the gnome either. A glance in his direction gave a belated sigh, or a grunt or growl, and a return to work.

However, they did stop and stare at Kait. A few gasped, and pointed. Harsh whispers, rushing for anything that could be used as a weapon.

Kait grunted, and reached for her knife, tapping it for reassurance. “Jude,” she said, softly. “Time to stay hidden.”

If the salesman noticed this, he ignored it. He smiled, waving to everyone. “Hello, everybody! I’m back, and I’ve got a little something for everybody!”

Pitchforks were raised.

“What? A quick death?” Someone asked.

“What could that idiot be thinking, bringing a demon here?”

Kait held up her arms. “I’m not here to…”

“Demon!” someone screamed.

Kait sighed. So it was going to be one of those days. She held out her knife, and dropped it.

“Seriously, I’m just here to protect the gnome. He is here to trade, and…”

“We don’t want any of your lies!” A woman shouted. “We’ve got a sniper up on the roof, and she can take care of you in an instant.”

Kait moved forward, faster than they could blink. Stupid, she knew. The last thing she wanted to do was spook some armed farmers used to protecting themselves. But if they mentioned confidence in a sniper, the first thing to do was secure the meal ticket.

“You have a-yipe!” The gnome gulped as Kait scooped him up.

“We’re out of here,” she hissed.

“But Rashid has the best apple pie for three days’ travel!” He protested.

“And they’ll put it over my grave.”

“Oh, posh,” he said. “They’re just a little spooked.”

“Spooked enough to have a sniper?”

“They don’t have a sniper,” the salesman said. “They can’t afford one.”

“We do, too!” The same woman shouted. “And she’s the best, can hit the wings off a fly and everything. I seen it!”

“Wagon, now.” Kait said.

An arrow sailed right past her ear.

“Not so fast,” A voice said. “No demons are allowed to just waltz into Rashid’s estates without consequences.”

Kait raised her hands up. The arrow landed in the fields, about a couple hundred yards. A straight shot, and barely any waver through the path. They did have a sniper, and they did not miss.

“Do you know what it’s like for normal folk,” The voice wavered. “To see a demon for the first time?”

“I’m sorry,” Kait began. “I didn’t mean.”

“Don’t apologize!” The voice said. “Don’t apologize for what you are. You come in here, and you scare people, and just hope some kind words and good will just wipe away all the fear and suspicion?”

Kait turned around. She knew that voice.

A woman glared at Kait. In her late thirties, her youthful beauty was finally fading away to maturity. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun, revealing worn worry lines that were now more creased. Tears ran down from her brown eyes.

Nettie’s crossbow hung from its strap around her shoulder. She wiped tears away, and smiled.

“Didn’t your mother teach you any better than that?”

Kait ran to her mother. Forgot all her training, all caution. All those months, all the tears and restless nights, they melted away. She picked up her mother, and hugged her close.

The crowd stared, a strange mixture of horror and confusion. Jude snuck a peek out from behind the wagon. Mother?

Kait didn’t care. She had her mom there, for a long, glorious moment. Nettie closed her arms around her daughter, and sobbed into her chest. Tears of joy, a relief. Mother and daughter were together.

“Nettie.”

A man leaned on one crutch. Tan, with curly black hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. He wore a white cotton shirt and blue jeans with his sandals. The sword he wore belted at his hip remained there.

Kait realized what she had done. The best protection this farmstead had, and she had taken it hostage. Her grip tightened. It was her mom, her mom.

Nettie placed a hand on Kait’s shoulder, rubbing the tension away. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay.”

Kait slowly lowered Nettie to the ground. The mother looked back to the man, smiling.

“Yes, Rashid?”

A wry smile crossed his face. “I’m assuming you two know each other?”

Nettie smiled. “Everyone, this is Kait. My daughter.”

There were a few gasps. Someone readied their pitchfork.

Clari-Ann broke through the crowd. The gob-horse had always been protective of Nettie, and then Kait. To see them both threatened was too much for the horse. She bowled into the man, knocking him to the ground. She screamed, stamping on the pitchfork.

“Demon, control your nightmare!” Someone shouted.

Nettie and Kait looked at each other, and sighed. Nettie whistled.

Clari-Ann’s head shot up, but she kept trampling the farm implement into the dirt.

“Now don’t be like that, Clari,” Nettie called out. “We taught you better than that.”

Clari-Ann snorted.

“No more turnips for a week.”

That stopped her. The horse spat on the implement, splattering the wielder. She turned, and pranced towards Nettie. She glared down at the tiny woman, and finally let herself be pet by her former rider.

Rashid raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s not something you see every day.”

“Nothing but the best entertainment for our best customers, Rashid!” The salesman called out.

The man nodded, and let out a long breath. “And you’re here. I should have bolted down the valuables.”

“I am nothing more than an extraordinarily handsome merchant with goods to sell to more than worthy farm owners.”

Rashid nodded. “Let’s get this over with while I still have my fingers attached to my hands. Let’s open up.”

The salesman bowed, and hurried to the back. Rashid looked in the back, nodding.

“Spices, some ice spells that we’ve been desperately needing…ah, there’s the medicinal herbs I always hold out for…”

Rashid frowned. “And who do we…aaugh!” Rashid drew his hand back as Jude’s claw slipped out of the darkness.

Jude dashed out of the wagon. No robes, no covering save for his tunic and jeans. He rushed for Kait, diving behind her.

Rashid looked back at Nettie, his face pale and sweating.

“Nettie…words tonight.”

She bowed. “At your leave.”

He wiped his brow, and hobbled back towards the house. “Well, everyone. Hurry up! The work doesn’t do itself.”

Work resumed, albeit slowly. Many stared at Kait and Jude, and perhaps at Nettie for the first time. They hurried towards the house, trying to be the first in and away from all the strangeness.

The gnome looked at his goods, and sighed. This excitement may have just cut into his profits. He ran a few numbers in his head as he coiled a lock of his hair.

Nettie coughed. “Um, well…nice to see you, Kait. And who is this…um, person?”

Kait hugged Jude. “This is Jude. A foundling I found.” She slapped her face, and sighed. “He and I are traveling together.”

“And he is…what, exactly?”

Jude stuck his tongue out. The fangs in his mouth almost sliced open the appendage. Kait smacked him on the back of his head. “Looking for a beating, apparently.”

Kait looked around. “Look, we don’t want to cause trouble, really. If it makes it easier, we could…”

“Abandon your mother to another boring dinner?” Nettie asked. “I don’t think so. Why don’t the two of you help me finish up the chores, and we’ll see about getting this poor boy something else to fill up his grumbling tummy.”

Kait frowned, but followed Nettie into the house. “I couldn’t hear his stomach, mom.”

“He’s a kid, Kait. They’re always hungry.”

“I wasn’t…”

“Are you kidding?” Nettie asked. “Every time you hopped off of Clari on our rides, there was your hand sneaking into the saddlebags.”

The mother walked into the front door, and immediately turned left. Passed through the rooms, and steadfastly ignoring the stares that she received with Kait and Jude in tow.

She led them into a stone room, with a single doorway. Nettie went up to a giant grindstone, and spat in her hands. A giant wheel, with spokes on the side with which to help turn a millstone. Nettie grunted, and started to push.

“So, what makes you and Jude whatever he is deal with that salesman?”

Kait waited, and then started to push too. “He pays, and only has to be told twice to keep his hands to himself.”

Nettie nodded. Too many males were like that, across the races. At least Kait seemed to be learning how to defend herself from the unwanted attention.

“Are you going with him all around?” Nettie asked. “Or are you stopping as he turns on his usual journey east?”

Kait coughed, and almost slipped. “How did you know we were abandoning him here?”

“He always turns east after hitting Rashid.” Nettie said. “Least that’s what they told me. I didn’t know personally, but it was all everyone talked about it seemed like clockwork.”

“And why wouldn’t Jude and I just keep going east?”

“Well, I thought you’d go north. To the Lakes.”

“Why would I…” Kait trailed off. She let go of the wheel, and turned away.

North. To the Lakes. The one meeting place for all the Riders to go if they ever got separated and everything was blown to the Pit. That was ingrained into Kait, was ingrained into all of the Riders. It was the contingency plan, pretty much the only one that hadn’t changed in over twenty years.

But for any Rider to have invoked that would mean that something had gone wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.

“Mom, what happened?”

“You mean, you don’t know?” Nettie paled. “I just, I thought you did. It was…” she trailed off, tears in her eyes.

“Why would I know? I haven’t seen a Rider for months, any Rider. I abandoned the Ride after that Callgar crap.”

Nettie sobbed. “Kait, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“What?” Kait ran up to her mother. “What, mom?”

“We tried to hunt a demon. It was just a job, a cultist ring. Harsk had scouted it out and everything, it was supposed to be so simple…”

“What happened?”

Nettie stared at her daughter. “But then it was him. He was the demon. Your father.”

Kait staggered back. The words came at her like a blow.

“He just tore us apart. Not a Rider was able to even stand against him and his cultists. They were so organized, so dedicated.”

“He’s here,” Kait gasped. “He’s on earth?”

“And he’s looking for you,” Nettie said. “And he hates Harsk. Oh, he hates Harsk. Hates him for having your childhood, for raising you. He wanted to end Harsk.”

“But he didn’t?”

Nettie turned away. “I don’t know. I tried to stop him. I tried to save Harsk, and save everyone.”

Nettie was shaking, trying to control herself. “But I couldn’t. He, he stopped me, and then…then he laughed at me. Pretended he didn’t even know who I was. Made me feel all small again.”

Nettie pushed herself at the wheel, and tried to bully her way through more grain. Her legs pumped against the stone floor. Tears running down her face.

Kait leaned against the far wall of the room. She tried to breathe, to find air. It was getting more and more difficult just to process everything, to have a single sense of what was going on.

Kait couldn’t imagine what Nettie was going through. Having to face him, after everything she had had to endure. Being raped, having the child, and then having to raise her amongst the Ride.

Nettie screamed, and slumped against the grindstone.

“He released us all. But not before he bound us, and had his cultists spread us across the land. I don’t know how many miles, or even how many days we went. When I finally was able to get my hood off, I was alone with five of the cultists and their horses, all dead.

“He did it to prove he could. That he could beat Harsk at any time. That we were nothing to him. The only thing he cared about, was you.”

Kait knelt down in front of her, trying not to get too close. Nettie lunged forward, and hugged her daughter close.

“Don’t do that,” She whispered. “Don’t think that by closing yourself off you help those who love you, who depend on you. Don’t be like Harsk.”

She pointed at Jude. “You too, boy. Come here.”

The boy wandered forward, awkward and embarrassed. He didn’t understand any of what was going on, only that it was really important, and really sad.

Nettie looked him over, running a hand over his cheeks. “There, there. You’re not so scary, are you?”

He shook his head. “Do you speak?” Another shake of his head. “Okay. Well, you just keep care of Kait, okay?”

A nod.

“Sweet.”

Rashid leaned against the doorway, looking in. He tried to smile, and failed. The farmer looked sad, just drawn out.

Kait pulled out of her mother’s embrace, and looked at him.

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough?” He extended a hand. “Rashid. I am the owner of this farmstead. Pleasure to meet you.”

Kait stayed next to her mother. That was a first, someone saying it was a pleasure. Rashid let his hand fall.

“So you two are part of Harsk’s Riders,” Rashid said. He hobbled over, and looked at Kait. His eyes sparkled, a weird expression for Kait. The farmer wasn’t happy, or proud of anything he did. But he seemed to hold pride for another, and awe in her.

“Kait Demonborn. You’re starting to get a name for yourself. You and that ornery horse of yours.”

“Don’t bash the horse,” Kait said. “She’ll bash right back.”

“Not at all, not at all.” Rashid leaned against the grindstone, and nodded. “Took me a while to gather the few stories of Riders I do have. Been compiling them ever since your mother showed up looking for a place to stay while she got back on her feet.”

“Doubt there are too many.” Kait said.

“You’d be surprised. Even if we haven’t had as many demon attacks as other areas, the name Harsk still is known. And now, so is yours.”

“Mine?”

“People talk. Talk about the Demonborn who was a bouncer in the North. Who fought chimera…who survived Whitebrush.”

Kait bit her lip, and turned away.

“Peace, Kait. I’m not trying to heap blame upon you.” Rashid shook his head. “Though others in my home…aren’t so kind.”

“Who?” Nettie asked. “Who? Is it Sally, or that bastard Rhone?”

Rashid pleaded at her with his eyes. “Nettie, please understand. I cannot run this farm alone. If enough of my workers fear that a demon is here to kill them in their sleep, they will leave me destitute.”

“Can’t risk being tainted with me through mere talking,” Kait sneered.

Rashid stared at her without empathy. “I am not unaware of how you feel, Nettie’s daughter. Many believe I should settle down into retirement, hand the estates over to them. And if I don’t do it fast enough, they can just take them.”

Kait looked at Nettie, confused. “What does that have to do with me?”

Nettie winced, and turned away. This was not the time or place, but she realized that she and Harsk had missed some parts of Kait’s education.

“Regardless,” Rashid said with a long sigh. “I’m sorry, Kait Nettiekin. But I have to ask you to leave.”

“Now hold on just a minute!” Nettie stood up, and shook a finger at Rashid. “You can’t do that, Rashid!”

“Nettie…”

“No, that is ridiculous! Not talking about what Kait has done. How many thousands of lives she’s saved. Not telling the legacy and worth of being a Rider for Harsk, and what that should count for. Not talking about simple decency…but what about what I’ve done here?”

“Nettie…” Kait muttered.

“What’s it going to be like,” Nettie shouted. “What’s you and your precious farm going to be like when I leave? No extra labor from a hired bow, that’s for sure. You’re going to have to hire three people just to cover what I do around here, that’s right. One to sling a bow, one to grind your grain, and one to remind you what A STUPID MORON YOU CAN BE!”

“Mom!”

Nettie bowed her head. “Sorry I called you a stupid moron. You’re not stupid, Rashid.”

Rashid laughed, and shook his head. “Ah, Nettie. Nettie. Fire and comfort, that is what you are.”

He wiped a tear from his eyes. “I am sorry to see you go.”

“No!” Kait said. “She doesn’t have to. You said so yourself, she’s fire, and, and comfort, and a good shot.”

“And the mother of a demon.” Rashid finished.

There was a long silence then. Everyone disagreed with what had been said. If it were up to those three, those who had a problem with Nettie, or Kait, or that gob-horse would be sent packing with their racist views tucked between their legs.

But that wasn’t how the world worked.

“I’ll be packed and out by sundown.” Nettie said. “With one of the horses?”

“Take Al-Hattal,” Rashid said.

Nettie started, and shook her head. “No.

“Nettie, take him.”

“Rashid, he’s your prized stallion. Your family…”

“Would want him in the hands of a Rider,” Rashid said. “Especially if it is the best way to remove as much dishonor as I have accrued today.”

Nettie smiled, and hugged him.

“Not a stupid moron.”

“If you could only stay for dinner…” Rashid said.

“We’d be welcome?” Kait snorted.

Jude looked up at everyone. He growled, and shook his head. He tried again.

“Shuuhid.”

Nettie looked at him, eyes wide. “He speaks!”

Jude smiled, and then turned away, embarrassed about his beak.

Kait patted the kid on the head, and led them back out the door. They were met, infuriatingly, by the salesman.

“Your servants were kind enough to do business with me without you,” The salesman said happily. “I hope they did that with your blessing.”

Rashid held his head up, groaning.

“Well, then it is doubly fortunate they ran across me,” The salesman said, smile growing wider. “For now I can unload the outrageous sums of money that I procured from them back unto you.”

Rashid raised an eyebrow as the gnome stuffed a bag of money into his hands. “And why would you do that?”

“Because next time I come to your abode, you’re going to smile, and cook my favorite chicken and dumplings, with that cider, and you will have replaced all these wonderful racists with people who can both work and have a compassionate bone in their body. Gnomes,” he exclaimed. “You can’t go wrong with having more gnomes.”

He hugged Nettie. “Ah, miss. Your daughter is wonderful, even more so with her feisty retorts to my innocent advances.”

Kait cleared her throat.

“I wish I could reinstate your position that I’m sure Rashid has already taken back from you, but alas. The wheels of fortune turn with indifference to morality. Now, if I cannot convince you to continue on with me…”

“You. Can’t.” Kait muttered.

The salesman laid his hands over his breast, and sighed. “Ah, sweet Kait. Parting is a sorrow that I never wished upon us. But still we must. Think of me on long nights, and shorter days. Until we meet again.”

He left with great aplomb and not another word.

Nettie noticed the silences then. As she wrangled Al-Hattal, saddled the great stallion, and packed her saddlebags atop them. She could grab her weapons, her supplies, her memories. And yet all was still.

The people were still there. She could feel their gaze, sneaking around one corner, or just at the top of a flight of stairs. They didn’t want to get too close, in case they might catch something from her.

She knew it. Had understood it from the start when she had stumbled onto Rashid’s estate, half-starved and begging for anything close to food. She was new, and thus barely tolerated. And now that her sin of having Kait was revealed, now that she was known to be a sinner, a harlot, a demon-lover, she was not welcome amongst the good people.

Nettie swung up on to Al-Hattal. Another sin, taking the finest horse. This was going to be a gift for someone, a consolation for not getting the farm. That’s what everyone thought at least. Giving the best horse to someone like her, Rashid was truly losing his mind.

Nettie heard the jingle of a wagon. The salesman hummed a merry tune as he turned east. He was already drifting off to sleep, with bright purple lights dancing above his cart as it pushed forward of its own accord.

She looked back at the main house for the last time. And spat.

“Let’s get out of here.”

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Thank you for reading. I hope that this sparked a piece of magic for you this week.

Until next time.

Blessings,

Jack Holder

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