Looking for a Thrill

The wagon jolted sharply as it hit a large rock in the trail. Road would have been too high a term for the hidden backwoods path. The driver swore at the shock. He'd been stressed since taking his seat. It was always risky dipping into the Kingdom of Almane. But that didn't worry him. His crew could handle the rubes this far north. Or so he thought. What had him on edge was the passenger in his wagon.

Lorna Skycleave grunted as she was jostled. The rag stuffed into her mouth absorbed most of the noise. It had been part of what little clothes she'd been wearing, though which part, she did not care to think about.

She flexed in her bonds, not feeling any give. This may end up being a little trickier than she'd anticipated. It wasn't that she'd underestimated the slaver scum. They were exactly what she thought. However, she may have underestimated their ability to improvise restraints. And perhaps she'd overestimated her own abilities without her magic gear. With her strength-enhancing belt, this wouldn't have even given her a pause. Still, she wasn't worried. She'd dealt with worse than this. Although she'd never been quite this... stuck before.

She didn't put her all into trying to escape just yet. She didn't want to attract extra attention from her 'captors'. They were keeping their distance after one fool had tried to grope her and she'd crushed his hand between her thigh and the bars of her small cage. After that, no one had come closer than the driver's seat.

She subtly gave a single rock in place. To say that she was chained was not quite true. Technically, she supposed, there were two lengths of chain holding her knees to the opposite sides of her cage. But the shackles on her wrists and ankles only had one link to hold them in place, as did the metal collar around her neck. A chain would need more than one.

Her position was... embarrassing. That was probably the intention. Her arms weren't so bad. Her wrists were fixed to a top bar of the cage, her hands hovering over the crown of her head. Her legs bothered her a little. Her knees and ankles were attached to opposite sides of the cage, leaving her knees spread to the edges of the cage. The single link connecting her collar to the bars almost seemed like an afterthought. And since they'd 'accidentally' torn off her scant clothing while they were locking her in here, she was indecent to say the least.

And to say they had locked her in wasn't accurate either. Everything, cage included, had been secured by hammering pins and rivets into place. No keys for Lorna Skycleave. It was going to take a few tools and a fair amount of work for anyone to extricate her from this mess.

Still, she was excited. She was going to have to use something besides raw power to get out of this. This was an adventure! This was a challenge! Her position might be a little compromising, but one thing was for sure. Lorna Skycleave was not bored.

Several months prior...

Lorna glanced up at the keep at the end of the path. It was more of a tower with a stone barn attached to it than a fortress. Not defensible. She doubted, however, that defense was one of Jon's concerns when he built it. A wizard's mind was a mystery to her. But that, of course, was why she was here, right?

She cut an imposing figure striding down the path. Taller than most men and covered in lean muscle, with her wild brown hair streaming out behind her, the faintly glowing greatsword on her back seemed unnecessary to intimidate opponents. A fur-covered half cloak hung from her shoulders like a lion's mane. Her leather clothing looked sturdy, and to any trained eye, powerfully magical. Anyone within one hundred miles would recognize the great hero, Lorna Skycleave, and her legendary gear.

She swiftly reached the structure at the end of the trail and paused. Jon was a long-time companion, ally, and, yes, though they had not always agreed, friend. Still, it galled her to ask his advice for something she had to admit she might call trivial. If it were someone else's problem. She raised an arm to knock, still debating if she wanted to open that tin of worms. The decision, however, was taken out of her hands.

"Papa! There's a tall, furry lady at the door!"

She snapped her head to the side to see a small, slightly twisted face leaning out a window. She'd been spotted. She was about to address the face when her brain caught for a moment. Papa?!

"Is there now?" came a distant yet familiar voice from deeper in the building. "And what does she want?"

"What do you want, Lady?" The voice, now that Lorna was paying attention, was high and light, like a young girl or perhaps a very young boy.

"I seek the wizard, Jon." replied Lorna. "Is he here?"

"She's looking for you, Papa." The face announced.

"I thought as much." came Jon's voice from inside. "I'm on my way."

"He says he's coming." relayed the face

"I heard." confirmed Lorna. "So... are you the Watchman then?"

The twisted face twisted a little further into what might have been a grin, but was interrupted before it could answer.

"Claire." Jon sighed from just behind the window. "What did I tell you about leaning so far out like a little monkey." The Face, Claire, apparently, was plucked from the window with a delighted squeal. "It's a long way to the ground." Claire was replaced by the familiar head and shoulders of Jon, the Wizard. "Well... Tall, furry, lady indeed. Lorna Skycleave. To what do we owe the honor?"

"Good to see you, Wizard." greeted Lorna. "I was hoping to..." She let out a sigh, "Ask for your advice."

"Oh." Jon's eyebrows lifted. "Of course. Come in and tell me what you need." He waved his fingers, and the door in front of her unlatched and creaked an inch or so open.

Lorna pushed past the portal and turned to close it even as it closed itself. She ascended three steps into a cozy entry area to find Jon waiting for her with Claire. She (if the flowery dress was any indication) was a small, skinny creature whose body was as twisted as her face. Her spine was curved. One arm appeared withered, and her left foot seemed involuntarily turned inward. Her eyes were mismatched, her nose crooked. And she wore a large, if slightly lopsided smile.

"Claire," Jon began, "This is my friend, Lorna Skycleave. Lorna, this is my daughter Claire."

"Hi!" squeaked the girl brightly.

"Good to meet you, Claire." returned Lorna.

"Now that introductions are out of the way," Jon put in, "let's retreat to my workshop to converse."

"Yay!" Claire turned toward a hall with an awkward shuffling gait. "Papa, can I draw on the chalkboard?"

"Of course." replied Jon. "Stay on your side, as usual." He waved a hand, and a small wheeled chair rolled into his grip. "If you sit, I'll roll you."

Claire halted her slow progress and made her way back to the wizard, maneuvering herself into the seat.

"It's odd to see you so domestic." said Lorna. "I was unaware you had a kid."

Jon steered the mobile chair down the hall Claire had been aiming for. "Claire is a recent addition."

"I'm adopted!" Claire proudly announced.

"You are." agreed Jon.

"You seem to be handling 'retirement' well." put in Lorna, following along.

"There was never a danger that I wouldn't." replied Jon. "I had dozens of projects in mind. Claire is just a bonus. And what are you doing, now that the day has been saved?"

"That," admitted Lorna with a sigh, "is why I'm here."

"I see." The hall opened to a spacious, if cluttered, workshop filled with assorted magical accoutrements Lorna could not fathom. Claire scrambled out of her seat and made her awkward way to a chalkboard covered in magical script and esoteric diagrams, though a separate section sported crudely drawn stick figures, flowers, and rainbows. Jon gestured to a comfortable-looking sitting area. "Refreshment? I don't keep ale on hand, but I believe I remember how to conjure your favorite brew."

"That would be most welcome." Lorna seated herself on a large couch.

With a gesture from the Wizard, a large mug floated into his hand. Another gesture, and it started to foam with an effervescent amber liquid. "Now," said Jon, offering the cup to Lorna, "what seems to be the issue?"

Lorna accepted the mug, pausing to take a long draft. "Ah, that is... quite good." She paused again. "This is... embarrassing, but... now that the day is saved, as you say... I don't know what to do."

Jon took a moment to answer. "I don't find that difficult to believe. For the last several years, we've been kept quite busy. Since Maltroth fell, there's been naught but peace."

"And I'm happy with that!" interjected Lorna. "I don't want dragons burning the countryside or demons skulking around. But without them, what am I to do? I spoke to the others, and they were of little help. Nefri offered me some shady work. Something about needing muscle for a job, she said. Ephren and Bella were sympathetic, and Valren was like talking to a wall. 'Duty is its own reward,' or some junk like that."

"Well, you know how Val and I get on." chuckled Jon. "That was a passable imitation though. Still, he's got a reasonable point. For Legendary Hero Lorna Skycleave, I imagine there's no shortage of people to help."

"I help where I can." grumbled Lorna. "There was a rabid bear I took care of just last week. And before that, a group of thieves preying on the North Road. But that's part of the problem. Both those 'fights' were over with one swing of Skycleaver. There were thirty bandits there, but once the first went down, the rest surrendered. None of them even ran!"

"I bet." said Jon with a smirk. "And how many pieces did the first 'go down' in?"

"It... was... possibly several." replied Lorna, fighting a grin.

"So, if I'm reading this correctly," said Jon, steepling his fingers, "you are happy to help, but it would be nice if there was a little... challenge?"

"Yes!" replied Lorna forcefully, sloshing her mug. "Yes. That's it exactly! A challenge! I've fought dragons! Giants! A demigod once threw me through a building! Regular people and wildlife are... boring."

"I can understand that perspective," said Jon. His eyes drifted over to his blackboard, where Claire was doodling a blocky animal of some sort. "Hm, you said one swing of Skycleaver ended both battles? You had your full gear on, I assume?"

"Well, yes." replied Lorna, draining her mug. "Of course."

"And does Lorna Skycleave really need Skycleaver, the strength of a titan, her boots of speed to take on bandits and bears?" asked Jon.

"No, I suppose not." Lorna replied slowly.

"Then I recommend wading into the fray without them." said Jon, turning his gaze back to Lorna. "Fit yourself with mundane equipment. You'll be less effective. Less terrifying. Should be a little more of a fight anyway."

"But... That's... I..." Lorna glanced into her empty mug before setting it down. Her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment. "Do you think it will work?"

"I don't know." replied Jon. "But it might be exciting to find out."

A grin crept across Lorna's face. "Aye." she agreed. "That it might."

***

Lorna's heart pounded in her chest as she made her way through the trees. She was approaching the camp of a group of thugs that had been raiding a remote village, and she felt weak. Vulnerable. Nearly naked. She was not, of course. She had gone back and forth on what exactly to bring. Armor? A regular greatsword? In the end, she went with non-magical clothing similar to her normal attire, a sturdy pair of boots, and a stout club. Her usual equipment was hours away, safely stored in her keep. She would need to handle this without it. And it was exhilarating.

Lorna forced herself to stride confidently toward the fire and the group of men around it. She took no care to disguise her approach. Stealth was Nefri's domain. The group heard her coming and were alert; thus, when she stepped into the firelight, all eyes were upon her.

"Well, what do we got here?" one started in. "A little lost deer has wandered into our camp!"

"Oh, aye!" put in another. "And lookit the rack on her! I think we're gonna eat good tonight, boys!"

Lorna blinked. They... didn't recognize her? They didn't recognize her! That meant they would fight! Could she defeat this small group with just a heavy stick? One way to find out. "Aye." Lorna replied. "You might. I hear the cook at the local jail is a good one. I'm here to bring you lads in."

Her response was raucous laughter. And the drawing of weapons. "Oh, yeah?" The first said with a mocking tone. "One little girl is gonna bring us all in?"

"She's not that little, Mirk." another put in, though he didn't sound concerned.

Lorna let out a laugh along with her opponents. "Take you all in? No, of course not. I'll let the dead lie where they fall. The survivors, though, are coming with me."

"This little deer might be more trouble than she's worth." The first, most likely the leader, said with less mirth in his voice. "Take 'er boys." The group around him, perhaps fifteen strong, surged toward their opponent.

Lorna's heart was hammering. This! This is what she'd been missing. Were these men a danger to her? They intended to be. Would she be injured? Killed? She didn't know! This situation was not yet in her control. She gave the club one confident flip in her hand before she met the first of her onrushing attackers.

*

"Hm." Lorna grumbled, examining her ruined right boot. "I thought this was a good pair too..."She'd pivoted in place and torn the sole nearly off. Nor was it the only casualty. She'd split her club on a shield one opponent had grabbed, and her clothing had many cuts and rents throughout. Her right sleeve was mostly gone. They hadn't broken her skin, though.

The men had put up a fight at least. In that they didn't run straight off. Eventually, the smarter ones saw they were overmatched, but Lorna brained the first one to flee with a well-aimed rock. That ended the conflict and any thoughts of escape.

The battle itself did not quite live up to the anticipation. It started okay, with the whole camp trying (and utterly failing) to swarm her. She killed the first two thugs with one swing of her weapon. Another two had leapt on her back and hung there ineffectually until she dislodged them.

"I guess that could have gone worse." Lorna idly chatted with the survivors as she led them to the local jail. "Perhaps the club was too much. Maybe I'll try without it next time."

"Coulda tried without it this time..." One of her prisoners grumbled.

"Wouldn't have made a difference." replied Lorna. "You lot can't hold on to your weapons. I'd have had one soon enough. You did do a number on my tunic before you gave up, though. I forgot how fragile non-magic stuff is. Have to see what I can do about that..."

***

"It's Lorna Skycleave!"

Lorna's presence was announced as she strode up the path to Jon's tower. She looked up to see the grinning face of Claire in her window. "It is indeed!" Lorna responded. "I'm here to see your father. Is he home?"

"He's not my father." countered Claire. "He's my Papa." Her face disappeared from the window and, as she approached, Lorna could hear shuffling movement from the far side of the door. Soon enough, the portal unlatched and swung inward. The tiny girl stood at the bottom of the entry steps, pulling the door ajar. "He's in his workshop, doing magic math."

"I see." Lorna waited until the door was fully open before stepping inside and closing it behind her. "Do you think he'd mind a visit?"

"I'll take you!" squeaked Claire. "He says he's always happy to see me." The girl turned a slow half circle and began slowly ascending the steps again.

Lorna watched her get the first one. It was only a little difficult to watch. Reaching down, she scooped up the girl with one arm. She was as light as a bundle of sticks and felt as fragile as she appeared.

"Eep!" squeaked Claire.

Lorna took all three steps in a stride. "You'll have to direct me. I've only been here once." She deliberately pointed down the wrong hall. "This way?"

"No." Claire laughed a little breathlessly and pointed down the correct hall. "This way."

"Good thing you were here to guide me." said Lorna, starting that way. "And to open the door." Lorna took a few steps. "How old are you, Claire?"

"Oh, I don't know." Claire responded. "Papa's friend, Ephren says I'm older than we think because where I lived before didn't feed me enough and because I'm so crooked."

"Ephren is my friend too." replied Lorna. "He is a very good healer. Where did you live before?"

"On a farm." answered Claire. "The farmer wasn't nice like Papa. He wasn't my father either. Papa saw him knock me down and bought me for five gold pieces. Papa says he didn't *buy me. He says you don't buy people, but sometimes you have to pay them to shut up and go away."

"Your Papa is wise." agreed Lorna. "I might have knocked the Farmer down instead."

As they arrived at Jon's workshop, they indeed found the Wizard hovering a few feet off the ground, writing on an upper corner of his section of the blackboard. He was, to Lorna's eye, scribbling nonsensical script over a diagram of what appeared to be a winged boat."

"Papa! Lorna Skycleave is here!" Claire announced.

"Hm?" Jon turned his head. "Ah, and so she is. What a good hostess you are." He descended easily to the ground. "Greetings, Lorna."

Wizard." replied Lorna. She paused to gently lower her hostess to the floor. "You can call me Lorna, too, if you wish." Her focus returned to her former companion. "I took your advice. About my equipment."

"So I see." Jon gestured to the mundane apparel she was wearing before gesturing to his sitting area. "And how did it go?"

Lorna followed his lead, taking her place on a couch. "Magnificent! At... first. The bandits stood and fought. No one tried to run until half their number were laid out on the ground. It felt great, but still too easy. I broke two more camps, and by the third, I was unarmed and barefoot in my underclothes without difficulty."

Claire, who had joined them this time, giggled from her spot next to Jon. "Underwear..."

"Indeed." added Jon with a half grin. "The distraction made the battle even easier, I'd wager. I'd wondered. The Lorna I knew wouldn't be bothered by common lowlifes. Armed or not."

"It worked at first." sighed Lorna. "It was exciting, if only for a moment. I felt the old spark, but they were still, as you say, 'common lowlifes'."

"Fortunate for you then, that I have given your problem some thought since you left." replied Jon. "Having seen your handiwork firsthand, I thought you might not be overly troubled. Even in your underclothes, it seems."

"And what have you come up with?" Lorna leaned forward with anticipation.

"Not a simple solution," said Jon. "But if the world isn't challenging you, it's going to be up to you to challenge yourself."

"Oh." Lorna deflated. "And how do I do that?"

"So glad you asked," said Jon with a grin. "I would say that martially, only Valren or perhaps Bel would stand a chance in the Hells against you. So I recommend a change of tactics. Don't just charge in. Try diplomacy. Be sneaky. Set traps and lure your opponents in. You are unstoppable in combat and can always fall back to that, but you might be very stoppable in other arenas."

"Are you serious?" questioned Lorna.

"I am." replied Jon

"It will never work." stated Lorna. "Can you imagine me lurking in the shadows like Nefri? Blowing flowery sunshine up people's arses like Val? It'd be ridiculous!"

"Mm, perhaps you're right." agreed Jon (far too quickly). "You'd be switching up how you handle things, fundamentally. You'd have to change how you think and react. It would be quite a..." One corner of the Wizard's mouth curled slightly, "Challenge."