by Tony Johnson
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad to see you’re doing a little better now,” she hugged him.
Ty saw the way Steve looked at her, the smile reaching up into his brother’s blue eyes. Deep down he knew that although Steve believed not showing weakness to Kari was why he made those stubborn choices, his brother would’ve done those same things even if she weren’t around.
He still wouldn’t have complained about his injuries and he still would’ve pushed himself way harder than he needed to. He puts the comfort and safety of others before his own. I don’t think he even realizes how often he goes out of his way for others. It’s such a habit with him; it’s second nature.
Kari hugged Ty next, happy that the group was no longer going to be arguing every time someone spoke.
“We’re going to make it through this, guys,” she encouraged, feeling positive that it was true. “We’re a team. As long as we stick together we’ll be okay.”
“What happened to my shirt?” Steve asked, wondering why his armor and tunic had been taken off.
Ty picked it up and tossed it to him. “We took the weight of the armor off you, and, once we saw how bloodied your shirt was underneath, I wanted to see if you had any life-threatening injuries.”
“Is it true? Did all those lashes come from Ironmaul?” Kari asked.
“Yes. Silas ordered I be taken to the dungeons and beaten into submission before the hanging.”
“We’ll add him to our list of monsters we want to kill. Ironmaul. The Shadow Prince. Nightstrike. The Hooded Phantom. They all deserve to die.”
Ty took Brightflame from Steve’s waist and said, “Well, we can’t kill them if we starve to death. I’m going to skin the deer. You two get a fire going.” The Elf gave an exaggerated wink to Steve that Kari was oblivious to.
It didn’t take long to prepare everything. Steve taught Kari how to start a fire by coiling her bowstring around a piece of dry wood. He then aggressively slid it back and forth to create friction, which led to sparks.
After sticking two large tree branches with forks in them into the ground on both sides of the campfire, Ty spitted the freshly-skinned deer and hung it over the open flame.
Night set in as they all relaxed around the sizzling flames. Steve and Kari sat next to each other on the same log. Ty sat closer to the fire, slowly turning the torso of the deer as it roasted. While they waited, they ate some berries Kari had collected from around the campsite. She had the great idea to take a bunch of them and drizzle their juices over the meat. When the deer finished cooking, the venison had an amazing sweetness to it.
“What’d you think, Steve?” the Halfling asked.
Finishing chewing some of the pieces Kari had cut up for him, making it easier for him to chew, he swallowed and replied, “This may be the freshest venison steak I’ve ever had. It’s great.”
Their jaws were tired from the chewing. It wasn’t because the meat was tough, in fact, it was tender and juicy. They were tired because they ate so much of it. Whenever the venison taste grew stale, they would put a piece of meat in their mouths along with a handful of berries they hadn’t tried yet. It gave them new and different flavors. It was liberating eating as savagely as they were.
Each one of them ate until they couldn’t consume anymore. Even then, there was a lot left over. It was a great feast, except for the fact they didn’t have anything to drink. Oh well, being thirsty will be something to give me cause to get up in the morning, Steve thought. He knew he was going to be even sorer when he awoke.
During Warrior Boot Camp, he could tell when he would wake up stiff and sore the next day after a hard day of exercise. He didn’t mind the feeling though. It reminded him he had gotten a good workout. This time, however, the amount of pain he knew he would feel in the morning would not be remedied by the fact that he had worked hard in the previous days. He would feel sore because he had received a beating worse than any he ever had before.
Thinking back to Warrior Training, Steve thought about how one of the closest death experiences he had ever had was in the very forest they were sitting in.
“You know the first monster I ever fought was somewhere around these parts,” he told Kari.
“This is a good story,” Ty nudged her, making her even more eager to hear it.
“I was seventeen at the time. I had just about passed all my Warriors’ Training exams. One of my final tests was Wilderness Survival. Just like everyone else, I was woken up in the middle of a random night. I was told to put on my armor and get my weapon. To pass the test, I had to survive for three days in the wilderness without any provisions. If I sought out help from anyone, I would fail. I was given a sleeping potion and when I awoke I found myself in the middle of the Evergreen Forest.
“I walked around until I found a fresh water pond and a good place to make camp. Then, using the skills I had learned from classes, I made a shelter and started a fire.
“Now, I have to tell you what happened right before this,” he said, looking at Kari. “For almost a month before my test, there had been reports of an unordinary large monster attacking caravans and killing travelers. Three warrior trainees were mauled to death in the forest during their exams, one of whom was a close friend of Ty’s and mine. A large clan of fifteen veteran warriors went out to fight the beast, but only two came back alive. With them was the body of a rare female monster called Sabertooth. Having believed they killed the beast behind all the killings, the Wilderness Survival Exams were allowed to continue.
“Everything had been going well until my third and final day. I was searching for food when out of nowhere a huge, white beast tackled me. We rolled over and over each other down a steep hill until we stopped at the bottom. Dizzy, all I could think was that it was one of the four roaring cats.
“Roaring cats?” asked Kari. “What are those?”
“That’s the name us warriors give to the four cats who can roar: lions, leopards, tigers, and jaguars.”
Kari nodded, understanding.
“As I stared up at the monster on top of me, I knew it wasn’t one of the four roaring cats, it was a direcat. It had two longtooths jutting down out of his closed mouth. They would be no less sharp than if they were two swords. They were as long as daggers.
“Immediately, I realized either the warrior clan had killed the wrong monster or there had been two Sabertooths behind the attacks. This one was an albino male with piercing red eyes.
“I trembled at the sheer size of him as he stood over me. His body was the size of a young gryphon, but without the wings. Sabertooth swung his massive paw at me with his talons extended. I drew my sword as I rolled out of the way and stabbed him through his grounded paw. He roared so loud it shook the earth beneath me. Then Sabertooth snapped his jaws as I swung my sword upwards. I must’ve hit a weak point, either that or his longtooth had previously been chipped because it broke right off and fell to the ground next to me. Sabertooth stepped back with a look of shock and surprise on its face.
“Thankfully, he bounded away, deeper into the forest, retreating from the fight. It’s been over two years since that day.”
Steve took out Brightflame and held it out so Kari could see. “Brightflame is a sword I crafted myself days after my encounter with Sabertooth.” He peeled back the red leather grip on the slightly curved handle. “The hilt is made out of-”
“The longtooth!” exclaimed Kari. “That is a great story! You weren’t even officially a warrior yet and you defeated a rare monster.” Looking into the dark forest around them with unease, she asked, “Do you think Sabertooth is still out here?”
“I don’t know,” Steve answered. “After explaining the incident, a bunch of veterans searched for the monster, but never found him, so they moved the Wilderness Survival Exam to a different section of the Evergreen.”
Steve sat back and sighed deeply, more tired and exhausted than he ever had been before in his life. After telling the story, h
e felt renewed and enlightened. If I can survive against Sabertooth, I can make it to Serendale.
Above the companions, the stars shone brightly. Ty said to his brother, “Kari and I will alternate watch tonight. Don’t worry about us,” he added before Steve could object. “We want you to get enough rest so you’ll be ready to travel tomorrow.”
Kari agreed, “You need more rest than Ty and I combined. I’ll take first watch.”
“Remember to whistle if you sense any trouble,” Steve smiled.
“Not because I’ve killed a deer?” Kari asked, looking back with a smirk as she walked up the hill.
Steve laughed and nodded, glad they could make light of that moment now.
The two warriors lay next to the fire as their eyelids grew heavy and sleep set in.
“I’m finally going to get a full night of sleep for the first time in three days,” Steve admitted.
“Yeah, I figured you probably didn’t get much the night before your jousting match.”
“I didn’t sleep a wink that night. I was so nervous. A couple times as we’ve traveled, I’ve been so tired, I haven’t been able to tell if this is all a dream or not. The only thing that tells me it isn’t is the pain I feel.”
“I wish everything that happened was a dream,” Ty muttered. “It’s like a horrible nightmare you want to wake up from and can’t.”
After laying there for a minute, thinking more about Celestial and the attack, Ty asked, “Where would we be right now if the siege never happened?”
“I don’t know. It’s night. We’d probably be at the Three Cups pub. I’d be sitting there, watching the band play in the corner and listening to you singing loudly and out of tune. Of course, the girls would be fawning over you.”
Ty smiled, thinking back to average, typical, fun nights in Celestial. “I’m going to miss that,” he said softly, his smile no longer present.
“Me too,” agreed Steve before he drifted off to sleep. Me too.
Chapter 43
Despite being more sore and exhausted than he could ever recall, Ty hardly slept. Every time he dozed off, visions of monsters haunted his dreams.
His first nightmare consisted of him envisioning that instead of Steve, it was him who had the noose around his neck, about to be hanged in the courtyard in front of thousands of people and monsters. Beneath him, the floorboard dropped, and Ty felt the rope tugging on his neck. He looked to the front row of people, hoping they would come and storm the gallows as they had when Steve was up there, but they didn’t. Ty was trying to shout, “Can you save me?” but when he opened his mouth, there was no tongue inside to utter the words. His vision blurred and faded to black.
Ty woke up. After taking a second to think of whether he was in Celestial, Whitebark Woods, Evergreen Forest, or Serendale, he realized it was the third choice and lay back down to sleep again. The next dream was even more unnerving. He dreamt he was in a battle, fighting with an elemental ability, when he was impaled from behind by a large monster with two swords.
Ty awoke again. Sitting up, he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. Above him, he noticed the red moon had moved a quarter of the way across the sky. The dream seemed so short, but a lot of time has passed. It’s a little earlier than halfway through the night, but I will relieve Kari. I don’t want to reencounter those dreams. I’d rather fight tiredness tomorrow than nightmares tonight.
“It’s a little early to relieve me. Anything wrong?” Kari asked after Ty came up the hill.
“No, just some nightmares keeping me up.”
“You know dreams are our thoughts, fears, and worries, mixed in with recent events from reality. Some people even believe they foreshadow the future.”
“I’m pretty sure these ones are everything I’ve experienced, all jumbled together.”
Realizing he was referring to the siege, Kari cringed. I didn’t think about how seeing all those terrible things would affect my dreams. I didn’t have any last night, sleeping under that uprooted tree in Whitebark. Maybe my mind was too tired and too much in shock processing everything that happened to make up any dreams. I hope whatever ones come tonight are not bad like Ty’s were. I can see how troubled he looks.
Seeing his face, she said, “Back in the farmlands you and Steve listened to me vent and gave me advice when I was sad about seeing people killed for the first time. I know you must be going through a lot as well, losing your brother and father, so if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.”
After a silent moment, Kari glanced towards their campsite in the valley and asked, “How’s he holding up?”
“He was still sleeping when I came up here.”
“That’s good. He needs all the rest he can get.”
“Sure does,” said Ty, also looking down into the valley.
Kari could see the look of worry on his face. Both of them knew Steve was hurt badly, but it was hard to tell how much pain he was suffering from since he wasn’t complaining.
“You’re worried for him, aren’t you?”
Ty didn’t answer verbally. He only nodded his head.
“It’s easy to see you two are close; that you’re brothers to each other.”
“We are. It’s always been that way. He’s my best friend. When we were younger, we were constantly arguing and competing, but that’s what built our friendship. We were always trying to prove who was better, who could sprint faster, who could catch the larger fish, who could answer Thatcher’s trivia questions about battle strategy, and who could kiss more girls.” Ty winked at Kari. “That was the category I always won.”
With a slight grin, Kari rolled her eyes in an obvious way to mock Ty’s sense of bravado. “I’m guessing this friendly competition has never stopped considering you guys have an ongoing game of keeping track of how many times you save each other’s lives?”
“I don’t think it will ever stop,” Ty smiled, “That’s what makes it fun. Our friendly rivalry challenges us and makes each of us better. It’s how we developed a deep respect and care for each other. We both want what’s best for each other. In fact, I’ve been thinking you might be good for Steve,” Ty expressed, scanning Kari’s eyes for her response.
“What do you mean?” Kari blushed, knowing what Ty was hinting at.
“I think he likes you, Kari, in more than just a physical attraction. I can see it in the way he looks at you and talks to you. It seems like he cares about you and is attracted to who you are as a person. I think it’s called a personality,” Ty joked, pretending the word was foreign to him because he never cared about the personalities of the women he dated.
“You two seem like the perfect fit to me,” Ty continued, trying to sell the idea to the Halfling. “I don’t think there’s a better man than Steve. He puts everyone before himself. I remember one time I wanted a new saddle for Wildwing, but it was incredibly expensive. Steve’ birthday was a couple months before mine. He asked for gold for a present so we all pitched in and gave him a little bit. When my birthday came around, Steve gave me a present. I opened it up and it was the saddle I had wanted. He had purposely asked for birthday money as a present so he could have enough to buy the saddle for me.
“He’s the best person I know, and I want to see him happy. I know he’d be happy with you because I can tell you’re a good, caring person like he is.”
“Thanks, Ty.” Kari hugged him. “Someday you’ll find a girl you’ll want to be with for more than a week,” she teased, but the way she said it was with an aura of conviction that made Ty feel that she had looked into the future and saw him standing at the altar with his future wife. Somehow, the Elf felt an odd sensation run through him, a full reassurance that Kari was right, that someday, he would find happiness and peace with someone he truly loved.
“I hope you’re right. Goodnight, Kari.”
“Goodnight,” she said kindly as she walked down the hill.
&nb
sp; At the bottom, Kari looked at Steve as he slept. Her eyes poured over his many scars and bruises. I wish there was something I could do to make him feel better. She bent down and repositioned his cape which now served as a blanket. Content he would be warm enough for the night, she lay a couple feet from him on the uncomfortable ground.
“I hope you know I like you too, Stephen Brightflame,” she whispered out loud, as quietly as she could even though she knew the sleeping warrior couldn’t hear her. Then she turned and stared into the remaining embers of the dying fire until her eyelids closed and she fell asleep.
Chapter 44
As the sun peeked its head over the horizon, Ty smiled as he descended into the valley and saw Steve and Kari cuddled next to each other. They must have rolled towards each other in their subconscious, nightmarish sleep. Either that or they found warmth by getting closer to each other once the fire burned out.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” he shouted at the top of his lungs leaning down right in between where his two friends were sleeping.
Both awoke in a startled terror by the Elven rooster and instantaneously grabbed their weapons.
Seeing it was only Ty being his usual, obnoxious self, they quickly lowered their guard. Once Steve and Kari noticed how close they were, they both blushed.
“This has always been Ty’s way of waking up whoever he’s with when on a journey,” Steve yawned. “For some reason, he thinks it’s funny. I have yet to meet someone that agrees with him.”
“And longer you will have to search,” Kari opined, stretching as she sat up and picked leaves out of her long, dark hair.
Steve sat up too, but groaned when he did. I hurt worse than I expected, and listening to Ty’s rooster impersonation right next to my damaged ear didn’t help.
The more he moved, the more Steve felt pain all through his body. I’ve never been so sore, he winced out loud as Ty and Kari helped him stand. Neither of the two needed to ask how he felt.