Jared started handing out mugs of tea and everyone gathered around the fire to hear the story.
"The man is a jewel merchant," Kenra continued. "He is just back from a trip to Tarent, and he had much to tell. We spent a good deal of the night talking."
"Has war broken out?" asked Horst.
"No," Kenra shook his head, "but it certainly looks like it will. Borunda is packed with soldiers. The trader indicated that Borunda's need for weapons was the reason for his trip. Tarent is selling a lot of jewels to pay for the shipments coming in from Caroom and Vineland. He saw so many soldiers that he said it looked like every able-bodied man had been pressed into service. King Garrick will be forced to conquer someone just to pay for it all."
"Any idea when the war might start?" asked Horst.
"No idea," Kenra replied, "but the jewel merchant was a fount of information. He knows Audric."
"The old man is still alive?" grinned Gunnar.
"He is," nodded Kenra, "or at least he was during the summer. The merchant said that Audric doesn't really live anywhere. He roams around from village to village, but during the winter he usually finds a cave to stay in. He said that Audric has spent the last three winters in the same cave, and he suspects he might be there this year, too."
"Did he tell you how to find the cave?" asked Gunnar.
"He did," replied Kenra. "It is about two days north of here along the coast. If we can find the pronounced horseshoe bay, we will be able to see the cave entrance from the shore. He also said that the villagers local to that area know Audric, and would be able to help us find him."
"At last," smiled the Arin prince. "We will get underway as soon as possible."
"That won't be today," remarked the Salacian prince. "The roads are impassable. The wagon would never make it. It is hard enough to go short distances by horse. We don't want our horses to end up lame like the merchant's did."
"Kenra is right," interjected Horst. "A day or two now won't matter much. I know you are anxious, Gunnar, but let's all travel together on this."
Gunnar hesitated and glanced at Jared. He was going to suggest that he and Jared travel alone, and Horst knew it. Eventually he realized that the Odessian was right.
"We will stay here until the weather clears," declared the Arin prince.
* * *
The group halted when they reached the middle of the bend in the shore that made the horseshoe cove. Everyone scanned the surrounding area in search of the cave entrance, but no one could see it. Everything was coated with white snow and the glare of the sun caused everyone to squint, everyone except Jared. The young mage dismounted and started picking his way through the shrubbery.
"Do you see it, Jared?" asked Monte.
"He is this way," Jared answered without elaboration.
Everyone dismounted and followed Jared through the bushes. Gunnar was quick to follow, and he was walking directly behind Jared when the young man suddenly stopped. The Arin prince was confused but then started with a bit of shock. Standing before Jared was a very old man, and Gunnar had not even seen him. Had it not been for the man's red eyes, Gunnar might have walked right past the man. The old man's skin and hair were as pure white as the snowy bush behind him.
"You are Audric?" asked Jared.
"I am called Audric," the old man nodded. "Why have you come?"
"I seek to learn to control what is within me," Jared replied.
"Then you have already learned wisdom," Audric responded to Jared, but his eyes were on Gunnar.
"Have you no desire to learn what is inside you?" Audric asked the Arin prince.
"I desire that very much," Gunnar replied. "I feel that it is some type of bond between Jared and me."
"So you are called Jared," the old man smiled at Jared. "And who are you?" he asked as he turned back to Gunnar.
"I am Gunnar," replied the Arin prince.
Audric frowned and shook his head. "Come into my cave, Jared," the old man offered with a wave of his arm. "Your friend can remain outside until he learns to speak the truth."
"Wait," Gunnar objected. "I am called Gunnar by these friends of mine, but I do have a different name. I fear to use it for there are people who wish me ill."
"I am not one of those people you speak of," declared Audric. "We will talk when I can believe what your lips say."
"I am Antion," the Arin prince called out as Audric entered his cave.
The old man stepped back out of the cave and stared at the Arin prince. He nodded to Prince Antion and waved him forward.
"Both of you shall enter," stated Audric "Your friends are welcome to share the warmth of my cave, but not until the three of us have talked first."
Prince Antion nodded in acceptance and followed Jared into the cave. There were no torches inside the cave, but there was light. An angular hole in the roof of the cave shed a halo of light on the floor. Audric walked to the far side of the circle of light and sat cross-legged on the floor. Jared sat opposite the old man, and Prince Antion sat beside Jared.
"I know you have come for instruction in the Talent, Jared," the old man began, "and I will teach you all that I am able to. It will require a lot of dedication and effort on your part. If you are not prepared to finish this journey, do not waste our time by starting it."
"I must learn to control what is within me," replied Jared. "I will learn all that you can teach me."
"No matter how long it takes?" asked the albino.
"For the rest of my life if necessary," nodded Jared. "I cannot live without having control over it."
"Then teach you I shall," smiled Audric.
"Can you tell me what is inside me?" asked Prince Antion.
"The Talent," Audric answered.
"I know," frowned the prince, "but it is not something that I can use. Why do I have it?"
"You have it so that it may be used," Audric replied, "if not by you, then by others."
"By others?" echoed the prince. "I do not understand."
"Neither do I," admitted the old man. "I have heard tales of the Talent existing in one such as yourself, but the tales speak of those who lived in ancient times, and I have never put much faith in such stories."
"Then you can do nothing for me?" questioned the prince.
"Those are not the words that I uttered," replied Audric. "You must learn to listen."
"You said that you did not understand how it could be used," frowned Prince Antion. "What did I mishear?"
"Already knowing how something can be utilized," smiled Audric, "is not the same as discovering how it can be used. If you will commit to remain with me, together we will discover how the Talent inside you can be used."
"I will stay for as long as I can," promised Prince Antion, "but I cannot remain forever as Jared has promised. I have obligations that may tear me away from this place."
"What can be more important than discovering yourself?" asked Audric.
Prince Antion sighed heavily and thought about his answer.
"If one cannot tell the truth," warned Audric, "one is better to remain silent."
"I will tell you the truth," promised the prince, "but I do not know how much to say. There are many people depending on me to help them. As much as I want to discover why I have the Talent within me, my obligation to my people is more important than my own life."
"Your people?" questioned the sage.
"I am Prince Antion of Arin," the prince replied. "Should war come to my homeland, or should my father die, I must return to serve my people."
Audric stared at Prince Antion for several minutes without speaking. Finally, he nodded with acceptance.
"You are right to place the needs of others over yourself," Audric stated. "Perhaps that is why the Talent chose to inhabit your body. Together we will seek the answers to the riddle within you."
"Excellent," smiled Prince Antion. "I will tell the others to set up a permanent camp."
"There is no need for the others to remain," Audric shook h
is head. "Our path to knowledge will not be a short one."
"But they are sworn to see me through to the end," frowned the Arin prince.
"And so they have," replied the old man. "There can be no distractions in the coming months. They will have to leave."
"Leave?" echoed Prince Antion. "I cannot just dismiss my friends and tell them to leave."
"You must," insisted Audric. "Go and spend this night with them, but in the morning they must depart. The three of us are about to embark on a journey that bears no resemblance to the world you know. There is no room for those who can never understand it. Let them take your beasts away with them. You will have no need of them."
"I do not understand," frowned the prince. "How are we to journey without our horses?"
"We will not leave this cave," explained Audric. "The journey that I speak of will not be on a road made of stone or dirt. It is a journey into your inner self. There can be no passengers on such a journey, and there is no need for man or beast. Go and spend a night of farewells. In the morning we begin our explorations."
Prince Antion sat stunned for a moment, but he knew that he had no bargaining power over the old man. If he wanted to learn about the Talent within him, he would have to obey. The prince rose silently and walked out of the cave.
"Is he the right man?" asked Kenra.
"He is Audric," Prince Antion nodded solemnly. "Let us build a great bonfire on the shore. Tonight will be a night of celebration."
The Arin prince strode past his friends to the shore and removed the saddle from his horse. The others gathered around with concern.
"What is truly happening, Gunnar?" asked Horst. "You call for a celebration, yet your face tells me that you are distraught."
"There is no longer a need for false names," replied Prince Antion. "This is the end of the journey that I embarked upon. Each of you has sacrificed to see me safely here. You have left your homes and followed me on a dangerous path with great risk to your own lives, and I don't know how to thank you, but this is the end of the journey. Tomorrow you will all leave to return to your homes, but tonight I want to remember for the rest of my life. We will have a great celebration, a celebration of friendship, and of friends that know the true meaning of the word."
"Go home?" balked Monte. "You expect us to go home and leave you here? We will not desert you like that."
"You must," replied Prince Antion. "Audric has knowledge that I must have, and he demands that everyone leave except Jared and me."
"He will not allow us to remain out here and wait for you?" frowned Prince Derri.
"No," Prince Antion shook his head. "For you to wait for me is to show that I believe my quest for knowledge is a temporary inconvenience. He demands an unlimited commitment from me before he will agree to help me."
"Fine," scowled Prince Umal. "You can agree to send us away, but we can remain as free men. That will not harm your level of commitment."
"Audric would not agree with you, Umal," Prince Antion shook his head. "He knows that you follow me and will obey my orders. If you stay, he will take it as a lack of my commitment. You must leave. I beg of you to leave. I must understand what resides within me."
"How long will you remain here?" asked Prince Derri.
"Indefinite," shrugged Prince Antion. "I will leave if Arin goes to war or my father dies, but for no other reason."
"For some reason," scowled Prince Umal, "I find nothing to celebrate."
"I am sorry, Umal," apologized Prince Antion. "Please do not take this as a rebuke. I love you like a brother, but this is something that I must do. If I must spend the rest of my days inside that cave, I will do so. I cannot live with the Talent inside me and not know what it is for. Can you understand?"
"We understand," answered Prince Derri, "but our understanding brings us no joy. What will you do with your horses? You cannot just leave them outside the cave. They must be cared for and exercised."
"No," Prince Antion shook his head. "Umal will take them home to Odessia. Jared and I will have no need for them."
"Help me gather some wood, Monte," Talot said. "We can't have a great fire without something to burn."
"You were itching to go home, Prince Umal," Kerzi said softly. "Perhaps this is all for the best. Princes are not supposed to be off gallivanting around the world when war is coming. You both need to help your peoples prepare for what is coming."
"There is truth to Kerzi's words," agreed Prince Derri. "If the jewel merchant was correct in his observations, Borundan armies will be on the march before the year is out. We must help our people prepare to deal with the invasions."
"I suppose," sighed Prince Umal, "but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. I will take your horses, Antion, but not to Odessia. I will leave them in Caxon. There is a breeder there that I trust. He will have instructions to give the horses up to any man who calls himself Gunnar. Should you and Jared need to leave, at least you won't have to walk all the way home."
"Caxon?" frowned Kerzi. "That is a week away with my wagon. They cannot walk that far."
"It is the closest city," shrugged Prince Umal. "I can do no better."
"Caxon will be fine," smiled Prince Antion. "I do not expect that I will be needing them. What will you do Kerzi?"
"I think I will start carrying weapons between Kyland and Anatar," answered the merchant. "At least I can help out that way. I will ask Talot and Monte if they will stay on as my warriors. I've grown rather used to them."
“And they have grown fond of you,” smiled Prince Antion.
Prince Antion turned and walked away, leaving his friends behind as he strode towards the edge of the water. His companions knew the young prince well enough to allow him some time of privacy, but within the hour a great fire burst into brilliance. Prince Antion turned towards the fire and his face broke into a broad grin as he spied his fellow travelers around the fire. He hurried towards them, and they looked up with puzzled expressions as they noticed his broad grin. Prince Antion halted before the fire and glanced at each member of his team before speaking.
“I know many of you are seeing this conclusion of our journey in a disappointing way,” the prince began, “but you are wrong to do so. Think for a moment what we have accomplished. There are but a few of us, but we have beaten the forces of evil at every turn. We have saved my father from the clutches of an evil king, and we have found the one man in the world who can help Jared and me understand the Talent. We have beaten off attack after attack, and yet we all stand whole before this fire. We have done the impossible, my friends, but our tasks are not yet over.”
Prince Antion smiled as he saw his friends begin to nod.
“Jared and I will learn what the Talent is and what it requires of us,” he continued, “but all of you have tasks to complete as well. War is coming to the Land of the Nine Kingdoms, and each of you has a part to play in preparing for those dark days ahead of us. This may well be the last time we gather together to acknowledge the friendships that have joined us together, so let us enjoy this evening as we have enjoyed no other. Let this not be a time of parting sorrow, but rather a joyous occasion that will never be forgotten!”
“A celebration of victory!” Prince Derrick said loudly as he raised his fist into the air.
“A testament to the power of brotherhood!” Prince Umal agreed “We will stand united no matter how much distance separates us from one another.”
Chapter 41 - Handling the Talent
Handling the Talent
It was a sunny spring morning, and the Borundan general whistled merrily as he rounded the corner of the stables. He halted at the sight of blood running across the cobblestones, and his eyes followed the flow back to its origin. His smile faded rapidly as he hurried over to stand next to the body of a dead horse. General Wikner looked at the remains of the horse and felt his stomach churn. The animal's carcass appeared as if it had exploded from the inside out. He turned his head away from the grisly scene and closed his eyes. The
sounds of soldiers milling around quickly brought him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw the stableman standing near the side of the building.
"Get a detail and clean this mess up," the general ordered the soldiers as he marched over to where the stableman stood.
He noticed that the man had emptied his stomach on the ground and shook his head in sympathy.
"What happened to that animal?" he asked.
"It was Prince Zinan, sir," the man replied. "I don't know what he done, but I know he done it. He was right angry with the beast. The animal was just hungry is all. I offered to get him another horse, but he was angry and refused. When the animal wouldn't obey his commands, he jumped off and glared at it. Next thing I knows there is blood and guts spraying all over the place. It was the most gruesome thing I ever saw."
"Go clean up," the general said softly, trying to control his anger, "and mention this to no one."
"What will I say?" frowned the stableman. "Everyone's going to ask me about it."
"Tell them the truth," instructed the general. "Tell them you don't exactly know what happened, and then say nothing more about it."
The general spun and marched towards the palace. He walked through the door and headed directly to General Ortega's office. General Ortega was not in, but as General Wikner turned to leave, General Ortega appeared walking along the corridor.
"We need to talk," General Wikner said conspiratorially.
"Is this about the horse incident?" asked General Ortega.
"You know about it already?" gasped General Wikner. "Who else knows?"
"I am not sure who else knows," sighed General Ortega. "I saw it happen from a window upstairs."
"The men are not going to like this," declared General Wikner. "We have to speak to King Garrick about it."
"Are you daft?" frowned General Ortega. "Don't you think the king already knows all about his cousin and the evil magic that spews from him? I am certainly not going to be the one that brings it up to him."
"But the prince's wrath grows stranger every day," argued General Wikner. "It is only a matter of time before he does that to one of us. The king must put a stop to it."
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