Soldier Sworn (The Teralin Sword Book 3)

by D. K. Holmberg

  Endric began to wonder if perhaps Nahrsin felt the same way as the rest of the Antrilii.

  “I don't think my father views himself as an oathbreaker,” Endric said.

  Nahrsin shook his head. “You do not need to fear that I view him as an oathbreaker. My uncle is a man of faith. My father recognized that. He claimed that your father was a brave man. A brave man would not abandon his vows.”

  “Dendril did not resist me coming north,” Endric said. “I thought initially that perhaps he hadn’t wanted me to come north, but now I wonder whether that was true or not. What if my father intended for me to come? What if he intended for me to learn what I have about the Antrilii? What if my father intended for me to know that he was viewed as an oathbreaker?”

  “I can't say that I know what Dendril intended.”

  They sat silently for a while. As they did, Endric contemplated. The night grew long, and stars drifted out. Every so often, the merahl cub would lick at his hand, and he would rub behind its ears or scratch its chin. Nahrsin had wrangled a piece of jerky and had given it to Endric to give to the cub. The cub had taken it willingly and had eaten the jerky with a greedy sort of abandon. When he was finished, he went to the stream and lapped at the water until he'd had his fill, and then had come and laid down next to Endric once more.

  It was hard to deny that the cub did seem to have some sort of connection to Endric. That much seemed true. But what Nahrsin indicated was something greater than just a connection. Had the cub actually chosen him? That seemed to be more of an intelligent choice than he would've expected from an animal so young.

  After a while, Endric shook his head. It was time to rest. He knew that he needed to get a full night’s sleep. It had been a while since he had managed to get enough rest.

  “What have the Antrilii done that has upset the merahl?” Endric asked.

  It had been the question that had bothered him since joining up with the Antrilii. Something had happened, and Endric needed to know, especially because the merahl had now abandoned him and left the cub with him.

  What happened with the four merahl that had been with him before? Would they return? Did they go and hunt elsewhere? Was there something more that he didn't understand?

  Nahrsin looked over at him, a question on his face. “Nothing has happened between the Antrilii and the merahl.”

  “You don't have any hunting with you.”

  Nahrsin took a deep breath. “The merahl are proud creatures. They can choose for themselves who they hunt with, and when they hunt. We do not get to choose for them, though we often have asked for their assistance. It was that way when Dentoun went south. He had asked the merahl for their aid.”

  “You are in the middle of groeliin lands. I would have expected the merahl to have been with you, hunting with you. I remember what it was like when Dentoun led you south. They were critical to that battle, and an important part of the hunt.”

  Nahrsin stared at the fire. Endric had a sense that he intentionally avoided his gaze, but didn't know why he would. Had what Endric said offended him?

  “The merahl have remained distant,” Nahrsin said. “We have asked for them to hunt with us once more, but they have not answered the way they once did.” Nahrsin spoke in a distant sort of way. Endric could tell that even admitting that much was troubling to him.

  Did he share with Nahrsin what he had witnessed? Would it make a difference if he did?

  Endric had to share something with Nahrsin. Maybe he would understand. He had to think that his cousin was not the kind of person that the merahl would grow angry with.

  “I told you that there were merahl that helped.”

  Nahrsin turned away from the fire and nodded at Endric. “You said there had been one.”

  “I might have been underestimating how many there were,” Endric said.

  Nahrsin smiled. “You would've had to have been underestimating it. Considering the fact that I saw four different sets of prints at the groeliin attack site.”

  “They were cautious. I don't understand why, but there was something that made them nervous. They were willing to help me, and they led me and showed me another band of Antrilii hunters, but the merahl weren't willing to venture down to the hunters. They seemed almost worried about what the Antrilii were doing.”

  “Do you know what tribe you saw?”

  Endric shook his head. “I assume the colors mean something.” He watched Nahrsin expectantly, waiting for confirmation of his suspicions. Nahrsin nodded slowly.

  “I thought as much. When I was in Farsea and encountered Nessa, it seemed as if she had a particular color woven into her hair, much like the others had a particular color in theirs.”

  “Nessa wouldn't have had a particular color,” Nahrsin said.

  “Why not?”

  “Farsea sits centrally among the Antrilii lands. It is a place of study. A place where all members of the Yahinv come together. It is a place where the wisdom of their rule and guidance can bring us all together.”

  “The tower?”

  Nahrsin considered him a moment before nodding slowly. “It is… surprising that you would have been aware of that.”

  “Why?”

  “The tower is considered sacred.”

  “It's a replica of the tower in Thealon. There, it's even more impressive.”

  Nahrsin nodded slowly. “I have heard the stories of the Tower of the Gods. Those of my people who risk themselves to venture that far south all come back with the same story. Each of them comes back sharing that the tower is perhaps the most impressive thing they have ever seen.”

  Endric could see how that was the case. The tower was impressive. But, in some ways, other places were equally impressive. When he had been in Vasha, he found the palace of the Magi to be quite impressive. The Lashiin ruins were also impressive, but for different reasons. There were enough other places that Endric felt the influence of the gods, or at least the presence of those who came before him and recognized that he was part of something much greater.

  “The Yahinv doesn't often allow anyone other than Antrilii to visit the tower,” Nahrsin began. “Then again, there aren't many other than Antrilii who even visit our lands. The historian has come through a few times, and we have known the Hunter in the days since we fought together. But there aren't many others than that.”

  “I would imagine your lands are difficult to reach?”

  “You traveled to our lands. You know how hard they are to reach.”

  “I traveled into the mountain pass. I never made it much farther than that. We were attacked, and then I don't remember much else. I awoke in Farsea.”

  Endric still hadn't learned how he had been brought to Farsea or how long of a journey that was, and he hadn't learned how difficult it would've been for him to reach the city. Had it been a day's journey? Had it been another week? Perhaps that was a question he should have asked before.

  “You still haven't answered what happened with the merahl.”

  Nahrsin sighed. “Mostly because I don't know. After my father's passing, after we celebrated his life, there was no sign of the merahl. We thought that it was only our hunters who had lost that connection. There were some among our tribe who felt that perhaps Dentoun's passing had separated us somehow. There were some who thought that we would have to re-earn the connection.”

  “What would it take to earn that connection once more?” Endric asked.

  Nahrsin shook his head. “We have been connected to the merahl for hundreds of years. They have been as much a part of the Antrilii people as the people themselves. Always the merahl have been there with us, hunting with us, even when we didn't have those the merahl had chosen. The connection might have been more tenuous then, but it was still a solid connection. This… this is something of an absence. It's an emptiness, one that we have felt for the last few months.”

  “Do you think it has anything to do with your traveling south? Do you think it has anything to do with the Deshmahne
?”

  Nahrsin shook his head. “The merahl live to hunt groeliin. That is their purpose. They have long appreciated my people for that. They have no interest in hunting man.”

  “Would they have reason to be distrustful of man?” Endric asked.

  Nahrsin shook his head. “I do not know. There are others who know the merahl better. Those who were chosen by them. What did you discover?” Nahrsin asked.

  Endric considered his answer. The Antrilii needed the partnership with the merahl, one that he thought was likely beneficial for both parties, especially since both seemed eager to hunt the groeliin. Was there something more that he could understand?

  “As I said, the merahl seemed upset with the Antrilii,” Endric began. “They led me to a place where the Antrilii were camping below. I overheard snippets of conversation, but not enough for me to understand what they were referring to. After that, they nudged me away and guided me toward the east.”

  “They guided you?”

  Endric nodded. “Guided. Hunted for me. Helped me. I was getting to the point where I wasn't certain what I would do. It was about the time when I came across the cub.”

  Nahrsin studied him for a long moment. “What would make you risk yourself for the cub?” he asked.

  “I didn’t intend to risk myself. I was trying to delay, buy enough time for the merahl to appear. When I saw the cub, I heard at least three different merahl heading in my direction. I thought that if I managed to buy enough time, that I might be able to allow the merahl to reach me. I thought that their hunting ability, at least from what I remembered seeing before, would be enough to overwhelm the groeliin. I thought that perhaps the groeliin would retreat.”

  “The groeliin do not retreat.”

  “Just like you said the groeliin do not plan,” Endric said.

  “Yes.”

  “Something has changed for the merahl. They fear something about the Antrilii.” They sat in silence for a moment. “What sort of gesture would it take to appeal to the merahl?” Endric asked.

  “I am not an expert with the merahl,” Nahrsin said. “Those who know these things claim that we needed to make a profound demonstration for them.”

  “That's why you've come here, isn't it?” Endric asked. “That's why you are heading toward the breeding grounds.”

  He hadn't put that together before and thought that it was almost too much to believe. Why would Nahrsin’s tribe risk themselves like this? The only answer that made sense was that they felt as if they needed to. They did it because they needed to make a statement to the merahl, that they needed to somehow convince their partners that they were still committed to the same purpose.

  Had the merahl began to doubt them?

  If that were the case, Endric wondered if this demonstration would be enough. Would they be able to convince the merahl that they were still committed to hunting the groeliin?

  Was that why the merahl had been willing to assist him? Did they come with him because he had been willing to fight?

  Endric didn't know. It was possible, and he had to believe that if that were the case, that taking the fight to groeliin, heading toward the breeding grounds, risking a sacrifice of themselves, might be enough to convince the merahl that the Antrilii still intended to fight with them.

  But it didn't answer the question about what had changed.

  Something had changed. There was no doubt in Endric's mind that there had been a change for the merahl. These were proud animals. And they had long been committed to the Antrilii. For that commitment to have changed, something had happened. It seemed odd that Nahrsin wouldn't know what that was, but it also seemed odd the way the merahl had behaved, staying away from the rest of the Antrilii.

  “That is why we headed to the breeding grounds.”

  “Do you think that will bring you back into the merahl's favor?” Endric asked. He remembered what he’d overheard in the Yahinv. They had been concerned with finding the Chisln… and the merahl. Was this the reason?

  Nahrsin shook his head and turned to stare into the fire. There was a hopelessness in his eyes that seemed almost despondent. It took Endric a moment to realize why. This was a man who realized he was heading to his death. And, more than that, he did so willingly.

  “I don't know if it will make a difference. All I know is that we head south, that we intend to reach the breeding grounds, and Gron is hopeful that we will draw the notice of the merahl. He is hopeful that we will gain their favor once more. Otherwise, we will not survive.”

  21

  They reached the rest of the Antrilii late in the day. Endric had spent the night sleeping fitfully. He had been roused from his sleep around the middle the night, awoken so that he could take his turn on patrol. He did so willingly, thankful for the opportunity to serve the same as the others. It was a relief to not fear for his own safety and to feel the reassurance of others watching over him.

  Endric had tumbled into the rest of his sleep, curled up on his side. The merahl cub rested next to him, occasionally licking his hand. As he struggled to find sleep, he couldn’t help but wonder what had changed for the merahl. And with whatever had changed, why was the merahl willing to help him but not the Antrilii? No answers came to him.

  As they traveled back toward the rest of the Antrilii, Endric could only think about that question. Why had the merahl come to his aid? What had he done differently? And maybe it was nothing. The merahl hadn't really come to his aid so much as they had come to the aid of the cub—a cub he’d found tethered to a dead Antrilii. That seemed important, though Endric wasn't able to put a finger on the reason why.

  “Where is home for the merahl?” Endric asked Nahrsin. The other Antrilii were a couple paces in front of them. Asgod perked his ears up while Barden made it seem as if he wasn't listening.

  “The merahl roam throughout the mountains,” Nahrsin asked.

  “But where is home for them?”

  “They prefer more forested lands,” Nahrsin said. “Some merahl call the Great Forest their home, but most of the packs are found in the northern mountains, spread all across the chain of mountains here. They come into the mountains to hunt and breed.”

  “Breed?”

  Nahrsin shrugged. “We find the merahl cubs here but nowhere else. This is where our hunters must come if they wish to claim a bond.”

  Endric had been surprised the first time he’d learned merahl were found in the Great Forest. When Brohmin had shared that with him, he hadn’t asked how others hadn’t observed them before now.

  The merahl were smart. He suspected they would be able to hide, and that they could keep themselves shielded from others they didn't want to be noticed by. Likely they could simply detect the presence of anyone else.

  “How many packs?” Endric asked.

  Nahrsin shrugged. “We've never known with certainty. As I said, the merahl come to us when they choose. They remain as long as they feel they must before returning to their pack. Most believe the merahl continue to hunt the groeliin on their own, even when they don't hunt with the Antrilii.”

  “Have you ever heard of the groeliin using merahl to draw them out?” Endric asked.

  Nahrsin shook his head.

  “What if one of the other tribes found a cub and brought it with them?”

  Nahrsin glanced over at him, his gaze flicking down to the cub. “That would be unusual.”

  “Unusual? As unusual as someone like me having a merahl cub follow it through the mountains?”

  Nahrsin laughed. “That is also unusual.”

  They reached the summit of a small ridge. Patches of the ground were snow-covered, and others were icy. Small strands of grass peeked up through some of the snow. In the distance, Endric saw a small copse of trees, though their trunks were twisted and bent, much like the tree he'd come across that he'd made into his club. There were none of the pine he associated with the mountains.

  The ground sloped away beneath them, the rock gradually dropping into another v
alley. From there, the mountain began to peak again, rising much higher.

  “Doesn't get any easier, does it?” Endric muttered to himself.

  Asgod chuckled. “The mountains are not for soft men,” he said.

  “I never thought I was soft before.”

  Asgod considered him for a moment. Endric was still dressed in the furs that he had stitched together himself. The only thing different was the Antrilii boots he now wore. He still felt like an outsider, dressed as he was in the laca fur.

  “How far are the breeding grounds from here?” Endric asked.

  “The groeliin breed every few years and move their breeding location. We call it a Chisln, a time of danger for the Antrilii.”

  “Why?”

  “They are protective of the breeding grounds. We have never discovered an active breeding ground.”

  “Never?”

  “We have found the remains—and the remains of Antrilii who ventured too close—but never an active breeding ground. Until now.”

  “You found one?”

  “The Yahinv think so. They are the ones who have sent us out on this task.”

  That surprised him, especially as they hadn’t said anything about encountering a breeding ground while he was serving his penance. Maybe they hadn’t expected him to reach any of the Antrilii in time to matter. “There is a single breeding ground?”

  “The groeliin are comprised of something like tribes. During breeding season, the tribes set aside differences and come together.”

  “Like the different tribes that were found back where the cub was attacked?” Endric asked.

  Nahrsin and Asgod met each other's gaze. Nahrsin nodded slowly. “It is unusual for broods to mingle. Even more unusual for them to do so without any bloodshed.”

  Endric chuckled darkly. “I would say they did more than mingle. They were working together, plotting against the merahl.”