The Best of Men - an epic fantasy (Song of Ages Book 1)

by Wilf Jones

  ‘What’s stupid?’ Angren had the sudden, uncomfortable feeling that ‘Berta was going to reveal something that would embarrass them both. Surely she didn’t…

  ‘Just think where we are,’ she said. ‘Doesn’t it worry you?’

  Angren was confused. ‘Not sure what you mean, ‘Berta. I’ve travelled round these parts quite a bit.’

  ‘But the dragons!’

  ‘Oh, I see,’ said Angren, immensely relieved, ‘the dragons. Great vicious beasties just over the next hill and we may be attacked any moment. You don’t fancy ending up in a dragon’s belly?’

  ‘It’s all very well for you to scoff, isn’t it,’ ‘Berta snapped in response, ‘I’ve never been here before, and I’ve never seen a dragon, and all the tales we were told about them when I was a kid were not very nice at all. Dragons eat people! I never thought I’d ever end up on these plains but here I am, ready to be eat. What I don’t understand is why nobody else seems bothered about it. Makes me feel like a coward.’

  Angren laughed but made up for it by explaining.

  ‘I guess no one else is worried because they’ve been up here before, or if not maybe they’ve heard more than children’s stories. It’s pretty well-known the dragons hardly ever come out at all. Well, not when you compare it to the number of times men cross the Plains. How do you think people manage to live and work here? Apparently the dragons live in a different sort of time to us, they sleep longer and when they fly they use up so much energy chasing their food that they only ever stay out for a few hours.’

  ‘But I thought I’d heard Seama say something about the dragons being on the increase.’

  ‘Ah, now you have something there: according to some of the old folk, you see more dragons now than they did say twenty years ago. More fly together. You might see ten in a wing where before they flew in pairs. Instead of two flights a year now you could see two a month. But if you think about it, ‘Berta, even twice a month is nothing. Not on plains as broad as these. So long as men travel in small groups the dragons tend to overlook them. It’s the herds they’re after, horse and wild cattle: easy meat. There is a small chance we could see dragons in flight, depends on how long we stay, but they won’t be close at hand and they’ll be absolutely no danger to us.’

  ‘Berta tried to look as if she believed him.

  ‘But,’ she persisted, ‘why are there more sightings now than before?’

  ‘Some people say the dragons are taking less sleep and so they fly more often but, of course, that doesn’t explain why they sleep less. I think that there are just more dragons than there were. There’s bound to be young coming along every so often, but meanwhile the older dragons just carry on. Unless he’s killed, a dragon never dies.’

  ‘Well, I suppose you’re right.’ The frown returned. ‘But how come it was only twenty years ago there were so few? I mean after all these hundreds of years, have they just learned how to have baby dragons? And another thing, if they carry on increasing at the same rate, how long are the herds going to last? And what happens if they don’t last? I suppose the dragons’ll have to take what they can get.’

  Angren shrugged: his hearsay didn’t give him an answer. ‘I was trying to cheer you up. Can’t we forget about them for now? Until we see one at least. We’re not in any danger from them, you know, not now, not ever.’

  ‘Ever’s a long time, Angren.’

  ‘It is. Stupid trying to predict the future, I know that. But put it this way, if a dragon flew up this minute we’d still be safe. So long as Seama’s with us it wouldn’t have a prayer.’

  He tried to sound confident. His knowledge, his experience, his common sense all told him to be so, but even as he spoke the seed of doubt was sown. It was a ridiculous notion, of course, but were dragons now something else they had to worry about?

  ‘Hang on you two,’ yelled Bibron to the brothers. Edro had shouted: ‘Race you!’ and charged off towards the small wood down in the valley bottom knowing that Piedoro would have to follow. It was a measure of the power in the Captain’s voice that they both reined in hard and came about.

  ‘What’s the problem boss?’ Edro asked, shrugging his broad shoulders, ‘Seama said there were only four of them.’

  ‘Perhaps you didn’t hear but he also said that three of them were children. Now I don’t know how he knows these things, being able to see through the trees an all, but I know he’ll be right about that. So how do you think three kids’ll feel with armed men galloping into their camp?’

  Piedoro thumped his brother on the arm. ‘Captain’s right, Edronio. Why don’t you think, eh? You always rush in.’

  ‘Me? Rush in? Hah! We both know, brother of mine, that if any man is reckless then you are that man.’

  Piedoro grinned. ‘Only in love, Edro, only in love. Otherwise I am cautious, sensible, wise: a man of discretion and—’

  ‘An idiot?’

  ‘Will you two stop your yammering? Now look, I say we send the ladies in first so the kids aren’t scared – don’t forget the Black Company have been in these parts and everyone’ll have heard about them, even the children. What do you think, Seama?’

  Seama glanced up at the titanic form of ‘Berta as she sat in the saddle absent-mindedly swinging her cosh. ‘I’m sure you’re right Captain,’ he said, ‘But perhaps Sigrid and Terrance might do best. We are trying to reassure them, after all.’

  ‘Yes,’ agreed Terrance, ‘We wouldn’t want to frighten anyone.’

  ‘Berta frowned. ‘What does he mean?’

  ‘Well, er, just that perhaps I’m more used to—’

  Sigrid laughed. ‘Forget it, Terrance. She likes being scary.’

  ‘Berta chuckled. ‘And just you remember it.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I will. Well then, let’s be getting down there, the afternoon’s getting on.’

  As they cantered into the dark paths through the trees Sigrid had no worries or expectations or any real notion of what they might find down at the mere’s edge.

  They had seen from a distance a thin spiral of blue smoke rising above the trees. The smoke had given Seama something to focus on. Sigrid didn’t pretend to understand. Typically, the wizard had been modest about his abilities, claiming that the power of far-seeing was not one of his better skills. All things were relative of course. Compared with that member of the Council known only as Sight, back on Errensea, Seama might well be considered a lowly apprentice but to most of his companions, Sigrid included, his being able to discern not only how many people were in the wood but their age and their sex too was amazing. That he couldn’t tell them anything more seemed unimportant. They were just people. An odd group perhaps, but there was nothing much in that.

  And yet, as their horses broke cover, it took only a moment for Sigrid to see what there was to see and understand what there was to understand, and the knowledge she gained in those few moments blistered through her heart like nothing she had ever seen or understood before. Details were not knowable but that brave lad, with acres of confusion and hurt in his eyes, trying his best to seem bold, and the silent little girl clutching the baby to her breast, just as a mother should, but already beginning to shake in terror as they approached, and that ruined man dragging himself erect in an attempt to face them standing, the pain cutting through his every movement, all of this was enough. It was too much.

  Sigrid burst into tears. ‘Who has done this?’ she cried, ‘Oh who has done this to you? It’s not… they couldn’t have…’

  ‘Sigrid, what are you saying?’ Terrance was behind, unsighted at first.

  ‘Don’t you see what they’ve done?’

  Sigrid slid down from her horse, trying to stop her own tears, wanting to comfort the girl, but the little one shrank away and then ran to the broken man, holding the baby more tightly than ever. She hid in the ma
n’s arms, sobbing in fear. And the look of anguish on her protector’s face had nothing to do with his own pain.

  Sigrid realized that the man’s eyes were fixed on Terrance, who was still in his saddle, immobilized by what he saw.

  ‘Get down,’ Sigrid hissed, ‘Get down Terrance. Can’t you see she’s seen enough of men on horses.’

  Her sharp words stung him into motion. Dismounted he took off his sword-belt, cast both sword and scabbard behind him and then sat upon the ground a good distance from the man and the girl.

  ‘There,’ he said to them, ‘Gone. And I will stay here, and you can talk to the Lady Sigrid.’

  The broken man nodded slightly.

  ‘Thank you sir,’ the man said. His voice was naturally warm but pinched now by emotion and trauma. ‘She has not… this is the first time since… You see, I have had to keep her hidden from others – until she is a little stronger. The boy manages better.’ He paused. By turn he looked into their eyes. What they saw, looking back, was not the middle-aged man who stood swaying before them, the mangled torso barely disguised by a loose cassock and a face pale from suffering; they saw only the penetrating grey eyes that held them until released. He sighed. ‘I think I am glad to see you. For Carla this may be a beginning.’ He stroked the girl’s hair, causing her to look up. ‘Do you see, Pica, this nice lady would like to talk to us. Perhaps you can show to her our lovely little one.’

  The girl shook her head fiercely.

  ‘Not yet, then. Well what if you leave him with me. See, I’ll sit here, and then you and Benito can make us some tea. Is that a good idea?’

  Sigrid could see that the girl was unwilling to let go. Scared for herself and scared for her precious charge.

  ‘Come Carlita,’ he persisted, ‘We will all be safe now.’

  As though summoned by her need, the boy who had stood quietly, unmoving until now, came to stand with the little girl and he stooped to touch her hand. It was the slightest of contacts.

  ‘I’ll get the water,’ he said, with his slow lips. And it was enough.

  The man lowered himself to sit with his back up against a pile of soft bolsters that lay by the cart. Carla watched him. It was plain she could see every spike of pain the movement cost him and distress was now mixed with anger on her face. She surrendered the baby to him, laying the infant so gently in his lap that the tears slipped down Sigrid’s cheeks once more.

  Sigrid wondered that the infant had not made the slightest noise so far and momentarily had the horrible thought that perhaps the child was no longer alive, and hadn’t been for some time.

  ‘Is the baby… uninjured?’

  The man smiled. ‘Yes, yes. Remarkably he finds it easy to sleep through any disturbance – it may be that I am responsible for that. But see he is waking now.’

  Sigrid moved closer to them and Carla retreated a little.

  ‘Carla, why don’t you go to find the cups and rinse the pot. Benito, the water you promised?’

  ‘Yes Signoren. I’ll get it now. There’s a good fire going so it won’t take long.’

  The boy was off with a bucket to the water’s edge and Carla hesitated only a moment longer before she went into action, climbing into the back of the cart and searching through boxes. Sigrid was amazed.

  ‘She always was a strong child, always liked to take charge. What you saw before was not the real Carla. In this small family she is the mistress her mother always taught her to be. But here, come and see our little miracle.’

  Sigrid crouched by him while he pulled the swaddling aside.

  ‘She does look after him so well but I think she keeps him too wrapped up. He needs the air in his face and the sun on his limbs.’

  Oh but he was a well-made baby. As beautiful and ugly as he should be with well-proportioned limbs and skin rather golden, or maybe that was something to do with the warm late-afternoon sun that smiled down upon them. He stretched with his tiny hands clenched in the ecstasy of the movement. And then he smiled and Sigrid’s heart melted.

  ‘We have a lot to be thankful for.’

  ‘Yes,’ she breathed, ‘I see.’

  They were silent for a few minutes. It took Terrance coughing to break Sigrid out of the spell that held her.

  ‘Well,’ she said, dragging her eyes away from the baby’s face, ‘We must begin. My name is—’

  ‘Sigrid. Yes, I heard, and your friend is Terrance. The children know me as The Signoren but Oswaldo Bassalo is my name. I was their teacher. They have known me for all of their short lives, and they trust me because their mothers and fathers trusted me. Benito and Carla are not related but Bene looks after her, as well as he can, as though she were his own sister.’ He paused to look at each of the children. Benito was pouring water into the copper kettle from the bucket and Carla was watching him to make sure he wasn’t overfilling it. ‘We are one family now. We are all that is left. We have no one and we have nothing but ourselves.’

  Sigrid was not ready for the tale and she certainly wouldn’t prompt it. Not yet.

  ‘Terrance and I came first,’ she said, ‘because we didn’t want to worry the children.’

  ‘Came first? There are more of you… Of course there are.’ His grey eyes narrowed. ‘You knew there were children?’

  ‘Well… er.’ Sigrid realized she shouldn’t blurt out Seama’s name.

  ‘So one of your companions is a magician.’

  ‘I… well…’

  ‘No point, Sigrid,’ said Terrance, ‘He knows. Signoren, we do have a man of power with us but he is a wizard and not a sorcerer, and we are a small company indeed and most assuredly will be no harm to you. But then I thought you already knew that. I had thought that perhaps you may have a certain power of your own.’

  ‘Forgive me, yes, I did know, but…’ he sighed, ‘It is not just the children who need to learn how to trust again. And yes I have a little power. Too little. Would to the Gods I had more.’ Though he didn’t cry, it was plain that fierce emotions racked his body quite as much as his many injuries. He mastered himself after a minute or two and then continued matter-of-factly. ‘So, how shall we proceed? You have how many companions?’

  ‘Seven.’

  ‘Too many. I cannot have them all here. The children could not—’

  ‘Forgive me,’ Terrance put in, ‘but it is a certainty that eventually the children will have to meet other people, for you cannot live in the wild forever. Now, I admit we are a warlike looking party but what if I have our friends put aside their weapons, and if they walk in, a few at a time to give us a chance to introduce them to the children? Forgive me but I cannot help thinking this would be a good thing for all of you. An opportunity to—’

  ‘An opportunity for us to begin to learn to cope?’

  ‘A safe opportunity. I think you know I am not lying to you.’

  Bassalo relented. ‘Yes. Yes I do know that, and yes I can see you are right.’ He looked over at the children. The girl had stopped to listen but the boy, with his job in hand, paid no heed to anything but the kettle. ‘Now Carla, what do you think? Can these friends come to see us? You can sit with me when they come. One of them is a wizard and he may be able to help us. What do you say?’

  Sigrid tried to smile warmly at the girl but she found herself wanting to cry again. The resolve in the girl’s face as she studied the Signoren was almost too much to bear. She was clearly assessing his disability and his weakness. If a wizard could make the Signoren well… She nodded and then, with her mind made up, briskly took herself off to the cart once again in search of more cups.

  ‘She’s so brave,’ said Sigrid quietly to the Signoren.

  ‘She is just seven years old. After everything they did, I think she is extraordinary. Well, you have your permission. Go and get your friends but, please, no weapons, no h
orses.’

  It was done. Sigrid stayed with Bassalo and the children while Terrance went off to arrange things. As they began to arrive, Terrance first with Seama, Sigrid introduced them, speaking mostly to Carla and making sure she told her something nice about each of them. Seama was described as ‘a very good man who always helps people, and famous throughout the world,’ while Edro and Piedoro ‘were two brothers who have loved each other and played and lived with each other all their lives – and they are very funny.’ She struggled a little with Angren and had to settle for ‘he’s my good friend and someone I trust to always keep me safe.’ She made sure Angren didn’t hear this, but when she realised what she’d said she found herself blushing. Angren failed to notice.

  All of the companions were very quiet according to their instructions but also because it was hard to know what to say. Every one of them was affected to some degree by what they saw.

  ‘She’s so like our little sister when she was young,’ Piedoro whispered to ‘Berta and Bibron. He was trying to explain the tears in his brother’s eyes.

  Carla poured the tea into the six cups she’d found and sent the lad off to hand them out. Benito was pleased to be trusted with the job. They could all see that look of concentration in his face as he determined not to spill a drop. With each cup he gave them an uncertain smile inviting a response. Angren made sure he was not disappointed.

  ‘Good lad,’ he said, ‘that’s just what I need.’

  Benito’s smile broadened.

  ‘Always make it hot and sweet, that’s what my dad says. Oh, but we haven’t any sugar.’ His smile disappeared and he looked cross with himself as though he had done something wrong.