Maelich looked down at the animal and said, “Ye’ll be slowing us down, scrod.”
Jom replied by jumping up, placing a paw on each of Maelich’s shoulders, and licking his face. He couldn’t help but laugh as the two fell to the ground wrestling and playing. Jom’s unbridled affection was, besides being wet and slobbery, very therapeutic for Maelich. The past few days had been quite grim and playing with Jom gave him a few moments of peace. It gave him a chance to forget the calamity his life had become of late. The two boys played for a bit and then Maelich got back to his meal preparation. As he finished up he looked down at Jom who sat obediently at his feet. He decided having him on the journey would be worth the time they would lose because of him.
When the meal was ready, Maelich roused Perrin from her slumber and they ate. He could tell her head wasn’t quite straight after the horror she had witnessed the night before. How terrible it must have been for her to watch her mother be slain by some beast. He himself felt such a great sense of loss just knowing he had a mother but she was gone. He couldn’t imagine watching her die, especially in such a violent fashion. Perrin wasn’t crying, whimpering, or even whining. She sat quiet, staring off into nothingness. Maelich wondered how far away from the small hut was her mind just then. He let her be as they ate in silence, two children who had just had their lives ripped apart and of no fault of their own. He found himself staring off into the nothing just as she was.
After the meal, Maelich decided to break the silence, “So, Perrin, I be on a journey right now. Will ye be joining me?”
“Where ye be going?” she asked without breaking her stare.
“I be headed to the great kingdom of the north,” he replied.
She held her stare, “Sure, I’ll come. Me papa took me to that place once. It’s far the safe way.”
“The safe way?” he asked.
“Aye, the safe way,” she appeared in a trance.
“What be the safe way?” he pressed on.
She finally broke her stare and looked him in the eyes, “The safe way be the road what leads down the river and around the Sobbing Forest. That way be at least twice as far as the other way, but it’s safe.”
Maelich had never heard of the Sobbing Forest. He knew there was a great forest beyond the river but it never had a name for him. “What be the other way?”
“Papa say the other way be too dane…dane…” she couldn’t say the word. “…too scary.”
“Too dangerous?” Maelich helped.
“Aye, that be the word papa used. He say they be calling it the Sobbing Forest because them trees always be crying for the men what die there. There be terrible things, monsters and evil men who be hiding there, waiting for travelers. All them trees moaning be to warn people not to come in. I’ve heard them trees moaning at night. Papa says that be how trees cry. Did ye ever hear them cry?” she finished with a quizzical look.
“No. No I ain’t, but I be thinking we should go that way if it be saving us that much time. Besides, Jom will be watching over us,” Maelich replied with as much confidence in his voice as he could muster. Truthfully, he was a bit concerned as he had no idea what to expect out of the forest. His desire to complete the journey was far greater than any of his fears. He also felt a bit of confidence knowing the amatilazo were afraid of Jom. The scrod was sturdy. He should prove quite helpful in a battle.
Perrin just nodded. She was very confused, too confused to even be afraid of going through the Sobbing Forest. The next day she would be starting a journey through a place her father had taught her to be terrified of, and she would be going with a complete stranger. The thought didn’t trouble her in the least bit. There were far too many other demons torturing her mind just then. Before her journey was done there would be more.
Maelich talked a bit more about where they would be going. Most of it was lost on Perrin. Her mind was elsewhere. She lay down for the night and Maelich found some more horse sacks. He filled them with what he guessed would be enough supplies to get them through their journey. When he had first packed up Validus he had only been packing for one. Now he had two more mouths to feed and his journey would last a few days longer. After he had everything prepared, he turned in as well. Sleep didn’t come easy on that night, and his slumber was less than peaceful. As he slept his head was full of terrors, visions of things to come.
Chapter 3
The Sobbing Forest
When Maelich woke, the sun was just peaking over the horizon. Perrin was already awake. She sat on her cot with her knees pulled tight to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Long, golden, dirt-streaked hair hung about her face in clumps. She looked as if she were staring at the wall, but Maelich knew she was staring far past it. She rocked back and forth mumbling. He couldn’t understand what she was saying. She appeared to be in some sort of trance. He went to her and sat beside her placing his arm around her shoulders.
“Are ye alright, lassie?” he asked in as gentle a tone as he could muster.
She didn’t answer. Her weight slumped against him. She buried her face in his chest and wept. He didn’t say another word. He just held her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back. He really had no idea how to handle this type of situation. He remembered how he felt at the loss of Gildrah, the emptiness and the rage. Compassion for Perrin filled him as he squeezed her just a bit tighter. He decided he would hold her until the tears were done.
Perrin wept for most of the morning. By the time she was finished, Maelich’s shirt was good and wet and her cheeks were streaked with clean spots that rivers of tears had eroded in the dirt there. She sat up and looked him in the eyes, as she wiped her own. Her expression reflected how terrified and alone she felt. Questions floated behind her pretty blue eyes that had become red and swollen from her tears. She looked as if she’d been beaten by a strong man who knew nothing of mercy. What would happen to her now that she had no mother? Where would she go when Maelich’s journey was finished? Would she be alone? He could see her little mind was starting to focus on the present and beginning to process the depth of her situation.
“Perrin,” he began, before she asked the questions he knew she had, “I won’t be leaving ye alone. I’ll be watching over ye as if ye were me own. I won’t be letting anything happen to ye.”
“How could I be your own?” she asked. “Ye’re not old enough to be me Papa. Who will be taking care of ye?”
He had no proof for her that he could take care of her. He knew he could keep her safe, alive and fed, but he really had no idea how to raise a child. True, he was well trained for a battle and survival in the wild, but what did he know about little girls? He decided to fake it as best he could.
“It be true I still be a lad myself, but have ye ever had a brother?” he asked, quizzically raising one eyebrow.
“No,” she shook her head.
“Fine,” he said, raising his hands as if to say voila, “I be your brother then. And if we don’t be finding a nice couple who want to be raising a beautiful, little lass like yourself, ye can stay with me.”
“Ever your path leads?”
“Ever me path leads. Ye’ll never be alone, Perrin. I promise ye that.”
He knew she was completely dependent on him. The truth was, he really needed her too. He felt invigorated, like he had a purpose. When he had merely been looking out for himself he felt scared, alone. He hadn’t a goal. Now, he had to keep this little lass alive and deliver her to a place where she could live and grow. That alone was reason enough to go on. He was ready to attack the road, conquer the Sobbing Forest, and finish his journey, wherever his path led him.
By the time he had convinced her that everything would be as all right as it could be, given their current circumstances, the sun was already high in the sky. They had lost most of the morning. In fact, the hour was close for the midday feast. However, Maelich didn’t want to lose any more light. He gave Perrin some flat bread and kept some for himself. She wrinkled her nose up. They had misse
d the morning feeding and she was quite hungry. Even still, she didn’t fuss. Deep down she wanted to get away from the emptiness the place now held. There wasn’t anything left for her there. Her path followed Maelich’s and she would follow where he led.
Maelich strapped Perrin onto a good, solid horse. She told him the horse’s name was Grinner because he always looked like he was smiling. He had belonged to Master Kelsho from down the road. She told Maelich that her papa had told her to stay away from old man Kelsho because he was a kook. She thought he was funny though. He was always nice to her, and he always let her play with Grinner. That was great news for Maelich because she felt completely comfortable riding the horse. He tied a rope from Grinner’s saddle to Validus’s saddle and they were off. Jom took the lead. They crossed the river on a bridge that Perrin said her grandpapa had helped build long before she was born. Once they reached the other side, Maelich stopped them. He told Perrin to say good-bye to her old home, as she would maybe never make it back this way again. She turned, looked back at her village, and offered one last tear as her good-bye.
The Sobbing Forest was but one hundred yards from the riverbank and the path they would take went straight toward it from the bridge. It did have an ominous look about it. Maelich couldn’t be certain that it would have the same ominous look had Perrin not warned him about it. Still, the thought of going east and taking the large, well-traveled, “safe” road that led along the river and around the Sobbing Forest did cross his mind. However, Ymitoth had taught him, “The straight path always be the best path.” He would say, “That be why we train, lad. There be no one or no thing that’ll be giving us cause to stray from the path we choose. Let any man or any form of beast try denying me destiny and let them taste the full range of me fury”. Ymitoth’s might and fury would be well welcomed by Maelich just then. Alas, this journey was his and Perrin’s and even Jom’s. Into the Sobbing Forest and a thick tangle of trees they went.
Even with the sun at its highest point, the path was dark and gloomy. It was scarcely traveled, by the looks of things. The trees seemed to crowd in around them. Jom even seemed to sense there was something overbearing about these trees. The forest was dense, just a few feet in and it looked to be more about twilight than midday. The trees whispered. They weren’t moaning or sobbing or anything of the sort. It seemed as if they were quietly discussing their new intruders as they closed in tighter and tighter on the weary travelers who had ventured into their domicile. Maelich began thinking way too much. Ymitoth had always assured him fear was his biggest enemy. There was nothing Maelich could not defeat. No end that could find him unless he allowed himself to be found. He quieted his mind, lifted his head, and with a strong voice said, “Jom, hup!”
With that command Jom quickened his pace. The trees continued to scrutinize the travelers and whisper back and forth about them, but they also seemed to back off a bit. It even appeared as if there was a hint of sunshine slipping between leaves and branches and making its way down to the path. Perhaps the trees had decided the little caravan was no threat. Or perhaps they had been expecting them. Ymitoth had always hinted about Maelich’s great purpose. Perhaps the trees recognized him. Whatever the case may have been, the way was definitely getting easier. That was just fine with Maelich. The group continued to travel in silence and, all things considered, made relatively good time.
Meanwhile, someone else had become quite interested in Maelich’s journey. It was someone unknown to him, someone elsewhere. In a place far to the east of where he now traveled, even farther than where the maps don’t go, yes even farther still than the lost wood, someone watched. Kaldumahn watched Maelich and his small crew as they made their way through the Sobbing Forest. What the trees saw, he saw, and what they spoke, they spoke to him. He sat upon his throne in a trance-like state as he listened and watched with his mind. He had great power and a great knowledge of Maelich’s purpose. He also had a great stake in the lad’s journey. After a time, he let the vision pass and told the trees to keep watch over Maelich. He needed him alive. Much of their world would be affected by Maelich, including Kaldumahn. This fact boded well for Maelich. As long as Kaldumahn found him to be useful, he would find clear paths to travel for much of his journey.
“Maelich has made it to the Sobbing Forest!” Kaldumahn boomed.
“Excellent! Order the trees to strike him down and save the last Dragon!” Moshat replied with gritted teeth and clenched fists.
“Don’t be foolish, Moshat,” Kaldumahn said as he shook his head and waved off the idea. “Maelich’s fate must play out. His journey is just beginning and he has much to do before he can be judged. Would you have him cut down before his choice is clear? The effects on our world could be cataclysmic. Surely you must understand that, Moshat. At this moment there is nothing more important to the balance of our world than this lad. The prophecy must play out.”
“Kaldumahn,” Moshat continued, “the prophecy he seeks to fulfill will bring ruin upon our world. You know this. The war is not over.”
“Dear brother, it is not our place to cut him down, not now. We must at least give him the chance to choose his path,” Kaldumahn replied, almost pleadingly.
“What if he chooses wrong? Then what for our world?” Moshat pressed on.
“Coeptus have set this play into motion. We must have faith in them. Without Maelich we have no chance. While he still breathes, there is hope. Trust me, my brother, please,” he emphasized this last point by taking Moshat’s hand and looking him in the eye, “Please.”
“Fine,” Moshat replied, “For now we do it your way, for now.”
Back in the forest, the trees made a grand path in obedience to Kaldumahn’s order. It certainly seemed the way through the Sobbing Forest would be much easier than Perrin had described. The group continued to trod along as the whispers of the trees became fainter and fainter. Perhaps they were dying down, or perhaps Maelich was growing accustomed to them. Either way, he feared their intent less and less as they traveled.
The group was making much better progress than Maelich expected they would. By the time the sun was getting low enough that he wanted to stop for the night, they were well into the forest. He found a good spot to make camp, and, by some strange twist, found that a small pile of perfect burning wood had been left right in the same spot. The wood was good and dry and needed no cutting. ‘Perhaps I be finding favor with the trees,’ he thought. He dismounted Validus and made camp.
Jom stretched out by the fire as Maelich and Perrin shared a bit of chatter while they fed. They ate quite well. Ymitoth had taught Maelich that being prepared was always more important than the speed in which you arrive. “It be doing ye no good to arrive dead for lack of supplies, lad,” Ymitoth had always said. Maelich paid heed to this warning and his group had just what they needed to make it through their journey. He made sure to point this fact out to Perrin, as he felt like he was her mentor now. She looked to him for guidance and he intended to do his best to prepare her for, “the great journey of life”.
Sleep didn’t come easy for either Maelich or Perrin that night. They both had demons terrorizing their dreams. The trees offered some comfort. They seemed to crowd in a little tighter as the night grew darker. It was almost as if they were protecting Maelich and Perrin. Even Jom, Validus, and Grinner felt completely safe from anything that might be creeping around in the shadows. Maelich noticed the trees were moaning though, just as Perrin had said they would. Not the ones closest to them. Those kind of hummed, almost like a lullaby. The song actually did help ease their minds a bit. The trees farther off were moaning or sobbing. It was hard to tell, but it only kept Maelich’s attention for the briefest of moments. He had other thoughts to process. They would find sleep easier in the nights to come, but their dreams would still be filled with horrible, bloody images and lost, lonely feelings.
The days danced by quickly in the forest. The group continued to make good time and after five days was roughly three quarters of the w
ay through the forest. Maelich’s estimations were a little less, but he was very close. The trees continued to offer comfort to the group so Maelich offered them a song as they rode. It was more of a chant really. He sung to the tune of a battle song Ymitoth had taught him. At the time he had said that he and his men had sung this song whenever they went to battle. Now the tune was the same for Maelich and the trees, but the words were different. He sang:
Oh the trees stand mighty and tall by day
And they knock ye down and they block your way
Be there darkness in your heart
But when ye come in peace and hear their cries
They’ll make way and they will spare your lives
Be there goodness in your heart
Oh the trees they cry and cry by night
They shed tears for those who’re without light
Lose their lives in the forest deep
But they sing to ye sweet lullabies
If ye see with your heart and not your eyes
They keep ye safe in the forest deep
He sang the tune over a few times. The trees seemed greatly pleased he was honoring them. They sang back to him, and Perrin joined in. Jom even howled a few notes here and there. For the briefest of moments, they were having fun. It refreshed their spirits and put a sprint in Jom’s step. They charged along as they sang amongst the trees who answered back with hymns of their own. They danced a sway making music with the rustling of their leaves and the whistling of their branches. Maelich was so swept up in the moment, as were the trees, Perrin, and Jom, he never noticed the hooded man step out onto the path. By the time he did, Jom was but fifty feet from the dark figure. The scrod noticed the man just after Maelich. Maelich called him to heel as he pulled back on Validus’s reigns.
Maelich wasted no time. He could sense from the trees that this man was dangerous and meant to do his group harm. The trees, for their part, seemed upset they hadn’t noticed this dark figure before he stepped out onto the path. They had been so caught up in Maelich’s song that they let their guard down. Nervousness drifted from branch to branch and leaf to leaf. Fire rushed through Maelich’s veins. He was unafraid. There was nothing that would get by him to harm Perrin, nothing.
Kill the Dragon (Lake of Dragons Book 1) Page 3