The Way to Freedom: The Complete Season One (Books 1-5): An Epic Fantasy Action Adventure (The Way to Freedom Series)

by H. M. Clarke

  “He didn’t mean to. Your father startled him that’s all. I have to bring you back to the village.” Garrick seemed to let his words hang mournfully in the wind and his blue eyes turned to stare blankly over the wheat field towards the village.

  “Why?”

  Kalena faltered when the expression on Garrick’s face hardened as he looked up at her.

  “Because you are needed.” The Provost looked back again towards the village. Kalena followed his gaze and saw that the other man just sat his horse staring intently at them across the wheat field. The villagers surrounding him seemed uncertain about what to do and had started moving around nervously. Kurst Elder still tended her father who was now propped up against the stone well clutching his forehead. He looked to be all right.

  “I want to stay here,” she said. Her mother said she had a stubborn streak a mile wide, Kalena knew that you never disobeyed a Provost – even if he was your friend.

  “No.” He shook his head in emphasis, his blonde hair falling into his eyes.

  “But I’m scared,” Kalena said softly, Kala’s head was wet with her tears.

  “There is no need to be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Garrick held out both arms motioning with them for her to come down.

  “You promise?” Kalena looked uneasily at the circle of boys below her.

  “I promise. I’ll even let you ride Shatal back to the village. You like Shatal don’t you?”

  The promise of touching Shatal made Kalena quickly forget her tears.

  “You really mean that?” she asked uncertainly. Garrick never lets any of the children touch his warhorse.

  “Of course.”

  Kalena hesitated a moment, her stubbornness arguing in her head not to believe him. Mother had taught her to always obey a Provost so she pushed that little voice away and climbed quickly down the tree. Kalena stopped before the final jump, looking uncertainly at the boys who still stood around the base of the oak. Videan seemed ready to leap upon her at any moment; there was the hint of violence in his eyes and that was what truly frightened her. She had never truly seen this side of her brother before.

  Garrick sighed as his blue-eyed gaze swept the boys around him. The warhorse began to dance nervously, sensing his rider’s frustration. The Provost solved Kalena’s problem by nudging Shatal between the boys to stand beside the trunk just beneath her.

  “Let me help you down, they won’t hurt you.” Garrick frowned down at the boys and they all, including Videan, took an involuntary step back.

  Garrick held out his arms and Kalena allowed herself to be lifted from the trunk onto Garrick’s saddle.

  Kalena settled herself comfortably and set Kala in front of her so that she could see as well.

  “Is that better?” Garrick asked her.

  “Yes thank you,” Kalena beamed a huge smile at him. “Kala says thank you as well.”

  The Provost nodded and wrapped a strong, muscular arm around her, taking Shatal’s reigns in his right hand. He then turned Shatal around and began walking him slowly back to the village.

  As the horse walked out from under the oak, Kalena turned her head to look behind her under Garrick’s arm. The group of boys was trailing slowly behind the horse and Kalena impetuously stuck her tongue out at them making a rude sound. The Provost looked down in surprise. This sparked a giggle from Kalena that Garrick soon couldn’t resist and finally gave into. Garrick’s laughter seemed to ease the set of his features, to make them gentle again.

  Kalena turned forward again and held Kala out before her on outstretched arms, giggling. She loved horses and she had never been on one as fine as this. Shatal’s white mane flashed in the morning sun and his head nodded up and down as if agreeing with her about how wonderful he was. Thoughts of horses quickly changed to thoughts on birds and then, halfway across the wheat field Kalena suddenly asked, “Have you ever seen Hatars Provost Thurad?”

  Kalena felt the arm about her waist tighten as he answered carefully.

  “Yes I have.”

  “What are they like? Do they fly better than birds? I’ve always wanted to know. Did you know that Father has seen a Hatar?” Kalena quickly closed her mouth as the Provost held up a shushing finger.

  “One question at a time.”

  “Stop annoying the Provost Kalena, you won’t be seeing him again,” Videan said from beside the horse. Kalena had not noticed his arrival.

  “Be quiet about things that do not concern you Videan,” Garrick said angrily at him.

  Videan clamped his mouth shut but still walked close to Shatal’s side.

  “Do you like Hatars?” He asked Kalena in a gentler tone.

  “If they fly as good as birds I do,” she said excitedly. “Do they fly as good as birds?”

  The Provost nodded.

  “They fly better than birds, faster, higher, and longer.” Garrick emphasized each point with the arm that was holding her in the saddle.

  “Do they? Do you think I will ever see one?” Kalena asked, bending her neck to look up at him.

  “Sooner than you think.”

  He smiled as he tickled her with his reign hand and she giggled.

  “When you are finished playing with that child?”

  Suddenly the tickling stopped and Kalena looked into the eyes of the bald headed man. This close and she could see the close trimmed grey beard and the hard wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. He looked older than Kurst Elder! He had ridden out to meet them on the edge of the wheat field. His big grey gelding had stopped placidly beside them; Shatal snorted and bared his teeth but received no reaction from the grey. The boys had stopped just behind the two horses.

  “Is this the child?”

  Garrick looked down at her and smiled.

  “Yes High Provost Deten.”

  Kalena shrank back against Garrick’s chest. She did not like the way those deep brown eyes looked at her. Holding her doll close, she tried to pretend that she wasn’t there.

  “A valuable prize,” Deten said more to himself. “She is not to mix with the other Kalarthri. She is to ride with you.” The grey gelding shifted under Deten as he spoke, shifted away from the stallion. “You have done good work Provost. They should send more Testers into the Provinces.”

  The High Provost circled around them and then heeled his horse into a trot back to the Village Square.

  “I don’t like him,” Kalena said sourly.

  “Not many people do.” Garrick said quietly, for Kalena’s ears only.

  “Why is she so valuable?” Videan’s voice piped up from beside them.

  The Provost looked carefully at the boy, his arm tightening his grip around Kalena.

  “She is to be a Hatar Kalar boy.”

  Videan’s face fell in disbelief as Garrick heeled his horse to follow Deten’s.

  Kalena was concentrating hard at Deten’s retreating back and did not hear Garrick’s reply.

  As Shatal entered the Town Square, Kalena tried to look over the heads of the villagers surrounding them to get a glimpse of her father. Videan and his friends melted into the crowd and disappeared.

  “He’s fine Kalena, I see the Elder helping him into the Town Hall.”

  Kalena looked up into the Provost’s face and hugged her doll closer to her. This day was not turning into what it was supposed to.

  “Where’s Mama?” Kalena asked quietly as she looked through the crowd again. The Provost didn’t hear her. She had only just started to call her mother ‘Mother’. Saying Mama seemed childish but Kalena began to feel scared again.

  The bald man, Deten, was speaking to the people who crowded around him. The two men who were sitting on the wagon were now herding five children into the back of it. She saw the mothers of Tobe and June crying after their sons but the parents of the others were nowhere to be seen.

  Kalena turned frantically in the saddle and began to tug at the Provost’s surcoat.

  “Where’s Mama?” she cried, trying to get his attent
ion.

  Garrick did not notice. His attention was fully on his superior. The villagers had started to close around the two horsemen and Garrick nudged his horse closer to the grey.

  “Listen to me!” the bald man shouted over the crowd. “We have a lot of places to visit before sundown. We cannot stay for your wake. Let us through.”

  “Mama!” Kalena called at the top of her lungs. Tears flowed freely down Kalena’s face and soaked into Kala’s head, which was tucked under her chin. A roughly callused hand reached across and brushed wet, black hair away from her face.

  “Shush, it will be alright. Your Mama is fine.”

  Kalena looked silently into the Provost’s face. The morning sun made his short blonde hair shine about his head like a halo and his eyes held unshed tears as he looked down at her.

  “What about a goodbye for our children?” a voice called from the crowd. Kalena thought it was Goodwife Keane. Many voices shouted agreement.

  High Provost Deten turned his gelding to face the bulk of the crowd. Provost Thurad continued his horse moving until they stood beside the box wagon. Kalena could see Tobe, June and Anna’s faces jammed against the iron bars of the only window in the wagon. The Guards stood alertly by the front of the wagon, hands ready by the sheathed swords that hung from their belts.

  “They are no longer your children; they are the property of the Emperor. Disobedience to him is death.” The High Provost shouted this to the crowd who instantly quieted and backed quickly away from him.

  “It’s nice to see some respect for the Emperor,” Deten said softly though every member of the crowd heard him clearly.

  Several people looked anxiously at each other, afraid that any action they do would be taken as defiance against the Emperor.

  Satisfied that the villagers would give him no more trouble, High Provost Deten signaled his men to ready the wagon to leave. Guiding his horse to stand next to Shatal, the man turned in the saddle to face the village.

  “We will be back in another eight years. Maybe, this time will teach you not to mollycoddle your Second Born.”

  The two soldiers now sat on the high seat of the wagon, and the man holding the reigns slapped them hard against the horse team when the High Provost gave the signal to leave.

  “Mama!” Kalena desperately called again, “Mama.” Garrick had lied to her. She did not want to go to jail.

  The children from the wagon began to echo her call. Provost Thurad looked back sadly at the silent crowd before following the wagon out of the village.

  Kalena looked back at the square and saw her brother Videan push to the front of the crowd and stand smiling like the cat that had the cream. Movement at the back of the crowd drew her eyes and Kalena saw her father stagger into the square closely followed by Kurst Elder. Blood still stained the front of his face.

  “Papa!” she called. Kalena tried to wave to him but the Provost held her in a vice like grip and heeled his horse into a faster gate to catch up to the retreating wagon.

  “Remember that ma and pa love you,” Kalena heard her father call to her hoarsely.

  “Let me go,” Kalena said trying to pry his arm away from her. Garrick did not answer her but looked sternly ahead of them. She began to struggle, trying to pummel Garrick with her tiny fists. “Let me go,” She repeated over and over.

  The Provost did nothing as Shatal cantered over the small rise that hid them from the main village except to keep his vice like grip around Kalena’s waist.

  Kalena quickly gave up her struggle and began to cry silently. Her friends in the wagon still called for their parents. She heard Anna’s high pitched screech and cringed as it sent shivers down her spine. Kalena hoped it had the same effect on the men around her.

  The Provost cantered ahead of the wagon and bought Shatal to a walk as he came alongside the grey gelding.

  Kalena tried not to look at the bald man sitting in the saddle beside them. She did not like the way his eyes looked at her.

  Ahead of them on the road waited ten more uniformed men on horseback who rode forward towards the transport. As the group of horsemen approached, The High Provost called to the lead man.

  “Captain, shut that lot up before they damage themselves.”

  The Captain signaled too two men who then rode forward to bang hard on the sides of the wagon and warned the children in hard voices to be silent. The rest of the men waited until the wagon had passed before falling in behind it.

  The group had travelled a good mile from the village before the High Provost spoke again.

  “I can sense your disapproval Thurad,” he said. Kalena had cried herself out and was now leaning quietly against the Provost’s chest, hoping that the bald man would forget about her.

  “They are children -.” Garrick simply said but Wolde Deten clipped the end of his comment.

  “They are Kalarthri. You seem to forget that.”

  “It makes no difference whether they are Kalarthri or freemen; they are still children and should be treated as such.” Garrick’s voice held a restrained anger. Kalena was glad it was not directed at her.

  “I now see why you were sent out to the Provinces. Your father could not keep your views at the Capital could he?”

  “I suggest that you keep my father out of this,” Garrick said softly and to Kalena’s wonder, the wrinkled old man snapped his mouth shut in surprise. “Remember, to speak of my father with such familiarity is treason.”

  The man’s face turned red and Kalena could not decide whether it was from anger or embarrassment. The pair rode silently for a while before the High Provost spoke again.

  “I understand that Harada, your Kalarthri brother has just made Wing Commander.”

  “Prince Harada achieved that under his own merit,” Garrick replied defensively though also with a small amount of pride.

  “Harada Kalar has done well for a Kalarthri, especially one so young.” Deten emphasized the title.

  “Harada is a Hatar rider. Not plain Kalarthri.”

  That comment sparked a memory in Kalena.

  “A Hatar rider? That’s what you said I was going to be,” Kalena said aloud. “You also said that they fly better than birds.” Kalena looked up to see those bright blue eyes staring down at her. Her earlier terror was suddenly forgotten, if she was to ride Hatars, then she could visit her parents anytime she wanted, and scare her brother to boot.

  “That’s right, I did.” Garrick smiled down at her.

  “Does your brother, Harada,” Kalena stumbled over the unfamiliar name, “like being a Hatar rider?”

  “Yes he does. He has made a good friend in Samar. Perhaps you will find a good friend in the partner you are paired with.”

  “Does that mean I’m not going to jail?” Kalena asked unsure of the answer.

  “No you are not going to jail.”

  “You, my dear, are worth a lot to me. This will be the first Bounty paid to me in over fifteen years.”

  Provost Thurad snored with disgust. Kalena glared at the bald man, hoping her expression looked as stern as Provost Thurad’s. She did not want to speak to the man. What is a bounty? Kalena did not want to ask in case the High Provost answered her. When she was a Hatar rider, she will seek out Garrick’s brother and be friends with him; he surely would be as nice as Garrick is, even if Garrick was a Provost.

  “Where are we going?” she asked after a moment.

  “When we finish the last of our patrol, we will be heading for Darkon,” Garrick said.

  “There you and the others will be assessed to find out what you are suitable for,” Deten said throwing Provost Thurad a dark look.

  “You’ll be fine,” Garrick said hugging her closer to him, staring hard at Wolde Deten’s back as he rode ahead. “You’ll be fine.”

  The rest of the day was spent travelling the country roads in silence, not even the soldiers talked amongst themselves. The countryside looked the same as that around Kurst Village and the villages themselves were much smaller
than her own. Kalena stayed with Provost Thurad and fell asleep in the saddle, dozing against his chest. They found no others like her. No other Kalarthri in the region had the simple spark in them for bonding with the Speaking Crystal. Without that spark, the implanted Crystal will bring death to both the human and the Hatar partner.

  Chapter Two

  The choosing

  Kalena awoke in her bed and found herself in the same, plain dormitory as what she fell asleep in. It was just before dawn and the five other children who shared the room with her were still asleep. Kalena hugged Kala and buried herself deep under her warm blankets.

  She had been in this room for three weeks now and had been alone for the first week until Corey arrived. Another four children quickly followed Corey and the dormitory did not seem quite so empty. They were allowed out of the dormitory for three hours each day into a grassed open-air enclosure in which they must exercise. The rest of the day was spent in a classroom, learning about the Suene Empire, its history and its armed forces. This was a new experience for Kalena as it was the first time that she had been in a classroom. The children of Kurst village were taught to read by their parents and enough mathematics to be able to make sure that they were getting the correct amount of money for their produce.

  When Kalena was outside in the enclosure, she could sometimes hear the voices of other children and she often wondered what had happened to the others from her village. She had not seen them since the High Provost had brought them here to Darkon.

  During the last three days in the classroom they had been learning about the Hatar’le’margarten, the large feathered bird-like reptiles that are the core of the Suenese Flying Corps. And finally, their teacher Parker had introduced them to his wingmate, Fanta. Fanta was a large, sandy colored Hatar with large wings covered in golden feathers, but the rest of his body was covered in small, soft down feathers that rippled and moved over Fanta’s muscled limbs.

  Kalena hugged Kala close to her but did not rush up to the Hatar like the rest of the children. She remained seated behind her desk, eyes glued to the reptilian head that towered above the group of excited children. Nictitating eyelids blinked over the sapphire slitted eyes. As Kalena stared into Fanta’s eyes she realized that she was being stared back at. She pulled herself straighter in her chair and jutted a defiant chin as she deliberately stared back at the Hatar.