by Wark, RM
“Has a physician seen to you yet?” asked Adam, concerned for his friend.
Hammond shook his head. “One shall be by tomorrow. Meanwhile, it is wrapped tight by Edith’s hand, and the ale most certainly helps with the pain.” He winked, and one might have thought he was joking again, but Adam knew his friend well – Hammond did not need an excuse to partake in the drinking of ale.
“So to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Adam?” the injured man asked.
“The Council had hoped to employ your services for a matter of great importance, but I see that shall not be possible given your current condition,” lamented Adam. “Would you happen to know whom else I might entrust with delivering a message to Lady Dinah?”
“Lady Dinah! In Mt. Xavier? That journey is far, my friend, and no doubt the terrain would prove difficult at best. I fear most Reedites are ill-suited for such a task,” replied Hammond.
Adam frowned. He knew his friend spoke words of truth. Very few Reedites possess the adventurous spirit of Hammond – only a handful have ever traveled beyond the lands of Bartow. Fewer yet are skilled at navigating difficult terrain and surviving the outdoor elements, skills often called upon for journeys such as these.
Hammond could see his friend was clearly distressed. “Cheer up, my friend,” Hammond said after an awkward silence. “There is one person who might be willing to make the journey in my stead. I had been thinking it was time for Gentry to face a more difficult challenge.”
“Gentry?” protested Adam. “But certainly he is much too young and inexperienced for something like this.”
Before Hammond could reply, Edith came into the room bringing a cup of tea for Adam. “Gentry is tending to your horse now, Adam,” she said, placing the teacup down on the table before him.
“Thank you, Edith.”
With that Edith smiled and left the men to themselves again.
“Gentry shall turn eighteen in a few months. I have been training him in these matters since he was but a small boy. I am confident he could complete the task.”
Adam remained unconvinced. “I am not so certain, Hammond…”
“Alas, I fear you do not have many options, my friend,” Hammond countered as he nodded towards his bandaged ankle. “If not Gentry – there is only me – and I shall not be able to leave for at least six more weeks.”
“Aye, and that shall be too late,” sighed Adam.
“Do not fret, my friend. I shall go over the maps with Gentry today and make certain he is well prepared for this journey.”
Adam was still ill at ease, but he knew the Steward’s message must reach Lady Dinah as quickly as possible, and his mind could think of no other way for that to happen save by the hand of Gentry. “Aye, all right,” he said finally.
“Very well, then,” said Hammond with a bright smile. “Now, shall we discuss the fee before we fetch Gentry?”
Adam nodded.
“This shall prove a most difficult journey. I am guessing it shall take at least seven to eight weeks round-trip. The fee must cover all expenses – room and board and supplies for Gentry and his horse –plus profit, of course.” Hammond started doing the math in his head, which fortunately was not too impaired by the ale he had been sipping all morning for his pain. “One hundred fifty gold pieces ought to cover it,” he said finally.
Adam was startled; he had not been expecting such a high fee. Nevertheless, he knew better than to barter with his friend. He knew he was not in any position to negotiate and besides, Hammond had always been fair to him in the past. “Aye, all right. I shall pay two-thirds now, and one-third upon Gentry’s return and confirmation that the message has been delivered to Lady Dinah.”
“It is always a pleasure doing business with you, my friend.” With that the men shook hands. Adam counted out a hundred gold pieces (he barely had enough) and handed them over to Hammond before leaving the room to find Gentry.
Let us hope I have not misjudged him, Hammond thought to himself, trying to suppress the lingering doubts about his son.
*************
Gentry was a tall and handsome young man, with broad shoulders, light brown hair and green eyes. He had a boyish grin and was frequently tempted to perform mischievous deeds that only a child might truly appreciate. Still, he was eager to prove to his father that he was a grown man now. Like his father, Gentry perhaps enjoyed his ale a little too much at times, but also like his father he was incredibly loyal and trustworthy.
When Adam found him in the stable, the only words he spoke to Gentry were, “Please join us in the sitting room. Your father and I should like a word with you.”
Gentry’s mind was racing. He immediately began to worry that one of the village constables had informed Adam about the fight at Vance’s Tavern a few nights prior. Gentry had not intended to hurt that man, but it had been impossible to ignore the drunkard who had been yelling at his poor woman for far too long. Of course, Gentry was not supposed to be at the tavern in the first place. He was supposed to be collecting more firewood, but that was a different matter. He held his breath as he entered the sitting room, giving an anxious glance towards the two grave-faced men before him.
“Gentry,” his father began solemnly, “our dear friend Adam has an important matter that requires immediate attention. Being somewhat indisposed at the moment, I thought perhaps you might be willing to accept this engagement on my behalf.”
“Aye, most certainly!” Gentry exclaimed as a wave of relief washed over him.
“I have not even told you what it is yet,” Hammond scolded, giving his son a stern look to let him know this was a serious matter. “The Steward has a message for Lady Dinah, and the Council is in need of a messenger.”
Gentry had heard of the wizard but did not know much about her.
His father continued on. “Lady Dinah lives in the Stratford Region, on Mt. Xavier, I am told – a vast purple peak in the northern reaches of the Cook Mountains.”
Gentry’s heart began to beat a bit faster upon hearing this. He had always wanted to travel beyond the boundaries of the Laureline Region. He never dreamed he would be granted the opportunity so soon.
“When shall I leave?” asked Gentry excitedly.
“Tomorrow,” replied Adam. “The Council is eager for Lady Dinah to receive this message as soon as possible.” From his satchel, Adam pulled out a small bronze tube with the message inside and handed it to Gentry. “No eyes save Lady Dinah’s shall read this,” he said firmly.
Gentry noticed that the tube had the seal of Reed on it and nodded. “Aye, sir. It shall be safe with me.” Not having his own satchel on hand he placed the tube on a side table in the sitting room.
“We shall study the maps at length and plot out your route today. This is going to be a difficult journey and shall likely test everything I have taught you thus far, possibly more.” There was a seriousness in his father’s voice that Gentry rarely heard from the man usually filled with laughter and jokes.
“Aye, sir. I understand. I shall not fail you.”
This whole time Edith had been standing in the kitchen, overhearing all the words that had been spoken. She had not done so intentionally, but it is nearly impossible to ignore voices when they pertain to one’s son. Edith fretted. Gentry was her only child and this was an incredibly dangerous journey. Not even Hammond had been that far – all the way to Mt. Xavier!
Edith waited for Adam to leave before she made her way into the sitting room, her words frightened and angry. “Wizards be damned, how dare you send our son off on this perilous journey for a few lousy gold pieces! He is not ready yet! He is but a child!” She did not realize that Gentry had returned to the room and was standing behind her, holding the maps that he and his father were intending to study in preparation for the journey.
“I am not a child any longer, Mother. I know I can do this. Father has taught me well.” Gentry’s voice was surprisingly calm and confident, not at all defensive.
Edith’s eyes
filled with tears but she did not argue anymore. She looked at her son, bit her lip, and left the room without saying another word. Gentry started after his mother but Hammond managed to stop him. “Let her be, son. She just needs time to mull this over.”
*************
They made their way slowly on horseback, following the muddy trails along the northern banks of the Lower River Kael with only the light of the stars and moon to guide them. A soft wind was blowing and the air was crisp from a recent rain. Wendell breathed it all in and let out a sigh. Everything here was so lush and alive, the way things used to be back home on the far side of the Divisidero Mountains, when he was but a child and knew nothing of misery and fear.
In the weeks they had been wandering about the Western Territories, Wendell had finally come to know the geography of this foreign land. Lake Brielle and the Village of Lucerne were behind them, and somewhere beyond the horizon, the Town of Laredo and the West Samora Sea lay before them. They were traveling in stealth and the going was slow. Wendell knew it would be some time before they reached their final destination. He shuddered to think what would happen if they were discovered. He shuddered to think what would happen if they failed in their quest.
*************
Hammond and Gentry spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening studying the maps and plotting out the best route to Mt. Xavier. Hammond told his son everything he knew about the little villages between here and there, which was not much.
Gentry’s first stop would be the Town of Bartow, one of his favorite places. As there was little but vast barren land between Bartow and his next stop, the Village of Colton, it was important that Gentry stock up on enough supplies in Bartow to weather the elements for a few nights.
The Village of Colton had a reputation for being a lawless land, home to countless thieves and other lowly sorts of people. “That is not a place to taste the ale,” his father warned. “You shall need your wits about you. From the village it shall take another day or so to make it through the mountain pass.”
“Have you ever traveled through the Colton Gap?” asked Gentry.
“Long ago, before I was married to your mother.”
“And for what purpose?” Gentry’s curiosity was piqued. He had never heard his father speak of any travels outside of the Laureline Region.
Hammond frowned. There was a long pause before he finally spoke. “There is a rather large forest on the other side of the mountain pass, the Taiga Forest. It is rumored to be the home of a special breed of blue-eyed deer whose fur is as white as snow. I went hunting for them once in my ignorant youth, with foolish hopes of bringing home a trophy.”
“I take that to mean you were not successful?” asked Gentry, amused by the story he had never heard from his father.
“No, I was not. That damned forest proved unyielding, and I was defeated in my quest like the scores of foolhardy hunters before me.” Hammond scowled, remembering the nightmare journey that almost cost him his life. But he did not elaborate. Instead he spoke of the Colton Gap, a narrow pass between the Atlian and Cook Mountains that served as the main passageway between the Laureline and Stratford Regions of the Western Territories. This is where the mighty Atlian Mountains started to return to the ground from which they rose and the elevations were not as impossibly high.
Gentry studied the map. “Is there no place to take shelter in the Gap?”
“Not that I recall. I would advise you to stay in Colton until you are confident that you shall have at least a day’s ride of good weather,” his father replied. “On the Stratford side of the Gap you shall find the Village of Dawson. It is much smaller than Colton, but the villagers are kind and trustworthy. Mostly fisherman, as I recall. This would be another good place to stock up on supplies.”
Hammond studied the maps a bit longer.
“Your next stop would be the Village of Norman, which borders the far eastern edge of the Taiga Forest. I have never traveled that far, but by these maps I judge it shall take four or five days to reach the village. Speak to the locals in Dawson as to whether there is a particular advantage to taking either the North or South Road around the forest to Norman.”
“I think I shall prefer to take a path that goes through the forest instead. I may find that missing white deer of yours,” said Gentry in jest.
His father’s response was swift and stern. “Do not make light of the forest, son. Not even the locals dare to venture far into the trees – at least they did not twenty years ago. One would think that a forest of white-barked trees would be simple to navigate – but the light plays tricks on you and it is surprisingly easy to become lost. If you remember nothing else that I have told you today, you must remember to avoid that forest at all costs.”
“Aye, Father,” said his son, with more than a hint of disappointment.
Hammond returned to the maps. “I believe the Village of Norman is primarily a logging town, but I know nothing more of it. You should stock up on more supplies there, though. The terrain to the east is decidedly more rugged and I suspect the journey shall be slow-going.”
“Unfortunately, these maps do not show any clearly marked paths beyond Norman, but it would seem that your next stop would be the Town of Yukon. It is said that Yukon is Stratford’s main mining town – not unlike Jessum. Be careful of folks in mining towns, son. They tend to attract desperate people willing to risk everything,” cautioned his father.
Gentry had been to Jessum, once with his father, once without his father’s knowing. He shared his father’s opinion of mining towns and made a mental note to make his stay in Yukon as brief as possible.
“And then you shall be on towards your final stop – Lady Dinah’s castle on Mt. Xavier.” Hammond’s finger traced an imaginary path on the map from Yukon to the northern end of the Cook Mountains. There was no mention of Mt. Xavier or Lady Dinah’s castle, but Hammond knew it was somewhere around there. “Hopefully you shall find some maps on your journey that provide more detail. From these maps it is impossible to know how long it may take you to reach Lady Dinah’s castle from Yukon. Just take care on those rugged paths, son. The last thing you need is to be trapped in a rock slide or avalanche.”
That last statement sobered Gentry, who had been lost in thoughts of a beautiful castle high atop a purple mountain. “Aye, sir.”
The two men walked through the route a few more times, checking other maps to make certain they had not missed anything of importance. It had grown late into the evening and they realized they were both starving. Fortunately Edith had been quietly preparing dinner as they made their final plans. They ate in silence, Gentry preoccupied with the journey ahead, his parents preoccupied with Gentry.
Gentry was anxious for a good night’s sleep before starting his journey the next morning, but he took care in packing for the trip. Camping gear, extra clothes, some tools, food for himself, food for his horse, Casper. When he was satisfied with the preparations, he washed up and fell fast asleep. His parents, however, did not sleep that night, and did not sleep well for many a night thereafter.
*************
Gentry awoke before sunrise, eager to hit the road at the first light of morning. With the intention of making hardboiled eggs, he walked outside to the henhouse. The chickens in the coop paid no attention to him and he was grateful for the lack of squawking. He did not want to awaken his parents just yet.
His mother was already in the kitchen by the time he came back inside. She had put a kettle on the fire. “You should have some tea with breakfast.” Her voice was tired and unusually quiet.
Gentry hugged her. “I shall be fine, Mother. I promise.”
His mother gave a faint smile but said nothing.
His father had hobbled into the kitchen just as Gentry was finishing up, but he only smiled at his son. For once, words escaped him.
Gentry finished packing up Casper as his parents watched from the front porch, sipping their morning tea. He returned to give them a quick hug goo
d-bye, and then headed down the same path that Adam had the day before. Hammond started whittling on a stick trying to occupy the time (and his mind), and Edith went back into the house to start her daily chores.
As she was sweeping the floors, Edith happened to notice a bronze tube upon the side table in the sitting room. “I suppose I should not be so surprised to find this,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Of all the things for the boy to forget.” Gentry had only been gone less than a half hour, and Casper was a bit weighted down, so she figured she should be able to catch him if she hurried.
“And where might you be heading off to this fine morning?” asked Hammond as he watched his wife run down the front steps of their porch.
Edith stopped and turned around to face her husband. She held up the tube in one hand, and placed her other hand at her hip in a pose that was all too familiar. She did not have to speak a word. Hammond just shook his head and chuckled, returning to his whittling stick.
It took Edith nearly two hours to catch up with her son. He had been traveling east on the road to Bartow when he heard the sound of a horse galloping fast behind him. Pulling over to the side of the road, he was surprised to see his mother. “Mother, what are you doing here?”
“Perhaps you were not as prepared as you thought,” she replied, retrieving the message tube from her satchel and holding it in the air.
Gentry’s eyes grew wide as he stared at the tube. “Thank you, Mother. I do not suppose this is the best start to such an important journey.” His face was solemn and he shook his head in disbelief that he could have forgotten to pack the most crucial item of all. Nevertheless, the grave expression was soon replaced with a wide grin as he reached for the tube and put it carefully inside his coat pocket. “Alas, every journey has its troubles; it comforts me to know that mine have come to pass so soon in my travels, and gives me hope that the remainder of my journey shall be without incident.”