Chapter 18: Lament
Kaitala pulled a strange stick out of the pack she had brought along. She struck it off of the wall, igniting it. It cast a weary orange light on the walls and the ceiling.
The group traveled into the side tunnel closest to where they were. They walked on in silence for quite some time before Ryan spoke. “Where is Bastian?”
Michael hadn’t noticed, but it was true. The wolf was nowhere to be seen.
“He went on ahead to explore,” Kaitala said.
“But he could get lost!” Ryan protested.
“Not likely,” Argued Tristan, “Wolves are excellent trackers. That instinct never goes away when you tame a beast.”
An uncomfortable silence fell, and the only sound was the plodding of their feet and an occasional drop of water falling into a puddle.
“Tristan is right,” Kai spoke with assurance. “Bastian is the best tracker in all of Magentara. If he could get lost in here, we are all doomed to die anyway.”
“Why do you put so much trust in that animal?” Reno growled through clenched teeth.
“What do you mean?”
“You insist that we call him by name. You treat him as if he was a person, but at any moment he could turn on you. He is an animal, a wolf!”
“Does it bother you that I have a true companion?”
“No, it bothers me that you have that beast tagging along!”
“Have you ever owned a dog?” Kaitala asked.
“No, they all have the genes of wild beasts. They only earn your trust long enough to get behind your back, then it’s too late!”
Everyone went silent, and Reno put his face against his arm and leaned against the cavern wall. His broad shoulders trembled, and his breath came in broken segments.
“Reno,” Michael said as he cautiously approached, “What happened?”
Reno stood and wiped the tears from his eyes discretely.
“When I met Sonya, it was the best day of my life. I was just a young lad then, starting my career as a blacksmith. I lived outside of the city then; I found it easier to focus on my craft. I was hammering a horseshoe into form when she walked in. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her golden locks curled down her back. She wore a blue dress that day.
“In my distraction, I brought my hammer down on my thumb.” Reno smiled. “She rushed over and asked if I was alright. Her voice was sweet as honey; as soft as silk.
“She needed two metal rings made to hold a wooden bucket together; the cooper was out and would not have a shipment for another month. I had some already, but I made two more in front of her. She knew I was just trying to impress her, but she humored me. We began to visit each other regularly, and our hearts grew together. We got married and bought a small home where we could live our lives and raise a child.
“We tried for five years, but she never conceived a child. Making farm tools doesn’t bring enough income to see a doctor; we had given up hope of having a child of our own, and we couldn’t afford an official adoption.
“Many years passed as we spent our lives together. She always apologized for not being able to bear children. We were in our mid years, and I began to accept the fact that I would not have a child to carry on my name. Months later, my wife started to get sick. She would throw up in the mornings, and she didn’t have as much energy.
“I took her to see a woman who had cared for me when I was ill as a young man. If anybody would know what to do, it would be her. She took my wife back into a curtained room, and I heard low murmuring. Then my wife shouted ‘What?’
“I rushed in, thinking there was something wrong, and my beautiful wife grinned up at me ‘I am with child.’ She beamed. I embraced her, and my dear old friend gave me a pat on the back.
“As the months passed and winter approached, my wife’s belly grew round. I went out to harvest wood in the forest, when I heard screaming coming from the house.
“My wife had been picking the vegetables in the garden, but when I got there I couldn’t believe what I saw…” Reno drew a deep breath, holding back tears. His face was anguished. “It was a pack of wild dogs; nine in total. They had attacked Sonya in the garden, and they were mauling her in the mud.
“The dogs saw me, and they snarled. The hair on their spine stood and their bloody teeth were exposed. Then they came for me. I had an axe in my hand that I had been using to down the small trees I would use for our fireplace, but now I would cut down these beasts. One by one, they fell, until only the pack leader lived.
“He was a large wolf. His gray fur was streaked with my wife’s blood. But his most peculiar feature was that he only had one ear. The other had been cut off straight. I charged the animal, but it ran into the forest. I never saw him again.
“I knelt down beside my wife. She was still breathing, but her eyes were glazed over.
“She was mangled. I didn’t dare to look down upon her body, just her face. ‘Reno,’ she said, ‘I’m so sorry,’ a single tear streamed down her torn face.
“There was no hope for her. I couldn’t get her to a doctor in time, and even if I did she would still die. The doctors could possibly mend the wounds, but she would have died of infection.”
Reno sobbed, “That was just over a year ago. Word came to the king that I had slain most of the pack, and he offered me a position in the royal guard. I declined, but I did become the royal smith.”
Everything went silent yet again. That was my fault, Michael thought to himself. I should have killed that wolf, but it got away. Now I have innocent blood on my hands.
“Tristan, Ryan, Kai. Leave us alone for a moment,” Michael said out loud.
They went without argument, leaving Michael with the Flair. They lit a new one and walked on.
“We will wait at the next turn,” Kai said.
“Thank you,” Michael said.
A long moment passed before anyone spoke, but it was Reno who broke the silence. “What, boy? Can a man not grieve his wife and unborn child?”
“I’m sorry…” Michael stammered.
“No, it is I who is sorry. I never should have left Sonya alone. It is my fault she died.”
“No, Reno. It is my fault,” Michael said softly. He told Reno the whole story of how he had saved Topaz from the wolves, but missed one. “He must have left the castle forests in search of a new pack. He must have formed up with the wild dogs. I’m so sorry,” Michael lowered his stinging eyes.
He suddenly felt Reno’s large hand press down on his shoulder. “Do not blame yourself, Michael. You did not send that wolf to my home.”
“But I sent him away from mine,” Michael argued, “That wolf took away your family! I sent it away because I wanted to save a horse, and you lost your child because of it.”
“That may be true, but now I can see a different working of fate. You helped me to realize something just now.”
“What?”
“The wolf has tied our lives together. If he had not taken the life of my wife and child, I wouldn’t have moved to Jenoth. I wouldn’t have met you, and you wouldn’t have gotten the belt. The actions of the wolf seemed to go against us, but in truth, it was always meant to be.”
Michael laughed bitterly, “Fate is a cruel maiden, if there ever was such a thing.”
“No, it was the Being at work. It is guiding us. This day has been in the workings much longer than we realize. That wolf may have taken away my wife, but it brought me a son,” Reno looked down at Michael.
“Reno…” Michael began, then embraced the man.
“Shall we catch up with the others?” Reno asked, somewhat taken aback.
Michael agreed, and they moved on.
Sea of the Dead Page 18