The new path did make him feel more claustrophobic than the other one had. At its base it was wider, but the upper reaches of the canyon were closer together. At times it almost felt as if they were traveling through a tunnel as the sky would disappear altogether. Riding in the dim light of the shadowed canyon left him feeling tired. He tried to stay alert, but his eyelids kept drooping closed. After following the winding trail for awhile and seeing no signs of any danger, Studell rode up next to Traven.
“I hope we get to the valley soon,” the philosopher said. “This canyon feels like it’s closing in on me. I don’t know how much more of this I can stand.”
Traven agreed with Studell as he rubbed his eyes. It would be nice if they reached the valley spoken of in the riddle soon. He took a deep breath of air, trying to stay awake. He noticed a slight change in the air. He took several more deep breaths. The dry, musty smell of the canyon was now sometimes interspersed with brief whiffs of a soft fragrance that he couldn’t identify. Perhaps they were getting close to the valley after all.
Suddenly Studell yelped and his mount screamed. Traven whipped around to find the horse buried up to its chest in the sand. He vaulted from Pennon’s saddle and rushed to Studell’s side. He watched with horror as the horse continued to quickly sink. He grabbed the philosopher, yanked him forcefully out of his saddle, and tossed him up against the canyon wall. He was careful to stay on solid ground as he tried to help the terrified horse out of the sinking sand. When it became apparent that the rescue of the horse was hopeless, he quickly cut off Studell’s saddle bags and cut the rope that led to the packhorse before Studell’s mount completely disappeared beneath the sand.
Traven stared at the now bare spot of sand with a mix of sorrow and amazement. His heart sank with the thought of the poor animal’s fate. He couldn’t believe that the horse had just completely disappeared below the surface. The spot of sand looked almost identical to the rest of the sandy floor of the narrow canyon, giving no hint of the hidden danger lurking beneath the ground. He turned and helped a still stunned Studell back to his feet.
“I guess that’s the sand’s wrath,” Traven muttered still in awe. “We better make sure we stay as close to the side of the canyon as we possibly can.”
As soon as Studell got over his shock, he promised Traven that he would not go anywhere near the center of the canyon. The philosopher was still pale, and Traven told him to go ahead and ride Pennon. He would walk in front and carefully lead the horses. They definitely couldn’t afford to lose another horse if they hoped to be able to return to the beach in time to meet the Arrow. As it was, one of them would be riding without a saddle.
Traven tied Studell’s saddle bags to the packhorse and tied the packhorse’s reins to Pennon. He then helped the philosopher up onto Pennon’s saddle. Once he was sure that Studell was calm enough to stay in the saddle, he carefully made his way around the horses. He took hold of Pennon’s reins and carefully led the horses onward, staying even closer to the canyon wall than he had previously.
He kept a wary eye for any patches of sand that would be dangerous and was fairly sure that he identified several more patches in the center of the canyon that would prove deadly if wandered onto. By late afternoon, a soft, sweet breeze began to blow. Traven smiled at the sweet smell and hoped that they would soon be out of the maze of narrow canyons. The path suddenly made a sharp turn to the left and opened up into a small valley.
They both stared out over the valley, stunned at the beauty of it. The valley was full of lush green foliage that created an eye popping contrast against the red stone cliffs. Several waterfalls cascaded down the steep cliffs that surrounded the entire vale. Traven could see no other entrances or exits from the valley except for the canyon that they had just emerged from. After so many days in the barren desert, the sight was almost too much to believe. It was awe inspiring!
Studell dismounted and came to stand next to Traven as he stood gazing over the valley. The valley truly was beautiful and sweet. Some type of plant or flower in the vale gave off a sweet and calming aroma. After several moments of silence to appreciate the scene, they began to scan the valley for any sign of the ruins of Faldor’s Keep. The vale wasn’t very big, and Traven could easily see all the way across it. The trees in the valley weren’t very dense or tall and didn’t look as though they could hide anything. He was surprised he couldn’t see any signs of the ruins whatsoever.
The map had most certainly led them to this very spot, but the ruins of Faldor’s Keep were missing. Was the map some kind of joke? There should be some sign left of the ancient keep. If it truly had been here, it seemed unlikely it could have disappeared without a trace. Traven hoped they hadn’t come all this way for nothing. He took a few deep breaths of the sweet, calming air.
Maybe if they headed down into the valley they would find something. As they began walking away from the mouth of the canyon, Traven suddenly had the uneasy feeling that they were being watched. He scanned the valley below but saw no signs of life. As they continued forward the feeling grew stronger. He tried to figure out where the uneasy feelings were coming from but couldn’t. He stuck out his hand to the side and stopped Studell.
“What are we waiting for?” the philosopher said excitedly. “We’re here. Let’s get down in the valley and find the ruins.”
“I feel like we’re being watched,” Traven stated uncomfortably. “Can’t you feel it?”
“No,” he replied. “Maybe you just got so used to the narrow canyons that the openness of the valley leaves you feeling exposed. Now come on. I want to see what’s down there.”
Traven wished that it was as simple to shake the feeling as Studell made it sound, but it wasn’t. The more he focused on the feeling, the more he was certain that whoever was watching them was only several arm spans in front of them. He knew it seemed impossible, but he could undeniably feel a presence directly in front of them. He wondered if he was going crazy, but then he noticed that Pennon was getting slightly skittish as well. The harder he stared in front of them, the more he was sure something was wrong. The air almost seemed to have a slight shimmer to it.
“We’re not alone,” Traven whispered to the philosopher. “Stand behind me.” Studell looked at him disbelievingly, but seeing that he was serious, the philosopher moved behind him.
Traven began to feel that the threat was growing and felt strangely exposed. He slowly unsheathed his sword as he looked ahead at the spot in front of him where he felt the threat coming from. He lifted his sword at the ready for whatever might occur next. Nothing happened, and he wondered once again if he was somehow imagining it.
Suddenly four cloaked figures stepped forward out of thin air directly in front of him. All four had bows raised and arrows pointed at Traven’s chest.
9
The two men disengaged and studied each other for a few moments as they caught their breath. Both were sweating heavily in the cool morning air. When they were once again ready, they raised their swords. They then reengaged, and the swords began to swirl and crack. Finally, Gavin began to gain an advantage. He pressed the advantage as he sensed the tiring of his opponent. Soon he had landed several glancing strikes. With a quick burst of speed, he lunged forward and landed a killing stroke.
A soft applause rose from the onlookers as Commander General Gavin reached down and helped his sparring partner back up onto his feet. The two men exchanged a few words and a clap on the back. Gavin then turned and made his way back up the hill towards his beautiful fiancé, the High Princess Kalista.
Kalista smiled as she watched Gavin making his way up the hill toward her. He was still breathing heavily, and his warm breath created puffs of mist in the cold morning air. He looked stunning despite his worn sparring attire and the sweat that dripped from his brow. She was reminded again of how lucky she was to be engaged to such a dashing man.
“My dear,” he said as he reached her and kissed her hand. “Did you enjoy watching the match?”
“You suppose so?”
“You won for the fourth day in a row. You are definitely improving, and it isn’t quite as exciting when I know you are going to win,” she smiled. “Perhaps you should recruit a new sparring partner.”
“Are you suggesting that you want to see me lose?” Gavin asked.
“No,” the princess answered with a mischievous grin. “I was just thinking it would help you keep getting better. You did say you wanted to be able to lead your men with the sword if you had to, didn’t you?”
“I did say that,” he said while nodding. He paused for a moment before continuing. “Okay, I will have General Blaize pick out a new sparring partner who is more skilled with the blade. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to get cleaned up and change into my uniform. We need to get marching soon if we want to reach Kavar by the end of the week.” He then gave her a wink and headed off to his tent.
Kalista let out a contented sigh as she watched him walk away. She loved it when he winked at her. She turned away from him as he entered his tent and looked out over the encampment. The soldiers had already broken camp and were preparing to march. It always amazed her to see how fast such a large group of soldiers could set up camp and then take it down again in the morning. They had been making good time and were already five days past Four Bridges. They should reach Kavar in another five days.
It had been nice to stay in the city of Four Bridges, and she was looking forward to staying in Kavar for a night. While her tent was much nicer and bigger than those of the regular soldiers, it would never be as good as sleeping in an actual room at a fine inn. A comfortable bed was not the only perk of staying at an inn. She reminisced on the delicious dinner and breakfast she had while at the inn in Four Bridges. As the princess, she did have her own chef and ate better than the soldiers. However, she still didn’t get to eat a large variety of food and more often than not it wasn’t very fresh.
She turned from watching the soldiers prepare to march and made her way back to her tent. It had already been emptied, and her servants were beginning to take it down. She sighed and leaned against the side of her horse. She wasn’t looking forward to another full day in the saddle. She didn’t even want to consider how many more days there were until the army would finally reach Candus.
The only thing that made all of the hardships of the journey worth it was that she was able to ride beside Gavin. It had allowed her to continue to grow closer to him. She was able to see more of him now than she was ever able to when they had been back in Calyn. Despite the deprivations of the journey, she didn’t regret her decision to come on the march.
She watched her servants as they finished taking down her tent and deftly packed it away. She was glad she didn’t have to set up and pack her own tent everyday like the soldiers did. She supposed she shouldn’t feel like the journey was overly difficult for her, but it was definitely more physically demanding than life in the palace.
Two short blows on a trumpet announced that all the soldiers needed to move to their proper places in their ranks. They would begin marching soon. Kalista pulled herself up into the saddle of her horse and waited for Gavin to come join her. They would then make their way to the head of the column of soldiers and begin the day’s march.
She watched as a young soldier hurried by in front of her as he ran to get into position. He looked younger than many of the other soldiers. He must have been as young as Traven. She smiled at the thought of him. She wondered how the young man who had rescued her and saved her life was doing. She knew he had been commissioned by her father to sail north. He was traveling with a philosopher to look for something among some lost ruins. She wondered if Traven and the philosopher had found what they were sent to look for.
“Hello, my Princess,” Gavin said as his mount made its way to her. “What are you thinking about? You have that faraway look in your eyes.”
“Oh nothing,” Kalista replied shaking her head. “Are we ready to start the march?”
“Yes,” Gavin said as he reached out and squeezed her hand. “Another exciting day in the saddle.”
Kalista smiled as they made their way towards the front of the column of soldiers. Her guards immediately fell in place beside her. Even in the midst of an army, they were always nearby. Ever since her abduction, her guards were never very far away, no matter where she was or who she was with. She supposed it was safer this way, but it annoyed her to always have so many people following her. The only time she could feel alone was in her own tent. Even then she knew the guards were posted all around the outside of it.
Kalista and Gavin were soon at the front of the column and in place. Three sharp bursts of a horn were sounded, and the entire company of soldiers surged forward. Another full day of marching had begun.
* * * * *
General Blaize gazed back over the ranks of the soldiers behind him. The formations were tight, and the soldiers were marching in time as they should be. The army was on schedule to arrive at the pass with plenty of time to prepare for the coming battle. He turned and looked forward.
It still felt strange to him to be a general and riding at the head of the Royal Army of Kalia. What was even stranger was that he wasn’t even a Kalian. He was a Balthan. He found it ironic that they were marching to fight the army of his own country.
He reminded himself that it wasn’t the Balthan Army they were going to fight. Even though the Balthan Army had been incorporated into the rogue army, it was led by the Wielder Kadrak. It was the wielder’s army, not the army of Balthus. Blaize felt no qualms fighting against a tyrant who was trying to subject the world to his will.
In fact, the reports of the destruction that Kadrak and his army had caused to the cities of Rankdra and especially Beking, gave him motivation to avenge the wrongs committed against his fellow countrymen. Blaize was happy to be leading an army that was fighting to protect the citizens of its land and not fighting to gain power.
He glanced back again at the soldiers, approving their disciplined march. They would need that discipline when they faced the Wielder Kadrak. At first he had been hesitant to believe an actual wielder was leading the invading army, but after hearing so many reports, he now had to believe it. Supposedly the wielder could call down lightning and fire from the sky. The soldiers would need to be disciplined in order to hold their positions if such an unnatural onslaught was sent against them.
However, he was confident that the Royal Kalian Army would be able to repel the attack. They had plenty of soldiers, intelligent commanders, and a cause worth fighting for. The Wielder Kadrak might turn out to be a formidable opponent, but he was only one man. Blaize knew all too well that no matter how strong someone may be, one could only do so much against numerous opponents.
Many of the soldiers in the ranks were young recruits without experience. They had been taught discipline, and he hoped that discipline would keep them firm when facing actual opponents. They had been informed that there was indeed a wielder that they would be facing. He knew some still didn’t believe it, but at least they had been warned. Hopefully that would help them react with less fright than the soldiers who had been guarding Beking and Rankdra.
He hoped that the youth of his soldiers would also lend them courage and stamina. The battle wouldn’t be won quickly unless they were able to capture or dispose of the Wielder Kadrak. As long as the wielder was leading the rogue army, the Balthans would keep fighting. The battle might turn out to be long and drawn out.
His thoughts turned from the ranks of soldiers following him, to a young soldier that wasn’t even with them. Traven was someone he knew he could trust with his life. The young man had grown to be an expert swordsman and had proven his courage and loyalty by saving the princess when she had been abducted. Blaize certainly wouldn’t mind having him fighting at his side.
He hoped that Traven’s search for the ‘secret weapon’ as the philosopher had called it, was going well. As he u
nderstood it, Traven had headed north by ship to Faldor’s Watch. He would be searching among the ruins of an ancient keep for something that might help them against the Wielder Kadrak. He then would try to meet up with the army near Candus. The army could definitely use any help they could get when facing a wielder.
He looked forward to seeing Traven again. He was the closest thing Blaize had to family, and he missed their early morning training and talks. The young man had grown so much since he had first pulled him out of the river not far from where the army was currently marching. He hoped to meet up with him soon.
Turning his thoughts back to the present, Blaize went through a mental list of the soldiers under him. Earlier in the day, Commander General Gavin had asked him to choose a new sword sparring partner for him. He needed to choose a soldier who was a good swordsman but not so good that the commander general would always lose to him. The soldier also needed to be mature enough to practice with Gavin without trying to show off.
Blaize continued down the list in his mind until he settled upon a good swordsman that he thought would work out. He summoned a messenger to him and told him to go and inform the soldier that he was being assigned to train with the commander general. The messenger then hurried down the column of soldiers to deliver the message. Blaize smiled. One more assignment was out of the way.
* * * * *
Kalista watched as the two men began to spar. This was definitely more exciting than riding in the saddle all day. Gavin was facing a new opponent. General Blaize had said this soldier was very skilled with the sword and should be a harder challenge.
The general had been correct. She could tell that the soldier was easily blocking all of Gavin’s attacks. Once the soldier counterattacked, Gavin didn’t last very long and was soon on his back. She watched as he pushed himself up from the ground, and after taking a moment to catch his breath, began sparring again. He was soon once again on the ground, this time rubbing his arm where he had been struck by the practice sword.
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