Wielder's Rising

by T. B. Christensen

  Part Three: Rising

  21

  Traven glanced out over the sea in the early morning light. The eastern coast of Faldor’s Watch appeared much the same as the southern tip. However, the cliffs that rose up behind them here were much shorter than the ones further south and the beach was wider. Glancing south, he could make out several large rocks jutting up out of the water. Apparently, farther south in the gulf the rocks were extremely numerous. They made it all but impossible for a large ship to safely travel north. He supposed that was the reason the map had led them to the southern tip of Faldor’s Watch and not further up its eastern coast.

  The water of the gulf appeared fairly calm, but Traven was nervous about the prospect of crossing it in such a small boat. He glanced back at the guardians who were loading up their supplies and making the boat ready to set sail. They had assured him that it was a sturdy ship and not to worry, but the size of it still left him concerned. It looked as though it would barely be able to fit the four of them and their mounts.

  It was long and narrow with a single sail. There were also oars for rowing. Jorb had said that if there wasn’t much wind, they would still be able to reach land by nightfall if they all rowed hard. He hoped that Jorb was right. He didn’t want to be out in the open water on the small boat any longer than he had to.

  They had set out midmorning the previous day from the keep. It had taken all day and half of the night for them to reach the coast and the small cave where the keep’s two boats were sheltered. The afternoon had been incredibly hot and draining, but luckily they had only had to endure the heat for one day. Traven was glad to be leaving the desert behind him and returning to a milder climate.

  “Everything is ready.” Darian said. “We should push off now if we want to reach the other side before dark.”

  Traven hurried over to the ship and helped the three guardians as they struggled to push the ship, now laden with four horses, off the sand and deeper into the water. After a few heaves, the ship broke loose and slipped fully into the water. All four quickly pulled themselves up and into the ship. Traven scooted to the center of the ship as Darian took his place at the rudder.

  Traven glanced back at the elf. He was still in shock of what had happened the previous day. He never would have imagined that one day he would have an elf devoted to him. He still hadn’t really had a chance to figure out their relationship. The human guardians treated him like a friend. However, Darian treated him differently. Throughout the previous afternoon, he was sure the elf had shot him multiple menacing glances. Then when they had stopped upon reaching the coast, the elf had politely offered to take care of Pennon.

  At times he was sure that the elf was upset with him no matter what he did, and at other times the elf seemed to truly be devoted to him. He supposed that it had to do with Darian’s own conflicts between his pride and choosing to serve a wielder. He hoped the elf would soon be able to reconcile his inner conflicts. Traven couldn’t figure out how to act towards the elf until Darian figured things out for himself.

  Traven looked at the coast and watched as it got further and further away. He tried not to think about all of the water underneath him. Luckily the sky was clear, the waves were small, and there was a light breeze. He hoped that the conditions would remain the same until they reached the opposite coast. He would handle the trip a lot better without large waves.

  The boat continued onward at a fair speed as the sun broke the horizon. Traven had to shield his eyes against the glare of the rising sun off the water directly in front of them. Both Ethan and Jorb were silhouetted at the front of the boat. He got up and carefully made his way towards them. Both were looking forward with excited expressions.

  “This is great,” Jorb said excitedly. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been on the water?”

  “I would say six years,” Ethan responded. “The same amount of time as all of us human guardians.”

  “It was a rhetorical question,” Jorb said rolling his eyes. “Traven, did you know that before I came to the keep I fished almost every day? My family and many of the people in my village have been fishers forever. I didn’t realize how much I missed the sea until we got this boat out in the water. I guess six years in the middle of the desert makes you forget.”

  “It’s true,” Ethan responded. “You get so used to the routine at the keep that you kind of forget about everything else. I haven’t thought about a smithy for years. I guess that’s a good thing. It would be horrible to be longing for home every day for twenty years.”

  Traven hadn’t ever thought much about what the guardians had been before they entered service at Faldor’s Keep. He supposed they all had varied backgrounds. He glanced back at Darian and wondered what the elf had done before coming to the keep. He would have to ask him about it sometime.

  “If this breeze keeps up, we’ll easily reach the coast by nightfall,” Jorb said. “I wonder if I can persuade Darian to let me steer for awhile.”

  Jorb left the bow of the boat and headed towards the elf. Ethan and Traven watched as he began pleading with Darian to let him take hold of the rudder. Ethan began chuckling as the elf refused to give up his spot and Jorb threw his arms into the air. After a few more words, the guardian returned to the bow of the small ship.

  “Darian is so difficult sometimes,” Jorb said. A mischievous gleam then came to his eyes as he turned to Traven. “Can’t you command him to let me steer for awhile?”

  “What?” Traven said. “Why would he listen to me if he didn’t listen to you?”

  “That’s obvious,” Jorb said. “He swore his devotion to you. He’ll do whatever you ask him to.”

  “I still don’t understand how it works,” Traven said. “Eldridge also said he would do whatever I tell him to. Will he really?”

  “Yes,” Jorb said. “At least I think he will. I don’t suppose anyone living had seen an elf devote himself to a human before yesterday afternoon, so none of us are experts. However, from what we’ve read, the devotion ceremony is one of the most serious and sacred oaths an elf can commit. Darian may be difficult at times, but one thing he definitely doesn’t lack is honor. I believe he really will do anything you ask him to.”

  The thought of the elf doing anything he asked him to made him feel uncomfortable once again. He would rather people listen to him because they wanted to, not because they had to. He almost didn’t want to ask Darian to do anything for fear the elf would do it but be upset by the request. Traven wondered if there was a way for him to free Darian from the oath.

  “Is there a way for Darian to be released from the oath of devotion?” he asked.

  “The only way I know of is if you decide to reject him as a servant or if he dies,” Jorb responded.

  “Maybe I should reject him as a servant,” Traven mumbled, thinking out loud.

  “I definitely wouldn’t do that,” Ethan said quickly. “If a wielder rejects the oath of devotion, the elf is left disgraced. That might not sound bad to you, but to an elf it is worse than death. A disgraced elf has to tattoo a black spot on his cheek as a symbol of his worthlessness. All the other elves would refuse to associate with him. He would either have to live in isolation or be reduced to a beggar.”

  “Really?” Traven asked.

  Both Ethan and Jorb nodded. It was hard to believe that such a small thing would lead to so much suffering. Then again, he supposed he didn’t know much at all about the elf culture. They looked so much like humans that he forgot how different they might actually be. He would need to get to know Darian better soon. If the elf had chosen to be his servant, Traven wanted to know as much as he could about the elves.

  “I think you’re looking at this the wrong way,” Jorb said. “You should be thrilled to have Darian as your servant. For starters, he’s the best fighter I’ve ever seen. Who wouldn’t want him watching their back?”

  Traven had to agree with Jorb. To have such a skilled bodyguard was a blessing indeed. When he had travel
ed with Blaize, he had definitely felt a certain sense of security.

  “And, he is much smarter than he looks,” Ethan said with a grin. “He knows things that would amaze you. I guess when you’ve lived for over sixty years you can accumulate a lot of knowledge.”

  “Sixty years!” Traven exclaimed. He had guessed that Darian couldn’t be any more than ten years his senior. He looked to Jorb, wondering if Ethan was joking with him. Jorb was smiling but nodded his head in agreement.

  “Elves live longer than humans,” Jorb explained. “Just like you’ll live longer because you’re a wielder. Even though Darian is over sixty, he’s still in his prime.”

  Traven paused. He hadn’t really thought about that. It did make sense. He had been told that elves had many of the same passive characteristics as wielders did. They had heightened senses, healed faster, and lived longer than humans. He supposed they would look younger for longer as well.

  The thought of the elves’ longevity led him to consider something else he hadn’t really thought about until this moment. Wielders lived longer than regular humans. That meant he would live longer. Would he look as young as Darian when he was sixty years old? He had always expected to only live to be perhaps eighty. Now how old would he live to be? He made his way back to the middle of the ship and sat down.

  He spent the next couple of hours in silence, contemplating the ramifications of living a longer life than those around him. On the one hand it was exciting. With extra time, he could see, do, and learn so much more than he would be able to otherwise. However, living longer also created problems. What would happen to his friends? They would get old and die long before he did. How would he deal with that? Would it be better to not get close to anyone at all? He shook his head. That wasn’t a good answer. What would be the point of living so long if your days were full of loneliness?

  And what of having a family? If he married, his wife would grow old and die while he remained young. He would also be forced to watch his own children grow older than him and die. He could only imagine the pain and sadness it would cause. Would it be better to avoid having a family altogether? He tried to shake the dismal thoughts from his head.

  He glanced back at Darian. The elf had nothing to fear from his longevity. All of his people would live long like he. He wouldn’t be left alone as he got older. His friends and family would age the same as he. Traven paused. He supposed another great benefit of having an elf as his servant was that they would age in the same way. He kept thinking about the implications of living longer as the boat continued slipping through the water towards their destination.

  “Looks like we’re rowing,” Jorb announced with a groan.

  Traven looked up. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized the boat had come to a stop. The sail hung slack in the still air. The early morning breeze had completely disappeared. Jorb and Ethan left the bow and picked up the long oars. Jorb handed one to Traven as Ethan walked one back to Darian.

  “Hopefully the breeze will pick back up before too long,” Jorb said. “However, if we just sit here waiting we won’t make it to the coast before nightfall.”

  All four joined in rowing. The boat was soon moving along at a steady pace once again. Traven didn’t mind it at first. It was good to have something to do besides just sitting and worrying about aging slowly. However, after awhile his arms were sore and his back ached. The air was still completely motionless, and the day was getting hotter. He paused in rowing and wiped the sweat from his brow. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep doing this.

  “Let’s take a break,” Ethan said while pulling up his oar. “My back is killing me.”

  They all agreed and pulled up their oars. Darian passed around some dried fruit and nuts, and they all took a long drink from their water skins. Traven stood up and stretched, trying to make his back feel better. He didn’t want to row anymore but would much rather have a sore back than be stuck out in the sea on the open boat over night. He sat back down and picked up his oar with an audible sigh.

  “May I speak freely?” Darian said quietly enough for him alone to hear. Traven nodded for him to go on. “Perhaps we might all be able to rest our muscles for awhile longer if you would deign to call up a wind to fill the sail.”

  Traven stared back at the elf feeling slightly foolish. Why hadn’t he thought of doing that sooner? He had been practicing wielding the wind all week, and yet he hadn’t even thought of using his new skill when the need was at hand. He looked up at the sail. It seemed like it would be easy enough to do. He would have to keep the wind sustained, which would eventually drain him. However, it would save his and the guardians’ backs.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” he replied to the elf. “I suppose I should have thought of it sooner.” Darian stared back at him with a hint of a smile on his lips.

  “Don’t worry,” the elf said. “You’ve only been wielding the ambience for a couple of weeks. It’s still new to you as it is to all of us.”

  Traven glanced up at the sail and sky once again and time stopped. He pulled and pushed the necessary particles and soon a stiff breeze pushed the sails open and propelled the boat forward. Ethan almost fell over at the sudden lurching forward of the boat. He glanced up at the sail with a huge grin.

  “I hope this wind lasts,” he said. “I’m not looking forward to rowing again.”

  “I think it will last as long as it needs to,” Darian said with a smile as he made his way back to the rudder. “It’s following the command of its master.”

  Ethan stared at Darian for a few moments with a confused look. He then smiled as he made sense of what the elf had said. His countenance then changed, and he looked down at Traven accusingly.

  “Why didn’t you do that an hour ago?”

  “I forgot I could,” Traven replied back honestly.

  “Well let’s try hard not to forget again,” Ethan announced seriously, trying to look stern.

  Traven quickly stopped the wind and made it blow in the opposite direction. The boat stopped almost instantly, knocking Ethan off his feet. Darian burst out laughing as Traven started the wind blowing in the correct direction again. Jorb joined in the laughter as Ethan pushed himself up off the floor of the boat. He tried to look angry but was soon laughing with everyone else.

  Luckily, Traven only had to sustain the wind for about an hour before the natural wind picked back up. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could have held the ambience. By the time he was done, he was drenched with perspiration and felt completely drained. He gladly accepted the water and food that Darian offered him. The elf had kept a sharp eye on him the entire time and had regularly brought him water and nuts.

  “Did you know that I see a faint glow around you when you wield the ambience?’ Darian said.

  “Really?” Traven asked after finishing his drink of water. “I knew that wielders could see auras around other wielders and judge their strength from it, but I didn’t know that elves could see it.”

  “I don’t see the glow all the time like a wielder would,” he said. “I just see the faint glow when you are actually wielding the ambience. I never noticed it before. It’s very faint. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”

  Traven took another drink from the water skin, trying to hold it steady with his shaking hands so it wouldn’t spill.

  “How do you feel?” Darian asked, noticing the shaking of Traven’s hands.

  “I’m fine,” Traven replied. “I just need some rest. Wielding the ambience for so long completely drained me.”

  “May I offer a suggestion?”

  “Sure,” Traven said. “And you don’t have to ask me before suggesting something. Just tell me whatever you want to.”

  “Thank you,” Darian said with a nod of his head. “I think it is unwise for you to wield the ambience to the point where it completely drains you. Do you have a headache?”

  “Yes,” Traven replied. It wasn’t very bad, but there was a sli
ght pounding right behind his eyes.

  “If you receive a headache from wielding the ambience, you have wielded too much of it. It isn’t healthy to wield more than you have strength for. Not only does your body have to restore its strength, it then also has to fix the damage you caused to it. You should stop wielding the ambience at the first sign of any headache. Your body will be able to regain its strength much faster if it doesn’t have to repair any self inflicted damage.”

  After offering his advice Darian rose and moved back to take control of the rudder once again. Traven closed his eyes and leaned back to rest, hoping the throbbing wouldn’t last very long. What Darian had told him made sense. He would try to manage his use of the ambience more carefully. The slight flapping of the wind in the sail and the soft rolling of the waves helped him to relax. It wasn’t long before he dropped off to sleep.

  22

  Traven woke up an hour or two later. Not much had changed except for the position of the sun. It was now behind the boat instead of in front of it. Luckily, there was still a stiff breeze and the boat was sailing along speedily towards its destination. He was starving and helped himself to the meal that he had slept through. While he ate, he listened cheerily as Jorb and Ethan teased him about his lack of stamina and strange sleeping habits. His headache was gone, and that was all that really mattered to him at the moment.

  The wind died down a little as the day wore on, coming and going in spurts. Traven helped keep the ship moving swiftly during the lulls in the wind by creating wind of his own. However, he was careful not to overexert himself like he had earlier. Fortunately, the wind would always pick back up fairly quickly, allowing him numerous breaks in between wielding the ambience.

  Soon the sun was low on the horizon, almost touching the water behind them. They ate dinner and enjoyed the brilliant sunset over the water. Jorb said they had to be getting close. They had kept up a good speed the entire day with Traven’s help.