by A D Lombardo
“No.” Iver held his head high. “I plan to resume my summer travels abroad. It has been a few years since Diu has made itself known outside of our continent. It is undecided who will travel with you beyond a guard detail. I will select a Kempery-man to lead, and he will select his squad. It is my hope that Marduk and his son will accompany you. Haygan the stablemaster could be useful. He sails back and forth to Chenowith’s horse breeders quite often.
“These trips will be opportunities for you to establish your reputation. The friendships you forge over the coming years will benefit you in the future. These men and women will become your allies and advisors. Even the smallest gesture will solidify their opinion of your character. Choose wisely, my son.”
“Do I have any say in my future?” Kai challenged. “What if I don’t want to go?”
“Entitlement doesn’t suit you, Kai. You can do better. What will be will be, only Alenga knows our fates. But unfortunately, duty commands you serve the people. This rebellious behavior has to stop.” Iver clenched his jaw.
“Is that all?” Kai slumped his posture.
“One more thing. As I said, hunter Marduk informs me you have been secretly escaping the city. Since you seem determined to go, I believe you could benefit from a different type of supervision. I have asked Marduk to take you under his wing. His son Shane could use the companionship, and you could use a new perspective on the world.”
That was the longest conversation Kai could remember having with his father in years. It was news to him that his mother did not want him to join the military. This explained a lot. All the other boys had started wrestling and archery, but not him.
Iver pulled two letters from the desk drawer and handed them to Kai. “One is for Marduk; to inquire about the summer trips. The second is for Professor Greydon, excusing you from class. I still expect you to excel in your studies, even with these new distractions. I have neglected you, I know; I hope this will get you back on track.”
There was no doubt about it, life was about to change. Only Kai was not sure it was for the better. He took the letters. “Yes, father. I won’t let you down.” He straightened his posture. “And thank you for my horse. I spent today riding and learning how to care for him.”
Iver stepped around his desk. “You’re welcome, son. And tell those guards they are to accompany you wherever you wish. Be bold. Stand up to them. I will see about assigning you a Kempery-man to become your official guard. Where you travel, he travels.”
“Thank you, father. Goodnight.” Kai backed out with a nod.
Unable to sleep, Kai found himself wandering the halls. Voices echoed lightly down the corridor. Quietly he approached the corner. One voice he knew well: Nola. The other was a man’s voice, not his father. Kai wanted to look, but he dared not risk being seen. He pressed his back into the wall and closed his eyes. In his mind, he reached for the light within and followed it outward. The palace walls came alive with illumination. Two faint wisps of light hovered around the corner. Kai focused on their forms. The smaller one was Nola. Her delicate form wrapped around a man. Fixated on the man, the face became clear—Lucas Maxwell.
No! Why would Nola be hugging this man? Kai edge closer to the corner. He wanted to hear what they were saying. He watched Nola release the regent, but her hands remained in his.
“Now is not the time. I need to discover where he is hiding it. How he controls it,” Nola insisted.
“Right. Until we find a way around his dragon, we cannot move against him,” Maxwell seethed.
A dragon? Who’s dragon? Kai was confused. Who could they possibly be referring to and why were they colluding together? None of this made any sense.
“Nola!” a man’s voice shouted. “You would conspire with that man under my own roof? Take your hands off my wife, Maxwell.”
Kai scanned the other end of the hall. Iver was storming in their direction. Nola dropped Regent Maxwell’s hands and approached the king, her hands outstretched to greet him. “My darling,” she soothed. “I’m merely assuring him for the future of our two kingdoms through the match of our children. Promising him of his daughter’s happiness.” She took Iver’s hand in hers, and the king’s expression softened instantly.
Maxwell bowed and ventured away. Realizing he was now in the regent’s path, Kai searched for a place to hide. He ducked into an alcove, a small reading nook with tall wingback chairs and plants. Kai pressed his back into the stone archway behind the column, hidden in shadow as he waited for Maxwell to pass.
Maxwell’s energy wisp descended the stairwell out of sight. Around the opposite corner, Kai noticed Nola and his father were gone. Satisfied it was safe to come out of hiding, he stepped into the dimly lit alcove. “What did you learn?” He heard a voice whisper from the shadows.
A face emerged from behind the opposite stone column—Riome. Dressed in all black, hair pulled into a tight bun atop her head. He studied her expression. She gave no hint of her own observations.
“Nola is meeting in secret with Regent Maxwell. Maxwell mentioned a dragon and moving against someone. I can only speculate on who they mean, but…” Kai hesitated to reevaluate his assumptions and fears. “This doesn’t make any sense. Why would she plot against my father?”
Riome nodded. “Leave this with me, I will speak with Cazier. You did well, listening and hiding.” She turned to go but stopped. “Next time be sure you’re the only one listening.”
Chapter 16
Thade Forest Burdens
Excited by his day with Shane, Kai grabbed the two letters from his father and scrambled downstairs. The first letter he dropped off to Professor Greydon, excusing him from class. Then he headed down to meet Shane and Marduk in the courtyard.
“Hello Hunter Marduk,” Kai said as he approached. “Thank you for speaking with my father. I am excited about my day. Marduk, this letter is for you.”
“Yes, well…do not be too excited. It won’t be easy, and it’s not meant to be fun.” Marduk stuffed the letter into his coat pocket. “I need to go see the blacksmith. I will catch up with you two at the stables.”
“Shane, you have to meet my horse, Ember.” Kai ran to the stables.
Shane chased after him. “When did you get a horse? I was only gone a day.”
“Yesterday three new horses arrived. One of them was for me, and I got to pick him.” Totally elated, he started walking again. “And now I am going to spend the day with you and your father. Today will be exciting.”
“I bet it is difficult, your lack of freedom. I wouldn’t want to be trapped in the city. Although I don’t go far without my dad, I still have a lot of independence. We used to live in Nebea before my mom died, but we were well outside the city.”
Kai looked sympathetically at his new friend. “I’m sorry. It’s hard losing a mother. What happened? If I can ask?”
Shane winced. “Right, your mom…sorry I have heard the stories. My mom died in childbirth when I was eight. My baby sister died too. It was hard at first, and I still miss her. I think that is why my dad decided to move here. To get as far from our life with mom.” Motioning toward the stables, Shane asked. “Who’s the warrior talking with Haygan?”
The broad-shouldered man in black wore a large hunting knife strapped to his hip and twin double-sided battle axes across his back. Although he had the same olive complexion as Haygan, this man’s hair was long and black, and he was clean-shaven.
“I wonder if it would be alright if we went over to say hello,” Shane asked.
“Sure, why not. Any friend of Haygan’s should be a friend of mine. Let’s go find out who he is.” Kai bolted toward the stables.
Haygan nodded in their direction, and the stranger stared at them. His gaze froze the boys in their tracks. Kai noticed a jagged scar across the bridge of the man’s nose and right cheek. Haygan clasped forearms and pulled the stranger into a quick shoulder hug. With a slight nod, they split and walked in opposite directions.
Able to move, Kai and Shane closed the dis
tance between them and Haygan. “Good morning, Haygan,” Kai said. “Who was that? Is he from Katori?”
Haygan crossed his arms. “Yes, he is from Katori. He’s a good friend. We had news to share with each other before he left on a long journey.”
Kai’s eyes continued to follow the man as he walked toward the gatehouse. “He seemed…intense. What’s with all those weapons? I thought the Katori were peaceful people now, not warriors.”
“Yes, Ryker is intense. Great man, though. I’d trust him with my life. He is searching for someone, and he’s asked me to do him a favor when I return home for the winter.” Haygan turned back toward the stables.
Realizing what he’d heard, Kai whipped his head around. “Winter? Home? What do you mean home for winter?”
Headed inside the stables Haygan motioned for them to follow. “I leave in a few weeks on a ship out of Port Anahita to go home for the winter. I have obligations and people in Katori. I will return with new horses come spring. Spending winters at home was the deal I made when I accepted this position back in the spring.”
Stunned, Kai was at a loss for words. Looking down at his hands, he remembered the two apples he had brought for the horses. Misty whinnied as he laid his hand open for her, and she eagerly took the apple. Two stalls down he offered Ember an apple. Kai ran his hand down Ember’s neck to his withers. He wished he had more time for him today.
He wished a lot of things really but now was not the time. He was trying to flow with all the changes in his life, hoping he could keep pace. See you tomorrow, Ember, he thought through their connection.
Marduk exited the blacksmith and approached the courtyard. “Let’s go, boys. We’re all ready. We need to stop by the stables and borrow Shiva. Haygan has offered her help to teach Smoke what he should be doing for you.”
Marduk led the way through the city. Outside the walls, Kai saw the Thade Forest trees were almost bare. As they entered the woods dried leaves crunched beneath his feet. Smoke and Shiva wormed through the undergrowth.
“First, we need to move through the woods in silence. Silence allows us to be aware of what’s around us. I would like you to look for signs of animals. Step quietly, learn to listen beyond the sound of your own feet. Get to know the forest. Remember where holes, rocks, and embankments are should you find yourself traveling at night.
“Now for your wolf, it’s time he did his job. By your side is not his place. He is a wild animal, and you’re holding him back by keeping him so close. Shiva, go!” Marduk pointed up ahead. “Now send Smoke with her. Let him go.”
“Smoke, go,” Kai motioned, in his mind and felt his wolf connect with him.
Both wolves trotted ahead, and Kai watched them go. “What is his job, if not to be by my side?” he asked.
“His job is to scout ahead and then circle around behind. Hunt and protect. He is a wild animal—he needs to be wild. He uses his senses to become aware of what is around him and what is around you. He must learn what dangers are out there and how to fight them like a wild animal. Then he can protect you, just by his presence, by intimidation or fighting.”
Between a cluster of trees, they jumped down an embankment. Kai was careful not to slip on the wet leaves. The smell of damp earth filled his nose, and he heard splashing water from a nearby stream. The chirping of birds echoed through the trees. While they walked, he heard sounds he never noticed before.
Eventually, Marduk found a rabbit in one of his small traps. “Kai, I want you to watch how I reset the trap. We will spend a good part of the morning checking and resetting all the traps. By the end of the day, you will know how to do it as good as Shane.”
As the hunter reset the trap, Kai watched. “How do you know where to place your traps?”
Marduk stood and handed the rabbit to Shane. “We place our traps near their water source.” He pointed to the embankment. “See the tracks and small paths where animals have repeatedly come to the river? Animal signs help me decide where to place a trap.”
Marduk spent hours checking and resetting traps, and then they crested the hill to the huntsman’s cabin. “Boys, take everything you’re carrying to the shed. Be sure to close the door, and we will have lunch.”
After lunch, Kai stepped outside to sit on the edge of the porch next to Smoke. He ran his fingers through the wolf’s thick black hair. Behind him, Marduk stood with his hand on the railing and looked out across the clearing. “You ready for the next part of your day?”
“Yes, sir, what’s next?”
Shane stepped out of the cabin. “Shane, hang today’s catch. I’ll be right there once I split the last of this wood.”
Shane hopped down all three steps in one jump and ran around back. Marduk handed Kai a pair of brown leather gloves. “These are Shane’s gloves. I need you to stack all of the wood I’ve chopped. Stack it on this side of the cabin. I have a bit more to split before I help Shane. When you’re done, collect any small branches and kindling around the cabin. It goes there.”
Kai looked at the pile of wood, and then over to Marduk. “Um, yes, sir.” Not wanting to question, Kai proceeded to spend the next two hours stacking wood, collecting all the small branches around the cabin for kindling and placing it in neat piles. Finished, he found Shane and Marduk still working out back skinning the animals from the morning’s traps.
Looking up, Marduk smiled. “All finished? Great. I have something else you can do. Shane, you can help, follow me.”
Wiping his hands on his smock, he stepped between the two boys. He let out a loud whistle, and his hound dog came running, followed by Smoke and Shiva.
Behind the property, they walked deep into the woods. Kai observed everything as they walked down the hill. They leaped over hollow logs, weaved through trees, and crossed a small creek. Near a rocky cliff, Kai saw a pile of rubble. Above them, he could see the small ridge where the rocks had fallen.
“I need these rocks brought up to the stables. You won’t be able to finish today, just move as much as possible and don’t worry about the ones that are too big to carry. I need to cover the back of the stables before winter to help hold in the heat. Keep the hound dog with you, but let Shiva and Smoke wander. You two keep an ear out for animals in the area.”
Marduk bent down, picked up a couple of rocks and waited for them to follow suit. They trampled back to the stables and Marduk set his stones down. “Place them along here. I will go finish in the shed.”
Silently the two boys walked back to the rubble pile. Kai looked down at the rocks and then back toward the hill. “Forgive me, but how is this helping me learn how to hunt?”
With a small smile, Shane ignored Kai and grabbed two rocks. As they walked back, he finally responded. “There is much to learn. It is not just about setting traps and hunting animals. As dad said, he is teaching you how to be in the woods—quiet, observant, and ready. On our walk today, we saw rabbit, deer, bear, and fox tracks. What we did not see were mountain lions, wolves, big horns, cougars, and moose.” Shane dropped his rocks and headed back down the hill.
Reluctantly Kai followed. When they reached the pile again, he paused. “That part I get, learning the woods, where the creeks and streams come together, and knowing which way is north.” He grabbed another rock. “But what does stacking wood and carrying rocks have to do with anything?”
Shane turned to Kai. “No offense, but you don’t get it. You don’t know where they live, how they hunt, and if they are a threat. And honestly, you are rather…weak to be in the woods. Please don’t be mad. It is just a fact. I like you. I want to be friends and friends are honest.”
Mouth agape, Kai stopped. “What do you mean I’m weak?” Shane hadn’t stopped, so Kai ran to catch up. “Well?” he questioned, tossing his rock on the pile.
Shane dropped his head and looked at his feet. “Let me be honest with you,” he said, looking back up at Kai. “I spend my days tracking, hunting, resetting traps, skinning, and cleaning our stables. Half that wood pile, I chopped
. I work hard every day. You spend your day reading books, playing in a park, and walking around the city. Hard work will help you build your stamina and grow strong.” Shane motioned toward the bottom of the hill. “Come on, let’s keep going.”
Watching Shane walk in front of him, Kai wanted to be mad. He wasn’t weak. Was he? All the way down the hill, he didn’t say anything. They continued transporting rocks in silence. Still wounded by Shane’s words, Kai bent to grab another rock. A loud thump thundered on the cliff above them; leaves fell from above. Somewhere to the right of them, he heard Smoke and Shiva let out a low growl. They’d heard it too. The hound dog sniffed the air and began to bark.
“Did you hear that?” Kai asked.
“I did.” Shane backed away from the pile, scanning the ledge above. “There, do you see them? Grizzly bears. My father and I saw them a few days ago near the river. A mother and her two cubs. Kai, we need to go. That slope will bring them right down in our direction.”
Shane dropped his rock, took his fingers, placed them in his mouth and whistled. Shane yelled. “Run. Run for the cabin,” Shane shouted already in motion.
Kai heard the rustling leaves. Then a large dark mass followed by two smaller shadows strolled through the trees. Smoke and Shiva converged on his location. Kai calmed his breathing. With a thought, he instructed the wolves to stand firm. Without a sound, Smoke and Shiva were poised to lunge, their hackles raise into razors down their backs.
In his next breath, Kai searched his soul for the light within, let it build and flow out to illuminate the forest. The wave washed over the three bears; their essence bloomed with life. With a thought, he sent a feeling of peace into their minds. They continued to move in his direction. He felt their wild nature in his mind. The mother spotted him, and he felt her tense.
Eyes open, he could see them both with his natural sight and the highlights of energy through gleaning. They walked straight towards him. He kept calm. The grizzly sow glanced at her trailing cubs. Kai again offered peaceful thoughts, suggesting she pass him to go down the slope. He knew it was against her nature to come closer to him. His wolf guardians were as large as she was, and she would normally perceive them as a threat. Kai offered assurance that she was free to pass.