Guards Vestige

by Alexander Adams

  Jeremy sat on the edge of the bed. “Why do you want to go so badly anyways?”

  “Kind of hard to explain.”

  “Well, I want you to go too.”

  Daniel glanced at him. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. If you go then I get the room to myself.”

  Daniel gently pushed his brother off the bed with his foot. “Well, at least you’re on my side,” he said with a smile. “Where were you, anyway?”

  “At the Creeks’ house. They needed help loading some boxes into a wagon so they could finish moving to a farm outside of town. I got two silver marks for helping.”

  There was a light knock on the window. They both turned to see Connie waving at them from the alleyway. Daniel unlocked the window and pushed it open.

  Connie leaned on the windowsill. “Hey. So Daniel, how’d it go?”

  He shrugged.

  “Same as the last time?”

  “They had another fight.” Jeremy remarked.

  Daniel glared at him before turning back to Connie. “So what’s up, I thought you had to help your father?”

  “We were supposed to separate the foals from the mother so they could start weening but by the time I showed up he’d finished. They were way more cooperative than the last group and went right into the other pen so he didn’t actually need me. But Serena and Alphonse were heading down to the falls to do some fishing. I figured if your talk with your mother went well we could celebrate, or if it went badly you might want to go and take your mind off things.”

  “Don’t see why not.”

  Jeremy tugged at Daniel’s sleeve. “Can I go too?”

  Daniel glanced at Connie, who shrugged.

  “Uh, sure,” Daniel said. “I guess you can come.”

  They hopped through the window and pulled it shut before heading down the alley, back toward the fountain, and then down the street to the river. Evelyn Nilia waved at them from her doorway and winked at Daniel as they passed. When they reached the narrow bridge they turned to follow a dirt path heading downstream. As they walked through the silent forest, Daniel thought about how he could convince his mother to let him fulfill his hope of leaving for Vigil before the end of the month. He wished she could see the difference between what he wanted to do and what his father had done to them years ago.

  Jeremy had been only a year old when their father had left them. He simply walked out the door one day and never came back. Their mother wouldn’t talk about it, but she had been broken for a long time. More often than not, just the mention of their father would make her retreat to her room for hours without a word. Then she would pretend it had never been brought up at all. His father hadn’t hinted at trouble or acted out of the ordinary as far as Daniel could recall. He’d just left. The shock had been especially devastating for Daniel’s mother. She’d thought everything was fine and then suddenly, it wasn’t.

  The last thing his mother wanted was for her sons to disappear the same way her husband had, leaving her to believe it was somehow her fault. So whenever Daniel brought up the subject of going to Vigil, she shut down and walked away. But this was different. Daniel wasn’t going to abandon his family. He wouldn’t be gone forever. If he’d wanted to vanish from their lives he never would have asked for his mother’s blessing to go, he would have simply walked out the door.

  Daniel’s train of thought was broken by the sound of the first of two waterfalls just ahead of them. He could see it cresting over the edge as they turned and headed down a steep path so they could stand beneath it.

  The two falls outside the town were unofficially known as “Sapella’s Tears”. The smallest was the first and fed into a pool at the base of the path from atop the hill, while the larger one sat just beyond a thin tree line down another short span of river. The area around the pool had been cleared of trees and undergrowth, making it a favorite location of the locals for a countless variety of celebrations or relaxation. The pool also had several deep holes where fishing was simply a matter of throwing a line in and pulling it back out.

  Serena Baker and Alphonse Cane now sat at the edge of the pool with a fishing pole propped up between two large stones just in front of Alphonse. Serena had long, chestnut hair tied in a tail that reached to her mid back. Her matching chestnut eyes were smiling as much as she was. She nudged Alphonse, who was short and muscular, with curly, sandy-blond hair.

  Serena moved closer to Alphonse, allowing space for everyone to sit together. “Hi Daniel,” she said. “Constance told us you were going to try again to convince your mother to let you go to Vigil. Did it go well?”

  He sat next to them and began picking at the grass. “I brought it up, she said no, we fought, she walked away.”

  Alphonse patted him on the back and pointed at him with his other hand. “You should listen to her,” he said. “What good have the Dragon Guards ever done anyway? They sit in their fancy keep all day, ignoring the rest of the world and the problems it has.”

  Daniel shrugged. “They used to hunt dragons and monsters.”

  “Used to,” Alphonse said. “Haven’t heard of a Dragon Guard killing no dragon for ages. Now they’re just living in the past, rambling on ‘bout cults and all sorts of nonsense and fairy tales.”

  Connie shook her head. “If they’re anything like those stories and legends say they were, then I think they’re worth joining. It’s wrong to let something like that die out.”

  Serena bit her lip. “What about the rumors of them killing councilmen and their aides? Doesn’t seem like the stuff of legends.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes. “There’s no proof of that. Like you just said, those are only rumors.”

  Alphonse shrugged dramatically. “Well, rumors or not, I’m talking facts. They wouldn’t know great if it kicked ’em in the head.”

  Connie glared at him. “Oh? So what’s great in your eyes?”

  He grinned and put a hand over his heart. “The Edaren Royal Guard, protecting the king and his family in Dalisia. There ain’t any greater calling than serving royalty.”

  Daniel turned to see Jeremy walking down the river near the edge. He was clearly bored of the conversation and was off to find his own entertainment. “Jeremy,” he said, “don’t go too far.”

  Jeremy called back without looking: “I won’t.”

  Connie raised an eyebrow and chuckled at Alphonse. “You want to be a royal guard?”

  “Course I do,” he said. “It’s one of the greatest honors in all Edaren. I’m going to Dalisia next year to join the Royal Army so I can work my way up the ranks.”

  “Plan on living in that big castle?”

  “As only the royals and their guard can.”

  Connie laughed and shook her head.

  Alphonse glared at her. “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh, nothing,” she said. “It’s just you talk about the Dragon Guard ignoring the world’s problems by sitting in their ‘fancy keep’ and then you compare them to a group that sits on the sides of a throne all day with their swords up their—”

  A loud splash followed by a scream cut her off. Connie and Daniel jumped up instantly and ran downriver toward the sound. They broke through a wall of underbrush that surrounded a clearing and froze in their tracks. Jeremy had his back to a tree. About a dozen feet in front of him, a valgret stood in the flowing water.

  The muscular, wolf-like creature was on its hind legs. Though hunched over, it was still six feet tall and would have been more than eight if it stood straight up. Its skin was dark and covered in patches of matted black fur. Its arms were as long as it was tall, letting it balance itself on its knuckles. Blood poured from open wounds on its side. A broken arrow shaft stuck out from its shoulder and two more from its chest.

  Jeremy was frozen in place, his face reflecting his fear as the creature stared at him with fury.

  The sight w
as otherworldly. Daniel had never seen a valgret before but had been told stories about them when he was younger. Now that he’d actually set eyes on one, he realized the stories never truly expressed how horrifying they were. Its fingers were boney, with claws at least an inch long. The creature’s lips poured saliva and foam as its breath fogged in the cold. Even so, without a second thought, Daniel ran to his brother and stood between him and the valgret. It hadn’t noticed the new arrivals before. Now it reared back and curled its lips, showing rows of sharp, yellow teeth. A moment later it took a step towards them.

  “Hey!”

  A rock hit the valgret squarely in the jaw, causing it to flinch. It jerked its head toward the source and saw Connie standing defiant, fifteen feet away, another rock in hand. She hurled it and again struck the monster in the face. The valgret took a step toward her placing a single hand on the riverbank before another; much larger stone struck it in the shoulder, causing it to stumble sideways. The source this time was Alphonse with his leggings dripping water as he stood closer to the wall of underbrush on the other side of the twenty-foot-wide river. Alphonse’s face paled when the beast turned its gaze toward him and uttered a low growl.

  Daniel looked for anything he might use as a weapon. He glanced up and saw a long, partially broken branch hanging from a tree. Reaching for it and pulling as hard as he could, he found it wouldn’t break free. He tried again and heard the strain of wood as it started to split, but it still held in place. He glanced back at the valgret as it crouched low and tensed its muscles while continuing to stare down Alphonse.

  Daniel gave one last, hard pull. The branch broke free with a cracking sound, causing him to stumble backwards. He managed to stay on his feet before turning and charging at the beast, the branch raised high. He swung hard, striking it on the ribs across its multiple open wounds. The creature howled in fury and stumbled in the water. It lifted a clawed hand to grip its side. Shards of wood were now embedded in the open wounds. The valgret lashed out with its other arm and struck Daniel across the chest, knocking him toward Jeremy and sending the branch flying into the water.

  Daniel hit the ground hard. He struggled for breath and his vision blurred. He’d never been struck so hard in his life and was surprised it hadn’t knocked him unconscious.

  “Daniel!”

  Connie attempted to run to him but the valgret regained its composure and jumped onto the shore between them. It snapped its teeth at her, forcing her back, before it turned again to Daniel and growled. Jeremy helped him to his feet and stood behind him as they both began backing away. Behind them and to their side, the second waterfall roared. They were trapped. If they waded into the river on their left, they’d never be able to move fast enough to escape the creature, while the forest on their right was too thick to penetrate. Directly behind them was a rocky ledge they’d never be able to make it down in without injury. The valgret continued to advance as they backed away. Daniel could swear he heard it laugh as they neared the edge of the small cliff next to the falls. Then he had an idea.

  “Jeremy, get in the water.” Daniel pushed his brother gently toward the river and into the shallows along the bank.

  If they could get near the falls crest, they could jump to the rapids below. They had done it dozens of times over the years at the shorter waterfall. Daniel knew there was a fishing hole at the base of this larger one. He knew it was at least ten feet deep but wasn’t sure exactly how far from the base it was. He just hoped they could leap far enough to avoid the rocks but not so far they overshot the hole.

  “Hey, mutt!” Alphonse shouted. Another large rock struck the creature on its back haunch.

  It stumbled again but didn’t seem to care. It was too focused on Daniel and Jeremy as it continued its slow trek toward them. The valgret finally stepped back into the water and bared its teeth in what resembled a smile.

  Daniel placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Get ready to jump as far as you can,” he said. “We’ll be fine.”

  Jeremy’s voice cracked as he looked at the drop behind them. “I can’t. It’s too high.”

  “Yes, you can. We’ll jump together.”

  The valgret narrowed its eyes and tensed its muscles. It was preparing to pounce.

  “Jump!” Daniel yelled. He grabbed his brother and leapt as far as he could.

  Alphonse threw another stone that struck the valgret in the head as it leaped after them. The creature, off balance and howling with pain missed them by only inches. Daniel caught a glimpse of it falling against the rocks at the base of the falls as he and Jeremy crashed into the cold water just beyond. For a brief moment, Daniel saw the valgret beneath the water, but he quickly lost sight of it as he sank into the depths.

  Chapter Two

  4th of Horace, 26th year of the Fourth Age.

  The current was far stronger than Daniel expected. He surfaced, then struggled desperately to keep a tight hold on his brother by wrapping his arm around his chest as they were dragged away in the rapids. If there was one thing Daniel knew, it was that he wouldn’t let go, no matter what. They were again dragged under the water. When they breached the surface again, Daniel pushed Jeremy as high as he could to allow him time to breathe freely. It wasn’t nearly enough. The moment they took a deep breath, they were both pulled back under the water. The cycle repeated over and over, never allowing them time to get their wind.

  Daniel couldn’t see anything but the white of the water as it splashed around him and the green of the trees above as they whipped past. He attempted to find purchase on the slick stones of the riverbed but found none. He tried to kick and swim toward shore but the current kept dragging them to the center of the torrent. Several times they almost barreled headlong into rocks that jutted from the water. Thankfully they were just far enough to one side that the worst of it was a blow to Daniel’s shoulder.

  Again and again they were pulled under. Daniel gave up trying to swim to shore with one arm, and instead wrapped both around Jeremy to keep him close. He let the water take them where it willed. He looked around as best he could, hoping to see a low-hanging branch he could grab to pull them free. But for what seemed like an eternity, Daniel saw nothing. Finally, through splashing white waves, he spied a tree that had fallen on shore, the trunk’s upper half just above the river, its limbs pointing down and into the water. If he could just get farther to that side he could pull them out, or at the very least get Jeremy out.

  Daniel tried again to swim but made little progress. Jeremy must have seen the tree as well and figured out what Daniel was doing, because now he felt his brother trying to kick along with him. With Jeremy’s help, they started to move through the current. When they neared the tree they both kicked harder. It seemed as if they had a chance. Daniel reached out and caught a branch, but it was brittle and snapped the moment tension was applied. As they washed under it, the tips of broken branches struck him across the face. He closed his eyes, blindly reached out again, and caught hold of a thicker limb. Their sudden halt strained his arm and threatened to dislocate it, making him cry out and swallow water.

  Jeremy grabbed another branch and with Daniel’s help from below, pulled himself onto the trunk. After Jeremy was safely up, Daniel lifted himself out of the water and sat next to his brother. He was exhausted, but they weren’t safe yet, not until they were on shore. He nudged his brother and nodded toward the rocky bank. They crawled over the trunk and jagged spikes of wood until they both fell off the tree and onto the shore. They lay there, the only sounds being their ragged breathing and the rushing water.

  “That was awful,” Jeremy finally said through heavy breaths.

  Daniel couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, it was.”

  He sat up and looked around. The shore was mostly river rock, barren of trees and undergrowth. They seemed safe for now. Daniel wasn’t sure if the valgret had died, but after seeing its wounds and its fall to the r
ocks and the water, he chose to hope it had. He didn’t want to even think about the idea of it coming back.

  Daniel slowly stood and looked at the tree line. “Come on,” he said. “We need to find a place to rest for the night.”

  Jeremy looked concerned. “We aren’t going back?”

  “Not right now. Look.” He pointed at the sky. “It’s getting dark and we can’t walk back until it’s light out. Come on, it won’t be so bad.”

  Daniel led a hesitant Jeremy into the forest, keeping the river within earshot so he wouldn’t lose his bearings. He found an old, dead tree with half of its roots jutting out of the side of a small hill, which made an overhang inside the tree line. It was just large enough that Daniel barely had to crouch to avoid hitting his head against the roots. Once inside the hideaway, he felt an immediate rise in temperature since the ground insulated the small area. He led Jeremy underneath the roots. His brother sat with his back against the dirt, pulled up his legs, and silently buried his head between his knees.

  “We need a fire,” Daniel said. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  Daniel left a silent Jeremy as he strode into the forest and began scavenging for tinder. He soon returned with an armful of twigs and broken branches that he stacked just outside of the overhang so the smoke wouldn’t choke them out or set the remains of the tree aflame. When that was done, he walked into the forest again to look for kindling that would easily light take flame. He found a cluster of cattails where they had climbed out of the river and grabbed about a dozen. He broke apart the soft cotton on the top of the plant and filled his pockets with down. While scouring rocky areas of the bank, he also found two flat, light red porous stones, each one roughly fist-sized.

  Spark stone, perfect. He smiled as he held one in each hand. Striking two of these together made starting a fire easy work even in the most unfavorable circumstances, though they were brittle and stones of this size were good only for a few attempts. Daniel grabbed as many as he could carry. He walked back feeling grateful to Connie’s father for teaching him as much as he knew about the forest. Without the knowledge he’d been given, he was sure he and Jeremy would freeze in the autumn night chill.