by Thomas Rath
He felt overjoyed by the thought that the bird possibly was paying him back for helping it escape Brak and Zel’s trap by the lake. Maybe it was even trying to help him. Thinking back to the fish the night before and the feathers he now had spread across him, it felt too much like coincidence not to be true. “Thank you, Twee!” he shouted, echoing his voice off the surrounding mountain peeks.
Gathering up the leather thongs twisted amongst the nest’s innards, he quickly went to work tying the feathers together into a rather handsome and warm cloak. Holding out his handy work for inspection, he had to admit he was rather pleased with his ingenuity. Placing it around his shoulders, he tied it to his neck and curled it around him bringing instant protection and warmth against the harsh north wind. It was then that he realized the fish carcass from the night before was gone. I guess it does like fish.
A loud shriek echoed through the air announcing the great bird’s return. Teek watched it circle with anxious anticipation hoping his earlier thoughts would prove true. As with the night before, something suddenly dropped from the bird’s clutches landing another fish mere inches from his feet. Settling on its perch, the bird made the familiar motions for eating and then eyed Teek and his new cloak with a look that made him think of satisfaction.
Without preamble, Teek dug into the morning meal not in the least bit upset at having to eat the same thing as the night before. “Thank you for keeping me warm last night,” he said between bites. “I’m sorry about what happened this morning. I have to admit, I thought you were trying to eat me.” Teek looked down rather sheepishly. “I guess that was dumb, huh?” Looking back up into those piercing blue eyes he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. “Wasn’t it?”
With a quick flash of white, the bird dropped down in front of him sending Teek scurrying back against the far side of the nest and almost toppling him over the edge. Teek instinctively fumbled with his dagger in the slight chance of defense but halted his motion almost immediately as the bird ripped into the fish and gulped down a huge chunk in the same head-jerking motion it used to get him to eat.
“That’s it,” Teek breathed, trying to slow down his racing heart. “Eat up. There’s plenty for all.”
The bird turned its gaze back to him and let out a small cooing sound repeating its head jerks with an empty beak.
“Oh,” Teek stammered, “you want me to eat more. Okay.” Moving slowly forward, he gingerly placed his dagger into his side of the fish keeping his eyes locked painfully on the huge mass of feathers and razor sharp beak above. Suddenly dropping its head, Teek jerked as it ripped another piece from the side of the fish and gulped it down in the same head-jerking motions. Relaxing a bit more, Teek followed suit, cutting off his own chunk and bringing it up to his mouth. With a large grin, he bit off another big piece and quickly swallowed it to the bird’s obvious delight as it let out an ear-blasting cry. Both continued the feeding frenzy and in no time, the fish was picked clean leaving nothing but a pile of cartilaginous bones.
Satisfied with his meal, Teek looked up at the magnificent creature perched before him and couldn’t help the feelings of awe at its beauty. “Thank you for dinner last night and for this fine breakfast.” The bird remained still staring back at him. “And thank you for not eating me. It...it means a lot to me and my family.”
Teek suddenly felt his hand reaching out towards the birds plumed chest. The giant bird didn’t move. He knew that in one swift dart of its head it could snap his hand right off but he kept moving it forward. Closing his eyes, he deliberately closed the gap between them. Finally, his hand touched the soft, white feathers. Opening his eyes, he looked up at the underside of the deadly beak above and then carefully moved his hand down the plumes on its chest. A warm, cooing gurgled from above lent Teek a little more courage and he stroked its fine white feathers more vigorously.
Finally feeling confident with his newfound friend, Teek relaxed completely. Stepping back so he could look up into its eyes he no longer felt like a worm about to be eaten. “My name is Teek,” he said extending his hand. “I’m from the Teague Swampland.”
Rearing back its head, the large bird let out a deafening cry and then bobbed its head back and forth. Teek couldn’t help but laugh at the gesture thinking it somewhat playful. Looking at his outstretched hand he chuckled. “I guess it’s probably best if we don’t shake hands.” The bird only cooed. Teek moved forward again and scratched its chest. “You need a name. I’m sure you probably have one but I don’t think I could pronounce it even if I knew it. Let’s see, what would be a good name?” He stopped his rubbing, to the bird’s obvious disappointment, and stepped back so he could look up once more into its eyes. Holding up a finger, he said, “I know. How about Tchee? Yes, I think I like that, Tchee. It kind of just rolls off the tongue. Tchee. What do you think?”
Looking down at the young Waseeni boy the large bird’s eyes seemed to smile. Then raising its head again, it bellowed out another cry and then bobbed its head back and forth.
“Well,” Teek said removing his hands from his ears, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Tchee continued bobbing her head back and forth in response, eliciting a delighted laugh from Teek who joined in with her. Both bobbed their heads to the obvious joy of the other until Teek finally slowed down, his smile fading away. Looking up at her, he noticed that she had also stopped and was now watching him carefully.
“Tchee?” he smiled, “I like that name. I have an important mission that I have been sent to complete by the elders of my village.” Curling up his brow, Teek tried to think of how to get her to understand his need. “I like being here with you and all, but I have to finish what I started. I have to finish Twee’s appeasing journey.” He reached out and rubbed her feathers. “You understand, don’t you?”
A low rumble coursed across her chest making Teek step back. Turning to her side, Tchee squatted down as if settling in for a nap and then squawked. Teek just watched her feeling a little confused. “What are you doing?” Turning her keen eyes back to him, Tchee pecked at her back and then squawked again. Teek’s eyes widened. “You want me to climb onto your back?” Tchee pecked her back and squawked and then started bobbing her head.
“Well, I have to admit it would be a lot nicer than how I came.” Rubbing his hands on his legs and then setting his feather cloak just right, he reached up to the feathers along her back while watching her head expectantly. Lowering her wing, Tchee gave him a place to boost himself and then, in one not-so-fluid motion, he was up and clinging to her neck. Tchee let out an exasperated cry and Teek loosened his grip. “Sorry.”
Rising effortlessly to her feet as if unaware of the slight weight she carried, Tchee let out a loud EEEEERRRRROOOOOCCCCC and then spread her massive wings and lifted gracefully into the morning sky.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Jack ducked his head with a jerk barely avoiding a kick to the face from Thane’s boot as he was dragged out of his saddle and into the air. Reaching out quickly, he grabbed the bridle on Thane’s horse and pulled both to a quick stop. “Dor!” he yelled turning around quickly to search the sky. “Thane’s been taken!” He spotted them almost immediately as Thane’s huge captor banked to the left and circled back around. Noticing he was alone, Dor had stopped to look back and was now charging furiously towards Jack.
Jack kicked his horse forward throwing up clods of moist earth as it jumped into a dead run. “Turn around,” he wailed at Dor. “It’s coming back!”
Dor fought his horse to get it to stop and then turned along with Jack’s. To Dor’s utter horror, the black, winged creature was drawing closer for another pass. Jack passed in a spray of mud and curses before Dor finally got his horse turned about. “Where’s Thane?” he yelled at Jack’s quickly retreating back. Pressing his own ride into frantic retreat, Dor was almost instantly answered when his friend passed just overhead clutched mercilessly in their attacker’s deadly talons.
“Help me!” Thane screamed flailing
his legs about.
Dor watched for a brief moment in stunned silence, as Thane was taken higher into the sky. He urged his mount on faster trying to follow his friend and the creature that had taken him. Since Jack was burdened with another horse, Dor was able to eat up the distance between them easily. “It’s headed for the mountains,” Dor screamed. “It’s got Thane! We can’t let it get away!”
Jack said nothing, glancing up with a scowl at the fast retreating hydra. Both pushed their mounts to greater speed trying at least to keep up but it was no use. The dark shadow quickly outdistanced them and then finally disappeared all together. Jack slowed his horse motioning to Dor to do the same.
“What was that thing!” Dor shot, the terror still etched in his voice.
Jack stared at the empty sky wiping a bead of sweat from his colorless face. “First Chufa and now...dragons? What is going on?”
“Hey, enough of that grumble you call a language,” Dor demanded. “Speak Chufa so I can understand you.”
Jack turned towards Dor as if he hadn’t realized he was there. “Sorry,” he said scratching his head. “That looked like...well...it looked like a...a dragon.”
Dor’s eyebrows pinched together. “A dragon?”
“I know it sounds silly. I mean, I wouldn’t have believed it myself had I not been almost knocked from my horse by it.”
“Are these monsters common here?”
“What?” Jack stared at Dor incredulously. “No! I mean, they’re just tales. Just something to frighten children into being good like the Chu...” Jack caught himself. “They’re not supposed to be real.”
“Well, it looked real enough to me. I’ve never been so scared in my life, and we Chufa don’t scare easily.”
Jack tugged on his beard. “It’s just that...oh, never mind. What’s important is that it has Thane.”
Dor felt despair overcoming him. “First Thane, then Tam and now Thane again. How are we going to get him back?”
Jack looked towards the mountains. “Luckily, Tam and Thane are headed in the same direction. Maybe this dragon and the trolls are part of the same group.”
“I don’t remember seeing anything like that when I was with the trolls.”
“Maybe not,” Jack sighed, “but sitting here talking about it certainly isn’t going to get us either of them back.”
“What do you suggest?”
Jack looked towards the mountains again and grabbed at his beard giving it a fitful tug. “We’ll be to Haykon before the sun sets. We can get fresh horses and supplies there and maybe some extra help. We can be in those mountains by sunrise. If that dragon went to the other side, we’ll find it. There’s nothing over there.”
“And if it stopped in the mountains?”
Jack hesitated. “We’ll find him. Thane’s a smart kid, he won’t give up easily.”
Dor felt overwhelmed. “Let’s go then,” he said trying to keep his voice from cracking as a tear escaped to run down his cheek.
“Don’t worry,” Jack offered clumsily. “We’ll get them both back. If the stories I’ve heard about dragons have any truth to them, it won’t kill him. If it was hungry, or wanted us dead, it would have killed us all.”
Dor nodded stoically and then turned his horse to go.
Turning his own mount, Jack added in the common tongue under his breath, “I only hope the dragon knows the same stories I do.”
* * *
The sun was just about an hour from its nightly rest when the great walls of Haykon came into clear view. Dor had watched it as a growing darkness against the looming mountains for the past couple of hours. The closer they got the tighter his chest felt. Dor was as brave as any Chufa but he had also been the HuMan’s captive. He did not relish another encounter. Laying his hand on Jack’s arm, he brought them to a stop.
“What is it?” Jack asked his face clouded with concern.
“I think it might be better if I waited out here for you.”
Jack dropped his head shaking it slightly. “I was wondering when this might come up.”
Dor kept his gaze riveted to the large stone walls that spanned out to either side of the great fortress city. “I’m just not so sure that I’m ready to be held within stone walls again.”
Jack sighed heavily gathering his thoughts for a rebuttal. Blowing air through his mustache he looked at the young Chufa boy. “How old are you, Dor?”
“What?” he asked, aware of the contemplative look Jack was drilling into him. “What has that got to do with anything?”
“Quite a bit I am thinking.”
Dor glared back, feeling he was being insulted but not quite sure how. “I will be fifteen cycles this coming moon,” he finally retorted a bit indignant.
Jack quickly hid the surprise that flashed across his face. Fifteen! He was still a child! How could he and Thane be so skilled at such a young age? His own training had not started until he was sixteen and he was.... Jack quickly reeled in his thoughts before they completely ran away from him. If they were going to get into the city and get help before morning, they had to hurry. This far out, they were sure to close the gates right at sunset. Jack shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head as if suddenly understanding the answer to a grave problem.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing really. You’re probably right about staying out here. There are a lot of humans in Haykon and I certainly wouldn’t want you to be scared.”
Dor bristled at the insult. Granted, he actually was somewhat frightened, but that gave Jack no right to call him on it.
“After all,” Jack continued with a honeyed voice, “a child so young as you are certainly couldn’t help but be scared.”
Dor’s face began to darken at the second reference Jack made to him being frightened.
“You’re right,” Jack continued, placing his hand over his mouth to smooth down his beard and cover the smile that would not be held back. “We better find a safe place out here for you to wait. Erl will be along soon to protect you should you become frightened in the night.”
That was it. Dor was on the brink of violence at being treated like a child and having his bravery brought into question for the third time. Trying desperately to keep his hand from his belt knife, his voice came as a hiss filled with venom. “I will thank you to cease your barrage of insults before we come to blows.”
Jack turned towards Dor with the satisfaction of victory hidden well behind a shocked expression.
“I am no child. I have been killing trolls for almost half my life now and a few ugly HuMans, I am sure, could not come close to their strength or intelligence.”
Jack almost lost it. Luckily, his attempt at swallowing his laughter sent him into a choking fit giving him a much needed excuse to turn his head away and hide the huge grin that broke out on his face. In between coughs, he managed a quick apology. “I meant no offense, Dor. I was only trying to make you feel better.”
Some of the fire retreated from Dor’s eyes leaving only a scowl that he turned with full force upon his gasping companion. “One last thing and then we can be on our way. You would be wise to never call a Chufa afraid to his face again. In my country, there is no greater insult. Those who do make such an accusation must prove it with blood; either there own, or that of the one they’ve accused. In either case, someone lies dead in the end.”
Jack suddenly stopped wheezing and jerked his head around. “I’m sorry, Dor,” he said with genuine sincerity. “I had no idea I was insulting your honor in such a manner. I know you are no coward.”
Dor released his anger and smiled. “I thought as much. I just wouldn’t want to have to kill you to prove it. After all, in this short time I have grown somewhat used to your shaggy face.”
Jack returned the smile quickly. “Now, there is one other thing that we must do and discuss before we enter Haykon that I hope you will not take as an insult.”
Dor only lifted an eyebrow in response.
* * *
They sl
owed their horses to a quick trot as they drew up to the city’s east gates. “This is the back side,” Jack supplied. “It usually isn’t so well guarded, but with the troll’s recent passing, it’s a wonder the gates are open at all.”
Dor only nodded as he stared up at the massive rock walls that surrounded the city fortress. The sun was already half encased by the mountains beyond, casting a huge shadow outward that gave him a chill when it engulfed them. He adjusted the Dihne that wrapped his head, covering his ears completely and making it difficult to hear. No matter, he thought, he wouldn’t be able to understand a thing anyone was saying anyway.
“Now, remember what I told you. Just stick to the plan and everything will be fine.”
Dor just nodded. After all his anger for Jack having called him afraid, he had to admit to himself that such was actually the case. All he could think of was the dark, suffocating enclosure he had been forced to stay in the whole time he was at Hell’s End Station. A shiver shot through him making his horse shy a bit from his nervousness.
“Easy now,” Jack encouraged. “Everything will be just fine.”
Dor said nothing entranced by the enormity that was Haykon. Never in his life had he seen anything so large and foreboding. The city walls stretched out to either side for at least a mile before abruptly ending at square towers that reach high into the sky above. Directly in front of them was a gate large enough for four horses walking abreast to pass through. Thick, solid oak doors were swung out towards them and to either side, jutting out from the walls, were two circular towers; these were only half the size of those at the corners and did not extend fully to the ground but instead tapered in half way up the wall. Dor could easily make out the men inside with nocked arrows trained on the pair as they approached the open gates. A total of four guards stood on either side of the entrance wearing heavy chain mail and carrying large pikes. As if by some secret signal, two broke off and came towards the two weary travelers bringing them up to a halt.