A New Path

by Xander Jade

  Cori blushed crimson, and Estelle laughed softly, "Yes, milord, you know him very well. Oh, how should put this? He isn’t someone to trifle with, but at the same time, the best person to know. I hope that answers your questions."

  He thought about that response and could only come up with one answer. His eyes widened at that conclusion. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.

  "I see you have figured out who the mystery person is. Please, don’t speak of it, I haven’t spoken to father yet. As his friend, I would hope you wouldn’t spread any gossip either," Cori spoke firmly.

  Gordon nodded, "Your Highness, I won’t speak of anything regarding that. Does he know?"

  She shook her head, "We haven’t had any time to speak of it. I wished he would have stayed with us, but I understand his reasons."

  He reluctantly asked, "I know you heard the same events that my father laid out. He will have a strong entourage of men and women. There will be fierce women around him. Can you handle that, Your Highness?"

  Cori contemplated his question, "Yes, Lord Gordon, I have come to the same deduction. I will need to get stronger, but I will be by his side when he needs me."

  Gordon smiled at that promise, "Your Highness, there isn’t a better man in our kingdom. I hope everything will go well when the time comes to make that decision known. Now, Princess Estelle wou--." He stopped talking when he looked over their shoulders and saw Sir John headed their way. The ladies looked to see what stopped his conversation. They all groaned at his appearance.

  "Princess Corisande, may I have this dance?" Sir John asked as he bowed. The others around snickered at her, but Shea made the decision for her. "Yes, Sir John, she would." Cori stared at her menacingly and grumbled out a yes. They headed to the dance floor while the others looked on.

  Gordon chuckled out, "Let’s make a wager, ladies," Estelle and Shea nodded and he continued, "Name your price and argument how the dance ends. I’ll go first."

  He said, "Ten silver, she leaves him on the dance floor while the music is playing, red faced embarrassed."

  Shea spoke her answer, "Ten silver, she slaps him."

  Estelle laughed softly, "Ten silver, she knees him, he falls to the floor, and she berates him about speaking ill of Max."

  They looked at her and Gordon smiled, "Wow, that’s specific."

  They watched them dance waiting for a reaction from the duo, and it wasn’t two minutes later that a commotion could be heard. At that point, people were giving them room, so the scene could be watched from where the bet was made. They were wide eyed at the sight before them. Cori yelling, she knees the knight, and he falls to his knees. She then punched him in the face and he fell to the floor with a loud thump. The three ran over to check on the duo, but could only hear the last of the conversation. "……Don’t ever speak about him like that again, or I will continue what I just started!" Cori bellowed. Duke Ackley and Sir Nathan came over to see what the commotion was about. When they saw Princess Corisande leaning over Sir John berating him, they barely kept the smiles off their faces. A puddle of blood on the floor meant that she broke Sir John’s nose.

  "What is going on over here?" Duke Ackley demanded.

  "It is okay milord, we were just having a conversation that got out of hand," the knight slurred.

  "It looks like she broke your nose. Why would she do that, Sir John?" The duke wondered.

  "I was just trying to get to know her, maybe at some point, court her if her father allowed it. We were speaking about the past week and that’s when she hit me.

  "When someone insults someone I’m fond of, I will defend them. I told him to not talk about certain things, but he wouldn’t listen," Cori took a deep breath and growled out, "If we were in Whitehurst, you would be in the stocks, Sir John." Shea stepped up and asked if she was okay. Cori nodded and they walked away with Estelle in tow.

  Sir Nathan looked upon the knight with pity, "The way she was reacting, I can only deduct that you were insulting Max. Max isn’t here to defend himself, so she took it upon herself to do it," he took a moment to calm down, but still had anger in his voice when he resumed the conversation, "Evidently, you have forgotten our conversation when we walked into the gates of Oakenshore. I don’t know you that well, Sir John, but let me make something very clear. That young man has a spot in all our hearts, and if I hear you disrespect him in front of me, you will have more than a broken nose. Henceforth, Princess Corisande is off limits to you. She obviously doesn’t want any contact with you, so stay away from her." Sir Nathan walked away leaving Gordon and Duke Ackley staring at the young knight.

  John finally was able to pull himself off the floor, and tried to get sympathy from the duke. "Lord Ackley, I didn’t think what I said was offensive. All I said was—." That was all he could get out before Gordon laid into him.

  "Sir John, don’t speak another word. You were warned not to speak ill of my friend. You are lucky my father is here to take care of you, because you wouldn’t have liked my punishment. It’s funny, you are a so called knight; someone who is supposed to be an epitome of Oakenshore. A role model for our people, but right now you are like a virus, something that needs to be taken care of. Let me make it easy for you to comprehend, Max may not be of noble blood, but he is my brother. You are insulting my family, sir knight. Think about that the next time someone brings up his name. Oh, one other thing before I leave. You think Princess Corisande was fast to act, but Max doesn’t have patience. He will kill you in a blink of an eye." Gordon said and left in anger.

  Duke Ackley calmly looked at the young knight, debating what he would do to him. "I don’t want to hear any excuses. I will not be embarrassed like that again. You are to report to the stables for a month as well as latrine duty. If I hear any complaining or slacking, you will be banished from Oakenshore. Do I make myself clear?" The young knight swallowed loudly and nodded. Duke Ackley left him and searched for his wife. He found her and they left to find Princess Corisande. They found the group waiting outside the in the courtyard talking amongst themselves.

  "Your Highness, are you alright?" Lady Ackley asked, concerned.

  "Yes, Lady Ackley, I'm better since I've calmed down," Cori replied. "I'm sorry about ruining your evening."

  "Nonsense Your Highness, we are sorry for the issues you've been through," Lady Ackley answered looking at her husband.

  "That is correct Princess Corisande, I'm not sure what all was said, but I assure you he will be dealt with accordingly," Duke Ackley emphasized and she nodded.

  "Have you heard from His Majesty, Lord Ackley?" Shea asked trying to change the subject.

  He nodded and sighed, "I was hoping we could wait till tomorrow, but it seems we will have that conversation tonight." Shea and Cori nodded wanting to know what was discussed. "Okay, let's change into some comfortable clothing, and meet up in the war room." They nodded and went back to their rooms. When everyone was dressed, they set out to meet in the war room. Refreshments were waiting for them, so they ate while silence engulfed the area. When everyone was done, Duke Ackley requested they start.

  "Yesterday, I had another discussion with King William and High Mage Edward. I gave them the info regarding Lady Cassie. I also discussed how you, Gordon met Max and ended up staying with him for a few weeks. After I finished, the king left no doubt, he wants Max in Whitehurst immediately. He stated that a score of knights were to bring him in." The Duke glanced around the table to find concerned faces looking back at him.

  "Lord Ackley, what does that mean?" Shea asked.

  "It means His Majesty isn't taking any chances. Max is the top priority at this time, and the high mage agrees. They want him behind the walls of Whitehurst, so others can't find him." Lord Ackley responded.

  Cori spoke up quickly, "Are you saying father is going to abduct him? What if he doesn't want to go?" The others worried about the Duke's comments and Gordon commented, "Father, you know if he sends them, Max won't go. Reaper and Hercules won't let them get anywhere
near him. Also, with Lady Cassie there, and his friends, his knights won't stand a chance."

  Duke Ackley sighed, "I have advised the king of the same scenario. We are to send someone he knows to convince him to come to the palace."

  "If Max feels he is in danger, he will disappear. You won't see him again if he doesn't want you to. He knows how to survive and live off the land," Gordon responded.

  "Okay, Gordon, you will leave to go get him. Take whoever you fully trust for this mission. I want you supplied and gone within 3 days, the king wants this done quickly. I'm hoping he hasn't left to go anywhere," Duke Ackley ordered and Gordon nodded.

  "I'm going too!" Princess Cori bellowed.

  The Duke glanced at Shea and Sir Nathan. He didn’t answer right away so Shea responded, "Your Highness, I don't think that's a good idea. The king would have us in the dungeons when we came back without you. I know you are concerned about him, but you will have to be patient. You will see him again, just not right now."

  Cori grumbled but she knew Shea was telling the truth. There wasn't anything she could do at the moment, so she took a deep calming breath, and nodded. Everyone was relieved she wasn't going. Duke Ackley bowed and left with his wife into their room leaving Gordon with the Whitehurst group.

  "Well, things have definitely gotten exciting around here," Gordon chuckled.

  "Yeah, having Cori around is definitely entertaining," Shea giggled.

  "Yep, now it's time for you two to pay up. Tomorrow would be great, shopping sounds awesome," Estelle smirked when they groaned.

  "What bet? And where was I when it was made?" Sir Nathan asked

  Estelle smiled proudly, "I'm not sure where you were, but the bet was about Cori. We bet what would happen when the douchebag knight danced with her."

  Princess Cori groaned, "What? Seriously?"

  Gordon snickered, "Sorry Your Highness, couldn't pass that up. Although, I didn't know you could throw a punch like that." Cori blushed but grinned.

  "What's your plan regarding Max?" She asked.

  "Well, I'm going to try and locate him," Gordon answered. "Hopefully he will still be in BlackCrest, if not then I'll have to track him down. I have no idea how to convince him to come with me though."

  "We should probably get some sleep, tomorrow we have to start preparing for our trip back," Nathan suggested. "Duke Ackley is sending us with a host of guards till we get back home."

  They each gave farewells for the evening. They all kept to themselves the rest of the way back to their rooms, thinking of the next steps in their lives. It's definitely appearing to be a wild ride.

  ***

  Dawn came for Cass and I, we left early with my duo in tow to get my belongings. Hopefully mom will have some seeds and plant starters. That would be ideal, but I wasn’t going to count on it. When daylight showed across the horizon, we were already on our way. I will need to leave Herc and Reap on the outskirts of the town so the town won’t panic. Although I doubt the two companions will listen to me. They seem to be attached to my hip for some reason. I assumed it was because they were protecting me, but I ended up talking to Cassie about it.

  "They are doing it because they feel your emotions," Cassie clarified. "The bond is supposed to be that way, but you should be able to talk to them in your mind being bonded to Reaper. That is a skill you inherit from the siba, telepathy is what it’s called, and I’m still working on a solution on why you are somehow blocking them."

  Telepathy, that would be cool to be able to talk while others are silent, "Could I be able to talk to people this way?"

  "I’m not sure, but I believe you will. Until your magic is released I won’t be able to confirm any of this," she stated reluctantly.

  "Okay, after we get some stuff from my parent’s house, then I’ll try to learn some magic."

  She nodded and our journey for the next couple of days went by quietly and quickly. Our group came up to the outskirts of town and I stopped them. "Can you guys stay out here for a little while?" I asked the two huge creatures, and swore they looked at me like I was crazy. They both grunted and shook their heads no; I groaned, thinking about what was about to happen. "Fine, you both can come, but stay next to me. We will walk to my house and tell my parents about our little adventures."

  They both grunted and Cassie was laughing at me hysterically. Turning the first corner, we didn't even make it ten steps when someone screamed. That started a snowball effect flowing through the town as we walked through it. I guess looking at it from their point of view, I suppose it would be the same result. We kept walking towards my parent’s house, then I looked ahead and saw about twenty guards started coming our way, from the look of their attire it seemed they were from Oakenshore. I didn’t know they sent their guards down here, so something must have happened. I grumbled and waited till they stopped fifty feet from us. They looked nervous and they should be, they were no match for Reap and Herc. A crowd was forming around the town square; great just what I needed.

  An older looking guard came out front and hollered, "Stay where you are!" The guards had their swords out and ready for action.

  "Can I ask what the problem is?"

  "Your group isn’t welcome here. Take those animals out of the town and nobody will get hurt."

  It can’t have been that long since we left. "I live here good sir, I’ve been gone for some time. Can I ask why you are here, instead of the town guards?"

  "We’ve had numerous skirmishes with orcs and other creatures outside of Oakenshore. After the incident with the princesses on the way to Oakenshore, Duke Ackley isn’t taking any chances. He sent scores of guards out to head off any incidents before they occur. What is your name lad?" The older guard detailed his orders.

  "My name is Max, my parent’s house is just up the hill there. I don’t want any trouble, if you let me pass, we’ll be on our way."

  He thought about it for a moment and asked, "Where have you been lad? You have with you two creatures that I haven’t seen before, it’s my duty to make sure these people are safe."

  "I have been traveling up north and back around to Oakenshore, the big cat has been with me. I came across an orc retrieval team trying to get this young lady behind me. She was kidnapped and forced in a cage with others. The big bear behind me was there protecting her when we showed up. Needless to say we handled the situation. Now, can I get by, my parents have been waiting for me."

  The townspeople finally agreed that I live here even though they were scared of the two predators. The guard finally agreed, but was going to escort me to them. I nodded and started walking. Cassie looked at me and whispered, "Nice welcome committee." She laughed softly while they led us. We traveled up the hill and saw my parents in the yard, waiting. Someone must’ve notified them I was coming. When we got close I noticed mom had tears in her eyes, wonder what that’s about. The older guard stopped close to my dad and stated, "Sir, this lad says he is your son, I needed to make sure he was telling the truth before we let him go."

  "He is my son, good sir," dad replied a smile.

  "Okay, good, those two mammoth creatures would be hard to put down with this lot. I’m glad I don’t have to try," the guard chuckled.

  Dad nodded and the guard left us behind. At that point mom sprinted towards me and jumped into my arms, tears flowing down her cheeks. She just sobbed, so I held her until she was ready to talk. Dad came up and wrapped us in his arms not wanting to let me go. Finally letting me up, I asked softly, "Mom what has happened?"

  "We heard about the raids just after you left, so we sent out Wade and a couple of others to try and locate you. They came back and said there wasn’t any sign of you, so we thought the worst. Then, the guards showed up and locked down the town," dad responded.

  "Is everyone okay? Anybody hurt? Liv, Wade, Jules?"

  "Yes son, they are just worried about you. Where have you been?" Dad asked looking around until he got to the Hercules, "I can’t wait to hear your explanation on how you c
ame across a kodiak," he laughed out loud.

  Smiling broadly I responded, "His name is Hercules, and this is Lady Cassie." They gave each other friendly handshakes and nods.

  My mom took us in the house, leaving Herc and Reap laying on the ground outside. We sat down at the table and mom gave us some food and had dad go get Liv, Wade, and Jules. After a few minutes we heard loud noises coming from outside, then the front door flew open. The three of them were out of breath, smiles on their faces. I stood up and went to them. They ambushed me, wrapping me up in a group hug. Tears were flowing, and the ladies demanding to know where I was. Holding up my hand halting them, I nodded to the table for them to sit down. All of them were anxious to hear of my adventures. "Okay, tell us what happened. I don’t want any detail left out," mom demanded.

  Looking around the table at my family and friends wondering what I should tell them. "First, let me introduce you to two important individuals who have joined our family. This is Lady Cassie, she is a mage," they were stunned for a moment, so I went on, "the big brown fellow outside is Hercules. I call him Herc, and assuming by the look on your faces, you know it’s a kodiak." They nodded, still looking in awe. I guess just by appearances, Herc is intimidating. "Hercules is a big teddy bear though, unless you have unethical motives." They shook their heads at my situation.

  "Max, how is it that you have one with you?" Wade asked.

  Indicating to them to hold their questions, "I will get to that, but I have to start from the beginning for you to understand. It all started when Reap and I were gone north ………"

  It was about two hours later when I finished my tales. The table was silent for minutes, no one knew what to say until dad spoke up in his deep voice, "I don’t know where to start," he thought about his next words carefully, "You saved the princesses from the orc ambush, then helped heal their guards and knights. In the same week, you helped save Lady Cassie. The kodiak was protecting Lady Cassie when you got there, then you dismantled more orcs. In the meantime, you bonded with a kodiak and a siba. Am I missing anything, son?