by Daniel White
It was a much better response than he had expected. He smiled. “Hopefully I won’t be too long. Perhaps in a week I’ll return. We’ll see.”
Aldrick prepared for the journey hurriedly. He felt lightheaded and a little sick. Life was changing rapidly and keeping pace with it was exhausting. Into a leather travelling bag he stuffed everything he would need: a change of clothes, a pillow and enough food to last him until Farguard. He already had his bow and wore hunting gear, but decided to add two knives to his belt and extra arrows to his quiver. He couldn’t be too careful.
Outside, he saddled and then fastened his gear onto his favourite steed, Tame. The horse whinnied excitedly at the prospect of open travel and pranced merrily about in the morning sun once readied.
All that was left to do now was to say farewell to Phelvara and Kaal. Bree was still fast asleep inside and he would not wake her. Phelvara came and hugged him tightly. She had tears in her eyes and breathed in heavy gasps.
“Be calm. It’s all going to be fine,” he said softy, attempting to subdue her emotions.
She smiled and wiped the tears away.
“Yes it will be,” she sniffled before fresh tears took their place. “Aldrick, I’m sorry Braem and I have raised you in such a sheltered lifestyle. There is much more for you out there than we can ever offer here. You are greater than you know.”
Aldrick took her by the shoulders. “I love living here, Mother. This place is always going to be home to me. You and Braem are the greatest parents, to all three of us. Don’t worry about me out there. The woman I ride with is trustworthy. She wants the best for us all.”
Phelvara cried more and they hugged for some time longer. When she finally let him go, Aldrick turned to Kaal. He stood nearby, resting his weight on his bow and watching Aldrick with an inscrutable expression.
“I’ll see you, Brother,” Aldrick said.
Kaal sighed, then came and thumped him on the shoulder. “Don’t go getting yourself into any trouble. If a ka-zchen eats you I’ll use that girlfriend of yours for target practice.”
Aldrick laughed. “I’ll be fine.” He mounted Tame then looked back. “Goodbye! Tell Bree I say bye to her too, and that she should look after her mother!” He raised a hand and was on his way.
While Aldrick rode down the hill, fear and apprehension no longer hounded him. He was only anxious with excitement. He was going on a journey with a beautiful woman, a journey that would connect the life he knew to a world only spoken of in tales and wandered in dreams, one in which magic and mighty beasts still dwelled. Whatever else was there to discover in lands he had yet to lay eyes upon?
Télia awaited him at the gate, sitting gracefully upon her mare. She had removed her hood and her flurries of hair danced gently in the morning breeze.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
He glanced back at his home on the mountainside. “Yes, I am. We ride for Farguard?”
She nodded. “We need to make as much ground as possible under the sun. If there are more ka-zchen about they will stalk at night, in the shadows.”
Aldrick took a breath. “Well then, I guess we should be on our way.”
“Yes.”
They began to ride. Télia led, galloping swiftly. He hoped Tame would be able to maintain her Mare’s pace. The farm horses seldom journeyed at a speed beyond a trot and the road would be long. Presently, Tame appeared to be enjoying the freedom and held his own with ease.
The immediate road north Aldrick knew well for he and Kaal had roamed the surrounding fields and gullies as children, seeking out anything that captured their imaginations and playing games that entertained them while they avoided whatever chores Braem and Phelvara had set for them that day. It wasn’t long before they had left these familiar places behind them, though, and made their way down a rocky crag into a vast, low-lying woodland valley that stretched far inland. The road to Farguard kept to the left, following closely to the white sand coastline. The trees shied away from its borders, but their branches reached far and clumps of slender leaves hung at head height around them. Grass covered the ground where it could; a deep green in the shade while bright and vibrant where the sun’s light touched it. It was strange travelling through such a serene landscape when he knew such grave dangers lay ahead. Perhaps this was all a prolonged dream.
Very late in the afternoon, after only two brief stops to eat and rest the horses, they came upon a great opening in the woods through which a shallow river ran to the nearby shore. At the far side of this, across an arched stone bridge, Aldrick could see an inn. It was a welcome sight.
Télia drew her mare to a halt and turned to face him. “We will rest there tonight. For us a manmade shelter will prove safer than the trees.”
He came to her side.
“What about the owners?” he asked. “If we are being hunted isn’t it best we stay away from people—keep them safe?”
“We will warn them. We will say only that there may be danger about, not that you are hunted. If there is any trouble, they will have a cellar to take refuge in, and I will be ready.”
“Do we even have weapons strong enough to defeat a ka-zchen if one does attack?”
“I have an aera’s crossbow,” Télia said with a thoughtful frown. “With an accurate shot it should be powerful enough to kill one. I cannot say for certain, though.” She looked across at him. “You are the only one here who has survived an attack. Perhaps you should protect me.”
“I can teach you how to run really fast if you like.”
She laughed. Somehow she looked even more beautiful when she laughed. Her whole face was a smile. His heart melted.
When they arrived outside the inn the daylight was beginning to fade. The inn was small and looked very old, ancient even. Similar to Aldrick’s home, its walls were built of stone, but over the years these had been weathered and, in places, had collapsed. One entire corner was reinforced with sturdy lengths of wood from the surrounding forest. Above the door, a faded sign hung from rusted chains reading ‘Seawood Inn’.
They dismounted and led their horses round to a smelly, drab stable. There was little feed and the lack of other horses occupying the stalls made them question whether the inn had been abandoned. This soon proved not to be the case as, upon entering, an aged man with a walking stick greeted them from behind a dusty counter.
“Hello, weary travellers,” he said brightly. “My name is Roan. Welcome to my humble inn.” He gestured around with a shaky hand. “Are you looking to stay the night? I can offer you suitable bedding for little coin.”
“Yes, please. We will have a room each, thank you,” said Télia.
Roan looked surprised. “Oh, you are not a couple?” He scratched his chin. “Well now, I only have one room. It’s quite spacious, mind you. Er, perhaps you can convince this young man to make do with the floor.” He stared at Aldrick expectantly.
“One room will be fine,” said Télia, reaching for her coin pouch. “We are just grateful to have a roof over our heads tonight. There has been talk of foul beasts prowling this area. We caught wind of this in Rain and have stopped here tonight as a precaution.”
“Really… beasts you say?” Roan didn’t sound alarmed by this at all. “Well, I’m sure you will find no such things shall pester you here. Never in all my years has there been an incident. Unless you bring the trouble with you, I believe we shall all have a very incident-less night.”
Aldrick felt guilty. He knew that if there was a ka-zchen out there it would not pause at the walls of the inn to find him.
“Still, it would be wise to remain cautious,” he said, glancing at Télia. “You never know what might be lurking out there in the shadows.”
Roan eyed them both curiously.
“For such fine young souls you are very chary indeed,” he remarked. “Nevertheless, I shall heed your words and I too will be wary of the shadows.”
After Télia had paid him a small fee, the innkeeper showed them to the room. It was sp
acious but rather bare. An old bed stood against the left wall. A deer skin rug lay at its foot and a small wooden table stood beside it. There was no chair. To the right were a row of empty shelves and a tall wardrobe that slanted because of one broken leg. A single window directly opposite the door offered fresh air. They lay their possessions on the floor by the bed, not bothering to unpack. They would leave for Farguard at dawn.
Télia threw Aldrick an apple before drawing a small crossbow from her saddlebag. It looked to be a fine weapon. Its stock and foregrip were fashioned from a dark wood, the tree from which he could not say. The remainder was metal—steel or silver. Bands of intricate engravings decorated its barrel and limb. For such a deadly weapon it looked rather elegant. She set it beside the bed, removed her cloak and lay down. Aldrick remained standing, pondering. The journey had begun abruptly and there were still many questions he wished to ask this woman that he had not yet found the right moment for. Maybe this was it.
“Télia, who hired you to protect me?” he asked. She didn’t respond so he went on. “Do they know why Selayna wants me dead?”
Télia sat back up and looked at him. She seemed settled now, more so than him at least.
“I assume they must know,” she said pensively. “They definitely thought it was important to send me. Usually they would have assigned a job like this to someone far more experienced, but it was clearly urgent and I was already travelling south. They said they were sending other aeras, too. I have rarely heard of someone being appointed more than one. They must have known that the threat to you was great.”
“Aera? That is what you are called?”
“Yes, it means ‘guardian’ in old Narthtongue.”
“Why were you travelling south?”
“Actually, I was on my way to Jon’s. I was told that watching over him would be an easy assignment, to finish my training. I doubt they expected he would ever be in any real danger. As far as I am aware he is not commonly known of these days.”
“You were to protect him because he is a wielder?”
“Yes.”
“But why would anyone want to protect me?” Aldrick asked, mystified. “I am no wielder. I am not… special or important.”
A mysterious smile grew on Télia’s face.
“You really don’t know who you are, do you?” she asked, eying him.
“Something is telling me I don’t…”
She surveyed him for a moment longer, then rested back against the headboard of the bed. “You know, when I was ordered to protect you, the name I was given was Aedimon. You are not known by that name in Rain?”
“Aedimon,” Aldrick repeated curiously. “No, though I was adopted as a baby.”
“I see.”
“Wait, if you were given the wrong name, how did you know I was the one you were looking for?”
Télia’s eyes twinkled.
“I have my ways,” she said slyly then, changing the subject, “So how is it that you know Jon? I find that oddly coincidental.”
“I knew him growing up. He is an old friend of my par… foster parents. My foster father, Braem, left to see him after the ka-zchen attacked me. I think they both know something about me, about my real parents. Maybe they were the Aedimons.”
“I think you may be correct,” said Télia. “I believe Jon will have the answers you seek.”
“He truly is a wielder?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Aldrick pondered. Why had his life been shrouded in secrecy? He began to wonder about his birth parents. Who had they been? Maybe they weren’t simple merchants or farmhands as he had always imagined. He would know soon enough.
Gentle rain began to fall. The evening had faded to darkness. Roan kindly gave them a number of candles which they set on the table to provide some lighting. Although the threat of an attack lingered, the mood lightened and their conversation soon turned to stories of their upbringings. Aldrick recounted childhood memories of living against the mountains, of exploring the forests, of hunting and farming. Télia kept her stories rather brief, always more eager to hear his own. She told of a childhood raised in Daraki’ Anya, a village neighbouring a larger city, Galdrem. He knew of Galdrem, of course. It was the capital city of the Narathlands, located in Morn, one of the northernmost provinces. She had been born the daughter of a high council member and had chosen her line of work because it offered travel, adventure, an escape from the monotony of day-to-day life. He reasoned they were similar in this respect—their dreams were not bound by the horizon.
While she spoke, Aldrick gazed upon Télia. Her beauty shone in the candlelight. She had removed her tunic and sat with blankets wrapped around her. He lay on his side across the end of the bed. Gradually gravity seemed to change direction, compelling him toward her, but he resisted. Though intoxicatingly alluring, her presence was unnerving, her beauty and grace daunting. Besides, there were currently far more concerning events unfolding. She had other things on her mind, some of which she had not voiced.
In time the soft patter of the rain made Aldrick drowsy. Télia kindly allowed him space beside her to lie down and stretch his legs. She remained sitting, seemingly restless once more. Her breaths were heavy and without rhythm.
“You should get some sleep,” he said, eying her.
She yawned and shook her head. “No, I’m all right. Don’t worry about me.”
He did worry. Télia struck him as someone who was too good, who would push herself too far. It was her call though.
“Suit yourself,” he said and closed his eyes.
Télia sprang from the bed.
He bolted upright. “What is it?!”
She put a finger to her lips. An anxious pause followed.
“I heard hooves on the road,” she whispered.
He leapt to his feet and drew a knife from his belt.
“Keep quiet,” she urged, loading her crossbow carefully. “This is trouble.”
They made their way slowly toward the entrance of the Inn, keeping their figures stooped. Roan had gone to bed, but a number of lanterns still burned. Beyond the windows it was pitch black. Aldrick listened for any noise but could hear only the rain. They crept behind the counter and rested their backs against it. He looked to Télia. Her face was one of ardent concentration.
They waited.
“Maybe it was nothing,” he said after a while.
Télia shook her head. “No, those who come in silence are not of good will.”
There was a creak as the front door began to open slowly. Roan must have forgotten to lock it! Télia touched his shoulder and mouthed the words “Don’t move.”
He didn’t.
“Be silent, he could still be awake,” one intruder muttered to another.
Télia took the hand Aldrick held his knife in, turned it so that the blade was upright and gave him a subtle nod. He knew what she meant by it—he was going to need to use it.
Without warning Télia stood and aimed her crossbow beyond the counter.
“Move one step closer and die!” she yelled, then ducked all of a sudden. A knife flew into the wall behind her. She released an arrow then dropped back down beside him. Aldrick heard one of the intruders charging. As they reached the side of the bar he sprang up and drove the knife at their chest. It pierced armour but not flesh. Aldrick was gripped and thrust into the wall. Dazed, he lost his footing and collapsed to the floor, dropping his knife. Staring up, he saw a figure—a man shrouded in black—raising a sword. Télia came at him from behind but he whirled round and hit her hard across the face. She flew sideways to the floor.
“Télia, get up!”
She groaned. The man approached her, sniggering. Aldrick had to do something fast. His knife lay near him, and he took hold of it. As the man raised his sword, intent upon driving Télia’s body through, Aldrick leapt at him, thrusting it into his side where the armour failed to protect. They both toppled to the floor. Aldrick sprang back up. The man remained down. He was dead, his sword
still clutched in hand.
Once more the rain was the only sound to be heard. Aldrick stood shaking. By the entrance a second man lay with one of Télia’s arrows in his chest, dead also.
Télia found her feet at Aldrick’s side.
“Thanks,” she said, rubbing her jaw.
“Yeah,” he managed. He had just killed somebody. They were dead.
“You had to do it, Aldrick,” Télia said, surveying him. “He would have killed us both.” She went to the door and peered outside for a moment, checking for any further danger, then beckoned Aldrick back to the bedroom. In the hallway Roan stood with a lantern in his hand, staring at them with wide eyes.
“Fret not, my friend,” Télia said to him as they passed. “They were enemies. The coast is clear now. We will deal with this in the morning. We apologise for causing you distress.”
Roan said nothing, just watched them pass then looked vacantly down at the bodies lying upon the floor.
Aldrick slumped onto the bed. He was in no mood for anything. Télia sat down next to him.
“We should think no more of this night until morning,” she said quietly. “Let us rest now.” She blew out the last burning candle.
They shared the bed. Télia slept but Aldrick could not. He lay on his back, dazed and subdued in the dark. The night was long.
5
STORM
Coldness had seeped into Aldrick’s bones by morning. His body was exhausted, overtired. His mind was no better. They had risen early for there was unavoidable work to be done before they departed—the bodies of the intruders had to be removed. Télia asked him to help examine them first.
Easily visible, engraved into the men’s cuirasses, was the outline of the same butterfly that had been branded on the ka-zchen which attacked him. He noticed now that their wings were outlandishly jagged and appeared profoundly sinister. The cuirasses enhanced this look as they too had a sharp, menacing look about them. From their plated pauldrons the men wore capes which also bore Selayna’s sign.