by Daniel White
Covering the ground was a plethora of blooms of colours ranging from the deepest of reds to faint blues and tepid yellows. Some species Aldrick recognised from gardens in Rain, but others were unknown to him. There was also an abundance of leafy fruit trees, all of which displayed an impressive crop of well-ripened pome fruits. Many served as host to vines which twisted their stems firmly around the tree’s trunks and dangled their fragrant bouquets of blossoms at head height. Jon picked a selection of these as they wandered by and presented them to Aru.
“Thanks,” she said stiffly.
“Was this Prithe?” Aldrick asked, trying to distract Jon from the awkwardness that followed.
“Oh no,” Jon replied, seemingly unfazed by Aru’s reaction. “No, Prithe’s ruins lie to the northeast. This was Alimare, The Fruitful City.”
“Named so because of all the fruit?” asked Sinin, before taking a hearty bite out of a pear he had just picked.
“Because of cultivation in general. Here the soil is deep and healthful. Old books account this city as the storage place for all winter food supplies for every city and township west of the ranges. Many of the ruins you see around you were likely the great storehouses which sheltered it. Unfortunately, they offered no shelter from an army that sacked the city months before taking Prithe, which by then was suffering from malnutrition and disease.”
“I have never quite understood why this land remains deserted, even after so long,” said Télia. “It offers wealth and wonder.”
“Well, there are two reasons,” started Jon. “Firstly, the majority of settlements which grew after the demise of Prithe did so close to the coastline. And secondly, people believed this province to be cursed after the cities fell. They believed that evil had seeped into the soil from Blackbed and fated it to be so.”
Aru snorted.
“Foolish thinking,” she remarked. “Nothing but groundless superstition.”
“Ground superstition,” corrected Sinin, winking.
There was a silence.
They were soon in the heart of the ruins. A small stream wandered across their path, shallow enough for the horses to cross with ease. Along its edges, clumps of lush grass grew and the nearby trees stood tall, offering shelter from the breeze. Strangely, there were few birds to be heard singing.
“We will camp here tonight,” Jon said, coming to a halt and looking around.
They dismounted, unsaddled their horses and left them to roam free. Aldrick realised he had brought only a pillow and no blanket but decided that his cloak, along with the bulky grass would keep him comfortable when he rested. Both he and Kaal were well accustomed to spending a clear night under the stars. They had often done so as children, waiting patiently for falling stars and pondering the nature of Solemn, The Pale Moon.
“Ahh, camping is the very best thing.” Télia dropped her things and spun around with her arms outstretched. “We should have a fire tonight!”
“Yes,” agreed Jon. “A light to honour the peoples who once made this city a marvel.”
“We still don’t have any wine,” grumbled Sinin, unenthusiastically opening his flask of water.
After he had also refreshed himself, Aldrick turned his attention to Kaal, who had neither spoken nor smiled since they left the ranges.
“Are you all right, Brother?” he asked, walking to his side.
Kaal was somewhere far off in the distance.
“Everything is changing, isn’t it?” he asked after a time. “The world has found us, and it’s bigger than we ever imagined.”
Aldrick sighed. “It is.”
“And whoever thought that you’d be its saviour.”
“I wish it wasn’t so.”
“And what else do you wish was never so?” Kaal asked, now turning to meet Aldrick’s eye. “Should Braem and Phelvara never have raised you? Should we not have been brothers? Should you have lived the privileged life of a wielder in the north?!”
Aldrick was taken aback by Kaal’s words, but only momentarily. He understood that, like himself, Kaal was finding recent revelations difficult to come to terms with. He didn’t wish to give his brother the impression that he was actually enjoying any of this, which, truthfully, he wasn’t… except perhaps for being in Télia’s company.
“I was content with life before the ka-zchen attack, you know that. I am here now because I can help, and because I wish to avenge my birth parents. Somehow… I miss them. But that doesn’t mean I resent having the family I do now.”
Kaal didn’t reply. He looked at the ground with an expression of indifference until Aldrick walked away, annoyed. He went and stood by Jon, where he sat beneath an old apple tree.
“Hello, my boy,” Jon said warmly. “How are we?”
Aldrick shrugged.
“I’m fine,” he fumed, then, feeling motivated, “I have to learn more, Jon—my mother’s ability.”
“Indeed.” Jon heaved himself to his feet. He plucked an apple from a branch above him and ignited it with storm. “Go on—take my storm and starve the flame,” he challenged.
Aldrick watched the fiery fruit for a moment then cocked his head from left to right, preparing himself. He knew he could take Jon’s storm and he was going to take Jon’s storm. He pointed both palms directly at Jon’s chest and willed it from him… nothing happened. The apple continued to burn a bright yellow and spit boiling juice.
“You can do it, Aldrick,” encouraged Télia.
He tried again, concentrating without falter. The apple went on burning. Suddenly part of it popped and sizzling skin flew into his face. He let out a cry of pain and wiped it from him. The apple fell to the ground, smouldering.
He stared up at Jon. “Did you do that?”
Jon was smiling down at him. He shook his head. “No my boy, you did.”
Télia and Sinin clapped and cheered.
“You’re almighty now, Al,” Sinin said in jest.
Aldrick felt woozy. Such a fleeting success had drained much of his energy. He sat. “I’m hun—” His words were cut off as a fresh apple fell on his head. “Thanks, Jon.”
While he ate, Aldrick reflected on the achievement. They had been correct yesterday when speculating that a purpose was needed in order for him to wield the ability. He needed to feel threatened and self-protective, just as his mother had. Perhaps this would prove easier in the presence of Malath, who would likely be bent on crushing him or turning him into a human torch on sight.
Télia walked up to him carrying two swords, one of which was his. “So your wielding is coming along nicely, but how handy are you with a blade? I will teach you now.” She spoke in an assertive voice that made him briskly leap to his feet and take his sword. Its blade almost met the ground when she unhanded it.
She focused on teaching him basic defence. First, rather embarrassingly, she showed him how to grip the hilt correctly, and then a number of blade motions and allied body stances which she promised could deflect the most basic of attacks. All of these moves had peculiar names which he failed to remember, so Télia resorted to yelling them out as numbers when she came at him so he could react accordingly. It was obvious to him that she was talented with a blade. Her attacks were swift and fluent. This prompted him to focus on quickening his own pace.
They were able to continue into the dusk as Sinin and Aru, with a little help from Jon, had built an impressive fire that spilt warmth and light across the campsite.
While Aldrick knelt during a brief break Télia had reluctantly permitted, Jon came and stooped beside him so their heads were near. “You know, wielding storm and wielding weapons don’t necessarily have to be separate practises, my boy.” He said it not as a whisper, but quietly enough that Télia did not hear.
“What do you mean?” Aldrick asked.
Jon patted him on the shoulder. “Think on it.”
“Time to go again.” Télia thrust Aldrick’s sword back into his weary hands.
Standing again, he felt a sudden burst of determi
nation. This time had to be different. He needed advantage over Télia’s skill. What exactly had Jon mean? Wield his storm while he fought? Yes, he would give that a try.
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” he told himself. He gripped his sword firmly and took stance, planning to fuel the blade’s motion with gravity.
“One!” Télia lunged at him.
Aldrick swung his blade at hers. There was an air-splitting clang before it flew from her hands and disappeared into the darkness above. She let out a startled cry and shook her hands.
“Cheater!” she yelled, half in anger, half in humour.
He dropped his sword, grabbed her hands and frantically began caressing them. “I’m sorry!”
Jon stood and raised one hand to the skies. “I think you have forgotten something, Aldrick.”
They heard the spinning sound of Télia’s airborne blade before it hurtled back into view, stopping a short distance above Jon’s hand.
“Whoops,” said Aldrick.
“That was most impressive!” Jon returned the sword to Télia. “That is how you fight—by using what advantages you have! Maybe next time also try igniting the blade.”
“No, do that when you fight an actual enemy,” said Télia. “I’m all done, at least for now, anyway.”
“Truly, I am sorry,” restated Aldrick, feeling terribly guilty.
She knocked him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll have my revenge.”
They joined Sinin, Kaal and Aru by the fire, all of whom had been avid spectators.
“Violence is not the answer, you two,” Kaal remarked. He was grinning. What was bothering him earlier seemed to have passed. Aldrick sat down beside him.
While the fire’s embers drifted peacefully into the night sky, the six of them sat in a half-circle around its flickering heart, talking cheerfully, laughing; avoiding talk of the journey ahead of them. Inevitably it would resume at the break of dawn. Until then, all was well.
Unlike the previous night they slept early, worn out from the lengthy day of travel. Sinin agreed to stay on guard as a precaution and Kaal begrudgingly agreed to take his place in the early hours of the morning after losing a game of stone, blade and parchment to Télia. She was delighted with her win and skipped off happily to arrange a place to sleep. To Aldrick’s delight, this proved to be right beside him.
“You don’t mind if I stay close, do you?” she asked as she lay down. We’ve slept on the same bed before so it shouldn’t bother you too much… it’s so I can protect you,” she quickly added.
“It doesn’t bother me,” he said calmly.
After a short time in which only the cracking of heated wood and Jon’s snoring was to be heard, Télia turned on her side so her waterfalls of ebony hair faced him.
“Goodnight,” she whispered, already half taken by sleep. “Be at peace in your dreams.”
“And you. Goodnight.”
10
PIRATES
Someone was yelling. Aldrick leapt up in alarm. The others were rummaging around the campsite. It was so early stars still lingered in the pallid sky.
“Curse them!” Sinin kicked the charred remains of a log from the fire bed.
Télia was looking beyond the campsite. “Where is Kaal?”
Aru snorted. “Supposedly still on guard duty. Jolly good job he did.”
“What’s going on?” Aldrick asked.
“We’ve been robbed.”
“Robbed?” He looked around. “What’s been taken?”
“My staff,” Jon said angrily.
“Only that?”
“Yes, it is all anyone would need to make a fair sum of money.”
“We are fortunate that whoever took it was not an assassin,” Aru said heatedly. “Otherwise we would all have woken in the Life Afterwards!”
At that moment Kaal came bolting into view, his bow in hand.
“What’s… happened? What’s going on?” he asked between heavy breaths.
Aru stormed up to him. “We have been robbed, that is what. Jon’s staff is missing and it is all thanks to you and your lack of observation skills. What have you been doing? Having a wee snooze?”
Kaal looked awkward. “I didn’t think there was anyone nearby. I’ve been on the hillside keeping watch over the entire ruins.”
“But not over us,” Aru snapped.
“Calm down, Aru,” Télia demanded, walking to them. “Obviously someone with some skill in thievery has taken Jon’s staff. We couldn’t expect Kaal to have been prepared for that, especially out here in this deserted land.”
Aru glared at Kaal. “Be thankful that the culprit did not decide you were an obstacle in their way.”
Sinin had been examining the ground a short way downstream.
“Kaal, did you walk here last night?” he asked.
Kaal shook his head.
Jon went to Sinin. “What is it?”
Sinin pointed to the edge of the stream. “They followed the streambed up to reach our camp. This is where they got out and back in.”
“Clever—treading water to conceal their path.”
Sinin nodded. “They might even be a professional.”
Jon shook his head. “No, a professional is hired by somebody and I doubt anybody with the money to do so has knowledge of my staff, nor of my location. This was an opportune theft—the work of a relic hunter or perhaps a lone marauder.”
“A thief all the same,” said Télia.
“We should track them down and end them,” Sinin proposed.
Jon strode back to the campsite. “Yes, we must find them at once. Without that staff I will have little defence against our foes in Galdrem.” He hurriedly began packing his gear.
Aldrick and the others followed suit. In short time they were on horseback, setting off downstream. Sinin led, followed by Jon, both of whom hung low to one side of their horse, scouting for further tracks left by the thief. There were none to be found.
“What if they were clever about this and came from the other direction?” suggested Télia.
Sinin clicked his finger and pointed at her. “Good point.”
“We must split up,” said Jon.
Aru sighed. “There is no time for this,” she muttered.
Jon ignored her. “Sinin, Télia, Aldrick, you go upstream. Kaal, Aru, we will continue down. Keep your eyes peeled, all of you.”
They parted ways. Aldrick and Télia followed Sinin steadily upstream, back past the campsite toward the western outskirts of the ruins. It wasn’t long before they had left the last stray stone behind them and found themselves at the foot of one of the inclosing hills. Here, the stream trickled from a small pond that hid beneath lily pads.
“Look!” Télia pointed to a clump of grass at the edge of the pond. It showed clear signs of disturbance. “The thief was here.”
“No,” said Sinin. “More than one.” He pointed further on to where the grass had been heavily trodden. “There was a company on horseback.” He turned and whistled the same shrill whistle Aldrick had heard the aeras use yesterday when summoning their horses. A few moments later the others appeared, galloping toward them.
“They came this way. There were many,” informed Sinin.
Jon tugged on his reins and his mare reared. “Well, let’s pursue!” He assumed the lead.
Their pace was hurried. The sun was rising and rays of golden light spilt over the Midland Ranges, flooding their path as they wove between the hills.
Suddenly, and very unexpectedly, Jon halted. His mare neighed and reared back once more. The others abruptly followed suit. Aldrick looked ahead to see what had compelled Jon to stop. His eyes fell upon a group of mounted travellers. There were about twenty of them heading their way. They did not travel lightly. With them were a number of horses which carried only gear.
About fifty paces ahead of them, the travellers halted and silence ensued. Each company surveyed the other.
“Watch for concealed movements. There is no doub
t they carry weapons,” said Sinin in a half whisper, one hand falling to his side.
“And there is little doubt one of those is my staff,” added Jon.
“They aren’t able to use it though, right?” asked Kaal.
“Thankfully not.”
“Let us offer them a simple deal,” began Sinin. “They part with the staff, or, we part their heads from their bodies.”
Télia shot him a glance. “How very poetic.”
There was no need to press the riders to confess their culpability. One of them, a portly man, slipped off his horse and held up Jon’s staff in one hand, flaunting his possession of it.
“Have ya come lookin’ for this?!” he yelled out to them. “It’s a mighty fine piece. I oughta tell you off for not keepin’ it under more watchful eyes.” His slovenly accent was one Aldrick had never heard before.
Jon trotted forward a short way.
“You are quite correct—we are looking for that,” he said as civilly as was able in a raised voice. “We would have had more watchful eyes upon it, only we thought we were far from the hands of any thieves.”
“Thieves?!” the man exclaimed. “Oh no, we ain’t no thieves. In fact, we think you are. We saw ya layin’ in our home, takin’ th’ benefits of our trees ‘nd their wood. We just thought we’d take somethin’ back is all.” He turned to his companions. “Ain’t that right, fellas? We’re just keepin’ some kinda order out ‘ere.”
There were some ‘Ayes’ of agreement.
Jon crossed his hands. “So you think Alimare is your home, do you?”
“Yes, ‘nd rightfully so,” the man said bluntly. “We b’n comin’ ‘ere for th’ cold months since years I c’n ‘ardly remember. There be plenty of underground shelter ‘nd we are the few who know how ta find it.”
“I see. And where do you call home when you are away from here?”
The man laughed. “Well th’ ocean, course!”
Télia stirred. “Pirates.”
Sinin snorted. “What a lousy bunch.”