Slowly, he raised his foot towards his body. The blade dangled in the air. Landon had to look down to reach the blade and suddenly the weight of his task dawned on him. He was hundreds of feet above the ground and one false move would mean his death. The confidence he found just an hour ago left him. He couldn’t believe Aratus would make this his first assignment. He tried to calm himself and thought about the outcomes if he did not complete his mission. He heard the screams of the women and children and the sad faces condemning him for their fate. He would not let that happen. He reached down with all of his strength to retrieve his weapon. He could feel the edge of the blade on his fingertips. All he had to do was reach just a little further. He remembered his fight with Gavin in the shack and how he had to do the same thing with his power. He mimicked the same stretch. Further. Just a little further. Finally, he felt the blade in his grasp. He pulled it up to himself and found his footing.
The ledge was only one more step away. Landon set the sword on the ledge and reached up with his last bit of strength to the ledge’s edge. Weakly, he pulled himself up and rolled over to the cliff side finally feeling free to breathe easily. He had done it. He had accomplished his task. Elation swept over him. He had never felt prouder in all his life. He stood up and took his first real look at the hidden oasis he was in. It was even more beautiful from this perspective. He looked down to see the proud, beaming smile on Aratus’ face, but she was nowhere to be seen. He couldn’t believe it. His master didn’t even watch him accomplish his task. Anger burned inside of him for having to complete this task without any accolades for it.
Suddenly, a voice rang through the cave behind him. It was Master Aratus.
“Well done, apprentice. I did not believe you would finish so soon. I am more than pleased with the result. Now, prepare.” Aratus raised her sword into an attack position. Did she really expect Landon to fight her after that task? He did not feel he had the strength to stand let alone fight. But Landon had promised to obey his master’s every instruction. He fetched his sword and stood with it in front of him. His back was against the cliff.
Aratus was not patient and quiet this time. She moved like lightning. Her first thrust was at Landon’s midsection which he only narrowly avoided by tripping over his feet. He was so near to the edge that his movements caused many pebbles to plummet over the side.
“Move quicker,” Aratus instructed.
Landon tried to move but his body would not let him. He got to his feet only to meet the flat of a blade against his ankle. It knocked him down again. As he rose to his feet a second time, he felt a sting where she had hit him. He was certain she had cut him. This has to be the craziest woman ever! he thought. But Aratus would not let up. She backed Landon into the cave which was almost pitch black. He could only just make out her silhouette against the setting sun.
He knew there was no way out of this, and he knew he could not beat her. But he needed to prove he was worthy of her training. He cemented his mind on fighting until he either passed out or was killed. He lifted his sword ignoring the pain and lunged back at his master. She easily knocked his sword out of the way, but Landon did not let go of it. Instead he moved with it back into the sunlight. Now he had the advantage of sight. Aratus was extremely fast but she had a predictability about her. She constantly aimed for his legs, so Landon played on this. Instead of attacking, he let her advance upon him. Expecting a blow to come at his legs he waited until she struck then jumped.
Landon miscalculated, though, and received a thud into his side. The edge of Aratus’ blade had sliced his side. At the same time, however, the flat of her blade had smacked him in the ribs. Landon doubled over in pain.
“I am impressed that you are beginning to study your opponent, but do not get cocky. The best fighters constantly change their style and pattern during a fight,” she crowed. Landon could not breathe. The wind had clearly been knocked out of him, and he didn’t know how to react. He did not want to give up, but he literally could not fight. He needed to regain his breath. He feared his master would attack while he was defenseless.
He was proven wrong, however, as she simply waited for him to regain his composure. He stood tall feeling the pains in his ankle and ribs. He didn’t know how much more he could take. This time he was determined to get a hit. Somewhere. If nothing else just to back her up slightly and prove there was still a mystery about him. He lunged at her and felt her move to the right. But this time instead of using his sword to counter, Landon used his fist. He tossed the sword into his left hand and hit Aratus in the chest with a backhanded blow.
She was obviously taken aback, for she paused and recoiled. Her face did not hold confusion, though. She was smiling. She stood tall and sheathed her sword.
“I am greatly impressed with you, Landon, son of Jediael. Let us retire, and I will tend to your wounds.”
Landon was confused. He did not remember telling her his name. People kept doing this to him. “Wait. How do you know my name?”
“Aldous sent word of you coming before he died. He requested that I train you. I sent him the riddle he gave to you.”
Landon was aghast. He could not believe his naivety. After all the time he spent with Gavin and he truly had not learned anything from him. This was going to be a reminder to him. Everyone has something to hide. For whatever purpose, good or bad, there is always something people are withholding. He was going to make sure he did not make this mistake again. He followed Aratus into the dark cave.
After a long while of walking in darkness, Landon saw lights ahead. There were candles illuminating the walls showing that the cave closed in. They lit a hallway. At the end of which stood a large door. In front of it, on either side, were two large torches. The door was similar to the room in which Landon had first awakened. Aratus opened it revealing a grand dwelling place. He entered and absorbed what he saw.
In the center of the room there were five massive pillars with ornate carvings which rose toward the ceiling and disappeared into shadow. Rows of candles illuminated them. In between the pillars a large fire raged flanked by two large cushioned seats. They looked as though they were made for a king. Along the far wall stood a bookcase built into the rock. Thousands of books lined the shelves. Behind the fire, a massive winding staircase wound its way to a second floor which encircled the entire room. Landon was in complete awe.
“Sit. Warm yourself by the fire. I will prepare another meal then I will see to your wounds.”
Landon had forgotten all about the pain through witnessing this marvelous structure. Aldous’ hideout looked like a shack in comparison. He sat himself down on one of the sets around the fire, and waited for food. The fire felt warm and relaxing on his skin. As he relaxed he began to feel the weight of the climb. Every muscle ached. Eventually Aratus brought food and they ate in silence. When they finished, Aratus laid out the plans for training.
“Tomorrow we will work on your stance. You have a lazy posture which will not serve you well. But before I delve into that, I must know more of this enemy you plan to fight.”
“His name is Gavin. He is the first lieutenant to Lord Malchus. His fighting skills are quite extensive and if I am to believe his stories, he has had many encounters to practice honing them.” Aratus leaned back at the sound of Gavin’s name. It seemed familiar to her, and Landon was curious to know more about that. “Do you know of him?”
“Aye, and his stories are to be believed. I know of no one else who rivals me with a blade,” she said coldly.
“How do you know him?” Landon asked innocently.
“I was his master.”
Landon recoiled. The same person who had taught Gavin how to kill mercilessly was now teaching him! Was this the reason Aldous had sent him to her? Could it be that he could only defeat Gavin by becoming as evil as he? Landon was unsure how to respond. On one hand, he felt empathy for her. She had been caught up in Gavin’s deceit as well. On the other, he was not sure he could train under her. Though he felt en
amored with the place, he somehow felt it was tainted. He did not want it to spread to him. It took him a long while to speak.
“You taught him to be so cruel?” he brazenly asked.
“Nay, I instructed him in the ways of the blade. Once he had completed his training, he was determined to use it to bring glory upon himself. I vehemently disagreed with this approach and we went our separate ways. I have not seen him in a long time.”
“Still, it was by your hand that he learned how to commit all those atrocities.”
“We will leave the past in the past from now on,” Aratus continued sensing Landon’s growing frustration. “Tomorrow we will work to forget our pasts and move forward.”
“Nay, I cannot do so. My past is all too a part of me. You may forget yours, but I will not let mine go. As for tomorrow, I shall rest. I have others who are in need of my assistance and I must decide whether I will stay here or seek them.”
“I strongly advise against this course of action. If your prejudice towards Gavin will not allow yourself to be taught by me, then that is for you alone to decide. But know this, you will not recover your ring without my help. I give you this to nurse your wounds. They will be healed in the morrow. Until then, good night.” Aratus exited the room by ascending the stairs and retiring through a door above the bookshelf. Landon applied the salve then lay down on the long seat next to the fire. He closed his eyes and dreamed about his options.
Chapter Nineteen
The Last Resolve
Landon walked into the open air. He found the path toward the stables in the rear of the shack. There he found Aquila rested and fed just as Aldous had said. He wondered how she had been so well taken care of since Aldous was hardly out of his sight. He brushed the thought aside and unlatched the mare from the stable. Landon reached out and stroked the mare’s mane. Aquila snuffed with pleasure. He mounted her and slung his pack around the saddle. It had been a few days since he had ridden and the strain on his legs had become noticeable. Not to mention the pain in his knees from saving Gavin in the cavern. He grimaced as Aquila began to trot towards the road, but soon he found a bearable rhythm.
“How have you been, girl?” Landon asked warmly. Aquila neighed in response to indicate she had been well taken care of. Landon patted her side.
They found the path back on to the main road which Gavin and he had ridden to escape the bandits from the Arden. Landon hoped their friends would not be out looking for him. It had already been a few days, and if there were people about looking for him, they would most certainly be close by. As they trotted along the road, Landon looked ahead to study it. It continued further about a thousand feet then climbed steadily toward the mountain. Crisscrossing the mountain, Landon could see, were ruts where the road weaved back and forth as it ascended toward the summit.
The sun was rising over his back showering the Cap with golden beams. The trees of the Arden spanned toward the horizon on his right but grouped close together to form a near impenetrable wall. The mountain range to Landon’s left created another barrier funneling him directly towards his destination. With the aid of the morning sunlight, Landon felt excitement stir in his heart and spurred Aquila into a gallop. The cool wind rushed past his face, but this time, in the open air and sunlight, it was refreshing. The ascending path crept closer as Aquila rushed forward.
When the elevation began to change, Landon felt a noticeable difference from the mare. Her gait slowed as the strain on her muscles increased. She took the change in stride and bolted upwards toward the first path up the mountain. Once Landon was ascending, he noticed how barren the mountainside really was. Nothing grew on its face. Massive boulders, some the size of the hut, laid strewn about. The path itself was quite narrow already, which the boulders made even more treacherous. Aquila had great vision and knew exactly when to swerve to keep her pace and still avoid the rocks.
At the end of the first path, where travelers turned to the next, lay three large rocks. Aquila slowed her pace to safely turn the corner. As she did so, loose gravel made her slip and almost slam into the boulders. Luckily, she was able to regain her footing just in time to continue on up the path. Landon spurred her again into a gallop. As they climbed the next path, Landon remembered Gavin explaining his desire to acquire mules to make it up the mountain safely. At the time Landon was unsure as to why, but in this moment, he knew. Aquila’s build and stamina made her excellent in the open fields and on flat land, but on these tiny mountain roads, she wasn’t as skilled. A couple of times Landon noticed her lose her footing and skid to a halt before continuing on the path. She was meant for a quick pace, not a slow and steady climb. Eventually, the desire for urgency gave way to safety and they slowed to a walk.
By this time, they were on the fourth path up the mountain and Landon could see, over his left, the giant trees of the Arden below them. He saw them stretch out for miles. Past the green canopy, Landon saw a tall, spiked building in the distance fading in the mists. He recognized it as the church tower in Camsbury. Further beyond that, he could faintly see the rim of the Eastern Mountains which created the valley in which Camsbury lay. The view was majestic and breathtaking all the while frightening. Landon knew they had to be nearly half a mile in the air, and with one false move, the two of them would plummet to their deaths.
The sun had now risen above the mist and was burning it away. Below at the base of the mountain, though, Landon could barely make out the path from which they had come. A loud yell echoed off the mountain. A group of ten men were charging up the mountainside. Though it was hard to tell, their appearance reminded Landon of the men in the forest. His heart began to beat faster. The men at the base of the mountain hooted and whooped as if chasing something. Then Landon realized the men weren’t chasing something, they were chasing him.
He looked ahead to the path they were on and realized there were several more paths to ride until they reached the summit. At the end of their path stood one large boulder which seemed to bar the way ahead. As they approached, it was obvious they could go no further. Frustrated, Landon brought Aquila to a halt and carefully dismounted. He strode up to the boulder to gauge its foundation. He discovered that the rock was not bound to the cliff in any way and must have come to rest there. He wondered if it would be possible to move it from its spot. He pushed lightly to see if it would move and it did not. He pushed with more force and noticed it roll slightly. He decided to give it a full shove.
Landon knew that there was a danger in the boulder rolling down the path and crushing him and Aquila, but there was no choice. He either had to move the rock, or travel back down the mountain, somehow get past the ten men after him, ride the five hundred miles or so south around the Western Mountain Pass, then back up north to approach Ellington from the west. He refused to accept option two. Thus it was that Landon pushed against the rock and caused it to roll up the next path. His strength was put to the test, however, when gravity began to push back on him. As he carefully and slowly rolled the stone upward, it became more difficult. He soon realized he could not move it enough out of the way to give Aquila space to walk past. He slowly lowered the rock back to its original position. He knew he had to act quickly. The men were moving up the mountain fast.
Thinking of a way to solve the puzzle, Landon realized that gravity was his answer. He knew that if he were to simply let the stone roll away from him, he and his horse would be crushed. But, if he could somehow create a gutter for the boulder to roll through, it would roll off the cliff possibly slowing the men below. He looked at the path and pondered ways to dig a trench. The rock was mostly solid with a bit of dust on the surface. He had no way to dig into the ground because it was too hard. If it was a little softer, I might be able to -. Then, it struck him.
Softer.
Landon needed to soften the rock. He didn’t have enough water, but it was possible that enough heat would make the rock brittle and crumble easily. The voices were audible now.
“You are gonna pay, boy!�
�� One man yelled. Another shot an arrow at his position, but it struck on the ledge below him.
Landon focused on the ground just below the boulder, then, closed his eyes. He pictured the toy horse in his mind, then, concentrated on creating fire. He knew a fireball wasn’t going to solve anything. He needed to create heat. He wasn’t sure if he had enough strength to melt the ground from within, so he sought another power source. Opening his eyes he saw nothing around. The only thing producing heat was the sun.
The sun!
It was the greatest source in the universe, but Landon was unsure how to redirect its power. Suddenly, he felt the sun’s rays burn through the fog and land on his back. Then it was clear. The sun was already heating the ground; he just needed to consolidate the heat into one area. He closed his eyes again and felt the warmth from the sun fall over him. He imagined pulling it off of his back and pouring it like water onto the ground just below the stone. He could feel the heat move like a current over him. He opened his eyes and saw that it was working. Heat waves were rising from the ground and the boulder was slowly rolling towards the spot.
Then, Landon focused the energy in a straight line from the rock to the edge of the cliff. The boulder began to move forward, the earth groaning from its weight. Finally, with one last surge of strength the boulder lunged forward while the path below it crumbled causing the giant stone to roll over the cliff. In its path lay a shallow groove. A large boom echoed off the rock. Landon looked down and saw the boulder had taken out part of the path in front of the men. It could take them hours to get around it. Hopefully, it would be enough for Landon to arrive safely at Ellington. He mounted Aquila and they turned the tight corner onto the fifth path. The next few paths were quite unadventurous. More dust, more boulders, more slow moving. Finally, Landon saw the end in sight. Up ahead were three more paths. But a commotion from below urged him to quicken his pace.
The Awakening (The Stones of Revenge) Page 20