The Dread King: Book One of The Larken Chronicles

by R. L. Poston

  “The hilt is partly melted,” the smith said. “I cleaned it, but didn’t repair it.”

  “This, this was my father’s?” Larken stammered. “But he was a Ranger,” Larken said, speaking of his father’s occupation as caretaker of the king’s forest.

  “He was,” the smith agreed. “But before that he was a Warder. Only a few people knew it in Ox Run besides me. I’ve spoken to no one about him being a Warder or about the Blade. It is yours now.”

  Larken was lost in amazement and confusion. That his father might have been a Warder threw his emotions into conflict. “He couldn’t have been a Warder,” he murmured.

  The smith frowned. “He was a Warder. I knew it. I don’t know if anyone else did. He didn’t want it known. I had to repair the hilt for him once, so I learned that way. He said that he had retired from being a Warder. I didn’t know that Warders retired, but he asked me not to tell anyone else. Besides my wife, I told no one.”

  “How long was he a Warder?” asked Larken.

  “I don’t know. I have told you everything I know. Now it’s time for you to go,” said the smith, ending the conversation. “They’re waiting for you outside.”

  As Larken exited the smithy with the Blade, a bundle of his clothing, and a shoulder bag of provisions that the smith’s wife had provided, he spied Gahen, Taz, and Melona in conversation in the front side yard. “Gahen,” he called, walking up to him. “This was my father’s. The smith found it after my house burned. My father was a Warder.”

  Gahen unwrapped the Blade and examined it closely. Finally, he said, “It’s Blade all right. Or, it used to be. It has lost any strength it had,” he added as he held it horizontally in both hands, frowning in concentration. “What was your father’s name?”

  “Galren,” responded Larken.

  “That explains a lot.” Gahen nodded. “Galren was a Warder of the fifth rank, but King Andreas assigned him as Ranger of these lands at Galren’s request. Neither Galren nor King Andreas would explain why he retired from being a Warder. We knew he died in a fire. That in itself was strange. Warders can usually sense danger before it comes. We didn’t know he had a son. You didn’t mention this before,” Gahen said as he eyed Larken. “Didn’t you know your father was a Warder?”

  “No,” responded Larken. “The smith just gave that Blade to me. I didn’t know he had it until just a moment ago.”

  “OK. Taz, let’s you and me go talk to the smith.”

  Larken watched Gahen and Taz disappear into the smithy office. Melona took the opportunity to hug Larken. “I’m so happy for you,” she said. “Your father was a Warder, and now you’ll be one too.”

  “I won’t be a Warder,” said Larken.

  “Oh, you will,” responded Melona. “And you’ll be a good one.”

  * * * * *

  Later, as the company rode along the road to Sarkis, Taz guided her horse over to Melona’s and Larken’s. “How are you doing?” she asked. “Those horses were all that were available on short notice.”

  “I think we’re going to be sore,” said Melona. “Neither of us rides very much.”

  “Then we’ll make it short days for today and tomorrow. I’ve already sent one of our pigeons back to Sarkis with my news,” Taz said. “Someone else will complete Search in this area.”

  Melona asked, “What did you learn from the smith?”

  “Nothing much. Your smith is not a great talker. Evidently, he felt that the Blade was to be yours, so he was waiting until you were older to give it to you. A remarkable man. Once he decided that, the whole matter did not interest him, and he had no interest in discussing it. I’ve grown used to the respect given to Healers,” Taz admitted. “The smith regarded me only as a nuisance to his work.”

  Melona tried to hide a quick smile, being familiar with the smith’s attitude toward what he regarded as unnecessary talk. Taz saw her smile and grimaced at her own discomfiture. “It’s good to be reminded that the whole world doesn’t center on you.” After a moment’s reflection, she added, “I suppose I should spend more time around Talented smiths. They do tend to deflate one’s self-esteem.”

  “What?” responded Larken and Melona together. “The smith is Talented?”

  “Oh, yes. Didn’t you know? Oh, dear. I’ll never be known for being closemouthed,” Taz answered. “Most good smiths are Talented, although most don’t know it.”

  “How is the smith Talented?” asked Melona. “He’s never Healed or carried a Blade.”

  “Oh, child,” answered Taz, “There’s more ways of being Talented than just those two. Your smith has a normal Talent for smiths -- he can shape metal to a small extent.”

  “I’m getting confused,” said Melona. “I thought that Warders and Healers were all that there was.”

  “Oh, no,” answered Taz. “I really don’t know how many Talents there can be. I’m not a scholar, you understand. Some of our scholars insist that there is only one Talent, and the Talented channel their Talents in different ways. Other scholars insist that there are many Talents and that each Talented person usually has a blend of different Talents, like a good athlete being good in several sports but excellent in one or two. I find the whole question tiring. After all, calling a pig a parrot doesn’t make it fly.”

  “What are your Talents?” asked Melona.

  “Healing, of course,” answered Taz. “But I also can sense if someone else has Talent if I touch them. That’s how I could sense that you two are Talented. I can sometimes tell what kind of Talent someone has, and how much they have, but not always.”

  “Why not?” asked Melona.

  For a long moment, Taz gazed at Melona as if she were trying to decide something difficult. Then she said, “Maybe we’d better wait until this evening when Gahen can help explain.” Taz indicated Gahen, who rode ahead with the other soldiers.

  “OK,” agreed Melona. “But can you at least tell us how Search is normally done? Do you just hold everyone’s hand to see if they have Talent?”

  Taz chuckled. “That’s the easiest way, but it’s not foolproof.”

  “Why not?” questioned Melona. “I mean, I thought you could tell if someone had Talent.”

  “Well,” answered Taz, “you’re going to discover that Talent isn’t as simple as most people think. Remember that sensing Talent isn’t my strong point. Sometimes when I’m tired or upset, I can make errors.

  “Also, some of our scholars believe that Talent can happen spontaneously and that someone without Talent on Tuesday can have Talent on Wednesday. Other scholars say that everyone has Talent but that few discover how to use it. Others say that a person is either born with Talent or not, but may not express the Talent until the right stimulus is given. I believe that sometimes a Talented person can hide their Talent, even from themselves. I know for a fact that I can’t sense Talent from some people on one day, but can the next. I don’t know why, and our experts don’t either, if you want to know the truth. Talent just isn’t that simple.

  “Anyway, you asked about Search. I examine everyone who is brought to me. I can sense most Talents, but I’m particularly sensitive to the Healing Talent. That’s why I can tell that you, Melona, should be a Healer. I can’t do the same for Larken since he has a different Talent, but I can sense that he has a strong Talent. Both of you will have to be tested by our experts since I can’t test Larken and I can’t be sure that you, Melona, don’t have more than one Talent. Anyway, I can usually tell if someone has Talent at the moment that I touch them, but I depend on the local Healers to spot anyone who shows any sign of Talent and bring them to me. That way we can reach most people before they become a threat.”

  “So, you just touch them,” said Melona.

  “No, it’s usually more than that. First, I hold one of their hands and try to see if there’s any Talent that I can feel. Then, I have the resident Healer hold their other hand and scan them for something to Heal. Usually, a Talented person will respond to that scan with some expression of
Talent on their own. Then I have Gahen push on them with his Talent. Sometimes, that will elicit a response. However, we still miss some. That’s why the local Healer is always on the lookout for Talent. I’m surprised that he missed you.”

  Larken, who rarely rode, was not only becoming very uncomfortable physically, but also very uncomfortable with the conversation. It seemed to him that Taz was purposely complicating matters. “I don’t like Healers. I’ve avoided them.”

  “Larken!” chided Melona. “That was rude!”

  “Never mind, child.” Taz shushed Melona with a wave of her hand. Turning to Larken with a look of mixed sympathy and reproach, she answered, “I’m curious why you don’t like Healers, but I think that we’ll save the rest of this discussion for evening, when you’re not perched on the back of a horse.” At this she clucked at her mount and trotted ahead to discuss matters with Gahen.

  “Larken,” beseeched Melona after Taz had moved ahead. “Do try to get along with these people. They’re going to be our companions for the whole trip.”

  Larken said nothing.

  * * * * *

  True to her word, Taz stopped the small company well before sunset. After setting up a quick camp, the soldiers prepared a surprisingly hearty meal from their provisions and some small game that they had managed to kill along the way. After supper, the soldiers settled down to stories and cards near their tents. Since it was a warm night, Taz proposed to Gahen, Melona, and Larken that they gather for discussion on some rocks at one side of the camp. Gahen brought a lantern in case the discussion went into the night.

  At Taz’s request, Gahen began to tell them about Blade and Crystal. “No one knows who first created Blade and Crystal. We know that many would-be kings tried to use them, Blade especially, to set up their kingdoms. Fortunately, Blade eventually will sour on a user if the user uses it in anger. And, since most would-be conquerors are constantly angry, Blade will eventually bring their downfall.”

  “Why is that?” asked Melona. “I mean, if someone wants to do something, why should how they feel make a difference?”

  “It’s not hard to understand,” answered Gahen. “Have you ever been really angry for a long time?”

  “Of course,” answered Melona. “Everyone has.”

  “Remember how you felt when you got over being angry? I mean besides feeling guilty or sorry?” asked Gahen.

  “Well, I guess I just felt tired,” responded Melona.

  “That’s one of the problems of using Blade in anger,” explained Gahen. “Remember that Blade is created by Talent but it also reinforces Talent. It does the same thing with emotions. It reinforces whatever you’re feeling. So, if you resolve to do something, Blade will reinforce and strengthen your resolve. If you use Blade from anger, it will increase your anger. Sooner or later, you’ll either get so angry that you’ll lose control and hurt yourself, or your anger will drain all your resources and you’ll collapse. That’s not good if you’re in the middle of trying to fight someone. If your main reason for using Blade is anger, eventually, you’ll burn out. That’s why Warders are taught to manage their emotions.”

  “Is that what you mean by Larken hurting himself?” asked Melona.

  “That’s a part of it. The Warding Talent is a dangerous thing if used by someone who is not properly trained.”

  Melona looked at Larken, but he was looking down, frowning.

  “What if I just don’t use the Talent?” asked Larken.

  “That would help,” said Gahen. “But remember that you didn’t know you had Talent. I suspect that you’ve been using it for a long time without knowing it.”

  “I don’t think I have.”

  “OK. Let me ask this. The Warding Talent is simply the ability to push people away. It’s a bit more complicated, but that’s it. Have you ever wished that someone would leave, and they did?”

  “That’s Larken!” exclaimed Melona. “He does it all the time. Now I know how you do it. You always turn people off. Very few people want to be around you.”

  “I do not,” said Larken.

  “Oh, yes, you do. All the time.”

  “OK, OK,” interrupted Gahen. “Here’s my point. Once your mind learns to do something with Talent, it will continue to do it even if you’re not aware of it.”

  “But why is that a problem?” asked Larken. “I just want to be alone.”

  Gahen answered. “I suspect that it started as something small. Remember that I said that Talent reinforces your emotions? Over time, the Warding Talent will reinforce itself and the emotion that you use it with. In your case, if you continued to use it to push people away, you’ll grow more and more isolated and like people less and less. Eventually, it might get to be a problem.

  “Have you noticed that Warders usually work in tandem with Healers?” asked Gahen, shifting the subject.

  “Yes,” said Melona.

  “There’s two reasons for that,” continued Gahen. “First, the Warding Talent doesn’t have much effect on Healers. We don’t know why, but Healers are almost immune to it. That makes a Healer the only suitable companion for a Warder. We all have bad days, and anyone else will sometimes get pushed away, even if the Warder doesn’t intend it.” Gahen grimaced self-consciously at this admission.

  “Secondly, remember that I told you that the Warding Talent reinforces itself. Over time, it will change your personality, even with training. It’s kind of a secret, but Warders are given Healing almost every week. It’s the emotional part of Healing that keeps us normal.”

  “So,” began Melona slowly, “will Larken need Healing?”

  Gahen looked at Taz, who took up the conversation. “Yes, but only when he is ready. Although I think, Melona, that some of your Healing Talent has been benefiting him already. I took the liberty of asking about you two in Ox Run. It seems that you spend a considerable amount of time together. I think that part of that is the Healer-Warder bond working itself out.”

  “There’s a bond?” asked Melona.

  “Yes. it’s not as formal or strong as the Bond to Blade or Crystal,” answered Taz, “but Healers are drawn to Warders, and vice versa. Gahen told you that Warders need Healing. But Healers often feel overwhelmed by people around them. We get relief from the pressure of other people by being around Warders. You’ll learn more about that in Sarkis, and, of course, there are those that disagree.”

  “But the Ox Run Healer isn’t around Warders,” said Melona.

  “That’s true,” answered Taz. “But he’s a man. Male Healers seem to be able to balance their Talent better.”

  “Are all Warders men?” asked Larken, joining the conversation for the first time.

  “No,” answered Gahen. “But women Warders are very rare. And, before you ask, we’ve never found anyone with both the Healing and Warding Talent, but we really don’t know why that is.”

  “How could the Dread King have been so evil and still use Blade?” asked Melona. “Didn’t you say that it would have driven him crazy?”

  “We don’t know,” answered Gahen. “The Dread King lived a long time ago, and a lot of what was written or pass down to us in tales about him is probably just folklore. Some of the stories say that he used both Blade and Crystal. No one alive can do that, so I don’t believe it. If he could, maybe that protected him. His armies did go partly crazy at times. Some records say that many of his soldiers went mad and attacked their own people. That must have limited their effectiveness. However, even with that, if the Elves had not joined in the battle, the Dread King would not have been defeated.”

  There was a moment of silence which Melona interrupted with a change of subject. “Tell us about the Elves. We’ve never seen any.”

  “I’m not surprised,” said Gahen. “You’ll probably see one or two in Sarkis, but they’re rare even there. They tend to stay in the mountains. You’ll know them the minute you see one. They look a lot like us, but they move with a smoothness that we don’t have. They make humans look clumsy, although
we can hold our own in direct competition with them.

  “Their home is somewhere in the Sarkan Mountains,” Gahen added. “They possess a kind of Talent that lets them sense living things. Some, maybe all, can send thoughts back and forth to each other. Some people believe they can use their Talents to hide themselves in plain sight. They use opal, or Stone, as they call it, instead of Blade and Crystal. They wear the Stones on a headband, but they don’t like to talk about their Talents, so we don’t know their Talents well. But, Larken, have you never met an Elf?”

  “No. Why?” responded Larken.

  “Your name. Surely you know what ‘Larken’ means.” Seeing Larken’s blank look, he explained, “The Elven name for themselves is ‘Lars,’ or ‘Lar’ for one Elf. ‘Larken,’ in Elven, means Elven son. Your parents never told you?”

  “No,” answered Larken. “My parents died when I was two. I was raised by the smith.”

  “We know that your father was Galren. Who was your mother? Do you remember her at all?”

  “Her name was Glendra,” answered Larken. “I don’t remember much, except her eyes—they were dark brown. I don’t remember the rest of her face. They lived south of Ox Run, but no one from Ox Run knew her. Why? What’s my mother got to do with Elves?”

  “Probably nothing,” answered Gahen. “I’ve never heard of anyone named Larken before. Elves don’t mingle much with humans, but Rangers and Elves work together. It probably just means that your parents knew an Elf. Or your mother may have had some Elven blood.”

  “You think my mother was an Elf?” asked Larken incredulously.

  “No. I doubt that. She might have had some Elven ancestry. Some families do, but probably not you. With your strength of Talent, I doubt that you have any Elven blood. Elves have never been known to have the Warding Talent. Maybe your mother didn’t even know what ‘Larken’ meant.”

  Larken was beginning to feel somewhat overwhelmed by Gahen’s remarks. “Wait a minute,” he said. “First you say that I’m Talented, and then you say that my name is Elven. Why didn’t I know about this?”