“We met with a kirat today, Karlos and I,” Andrew confessed. He then proceeded to tell the whole story, including the fact that he knew about the Dragon’s very present threat. Abraham was very quiet throughout, nodding at key intervals.
“I understand why you didn’t tell me about her,” Andrew admitted when he got to the end of it. “I … wasn’t ready to know about her.”
“No, you weren’t,” Abraham agreed. “But now, in Alphego’s timing, you are.”
Andrew nodded and forced a smile. “I am, I guess. And I’m also ready to start taking my lessons seriously.”
“That’s good,” said Abraham, nodding again. “And, Fire Prince, don’t be so upset over what happened today.”
The weight on Andrew’s chest came rushing out with one long breath. “I endangered people’s lives because of my stubbornness.”
“Do you really think I’d let my own son venture through these woods without some sort of protection?” Abraham asked. “I know their danger, and I know of Amber’s presence in our land. Fire Prince, I knew your strength. That’s why Rhodan was there when you needed him. I asked him to watch over you, and he did so, brilliantly, and has every day since you first joined us. I knew you needed freedom, as did Karlos, and part of that was freedom from the danger.”
Andrew let that wash over him. It was supposed to make him feel better, but the guilt still swirled around and made him even more uncomfortable.
“You’ve made some mistakes, Fire Prince, but so has everyone else. What might have happened doesn’t matter. What will happen does.” Abraham placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “You learned an important lesson today, Fire Prince, one I don’t think you’ll ever take for granted. But don’t let guilt hold you back. You did well today. Rhodan told me that you refused to leave Karlos’ side, even when it endangered your own life. I know men with skill and strength far, far beyond yours, but it does them no good because they lack even a third of your courage and loyalty.”
Andrew swallowed. “I couldn’t let him…”
“I know that. Now, we’re going to skip your lessons tonight,” Abraham continued.
“Why? I—”
“Your day today has been exciting enough as it is. Besides, we’ll start packing up for our return to my castle tomorrow.”
Andrew looked up. “Why? Is it because of the kirat?”
“In part,” Abraham admitted. “I hadn’t realized that the Dragon’s power extended so far. We’re not safe here anymore. However, we would have begun our preparations for the homeward journey within another week even if things had been normal. Spring is coming quickly, and the men need to get home for planting time, and you need to get to the Kastle.”
Chapter 9
Once Andrew actually began to apply himself to his lessons, he found that swordplay and archery weren’t as bad as he’d thought. He wasn’t great with them, by any stretch of the imagination, but at least he was knocked to the ground only once a lesson, rather than no fewer than twelve times. While his arrows didn’t get close to the target, at least they covered the distance that would have taken them to the target if he had better aim.
The daily schedule changed completely as they packed for home. No longer did they spend each day in the woods hunting, or at the smokehouse preparing the meat. Instead, Andrew and Karlos made one last trek through the woods to dismantle all of the traps. Much time was given to the final stages of curing the meat. Things were packed down and put away.
One day, they rounded up all of their pack animals, a curious yak-like creature they called korren. Their shaggy fur had a decided blue tinge. Andrew wondered if it were its natural color, or if it was some sort of algae or something like that. He leaned towards the algae theory since the color did rub off, creating a bluish dust.
The day before they were to leave, Andrew decided to examine the cave one more time. He still wasn’t anywhere close to proficient with Klarand’s weapons yet, and he wanted to make sure he had some sort of weapon with which to defend himself against the Lady Dragon.
There wasn’t a huge array of weapons from his own world, and even fewer that actually had ammunition, but Andrew managed to pick up a pair of pistols, a rifle, and an old six-shooter like those he’d seen in western movies. He also found a case that was supposed to hold a pair of dueling pistols, though there was one missing. The one that remained was very heavily bejeweled. However, it was loaded, and there were extra shots for it, so Andrew took it as well.
He also found a bullet-proof vest. He wasn’t sure if it would do any good against swords or other such weapons from this world, but he took it anyways. It was something from his own world, after all.
He unloaded the guns and stashed them carefully into a bag he had brought with him for this very purpose. Then he picked it up and headed back to camp.
Lying in the mouth of the cave was a long, narrow box covered in black velvet. Andrew narrowed his eyes and set down the bag. He hadn’t seen this when he’d entered the cave or any time before that.
Glancing about, he didn’t see anyone, so he bent down and opened the box.
Inside was a sword, possibly the most beautiful one Andrew had ever seen before. The hilt was studded with rubies, the pommel itself one about the size of a walnut, the grip wrapped in black leather. The blade was made from a dark gray metal Andrew didn’t recognize and etched with a flame-like pattern.
“Do you like it, Fire Prince?”
Andrew’s head shot up. Standing just outside the cave’s entrance was a man he’d never seen before. He was very old, his skin papery, his hair snow white. There was a certain delicacy and grace to his form.
“Who are you? You’re not like that Laura, are you, with the door thing?”
The man shook his head. “If it is the Doorkeeper of which you speak, I can assure you that she and I have little in common save that we serve the same Lord. Unlike her and yourself, I have never stirred from my native world. I am Dular, husband to the Bookdaughter Alith, an advisor to the Wind Prince and Leaf Princess.” He paused, then added, helpfully, “I’m an elf.”
“An elf?” Andrew repeated.
“Yes,” said Dular. “And I was entrusted to bring you your sword, and a message.”
“My sword?” Andrew repeated, he was curious about the message, of course, but this somehow seemed more important. “But I barely know how to use one.”
“I’ve no doubt that you will learn in time,” said Dular. “Now, we have other items waiting for you at the Kastle, so you need to come to us as soon as possible. Meet with the Water Princess, and journey through the Mountain, for the gate has been blockaded by Amber herself, and none can go through it.”
“Okay, um, I think that was our plan already,” Andrew admitted. “But yeah. The Water Princess exists?”
“Of certain,” said Dular. “I have not seen her for myself, but Alith has Spoken of her coming, as she Spoke of yours, so there is no doubt that the Water Princess came to Upper Klarand, just as you came to the Lower.”
“Ah. So you have no warnings for me on what she looks like or anything like that.”
“The only thing I know is what the prophecies say, that she will fight,” said Dular. “But take heart, young Fire Prince, she will most certainly be beautiful, and I am sure that Alphego would choose naught but the perfect young woman for you.”
Andrew was not sure what to think about that. The Water Princess was still a subject he trod onto with care. He frowned. “Everyone keeps mentioning prophecies, but I still have as yet to learn what they are.”
“Have they not told you any of them? Well, there are many, and most are just single lines hidden among much longer and more complicated ones,” Dular admitted. “However, I suppose I can tell you the one where we learned that the Water Princess was to be a fighter. It is the only one, after all, completely dedicated to the two of you.”
He cleared his throat, and recited,
“When the Lady Dragon does come,
Hold
fast, do not fear, do not run.
Your Water Princess will fight,
Fire Prince will set all to right,
Each shall come from a Fall,
Their union shall save you all.”
They were both quiet for several seconds while Andrew processed it.
“Union,” Andrew repeated, at last. “That’s a pretty ambiguous word.”
“Once translated into English, yes,” said Dular. “But Alith Spoke this prophecy in Rizkan, the tongue of the legends, and the word she used there was Tylith, and there is no mistaking that word’s meaning.” And before Andrew could ask another question he added, “Now, I must return. I will see you when you arrive at the Kastle. Fight bravely.”
Dular pressed a fist over his heart, bowed slightly, then turned and started walking away. Andrew gasped and followed after him for as far as he could, hardly believing his eyes – the man walked on the air itself!
As he disappeared from sight, Andrew shook his head and returned to the cave. Snapping the sword case closed, he slid it into the bag with his other weapons. He frowned as he went to pick it up. It was rather heavy now, so with a sigh, he pulled out the rifle and returned it to the shelves. It was the heaviest item in the bag and had the fewest shots. It wasn’t worth it to haul it anywhere.
He returned to camp with no further event. He stashed the bag with his backpack, then went to help the men with all of the rest of the last-minute things that needed doing.
He quite forgot about his new sword until Abraham announced that it was time for his nightly lessons. He told Abraham he’d meet him at the clearing. After fetching the box, he did so.
“What’s that?” Abraham asked, as soon as he stepped inside.
Andrew half-shrugged. “An elf named Dular appeared while I was in the cave getting weapons for myself,” he explained. “He gave me a sword.”
And he opened the box to show him.
Abraham let out a low whistle. “That’s about the finest sword I’ve ever seen in my life,” he admitted. “It suits you, Fire Prince.”
“But I barely know how to use a sword,” Andrew protested.
“Oh, I would rate you as being past the ‘barely’ stage,” Abraham countered. “And I’ve a feeling that this sword may improve you even more.”
“But it’s just a sword,” Andrew countered.
“I’d say it’s more than ‘just’ a sword,” said Abraham. “Now, I was just scarcely more than a lad myself when the Wind Prince and Leaf Princess were last seen, but I met them a few times. The Wind Prince, now he was a fine young man at the time, showed me his bow once.”
“His bow?” asked Andrew.
“A special bow, given to him by Alphego Himself, and his sister had one like it,” Abraham explained. “According to him, he was a fine archer in his own right, but with that bow, there was none to compare him to, save for perhaps King Klaranse, for whom Klarand is named.”
“So you think that this sword is enchanted?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t know that it is,” said Abraham. “What I do know is that it is your sword and that with it you will be amazing.”
Andrew swallowed as he stared at the sword, not sure if he believed him or not. If he was bad with a sword, what good would it be just to get a different one?
“Come now, Fire Prince,” said Abraham. “Take up the sword and we’ll see what you can do with it. It never hurts to try, after all.”
So, taking a deep breath, Andrew wrapped a hand around the hilt and lifted it out of the box.
“Ah, there we go,” said Abraham. “What do you think of it now?”
Andrew narrowed his eyes but didn’t answer. The truth was, this sword felt strangely right. The other sword he’d been practicing with had never felt quite comfortable in his hand, but this sword felt like it belonged there. And while it was a larger sword than the other one, and surely weighed more, it didn’t seem any heavier to Andrew.
“Well, Fire Prince?”
“I like it,” Andrew admitted. “Never thought I’d ever hear myself say that about a sword, but I do.”
“What did I tell you?” asked Abraham, drawing his own sword. “Now let’s begin your lesson.”
For the first time, Andrew actually enjoyed himself. He also managed to disarm Abraham. He never managed to knock the man down, though. Abraham was far too sturdy for that. But Andrew didn’t spend any of the lesson on the ground either, so he was satisfied. Abraham seemed to be as well, as he called the lesson to a close far too soon.
“What are you doing?” the man asked, as Andrew started to slide his new sword back into its case.
“Putting it away,” Andrew explained.
“Fire Prince, the only time you may put your sword away is during times of peace,” said Abraham, solemnly, “and even then, you take a chance. Now is not a time of peace. Now is a time when you must always wear your weapon at your side. Hand that case here.”
Andrew did as he was told and Abraham drew out a scabbard that flickered orange, yellow, red and a belt made out of simple black leather. He handed these to Andrew.
Andrew said nothing as he accepted them, not entirely sure that he wanted to be universally recognized – and wearing this sword would surely do that for him. He needed Abraham’s help to get it around his waist and the sword into the right position, partially because he’d never done this sort of thing before, and partially because he didn’t have a third hand for juggling the naked sword he was holding.
“With this sword at your side, I don’t think that anyone will question that you are the Fire Prince,” said Abraham, stepping back. “Now, we’ve still your archery to work on.”
Andrew groaned. “Do I have to do that, too?”
“Yes, Fire Prince,” said Abraham. “You may not ever excel at it, but it is a skill that cannot hurt for you to possess. You need to keep practicing.”
And so, Andrew shot about twenty arrows at a tree, managed to get one to actually embed into it, and most of the others into other trees, and then Abraham was satisfied.
“Abraham, there’s something else I was wondering,” Andrew added, as they returned to camp.
“And what’s that?” asked Abraham.
“Do all elves … walk on air?”
“Oh, no,” said Abraham, with a shake of his head. “That’s just Dular’s gift. Every elf has one, and it’s different for each. For instance, his wife, Alith, has the gift of invisibility.”
“Oh,” said Andrew. “That’s interesting.”
“They’re weaker, physically, than humans,” Abraham continued. “So Alphego gave them their gifts to make us equal. The kings and queens of Rizkaland also possess gifts, but they’re the only humans to do so.”
Andrew slowly nodded, processing that and deciding that it made sense. This was Rizkaland, after all. He decided not to ask questions about Dular’s comment about Alith “Speaking” the prophecy. Abraham had mentioned that term in conjunction with a Bookdaughter in one of the legends he had told him and Karlos, and it was sometimes better to leave questions unasked. The answers could be more confusing than the questions at times.
Chapter 10
Before they were halfway through the first day, Andrew realized that he wasn’t used to walking long distances. Walking, yes, long distances, yes, but not the two stuck together. But Karlos wasn’t complaining, and Andrew decided he couldn’t let the kid out-tough him. Even though he knew that the kid was considerably more resilient, he didn’t like to admit it.
The trees grew thinner with each hour that passed, and by the time they stopped for camp that night, Andrew could hardly recognize the forest as the dark, close wood they’d been living in. It was colder, too. Benoi, the man Andrew was walking next to when he made this comment, explained that it was because they were getting further and further away from the Firefall.
The next day, they left the trees altogether and entered into rolling farmland. That night they stayed in a village, where they left two of the men, Deni
and Talin, and two korrens laden with meat behind, for this was where the two men lived.
Andrew was the subject of much talk and celebration that night. Everyone wanted to greet him, many toasts and cheers were raised to his long life and happiness, and tales were recounted of his prowess in the hunt. Andrew wasn’t sure who was telling these stories since they didn’t resemble his own memories of the past several weeks at all. One group of young boys even came up to him begging to know how terrible it was fighting the kirat with his bare hands.
Andrew informed them that it had actually been Rhodan who fought the creature, and he had used a sword and knife. They didn’t seem to believe him, but he managed to attain a reputation of modesty.
It was the girls, however, that Andrew found completely disconcerting. They came and went, all trying various schemes to get his attention. Some, especially the younger ones, were very obvious in what they were trying to do.
He glanced towards Abraham for help, but the man was involved in a conversation with was apparently the village mayor. He managed to make eye contact with Rhodan, but the man looked more amused than anything else and didn’t seem about to make any offers to help Andrew out of his predicament.
And that’s when he finally discovered a use for the elusive Water Princess. One good mention of her, and the girl trying to catch his eye would wander off. With some of the more persistent ones, Andrew needed to allude to her beauty, or how he couldn’t wait to meet her, or something stronger like that, but it managed to scare them all off.
It was pretty much the same in every village they stayed in. They left one or two of the men behind with some meat, and all of the girls tried to make a claim of Andrew. It was a very … interesting experience and Andrew couldn’t say that he liked it.
“Girls are always attracted to a handsome young man with a fancy title,” said Abraham, when Andrew brought this up to him while traveling one day. “I remember those days well.”
“I—” Andrew began, but Abraham was still talking.
“As the future ruler of our country, you’re a desirable catch indeed, but it seems you’re doing a good job of keeping them at bay. Just wait ‘til you meet the Water Princess.”
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