Vedientir

by Ivan Hladni

  "Now be quiet," he said to Dion, covered the acorns with some hay and closed the lid. Daedar snuck closer to Dion and watched the chest with anticipation.

  "But you haven't spoken the rune," complained Dion.

  "I didn't have to. We have to wake these acorns differently."

  "Quiet," said Daedar, leaving Dion even more confused and then a muffled sound came out from the chest. A crackle, then a crack.

  "Open it, open it," said Daedar to his son and so he did.

  Both acorns were cracked in the middle, and they could see something red inside the acorns. More pink than red. One of the acorns moved a little and then the halves began moving away from one another until whatever it was that was pink inside of it fell out onto the hay. A beak appeared. A head. Wings and legs. Grandfather began smiling, and then another pink ball fell out of the other acorn.

  "What are they?" asked Odea.

  "Ravens," answered Daedar.

  "Smart little birds that will allow us to communicate after you leave the city tonight," added Arnos.

  "Don't we have the legion's pigeons for that?"

  "We have, but they can go in one direction only. These birds are supposed to be much more capable."

  "Father, these chicks won't be able to fly for weeks. When do you think they will be of use to us?" He looked into the chest again, but did not see what he saw before and what he was expecting. While he was talking to his father the chicks already got up on their feet and a thick layer of fluff had already grown on their skin. He was even more surprised that one chick had white fluff and the other had black.

  The chicks were so busy playing with the hay that they didn't notice Dion's head looking at them, but then they did and they jumped over to that side of the chest and started croaking directly at him.

  "They will need two days at most, if we feed them well enough," said the grandfather and then grabbed all four halves of the acorns from the chest.

  "Open your mouth," he said to Dion and then began crumbling the halves of the acorns into Dion's mouth.

  "Drink something," said Daedar and waited for Dion to take a sip of his milk and then he gave Dion more. He gave Dion almost all of three halves, and then split one of the halves between him, Arnos and Odea.

  "Why did I have to eat those?" asked Dion after he swallowed the last piece.

  "So that the ravens can find you and recognize you," answered Daedar. "You are connected now," he added, and then fed the rest of the acorn shells to the two ravens. The chicks quieted after that strange meal and Daedar closed the lid over them.

  "Let them have some sleep. They need to grow."

  Arnos got up from his chair.

  "That is all the time I have for family affairs. I have to prepare the men and myself for battle."

  His hand movements were as quick and short as were his sentences.

  "Dion. We agreed on your destination and what you should do once you are there. Mother will pack you for the journey, but you mustn't forget to take this," he said and took the standard in his hand. "This is now yours."

  Dion took the battle standard from his father's hand. The black cloth was smooth and cold to the touch, tied to the staff of the standard with two gold colored laces. The wood of the staff was perfectly polished and as smooth to the touch as the cloth.

  "This is how everyone in the allied kingdoms will know that you are on a war path and if you stumble upon an enemy, he will hopefully think twice before attacking."

  Dion looked away from the standard when his father was already at the door.

  "I will wait for you at the gates. Don't be late."

  He kept looking at his father as he walked down the dark street and then the situation sunk in.

  "I'm leaving. I'm really leaving my family behind."

  His grandfather nudged him.

  "Let go of that flag for a moment," he said. "Listen to me now. It's doubtful that we will speak to one another in this life again."

  Daedar's words pierced him with discomfort and he turned his attention to the old man.

  "According to the texts that were in the chest, these are the ravens of the god Vedientir. They should be able to hear, see and feel what others can't, and with that in mind I have a favor and a task for you."

  "I still can't understand how we got to have these acorns and how an acorn containing birds could grow on a Great Oak."

  "The chest you received contains gifts from the gods. That is what my father told me when I received I admit a much richer chest than you have, filled with bottles containing the essence of magic, with acorns and scrolls containing stories of ancient times and explanations of how to use the acorns. Among the stories was one that spoke of men fighting alongside the gods against Chaos and in it was said that these men received payment for their service in chests like the one you see before you."

  "I think I believe my father's story more," said Dion and Odea laughed.

  "Look here," said Daedar holding one of the acorns in his hands. It shined red under the candlelight.

  "This is the acorn that you need to use to send a message to the gods, and according to another story, they have promised to come to our aid when we call upon them."

  "Do you mean to use it now to help us lift the siege?"

  "Oh, gladly, but I cannot do it here. You will have to do it for me in one of the old temples. When they answer your call ask them why have they taken our Trees and request their promised help."

  "But father told me to go ask the king for help."

  "Yes. Do that. First do what your father told you to, but then do your grandfather a favor and do what I have just asked you. One of the temples is northeast of Tialoch. The other is in the mountains near Phares, and the third one is in Syevnor. I'm quite certain that there are more of them, but I don't know of their locations."

  "You will easily recognize them on the maps," said Odea, and placed a large bag on Arnos's empty chair. "Triangle atop two vertical lines, but I'm not sure I drew them at exact locations."

  "I'll think of something if I... when I get there."

  At first he thought his father was returning when he heard footsteps but it was Kerkio who entered the house. He wore the South legion's chain mail and a white tunic underneath. A short sword and a long foraging knife were sheathed on his belt, and a blue cloak was on his shoulders. He also wore a bag, and it seemed to Dion to be even larger than the one Odea was preparing for him. He held a long spear in his right hand, and had to lower it to get into the house.

  "He is at the gates," said Dion, not waiting for Kerkio to ask where Arnos was.

  "Are you ready?"

  Dion got up from his chair to finish packing.

  "Don't forget these little things," said Daedar and pushed the things taken out of the chest toward the edge of the table.

  "Get all of that into your bag and don't forget to take this book with you. There are texts from the lost scrolls in there and many new things that I've added over the years. Take care of this branch for me. That's my only memory of an Oak I planted in Syevnor."

  "You planted a...?" asked Dion in wonder and Daedar smiled but offered no further explanation.

  The old man said everything that he had to say to his grandson and then he got up and went to Kerkio who was still waiting for Dion at the door.

  "Take care of yourself," he said gently and shook Kerkio's left hand with both of his. "Take my greeting to your parents."

  "I will," said Kerkio and squeezed Daedar's hand. The long silence between the two of them drew Dion's attention.

  "We will see each other again," said Daedar.

  "We will." Kerkio was quiet and lost in thought, but Daedar grew bolder and louder then. "We will."

  "There are more shirts at the bottom of the bag if you get cold," said Odea to Dion. "But be careful to keep at least one clean so you have something to wear when you step in front of the king."

  She kissed his forehead.

  "Go now, your father is waiting."

/>   He got his sword and belt from underneath the table where he had dropped it, grabbed the bag, and took the standard.

  "Do we have an agreement?" Daedar asked him when Dion joined them at the door.

  "We have," was the answer that his grandfather liked really much and he then walked both of them out of the house. Dion turned once more when he and Kerkio were quite far away and waved to the two dark shadows waving at him from outside the house.

  ✽✽✽

  It looked like the entire city was on the walls when they got to the gates. The archers were already atop the walls next to buckets of glowing embers and buckets of lard that they would soon need to light their cotton tip arrows.

  Legionaries stood nearest the gates - two dozen rows of six men. Behind them were the riders, already in their saddles - the ten who were meant to ride to Tialoch.

  Arnos checked each of the riders individually and then looked at Dion and Kerkio.

  "Have you taken enough supplies?"

  "Everything is under control," replied Kerkio.

  "Time to go, then," said Taren, lit his torch and signaled the gatekeepers.

  The massive wooden gates creaked a few times while they were opened and then they could see the Village again but they could see nothing move in it apart from an occasional silver glint of a blade of grass moving in the gentle breeze.

  The men from Echa moved slowly ahead.

  There! Behind one of the houses to the right. A hundred feet away from the walls of the city. Movement of a shadow deeper than the shadows that were cast onto the road by the houses. A shadow that Dion recognized from before.

  "Dad," he whispered not quietly enough and the shadow let out a guttural grunt.

  "It's him, father! The Gray one from Lorei!"

  The shadows awoke.

  "Go. Go now!" he told his son and he and Kerkio started running east at once. Arnos obscured the Gray's view by throwing a torch straight at him. The torch fell to the ground and the dispersed drops of heated lard sprayed the nose of the hellish boar the Gray rode on. He heard commands over the screaming of the burned beast and then three more terrifying cries arose in the darkness. The cries came out of three hairy animals that assaulted the torch.

  Their dog-like muscled bodies tore at the torch, stepped on it and burned their paws, growled and screamed even more and then one of them managed to grab hold of the lower part of the torch. The beast carried the torch into the night and the road was once again covered in darkness.

  "You won't be hiding tonight," said Arnos and gave the signal to the archers. The sky was lit in orange and red when a hundred fire arrows flew from the walls of the city into the Village. The legionaries moved forth under the light of another swarm of fire arrows flying over their heads.

  Dion ran behind Kerkio, bent by the weight of the bag and the desire to remain unnoticed under the burning sky. He squeezed the staff of the battle standard, fearing to lose it and struggling with shame. He was sure he was the first man in the history of his kingdom who carried the dragon standard away from the battle.

  "Go, go," Kerkio encouraged them both.

  "Left," he said then and they stepped off the road that would have led them onto the Eastern Bridge. They were now between the Village and its northern orchards on the left and the river Naumona on the right. They could hear the riders trying to break through the Village, but they didn't stop to look. Kerkio pushed both of them to run even faster toward the north-east corner of the world where the forest and the river met. Dion felt he was getting tired already and the wound on his forearm called out in pain with every heartbeat.

  They passed the cultivated part of the world and its orchards and gardens and found themselves in tough ground where the forest was trying to reclaim the grassland. The young trees and various bushes slowed them down.

  "We need to reach those older trees there and then we'll get some rest, I promise," said Kerkio to Dion and then they heard one city bell ringing.

  "The riders have broken through," said Kerkio. "They did it."

  Chapter 6 - River Mara

  "Let's continue," Kerkio said resolutely as he pulled Dion by the sleeve.

  "No rest," thought Dion when they started running again. The shrieks from the Northern road pushed them ever deeper into the forest that was populated here only by large trees too far apart to give good shelter. He soon stopped feeling cold even though he only wore a shirt.

  "Do you think those were the messengers? Dion asked Kerkio. "An ambush?"

  "Probably," answered Kerkio. The rustling of leaves under their feet was replaced by the soft sound of pine needles cracking while they made their way beneath a few great pine trees that allowed view of the night sky.

  "We'll find that out in Tialoch, if not sooner," Kerkio finished his answer to Dion and then again the oak and beech leaves rustled under their feet.

  By Dion's count it, two day parts had passed after midnight and just thinking about it made him yearn for rest and sleep. He yawned loudly and slowed down his already slow run into a walk.

  "We cannot stop now," said Kerkio looking back at Dion and slowing down.

  "I know, I know. I'm walking," answered Dion. "Where are you leading us?"

  "I'm currently taking us straight north to the river. Then we will follow the river by your father's instructions, if you do not know a better way. I do not know these parts."

  "I don't know these forest paths either, but I know that the village Mara stretches all the way from the Northern road on the west to the Naumona in the east. We cannot miss it, but it is still more than twenty miles ahead of us. We can return to the road there."

  They did not speak for a long while after that, not even when they reached the river and found a narrow path following it north. They continued along the path that closely followed each curve of the river wrapped in thick fog.

  "We have been walking for too long," Dion complained when he realized that he could see the whiteness of the fog clearly. "It's dawning," he added and stopped at two trees. The path squeezed between them on its way north. He dropped his bag onto the path which looked drier than the grass covering the ground next to the river.

  "I haven't heard anything except us for a long time," he said. "I'm quite sure that no one is following us." He knelt on one knee and started checking the content of the bag.

  "Dry cheese," Dion said when he opened the cloth in which it was wrapped.

  "Have some," he offered some to Kerkio who came closer to take it. Dion's eyes followed the food that he offered and saw a face dominated by tired watery eyes.

  "Oh," Dion exclaimed in surprise while Kerkio was biting off a piece of cheese.

  "When did you last sleep?"

  "A long time ago," Kerkio said slowly.

  "Have some sleep, I'll keep watch," Dion suggested and placed the cloth with the cheese next to the bag.

  Kerkio sat underneath the tree opposite Dion and leaned himself onto the tree without even taking off the bag from his shoulders. He placed another piece of cheese into his mouth and chewed a few times with his eyes closed. Dion wasn't even sure if Kerkio swallowed the last bite he took before he fell asleep.

  Dion got back to checking the contents of his bag and alongside acorns he found a jar of honey, a jar of apricot jam and some bread, also wrapped in cloth. He also found his grandfather's book, rolled-up maps, the knife and a flask full of water. Beneath that were a couple of shirts, and finally a small leather pouch. It contained three silver coins and a handful of copper coins.

  "This will last me a long time," Dion thought and smiled in gratitude, grateful that his mother managed to acquire so much in so little time. He closed the pouch and placed it back into the bag. He took some more cheese, started chewing happily and then took his grandfather's book, leaned on his tree and opened the first page.

  ✽✽✽

  "I have a few questions," Dion said to the pair of blue eyes that opened on the other side of the path after a day's part of rest. Kerkio allo
wed the question but he was still more asleep than awake.

  "Why does the rest of my family know you better than I do?"

  "For the same reason I know them better than I know you. You never came to Tialoch with your father or your grandfather."

  "You met in Tialoch?"

  Kerkio turned to his left side to help himself fight with the bag that was adamant to keep him on the ground. He managed to take it off, get up and stretch, and when he finally opened his eyes he saw Dion was still waiting for his answer.

  "Daedar met me in Syevnor while I was still a baby. Thirty years ago, in the war that made our kingdoms, he saved me and my family from the village that was located on the shore of the Great Lake."

  "They never told me that," Dion thought, but then asked Kerkio aloud.

  "Is that why you are helping me now?"

  "No. Daedar never let me feel indebted to him for what he had done. I am helping you because I think of your grandfather as my second father. I consider myself a part of your family, and you a part of mine. It is because of him that I decided to become a legionary, to help others in the same way he helped me. It just so happened that I am now helping to save his grandson."

  "Thank you for helping me," said Dion honestly and that made Kerkio frown.

  "I would get a kick in the behind for that from your grandfather. Do not thank me but remember and do something good in return. Those are his words."

  "Companion," said Dion, and Kerkio just looked at him, not knowing what Dion was talking about.

  "You are no longer saving me," he added. "We are companions now."

  Kerkio threw his head back and laughed hard.

  "Companions!" he confirmed in a deliberately too serious voice.

  "Well, companion," he continued through smiling teeth, "have you decided which way to go while I was asleep?"