by A. J. Walker
Theodor suspected it didn’t help his cause to stay in Lubrecht due to the recent scandal of his eldest sister running away. She’d broken all honorable norms and family tradition when she suddenly ran away with some wealthy lord that was passing through, or so the rumors had said. Lubrecht was a quiet town where the people didn’t waver from tradition. When word got out about Theodor’s sister, his mother and father hung their heads in shame as the others in the community spread rumors of how horrible they must’ve been to create such a devilish child. If Theodor refused his father’s wishes to serve at the nearest army training camp, then he’d bring further stain to their family that likely wouldn’t be resolved for generations to come.
With his travel pack full, Theodor carried everything he needed for his journey west, to the nearest army training camp. Sleeping blankets, food, buckskin flask for water, change of clothes, flint and steel, and some fishing supplies were all stuffed into the torso-sized pack. He decided to bring along his wool coat as well, which added significant weight and bulk to the pack, but fall had come and he would need the extra warmth in the increasingly chilly evenings. Besides, the extra weight would only strengthen his legs as he walked across the northern terrain of Southland. The only weapon his father gifted to him was his buck-knife, the steel blade sharp and the length of his middle finger. He wore it around his belt like a sword, knowing full well that he didn’t know the first thing about self-defense. At the very least, he could gut and fillet the fish he planned on catching along the way.
At sixteen years old, military recruiters had approached Theodor for the first time. Several months before the King’s death, they’d come to his school and set up an obstacle course. When they saw how fast he’d completed it, the recruiters wanted him to join their introductory leadership program held in Kingston. His first reaction was to deny them, but they offered a healthy purse for completion of the program. When he told them he’d need time to think it over, word spread through his school and he began to receive the interest of girls. Theodor had never had this attention before and began to think perhaps the army was the right place for him. After realizing, however, that the females pining over him were only in it for his money and power, Theodor changed his mind. He knew the military mindset wasn’t suited for him. He didn’t take orders well. The brief time he’d entertained the notion seemed so foreign. Now the thought of being the military terrified him.
Theodor stopped when he reached the end of the cobblestones, where the road turned to dirt and lead west toward Kingston. He looked over his shoulder at the adobe-style houses capped with clay shingles, and sighed.
I’m young, and like my father always says, ‘Adventure is how you grow as a person.’ I think I might be more inclined to leave if I knew the camp wasn’t an all-male military base. Maybe there’s a girls training camp nearby I can visit? he thought as he looked back at the houses lining each side of Lubrecht’s main street. He faced the dirt road ahead, continuing toward his destination several days away.
WHAT WAS THAT? Theodor whispered to himself. He lay wrapped tightly in his wool-sleeping blanket, eyes peeled. The once crackling fire he used to cook his bland rice and bean dinner had burned through the remaining wood and smoldered, glowing a dull orange.
His thoughts quickly turned to the warning his father had given him — “Keep an eye out for anyone not loyal to the crown. These are dangerous times and many enemies lurk along the Kingston Road.” Theodor had heard rumors of how the powerful sorcerer cast spells on people, forcing them to obey his commands and serve his cause.
Suddenly, he heard it again; a branch snapping on the forest floor.
That wasn’t just a twig breaking, he thought. That was a large stick. Whatever it is, it’s sizable and walking this way through the shadows.
Theodor sat upright, the blanket he slept in still wrapped tightly around his body. Searching through the darkness, he looked for the source of the noise. His imagination leapt wildly as he allowed himself to believe that a band of robbers, or possibly a group of evil magicians was out there, lurking in the shadows.
This is just my luck. Robbed before I made it more than a day from home, he thought as he focused in on a peculiar-looking shadow.
Suddenly, several large branches snapped all at once, making Theodor leap to his feet. Dropping the blanket to the ground, he readied himself for whatever would come out from behind the shadows. As he stood shirtless in the cold of night, he heard steady breathing coming from beyond the darkened trees. It was the kind of breathing that comes thick and heavy in the quiet of the night and sent chills down Theodor’s spine.
From behind the blanket of shadows, Theodor caught a glimpse of the dark shape approaching. The shadowed figure moved with awkward stammering, drunkenly wavering back and forth. He didn’t recognize the figure to be human as it lumbered out from behind the shadows. To his surprise, Theodor saw a large bear walking with its muzzle down, steadily sniffing the ground. The bear’s fur blended almost seamlessly with the dark of night. Theodor knew the large animal had caught his scent as it quickened its pace coming closer into camp.
Theodor nearly cursed out loud before biting his tongue, preventing himself from making too much noise. He quickly and carefully snuck to the closest tree behind him. Scrambling up the large tree, he could hear the approaching bear discovering his camp.
I’d almost prefer a band of robbers to this, he thought as he climbed high into the tree, making sure the bear couldn’t get to him from the ground. I should’ve grabbed my shirt, he thought as he watched the large black bear locate his bedding. He thumped himself on the thigh in frustration as he crouched on a thick branch, midway up the tall tree.
The bear nosed its way through Theodor’s blankets, tossing them to the side as it ran its dark snout along the ground where Theodor had been sleeping. He watched helplessly from his branch as the bear rooted out his travel pack. The pack held everything he would need to arrive safely at the training camp, including all his food.
The bear placed its large paw on his pack and rolled it playfully like a kitten with a fresh toy. Biting down on the canvas fabric, the bear used its jaws and powerful claws to tear open the pack. After tearing open a hole large enough to place its head inside, the bear reached in with its muzzle and pulled out Theodor’s tarp. Dragging the tarp from the innards of his pack, the bear cut large slices as it shook the tarp violently and raked its claws along his makeshift shelter.
He knew the bear had discovered his food when he saw it poke its large dark head into the side of his pack and remain there for several long breaths. The bear clawed out what food supplies remained and bit into them with its powerful jaws. Theodor watched helplessly as the bear devoured his food mere minutes after finding it.
Now what am I going eat?
The bear didn’t leave right away after finishing his food. Instead, it searched the ground once again, finding its way to the bottom of the tree Theodor was hiding in. Its snout sniffed up the trunk of the tree as the bear craned its neck. Theodor found himself looking right into the bear’s eyes as it peered up from the ground below, its nostrils flaring as it smelled the air between them. Theodor held his breath and tried not to move, but the bear had seen him. Theodor shifted uncomfortably as the bear used the tree trunk to walk itself into a standing position.
With its front paws resting on the tree, Theodor wondered, Can bears climb trees? A moment of panic flooded his mind as he watched the large bear attempt to lift itself off the ground. Each time it placed all four paws onto the tree’s base, it slid down, the heft of the beast outmatching the strength of its claws.
After several unsuccessful attempts to climb the tree, the bear switched tactics. It placed its front paws against the tree, but instead of climbing it, pushed hard, shaking the tree with the heavy momentum of its body.
The darn thing is trying to knock me down.
Theodor held on tightly as the large bear violently shook the tree. Discovering the tree wasn’t going to fall over and Th
eodor wasn’t going to fall out, the bear returned to all fours and gave up. Theodor hoped that, since the bear had already eaten his food and realized he wouldn’t be coming out of the tree, it would leave. The bear, however, didn’t leave. It sat back on its hindquarters and gawked up at him with wanting eyes.
Oh, so it’s the waiting game you want to play, Theodor thought. I can stay up here all night. He shivered as the cool autumn air brushed across his bare chest. Or can I? His exposed skin rose slightly as small goose bumps ran the course of his body. It’s going to be a long night.
The coldest hour came just before the dawn. That hour proved to be the most difficult. Unwilling to climb down from his perch until he knew the bear was out of the area, Theodor winced as he rubbed his numb hands over his exposed skin, trying to rub away the shivering chills pulsing through his body. Unable to get a good night’s rest, he patiently waited for the morning sun and the heat of a new day.
As the first inklings of light revealed the dark outlines of trees surrounding him, Theodor was relieved to see the bear’s long-awaited absence from the area below. Despite his eagerness to come down from his hiding place, Theodor waited until it was bright enough to fully see his surroundings. He wanted to know that the bear had actually vacated the area. With the coast clear, he climbed down to safety.
Relief washed over him as he dug through his torn travel pack and pulled out the wool cloak. Giving it a quick inspection, Theodor was pleased to find it undamaged. Luckily, the bear tore into the pack just below where the cloak had been stored. After spending a cold autumn night shirtless and up a tree, he honestly would’ve been relieved to wear anything that covered his frost-nipped skin, but it was a pleasant surprise indeed to find his cloak fully intact. Theodor wrapped it tightly around himself and began to retrieve the items of his disheveled campsite.
His movements at first were slow and sluggish, but as the blood began to flow more quickly through his veins, his core temperature rose. The skin of his chest and back tingled with the sensation of numerous sharp needles pricking him repeatedly. The stinging lasted far longer than he’d expected and made him want to crawl out of his skin rather than spend one more moment with the unpleasant feeling. After several minutes of shouting in pain and attempting to shake off the feeling, his nerves returned to normal and the stinging vanished. After gathering the dispersed contents of his camp and placing them precariously back into the torn travel pack, Theodor abandoned the wooded area, eager to distance himself from the short-lived campsite.
Several miles down the road, Theodor’s stomach grumbled. Placing his hand tentatively on his unruly belly, he groaned, “I need something to eat.” The bear managed to find every last crumb of the food he’d packed. Luckily the bear hadn’t damaged any of his fishing supplies.
Glancing to the leeward side of the road, a slight ray of morning sun caught his eye as the light glimmered brightly off the rippling surface of a stream below. The time of day was just right for trout to be feeding, as the heat of the day wasn’t yet bearing down on him. He stepped off the road, making his way toward the increasingly pleasing sound of moving water.
Curious to see if the effort of rigging a makeshift fishing pole would be worth it, Theodor watched to see if any fish were feeding on the water’s surface. As he scanned the flowing stream, he made note of the several types of bugs flying low over the water. Hearing a sequence of splashing to his right, Theodor turned just in time to see the rippling rings expanding out in perfect circles from where the fish had risen to eat the bugs on the surface.
His heart rose at the sight and he thought, This will most certainly do.
Finding a cluster of willows wasn’t difficult, as the edges of the stream were teaming with them. He cut a thin, flexible branch from one of them with the knife his father gave him and pulled out the fishing supplies from his pack. He’d brought enough line and flies to last him twice as long as he needed. Attaching a small homemade fly that resembled one of the bugs hatching along the water’s edge, Theodor tied off the opposite end to his willow branch.
As he approached the bend in the stream where the fish were rising, he made sure to keep his distance from the water’s edge, disguising his presence from the fish. Fixing his eyes on a slow-moving patch of water just upstream from where he stood, Theodor flung his string out over the water and watched as the homemade fly landed lightly on the surface. He held his breath while it drifted down, passing several feet from the stream’s bank. After only a few moments on the water’s surface, a fish rose, taking the bait. Theodor’s hunger and excitement got the better of him and he yanked hard hoping to have the trout on the other end. To his disappointment he’d pulled too hard, jerking the fly right out of the fish’s mouth. This small failure only fueled his determination to hook another.
After several more casts and no immediate signs of interest from the trout, a second fish rose to his fly. This time he let the fish take it under the surface of the water before pulling up with the willow branch pole. As he lifted the tip, the string grew tight and he knew he’d hooked the fish. It pulled in every direction, wriggling wildly and trying to propel itself through the water. It ran up, and then downstream, diving deeper as it tried to escape. Suddenly he felt the fish turn its head back toward the surface and it leapt completely out of the water, flopping back and forth as it soared into the air. Falling back into the water with a splash, the fish fought to free itself.
Theodor laughed as he tried to keep the string tight so the fish wouldn’t come off. He stepped backward, dragging the wriggling fish through the water and up onto the grassy shore. Keeping tension on the string, he pulled the fish closer to him, crouching as it came closer. Quickly, he grabbed the fish by the gills and lifted it up to examine his meal. Shimmering with vibrant green along its spine, the trout’s scales turned pink toward its midline and white on its underbelly. From nose to tail, the fish was about as long as his forearm and would be plenty to fill his belly. He smiled as he carried the trout back to the side of the road.
Gathering a heap of dried twigs and sticks, he made a small fire. Within a matter of minutes, he had the trout on a wooden spit, and roasted it over the orange flames. Reveling in his success, Theodor devoured every edible part of the creature, letting the nutrients re-energize his tired body.
Continuing along the road to the army training camp, Theodor came across several travelers passing him in the opposite direction. Each time he nodded and smiled, trying to show them he was not a troublemaker. It wasn’t until late in the day that a band of traveling musicians overtook him, heading west as he was. After introducing himself and informing them of his reasons for being on the road, the cheerful group of minstrels invited him to join their party. Since they were heading in the same direction as he was and seemed friendly enough, Theodor accepted their offer of companionship.
Before they’d gone too far down the road, Theodor recounted to them his trouble with the bear and that the only way he’d be able to contribute for food was if he caught them some fish. Seeing he’d been physically unharmed by the bear, the musicians laughed about his unfortunate encounter and offered him a fair share of the food as long as he lent a helping hand with the camp chores. Theodor didn’t mind swapping chores for much-needed food, so he gladly vowed to help out with whatever they needed him to do.
Three days came and went as Theodor traveled along the Kingston Road with his new companions. In that short time, Theodor had quickly become an expert on roasting trout. He’d managed to catch enough fish to host a feast for the merry band of minstrels each morning and night. They would burst out in song each time he returned to camp with a stick full of trout hanging by their gills.
After a while, the group halted atop a rise in the road. Theodor slouched when he saw the barricaded walls of the military training camp nestled at the base of the hill. He took in a long, slow breath as he realized the end of his travels had finally come. He thanked the minstrels for their company and hospitality. They returned
his thanks with gratitude for all of the roasted fish he’d cooked for them and his help with chores. He waved them goodbye as they continued on the road toward Kingston.
Theodor’s gaze returned to the army encampment below, I wonder if there’s a fishing division in the army, he hoped as he dragged his feet toward camp, wishing his father hadn’t forced him into service.
Chapter Three
─
Bunkhouse Thirteen
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED outside the fortified walls of the army encampment. Today was the last of the three days that the king’s army would be accepting new recruits for this session. If he didn’t make it there before today he would have to wait eight weeks until they began another round of training. Part of Theodor wished he’d just continued on the road with the merry group of musicians, but the voice of his reluctant father replayed in his thoughts, and he dismissed the fantasy.
Beside the thick, log-walled entrance to the fortified camp stood armor-plated soldiers, their iron breastplates trimmed in the crimson colors of Southland. As he approached the long line of men waiting to gain entrance, Theodor spotted several archers pacing the length of the front wall. Directing his attention to three young men at the rear of the line, Theodor came to stand behind them in waiting. He overheard them speculating about Merglan’s spies posing among them to try and gain entrance.
“They’ll be tryin’ to learn what techniques and strategies we’re learnin’ so as to outwit us in battle. You can’t ever be too careful, not these days,” he heard one of them say.
Theodor thought that might be a bit extreme. If he really wanted to discover what techniques and battle strategies they were teaching, Merglan could just fly on his dragon and take a look for himself. This was, after all, a war...with sorcerers.
Despite his doubts, he eyed the crowd warily, taking note of anyone who looked suspicious. As he gauged each individual in the crowded line, he caught the glare of a particularly rough-looking individual. The glare the man gave him in return chilled Theodor to the bone. He quickly put on a half-hearted smile and nodded politely, attempting to avoid any confrontation. When the man’s gaze remained firm, he averted his attention to the back of the man’s shirt in front of him. He cursed himself for scowling at the stranger and hoped nothing more would come of it when he felt a thick finger tap him on his left shoulder.
