Fire and Thorn

by Mary Vee

  His steps took no effort as if he somehow walked on air.

  “Sire, wake up! Wake up!”

  Gilbert blinked his eyes open. “What?” A rocky fathomless depth loomed far beneath his toes. He stumbled back to find his balance on the edge of the cliff. Moonlight shone on the jagged rocks poking up like javelins. Someone had grabbed his shoulders and yanked him farther back. “What’s going on?”

  Charles and Ben panted. “You nearly stepped off the edge, sire.” They released their grip.

  Gilbert jumped back another step. “I was sleepwalking? I’ve never done that before. Ever.”

  Charles sighed. “It was my watch. I walked over to see what made the horses stir. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw you shove your blanket aside and stand. You mumbled something about saving Aerlis then stepped near the edge. I shook Ben awake. We ran after you and grabbed hold of your tunic before you took that last step.” He blew out a puff of air. “You scared me. Look I have bumps on my arms.”

  Ben brushed his fingers through his hair. “You ok, sire?”

  “Yes, I am…I’m fine…fine.” If nearly falling to his death could ever be fine. Gilbert closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath then slowly opened them. “I’m going back to bed.” He took two steps, paused then turned back to them. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

  At some point, he must have let his guard down. He had to have. That was the only explanation. He thought he’d kept his mind focused on the quest. Something had distracted him. What was it? Then he recalled the green glow before he fell asleep. He stared at it, intrigued by the beautiful color and changing shape and couldn’t pull his eyes away. He had to force them closed. If Ben and Charles hadn’t acted quickly…he swallowed…he would be dead. Gilbert lowered his head and walked back to his blanket.

  Ben followed him and waited for Gilbert to lie down before lying on his own blanket. Gilbert filled his thoughts with wise words from his uncle. Instructions he had disregarded while in Vista. Soothing words of comfort and protection. He repeated the words over and over until the last thing he remembered was Ben’s snoring.

  A brilliant light shone in the dark sky, waking him from a peaceful sleep. It wasn’t morning. He pulled his blanket over his head and rolled to his side. One star’s bright light seeped through the fibers and his eyelids. He threw his blanket off and slapped the ground. That was it. If he couldn’t sleep than neither could the others. “Everyone up. Let’s get an early start.”

  The squires crawled out from under their blankets, grumbling. They stretched and looked up. “It’s still dark,” said Justin.

  “See that star?” Gilbert pointed to the bright one. “King Roland said a bright star would help us find the rose. That could be the one.”

  “I don’t believe it. How can a star high up in the sky show us where a rose is, sire?” asked Charles.

  “I’m not sure, but I’m willing to find out.”

  Katia unpacked more fish and served a portion to each person. “You’ll need this nourishment for today’s journey.”

  The peak towering over them blocked most of the sunrise except orange, fiery red, and yellow fingers bleeding toward the fading black sky. As the moments passed, the colors blended and softened into a lemon hue. The sunrise show ended with a sapphire blue sky.

  A chilly wind swept by them. The temperatures had dropped overnight. Gilbert shivered as he neared Promise. He looked ahead at the steep grade and determined they should continue walking their horses.

  At the next switchback, he looked over the edge. Far down. So far, he couldn’t tell if he saw the valley floor or not. He faced the path ahead.

  “It’s a long way down there, sire,” said Jonathon.

  Gilbert agreed but didn’t want to say anything to raise fears. Although the morning sun warmed the air, frigid winds swept down from the peak. The wind waged a contest, building its strength to hold the team back from reaching the peak. Their aching muscles screamed for a rest, but the narrow path didn’t offer any place to take one.

  Their tunics fluttered. Strands of hair snapped at their faces, stinging their skin and blinding their view of the trail at times. Gilbert couldn’t hear the steward’s words. None of the others probably heard over the din either. Each person had to push on with his or her own strength. Tucking his chin, he inched up the path. Hours seemed to pass before they reached the next switchback.

  Gilbert guided Promise around the curve. His chest heaved. He hadn’t been at this altitude before. His thigh muscles felt like huge weights had been tied on them. He kept his eyes down, looking at the rocks in the path, and tried to convince himself the path was flat.

  Air burst from Promise’s nostrils. She needed a rest too. He shaded the sun and wind from his eyes. The next switchback was only a hundred feet away. He trudged forward one grueling step after another. “Not much farther, my friend, we can do this.”

  As he rounded the switchback, Gilbert reached for small rocks embedded in the mountain’s wall and balanced himself. He chanced a look over the edge and enjoyed the thrill of adventure pulsing inside. Ahead, a flat clearing gave weary hikers a break before reaching the top.

  Gusts of wind shoved Gilbert back one step for each two he climbed. The rocks he used to steady himself had an abrasive texture and ripped at his fingers.

  In the clearing, a rock barrier jetted out of the mountain, protecting the flat space from some of the wind. Gilbert stopped in the natural shelter. He tied his mare’s reins to a small rock poking out from the rock wall.

  The steward arrived next. Gilbert sat down. “Join me and take a break from the wind. How are you feeling?”

  “Let’s just say I’m glad to be in this clearing, sire.”

  The squires and Katia groaned with their last steps to the resting place. They tied up their horses and collapsed in a huddle. The wind swirled around the outside of their shelter, whistling and wailing. Jonathon heaved a deep breath and leaned back on a rock. “Look at that view.” He inhaled deeply again. “There is the river we crossed. It’s no wider than a thread.”

  Daniel rubbed his legs. “I was hoping to see the castle. It must be too far away to see from up here.”

  The team seemed to enjoy the break, looking at the view beyond the valley, pointing out things they recognized, and catching their breath.

  Gilbert's muscles hurt too. Fighting the wind had made the hike that much harder. He looked up the path. Only a short distance remained to the top. “We may not be able to see the castle, but we can see the Valley of Sharon from the peak, which happens to be around that next switchback. It’s so close.” He did one last stretch. “Everybody up. Let’s get to the top.”

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Gilbert untied Promise and led her to the front of the line.

  Justin said, “I don’t think the king knows the meaning of rest.”

  “At least the wind isn’t as strong,” Jonathon said.

  Gilbert fought the urge to say a response. They’d see the advantages of reaching the top soon. Plenty of room to spread out their tents without worrying about the nearness of a sheer drop-off. Fantastic views in all four directions, including the Valley of Sharon and who knows? Maybe they’d see the red flower they sought. That alone should encourage them. He turned to the steward. “Are you walking or riding?”

  “It’s pretty steep. I better walk.” Steward moved in behind Promise and guided his palfrey to do the same.

  Gilbert gently tugged Promise’s lead rope. “Let’s go, girl.” Although the path narrowed with each step, they found ways to squeeze through huge rocks jetting onto the trail. At times they had to help their horses over boulders. His team kept alert and safe between yawns.

  They passed intricate animal fossils etched into the rock surfaces of higher elevation from long ago. Creeping flowers no taller than a few centimeters stretched out, their leaves reaching for sunlight and moisture.

  The thin mountain air became more difficult to breathe. Each step took more work tha
n the last. Gilbert pushed his leg muscles to take each next step. He looked ahead. “Almost there, Promise.”

  No one from his team begged him to speed up. Instead, they groaned with each movement. “Are we there yet, sire?” He couldn’t expect more from them than he gave. He was worn out too.

  Getting to the top was like trudging through quicksand with heavy armor. Every step took so much more work than the last. They hadn’t trained for mountain climbing. The trainer didn’t know they would need this skill at this point in their lives. “We’re very near, only a few more steps. Keep moving.”

  Their footfalls crunched on the rocky soil behind him, indicating they obeyed his order. He rounded the last switchback, focusing on Promise’s safety by encouraging her to continue walking around the sharp curve. She paused then snorted. He stroked her nose and gazed into her eyes. “What’s wrong, girl?” She nodded ahead.

  Farther up, a wolf stood in the middle of the path, staring at him. He recognized the markings on the animal. “You’re the wolf we met earlier.” He lowered his arms to his side and kept a distance. The wolf growled. It sniffed the air then closed its mouth around sharp teeth and sniffed the air again before glaring at Gilbert. It whined then crouched down on the ground and wagged its tail as if it wanted to be friends.

  “Come here,” Gilbert remained in his position and reached out his hand. “I will help you.”

  The wolf scooted forward and whined again. Gilbert slowly stretched his hand out and encouraged the animal to smell his friendliness. “That’s right, Wolf, you’re safe. Let me see your wound.” Wolf nestled his head into Gilbert's hands.

  He looked at the dried blood on the animal’s side. “You have a large cut. You aren’t even whimpering. How brave you are.” Gilbert patted his head and hugged him. “Come with us, I’ll see that you get medicine when we have more space to treat you.” Wolf barked. He turned and fell in step next to Gilbert.

  It was only a short distance farther when Gilbert reached the peak. He would have cheered but there was not a drop of energy left. He tied Promise to a tree and stretched out on the ground. Wolf lay next to him. “My muscles are so sore.”

  His team worked their way up the last few steps, tied their horses to branches, and plopped onto the ground. Their panting breathing echoed his.

  Wolf padded closer to his face and whined.

  “Oh yes, I need to check your wound.” Gilbert sat up and fingered through the fur.

  Katia approached with her arms full of medical supplies. “I have bandages and herbs. Would you like help?”

  How did she always seem to know about a need? Sir Robert reported the many times she arrived, ready to meet a need before he’d called for help. She was like an angel. “Yes, I would.”

  A smile crept across her face. “Wolf, that’s his name, right?”

  He hadn’t mentioned the name he gave the animal. “Yes, I guess. I mean, I suppose I named him Wolf since I didn’t know his real name.”

  Katia poured water on a piece of fabric and spoke softly as she dabbed the wound. Wolf whined but didn’t move. “This appears to be a stab wound, sire.”

  “A knife?”

  She nodded.

  “The wound is fresh. That can’t be right. We’ve kept watch and haven’t seen or heard anyone. He probably got in a fight with some other animal.”

  She moved to the side. “No, sire, look. This wound doesn’t have jagged edges. See how deep and narrow the cut is?” She dabbed at the wound again. “Fortunately, the blade went through the muscle at an angle, not into his chest. A straight cut would have guaranteed his death. I’d say this happened within the last day.”

  Gilbert stroked the animal’s fur. “Wolf, you’re in good hands. Stick with us and you’ll be well in no time.”

  Katia cleaned the last remnants of dried blood. “I don’t think we should put any herbs or bandages on this injury. The medicine will sting, and the bandaging will annoy him. If we feed him, keep the wound clean and watch for swelling, this should heal on its own.”

  “All right, Wolf, you heard the lady. Your prescription is rest, food, and company.” Gilbert stood despite protests from his legs. He walked over to the steward. Wolf followed in the same tired way.

  “Steward, did you hear Katia’s and my conversation?”

  “Yes, sire.”

  “Then you heard that this animal’s stab wound happened within the last day.”

  “I did. My guess is the two spies have followed and have done a good job staying out of sight. How they’re managing to hide, especially on that trail, is beyond my understanding.”

  “Mine, too.”

  The steward tipped his head and smiled. “I appreciate your confidence, sire.”

  “Let’s keep watch for signs of them.”

  “Yes, sire. I’ll tell the others.”

  Gilbert rolled down onto the ground and stretched. Wolf curled next to him.

  “Finally, enough space to relax.” Charles collapsed onto a sparse patch of grass and spread his arms out wide. “This is great.”

  Ben pointed to a puff of cloud. “That one’s in the shape of Pokey. Even her cloud is far behind the others. Doesn’t she ever keep up?”

  Pokey jerked her head up and snorted. Ben and the squires burst into a loud guffaw.

  Katia teasingly glared at them. “Watch out. You should know it’s not nice to offend a lady.”

  “I didn’t offend. Oh, I get it. You meant Pokey.”

  “Yes.” She smiled.

  The steward drew his good leg close to his chest, then his foot and held the position. “You should all stretch your muscles. It will keep them from cramping after that rough climb.”

  Gilbert and the rest of the team followed the advice. They also found breathing came easier in time, enough to entice them to explore. Near a tree was a crudely written sign with the name of the mountain, Mount Berekhat Ram. Gilbert faced south and took in his first view of the sea from such a height. Never had he imagined how far it spanned.

  He waved to the others. “You gotta see this. The darkening horizon and sea blended together. Toward the west, the evening sun is sparkling on the surface of the water.”

  The squires groaned. “Not now. I can’t move.” They rolled over and pretended not to hear him.

  Katia stood and walked to where Gilbert stood. “He’s right. What an amazing view. I must admit, the steep climb hurt my legs and breathing was difficult, but I’d be the first to voluntarily do it again to see the sea from here.”

  The steward pulled himself up with his cane. “Do you need help?” asked Gilbert.

  “No, no, I’m fine.” He limped to his saddle and pulled out a parchment. He unrolled a small portion.

  Ben propped himself on his elbows. “Squires, quick, he’s getting out the log.”

  They popped up quicker than arrows jettisoned from a crossbow. “We’re standing, sire. What was it you wanted us to see?”

  Since the peak was little more than nine hundred square feet, the squires circled the perimeter, taking in the varied views. Each picked his or her favorite and sat on the edge.

  “Charles, over here,” called Ben.

  They sat on the edge facing the sea. “I’d like to sail on a ship someday,” said Charles.

  “That reminds me of a funny story Sir Philip told King Gilbert and me while we were in Vista. He climbed up a tall ship’s ratlines and fell.”

  “Was he hurt?” Charles asked.

  “No, the rope looped around his foot. He hung upside-down for a time before being rescued. ‘Word to the wise,’ Sir Philip later told me, ‘Don’t show off when you’re climbing ratlines.’”

  Charles laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind when I sail the southern seas.”

  “Why would you want to do that? I’d much rather be a knight on the land.”

  “One day I helped Sir Spencer down by the wharf.” Charles pointed in the direction of Aerlis’s port. “The captain of a tall ship sent his crew to our markets f
or supplies. They, of course, bought more than they could carry. Sir Spencer volunteered a few squires to help transport their provisions on board.

  “The second my foot hit the deck, I inhaled the scent of salt air and wet sails.” He paused to take a deep breath. “Sir Spencer had to drag me below deck to drop off the boxes. I stepped off the ladder and knew then I wanted to sail. Even with candles lit, I could see all the cupboards and the cooking area in the galley. The wooden ribs of the hull looked strong and sturdy. Pots clanked together as the water pushed the ship up and down, up and down, up and down.”

  “Stop it, Charles, unless you want me to get sick on you.”

  As Charles continued his sea story, Gilbert moved to the northern side of the peak with Wolf by his side. “You’d heal faster if you lay still, friend.” He gazed into the animal’s sad eyes and sighed. “Oh, all right. You can come with me.”

  Justin nudged Jonathon, who was staring at the northern forests. “Aren’t those King Ivan’s creepy, dark woods down there?”

  “That’s a scary place. You wouldn’t find me walking around in those woods.” Jonathon reached his arm out and pointed. “What’s that flying through the mist, just above the trees?”

  “I’m not sure. Is it a bat? What could be big enough for us to see from up here?”

  Their eyes grew wide. “A dragon.” They shoved into each other, attempting to duck out of view and accidentally bumped into Gilbert. “Sor…sorry, sire.” They pointed. “There’s a dragon down there.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  “We already know Malum is full of dragons,” said Gilbert.

  Jonathon and Justin remained several feet back from the edge that faced the northern kingdom. “Shouldn’t we protect ourselves in case one flies up here, sire?”