by David Rice
Passing the sand swamped charcoal wreckage of Port Lornen gave the crew the chills, and Engram had Brother Kenzie of the Blackthorn say prayers of remembrance and thanks. Onward they pushed, into seas even Engram had not yet explored, until only windswept sand shone on their portside and the dark green of the ocean greeted them in all other directions.
Five days on, they passed the sunbleached ribs of several ships strewn across foreboding reefs and sandbars and Engram knew what had happened to Lornen’s prized squadron. Sea birds crewed the ships now. His crew looked away as they continued south.
In two more days, they began to notice green grasses along the coast, and then tall narrow trunked trees with a crown of leaves at their tops. Near the end of that day, the ocean under their keel changed colour, more birds swirled about, and a massive river opened unto them.
Engram weighed anchor and then called Kirsten and her companions to his cabin to discuss options.
“I can’t risk a river,” he said. “But I can give you my ship’s boat. It has a mast for a small sail. It could take you as far as that river runs smoothly if you have the muscle to fight its current.”
Kirsten looked at Olaf. “I can understand Grumm needing to take these risks, but you don’t have to do this.”
Olaf looked Kirsten straight in the eyes. “I’ve done something terrible to my people, taking that gem. I have to do something to redeem myself.”
Kirsten placed her hand on Olaf’s arm. It was shaking. “You’re not to blame for your leaders thinking they could control a force of nature. Gem or not, and I know it sounds horrible to say but, Halnn was doomed. Just like Longwood. Just like the lifebane. Just like everywhere else if we don’t find a way to stop the drakes.”
Olaf bit his lip.
“The gem you gave us has saved countless lives already. And we can’t stop the drakes without it. So, you see? You’ve done more than enough already.”
Olaf brushed roughly at his eyes.
“I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“I’m coming anyway,” he insisted.
Kirsten knew the gnome’s mind was set. She nodded and stepped back. “I guess the three of us will be taking the boat.”
Engram bowed. “I wish you the best. I’ll be waiting in Graniteside to hear of your glorious victory over some ale.” Then he turned to issue orders to his crew.
“Ship approaching!” the lookout cried and pointed up river.
Engram squinted and could make out a small Rajalan trireme cutting effortlessly through the water and headed in their direction.
“Crossbowmen stand by,” Engram shouted. “Could be friendly. Could be sparkweavers.”
Four crewmen scrambled into the rigging with crossbows, quivers, and ropes. Kirsten and her companions stared over the rail as the trireme silently closed the distance. Its bow split the water with a thin mist of silver spraying to either side. A single drummer stood in the bow facing the oarsmen and tapped a gentle rhythm. The oarsmen were chanting in unison as they pulled. Then a single command and they shipped their oars and glided towards The Evalyn’s starboard side, a deft movement of the rudder bringing them parallel.
Looking down, Kirsten could make out twelve oarsmen and their drummer, plus four others in silken robes.
Engram’s eyes opened wide as he studied the Rajalans. “Gerin Rawlin! Is that you?”
One of the robed figures tossed back his hood to reveal a tanned figure with greying blond hair. “It is, Captain Engram. We recognized your ship.”
“Glad to see you!” Engram replied. “Why the fuss?”
“We came to greet you on behalf of our Rajdejmion. He is desiring to speak with you and those you convey. Please board our vessel at once.”
Engram hesitated. “He’s a good sort, but with everything that’s happened between that idiot boy Lornen and the Rajala—”
Kirsten nodded. “We’ve all had our losses. And you can be sure that Eko had to come this way. I’ll go with them.”
“Another boat,” Grumm said.
Olaf poked Grumm in the belly. “If it can handle the weight.”
Grumm frowned but he followed Kirsten and Olaf over the side and onto the narrow planks of the trireme where he instantly squeezed into a seat.
Engram wrinkled his brow and faced his First Mate. “You have the ship until I get back. If I’m not back in a fortnight, sail for Graniteside.”
“Aye, Captain. You think you’ll be gone that long?”
“Always say something will take twice as long as you figure,” he replied, grabbed a water skin, and slipped expertly over the side and down the ropes. He bowed to the Rajalans as he came aboard. “Thank you for the opportunity to study your fine craftsmanship.”
The other Rajala turned to their business without acknowledging Engram. They did, however, find it difficult to keep from staring at Kirsten’s sword and Grumm’s shield.
With an economy of deft movement, the trireme pushed away, pivoted, and sped up river.
Kirsten tried her best to relax in the cramped space by letting the wind toss itself through her hair, and staring at the silhouette of The Evalyn that disappeared quickly behind them all.
The rhythm of the oars soon put her to sleep.
***
When Kirsten awoke, it was nearing dusk, and the boat was still. The calm chatter of Rajalan voices were heard nearby, and the smell of a cooking fire made her stomach grumble.
Engram reached down and offered her a hand. “The Rajdejmion awaits. The others are gathered at the fire already.”
“Do you know what this is about yet?” she asked as she stepped from the boat into the tall grasses lining the sandy shore.
Engram shook his head. “They’re being polite and their knives seem to be for serving food. So, I’d say so far so good.”
Kirsten was soon seated in a circle around a large fire where flatbread was cooking on stones, and mixtures of vegetables and meats steamed in clay pots. A brightly robed older man smiled at them with his eyes, and gently directed the motions of those preparing the meal.
Kirsten decided he must be the Rajdejmion. Engram’s friend sat reverently beside the brightly robed figure, patiently waiting for instructions.
“Welcome. I am Rajdejmion Saphel of the Path of Thorns. And you bring great hope to my people at a time of great dismay.”
Kirsten nodded. “Thank you, Rajdejmion Saphel. I have some questions about—”
Saphel continued smiling while he snapped his fingers. “Let me see the Fahde.”
Kirsten winced at the interruption. Engram poked her lightly with his elbow. She adjusted her scabbard and withdrew the sword.
The clearing filled with a hushed awe.
“May I hold The Fahde?” Saphel reached his hands across the circle towards Kirsten.
“It could burn you,” Kirsten responded.
“We will see,” Saphel replied, and waved for Kirsten to come closer. “Show me your ears.”
Kirsten wrinkled her nose but went along with the request, brushing the hair back to reveal their elven points. The gathering ohhed and ahhed.
Kirsten stood to approach the Rajdejmion, holding the sword sideways in front of her, and offering the pommel with a bow.
Saphel slowly reached for the sword and its gem brightened. Then he laughed. “It is too warm for me,” he said and laughed again. “Go. Sit. You are real.”
The Rajala surrounding their leader visibly relaxed and joined in the friendly mirth. Food and delicate drinks were circulated until all, even the dwarf, were sated. Stringed instruments and combinations of drums and bells played in the background, loud enough to sooth the senses and composed enough to allow easy discussion.
Once Saphel finished his last morsel, the food was ushered away, and he faced Kirsten once more. “A seer has brought one of the Eldest to our lands.”
“That’s just what I was going to ask you about,” Kirsten exclaimed.
“He bears gems of power but they are broken. He see
ks to call the dragon and its mate.”
“We need to stop that,” Kirsten added.
Saphel smiled but his brow retained ridges of concern. “We are agreed. But he has gone where we cannot go. And if we went, we do not possess the power to stop him. No one does.” “Until now,” Kirsten added. Her eyes locked with the Rajdejmion. “Until us.”
Saphel bowed his head. “If the dragon successfully mates and their fruit comes to term, the world we know ends.”
“How does Eko think he can stop this from happening?”
Saphel sighed. “He is one of the Eldest. It is not in our nature to question him.”
Kirsten’s anger sparked. “He’s not superior. Longwood’s burning now because of the trick he pulled. He lied about a Calling. Cast an illusion. Drew everyone away from the home they needed to defend.”
Even Saphel gasped.
Kirsten continued. “And my friend loved him—she loved him—and he left her in the cage of a hunter to be sold to a rapist. The King—”
Saphel scowled as if his own flesh had been violated.
“—and now he makes promises to you? You can’t trust him.”
Everyone around the circle was staring nervously wide-eyed at Kirsten. The gem of the Fahde was flickering with intensity. The gem in Grumm’s shield was also glowing brighter.
“That’s never good,” Olaf stated, and he cast his eyes skyward.
“There is no time to be wasted,” Saphel announced. He clapped his hands and stood. “All other Rajdejmion must be warned. Riders depart tonight. Bring a minder. The bearer of the Fahde and her companions require Gohan to ride.”
Gohan? Engram tensed when he heard that word. The nasty giant lizards? He looked to Rawlin who returned a soothing glance.
“I’m not exactly with her,” he said quietly. “I should be getting back to my ship.”
Saphel continued his orders. “A minder shall accompany you. You must ride into the wasteland and seek out this corrupt elder. You must stop this madness.”
“Umm, how far away is this wasteland?” Olaf asked.
“Two days,” the Rajdejmion answered. “You may sleep while you ride. The minder will show you how.”
Kirsten stood, along with Grumm and Olaf. “Do we need supplies? I’m not sure if we are ready—”
Saphel frowned at Kirsten. “Ready? One is able, or one is not. Character is life. Time bows to the heart. To carry that blade, you must already know this to be true.”
The words flowed through Kirsten’s body like a spark. And when she repeated them in her mind, they seemed to be voiced by everyone who had ever believed in her. And the loudest, most earnest voice was Helba’s.
Remember, Helba would always say, do what’s right and have faith in the One. The One works in mysterious ways.
But where was the One now? Dissolved into the world like a tear dropped into the ocean? The One had made a very final choice. Now, for good or ill, what remained fell upon her. Kirsten bit her lip, stood taller, thrust her jaw forward and said firmly. “I am ready.”
Saphel smiled. “Then we go to the desert’s edge where we shall be greeted by your gohan.”
Kirsten, Grumm and Olaf followed Rajdejmion Saphel.
Rawlin held Engram back with a gentle touch. “We have a survivor to return to you,” he said. “One who wishes for his lost companions and for his homeland.”
“Not you, though, I’m assuming?” Engram replied.
Rawlin chuckled softly and shook his head. “I serve happily here, as before. But this one, he faced a drake and watched his friends burn. We have done what we can to mend him, but only his home will complete that.”
Engram did his best to control his shock. “Of course, I’ll take him home. Who is he?”
Rawlin gestured towards a silk hut. At once, two Rajala stepped into the firelight supporting the wobbly steps of a tanned man between them. His eyes were bright and darting, and the remnants of his cavalry uniform had been stitched together in a sincere yet hodge-podge manner. Engram noted that he born the torn rank of Captain.
Engram held out his hand. “I am Captain Engram of The Evalyn. I guess I’ll be taking you home now.”
The officer shrugged away the Rajala holding him steady and snapped a proud salute. His knees shook as he spoke. “Captain Rand of Duke Arundy’s Roughriders. Though you might be knowing us as the First Hussars. My patrol’s complete, but the Duke won’t be happy. They were good lads. Lost the bunch, though. Have their articles for family. Need to return them now. Love to speak to the Colonel if I have the chance. Hopefully he won’t bust me down to trooper. Old Tork must be getting a bit impatient for a report, I’ll wager—”
Then Rand slumped into the arms of the Rajala. His eyes sparkled, gleeful and feverish, as he strained to share one more bit of news. “Found the King’s gold, I did. Wrecked along the beach. Buried it good and proper, I did.”
The rest of the gold? Gothert’s missing cache? Engram’s heart raced. Then his eyes fell upon the soldier once more. He stared until his voice found words. “Poor sod,” he said. He turned to Rawlin. “I’m hoping we’ll be taking your boat back to mine?”
The Rajala smiled. “We leave now,” Rawlin replied brightly.
***
The desert opened before them all as the moons began to rise. Saphel stood with a dozen of his clan, and a starkly clad and hooded minder knelt in the sand and whistled mournfully into the air.
“What’s he doin’?” Grumm whispered. “Calling one o’ those lizards I heard about?”
Kirsten poked Grumm. “Shhh.”
At first, everyone stood with the desert breeze warm against their faces. Then a shape, solid and fluid, appeared atop a dune. It shuffled towards them, revealing its true size as it approached.
“That’s a beast,” Grumm whispered. “Enough room on its back fer me whole family.”
The minder bowed to Rajdejmion Saphel and he smiled. Then his hand came up swiftly and he announced something in his native tongue.
The gem of the Fahde blazed with white light and revealed in its glare was not one gohan but a dozen. Scores of gohan topped the dune and trundled forward.
The minder lowered his head to the sand and began to chant. Saphel raised his hands and began to sing praises to the moons and sky.
Numb with trepidation, Kirsten stared open-mouthed as a hundred gohan appeared on all sides and lowered their heads to the Fahde. Lowered their heads to her.
XIII
Even Olaf and Grumm received their own gohan to ride. Kirsten was approached by the largest, an event Saphel praised endlessly as proof of the beneficence of the One. With such wide shoulders, there was ample room for supplies that the Rajala shaped into comfortable nests for the riders. It also proved true that one could sleep while upon a gohan’s back. Saphel decided to accompany Kirsten, along with his minder and three of his personal guards. Scores of gohan followed.
The first day consisted of moving south from the river basin, past pools of water lilies and carpets of purple thistle, into sandy hills that hosted clumps of cypress and olive trees, and dark green bushes with feathery leaves that the Rajala said signified a fresh spring was nearby.
As they rode, Kirsten kept pulling her pendant into the sun. While she watched its facets glimmer and spark, her pensive face kept wrinkling, and her eyes stared far beyond the desert.
Grumm managed to coerce his gohan to ride closer. “Ye look troubled. Look what we’ve already faced. We’ll be okay.”
Kirsten jumped a little as she surfaced from her reverie. “It’s not that,” she answered slowly. “I’m not sure I want to keep this anymore.”
Grumm frowned at first then nodded. “Why?”
Kirsten shrugged and sighed. “Yet I’m not sure I can throw it away, either.”
Grumm was silent for several moments. “Your mother made that for ye, didn’t she?”
Kirsten’s face tightened and she nodded once. “You both heard her say that. In the cave.”
<
br /> They rode on in silence. Grumm had no reply for his friend.
The group continued through a foggy night, and the air cooled as they climbed into steeper, rockier foothills. As morning approached, they emerged onto a plateau of uneven blackened slabs of rock that stretched for leagues. A flat ceiling of cloud hung close overhead, and it filled the air with a damp chill.
Saphel ordered all to dismount so that the gohan could renew their energies, and they could prepare for the next day. His attendants refilled their water, prepared a warm meal over covered coals, meditated, and sharpened their weapons. Once Saphel completed his meditations, he sat beside Kirsten.
“The Rajdejmion we approach is Naharin of the Silver Reeds,” Saphel explained. “In the past he has enthusiastically embraced trade with both King Lornen and Halnn to the despair of many other Rajdejmion. And he has a seer with him so they shall know of our approach. We should be prepared for any surprise.”
