Untamed Gift (Book One of the Items Trilogy)

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  Everyone stood and left the room besides Allahandra, Lily, Marlin and Alex. “Alex, I hope you have a swift and safe journey. Take this and do not lose it. That is the seal for only those I trust completely. If you come across anyone reluctant to listen to your orders as my vassal, just show them this and they will instantly obey your command or else they will be punished.” The queen handed over a golden medallion from a pocket in her dress, with her crest engraved on it, as she began leaving for her room. “I’ll knock on your door and point for Shade to come out here.” And she disappeared behind the door to retrieve the younger brother.

  Marlin and Lily looked worriedly at Alex and he said “Don’t worry too much about me. I’ll be back in two or three days at the latest.”

  “Good luck, my friend. I need to get started on protecting Niranene. We’ll meet up later, Lily. I’ll explain the situation to her.” Marlin clasped their wrists quickly before walking out the door.

  Lily and Alex were alone and the lamplight gave her an almost pained look. He could see she didn’t really want to go or leave his side. “Alex, I want you to promise me one thing. If you do something stupid and get yourself killed, please come back so I can kick you myself.” She half smiled.

  “No matter what it takes I’ll always come back for you. Plus I want to see you in that dress again.”

  She smiled slightly brighter and then punched his shoulder a little bit harder than was necessary. “I’ll see you soon and we’ll see about that gown some other time. I’d better catch up to Marlin before he gets too carried away protecting his little crush.”

  As she left the room, Shade entered. He opened his wide mouth and yawned. “Is the meeting over already?” He asked while being half asleep.

  “We have work to do, Shade. Follow me and I’ll tell you what happened and what we are going to do.”

  By the time they made it to the castle entrance Alex had finished half of what went on inside the council meeting. They waited together in the darkness of the night while everyone was running in and out of the castle. They continued waiting for the others to arrive, but Alex had finished all of the explanations. Shade had some comments and his brother answered what he could and also listened to Shade’s simple, but effective ideas. When he heard of the upcoming plan Shade became excited to do his part.

  An hour went by and then two women walked towards them. They were twins in their early forties and looked exactly alike. Both had cropped brown hair and light blue eyes. They each carried a rolled up cloth strapped to their back, but it was their items. Then when they began speaking they spoke together in a way that only twins could. They spoke simultaneously and even finished the other’s sentence. It was as if they were truly one mind with two bodies.

  “Are you, Alex?” “Our commander sent us because you require our services and skills.” “What must be accomplished?” “What will be our tasks?”

  They kept asking questions until he finally spoke. “Before anything, may I ask your names?”

  They smiled simultaneously. The woman on the left said “No one calls us by our names.” Then the right one said “We are simply referred to as The Twins.” “Even our husbands call us such.”

  Hesitantly he accepted that fact and said “I need to see if your items will keep Shade protected if needed.”

  One sister unfurled her item and it was truly large, as large as the bed sheets in the room Allahandra gave them. She easily casted her item over Shade’s form and still had plenty of cloth to touch the ground, in a flared, spreading pattern. It was fascinating to watch as the item seemed to solidify into a unique shape. Soon there was a large boulder in the place where Shade once stood. The sisters caught his approving expression and explained. “Once the object is covered I choose an appropriate camouflage.” “When the shape is finished, it will not move from any outside forces.” “Neither wind nor contact from people can budge it.” “Our item is both defensive and a specialty.” “No one has ever been capable of distinguishing the difference between our cloaks and real natural objects.”

  To test the theory he pushed against the fake rock and it felt too real. The grains had the appropriate coarse feel and coolness of the night would chill rocks to this extent. Alex then spoke to the rock cloak. “Shade, What is it like in there?”

  “A little disorientating, your image is all warped. I’m glad I’ve got a strong stomach.” He admitted from inside the covering.

  He turned to the ladies and addressed them. “Your skills will be invaluable to the success of this mission.” They grinned simultaneously.

  The sister that used her item, touched it and it became malleable. She easily pulled it off of Shade’s body. He shook his head side to side and then grinned at Alex. He didn’t like being disoriented, but liked experiencing new things. The sister wrapped her item back up and tied it against her back once again.

  Alex then began explaining the plan to the women and they were for it.

  “Alright, up you go.” He said and their blue eyes bulged. “Oh that’s right, I forgot to mention it, but all of us are going to travel via Shadow Fang. I’ll help the two of you up.” They spent a few minutes discussing alternatives because they were reluctant to do it, but they had their orders to follow his command.

  Finally he laced his fingers together and crouched down to gain a solid balance. Each woman put their right foot in his hands and he lifted them one at a time onto Shade’s back. They learned quickly where to sit on Shade and how to use their legs to maintain their balance.

  “Alex, we need to get going.” Shade said looking towards the inner wall. He took his sibling’s advice and pulled the staff from his belt and walked by his side. The wall guards nodded and opened the gate to the castle.

  Once outside the inner walls, they noticed that there were many people still awake at this hour. It wasn’t panic in the people’s expressions, it was more like a focused rush of everyone securing the city for the approaching threat.

  Shade and Alex increased their pace into a swift trot as they rounded the wall while sticking to the road. They took multiple turns to go north. There weren’t any direct paths to Allahandra’s castle from any of the four main gates. Once they rounded the backside of the castle, they eventually found the main road leading north. There were more warriors on this road, but they moved out of their way as the four hurried past them. It then took close to an hour, at a steady jog, to reach the northern wall and get access to the main gate.

  The wall was shimmering in an orange color from all the torches carried by everyone fortifying the wall. There were little less than a thousand battle hardened warriors lining the northern wall; from what could be seen. On the ground were two lines of men barring anyone from entering or exiting the closed door, without a proper reason or coming inside for safety.

  Many men turned to them and one said “Halt!” Shade and Alex stopped as the man walked up to them. “I’m sorry, but no one is to leave through the gate without explicit authorization.” His eyes hung warily on Shade.

  Alex dug in his pocket and pulled out the medallion Allahandra recently gave him. “This is my authorization. Open the gates immediately.”

  The man leaned in to see what the boy held and then he balked once he recognized the royal seal on the medallion. He turned around and shouted “OPEN THE GATE!”

  The men were hesitant until Alex showed them the new medallion. Already being in the queen’s service had its advantages. Soon the gate opened and it seemed reluctant to rise until more men turned the wheel. The guards parted as Shade and Alex quickly ran under it, once there was enough room to escape.

  This side of the city also held a down drawbridge that allowed them to cross the moat. There were eight men guarding the outside gate and they put a fist to their heart as the four ran past. Once they hit the stone road Alex crammed himself on Shade’s back. He didn’t even hint that the combined weight was a hindrance. He moved onto the grassy bank and began streaking north at an incredible pace.


  All of the farms had been picked clean, some piles of farmed vegetation had been smoldering after being lit and no one was out here.

  The Twins were quiet and Alex had to reassure them that Shade wouldn’t allow anything to happen to them. They were used to riding horses, not monstrous Shadow Fang’s. Shade ran uninhibited as he blazed a trail directly north, across the clearing and raced through the woods that surrounded the city.

  When daylight struck they were gifted with a northern breeze. Shade took advantage of it by using his great sense of smell. When there were any humans close by, he would give them a wide berth. They only stopped once to drink from a clean stream and eat some ripe berries that the sisters thought far ahead enough to bring. They gladly shared what they had. By the end of the racing day they found the front line of Allahandra’s troop when the forest thinned into another grassy plain. Their forces were still slowly falling back, keeping an eye on the enemy from the distance.

  Alluan sentries spotted Shade’s swift approach and allowed them through their lines without much of a hindrance.

  Two hundred were in the small group of soldiers. There was only a single tent and the rest of everyone made cooking fires out in the open. That medallion was highly useful to get passed the guards and invaluable to expediting his orders. Alex and the others were then escorted to the central tent.

  They were quickly introduced to an older woman who was truly intimidating. She was the commander with menacing gauntlets over her hands and forearm. They entered her makeshift command tent, but Shade could only stick his head through the cloth opening. “So what is to be my orders, Master Alex?”

  “Allahandra has ordered each member of this contingent back to the city immediately to bolster the city’s front line. And be sure that all of your men are accounted for and are who they say they are. The queen and her most loyal aids are checking all of the old records to see who survived the war from seven years ago. Check your men for spies and then make haste. And before we go I request that you please share some rations with Shade and the rest of us if it won’t be too much trouble.”

  She nodded and began checking her men before departing, after bringing the four of them a proper meal. The twins remounted after eating and Alex ran at Shade’s side through the night. The commander said the enemy was close.

  Three hours later they found what they were both looking for and dreaded. Off in the far distance waited the infiltrators glowing camp. They had to tread lightly from here on in.

  Neither Shade nor Alex made a single sound as they approached the localized orange horizon. It was still close to midnight and the clouds aided their approach because the moon couldn’t aid their ability in being spotted. Shade and Alex began veering their course to the left side of the Royal Guard who were trying to harm good and decent people. The report was right about them sticking close together because even with the enormous numbers they only stayed together on three or four acres at most. No one could enter or leave the enemy camp without being spotted.

  In the center of the camp stood a blood red cloth tent like the one they were in but a few hours ago. Several large catapults, trebuchets and ballistae could be seen within the camp, but they were all large items rather than creations.

  They slowed even more as they continued making their stealthy approach. They stopped as they became as close as they could deem safe. Not a single noise could be made out on the plain, being this close, just incase someone could hear over the boisterous military. Alex helped the sisters down to the ground and they were both feeling the pressure of being so close to an army with only Shade and Alex backing them up for safety. The brothers promised that they would do anything it took to keep them alive.

  Since Alex’s plan completely revolved around Shade’s innate ability, he began working while the other three set up a safe zone. Shade dove into his shadow and quickly entered the army camp, without raising a single alarm or eyebrow. During the night was the most effective because shadows constantly moved and flickered from firelight and he wouldn’t be easily noticed. Shade’s job was to gather information on the enemy numbers, what items they had with them and who this mysterious leader was. The Twins and Alex’s job was to make a safe zone and he was also the Twin’s protection.

  The first priority for Alex was to keep an eye out as the women unfurled their items and set them up. Since they were only on open grasslands, they used small boulders for camouflage. They looked exactly like the other stones they’ve come across. They weren’t tall, but they were wide, weather beaten and small shards of rock were chipped around the main stones.

  They gestured with hand motions, to limit any sounds. One sister lifted her item up and allowed Alex to slide under the cloak. She followed soon after and tucked the end into the soil. They then had to be completely silent until Shade reported back or something went wrong and they needed to take shelter under the cloth item.

  Shade was right, it was disorienting inside the item. You could see outside, but it was like looking into a warped mirror. The Royal Guard’s fires and torches seemed to take on a winding S shape. Alex couldn’t stand it any longer so his eyes instinctively closed to cease straining and relax a coming headache. Since he couldn’t see straight his hearing was his best bet to detect any approaching intruders. It was easy to hear outside the item. The noises couldn’t be clearly identified, but it really was the chatter of several thousand, mainly male, voices.

  The only comfort they had from the long ride was from the cool ground pulling their body heat away, but it didn’t freeze them.

  Shade didn’t return until midmorning and the item was already sweltering under the constant barrage of the sun. Alex was beginning to worry about him because the Royal Guard had already picked up and began slowly moving south an hour ago. Shade walked right by the camouflaged base the Twins set up. But his voice was both irritated and tense. “Come on out, the coast is clear of all eyes.”

  “He says it’s safe.” Alex told the women, who simultaneously and gratefully said “Finally.”

  They both pulled their items from overhead and the outside air was much cooler than where they were hiding. Sunlight hurt the eyes, for a short amount of time until they adjusted. When his eyes focused he looked up at Shade.

  Shade stood with his nose pointing where the intruders were heading. Eyes slit to glare into the distance. All of the hair on the back of his neck stood up on end and his lips were pulled back, revealing all of his dagger-like teeth. His muscles were quivering tightly because something was wrong. He wanted to kill something, but held himself back.

  Alex stood up instantly and asked carefully “Shade, why are you so riled?”

  He growled towards the distance and then composed his features as best he could manage. His voice was straining like he wanted to scream or fight. “Alex, I was able to get a glimpse of their plans and you were right. They are being a diversion, but…” He growled again, deep in his chest. “They are being led by your cousin, Rakkel.”

  Heart and body froze inside Alex like he was dipped in the iciest of waters. It couldn’t be, it couldn’t? Why would he do such a thing… and then Alex remembered Takka saying that his cousin was given special orders to proceed to Ra’van. These orders he was given were for his cousin to attack his new family. Shade seemed to read Alex’s expression as he answered his unspoken worry. “I’ll never forget his scent or that snide face. I’d never make a sick joke like that. It really is him. He is our enemy yet again.”

  “Shade, we will need to report this to the queen, immediately.”

  “I wasn’t even planning on stopping. Get on and we’ll pass them within the hour.” Shade became motionless, but anxious worry filled his eyes.

  “Ladies, we need to go now. Shade got what we needed and it’s not good.”

  Once they were all secure, Shade pumped his powerful legs and shot through the plains. The wind was fierce because of how fast he was running. Shade ran around the intruders so they wouldn’t be spotted, but even if t
hey did, they couldn’t stop Shade’s speed, not when he was like this. Nothing was faster than a Shadow Fang on a mission, especially when angry. He now ran on both. Alex wanted to know what exactly he found, but right now his brother needed focus and to move.

  They made it back to the castle just before the sun set on the horizon, without breaking the first time. The guards saw their hurried approach and opened the gates without slowing them. Shade was panting heavily as they made it under the gate. Alex slid off his back, but the twins remained on their perch.

  There were many anxious faces at the gate when Shade stopped to allow Alex to speak. “I need all non-vital personnel to find all available commanders and generals. If they are busy doing important work let them be, but if they aren’t tell them to meet me in the queen’s war room immediately. Tell them, Alex has vital information they must hear and they must hear it at once!”

  As Shade and Alex ran together, the men followed his orders and fanned out into the city. They rounded many buildings and entered the inner gate of the castle. The Twin’s got off Shade’s back with Alex’s help. They followed Shade and him into the castle, without slowing either down. On the nineteenth floor they were stopped by the guards because they didn’t know the twins. There wasn’t time to waste so Alex said coolly “Alright then.”

  He took a deep breath and shouted down the hall “Allahandra! It’s Alex! Tell your guards to allow us passage! I have The Twins with me who will back my report for you!”

  The sound of a door echoed off the walls from opening swiftly and it was followed by “Let them through!” Weapons were lowered so they passed the queen’s guards and rounded the corner to see triple the guards standing against the outside wall. They all looked at them with a calm hand on their items. Allahandra’s head was sticking out of the door and expression was calm. “Come inside quickly.”