Eden

by Janelle Stalder

  They had arrived at the field just as the sun was setting. Callum said it was just beyond the forest, but that they’d be setting up camp in the small clearing beside the mountain. She had never been this far south, and wondered what the Capital City would look like. Their tent was already set up when he helped lift her down from the horse, letting her enter before him. Every muscle in her body ached; they had pushed hard that day, not even resting for the afternoon. Brutus had insisted that they arrive before sundown, and they still had a ways to go, so everyone was forced to move forward with all their energy. She could see in the men’s faces how tired they all were, but no one would dare complain out loud.

  As she sat on the edge of the bed, she realized that her brother would be beyond those trees. He was so close now, and yet he still felt so far away. Each night now she had slept in the bed with Callum; they didn’t even bother laying out her blankets on the floor anymore. He would never touch her, never made her feel uncomfortable, and for that she was thankful. Throughout their whole ride that day he had been unusually quiet, making her wonder if the closeness of battle was finally affecting him.

  Looking at his back as he read papers at his desk, she spoke to him for the first time since that afternoon.

  “Are you nervous?” she asked, causing him to look back at her in surprise.

  “Nervous for what?” he asked. “The battle? Not at all. We’re well prepared, and we have Aziz’s creatures to help us.”

  The creatures were another matter altogether. They hadn’t been with them for most of the journey, but a couple of days ago they had appeared in a large mass, sent to them by Aziz. Rose was repulsed by them, finding their eyes eerie and unnerving. The beasts that looked like oversized hogs just stayed near the edge of camp, never really looking at anyone. The tall ones, however, could speak, even though their heads were those of an animal. Their bodies were like a human’s; their movements looked just like a man’s. They scared her, and if she was right in her assumption, they made Callum just as nervous.

  She shook her head, correcting what she had meant by the question. “Not for the battle itself,” she clarified. “Are you nervous to see your people? To see your brother, in particular?”

  The question seemed to have caught him off guard. He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

  Lifting her legs onto the bed, she lay down and started to doze off, letting the conversation end. Rose didn’t want to pressure him to talk about it, feeling invasive if she did.

  Eventually, he came to bed too, climbing over her gently like he always did, so he wouldn’t wake her. She was still awake, though, finding the anxiety brought on from the upcoming events of tomorrow filling her mind too much to rest.

  “Rose?” he whispered. She murmured in response, letting him know she was still awake. “I want you to leave tomorrow.”

  She looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t want you to stay in the camp during the fight; it is too dangerous. I have arranged for a horse for you. I want you to ride as far west as you can, along the border of the trees, before you head south again. This way, you will be away from any of the fighting.”

  She lay there silent, a mixture of emotions running through her. “I know how much you want to see your brother,” he continued. “It is too dangerous for you to do so right now. Promise me you’ll ride west, and not toward the other army.”

  Since the night he had taken her from her home, until now, she had never actually believed he’d ever let her go. It was as if she had just accepted this fate, finding whatever comfort she could in her present circumstances. Even coming here, with the hope to see Felix, was, for the most part, in vain. The chance of her getting away on her own was little, and she wouldn’t know where to go to find him anyway. Truthfully, she just didn’t want to go back to the mountains, too scared to be by herself there. Here she had Callum, and although a large part of her hated him, he was better company than any of the old miserable women who worked in the castle. The fact that he was willingly letting her leave left her speechless.

  He braced himself up on his elbow, looking down at her. “Rose, can you promise me that?” Finding it impossible to speak, and knowing if she did so she’d most certainly cry, Rose simply nodded her head. He lowered himself back down, and remained quiet for the rest of the evening.

  When the morning sun filled their tent, the reality of that day hit her like a ton of bricks. So many lives would end today; so many things could change. She watched in silence as Callum got his armour on, meticulously fastening everything around his body. He didn’t look at her the entire time, clearly lost in thought.

  A man came by the tent, whispered something to Callum, and then left just as quickly. He turned to look at her for the first time that morning.

  “Your horse is ready,” he said gently. “I’ll take you to him.” Nodding her head, she got up and followed him out of the tent. They walked through the camp. Every man there was already ready for the battle. A mixture of anticipation and excitement filled the air, and something else. Uncertainty, she guessed. No one here knew if he’d live past that day. The two of them walked until they were away from the others. Sure enough, there was one horse, tied to a tree outside of the camp. He was lazily grazing on the grass, unaware of anything going on around him.

  “Now remember,” he said, turning to her. “Ride west until the forest ends, and then you can head south again. Eventually, you will hit one of the King’s highways leading to the capital, and you can follow the road there. Make sure you don’t stop for anyone, regardless of what they say to you. There are many robbers along that road.”

  She nodded her head, taking in the information as best she could. Tears were filling up in her eyes as he spoke. She didn’t know why, but they seemed to be forming against her will. He looked at her gently, reaching toward her face to wipe a tear away.

  “Don’t worry, Rose. If the God and Goddess are willing, you will see your brother again one day. This won’t be an easy journey, but I know you can do it.” She nodded her head again, too afraid to speak. The tears were now flooding down her cheeks, and a part of her knew they weren’t for her brother. “Remember all the moves I taught you if you do get into trouble,” he continued, trying to ignore her crying. “I put a sword here for you, and some water and fruit. Ride hard and fast, as best you can, and you’ll reach the road by late afternoon.”

  “Thank you,” she said softly, her voice coming out hoarse and scratchy. He put his hands around her waist and lifted her up into the saddle. Going over to the tree, he untied the reins and handed them to her.

  “He’ll take good care of you,” he said, patting the horse’s neck. She swallowed hard, too many feelings stuck in her chest. “Good luck,” he said, smiling. She tried to smile back, but only more tears came out.

  He stepped back, letting her move the horse in the direction of the west. She looked back once more, and this time actually managed to make a real smile.

  “Thank you,” she said again, finding no other words sufficient. He nodded his head. Turning back, she looked west and took a deep breath. She had never been on her own like this, and wasn’t sure if she could do it, but Callum seemed to think she could, so she would prove him right. The last thing she wanted was for him to think her weak.

  Before she kicked the horse forward, Callum was beside her again—she hadn’t even heard him move from his spot. Reaching up toward her face, he pulled her head gently down, kissing her strongly on the mouth. It only lasted a second, but Rose thought she would nearly fall off the horse. Stepping back, he didn’t say another word, before slapping the backside of the horse, sending her forward in a run. She didn’t even look back, too afraid that if she did, she might not be able to leave. Her lips were still warm from his.

  Aiden looked at the other army, each side lined up in front of the other. He wasn’t sure how these things started, so he waited for some sort of command. It wasn’t like
these events had referees, he thought rationally. The northern army scared him, and they scared Ty as well. He had to constantly whisper into the animal’s ear, trying his best to keep him calm. It was the beasts that put the horses on edge. There were many of them, and they all growled from the other side of the clearing. The tall ones were what scared Aiden the most. These ones wore armour, making it even harder for them to get a hit. Logan looked nervously at him. He was on his left side, and Felix was on the right. Wolf sat on the other side of Logan. No one had seen Elisa that morning; they all agreed she was probably up in her tree already. The other archers were in front of them, spaced out to leave room for them to get through when they advanced. He prayed they would be able to hit their targets, and not one of their own men.

  Suddenly, there was movement on both sides. Aiden watched as the High King and the Captain rode forward, moving toward the middle of the field. Two large men came forward from the other side to meet them. He didn’t know what was happening, so he looked at Logan for answers. As usual, he just shrugged.

  “It is custom for the leaders of both sides to meet first,” Wolf said. “I’m sure both sides want to have a word before this begins, in case they don’t have another chance afterward. It’s been a long time,” he said thoughtfully. They all turned back to watch the two estranged brothers meeting for the first time in ten years. “He’s changed,” Wolf commented.

  The younger brother—Aiden assumed it was the man who didn’t have flaming red hair—was large and muscular. He could see that even from where they sat. His face was covered in a dark beard, and he wore a serious expression. Something told Aiden he definitely was not as easy-going as his older brother, who now ruled the land he wanted.

  Jameson rode toward the middle of the field, his eyes locked on those of his brother. He couldn’t believe the change in Callum; it was as if he were a completely different man. In a different time, in a different world maybe, he would actually have been proud of his brother, but not now. The four of them met, staying a short distance away from each other.

  “Ah, the High King at last!” Brutus the Red exclaimed, a large smile covering his face.

  “We finally meet,” Jameson greeted him, mirroring his smile on his own face. If he wanted to keep the mood light, then Jameson would oblige.

  “I can see now why you’re called Brutus the Red,” Turk commented dryly, making Jameson’s smile widen. Leave it to his friend to say something so informal at a meeting like this. He could see similar sentiments cross his brother’s features as he stared at Turk. Brutus laughed loudly, causing them all to jump a little.

  “You know,” he said as he laughed, “if it weren’t for the presence circumstances, I think I might have actually gotten along with you two.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Callum commented wryly.

  “It is nice to see you again, brother,” Jameson said, turning to face him. “Or it would be under different pretences. You have changed.” Callum didn’t reply. He simply looked back angrily at him.

  “You’re bigger,” Turk barked, pointing out the obvious. This elicited a laugh from Brutus.

  “He is, isn’t he? I’d like to take credit for that, but he’s worked hard for it.”

  “Father would be proud,” Jameson commented.

  “I doubt it.” The two brothers just looked at each other, as the other two remained quiet. Finally, Brutus cleared his throat, interrupting their silent challenge.

  “Well, I guess we’ve all said what we’ve come here to say. Shall we get on with it then?” He smiled. The man was simply enjoying the whole exercise, Jameson noticed. “May the best men win.”

  “We plan to,” Jameson said, keeping his eyes on his brother’s face. Brutus laughed again, turning his horse as he did so, and headed back to their ranks. Callum sat a moment longer, looking at his brother.

  “It should have been mine,” he said, bitterness blistering inside him.

  “No, clearly it shouldn’t have,” Jameson said. “If you can so easily turn on your own people, you do not deserve to wear this crown.” They turned their horses around, leaving Callum to sit there by himself for a moment. It was time.

  The armies watched as the party dispersed, the four leaders returning to their troops. Aiden met the King’s glance, and knew he was on. Kicking Ty forward, he sat in front of the group he had been given to lead first.

  “All right, men,” he yelled loudly. “This is our time; this is our land. We’ve been chosen to go first, and we will do so with courage and without fear. These beasts don’t belong here—none of these men do—so let’s go remind them who exactly they’re messing with. For Eden!” He raised his axe.

  “For Eden!” they repeated in unison.

  “And for the true High King!” They all cheered in response, each man ready with his weapon in hand. Turning Ty around, Aiden leant down and softly whispered some encouraging words in his ear too. They all knew what they were supposed to do; they had all been given their flasks of blood beforehand. The High Priest had been kind enough to donate it to them from the sanctuary in the Capital.

  Aiden kicked Ty firmly, advancing toward the other army. Just as they had expected, the other side sent the beasts in first. Thankfully, they were the kind Aiden had fought before. The larger creatures stood back with the rest of the army as the smaller ones ran at them in attack. Aiden gave the cue, and all of his men opened their flasks, emptying the blood around them. It worked like a charm. The animals were confused; the men could almost see their pupils dilate when they smelled the blood. Their attack turned into a mass of confusion, their movements slow and scattered all over the place. Aiden looked over at Felix as they rode in, smiling at him when they saw how perfectly it seemed to be working.

  Crying out, Aiden brought his axe down hard, slashing into one of the beast’s heads. It went down immediately. He found them to be too low to get a handle on properly, so Aiden jumped off Ty’s back, commanding him to go back to the others. Now that he was on the same level, he raised his axe high and brought it down hard over and over again. The beasts didn’t know what was happening, as one by one they fell. He caught something out of the corner of his eye, and saw an arrow fly into the heart of one as it reared up beside him. He didn’t look over at the trees, but he knew where it had come from.

  He spun around, taking the head off another, quickly regaining his balance to fight off another one as it charged at him. Felix was on the ground now too, opting out of riding his horse like Aiden had. He knew Wolf would never leave Grumpy, feeling more comfortable on the back of a horse than he did on his own two feet. Felix and Aiden stood back to back, fighting off every beast that approached them. There had to be hundreds, but it seemed like they were taking them down easily enough. There were cries in the distance, so he knew some of his men were being injured, but he focused on what was in front of him, too afraid to break his concentration.

  There were two now approaching him, and he could see that they had regained some of their control, the blood having less of an effect on them now. That would change, however, the more men got injured. He fought off the one easily that came from the left, but the other one on his right was too quick. He felt the huge teeth sink deeply into his right leg. He cried out in pain, bringing his axe down as the beast’s concentration was focused on gnawing his leg.

  “Are you okay?” Felix yelled.

  “Yeah, don’t worry about me,” he hollered back. The pain was intense, but he didn’t have time to focus on it. The blood seemed to attract more his way, so he had to keep his concentration. As he ran at another one, he realized that it didn’t hurt as much when he ran. Taking a chance, he looked down quickly and saw that the wound had already stopped bleeding. Aiden didn’t understand how, but he seemed to be healing even faster than usual. He wondered if it had to do with his adrenaline running so high. Feeling a new burst of confidence, he ran full force into a group of them, taking them down one by one. There were a couple that got their teeth in him, but as soo
n as he turned and killed them, he’d be healed again.

  Wolf was beside him now, his eyes wide with shock. “How?” he yelled out. The noise on the field was almost deafening. Back where the other men stood, it was still quiet, everyone watching in silence, but where they were was loud with men and beasts alike screaming.

  “I’ll have to explain it at a better time,” he yelled back. Each of them turned to face another beast, their weapons taking them down.

  Soon Aiden had six circling around him. Their yellow eyes glared at him; they foamed at the mouth with anticipation. He could almost picture them licking their lips when they looked at him.

  “Bring it on,” he challenged them. They all attacked at the same time, overpowering him with their strength and crushing him to the ground. He could hear someone yell out, but everyone was busy with his own fight. No one could get to him in time. It was up to him. He lay under a heap of matted fur and large teeth. It smelled horrible, like rotting fish. The smell alone almost made him want to vomit. Trying his best to breathe through his mouth, he reached to find his axe, which had fallen somewhere beside him. He could feel their teeth ripping at his skin, their frenzy at its highest. The pain was intense, but his adrenaline was so high that he found himself able to ignore it enough that he could focus on what he was doing. The more they bit him, the more they didn’t pay attention to what his hands were doing, assuming he was completely incapacitated.

  Finally, he found his axe, getting a firm hold on the handle and lifting it up. He felt it bite underneath one of the animals. It screamed in pain, rolling over. It was his first breath of fresh air. He sucked in a good deal, and then brought the axe up again to slice right through the neck of another one. His hand was free to move now, as he brought it down once more on one that was at his legs. They didn’t even seem fazed by the death of the others, too involved in attacking him. In less than a minute all six were dead, and he stood up. Some of the bites still bled, but as he screamed for more to come, he could feel the blood stop and knew he was healed. The looks around him were ones of complete shock and disbelief. He could only imagine what the men on the sides were thinking.