by Dean Jones
Seth could feel the blade deep inside him, but he kept his focus and grabbed the woman by the hair to stop her weight pushing the knife any deeper. He drew on the energy around him to provide strength and found it willing and eager to join with him.
Soon Ardeth was arm’s length from Seth and he tossed her away and removed the blade. Blood gushed from the wound and he knew time was short. Focusing again he drew more energy with the sole desire to protect Mae who was now struggling to her feet. The air grew thick with and tingled as clouds greyed and bubbled above their heads. Rage built inside him at the thought of this woman’s plans, after all, Mae had done for her, this was her intention all along.
He held his hands towards her and a globe of light appeared in between his palms, he knew what this was for and willed it to strike the now advancing Ardeth.
Pain filled Ardeth as she was thrown back by the light orb Seth had conjured but she was determined and had gone too far to stop now. She got to her feet quickly and the energy coursed through her she felt her hairs stand on end and looked up the see the sky filled with storm clouds.
He dropped his arms and a bolt of lightning zigzagged its way to earth hitting Ardeth.
It was over as quickly as it had begun and Ardeth lay collapsed on the ground. Mae, who was shielding herself from the blast of energy, slowly uncurled her arms and moved to look into the still eyes of Ardeth then turned to see Seth towering over her like a mountainside with fire in his eyes and a snarl on his lips.
Mae placed her hand on his and she felt the fire subside and he returned her gaze with deep regret and concern now replacing the fire which was there a moment ago.
“What happened Seth” Mae kept her voice calm and even though her heart was pounding so fast she thought it may leap out of her chest, she felt safe.
Seth took a deep breath and considered the now lifeless body of Ardeth.
“The energy was so powerful, I had it all in my grasp and then I…just let it go”
She looked up into the now cloudless blue sky then back to Seth. “I always knew you were special, from the first moment you looked into my eyes…I just felt it.”
Seth still looked concerned and she pulled him down, so she could hug him, “don’t ever let your power control you boy, always remember you are stronger than all others.” She lowered her voice to a whisper “I have never seen power like yours, in all my years, but I have heard stories of it…”
Seth pulled back and looked at Mae’s kindly face, seeing it was filled with pride and not the disappointment he expected. “What should I do?”
“The first thing we should do is check that wound, I can’t have the groom bleeding out on his wedding day…” Mae tried to keep things light as she could see Seth was troubled by what had just happened. She indicated he should remove his shirt for her to check his injury. “By the Gods!” she exclaimed as she looked at his unmarked skin.
Seth looked down and saw the place where the knife had entered his side showed no evidence that this had happened other than some dried blood. Mae brushed her hand over his side and looked up at the man she had been teaching since he was five. “You must have healed yourself when you held the mass of energy in your hands…” this was the only sensible conclusion she could come up with. “Quickly, pass me your shirt and I will go fetch a clean one from your mother, I will tell her you have torn yours in your excitement for the festivities ahead…she will believe this” she winked as she headed off down the path to his home.
Seth stood looking down and the covered shape of Ardeth and felt an immense regret for what he had done. She would have killed us both he thought as he tried to justify his actions.
“Here put this on,” Mae called as she returned with a freshly laundered shirt. “Your mother says that she wishes your new bride luck with your clothes as she has stitched and repaired more than she cares to again.” Seth pulled the clean shirt over his head and tucked it into his pants.
“So, now what?” he asked, returning his gaze to Ardeth’s body.
“You should keep learning, perhaps ask the Mara to help?” Seth blinked as this was the first time since he had met the Mara that Mae had acknowledged the event.
“I was wrong to doubt you, I will show you everything I know though I do not think I can teach you any more about Spae, I will try to show you how to gain greater control.”
She looked again at the dead body of her former apprentice and reached down to cover her burned and disfigured face with her cloak.
“Let’s take her to the woods for burial, none should know of this and I will inform any who ask she merely died of an unknown malady”
Seth lifted the body onto his shoulder and they made their way down the hill.
The Night Before
Seth made his way down to the edge of the wood to where he knew his father and uncles would be waiting for his arrival. The morning hadn’t gone as he had planned, and he was still feeling the after-effects from his fight with Ardeth.
Mae hadn’t said anything more about it whilst they buried the body. Her lack of discussion was fine with Seth, as he was still trying to work out why he had reacted the way he did.
Seth had spent the time digging to go through the events as they unfolded. This was one of the gifts of working with Spae, the mind retained all the information it gathered during its daily routine and apparently once mastered you could look back to the moment of your birth, though Seth had dismissed this as fantasy after trying for several hours to recall the day he was born.
Each time he replayed the fight in his mind he considered the possibility that he could have intervened in some other way, perhaps if he had lunged towards Ardeth to restrain her earlier or made a grab for Mae, then things would have turned out differently?
No matter how hard he thought about differing scenarios, each ended the same way. The only thing he could have done to save Mae was the exact thing he did do; his instinct had chosen the correct option and he had undertaken the deed as was required. So why did he feel so bad about it?
The walk to the wood had taken longer than usual as Seth spent the time clearing his head of his uncertainty about what he had done. He would leave the explaining of Ardeth’s sudden disappearance to Mae, of that he was certain. He didn’t fancy the idea of answering the charge of murdering a local Spae woman, especially one who had been earmarked to take over from Mae.
He saw his father waiting impatiently with Felix and their older brother Raedan. The fact they were all brothers was not something which could be missed, their blonde hair, blue eyes and good looks connected them by sight.
Each of them had distinguished themselves as warriors on the field of battle and had played their part in keeping Mercia free from the rule of those who would seek to take it. It made Seth proud to be from such a distinguished family and had he not been deep in thought about the morning's events his chest would likely have swelled at seeing them.
As Seth came into sight all three of the waiting men let out a mighty, if somewhat sarcastic, cheer to announce his arrival. Seth forced the concern of the morning’s unpleasantness to the back of his mind and focused himself fully on the day ahead. He lifted his arms aloft in mock celebration and broke into a slow jog for the last one hundred yards before meeting his father’s embrace with a heartfelt one of his own.
He clung on as he felt the welling of emotion building in his chest.
“You OK son?” the concerned whisper of his father lifted his head, Seth just nodded and smiled.
“Nerves already?” laughed Raedan, “to be expected lad, none of us looked forward to our wedding day either.”
Seth released his father and took a deep breath to clear his head.
“Right then young Seth, it’s time we took you off and gave you something to take your mind off your troubles…and a night you will remember in ten years’ time!” Raedan clapped Seth on the shoulder and then ruffled his hair like a child, an act which only highlighted Seth's height advantage over his uncle
.
“There’s no time to waste, we have delayed long enough waiting for you to drag yourself out of bed to get here, we must head for the hunting grounds and await the arrival of your bride’s father,” Garrett instructed.
There was a general nodding of agreement and the four of them headed east along the edge of the woods. After an hour or so they came to a fork in the path where their route took them from the trodden track and into the woods.
They walked in high spirits, with all three of the elder men taking pieces from Seth and telling him tall stories about the life he could expect as a married man. Before too long though they arrived at the clearing where the valley dipped into a hillside of trees and a small stream wound its way through the woodland.
They dropped their packs and began clearing debris, so they could set up camp whilst they awaited the arrival of the others. It wasn’t long before Garrett spotted them making their way up the slope from the valley below with bows and packs in hand.
The three men were smaller than Seth and his family, but it was to be expected as there weren’t many who could match them for size. They all had long beards and tied back brown hair and as they moved closer Seth could tell they were both excited and cautious.
There was a tense standoff as each of the elder men weighed each other up, all weapons were then placed on the ground in front as a gesture of goodwill and to show no quarrel would be taking place.
Garrett moved first and introduced himself with a firm handshake and hug to each of the men gathered. This broke the tension and the smiles and welcoming words were soon in full flow. The older men went through the formalities of introductions then they made their way to where Seth stood waiting.
“Woden’s beard, he’s a big boy you have their Garrett, one to be proud of I’ll wager?” Garrett could hardly contain the pride he felt at the compliment he’d been paid, and he looked at Seth with a satisfied smile.
“He is a true reflection of his father, I’ll grant you that, but he has a little of his mother in there too…though we have tried to knock it out of him over the years!” There was a rumble of laughter and knowing nods which passed itself around the men circling Seth.
“Seth, you big lump, this is Frederick he is your bride's father and these two are his brothers, one of his own and one of his wife’s.”
Frederick stepped forward, he carried a firm handshake and a kind face full of laughter lines and a couple of deep scars. Bayan, Fredericks younger brother, introduced himself next. They were much alike except Bayan had a less kind face and looked at Seth with suspicious eyes.
“Don’t pay any attention to Bayan, he’s wary of his own children and he believes it’s his distrust of everyone which has seen him through battle these past years” Frederick waved dismissively towards his brother who returned the gesture with a mocking bow and a grunt before making way for the other man who had travelled with them.
This man was different from the others, Seth could sense it, but he didn’t quite understand what it was about him pricked his interest. He shook his hand and waited for the man’s name. there was nothing but a bright smile and fixed gaze, which made Seth rather uncomfortable and he looked to Frederick with an expectation of support.
Frederick only stared back without even so much as a nod. “I am Seth, sir, son of Garrett. It’s good to meet you.” Seth gave the same customary bow he had given the other two although in his mind he was slightly aggrieved he had made the first introduction.
Seth looked at the man’s face and took in his youthful looks, he was older than he but younger than the other men with them. His features were both boyish and strong. The most prominent feature was his long, hooked nose which sat above thin lips. His black hair was tied back, and his ponytail rested on the hood of his dark cloak.
The man smiled and returned Seth’s bow with one of his own but still no name. Seth could feel the blood rushing to his head and started to hear a rhythmic buzzing sound. He quickly dismissed this as his ego took control of matters and was beginning to become offended when the man whispered something which caught Seth’s ear.
“I beg your pardon sir; I didn’t quite catch your name?” Seth was, of course, presuming the whisper was the man’s name and he had spoken it softly to make Seth bow his head closer thus reducing the size difference considerably.
Another whisper but this time Seth heard and was shocked at what the man had said, and he gazed intently into the man’s eyes in search of any indication he was being jovial.
“I said, I smell the scent of death on you boy!” The man whispered it again but now Seth was closer to his face he could see his lips didn’t move.
“Who are you!” Demanded Seth, “and what accusation is it you are making!”
Seth’s mind was now racing at this unexpected event, how could this man know, had Mae spoken of what had happened already? These were questions Seth didn’t have answers to, but this man might have them for Seth to take. He quickly assessed the man and decided even if he had weapons he posed no great threat to him. He slowly increased the pressure on the arm he held in his hand and bent a little closer to the man’s face giving him the most intense and fierce look he could muster under the circumstances.
“I asked for your name sir, and I fully expect it to be given” Seth’s eyes blinked with a small flame as he centred himself again into the trance he had mastered, enabling full control of his strength and skill whilst keeping his head clear for decisions and Spae.
“Ah, I knew you were one with Spae and I can see you have a mastery of it, unusual for one so young.” The man smiled but Seth remained unmoved and increased the force of his grip on the arm held slightly.
“Your…name!” This time Seth hadn’t spoken the words, they came from his mind unbidden and he felt them leave his consciousness and enter the man stood opposite him.
“Remarkable…. only been exposed to the communication of the mind for a moment and here you are speaking back to me…incredible, Mae was quite correct to tell me about you, Seth.” The man drew back from Seth’s gaze and shocked Seth released his grip as the man bowed again, lower this time.
“My Name is Corey, and I am your humble servant.” He said rubbing his arm to get the blood flowing and then the world began moving again.
Seth hadn’t noticed, at the time, but the reason Frederick hadn’t responded to his quizzical stare was due to the fact both he and Corey were out of time whilst they met.
Corey was a Spae worker as well, Seth had never met another man who used Spae before and this man was clearly adept at it.
“We will talk more of this later young Seth.” He heard Corey’s voice in his mind again but knew no others had heard what he had said.
Frederick moved closer to them both and put an arm around Corey’s shoulders, pulling him closer.
“Forgive my wife’s brother Seth, he is a Spae worker and we all know about the men who work in the Spae don’t we?” Frederick smiled and glanced around the gathered men making kissing shapes with his lips.
Garret smiled with his mouth, but he eyes focused solely on Seth. It was well known that men who chose to follow the teaching of Spae women were classed as equals to those women and were sometimes disrespected or shunned. This was Garrett’s fear the day Mae had told them Seth would be taught and why he had insisted it remained a secret for so long.
Seth laughed along with Frederick but made a mental apology to Corey who smiled and shook his head dismissively. Corey clearly wasn’t bothered about what others thought of him and the fact Frederick and Bayan had brought him along showed they had a great respect for him and his abilities as a hunter.
Pleasantries over, the men retrieved their weapons and started to plan the night’s hunt. It was decided, as it was within the boundaries of Garrett’s town he should lead the hunt and let the luck of the gods be with them.
The hunt went well, and Corey exceeded all expectations of him by taking the first two kills himself, the first a young doe and the secon
d an elusive hare which he hit with his spear as it made its escape through the undergrowth. An impressive achievement which gave even Garrett cause to give him the same respect he had earned from his brothers.
All through the hunt Seth could hear and communicate with Corey and their conversations were deep and informative.
Corey told Seth that when you kill someone with Spae it leaves a smell of the energy around you and it was this he had picked up on when they had first met. Seth asked many questions, but Corey only deflected them with questions of his own.
“How did you find your meeting with the Mara go Seth?” This was a recurring question which Seth didn’t quite know how to answer so had avoided it for over an hour.
Seth finally gave in to the question and told Corey the Mara had broken to his will on the night they had met and that ever since then he had spoken with them regularly and unknowingly it was these communications which had given him a greater understanding of how the energies connected each of us to all other things on this world.
Corey stopped and took hold of Seth’s arm and led him away from the hunt. The night was closing in and he called over to the others to inform them they would set up the fire and start the hare cooking for their supper.
They found themselves back in the clearing where they had first met, and Corey set about clearing a space to bed down a fire.
“So, the Mara are teaching you, Seth?” Corey didn’t look up from what he was doing and continued to lay the kindling to start the fire.
“Not directly Corey, but I intend to begin to seek their guidance more, is there an issue with this?” Seth couldn’t keep the threatening tone from his voice, after all, he wasn’t sure if Corey was accusing him of something.
