It took a moment, but the young guardian knew what the wise wolf meant. A leader cannot be seen as weak during times of stress or troubles; his men may become doubtful of his decisions or second-guess their safety.
Faolan sighed. “You are right; it is nothing. Simply a random thought created from a dream.”
He looked around and could see everyone was safe, for the most part. There were some minor wounds and scratches—nothing life-threatening. Caedmon had been cut several times during the conversation, though they were superficial wounds across the arm that Aili could easily patch.
“What did the Drey’kan mean by that talk about the Ikalreev?” Ehreion shouted at Caedmon.
“The Ikalreev left these lands and their city a long time ago. They did so before your three races settled here and called Verdunmull their home,” Caedmon explained.
“Why did the Ikalreev leave? Was it cowardice as the Drey’kan said?” Ehreion wondered.
“No. The Drey’kan do not understand the Ikalreev,” Caedmon replied.
“Why then would the Ikalreev not stay and help?” Ehreion inquired.
“They may have physically gone, but they remained in spirit. They are not naïve. The Ikalreev knew what was coming, and they knew they were no match for the evils in their visions, but they granted your races their power in the form of their strongest magics. If those magical powers cannot stop the tribulations or cataclysm, then there is no magic or physical strength that can, and they knew this to be true.
“The Ikalreev were the mightiest race I have ever known. They did not flee in cowardice, but wisdom. They did not leave your kind—your races—defenseless. Your salvation is up to you and your actions; each individual determines their own path through life.
“Do not blame the Ikalreev, for they have done all they can. It is your time to stand firm and survive. The Drey’kan are angered because their eternal enemies have disappeared. Even though the Drey’kan despise the Ikalreev, they are lost without them. War, fighting, and anger—those were all the Drey’kan knew for so very long, and then they were stripped from them, just as lands can be stripped from a farmer, the ailing from a healer, or a house from a family. What happens to the ones left behind when their purpose and their efforts become nothing? No, the fault is not with the Ikalreev. The responsibility lies with all who remain. What is the point of living if you do not fight for yourself? If you do not make the world a better place?”
Caedmon pushed the wagon back onto its wheels and added, “I have tried to do so for so very long. I am weary. Yet it seems it is all just beginning, and my purpose has renewed; therefore, I will continue . . . Are the rest of you coming?”
“Aye.” Ehreion’s heart was big, and he felt for the wolf. “You are not having fun without me.”
“Of course, Caedmon,” Auvelia replied for both her husband and herself.
“I have no choice, but I would have come even if I was not chosen to be a mage.” Ireli’s face was cold, but her tone was kind.
Treasach laughed. “Caedmon, such a sense of humor. You do realize I would be banished by my own father if I refused? I call the bench!”
The prince jumped into the wagon to claim his preferred seat.
Gavina watched him with a faint smile. “Sad, actually, because it is true. The king would not welcome a cowardly son.”
She hopped into the wagon’s bed, unwilling to allow the prince to go on without her.
Aili glanced at Faolan and smiled. Her voice was cheerful as she replied to Caedmon. “You need a healer, and I am the best. My place is here.”
Then the old wolf looked at Leith with a questioning expression.
Leith raised a brow at him. “What, and leave my wagon with you?”
Caedmon simply stared back at the healer.
“You are crazy, Caedmon, but that is my wagon.” Leith walked past the ancient guardian, toward the wagon’s bench. “You cannot have it!”
Faolan heartily laughed at the healer’s reaction.
The solemn wolf looked lastly to Faolan as no words were needed, not after their talk two evenings ago. The old wolf knew the young leader’s stance and realized, regretfully, that their journey might lead the young guardian down an irreversible path.
The horses not tied to the wagon during the sudden battle with the Drey’kan had fled into the forest in fear of the noise and violent magic, leaving the small group to squeeze onto the wagon—save Caedmon, who walked beside it—for the remainder of their journey.
They continued their expedition north, down the unkempt path grown over from neglect. The small group moved farther into the eerie Zajena Forest and the Drey’kan kingdom as they grew ever closer toward what the Drey’kan called the Hollow.
◆◆◆
After a long day of traveling, the wagon rolled to a stop. The travelers had entered a glade that was much smaller than the one at the trials, though the clearing opened up on the far side to a shoreline. The Zajena Forest was silent and eerie; dense tree trunks and understory blocked their line of sight within a few feet of the glade’s edge. Every single one of them eyed the clearing and hesitated before disembarking from the wagon as their uncomfortable surroundings caused their skin to crawl.
“Can you hear that?” Auvelia whispered.
For the first time, they could hear something other than Caedmon’s heavy footsteps and the creak of the wagon’s wheels. Light waves rushed to the shore at the other end of the glade and provided a pleasantly soft babble as its waters flowed over small rocks and soil.
Leith hopped off the front bench and stretched. “I think we should rest here. This is the first clearing since the Tri-Peaks, and there is water nearby.”
Gavina assessed their surroundings. “It is not safe here. The clearing is quite small, and our line of sight is poor. This place is perfect for another ambush, whether by Drey’kan or beast.”
“Aye, it is,” Kellen agreed.
Ehreion scanned the trees. “You want a safe place, then go back home. There is no such thing in the north.” The dwarf jumped off the wagon with battle-ax in hand. “Silly elves, this is Drey’kan land, wild and untamed with all manner of beasts in the shadows.”
“What beasts?” Treasach asked. “I have not seen a single bird or rodent since we entered this boring forest. There is nothing here to fear. The Drey’kan have already granted us passage, and if you find an animal, I suggest we kill it for food because it’s probably the only one left. You lot can starve on bread and the tasteless food of the dwarfs, but I prefer meat.”
“Tasteless food! You dare insult my people?” Ehreion spat.
The irritated prince turned on the dwarf. “Aye! Been eating stale bread since we bought it. Lucky we are alive.”
The dwarf tightened his grip on the ax and grumbled. “Mind your tongue. You are no prince of mine, and I shall have no quandary removing your head.”
“You dare threaten me?” Treasach jumped off the wagon and stood before the dwarf.
The dwarf stared up at the prince intensely. “Aye, I do, forest boy,” he growled.
“Quiet!” Faolan yelled at them. “Quit arguing this instant!”
They were shocked at the young leader’s reaction and backed away from each other, but they kept their stern expressions as their attention shifted to their leader.
“You are allies, and you will respect each other! I will not have a quarrel begin between you two.” He walked over to them and pointed in earnest at Treasach. “You are a prince. Start acting like one, and stop being so spoiled. And you.” He glared at Ehreion. “You are a mage now; keep your stubbornness in order. We cannot have you immolating us all because your favorite brew is insulted.”
Everyone was surprised by Faolan’s irate outburst. They waited as the guardian slowly calmed and huffed a deep breath. His parents had never seen this side of him before and knew exhaustion and the overwhelming stresses of their mission were to blame.
Treasach disapprovingly conceded his stance, he look
ed back at the dwarf. “My apologies, dwarf.”
The dwarf forced a breath of air through his nostrils in distaste. “Yeah . . .”
“Now help the others make camp. You will both make the fire together,” Faolan demanded as he fought through a spell of lightheadedness and blurred vision.
“Fine,” the dwarf grumbled, and then he glanced at Treasach. “You are lucky he is here.”
“Oh, I am so frightened!” Treasach received a fiery sideway glance from his leader. “All right, fine, the dwarf wins.”
Treasach threw up his arms in defeat and walked away. The dwarf moved on as well, but in the opposite direction, as they both looked for kindling and small logs.
The young guardian breathed in deeply and calmed himself. He was uncertain where the sudden rage had come from and knew he was not mentally fit at the moment. He shook his head in frustration as he attempted to relax.
“Are you all right?” Kellen asked him.
The leader looked over at the startled remaining group members. “Yes, I am fine. We should make camp before it gets too dark. No matter if there is a Drey’kan or a beast watching us; we must have our rest before we reach the seal.”
“Agreed,” Caedmon added.
The others followed their leader’s orders and finished disembarking from the wagon. They prepared their temporary campsite and removed a serving of rations from their packs as they waited for the two grumbling egos to build the campfire.
Aili approached Faolan and spoke to him softly. “You must rest as well. I can see your eyes fighting to stay open, and you are becoming more easily irritated. You have gone without sleep for too long.”
Faolan struggled to think rationally, exhaustion was clawing at his mind as he tried to weigh the risks and the benefits of resting in the small glade. Their surroundings provided a limited field of view, and it might indeed be dangerous in the glade, though he knew they needed their rest before they encountered the Initiate and for when the mages wielded their magic. He did not care to stay there longer than they had to, and he did not want to arrive at the seal too late, but he had to be aware of their health as well. Their long journey was beginning to affect them all, especially after their decisive defeat by the Drey’kan, though some felt it in a less volatile way than others.
Also, there were the two strangers to keep in mind. Their undefined origin was disconcerting to say the least and put added pressure on the young guardian to keep moving forward.
He mulled over their numerous, taxing problems; nevertheless, they did need rest. They had been traveling for days, continuously moving or fighting the entire way. A few had managed to rest while at the trials, yet four of them did not. It would not be good to reach the seal already exhausted before the fight even began. He knew he could not afford to fall asleep again, and he was angered at himself for being so weak and letting himself be caught off guard. Their encounter with the Drey’kan turned in their favor through luck alone. He wondered: had he not dreamed about Maleuuenant, would he have been able to convince the Drey’kan to let them live?
He looked around at the others and could see their exhausted expressions, and he knew what he had to do.
“The next time we are thrown into battle, you will need to be ready. My safety comes last, so I shall take first watch.”
“You cannot!” Aili whispered at him angrily. “You have gone too long without sleep!”
“I will be fine. Please rest, Aili,” he urged her.
“No, you will not!” she argued. “I can take first watch. I promise to wake you if anything should approach.”
“I cannot ask that of you,” he said.
“You do not have to because I want to help you,” she said with growing concern. “I care for you, Faolan. Please let me help.”
“I am sorry, Aili, but I must do this. The king has put all your lives in my hands, and I will not let them be taken. It is my duty to protect you all and to ensure everyone makes it home safely.”
“Please,” she pleaded.
“I am sorry,” he whispered.
Aili furrowed her brows and frowned at him crossly. She was quite unhappy with the conclusion to their conversation, and without saying another word, she stormed to the other side of the faintly flickering campfire. She sat down in frustration, trying to hide her concern for him behind a firmly displeased exterior. The beautiful healer turned away from him in protest at his stubbornness.
Faolan truly felt awful for refusing her aid as he greatly appreciated her concern and did not want to cause a divide between them. The guardian felt personally responsible for their safety and would not put Aili in a position of danger simply because he was weak and unable to stay awake. He produced a heavy sigh as his responsibilities weighed on his shoulders, and he yearned for this journey to be over.
The dense forest surrounding them fell into deep shadow as the evening’s twilight faded into night. Only the faint starlight above and the campfire lighted their small glade. They made their beds with the thick dwarven blankets from Dragdun in a makeshift circle.
Auvelia fell asleep in her husband’s arms, allowing her son to make his own decisions, whether sound or not, though she worried about him. She recognized she had to provide him space and allow him to make his own mistakes so he could learn from them.
The group sprawled out around the fire in a circle so everyone would have access to the fire’s radiating warmth. Aili settled down in her own blanket a short distance away from the loving couple, and she slipped into a dream as she smiled at the pair admiringly. Gavina rested to the right-hand side of the delicate healer, and Treasach was just beyond her. Ehreion continued the circle with a bit of distance between himself and the prince. The dwarf did not remove his formidable Scarian armor in preparation for sleeping because he knew an attack could occur in this strategically poor location, and he refused to be unprepared.
Leith stretched out between Ehreion and Ireli, completing the circle. The brother healer fell asleep in moments and could be heard mumbling in his sleep. Ehreion followed right after him into the realm of dreams, snoring with abandon and with ax clutched in hand.
Caedmon waited until the others had fallen asleep to approach Faolan. “Should anything happen, do not hesitate to wake us. The slightest sound could prelude an ambush.”
Faolan nodded in understanding through his bleary vision, but part of him wished to be stronger for his allies, and his fatigued mind already thoughtlessly influenced an itching idea of not listening to the old wolf. He watched the ancient protector walk away from him, and he failed to realize his mind was missing short spans of time while it fought the overwhelming exhaustion he was enduring. He was experiencing microsecond bursts of lost consciousness as he adapted to the sleep deprivation, producing momentary subconscious delays as his mind delved into shallow sleep while maintaining muscle rigidity. To him, however, it felt like nothing more than slipping attentiveness and foggy awareness.
Caedmon moved around the campfire toward Aili and Gavina in order to find a resting spot. He lowered down and rotated in a circle several times because of his canine instincts. He finally came to rest in a tight ball just beyond Aili’s head. After a short time, the old protector accompanied the others in the realm of dreams, leaving only Faolan awake.
With a weary mind and heavy eyelids, Faolan unhooked his swords from his belt. He took his swords in hand and prepared for what he hoped would not come. The guardian moved silently toward the slumbering circle’s side nearest to the lake and positioned his back toward the shoreline, so as to maximize his field of view and ensure his ability to watch over all of his traveling companions. The lone sentry focused all his attention on his hearing as he tried to perceive where he could not see because the tree line was too dense to make his eyes useful. There he waited, listening through the dwarf’s snoring and the brother healer’s mumbling. The cold-resilient insects of the Zajena Forest sang from their hidden perches among the trees. The leaves began rustling as a slight breeze
rose from the lake behind him, where the waves lapped over the shoreline, producing a soothing sound of the water’s ebb and flow.
The full moon rose high overhead as the night droned on, and its tranquil light cast across the expansive lake, producing a faintly glimmering darkness beyond the small, sandy shore.
Faolan’s legs grew tired after standing guard for a while, and he crouched down in order to alleviate his aching muscles. His eyelids darted up and down as he fought the urge to sleep, though it did not take long for them to grow too heavy to force open, and as they shut, he welcomed the pleasant sensation and the warmth of his beckoning dreams.
As his mind began to embrace the approaching dream world, part of him recognized an unexpected absence of the forest bugs’ composition. His mind slipped back into reality as an eerie atmosphere surrounded him. His eyes expanded wide when they locked on to the ominous presence standing before him. The strange entity was unmistakable with its conical hat and half-black, half-white cloak. The alarmed guardian’s right sword raced upward in discomposed defense and sliced through his opponent. The guardian was stunned to feel no resistance from fabric or flesh. As his sword raced through the being, the stranger’s form dissipated into a wispy fog.
Faolan’s bleary eyes scanned his surroundings in a desperate search for his adversary as adrenaline raced through his veins, but he questioned through the distressing haze of exhaustion if the disturbing individual had actually stood before him. He wondered if what he had experienced was yet another of the stranger’s magic tricks or if he was hallucinating in the merging of realms and dying dreams.
The hair on his neck stood on end while his breathing remained rapid and his swords at the ready. He slowly rotated while examining the dense foliage in search of the truth. His ears could hear the night bugs again, though he wondered if the sound had been there the whole time or if they had quieted in reality. He shook his head with jarring confusion in an attempt to clear his mind of the fog persistently plaguing it.
Verdunmull Page 38
