by Cox, Craig
“I won’t hurt you, or him.”
He knelt down looking over the beast, he couldn’t see any obvious signs of anything that could have killed the beast. No large gashes or any cuts that could have become infected. He thought about the wound maybe being on the lion’s other side. He stood again and walked to his right to get a closer look at the back of the lion. Leaning in close, he saw what looked like four small stab wounds in it’s side. He thought back to the Naga and it’s four fangs, had the lion come into contact with the snake before it had come after them? It appeared to be the only thing that could have caused the death of the magnificent beast which lay before him. A commotion at his feet caught his attention as he watched the cub struggling to pull a piece of the snake flesh from the bone. Braden and Alexander had already found the Naga's meat to be extremely tough, they had cut it into small pieces to chew before they could swallow it.
He moved back to the cub and knelt beside the chunk of meat, reaching forward, he was met with more hissing and growling. Using his small blade he cut a piece from the main chunk before pushing it in front of the cub. Braden could see it was cautious, not knowing whether to take the meat from him or not. Finally hunger won and the cub jumped onto the meat and chewed it quickly before sitting down. Braden cut another few chunks laying down it in front of the cub, it quickly devoured one after the other. He smiled at the cub, wondering when was the last time it had eaten? If the snake had been following them since around midday this must have happened at least the night before, he was surprised that the snake hadn’t come back for the cub. He fell back and sat down, the cub’s eyes bore into his own forcing him to cut off more of the meat, each time he did the cub had jumped up and down. He had been sitting at the base of the tree, with the cub for about half an hour when he suddenly yawned. He was still exhausted from the previous day, and really needed to get back, if Alex or Troy woke up and he wasn’t there they would surely panic. But could he really leave the cub alone, even if the Naga was gone there were many more predators who would come after a defenceless cub, there was also the fact that it couldn’t feed itself.
“Do you want to come with me?”
The cub looked back at him with the same look in his eyes he had had all night, Braden shook his head, why was he asking it? Braden stood and looked down at the cub and smiled. He couldn’t take it away from its father, not by force. He turned away from the oak tree and headed back towards the clearing, he thought about bringing Alexander and Troy back here in the morning, or should he keep it to himself, a private memory of a giant lion in the woods.
He was soon back at the clearing and he could see that the two were still asleep. The fire had all but died away. From the look of the sky they still had a few hours before sunlight and they needed more wood. He turned left circling the edge of the clearing picking up what small branches had fallen from the surrounding trees. About halfway round he had four or five decent size logsalong with a few smaller ones, it would do to keep them warm till the morning. Turning back to the fire he noticed something walking towards him, it was a stick, with golden eyes. Braden smiled as the cub walked up to him carrying a stick in it’s mouth. He reached down and rubbed the cub’s head then walked back to the centre of the clearing, how was he going to explain the presence of a small lion to Alex and Troy? Did he wake them up now or should he wait until morning and risk them waking up before him and spotting the cub. He placed three of the sticks in a tripod above the current embers before adding the two more he had and the third the cub had brought, then threw the smaller sticks on, they caught quickly and the fire grew. The cub just sat their staring at the flames as Braden lay back down by the fire.
He sheathed his sword and closed his eyes and as he drifted off, he felt the cub nestle into his side and begin kneading his ribs with it’s paws.
As the sun crept over the horizon and lit up the clearing Braden woke to the pressure of the lion cub sitting on his chest. He opened his eyes and the liquid gold irises of the cub stared straight back at him, it meowed before pushing its head into Braden’s face. He pushed back before sitting up the cub jumping down by his side. Alex and Troy were still asleep, he couldn’t understand how they were still tired, when he was wide awake even after the night’s escapades. He would now have to explain to them about the cub which sat next to him. In the light, he could see the full size of it. He was just under a foot tall at the shoulder and his fur was pitch black, the only colour was coming from his golden eyes and the white fangs which protruded slightly from it’s mouth. Braden pulled his legs up and crossed them. The fire was about to die out and he wanted to get underway shortly.
“Alex.”
He leant over and pushed his friend’s shoulder nudging him awake. Alex responded with a groan and what sounded like a few abusive words. He then leant over and did the same to Troy, who responded in a slightly more polite manner.
“Wake up, we need to get moving soon. Plus I have something to show you.”
“I hope it’s food.”
Braden watched as Alex rolled over to face him, he immediately jumped back at the sight of the cub, which just cocked its head at him.
“What the..”
“Cool!”
Troy’s reaction was the one Braden was hoping for. Alex recovered quickly sitting up and staring straight at the cub.
“Umm. Braden where did you find that?”
“In the forest last night. It came and stole the snake meat, I followed it back and found an adult lion and then the cub. It was no ordinary lion though it was bigger than any I ever saw at the Roost fair.”
Troy was up on his feet walking behind him and the cub, Braden could see the excitement in his eyes. It was a welcome change after yesterday.
“Is it yours's?”
“Well, I don’t know, he just followed me back last night.”
“What happened to the adult lion?”
Braden looked over and saw a concerned look in his eye.
“Dead, it looked like the Naga got him.”
He watched his friend relax a little. Troy had got within touching distance of the cub and reached out a hand to stroke him, the cub jumped up startling the boy who fell back onto the floor. The cub was equally as startled but then padded over to Troy and rubbed his head against the boy’s hand.
“What you going to call him?”
Troy was now stroking and scratching the cub behind the ears.
“I haven’t thought about it.”
“How could you gain a pet lion cub and not think to name it.” Alex said.
Braden turned back to his friend to see a sarcastic smile spread across his face.
“How about Magnus.” Troy suggested.
Chapter X
Braden
Braden could smell the sea long before he could see it, Troy had been the first one to notice the change of smell in the air and ever since they had picked up the pace. The trees were getting further and further apart as they neared the edge of the forest and the sunlight was now freely shining through. They were all in good spirits, it had taken them five further days since they found Magnus to reach the other edge of the forest. Braden thought they had spent half of it walking in circles. He looked down at the lion cub who walked along proudly with a dead squirrel between its jaws, it was the fourth he had caught in the last two days. Reaching down Braden rubbed Magnus’ ears and was greeted with an affectionate purr, he swore that the cub had grown at least an inch since they had first met. As they got closer to the forest’s edge he began to hear a repetitive thud, as if someone was banging on a door, slowly it turned from a thud into a hacking noise. As they got even closer Braden could tell it was men chopping into wood. They were finally reaching civilisation. He again picked up the pace. He must have been only thirty paces from the men when he heard an almighty crash, it echoed into the forest. Birds high in the trees screeched before taking flight, Magnus’ eyes darting in each direction as they flew overhead. Braden continued on breaking into the clear
ing where he saw three men chopping at the fallen tree. The man closest to them, stopped at the sight of them exiting the forest, Braden moved in front of Magnus shielding him from the men.
“Well what do we have here?”
The axe wielder asked as he laid his axe against the tree before crossing his arms. The two other men stopped what they were doing placing their axe’s over opposite shoulders.
“Get lost did we?” Said the second man.
“No, we came from the Shires.” Braden replied.
“The Shires, why didn’t you follow the road?” replied the first man. Braden could tell the men were suspicious of them. He didn’t want any fuss and wanted to be out of here as quickly as possible and onto a ship before nightfall.
“I wanted to show my brother the forest.”
Braden placed his hand on Troy’s head rubbing his hair. By the look in the man’s eye Braden could tell he wasn’t convinced and he didn’t have time to waste.
“Now we shall be on our way.”
He pushed Troy forward and gestured for Alex to follow, as they walked past the three men he kept his eyes trained on the first man had spoken. Magnus was smart enough to keep to the other side of him and Alex and out of the men’s sight. Finally, when they were about a hundred feet away, Braden let go of the hilt of his sword. His knuckles were white and he stretched his hand a few times. They walked down the hill towards the port town of Maidenpool, even from this distance Braden could tell it was the busiest place he had ever been to. Ships of all sizes pulled in and out of port, as hundreds of men ran around like ants keeping the docks flowing smoothly. The slope was gradual as the group moved across the open plain between the forest and the town. It was split up into small farm estates bordered by low lying fences which marked each plot from the next. Walking between two of the fences, they made their way along the mud path, finally reaching the main road turning left and passing into the small stream of traffic heading up from Maidenpool back, onto the Silver Road. Magnus was already getting a lot of attention, though the cub thought nothing of it and carried on walking, the squirrel still dangling limp in his mouth. Alex stepped up beside Braden and spoke quietly into his ear.
“Magnus is drawing some attention and we haven’t even reached the town proper.”
“I know, but what can we do?”
“We need to get to the docks quickly and find out when the earliest ship departs.”
Braden spotted a small wheelbarrow off to one side. He smiled to himself before walking over to the side of the road. Making sure no one was looking he picked up the wheelbarrow and began walking down the road with it. Alex quickly jogged up beside him.
“What are you doing? Stealing?”
“Borrowing, look we need to get Magnus in without being seen. Now follow me.”
They were beginning to reach the outskirts of the town and the small shanty houses which occur on the edge of any large towns and cities in the country, were beginning to appear along the road. Braden wheeled the barrow around the back of one, before taking off his chainmail and sword. He threw the chainmail in first before gesturing Magnus to jump in, the lion cub didn’t give it second thought and happily leaped into the barrow. Braden removed his outer shirt leaving him standing in just his thin white undershirt. It was soaked in sweat patches and with the mattered hair and stubble he really wasn’t a sight to behold. He tossed his shirt over the cub, before placing the sheathed sword under both the shirt and the chainmail.
“Alex you do the same, Troy, you can keep yours on.”
Braden knelt down next to the barrow coming eye level with Magnus.
“Now you stay still, lay down, have a sleep.”
The lion cub dropped the squirrel at his feet before turning around and curling up into a ball, Braden then placed Alex’s shirt on top. Between the two they covered the cub completely and only someone looking closely could see the rise and fall of Magnus’ breathing. Satisfied it was the best they were going to do Braden lifted the handles of the wheelbarrow and walked back onto the main road making his way into Maidenpool and straight to the docks.
“What do you mean seven silver marks for the three of us? That's extortionate. What kind of game are you playing?”
Braden was fuming. Alex had to place a hand on his shoulder to keep him calm.
“I’m sorry my young friend, but it’s three each for you two, and one for the kid.” Replied the ship's captain.
“Well, is that your final offer?”
“I’m not offering, that is the price. Trust me, I am the cheapest ship in the docks today.”
“Thank you, we will consider your offer.”
With that Braden turned sharply and walked off back down the peer towards the town. Troy was standing at the end of the peer leaning against the wheelbarrow. Braden didn’t know how he was going to get the cub on, without someone noticing. At best, they would be charged extra to keep him on board. The worse, they could be thrown off the ship for having a dangerous animal.
“He is right, he is the cheapest. The bald headed man wanted to charge us five silvers a head and the fat man wanted twenty.”
“I know, I know. It’s just we only have four silver pieces between us I really thought that would get us all the way there. Not only to Talbot, but we still have a four day walk the other side. Not forgetting we need to feed us, I don’t think another Naga is going to come past for us to kill.”
“What about the chainmail?” Asked Alex.
“What about it?”
“Look I know it was a gift, but it’s fine quality. My dad’s work is well sort after, and we might get six or seven silvers for it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Plus we have nothing else to sell apart from Bronn’s sword and I won’t let you sell that.”
Braden patted his friend on the shoulder thanking him.
“We need to find a blacksmith then.”
“I saw one on the way in.” Said Troy.
Braden and Alex looked at Troy as he stood smiling back at them.
Chapter XI
Alexander
Alex examined the blacksmith’s various wares, he took note of how each item was crafted. Much of the man’s work was domestic, very few military pieces were on display and from the look of those it wasn’t something the blacksmith did very often. He rubbed his thumb down the length of a short sword feeling the rough finish to the blade and shook his head. His father would be going crazy at the man and his lack of pride in his work, Alex felt like slapping the man himself. The heavy built smith moved slowly from the back of his workshop over to where Alex and Braden stood at the front. His face lacked any genuine sense of interest in anything they were likely to say.
“Can I help you? Horse shoes for your master?”
Alex and Braden looked at each other, did they really look like stable hands? He looked down at himself, he knew from that he probably wasn’t in a truly presentable state, he had not trimmed his beard in a little over a week now and not had the chance to wash or change his clothes since the night before the attack. They probably didn’t look like much more than a servant or beggar, which Alex realised, was never a good thing.
“No, thank you. We are looking to sell?”
Alex had made a point to Braden of doing the talking to the smith.
“I don’t buy kid. Unless it’s either scrap or cheap.”
Alex reached back to the wheelbarrow, pulling out the half-finished chainmail shirt. He placed a hand on Magnus’s head to keep him still as he wiggled it out from underneath him. He laid the shirt across the smith’s counter.
“Well, where did you steal this from?”
“We did not steal it.” Braden snapped.
Alex placed a hand on Braden’s shoulder to calm him. The smith raised his hands shocked at Braden’s raised voice.
“I meant no offence. But this is good quality and if you have the money to buy one, I doubt you would need to sell it so quickly. Added to that, it is u
nfinished.”
“It was a gift from my father to my friend here. We are heading to Alton, my friend here is looking to join the city guard and I am heading there on business for my dad.”
“Alton?”
“Yes.”
“So who is your father?”
“Uther Ferna from the village Farnshire.”
“The blacksmith? So you’re his son. You do look rather similar I’ll give you that. I met him a few times up at the Roost, big man, tallest I’ve ever seen. Blue eyes.”
“Green.” Alex replied quickly.
The smith smiled at him.
"So what does he want in Alton?"
"He is looking to set up a business partnership with a smith or a shop owner up there. Business is good, but there are only a few independent Lords and Knights in the Roost's lands, and my father excels in weapons and armour so it makes sense to head to the capital."
