They met gazes, both refusing to blink, both refusing to give anything that the other might take for weakness. Looking into those eyes, even at this distance, made Garret feel sick to his stomach. Something had to be done about this aberration. Something would be done. Garret raised his sword above his head, looking over his shoulder to his comrades. He let the sword swing down in front of him to point at his enemy, and with this unspoken command he yelled at the top of his lungs. “For Valdadore!”
The plains echoed his battle cry as a thousand voices joined his own and rumbled the very earth beneath them. “For Valdadore!”
The image shifted then as both armies charged one another. First the grass went from blood-smeared green to black, and then the sky went black as well. All traces of light were lost, and with it, all sound. The image faded from Garret’s mind leaving him in darkness. Leaving him to ponder the horrible sights he had witnessed. Leaving him alone in his mind, in the dark comfort that was his subconscious, to get some needed rest.
Both brothers slept restfully within their own beds, within their own minds. Neither would again dream this night. Both would remember their dreams though, all too well would they remember them. Perhaps one day they would understand the meaning, if the dreams held any meaning at all.
Chapter 6
Seth
Seth awoke to the knock at their door and he and Garret in turn mumbled some sort of reply. The door cracked open a bit and James poked his large head around it.
“Get moving boys. If you want to get in a good day of travel today you need to be ready by sunrise,” James stated. Then he closed the door gently, turned and walked back down the hall, his slow plodding steps telling much about his mood. Today was not going to be a good day.
Rising from his bed Garret lit a lantern and placed it on the window sill. Whether it was nervousness or anxiousness that guided them, both Seth and Garret were dressed more quickly than was usual. Sitting on the end of his bed, Seth pulled on his new boots. Lacing them up tightly, he looked across the room at his brother who was doing the same.
“Well I guess this is it!” Seth said in a tone of resignation.
“Yeah,” was the only response Garret could muster.
Good, Seth thought. At least Garret was finally getting the picture.
Standing across the room from one another, they exchanged compliments on their new attire. Garret did indeed look like royalty in his blue and silver travel garb, with his sword already sheathed at his hip and dagger at his waist. Seth reached down to pick up his belt and new sword, and threaded the belt through the scabbard. He then did the same with the dagger and strapped the belt around his waist. It all felt a bit heavy, almost uncomfortable. Garret looked Seth up and down in appreciation and then laughed loudly.
“What?” Seth demanded. “Did I put something on wrong?”
“No, it’s just funny seeing you like that.” Garret continued laughing.
“What’s so funny about it?” Now Seth was getting a bit annoyed.
“Well,” Garret said trying to compose himself. “You’re all dressed in black with a black cloak, black sword, black, black and more black.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Seth questioned, sounding a bit harsher than he intended.
“Nothing. It’s just that you look like what I imagine an assassin would look like, creeping around on roof tops.”
Both twins started laughing then and Seth imagined how he must appear all dressed in black, as if he were clothed in darkness.
“An assassin, huh?” Seth thought out loud. “Now there is a profession I hadn’t thought of. I wonder if assassins are picked at The Choosing. Just one more worry to add to the list.”
Trading opinions and commented on each other’s new stylish looks for a few more minutes, they headed out to the common room, where they could hear their father talking to someone.
Rounding the corner into the seating area where they had received their gifts, Seth saw the other boy from last night seated at the bar eating and nodding to a question James had asked. He was a tall, awkward looking skinny kid with a child’s face. His hair was a light blonde color and cut just above the ears as if a bowl had been placed on his head and then followed around with scissors. His eyes were a bright, penetrating blue, seemingly full of happiness. Beside him were two more plates of food. James looked up and waved the twins over, pointing at the plates of food.
“Eat while it’s hot, boys,” James smiled.
“It’s Ashton, right?” Seth asked the boy at the bar.
“Yes, Ashton Rayne,” the boy confirmed with a smile on his lips looking over the twins. “You must be Seth.” He reached out and clasped hands with Seth briefly and then turned his head to look past him. “That makes you Garret then.” Releasing Seth’s hand he then extended it to Garret.
“It’s nice to meet you,” was Garret’s reply, Seth merely nodded his agreement.
“Your father has been telling me all about all the extra work he is going to have to do when you guys leave today,” Ashton added. “It seems we all are leaving things unfinished behind us.” He trailed off on this last part as if thinking of something far away.
“Well boys,” James said briskly. Seth could tell he didn't like the mood this last statement from Ashton was bringing out. “Eat your fill. You’ve got a long journey ahead of you. If you need more food just holler. I'll be in the kitchen.” With that James turned on his heel and walked through the door to the kitchen. The boys, all three, watched him go uncomfortably, seeing the tears gathering in the big man's eyes.
The twins seated themselves beside Ashton, Seth the nearest, and began eating. They each had a heaped plate of scrambled eggs, day old bread, cheese and fried pork. This was to be their last home cooked meal for a while, and it seemed James wanted to make sure it lasted.
Ashton, having been the first to sit down to eat, was the first to finish. Being a good guest, and patient to let the twins eat, he related to them his journey from home to here at Vineleaf. He also told them as much as he knew about The Choosing ceremony, much of which they had already been aware. He then told them about his older brother, Alex, who was already in service to the kingdom as a healer.
“I have the gift too,” he stated proudly and then continued, “though I’m not as advanced as Alex had been when he left.”
With Ashton’s last words, the twins shoveled the last of their food into their mouths. The door to the kitchen again swung open and James came out, looking fully composed. He rounded the bar without a word and went to stand by the front door of the inn. Taking his meaning, all three boys dismounted their stools. They picked up their packs, hoisting them onto their backs and cinching down the straps until they were snug and comfortable. Looking at the three of them, James gave a big sigh as his shoulders again slumped and he heaved the door open. He walked briskly through, the three boys following behind him.
Outside the sky was changing from black to blue, the sun still hidden behind the mountains to the east. The air was cool, but dry, and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen. Today it would not rain. To the Seth’s surprise, their entire village was gathered outside the inn. Everyone was watching him and his brother, taking in their new attire and nodding approval. Most importantly though, Jack, Emily, Rose and Samuel smiled at them, knowing they had done their best for the boys so that the twins would be as prepared as they could be for whatever lay ahead for them.
James was the first to take the three steps down into the awaiting crowd. He was greeted by stiff handshakes from the men, and hugs from the women. By the time he had thanked everyone in turn for coming and greeted them all, his tears ran freely down his cheeks. The look of composure he previously had fixed in place had been lost somewhere in the small crowd.
Seeing his father in such pain, Seth too began to get misty-eyed and walked down the three steps with his brother to say goodbye to everyone they loved. It wasn’t until Garret had picked up the toddler Samantha, the youngest daughter of Max a
nd Ellen, that Seth noticed him crying openly. Seth knew he would miss her tremendously. She was very much like a younger sister to both of them, though had a stronger bond with Garret. He had spent many afternoons teaching her new words, playing peek-a-boo and running around with her little body on his shoulders pretending to be a horse. Seth didn’t envy his brother the loss. He couldn’t even imagine how the years to come would change her little face.
For Seth it was when he hugged Emily’s sister, Rose that caused him to start crying. Rose was a foster mother to Seth and his brother, as was Emily. But it had been Rose who had taught Seth to read and to write. He had spent many nights with Rose reading a book from her small collection, sitting on her lap, listening intently. He remembered those nights now and they ripped at his soul.
Seth felt homesick already. Seeing his brother equally as uncomfortable as he, they hurriedly said their farewells to everyone, and came last to their father who now stood with his shoulders thrown back, his face in a pain stricken grimace, trying with all his might to hold back the emotions that tore through his body. James gathered both Seth and Garret up in his arms, hugging them so tightly it made breathing difficult. The twins hugged him back just as fiercely. When the hug relaxed, and they were all able to breathe once again, James took a step back and looked at his sons. He looked from Seth’s eyes to Garret’s and back again.
“You boys be careful now…" James choked while blinking his eyes a couple of times in an attempt at fighting back the tears before he continued. “You look out for each other, and keep each other safe.” The twins nodded as he continued. “You’re all I have, and as much as I wish I could, I can’t come with you. From here on, all you have is each other, that’s more than some have and more still than many deserve. Don’t you go worrying about me, I’ll be fine, Emily and Rose will see to that. You just worry about yourselves and each other. Dammit, keep safe and don’t do anything stupid. Don’t go trying to be a hero and get hurt. You bring yourselves back in one piece, whenever that may be, and I will be here waiting.”
All three of them, tears streaming again, gave each other one last hug. “Now, you boys get going. Ashton’s waiting for you just down there.” He pointed down the small path leading into the woods to the south.
Sure enough, Ashton was there, sitting on a tree stump, again reading his book. The twins both nodded to him, wiping the tears from their cheeks, and turned to head down the trail. James grabbed each of his son’s shoulders, nodded once more as if in farewell and began walking back towards the inn.
Seth and his twin watched their father trudge, shoulders slumped, up the steps to the inn. James got to the door and paused as if to turn around for one last goodbye. But he heaved the door open and walked inside, never looking back. The twins watched the inn for a moment longer, then with a shared look of pain and remorse, put on as best they could a pair of determined faces and slowly walked to where Ashton was waiting for them.
They paused briefly when they reached him, just long enough for him to put away his book and grab his things, then started off together down the trail, Ashton falling in alongside them. An hour passed with them walking in silence, the twins dwelling on their home, their father, their past. Ashton had inhaled loudly several times in this hour as if to say something, then thinking better of it decided to let the twins brood in silence.
Ashton again took a deep breath and hesitated, but tired of the gloomy silence continued.
“You guys have a very nice father,” he stated sincerely. “He didn’t charge me a single copper to stay last night, nor did he charge me for my food or drink.”
Both Seth and Garret were looking at Ashton now, each with a small grin on their faces.
“You know,” Ashton continued. “You guys are really lucky too.” Again the twins waited for Ashton to continue, looking at him with questioning glances. Ashton noted their looks and again continued again.
“Twins are really rare. So, it occurred to me that sure, sometimes a kid might go to The Choosing with a neighbor, or a cousin, or even a good friend, but how often does anyone get to go with their brother or sister? It just seems to me that you guys are lucky. It’s kind of like you get to take a little bit of home, of normal everyday life with you.”
Seth pondered Ashton’s statement and realized that indeed he was quite lucky having Garret along with him. Seth imagined how Ashton must have felt leaving home alone, traveling two days through the mountain passes until he reached Vineleaf.
“You know, Ashton,” Seth began, breaking his silence for the first time, “you are absolutely correct. We are blessed to be twins. However, when I say it’s nice to not be going to The Choosing alone, I say it meaning not only am I glad to have Garret along as my brother, but to have you along as well as a friend.”
“That goes for me too, Ashton,” Garret added.
Ashton smiled at them both, obviously glad the silence was over. Seth could only imagine that he had had enough of that traveling through the mountains by himself.
The three continued to talk, most of the day and into early evening, telling the stories of their lives up until this point. Seth spoke mostly for himself and Garret, with his brother adding in details he missed along the way. Ashton told too of his past with his family in Glenvale. His father had been a soldier in the armies of Valdadore, his mother a priestess of Lorentia, the goddess of healing
When Ashton’s father was injured in battle and near to death, he was given into the hands of Ashton’s mother to be watched over and taken care of. She had spent months healing his wounds, and in that time they had fallen in love. Not wanting to lose each other, and since their enlistments to the kingdom had expired, they left their services to the king and moved to Glenvale. Here they had two children, Alex, the eldest son, now in service to the kingdom following in his mother’s footsteps as a priest of Lorentia, and Ashton, the younger son, hoping to follow his mother’s and brother’s calling as well.
“How do you guys make a living?” Seth asked. “That is, if I’m not asking anything too personal,” he added as an afterthought.
“Well, my mom continues to heal people,” Ashton said with pride, “though she only accepts donations because some people can’t afford much, if anything at all. My dad no longer wields a sword. He spends most of his time helping people build houses and it pays pretty well. Glenvale is growing fast. I guess it’s because we are so close to the ocean and it’s the only pass around the mountains to the north,” Ashton ended, his childish face alight with a giant smile, thinking of home.
Despite his awkward boyish looks, Ashton was nearly four months older than the twins. This had come as quite a surprise to Seth when they compared birthdates with their newfound friend.
They continued walking and talking like old friends as they wound their way southward, following the narrow trail through the forest as the sky slowly began to darken. The day had been perfect for traveling; warm, but not uncomfortable, a slight cool breeze at their backs, sunshine, not a single cloud in the sky. Though the day was fading, rapidly becoming dark, it appeared that they too would have a well-weathered night. As daylight was fading the three companions decided they should look for a site to make camp.
Continuing down the trail they looked this way and that, searching for a suitable spot to rest for the night. It wasn’t long before Garret spotted a small clearing off the right side of the trail where a large tree had been uprooted and now leaned against its neighbors, making a large depression, sheltered from the elements on three sides beneath its roots. The trio could not believe their luck and set to making camp.
The air was cooling off as the last of the debris was removed from the hollow beneath the tree, but it wasn’t yet cold enough for a fire so the boys unanimously agreed against starting one. The twins dug their blankets out of their packs, unrolled them and laid them in their makeshift shelter. Ashton pulled a large leather hide out of his pack, which he told them was from a bear, and laid it in the shelter as well. They all
removed food from their packs and shared with each other happily, talking about their hopes for The Choosing.
Obviously Ashton wanted to join the white-robed healers who followed the teachings of their goddess Lorentia. Garret too had no problem telling them that he was hoping to join the ranks of the army and win glorious battles. It was then that Ashton told them there were two gods that most of the army worshipped; Gorandor, the god of honor and valor, and Vikstol, the god of battle. Seth noted immediately that Garret’s hopes had come to a screeching halt, and understandably. Sure they had heard of the gods, though he didn’t remember any of their names until now, but neither had ever considered joining a religion. After all, there were no places of worship in Vineleaf and no one there Seth could think of offhand had ever worshipped any god.
Thinking over it a few minutes while Ashton prattled on about the differences between the two gods and their worship, Seth noted his brother’s steadily nodding head. It was obvious that Garret had come to the conclusion that if these gods were good enough for those under the banner of the armies of Valdadore, then certainly one of them would be worthy of his worship. Only when it was Seth’s turn to tell of his hopes did their shelter seem a bit too small.
“I don’t know what I want,” Seth admitted. I don’t want to fight just because someone says to. I don’t want honor or glory. Don’t get me wrong Ashton, I think healing people is wonderful, but personally, I’d rather not be the one to do it. To be honest,” He continued with a sigh, “I just want to do my five years and come home. I suppose I’ll have to do whatever I am chosen for, and make the best of it, but the only praying I plan to do is for a swift enlistment and safe return home.”
Set sat silently a moment, thinking over his own words and feelings again before he continued.
“I suppose if I was given the choice, I would like to do something for the families who have lost a loved one in the kingdom’s wars.”
Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) Page 4
