The four companions rode their mounts side by side in a wall of thundering hooves as the afternoon grew into evening, but Seth knew they still had a few hours of light to ride with. After some time, they slowed their pace to a trot, allowing the horses, and their backsides, a short reprieve. They had not yet stopped to eat this day and so decided together to find a place to let the horses graze for a while and eat an evening meal. Riding for about a quarter of an hour more, they found a spot where the land had not been plowed for crops, and so grass grew thickly enough for the horses to graze. There was only one scraggly tree which the horses could easily uproot if they desired, but having no other option, the companions tied all four horses to it, leaving the horses liberal slack so that they might graze enough to fill their bellies.
While the boys were tying up the horses, Sara spread out Seth’s blanket on the ground, preparing a place for the four of them to eat. The young men returned carrying food with them and seated themselves on the blanket with Sara. They took their time eating to allow the horses to graze, unsure how much such a large animal was supposed to eat. Finishing their meal the group continued to sit for a short while. Without any formal decision to leave, they each stood after some time, anxious to get going. Seth returned the blanket to his pack, and the four walked together to retrieve their steeds. Untying them from the tree the four friends led their mounts across the road to where the river flowed a short distance away and allowed the animals to drink. After the beasts’ thirst appeared to be satiated, they climbed back into their saddles to continue while they still had light.
CHAPTER 68
Garret
Garret placed his foot in the stirrup of his mount. He knew it was his horse because it was the tallest of the four. He had picked this one for that very reason. Lifting his body high into the air he swung his other leg over the saddle and into the other stirrup. Standing in the stirrups he looked down the road to the horizon. Shimmering just over the horizon, Garret could see six identical objects, evenly spaced from one another. Oblivious to the danger of doing so, and wanting to get a better look, Garret removed his feet from the stirrups and precariously climbed up to stand atop his saddle. Looking again to the distance, this time with a better vantage point, he could more clearly see the objects. Not only could he see the objects, he could now identify them as towers and he could also see the wall that connected them.
Garret’s three companions all remained silent, still watching, when he climbed back down into the saddle.
“So?” Seth questioned at last.
Garret pulled on his reins, turning his mount back around toward his companions. As he turned everyone noted the smile on his face, but waited for him to answer his brother’s question.
“We’re there,” Garret stated coolly, the smile still remaining on his lips.
“We’re where?” Again it was Seth who asked.
“Here,” Garret answered jokingly.
“OK then, then where exactly is here?” Seth asked perplexed.
“Valdadore,” Garret simply stated, then continued. “If you look carefully, you can see six evenly spaced triangles on the horizon.”
Seth, Ashton and Sara each looked to the horizon at this statement, and one by one returned their eyes to Garret, each nodding their agreement.
“When I stood up I could see that each of those triangles is the top of a tower, and connecting the towers is a wall. I think it is Valdadore. It must be, there aren’t any other towns or cities between Paldoon’s Hold and the capital that I can recall hearing about.”
“How far away do you think it is?” Seth asked his twin.
“Well, at the pace we were keeping this morning, I would say maybe four hours. That’s assuming the walls here are the same height as the walls of Paldoon’s Hold. If they are taller, that means it is further away and so will take longer. However, if we pick up the pace, like we were doing yesterday or maybe even faster if the horses can take it, I would say two and a half, maybe three hours tops. That would get us there right about sunset.”
Garret watched as Seth looked up, noting the sun’s position in the sky. The sky was still clear, and they did have about three hours of light left. Looking across from the sun, Garret also noted the two moons shining palely in the sky. The first was already well risen, the second just coming over the eastern horizon.
“Well, I guess we’d better get going then,” Seth said, coming to the same conclusion as Garret. “Seems to me, even if you’re off by a few hours, both moons will be out tonight so if we have to travel in the dark we should still be able to see.”
Without waiting for the others to voice their opinions, Garret spun his horse around and drove his heels into its flanks. His mount erupted forward, blazing down the road away from his companions. A moment later his companions burst off down the road at a gut-wrenching pace behind him as their mounts’ hooves pounded a steady rhythm.
They pushed their enormous mounts harder than they had the day before, pushing them to speeds the young companions had not imagined possible for a living creature. They thundered down the road with scenery flashing past them in a blur. They rode like this, nonstop, until only the last traces of light remained. Finally Garret reigned in his horse and shortly was joined by his twin, Sara and Ashton. They looked at the horizon ahead of them, still at least three hours away, at the massive city that sprawled across the landscape. The sheer size of it left them in awe. Garret couldn’t help but to wonder how it was that man could build something this magnificent, this enormous? Even at this distance it was easy to tell that each of the towers rose a full twelve stories from the ground, and the wall that connected them was easily ten stories high. In the center of the wall facing them was one massive gate. The gate stood half the height of the wall itself, and was twice as wide as it was tall.
The light was beginning to fade from the sky, but even so it was apparent from this distance that the twins had been mistaken in their assumptions of how the city would look. Each of them had imagined it much smaller for starters. Also, they had each thought that it would be the same dull, blue-grey color as Stone Haven. After all, it was said that the capital city had been built from stone quarried from the town they had previously visited. But as it stood, magnificent on the horizon, Valdadore gleamed white into the impending darkness.
“So what should we do?” Sara asked no one in particular.
“Well, it appears it’s at least three more hours at the pace we were just running. We can’t travel at even half that speed in the dark, moons or not. So we are looking at a minimum of six more hours if we continue tonight,” Garret replied.
“I say we find a spot. We make camp. Then first thing tomorrow, we pick up where we left off. We can eat breakfast within the walls of Valdadore before mid- morning,” Seth stated, his mind apparently made up.
Garret agreed, as did the others, with Seth’s idea and headed off the road, spreading out but remaining in sight of one another, to look for a place to make camp.
CHAPTER 69
Seth
Not able to find anything resembling shelter, Seth led his horse to a large oak that stood alone in a field. No leaves remained on the tree, but they did make a nice soft layer on the ground beneath it, and so he decided it would have to do. Calling to Sara to join him he dismounted his horse and looked for a place to tie it. Sara called to Ashton, who called to Garret, and the three came to join Seth beneath the tree. When they arrived they each dismounted and led their horses to where Seth was tying his own to a branch that hung low to the ground. Tying their horses to the branch too, they dug through their saddle bags for their food. Carrying their supplies they each walked around the tree and spread out near its base. They sat to eat in the early darkness, none of them speaking, each of them daydreaming of what they might see the next morning.
After their meal they each unpacked their blankets and settled down to go to sleep. Seth walked a way off from his brother and Ashton, wanting some privacy with Sara. She followed
him to where he laid out their blanket, and when he sat, so did she.
Instead of sitting in his lap, as she would have usually done, she sat in front of him. She wanted to be close enough so they could talk quietly and privately and she wanted to be able to see his expression.
“I’ve been thinking today,” Sara stated.
“Thinking about what, my angel?” Seth asked.
“About The Choosing,” she replied.
“Ah…,” Seth said, then asked. “What about it?”
“I’m scared Seth,” Sara whispered, her lower lip trembling.
Instinctively Seth leaned forward and hugged Sara into his chest, hoping to ease her pain, hoping to make her feel safe.
“Why are you scared, my love?” he asked her. “There is nothing to be afraid of. I won’t let anything happen to you. It’s just a ceremony. Nobody is going to hurt you.”
“I know how it works, Seth, and that is why I am scared,” she told him.
“Then what are you afraid of, Sara? I will be there with you I promise,” Seth assured her.
“I know you will, but I’m afraid that although we are going to go to the ceremony together, they are going to choose us for different positions in different places. I’m afraid they are going to take you away from me.” Sara sobbed, no longer able to control her emotions.
The thought had dawned on Seth before, and now that he thought about it again, he too was afraid, not only of losing Sara but also his brother.
“I’m so sorry, Sara. I hadn’t thought to mention it before. You said you’ve been thinking about it. Have you come up with a plan or solution?” Seth asked.
“No love, the only thing I could think of is us running away. We could go somewhere far away where no one has heard of The Choosing, and we could hide. That way, at least we could be together,” Sara said still sobbing, her eyes filled with hope.
Seth thought it over a moment. It was a good plan. It was simple and to the point, and with their combined money they would be able to travel nearly anywhere they wanted if they went on foot. The only thing that kept Seth from immediately agreeing was his brother. Seth and Garret had been not only brothers, but best friends from birth. They had never been apart, not even for a day. Seth could not imagine running away, not knowing when, if ever, he would see his twin again. He knew too that Garret would not agree to run with them. Garret wanted to go to The Choosing, he wanted to serve the kingdom.
Seth looked to the beautiful woman who sat in front of him. She sat watching him expectantly, hoping that he would accept her plan and they could leave this night. He loved her with every fiber of his being and wanted in no way to hurt or disappoint her. Thinking quickly, Seth formulated a solid, mature decision.
“We can’t run away, Sara,” Seth began, and seeing Sara’s shoulders slump and tears filling her eyes, he quickly continued, “not yet at least. Please don’t cry Sara, hear me out. I think you will agree with my idea, and if you don’t like it, we will figure something else out together.”
It was obvious Sara did not trust her voice and so she nodded for him to continue instead of speaking.
“My dad used to tell Garret and I to never give something up without trying it,” Seth explained. “It has always been good advice so far, so I think it should also apply to this. I say we go to The Choosing, give it a try, see what we are chosen for. If they separate us, we make a run for it. Tomorrow night we will be staying in an inn somewhere in the city. Wherever that inn is, it’s where we will meet if they separate us. As soon as it is dark, just head to the inn and I will be there and we will leave together, I promise. If we aren’t separated, then I say we do our five years of service so long as we are together,” Seth finished, his eyes never leaving Sara’s amber gaze.
CHAPTER 70
Sara
Sara listened. Seth was, as she expected, easily able to come up with a plan. He was a rational thinker, an intelligent person. Sara knew if they had any options he would find them, and he had. She nodded her agreement to him, wiping the tears from her face. She smiled at the man she loved. He would be there for her, no matter what, and just thinking about it made the pain of future possibilities vanish. No longer was she afraid of The Choosing. She reached up, placed her hands on his chest and shoved with all her might. She couldn’t help the grin that crept across her lips.
Seth toppled over backwards, landing on his back in the leaves, no longer even upon their blanket. Before he could process what had just happened, Sara was on top of him, giving him no time to react. She straddled his waist, pressing her body to his. She pushed her mouth onto his and parted his lips with her eager tongue. They kissed intensely for many moments until their breath came in ragged gasps. Releasing his lips she trailed down his neck kissing him softly, every kiss bringing her lower. When she ran out of neck to kiss, she reached between their bodies and, grabbing his shirt, pulled it all the way up to his shoulders. She sat up, admiring his muscled physique and ran her fingers lightly across the lines of his chest and abdomen. Lying back down upon him she began to kiss him in random locations across his chest and stomach until he could no longer endure remaining still.
CHAPTER 71
Seth
Unable to continue taking the pleasurable torment she unleashed upon him, Seth took matters into his own hands. He rolled over quickly, and careful not to hurt Sara, he pinned her beneath his body. Holding his own weight he slid his body down until once again their lips met. He kissed her hard but lovingly. His lips remained locked to hers relentlessly. Her breaths coming in gasps, she pulled her legs out from beneath him, raising her knees to either side of him. This position brought her hips and pelvis to press against his body in a pleasurable way he had not experienced before, and not wanting to give her the upper hand, he changed his tactic. Sliding down once more he began to lightly kiss her neck, exhaling his warm breath upon her as he did. As his lips worked down the length of her neck a small moan escaped her lips. He knew he was on the right track. Continuing his descent he left a trail of kisses down to her collar bone. Her breaths came loud and fast as he continued his assault. Her tunic was cut severely low in the front, exposing portions of her soft body that he yearned to touch. Keeping his hands to either side of her to support his body, he continued to kiss her exposed flesh. Her body began to tremble, and so he continued to kiss her, low into the V of her tunic. As his mouth reached the last portion of her uncovered flesh, her quick breaths stopped as she bit her bottom lip, her hips rolling against his abdomen. She shuddered and her breaths returned deep and slow.
Slowly, with an occasional kiss to her warm skin, Seth slid his body up hers, bringing them once again eye to eye. As their gazes met they smiled lovingly at one another, Sara’s smile twisting into a mischievous grin.
“Come ‘ere you,” she said, grasping the hair on his head and pulling his mouth to hers.
She kissed him hard, giving his bottom lip a slight tug with her teeth playfully.
“I love you,” Sara told him, her eyes sparkling wetly.
“I love you too, angel.” Seth replied. “But you need to be more careful.”
“What do you mean, my love?” she asked.
“Well, if I am to eventually make an honest woman out of you, you’re going to have to control yourself a bit better.”
“Is that so?” Sara asked mockingly. “Do you then have plans already for us to be joined?”
“Nothing would please me more,” Seth replied honestly. “But if we are going to do it right, you need to be more careful. I was on the verge of tearing your clothes off there for a while.”
“I would have stopped you,” Sara replied with a knowing smile on her lips.
“Oh you would have, huh?” Seth asked mockingly.
“Yes,” Sara stated. “If you think our first time is going to be among a pile of dead leaves, you are mistaken my love.”
“So, you have it all planned out then?” Seth asked.
“All but the part when you ask me to sp
end my life with you, and the part where we exchange rings. Those parts are up to you,” Sara told him.
“Seems to me you have those parts all planned out as well,” Seth said jokingly.
Seth kissed her again lightly, and stood, pulling her up with him. Then he laid her back on their blanket and lowered himself down onto his side. She rolled onto her side, her back to him, and pulled his arms around her. Seth held her body tightly against his own. Releasing her momentarily he pulled the remaining half of the blanket tightly over them to keep them warm.
“Good night, my angel,” Seth whispered into her ear.
“Good night, love,” she replied.
Chapter 72
Garret
Morning came quickly, and with its coming, Garret and his companions awoke and prepared to travel the last few hours to the fortified city of Valdadore. They decided before leaving that they would let the horses again drink from the river, so they slung their packs onto their shoulders, untied their respective mounts and led them to the water. The horses drank enthusiastically for many minutes while their temporary masters waited impatiently for them to finish.
Finally, seemingly satiated, the horses lost interest in the water and the four companions mounted them and set off once again at an alarming pace towards the giant stone city.
The hours passed swiftly as they thundered down the wide, paved road. The nearer they got, the larger the city grew and they began to notice more details. There were narrow slits high up in the wall and also guards could be seen patrolling along the top. The unbelievably high towers had several windows upon each level, facing out in all directions. As the companions raced nearer, it became apparent that the city was much, much larger than they had presumed before. Being just a few miles away now, the massive stone wall surrounding it stretched as far as the eye could see, from one horizon to the other, hiding anything beyond the walls from view. It was easily twenty miles across from corner to corner on this particular side with a huge portcullis directly at its center. The sheer size of it all was enchanting to the travelers. Never had any one of them believed that man could create anything this vast or marvelous.
Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) Page 17
