by Keith Walsh
Kalen, his thrown daggers recovered, had been examining the creature’s body again, looking for other weaknesses out of curiosity when he heard the exchange between Atheles and the couple. Now satisfied he had found at least one more vulnerability in its armpits, he was eager to push on. “Yes, yes,” he said, walking hurriedly towards the group. “You’re sorry, I’m sorry, even the creature is sorry. You are young, you can have more children but we really must be going,” he continued, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
He whistled and his stallion immediately came. Vaulting into the saddle he took an unlit torch from a holder on the horse’s side and manoeuvring the animal to the fire he leaned down and lit it. “Hurry up Atheles,” he shouted, ignoring the shocked and disgusted expressions directed at him.
“But these people need our help Kalen…” Atheles said, prepared to argue his case. “They are not our concern Atheles, we have wasted enough time here,” countered Kalen, his patience visibly thinning. “This Gallant and the girl are our concern and they get further ahead with each wasted minute. Do not test me on this Atheles,” he continued, locking his famously cold eyes on the giant while controlling his eager mount.
“Please, do not get into further trouble on our account,” said Tom to Atheles, thinking he would sooner see the back of Kalen. “Yes, Tom is right,” added Cara, her feelings mimicking those of her husband. “You have done enough for us. The road is not far from here, we’ll be fine.” Kalen had gone from sight and Atheles knew he did not have much time. He whistled and within moments his own stallion arrived, followed by a mare. “Daisy!” said Cara, beaming.
Carefully she disengaged herself from her husband and rushed to the mare’s side and hugged it. The animal snorted, flicked its tail and cocked its head, obviously happy to be back with its owner. “Your animals are well trained,” said Tom looking to Atheles. “Aye, Kalen is not short of coin. Only the finest will do,” he replied while taking a new shirt from his saddlebag and slipping the brace for his axe back in place. Once dressed he picked up the weapon and slid it home.
“At least let me put your son upon the mare before I leave,” offered Atheles. Tom shook his head. “No, thank you for the offer but my wife will not have it, she can handle him.” He offered his left hand and Atheles shook it. “You are a good man,” said Atheles. “As are you,” replied Tom. Atheles looked away for a moment, seemingly lost in thought before finally his eyes met with Tom’s. “No, I am not,” he said quietly, vaulting into his own saddle and rousing his mount into life. “Safe journey.”
“Safe journey,” replied Tom as he watched the giant man head towards the trees. Cara, her attention previously on her mare suddenly became aware that Atheles was leaving. “Safe journey,” she shouted after him. Atheles turned to see her waving, and he nodded and watched as she knelt back down by her son’s body. She started to cry again and Tom moved to her side putting his good hand on her shoulder. She clasped it and Atheles looked away, leaving them to their grief. He could just barely make out the light from Kalen’s torch ahead and kicked his horse into a trot to catch up.
This is insane, he thought. What if there are more of those things out there? The memory of the parasites came back to him, and he shivered and scratched at his injury.
Chapter 9
Gallant cast a protective glance over Amber’s sleeping body. Satisfied that she slept soundly and safely he returned to the small fire Callis had lit and stretched his hands towards it for warmth. “Are you cold?” asked Callis with a hint of surprise. Gallant looked at him and smiled, shaking his head. “No, not at all, it’s just a force of habit. There is something relaxing about warming your hands on an open fire.” Callis returned the smile and said, “Aye, I understand. You did have me worried there for a moment though,” he added tossing another handful of small sticks into the fire.
“Oh? How so?” asked Gallant. Callis smiled at him. “Well, you claimed to have a forest background, chopping wood I believe you said?” He paused long enough for Gallant to nod a confirmation, and Callis nodded back. “And yet you looked to be cold on what is, in my opinion, a pretty humid night. It made me think perhaps you were not entirely honest about your past,” he kept his eyes on the giant and finished with another smile. Gallant chuckled.
“You have nothing to fear from me Callis. I can’t say the same for those that pursue us but from me personally, you have nothing to be afraid of,” he said, his eyes flicking over the young face from across the fire. Callis smiled before taking a deep breath and holding it momentarily. When finally he let it out it fogged. “Still think it’s humid?” Gallant said, noticing the fogged breath and chuckling. Callis shrugged. “Well, it’s not exactly cold,” he replied, with a sheepish expression. Gallant responded with a sarcastic smile and a raised eyebrow.
Callis rose and walked to his horse. He took two folded blankets from one of the saddlebags before returning to the fire and tossing one across to Gallant. “Thank you,” Gallant said, catching the blanket easily. Before laying it down he kicked the earth to clear it of any loose debris. Then, satisfied with his efforts, he laid the blanket on the ground and sat upon it. Once there he watched and waited while Callis did the same before speaking. “Earlier…” he paused for a moment as Callis stood, ran his hand along the blanket and then lifted it to pluck a stone from underneath it. This he tossed aside, then re-lay the blanket and sat on it. “Sorry,” Callis said upon realising Gallant was waiting for him. “Please continue.” Gallant cleared his throat.
“Earlier, you alluded to the fact that there are worse things in the forest than bears. Having grown up in a forest I racked my brain to think of what you may have meant and other then obvious things I could think of nothing,” he said flicking his eyes between Callis and the fire. “Obvious being?” countered Callis. Gallant stared at him for a moment, deciding whether the question was meant to be facetious or not. Seeing Callis smile he decided it wasn’t and answered.
“You know, wolves, snakes, spiders – possibly a big cat, rare as that may be. But nothing I would consider to be worse than a bear. Just as deadly maybe but not worse,” he said, looking at Callis. “Besides which, it is very rare that any of the beasts I mentioned would actively hunt a human.” Callis listened and then thought for a moment before speaking. “Well, you are right about attacks on humans. Such things are rare. I have no idea why that grizzly killed the two people from our village. The animal was known to us and we left it well alone. The attacks were unprovoked.”
“Perhaps someone else provoked it and your village just happened to be close enough that it struck there?” said Gallant. “Perhaps,” replied Callis shrugging. “What you did was… quite incredible. Defeating such a beast single-handed. I have never heard of such a thing.”
“Hmph, it nearly cost me my life, nothing incredible about that. Stupid is the word that comes to mind,” replied Gallant. “Aye, you were stupid all right,” said Callis making sure to avoid eye contact with Gallant who he could feel staring at him. “Considering the bear offered you a truce and all,” he continued, this time making sure to look straight at the giant and smiling cockily. Gallant stared back at him from under heavy brow but his mood lightened when he realised Callis was teasing him. “You have an interesting way of making your point,” said Gallant, looking away and half-smiling. “It is likely to get you strangled someday,” he added, throwing a somewhat sarcastic ‘I’m going to kill you’ look at Callis.
Callis smiled and raised his hands in surrender and both men chuckled, Gallant shaking his head. “So, you still haven’t answered my question,” said Gallant after some time passed. Callis just looked at him with a confused expression. “Other things in the forest…?” Gallant said. “Oh right,” Callis replied, suddenly remembering what he had started to say. “Truthfully, I may have exaggerated a little. I did not care for the idea of travelling at night back to my village alone and nor did I wish to make camp for the night on my own,” he explained. “So basically you just didn’
t want to be alone,” said Gallant smiling. “Basically, yes,” replied Callis with a snigger. “Although…” he paused for a moment, considering whether to actually say what he was thinking or not.
“Although?” pressed Gallant. Callis sighed and then locked his eyes on Gallant, deciding he would continue. “Well… I know how this may sound…” and then he hesitated. “Just get it out, I’m not here to judge,” Gallant said, trying to be reassuring but showing his impatience.
“There are rumours, stories even, of strange things in the swamps near here,” said Callis. Gallant listened intently, his eyes narrowing. “I mean, I don’t know what to believe but Matias – our village surgeon – has told me of people in this world who have… well, ‘gifts’ is what he calls it.”
“Aye, I have heard of such people,” said Gallant. “You have?” replied Callis, surprised but then remembering the giant asked him earlier if he was gifted when he had cared for his wounds. “Aye, but please continue,” Gallant said, waving an open hand towards Callis, eager to hear more. “Right… well, Matias says that some of these people choose to experiment with the natural things of this world. And that sometimes whether on purpose or through mistake they create unnatural thing—”
Gallant’s laughter interrupted Callis’ speech and he eyed the giant with some irritation but Gallant ignored the look and started to speak. “Wolves that walk like men? Giant snakes, ghouls and ghosts…? Surely you don’t believe in such things?” he said with a mocking smile. “They are stories told to keep children from venturing too far from home,” he continued, looking away as if his interest had expired. Callis sighed, feeling an air of resignation come over him, but he decided to continue.
“I understand your dismissal. Had I not witnessed what I saw earlier today I would have agreed with you completely but…” he paused, waiting to see if he had regained the giant’s attention. He saw Gallant look to the sleeping child again, then he glanced down at his chest and rubbed it. “Such as my wounds,” he said at last looking to Callis, suddenly very serious. “Yes, your wounds,” said Callis meeting the giant’s gaze. “Well… what did you see?” asked Gallant.
Callis looked to Amber and satisfied she slept soundly he focussed back on Gallant. “The child, Amber, she is gifted,” he said simply. Gallant was taken aback. He raised his head and squinted at the man, searching for any hint of deceit in him. He found none. He too shifted his gaze to Amber and thought about everything that had happened that day. Sister had not told him why the girl needed to be protected and neither had Dallious. He didn’t understand any of it but his father had instilled strong morals within him and once his word was given he would not break it. He had promised to look after the girl and now he would honour it to his death or until asked to step aside. If Callis spoke the truth and Amber indeed had a gift, it might explain why she needed protection even if the truth had not fully been revealed.
Callis waited patiently for the giant to respond and finally it came. “All right. Suppose I believe you. What did you see?” he asked, focussing on Callis intensely. Callis felt a little uneasy and said, “There’s no reason to look at me like that Gallant. I have nothing to gain by deceiving you, or any desire to do so.” The giant blinked and relaxed a little. “I’m sorry Callis, I don’t realise I’m doing it sometimes and what you say is quite shocking to me.” Callis nodded.
“I understand. I assure you I felt just as shocked when I witnessed what I did but I had the added pressure of you dying to help push me through it,” he replied. Gallant grunted a response, still annoyed at having been in that position in the first place. “Anyway,” said Callis, “when I started to tend your wounds I promised Amber I wouldn’t hurt you but you moaned when my needle first pierced your skin and she jumped to your defence.” Gallant glanced to Amber. “She’s a good child,” he said smiling. “Well, she certainly likes you,” responded Callis. “So she started to cry and I saw some of her tears fall on the lesser cut on your arm. Much to my amazement it began to heal and soon vanished altogether,” he continued, noting the bewilderment on the giant’s face.
“What you’re saying is… incredible,” said Gallant, his eyes wide, his head shaking with disbelief. “I know,” replied Callis. “But it is also true. I managed to put aside my disbelief at the time thanks mainly to the urgency of your condition and partly due to Matias’ stories, but as I sit here now, describing to you what happened, it seems unbelievable.”
“Aye, it does,” said Gallant looking to Amber. A thought occurred to him then. “But why the need for secrecy? My other wounds have healed too so obviously Amber is aware of her gift – how else would she have healed them?” Gallant said looking at Callis warily. “Ah, about that…” replied Callis. Gallant caught the change in his expression and his mood darkened. “What did you do to her?” he asked throwing the young man a look that could kill. Callis squirmed. “Now now, let’s not be too hasty,” he said. “I would never physically hurt a child but a little emotional cruelty was needed on this occasion,” he continued, his body language that of a person getting ready to bolt. The tension was obviously making him forget his father’s saying of ‘never say never.’
Gallant’s mood eased a little, happy that Amber had not been roughly treated. “I assure you I’m not proud of what I did. In fact I’m ashamed, but I considered even with my help your odds of making it were slim and so when I saw the child’s gift I made an effort to use it,” explained Callis. Gallant looked confused. “Well, if you didn’t hurt her physically then how did you do it?” he asked, his tone still wary. Seeing that the giant no longer looked as if he would beat him, Callis relaxed, warming his hands over the fire.
“I had no idea if the tears needed to fall into the wound directly or not but the thought occurred to me that perhaps they didn’t so I feigned that I could not help you and that you were going to die,” said Callis. “Had you not intervened that would most likely have been the case,” said Gallant. “You should know though that I would never want Amber hurt for my sake,” he added, casting a protective glance over the sleeping child. Callis nodded, not noticing Gallant looking away from him, his own eyes staring into the fire.
“I understand. And as I said I would never physically hurt a child,” Callis said. “Or at least I would hate to think myself capable of such a thing,” he added quickly, remembering now his father’s words ‘never say never’. Gallant had been about to speak but upon hearing Callis add that second part of his sentence he fell silent. “Anyway,” Callis continued, “to cut a long story short, let me just say that after some to and fro, I eventually managed to coax the child to cry above your chest and within moments your injuries began to heal.”
Gallant looked lost in thought as if taking in everything Callis told him. “It all seems so unbelievable,” he said after some time had passed. “Had you told me such a story about another person I would have deemed you mad, but seeing clearly that my wounds are gone…” he trailed off, thinking for a moment. “Unless of course you are the one who is gifted and not Amber at all,” he said, eyeing Callis.
Callis laughed aloud at first but then caught himself, realising Amber still slept. “Sorry,” he said, looking to Gallant after a quick glance at the girl. “If I had such a gift I would travel the world making fabulous amounts of coin. I would feel no need to hide such a wonderful thing,” he said smiling widely, his eyes bright. Gallant shrugged and nodded his response before taking another pause. He remembered again that Sister had given no reason for the child needing protection and decided that perhaps this man’s story may be true. No matter how miraculous it seemed to him he could not deny that his wounds were gone and Amber had claimed Callis to be God, which suggested she had no idea of her gift.
He remembered also how Callis had eyed him cautiously when asking if Gallant could explain the disappearance of his injuries. It made sense to him now but at the time he had felt confused by the reaction to the question. Everything pointed to Amber being the one with the gift and now he
found himself wondering if the power of healing was the only one she possessed. “Is Amber really your daughter?” asked Callis, eager to break the silence. Upon hearing the question Gallant pulled himself from his thoughts. He focussed intently on Callis considering whether he should reveal the truth or not.
“It’s just I find it hard to believe you would not notice such a gift in your own child. My father used to tell me he knew where I was going before I did,” said Callis, followed by a smile. “Aye, you have a point,” replied Gallant, remembering similar words from his own father. “No, she is not my flesh,” he added, his decision made. Callis smiled warmly at him. “I understand the need for the lie but what changed your mind now?” he asked, remembering when Gallant had told Jasper that Amber was his daughter. Gallant sighed. “I guess… I felt more threatened when surrounded by five men then I do sitting here with one. Not to mention the sixth man that sat on his horse in the background,” he replied, thinking back to the scene.
“Ah yes, poor Lalias,” said Callis shaking his head. “To lose a wife and a child within such little time would break most men I think,” he continued.
“I wouldn’t know,” said Gallant dismissively. Callis noted the response. “You have no one like that in your life then? No wife and family?” he asked, with a certain amount of trepidation. Considering the question Gallant stared into the fire, his thoughts of home. He could think of no one that he would have liked to have settled down with.
The female form attracted him greatly but women’s incessant need to talk and the games they played with his mind annoyed him to the point that he avoided their company. His mother had passed when he was young and his father tried only to instil strength in him and his brother, rarely showing them any real affection. Not until the fight with his older brother did his father show any weakness, turning to drink and becoming a shadow of his former self. His brother had beaten his father with ease that day and then left, never to be heard from again. He believed his father felt like a failure from that point on, but not due to losing the fight, more as a father. In the years that passed Gallant had kept mostly to himself. Sure, he could turn on the charm when needed but he preferred his own company. Realising Callis awaited a response he snapped back to the present. “No,” he answered coldly.
