by D. L. Kramer
"Come on," Bear said, digging his heels into Chase's side. Chase leaped forward, followed closely by Paki and Tuketu.
Paki could see a well-defined path leading right up to the water's edge and Bear led them down it. It wasn't until they reached the shore that he pulled in. Paki stopped next to him, the lake in front of him breathtaking. He let go of the reins as the stallion leaned down for a drink.
"Isn't this great?" Bear asked, sliding from Chase's saddle the same time Tuketu dropped from the mare's back. He walked to the water's edge and scooped a handful to drink. "It's fed from a stream just north of here."
Paki swung his leg over the stallion's neck and dropped to the ground.
"The water's so clear," he commented, also helping himself to a drink. It was icy cold and he realized he could see the bottom for quite a ways out.
"Lord Bavol likes to send us out here when we're causing trouble," Tuketu said. He leaned over and splashed handfuls of water over his neck and long black hair. Flipping his hair back, he leaned back on the sandy shore. "Sewati spent a lot of time out here."
"Why did you leave here for Mo'ani's Stronghold?" Paki asked, sitting down in front of the stallion's legs.
"Mo'ani came to visit about three years ago," Bear said. "He asked me if I wanted to go back with him and I accepted." He paused. "I couldn't tell him no," he shrugged.
"Sewati could die happy just having lived in the Stronghold," Tuketu teased.
"No," Bear shook his head. "I'll die happy when Nahtan kills the Archbishop and that altar in our village is torn apart." He pulled off his boots and pushed his bare feet into the shallow water at the shore.
Tuketu nodded his head in agreement. "Father says several people tried to pull it down and were arrested. Now the BishopLord there keeps guards on watch all the time."
Paki listened as Bear and his brother exchanged their thoughts about their village and the church. Tuketu seemed to have a better grasp on his temper than Bear, but was also a couple of years older. Paki realized Bear looked up to his brother and Tuketu was probably the one person who could teach Bear how to control his temper. He hoped Tuketu would be accepted as a student. Having his older brother in training a couple of years ahead of him would probably inspire Bear to excel even more.
By late afternoon, they were back on their horses making their way back to Bavol Hold. Chase seemed to have worked out his restlessness, something they were all relieved of.
After leaving the horses in their stalls, Paki asked about a library, then excused himself and went back inside the keep. He still didn't want to intrude on their brief reunion, but didn't want to bother Kile and Adie either. Finding the library where Tuketu told him it was, he started glancing through the scrolls and bound books.
Much to his surprise, he found a scroll whose cover described it as a compilation of myths. Pulling it from the shelf, he took it to one of the small tables and slid it from the cover. Carefully unrolling it, he started scanning through it, looking for any mention of Jensina's baby.
"Lady Adiella said you were something of a scholar," Lady Bavol said from behind him. She pulled out the chair beside him and sat down. "What topic do you find so interesting?"
"Um," Paki glanced up at her, then back at the scroll. He didn't want her to think he was being foolish. "Nahtan," he finally said, deciding to name something he thought would be acceptable.
"Really?" Evaine looked over his shoulder at the scroll.
"I just started learning about him," Paki said quietly. "But Kile's told me a lot, so has Mo'ani."
Evaine smiled at him. "Kile's a very good man," she said. "I can think of no one better to pull Nahtan's army together." She studied Paki for several seconds. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
"You're just...not what I expected," Paki said quietly. "Lord Bavol was, but you're..."
"Young?" she asked, then smiled at his nod. "I was courted once by men my own age. Matthios offered me something none of them would."
"What?"
"Freedom," Evaine replied. "Freedom to believe in Mo'ani's Way. Freedom to prove I was smarter than most of the heathens the Archbishop employs."
Paki smiled faintly. He realized that, like Adie, Evaine was more than she appeared. He couldn't bring himself to ask her how she got her information and wasn't sure he'd ever have the nerve.
"I think," he said after a few seconds. "That Mo'ani is very glad you're on his side and not the Archbishop's."
Evaine tilted her head back and laughed. "I will remember you, Paki," she promised, standing up from her chair and pushing it back under the table. "And I'm sure we'll meet again." Turning from his table, she left the library.
Paki sighed and turned back to the scroll. It took him a couple of hours to go through it and in the end he found no mention of Jensina or her baby. Putting the scroll back into its' cover, he replaced it on the shelf and left the library.
He ate dinner with Bear and Tuketu, then went back to the stable with Bear for the night. Kile planned to leave before dawn and had promised a hard day's riding. Settling into the straw above the stalls, he was soon sound asleep.
Eleven - "I used to pray for nights like this"
Paki and Bear both woke before dawn. One of the horses had neighed up at them, as if telling them it was time to get up. Bear hung his head over the edge of the loft, then sighed.
"Nicho," he said, sitting back up. "I guess the captain wants us up."
"It must have been easier than coming out here himself," Paki shrugged, fastening his belt around his waist. "You really like it here, don't you?" Paki asked his friend.
Bear shrugged and pulled his hair back, tying it with a leather thong. His hair was very fine and it reached passed the middle of his back. "It's okay," he said. "I mostly miss my brother," he paused. "And Lady Bavol."
"I don't know about her," Paki admitted. "She talks like a noblewoman, but acts like a commoner."
"She's not so common," Bear smiled. "I know one of her grandparents was a Dweller, but I don't know about her parents. She's been married to Lord Bavol for probably as long as we've been alive."
Paki lowered himself over the edge of the ladder and climbed down. He paused to scratch Nicho's nose, remembering Kile's story about his last horse, then went into the stallion's stall. The stallion nudged him with his nose as Paki started getting him ready for the trip. He could hear Bear coaxing Chase to wear his bit and was glad he'd decided to give him to Bear.
They were just finishing when the stable door opened, letting Kile, Adie and Evaine in.
"Stay near the road the last two days to Wardsman," Evaine was telling them. "The land around it is part of Kiril's allotment from the Archbishop. His prayer service is today. By the time you reach the woods, the church guards in the area will be asserting his new authority. If you stop on any farm roads, I can promise you'll be arrested." She said the last to Kile. "We'll do what we can here to distract them from your trip, but I can't guarantee anything. We have to remember Kiril knows our usual tricks."
"Ye've done more than enough already, Evaine," Kile said, clasping her hand. "Don't endanger ye'reself, I think ye're the only thing keepin' Lord Bavol from retirin'."
"He's still got a few more years in him," she promised. "Maybe even enough to see Nahtan take the throne." She reached over and embraced Kile, then Adie. Nodding to the boys, she slipped from the stable.
"Are ye about ready then?" Kile asked, unlatching Nicho's stall while Adie went to saddle her own horse.
"We've got everything," Paki said. "What about food and water though?"
"The kitchen staff is getting it ready for us." Adie led her horse out of his stall after saddling him.
Kile finished with Nicho's saddle. "Ready, Adie?"
"Let's go," she said, taking the lead.
They led their horses to the kitchen doors where one of the cooks was waiting for them. Each of their packs was filled with dried meats and fruits and they were each given several extra water skins.
> They mounted their horses and Kile led them from the hold. As they made their way back down the farm road, a shrill whistle cut through the air. They all looked behind them and Bear smiled and held up his hand to his brother. Tuketu returned the gesture from his spot on top of one of the battlements, then disappeared from sight.
"Ye're brother's got a good future ahead," Kile said when Bear turned back around. "I went over his progress reports last night and recommended he be accepted as a student this spring."
Bear's eyes widened slightly. "Thank you," he said. "I know he's been working hard for it." He paused. "Harder than I have been."
"You're fine," Adie told him. "Both you and Paki are. One thing Mo'ani stresses is letting you be kids until you're a little older. That's why he won't take any students younger than a certain age; he doesn't want you burdened with that before you're able to handle the stress of it."
They rode out into the pre-dawn light. The air held the first hints of autumn briskness, but the clear sky promised another hot afternoon. Paki realized if they were going to get any distance behind them, it would have to be this morning.
As if reading Paki's mind, Kile motioned them forward. Their horses each broke into a gallop, soon putting the farm road behind them and putting them on the main road north. It was fairly easy to dodge the merchants and travelers on the main road. By the time they stopped to rest at mid-morning the road was mostly clear.
"How long until we reach the woods you talked about?" Paki asked Kile, tearing a piece of dried apple to share with the stallion.
"It's about a week to the edge of the forest," Kile answered. "The last two days we won't dare stop very often."
"What about when we reach the woods?" Bear asked.
"We'll be safe then," Adie stated. "The Wardsman has scared the church guards out of there enough times they don't bother going in anymore."
"Everyone ready to get goin'?" Kile asked, standing up and brushing off his breeches.
Paki stood and brushed himself off, as did Adie and Bear. They saddled their horses and took to the road again. Instead of heading right into a gallop, Kile paced them at a fast trot.
They camped late that night and rose early the next morning. Their days had little break except for the brief rest periods. Kile kept a close eye on each of the horses and adjusted their speed and rest times accordingly, especially as the days grew hot in the afternoons. By the fifth day, they had put many leagues behind them. Kile stopped earlier for camp that evening, explaining they would need to rest longer since the two days before reaching the woods would be the longest.
The road had become almost deserted within the last couple of days, but they still took the precaution of camping a distance from it. As night fell, no sign of other campfires could be seen. A thin layer of clouds blocked out the stars above them and gave the moon a ghostly halo.
"I used to pray for nights like this," Adie commented absently as they sat around the campfire.
"I pray Nahtan comes on a night like this," Kile added. "What better way to rock the Archbishop on his throne than to wake up and find Nahtan's army sitting on the cathedral steps?"
"Why can't the Archbishop do anything about the size of the army Mo'ani's training?" Paki asked. "It just looks like both sides are building up their numbers and not doing anything to stop each other."
"Well," Adie started. "Most of the Mo'ani warriors don't flaunt it like Kile does. All the Archbishop hears is rumors, but without proof, he can't arrest anyone. Every hold allied with Mo'ani pays their tithes to the Archbishop and gives no outward sign of opposing him."
"The Archbishop also knows 'e's on the verge of a revolution from the commoners," Kile added. "He needs the lords and governors to keep the commoners in line until 'e can raise an army large enough to put down any uprising."
"While at the same time, the Mo'ani warrior numbers are growing," Bear finished as if he had suddenly worked something out.
Bear sounded as tired as Paki felt. No doubt he'd be asleep soon. Even Kile and Adie looked tired, and Paki hadn't ever seen either of them exhausted.
"Exactly," Kile nodded his head.
"The way I see it," Adie commented. "The pressure is going to keep growing until it explodes with Nahtan's arrival."
Paki nodded his head, everything making sense to him. He had seen only a fraction of the Mo'ani numbers Adie mentioned each spring. People seemed to flock to the cause from all races and directions. Dwellers in the north, Mowik in the east...even Kile said his homeland was farther away than Bear's. Paki hadn't come across anyone else from Edgewind, or any other southern village, except for the woman they had caught with her husband in the village. As he drifted off to sleep, he wondered what would become of her and her husband.
They were once again up and on the road before dawn. This time they traveled in shifts, riding hard for a few hours, then stopping for a few hours. Even as night fell, they kept up the same routine.
By late the second day, the Wardsman's Woods appeared as they crested one of a series of low hills. They had seen no sign of any church guards, but as a precaution both Kile and Adie had removed any sign they were associated with Mo'ani. Kile's cloak and Adie's sash were buried at the bottom of one of the packs. Even though they had been riding for more than four hours, a shared look from each of them confirmed their decision to continue for the safety of the woods.
As they topped the last hill, a roadblock manned by three church guards appeared below them.
"Knew it was too good to be true," Adie muttered as they pulled in. When it was obvious they hadn't been spotted, they quickly moved back down the hill again.
"All right," Kile said, glancing at the surrounding area, obviously looking for something to spark an idea.
"If they see you, sir, they'll arrest you," Bear pointed out.
Paki looked around himself. They had brought little with them except provisions. All he had were his clothes and pouch. His pouch. Looking up at Kile, he untied his pouch.
"I have that pendant Mo'ani wanted me to keep," he offered. "Maybe they wouldn't bother us if they saw it."
"I'm afraid Kile's a little too well known," Adie commented. "I'm also afraid they wouldn't believe the two of you traveling alone for you to use it."
"What should we do then?" Paki asked.
"They might believe ye and the lads," Kile pointed out, looking at Adie. "There's no question they'll know me, but ye're face isn't hung on all their targets. Ye've only been to the Dwellers' ranches a few times, so they wouldn't expect ye to be headin' there." He turned to Paki. "Let me see that pendant."
Paki took the pendant from his pouch and handed it to him. Kile examined it for a second, then handed it to Adie. She took it reluctantly, obviously not wanting to touch it.
"Ye have to put it on," Kile pointed out to her.
"Not until I absolutely have to," she insisted, looping the chain around her saddle horn.
Next, Kile dismounted and began unsaddling Nicho. After pulling his blanket off, Kile opened one of his last water skins and poured the water over Nicho's back. After the skin was empty and with no prompting from Kile, Nicho dropped to the road and began rolling, covering himself with the dark dirt. Standing up again, he shook his head, then leaned down and smudged dirt over his nose.
Paki watched the whole thing in fascination. Kile then went from horse to horse removing their packs and tying them to Nicho's back. Almost as if on cue, Nicho lowered his ears and hung his head.
"That ought to get 'im by the guards," Kile decided when the transformation was complete. He handed the reins to Bear. "Ye two are travel weary enough to pass. Play along with Adiella," he instructed Bear and Paki. "I'll meet ye in the woods tonight." He picked Nicho's saddle up and lifted it over his shoulder. "When ye hear the flute play, don't listen, any of ye," he said, turning and walking down to the foot of the hill. In the fading light, it wasn't long before he was almost invisible.
"Ready?" Adie asked, putting the pendant around her n
eck with obvious distaste. She tucked it inside her vest but outside her blouse. Paki wondered if it was because she didn't want it touching her skin.
As they began the ascent of the hill again, Nicho shuffled along behind them. Paki had seen many broken horses, and so--obviously--had Nicho. Every step was barely high enough to move his feet along the ground, his eyes refused to look up and his ears never moved forward. He didn't even bother switching his tail. Reaching the top of the hill, Adie didn't pause before starting down the other side.
"Let me talk to them," Adie instructed quietly. "If they say anything to you, just agree with them, but don't volunteer anything."
Paki and Bear both nodded their heads.
The church guards spotted them shortly before they reached the bottom and jumped up to man their roadblock.
"Who are ya and where ya goin'?" one guard called out to them. Paki noticed he was missing several teeth as they neared and the smell of all three men was almost overpowering.
"Simple travelers," Adie answered, pulling her horse to a stop. Paki and Bear stopped slightly behind her. "On our way to Aarao."
The toothless guard approached them, his crossbow held lazily at his side. Paki noticed it wasn't cocked just as Bear nodded to him that he'd seen the same thing. Obviously the blockade was rarely bothered.
"What have we here?" the guard asked, eyeing Adie as he took in the two boys and Nicho. "Ya must be a lady of great wealth."
"Moderate," she answered. "I've heard you're being given a new bishop. The Archbishop is truly generous in his decisions. My pages and I carry this news to the church's loyal supporters in the north."
The guard seemed to hesitate. "Ya one of His Grace's courtiers?" he asked, almost disappointed.
Adie calmly removed the pendant from her vest and showed it to the guard. He squinted at it for several seconds, then stepped back.
"I-I'm sorry, m'lady," he stammered. "There's a murderer who occasionally heads this way and we can't be too careful. Ya understand, don't ya?"
