by D. L. Kramer
Paki looked over at Bear, who was also surprised. Tiimu, Bear's now almost-grown fox, sat on the saddle in front of him, flicking his ears, obviously upset his ride had stopped. Othon's tune switched and Chase trotted over to stand in front of him. Paki considered going over, but didn't until Aloyse stepped forward and Jerai motioned for him to follow.
Othon reached over and scratched Chase's nose.
"Thy horse needs a bit more influence," he told Bear. "Learn thy flute from Jaron and it shall help thee with thy horse."
Bear reached over and patted Chase's neck.
"I will," he promised, a new note of respect in his voice. Tiimu climbed Chase's neck to sniff at Othon's hand.
Othon handed the young fox a piece of meat, stroking his tail as Tiimu carried it back to Bear's saddle. Nodding to them, Othon tucked his flute back into his belt, then took his reins and turned away from the fence.
"I wonder what it is about the flute?" Paki asked.
Bear shrugged. "That's what the captain used, remember? Maybe he just likes it."
"I think thy practice hath been long enough for the day," Jaron appeared beside them. "If thou will practice thy songs from yesterday," he added to Bear. "They shall help thee with the next songs as there are many similarities."
Bear nodded his head. "I'll practice all night if I have to," he declared. "Especially now," he patted Chase's neck again.
"Come on," Paki said, turning the stallion to follow Jerai out of the corral. He waited by the gate for Bear to catch up with them.
Just as Bear had promised, he disappeared into his room when they reached the tower again. Paki and Jerai left him alone and spent their time down in the armory. The smith didn't mind the break from his work, and would show them how each weapon or piece of armor was made. Paki learned how deadly the Dwellers' Kora swords could be, their wide, curved points able to inflict great amounts of damage to an opponent. The smith also showed them how to find the weaknesses in each piece of armor, as well as the best weapons to use to exploit them. Paki became fascinated by the strength of the two-handed longswords that could be used to smash through an enemy's armor.
In the coming weeks, Paki and Jerai spent much of their free time without Bear. They would occasionally make him go with them when they went on long rides through the valley, but they also understood his desire to master his flute and finish bonding with Chase.
Autumn came quickly and the chill mornings and nights hinted at the winter to come. By the end of autumn, Tosia told Paki he would no longer need to work with them. He and the stallion could understand each others' wishes without a single word or action and the rest of the bond would come on its' own. When Paki asked about understanding other horses, it was only a matter of minutes before Tosia showed him how to reach out to them. The sense from them wasn't as clear, but it was there.
Paki spent the next few weeks testing the understanding between himself and the stallion. Distance didn't seem to have any importance to it and neither did whether he was awake or asleep. He found he could reach out to the stallion while he was sleeping and know everything was all right. Likewise, when the stallion's stiff joints bothered him, he was more than willing to let Paki know.
Their second winter in the valley wasn't as harsh as the first and Paki, Bear and Jerai were able to do more outside. Othon still suggested they map the tunnels, and still told them stories at night, but also let them wander as they would.
Halfway through winter, Bear had learned to play his flute quite well. Jaron had taught him most of the basic songs to ask the gods for blessings and was now teaching him the slight variations. Even Othon seemed impressed with the speed Bear had picked it up.
Paki was almost sad to see spring come again. He was enjoying everything he was learning in the Dwellers' valley and the arrival of spring told him his time there was almost finished. He missed the Stronghold, though, and found he really missed the services Isak offered every fortnight. Even Bear had commented on missing them and he had especially missed being able to give one of his mother's beads to each of the gods at the end. Paki knew he still carried the beads in his belt pouch, just like Paki still carried the pendant Mo'ani had given to him. Every so often, Paki would catch a glimpse of Bear rolling a handful of beads around in his hand, a thoughtful look on his face. Tiimu also liked the beads, but saw them as more of a plaything than something to treasure.
It took until mid-summer before Jaron decided Bear and Chase were finished. Chase seemed calmer and would respond instantly to Bear's slightest motion or faintest note. He was still mischievous, though, and would take any opportunity to make things difficult for anyone but Bear.
It was toward the beginning of autumn when Paki discovered he could sense things from Tiimu, too. When he asked Bear if he could, his friend told him he didn't feel anything from the fox. Not wanting to upset him, Paki didn't tell him what he was able to do.
Late one mid-autumn afternoon, Paki, Bear and Jerai were out riding. As they led their horses into the stable, Paki realized something was different.
Nicho and three strange horses were in the stalls along the far wall. Nicho neighed to them in greeting and Paki was surprised to realize he understood him. After seeing to the stallion, he paused to scratch Nicho's nose.
"Whose horses do you suppose those are?" Bear asked, setting Tiimu onto the ground and patting Nicho.
"One of them must be Adie's," Paki guessed, smiling. He had missed Kile and Adie over the last couple of years. "But I don't know about the others."
"They should be in the study," Jerai said, pulling Tiimu off the ties of one boot.
Bear paused to lift Tiimu up onto his shoulder before they left the stable for the tower.
As Jerai predicted, they found everyone in the study. Kile stood beside the fireplace while Adie sat on the couch beside Jayehl. Gharald sat in the other chair. Kile nodded to the boys when they appeared in the doorway.
"By the gods, ye've grown," he said, obviously surprised to see how tall both Paki and Bear were now. Both boys had started wearing the horsehide leather breeches and woven shirts of the Dwellers, and it hadn't occurred to Paki when they needed new clothes every few months.
Othon motioned for them to come into the room. "Jayehl hath a message he says was promised to thee, Bear," Othon said.
Paki sat on the arm of the couch while Jerai sat in front of his father and Bear sat on the floor in front of the fireplace.
"The nobleman you despised was found guilty of violating Mo'ani's laws," Jayehl said. "He was banished to Valin Hold where he's to help finish rebuilding the village. His wife was not a sympathizer of the Archbishop's, though she went to Valin with her husband rather than stay behind at the Stronghold."
"Should have killed him," Bear said after a few seconds.
"Mo'ani won't kill a man for what 'e believes," Kile pointed out. "It's not part of 'is way."
Bear shrugged. Taking Tiimu off his shoulder, he set him on the ground.
"That's the kit?" Adie asked, eyes wide.
"He wouldn't go wild again," Bear shrugged. "So I named him."
"Othon says ye've learned to understand ye're horses," Kile said, then looked down at Bear. "And that ye've learned to play a flute."
Bear nodded his head and produced his flute from his belt pouch. Paki felt something pass between he and Kile, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
"Kile hath learned songs even we dwellers hath forgotten," Othon said to Bear. "Thou would do well to learn from him also."
"As long as he'll teach me," Bear put his flute back into his belt.
"Maybe when ye're older," Kile said after a few seconds. "What they ask of the gods isn't for the faint of 'eart."
"When are we leaving?" Paki asked.
"In a few days," Gharald said. "Kiril knows Kile travels this way a lot and has his roads filled with guards. We may have to take a different route back to the Stronghold."
"Take however many Mo'ani thou needs," Othon offered. "Thy p
osition in Nahtan's army is irreplaceable."
"We'll travel better if we're a small group," Adie said, shaking her head.
"As long as Paki 'ere doesn't find anymore homeless baby animals," Kile added.
"Tiimu hath adapted to Bear's life very well," Othon commented. "Though he doth still lack table manners."
Smiling, Bear leaned over and scratched Tiimu's head.
"Thy dinner should be finished," Othon continued. "Then thee should rest after thy journey."
Paki, Bear and Jerai ate dinner with the rest of them, then spent their evening in the armory again.
Their last few days passed quickly and Paki was sorry to have to leave the valley, even though he knew he would be glad to see the Stronghold again. He and Bear made sure Jaron and Tosia knew how much they appreciated their help with the horses, and bid farewell to the other Dwellers they had gotten to know.
The morning they left, Othon and Jerai rode to the top of the hill with them. There weren't many Dwellers Jerai's own age and Paki knew the past two years had created a friendship they would always have.
Thirteen - "I knew ye'd head this way"
The trip down to the riverbed went quickly and before Paki knew it, they were once again in the Wardsman's Woods. The same cool, filtered shadows welcomed them. Tiimu jumped from Bear's shoulders to the saddle then climbed back up to Bear's shoulders, trying to take in everything he saw.
At the end of the first week, Kile changed directions and led them east for a few days before heading south again. Paki saw no sign of any other snares, and no longer had the feeling they were being watched. Even Bear commented that the woods felt different to him this time.
When they reached the edge of the woods, they were many leagues east of the road they had first followed. Kile, Adie and Gharald all agreed traveling cross country was their best chance of making it back to the Stronghold without running into any church guards.
Their fourth night on the road, Paki sensed an uneasiness from the stallion, as well as from the other horses. A quick look at Kile and Bear confirmed that they felt it too.
"What is it?" Gharald asked.
"Somethin's not right out there," Kile answered, standing up and walking to stand beside Nicho.
Adie walked to stand beside him and they spoke in hushed voices.
"I don't like this," Bear said quietly. "Chase says there are other horses out there."
"There's men, too," Jayehl added. He smiled when Paki and Bear gave him startled looks. "You're not the first ones to spend time with the Dwellers and learn to bond with a horse."
Tiimu jumped from Bear's lap and ran to stand between Adie's feet, growling at something out in the dark. Kile leaned over and picked the fox up by the scruff of his neck. Within seconds, the sound of jingling mail and galloping horses drifted to the camp.
"Don't do anythin'," Kile instructed as he and Adie turned around. Unbuckling his sword belt, he tossed it to Paki as he handed Tiimu to Bear. "If they're church guards, they want me. If ye don't make a move, they may let ye all go."
"Why don't we try to outrun them then?" Bear asked.
"It's Kiril," Adie said. She walked to her horse's pack and began digging through the bag. "He'd know how to track us and he'd eventually overtake us." Paki watched as she hid several things about herself in odd places. Something disappeared up a sleeve while a couple of vials of something were slipped into her hair and secured inside the topknot's tie. Lastly, something long, slender and metal was slipped into the sole of her boot.
She had barely finished when nearly a dozen church guards broke onto their camp. Leading them, Paki recognized Kiril. Instead of wearing the priest's robe, he wore the same armor his guards wore.
He pulled in his horse in front of Kile.
"I knew ye'd head this way," he said to Kile. "Ye always head east, never west."
"I'll head west when I go back to my keep," Kile said evenly. "At least they'll be happy to see me come home."
Kiril dismounted and handed his reins to the nearest guard.
"Ye've been gone so long they don't even remember ye're name," Kiril sneered. He looked over the camp, pausing on Paki and Bear.
"Is that the boy ye had on the road from Castyl?"
"No," Kile lied.
Kiril shook his head and shifted his gaze to Adie.
"Adiella," he greeted her with a nod of his head, then looked back at Kile. "Ye're under arrest for murder," he said. "And ye're friends here for treason."
"The boys have done nothing," Gharald said evenly.
Kiril looked at Gharald. "They're as guilty as the rest of ye, just like ye're Lord Mo'ani thinks family of church sympathizers are." He took his reins and swung back up into his saddle. "Now are ye goin' to do me the favor of resistin'?"
"If it were just ye, of course," Kile said as two guards dismounted and grabbed his arms. "Ye never were very good on ye're own."
They were quickly surrounded, disarmed, and had their hands tied. Paki found himself strangely calm as his arms were grabbed. There was something strangely familiar about the situation, but he couldn't place what it was. Yelling drew his attention and Paki turned to see a guard backhand Bear as he struggled, knocking him to the ground. The guard pulled Bear back to his feet by his hair while Bear struggled against him and cursed.
As he was led to his horse, Paki noticed the guards found the small knife Adie had stuck in her sleeve, but nothing else. The church guard who took Kile's and Bear's flutes examined them for a moment, then dropped them into his own pouch. Paki saw Adie watching that guard intensely, studying everything about him. He didn't doubt she intended to find him again to retrieve the flutes. They were put on their horses' backs and had their hands tied to the saddles.
Paki realized Tiimu had disappeared from the camp, and he looked over at Bear. Bear motioned to the edge of the camp and Paki saw the small fox hiding under a sage bush. Reaching for the little animal's mind, he asked him if he would follow them. When he was sure the fox understood his request, he turned around as their horses were led back towards the road to Herridon.
Kiril kept them traveling for long distances over the next several days, stopping only when the horses needed the rest. The first time they stopped, it became apparent that Kiril wasn't going to chance their escape. Four church guards were assigned to watch them each time they stopped, with orders to kill anyone who tried getting away.
Kile seemed to take great delight in taunting him and was backhanded by his one-time friend more than once. If only to aggravate Kiril further, he always smiled, or even chuckled, at the blows. The others also let the church guards know of their dislike. Jayehl would occasionally kick at whichever guard was closest to him and his horse kept trying to chew on his reins. Gharald taunted the guards with obviously insulting names from a language Paki didn't understand. Bear only responded when one of the guards made disparaging remarks about his ancestry. Paki realized the guards mostly ignored him, so he didn't do anything to draw any extra attention to himself.
Dawn of the tenth day passed before they reached the walls of Herridon. By the morning light, Paki could see an escort waiting for them just outside the city. He looked over at Adie, who only nodded her head slightly in assurance. He could tell by her eyes that their situation was serious.
The group was led quickly through the city and to the gates leading to the Grand Cathedral and castle. They stopped only momentarily outside the cathedral. Kiril disappeared through the embossed double doors, then reappeared several minutes later. He spoke quietly with one of the guards, then turned to Kile. "Ye're lucky," he said. "His Grace wants to try ye tonight."
"How's he goin' to get his supposed witnesses here by then?" Kile asked. "Valin's further than a day's ride."
"He has their accounts of the incident," Kiril smiled faintly. "What's important is that ye can't get any witnesses of ye're own here in that amount of time." He motion to the guard in the lead and they were led from the front of the cathedral.
&n
bsp; Paki was surprised to see another huge building sitting behind the cathedral. It was obscured by the walls and domed ceiling of the cathedral, but was no less grand. Red stone walls with white flecks rose to white spires. Hanging turrets and battlements circled the outer walls, but Paki noted they were not manned. Several balconies sat at different levels and looked down on the city and courtyards.
"That's the castle," Adie said quietly to Paki. "That's what Nahtan's prize--and curse--will be for his success."
They were led to the back of the castle, where they were untied and pulled from their horses. Pushed or pulled down a set of stairs, they were shoved into a dark cell and the door locked behind them.
"Are ye two all right?" Kile asked. He was holding his hands out while Adie untied them.
"We're okay," Paki said, surprised at how steady his voice sounded. He began working the knots on Bear's wrists loose.
"They've already found you guilty," Gharald pointed out to Kile.
"I know," Kile nodded his head. "But Kiril's havin' a 'ard time doin' this."
"I wish I could be so sure," Gharald rubbed his wrists when Adie got his hands free.
"Trust me," Kile looked around them, then at Adie. "How long until the guards come for ye?"
"I'm betting they won't do anything until tonight," she said, finishing untying Jayehl's hands. She looked over at Paki and Bear and shrugged when she saw they had already untied each other.
Silence fell over them as they sat in the dark, the only sound being the water dripping down the walls. Paki didn't know how long they sat there before the guards came back. They were taken from the cell one at a time and their hands retied before they were led back to the narrow staircase.
The guards took them up the stairs and back outside, then over to the Grand Cathedral. Inside, they were led down a series of twisting corridors to the central chamber. Torches sputtered along the walls of the chamber, filling the high ceiling with soot and smoke. Two rows of pews ran down either side with a dais at the front. An altar sat off center on the dais, its top covered with a black cloth.
