“I think a compromise is met; thank you,” she leaned in and kissed his cheek.
He blushed slightly. “What of cattle and bison, surely they are not saddle worthy if we are to come by them by chance.”
“I do think that shall be all right, so long as I am not part of the killing or witness of the eating. We are not shallow to the need of meat eaters. For one of our favorite allies is the large cats, and we know they must eat meat to survive.”
“My body grows weary, and I must go eat now. Do not fear, your friend will not come to waste. Anything we cannot eat will be dried and packed, and the bones we will bury in his honor.”
She nodded, and as he walked away he noticed that the stars were shining brighter. He also noticed what appeared to be a small yet faint smile upon her lips. The stars weren’t as bright as they were before, but the sky was shining once more. As he walked back through the building, he thought he heard her voice, soft yet soothing, sing a song into the night.
“This dark night is haunted no more.
No more tears are needed to fall.
Fire ablaze to light the night.
And feed the stomachs of hungry men.
A kheshlar here sits intrigued in thought.
With berry and fruit to keep me strong.
We need no meat, no friend or foe.
Yet strong forever we shall be.
Others are weak and need the strength.
And we accept the fate they cause.
This night dawns and casts anew.
For no longer will they fall a friend.
This night it is agreed upon,
That those that hold so dear to us,
Are now given leave to roam.
They will be free in both shadow and light,
And I shall rest without a frown,
For I know these words to be honest and true,
And forever on the stars remain bright.”
Chapter 15
Searon held the final watch into the morning and was relieved when he saw the sun glistening through the few openings of the trees. The eerie, near-silent darkness of the abandoned city was chilling to say the least. He nudged Andron first, who awoke with a stir and a yawn. He rose to his feet and then croaked loudly, covering his mouth. His finger sprang forward to point as his eyes bulged. Searon turned to see what he was pointing at and found the wizard lying on his back. His arms were bent at the elbow with hands by his shoulders folding forward like a dog. He twitched in his sleep slightly, and his mouth was open with hanging tongue, drool pouring from his mouth. However, the oddest thing about it was that his eyes seemed to flutter between half-closed and half-open.
Barely containing laughing for a few seconds, Searon finally gave in and chuckled loudly, which stirred both Karceoles and Starlyn. Andron soon joined in, and both croaked so loud with laughter that tears came to their eyes. Both Starlyn and Karceoles leaped up, fishing for weapons to hold in their hands. The wizard appeared upset at being awoken in such a way, but Starlyn seemed amused.
“What! What is it?” Karceoles asked.
Both laughed harder now, and Searon fought the tears from his eyes with his hand. “Nothing, nothing, my friend.”
“Should we be off then?” Andron asked with laughter still in his voice.
“Yes…yes, I think so,” Searon replied with a more solemn tone.
“Do we dare take a peek inside the palace?”
“I say nay, I have been inside one home already and have not liked what I saw.”
“The spiderwebs?” asked Starlyn.
“No…that was to be expected. It was not the decades of spiderwebs that brought cold bumps to my arms, but what lay within the room itself.”
“What did you see?” she asked.
“I thought kheshlars were to have the fairest eyesight of them all; did you not glance upon the room yourself?”
“My thoughts were clouded, but I should have. I should not have let my emotions get the best of me.” She lowered her head as if in failure.
Searon set his fingers beneath her chin and lifted it up. “You had reason for thoughts to be astray. Do not deem yourself at fault, for I will not have it.”
She nodded, and her appearance seemed to brighten slightly.
“What I saw was that of an abandoned home. Everything in the home seemed to still be in order, paintings and furnishings alike. Also, the kitchen held bowls of a meal that appeared to have only a few bites missing. All the remaining food was crusty and old from centuries. It almost seemed as if they left suddenly, without taking a scrap or moving anything. Either that or…”
“Or what?” asked Andron.
“The only other thing I can think of…is that they simply vanished. I do not like this place; let us be gone swiftly.”
Karceoles stepped forward now with a raised gray eyebrow. His grip on his zylek seemed to tighten, and yet he peered at the buildings and palace.
“I know of that look, Karceoles. No, I will not stay here, and neither will you if you wish to continue on my journey. I know of your curiosity, and we shall not be burdened with it now. If this war comes to an end with us victorious, feel free to travel back here and try to put to rest the questions rolling in your head. For I, I do not care, and I value my life right now too much to chance it here when I can do good elsewhere in a fight.”
The wizard nodded and held his head high with pride. Soon, they were packed and saddled up, and by midmorning they had left the abandoned city. Searon was glad to be away from the cursed place, as were the rest—besides the wizard, who continued to peer back behind his steed to glance upon the city.
They traveled for a few hours in near silence before Searon heard something in the air. At first, the sound of birds calling for each other and singing soothing songs grew louder, but as they approached it became dim. The chirping of crickets seemed to come less only slightly, but it was enough that Searon grew aware. After a few dozen paces, his horse came to a stop, even when he didn’t bid for him to. He turned and noticed the wizard’s horse had as well. Starlyn’s eyes scurried about, and her hands swiftly found their way behind her neck, where they rested. Searon followed suit, felt the hilt of his claymore tightly before setting his hands behind his head to wait.
From behind the thin pine trees appeared six kheshlars, three with bow, two with sword, and one with hammer. Starlyn seemed to look at her own hammer from the corner of her eye. The kheshlars did not seem to embrace their weapons, but instead only stared at the company. One with shining silver hair stepped forward.
“An odd company if I’ve ever seen one. Two humans, a wizard, and a kheshlar kind.” His gray eyes seemed to stare only at Starlyn.
She looked back at him, but she did not speak a word. Her body kept still, and her breathing stayed calm.
“Starlyn I believe it is…Yes, Starlyn. Long ago did I fight alongside you in your claimed war against the draeyks.”
“Vaelmirr.”
“Ah, so you do remember me. Tell me, Nightsky, why do you travel with a company as ill as these?”
“They are not ill, for they seek a common enemy.”
“Are not ill? They are friend killers. Only last night they have slain a friend of ours, a native to our land, and a dear friend of mine.”
“They were unaware of our customs, and yet now they walk in the light of knowledge. No longer will they torment the animals we call our friends.”
“It is too late, as blood has already been spilled on our land.”
“Think them not as humans, but as tigers roaming the land without knowledge of the rules. Were they tigers, no punishment would become of it.”
“Ignorance is not an excuse. They must be set in trial.”
“That is not fair.”
“Be silent.”
Karceoles slid his zylek from his robes and held it high. He chanted words, and soon the silvery haired kheshlar was lifted off the ground. Three arrows loosed in a fraction of a second, but each was blocked with three
small orange spheres of light.
“Do not stand in our way!” Karceoles bellowed.
Searon leaped from his saddle now and cast aside Starlyn’s arm as she tried to grab him. He turned to the wizard and shook his head. “Stand down.”
Karceoles looked at him, but the glow of orange around the kheshlar disintegrated into sparks, and he lowered his zylek. He continued to stare with stern expression at the kheshlar as if ready to do it again if any harm were to become of Searon. Searon turned to the kheshlar who was still serene in appearance and knelt to the ground before him.
“I, Searon De’Athaniel, the leader of this party, do beg forgiveness. We did not know what crime we did commit, and once it was explained to us after the fact, we were greatly sorry. We made sure none of the sacred creature went to waste, and we buried the bones in sorrow.”
The kheshlar looked down at the human in bewilderment for a long moment before speaking. “Rise, Searon De’Athaniel.”
Searon rose to his feet and cupped his hand on the hilt of his claymore. Starlyn walked to stand next to him, followed by Andron and Karceoles. The four stood before the six kheshlars, who seemed intrigued by the party.
“True it is that your leadership is strong. You have tied yourself to a kheshlar and a wizard who both show obedience to your will. Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye.” Vaelmirr paused to glance at the rest of the company before looking back at Searon. “Very well, this once we shall grant you what you humans call a warning. Do not take it lightly, for if we meet again in these circumstances it will not be so. Starlyn tells of a common foe you seek.”
“Yes…we are setting forth to destroy the draeyks.”
“Ah, a worthy task indeed. Starlyn herself once tried, but they are more cunning than they seem.”
He turned to Starlyn. “Nightsky, I know of your desire and need to fight these creatures in an attempt to soothe the memories of your sister. I fought alongside you before, and I know what it is that you seek. Be cautious, as in groups these beasts are dangerous, but perhaps a friendly eye will serve you when in need.”
Turning to his kheshlarn companions, he motioned for one to come forward. The kheshlar had long red hair and held a sturdy longbow. He bowed to Vaelmirr before turning to look at Starlyn. He seemed to glow a slight red as he looked at her and quickly turned away.
“I lend you Erenuyh, archer of sharp eye, to join you on your journey. May he serve you well.”
Erenuyh bowed before Starlyn and nodded to his leader before joining the party. Starlyn bowed and thanked him, as did the rest before they continued through the kheshlarn land. There were still hundreds of leagues to go yet before they could gain much rest in their party. Men were near to the other side of the land of Calthoria, and they dared not rest much until they could have a full force behind them.
Once out of the kheshlarn territory, Karceoles bid them to stop. He got off of his steed and beckoned Andron and Searon to as well. Erenuyh had sprinted alongside them instead of saddling up because no horse could fit another. The wizard waited for all of them to come close to him when he spoke.
“It is now time that we separate. For the land of men is spread aplenty, and for us to rally enough it would prove more effective if each could find a territory. We already know of Andron’s homeland, Guerettos, but there are other nations that if we could only convince to ally with us, we could truly become a formidable foe against the draeyks.”
“What do you suggest?” asked Searon.
“I have already told Starlyn of a short way that leads close to Andron’s homeland in the north,” he said, addressing the group. “The journey is perilous but necessary for haste. Searon and I will head south to the cities of men and make east for a large city where we will pay a visit to Searon’s brother and see if he can lend us aid.”
Starlyn and Andron both turned with questioning glances to Searon. Searon didn’t notice either one of them, however, but instead stared at Karceoles in disbelief. He quivered as his memories haunted him.
“How is it you know of my brother?”
Chapter 16
The middle of summer had finally arrived where the days grew hotter and the nights shorter. Seldom did they decide to travel during the day but instead chose the coolness of night to carry them more swiftly. During the hottest hours, they discovered what little shade could be found to rest and nap. Andron rather enjoyed Starlyn’s cheerful company, but he was unsure about the other kheshlar. Erenuyh did not seem to speak much or acknowledge him at all. He did peer at Starlyn from time to time, but he hardly even spoke to her. It seemed a spell took him each time he looked upon the fair kheshlar. Andron did admit that Starlyn’s beauty outmatched any other he had ever seen, but he thought it was common among the kheshlars. Perhaps she was even a treasure in their eyes, and Andron didn’t doubt it.
He always fancied the old Wiseman tales of kheshlars while sitting at a campfire smoking pipe weed, but he thought they were more a myth than reality. Starlyn was the first of her kind that he’d seen, and he had been entrapped by her beauty. In the stories, they were the fair folk, fair of both appearance and tongue. It was also said they had strange ears and thin but strong bodies. He had also heard that they did not eat meat, were friends of the forest, and immortal of life. As far as he could tell, the stories did not go astray. She was the first he had seen, but he was hopeful she wouldn’t be the last. Erenuyh would be the second kheshlar that Andron laid eyes on, and the first male. He noticed that there was little difference in the appearance between the men and women, for he had studied when the six had surrounded them. The men had stronger jaws, larger ears, and thicker cheek bones. Still, these comparisons were small and had to be closely observed. The clearest detail would be the body shape and slightly less pale face of Starlyn. He wondered if all the kheshlars had as fine a bosom as Starlyn.
They traveled near relentlessly once they exited the large forest of the west. The plains were bare now but a few scattered trees within giant meadows. Most of the ground was bright-green grass with goats and sheep aplenty grazing upon it to keep it trimmed. Large mountains could be seen far in the distance to the east, and they seemed to travel straight for them at a northern slope. Andron had remembered seeing mountains as tiny specks to the south of where he lived, and so he gathered Starlyn was using them as a marker. They did not travel all the way to the mountains but instead kept a league away atop small hills heading north.
Andron dearly wished he was back upon the saddle of a horse again, for his feet grew weary sprinting across the hills. He soon realized how much more energy kheshlars had than men and how out of shape he was. True it was that he was thin, much thinner than Searon perhaps, but his endurance was low. It had not always been, but after such a journey that he had, he did grow tired. After that, he grew perhaps lazy as he sat upon Searon’s fair white-and-black striped horse.
On the morning of the seventh day, they began to slow and were at a quick-paced walk. It seemed like a standard walk for the kheshlars, but it was quick in pace for Andron. Each morning, they seemed to slow in pace to relax with the morning breeze. Then they would search the hilltops for close area of shade or water to rest during the hot summer day. That day, they found both a large oak tree with shade and a pond only fifty paces in front of it. Andron smiled broadly when he sat down in front of it.
Soon, when his back was relaxed against the stern trunk of the tree, he pulled out a long-stem cedar pipe and packed it with pipe weed. The plant was called Klitheaur, and a common weed that grew in the outskirts of his village. It was used by most for its healing and potency of relaxation. The smell was good and the taste even better. He found a few twigs that he lit with his flint striker and dipped into the opening of his pipe. After taking a few long-desired inhales of the fresh pipe weed he leaned his head back in relaxation. Erenuyh’s nose seemed to twitch at the stench of the weed, but he said nothing. Starlyn, however, looked intrigued.
“That is different from the leaf that
Searon smokes,” she said.
“Ah yes, this is called Klitheaur; it’s a weed, it is better for relaxation, especially after a long journey. However, it is not good for a fight, and I assume that is why Searon does not smoke it.”
“It calms you then?”
“Yes, it is often used for healing wounds, as well as a soothing aroma to help numb your body and relax your mind. After this journey of relentless sprinting, it is a much-needed calmness. Would you care for a smoke?”
She smiled. “No, but thank you.”
He looked at her then and marveled at her entire beauty. She seemed flawless, like that of a glass sculpture too fine to touch. Her fingers ran through her shining blonde hair as she sang to herself in a voice so low that he couldn’t understand the words. Andron had to clear his head from the thoughts that tormented it. He had a beautiful wife at home and many children. Yet the kheshlar’s beauty was unmatched, and he found that he could not help himself from staring.
Suddenly, a singing blue jay leaped from the branch where it sang and landed on Starlyn’s outstretched index finger. It whistled a beautiful humming tune that Starlyn matched in whistles. Together, the two seemed to perform a duet as Andron had never seen before, and his gaze didn’t falter for a second. It seemed a dream of absolute perfection, and he could not believe that what he saw was real. His eyes did not deceive him, however, for even after he rubbed them he continued to stare at the marvelous sight.
There were still many questions swirling in his head, and he knew he must ask if he were ever to find answers. He waited patiently until the bird and kheshlar finished their song. Starlyn giggled softly as the bird bowed to her and fluttered off. She looked at Andron after and smiled. It moments, he felt his cheeks grow warm, and he had to glance his eyes away for a moment.
“Have kheshlars always dwelled here in Calthoria?” Andron finally asked, looking back up at her.
Her eyes were astray glancing upon the calm pond that lay outstretched before them. She turned and met his eyes with her own and smiled.
The Crimson Claymore Page 12
