The Eden Series: The Complete Collection

by Stalder, Janelle

  “Sore,” Aiden replied honestly.

  “Hmm, let me know how it is in the morning. Now, let us get some practice in before the others come back.” Aiden nodded his head, inwardly crying as he realized he wouldn’t be allowed to leave for lunch. The Captain was probably bent on working him hard, knowing that they didn’t have very much time to get him to the level he needed to be.

  “You look like crap,” Logan said, his mouth full of food.

  “I feel like crap,” Aiden complained.

  “What was the Captain doing with you all day?”

  “Perfecting my craft,” Aiden replied, repeating the same words the Captain had been saying to him all day. They had spent hours together going over every move Aiden made. The Captain fixed his stance, his hold, the positions of his hands, the position of his head, everything from his head to his toes. He scrutinized everything Aiden did, correcting him every five seconds. By the end of the day, however, Aiden actually felt like he was getting it. The speed with which he was picking it up surprised even him. The Captain seemed pleasantly surprised as well, which made Aiden very happy. He still wasn’t where he needed to be, but he was slowly getting there.

  Every muscle in his body hurt, though: it felt like he had just spent the day in a gym lifting weights. The Captain assured him that it would get easier, and that he’d just have to push past the stiffness for the first bit. Aiden couldn’t help but wonder how long exactly “a bit” was.

  “Well, the Captain might have had you all day today, but you’re mine tomorrow!” Wolf said, laughing evilly.

  “What? Why?” Aiden asked, slightly alarmed. The Captain hadn’t mentioned anything about Wolf today.

  “You might be coming along on ground, my boy, but the real test is how you do on a horse.” Wolf smiled. Aiden gulped, looking over at the smirk that covered Logan’s face too.

  “A horse?” he choked. Aiden hated horses. Not that he didn’t find them to be pretty creatures, but they were huge and scary, and very capable of breaking his bones. The thought of riding one made him want to puke.

  “You need to learn to ride, and the best person to teach you is Wolf,” Logan said.

  “Better get rested up, newbie. Tomorrow is going to be an even longer day!” Wolf slapped him on the back. Aiden knew that Wolf had been from the Riders in the west, so it made sense they would have him teach him. As far as Aiden understood, the Riders rode horses like it was second nature to them. Diana had told him that they rode from the age of one, a requirement amongst their people. If Wolf had been sent to be in the King’s army, then he must have been the best Rider of them all. Aiden knew he’d be in good hands, but that did little to ease his mind. The picture of a large horse, and him flying through the air, occupied his mind for the rest of the night until he fell asleep. Even in his dreams he was riding a horse, and being thrown into trees, only to wake up gasping in fright.

  “Someone just kill me,” he groaned, rolling over and covering his head with his pillow.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The morning sun filled his room, awakening him to the new day. That day’s events hit him again, and he moaned in despair. The thought of him riding a horse was almost comical, if he wasn’t positive he’d break his neck doing so.

  “Are we up, sunshine?” Wolf asked, poking his head in the door.

  “Yes,” Aiden moaned. Wolf laughed, walking into the room. “I’ve never ridden a horse, you know, so please take it easy with me.”

  Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Wolf looked at Aiden questioningly. “Tell me,” he started. “How is it that a boy from a small village outside the city has never ridden a horse?”

  Aiden looked around nervously. Elisa wasn’t there to save him this time, and he was a terrible liar. “Um, well, I just always preferred to walk.”

  “Sure.” Wolf nodded, unconvinced. “I don’t know what it is with you, but I know there’s something, and I will find out what it is.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Aiden said, trying to look innocent.

  “Come on, newbie. Let’s get this over with.”

  Aiden got up and dressed himself in the riding pants and shirt they had given him the night before. He had also, thankfully, been able to shower before dinner last night. The “showers” here were pretty much what he had expected: wooden stalls with a bucket of water that dropped on you when you pulled a string. No massaging heads or hot water. It cleaned him up at least, so he was thankful. He was beginning to smell quite bad before then.

  They walked down to the front door, entering the street amongst the bustle of people walking around.

  “Where are we going?” Aiden asked, assuming they’d be heading to the training area. Instead, Wolf started to lead away from the dormitory, toward another street across the lane.

  “Outside,” Wolf called back over his shoulder.

  Aiden sped up so he was walking beside him. “I figured we’d be outside,” he replied. “I just thought we’d be in the dorm grounds.”

  Wolf laughed. “Not outside like out of the building, you fool. I don’t think you’re that daft. I mean outside the city, beyond the walls. There is more room there to ride a horse, and you’ll need a lot of room.” He continued to smile as they walked. Aiden could just imagine what he was thinking. He was probably picturing how bad Aiden was bound to be—he certainly was thinking that.

  As they approached the city gates, two armoured guards came out to meet them.

  “Good morning, Wolf,” the grey-haired one called out. They both looked to be in their forties, and both men were quite large. The grey-haired man had a short snow-white beard on his face and clear blue eyes, and the brown-haired man had no beard and dark brown eyes.

  “Morning, Bryce, Albert.” Wolf nodded in both directions. “I’m taking our wee young lad here out to the horses.” Both men smiled at Aiden knowingly. Even they could tell he was going to be in trouble, Aiden thought nervously.

  “On you go then,” Albert, the grey-haired one, said.

  As they came out into the open area in front of the gates, Aiden was amazed to see just how much space there was between the city wall and the forest on the other side of the field. When he had crossed it at night with Elisa, it hadn’t felt that long, but now that he stood there he saw there was a considerable distance. It would be very easy to see approaching intruders from the top of the walls. Aiden thanked his lucky stars no one had seen him that night.

  “Here he is,” Wolf said from behind him. He had been staring off at the distant forest, wondering what Diana was up to, all by herself in that small cabin. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, although he knew she had chosen that life willingly. Turning to see what Wolf was talking about, Aiden was faced with two large nostrils.

  “Holy crap!” he yelled, falling back onto the ground.

  Wolf chuckled. “This is Ty,” he introduced the horse. It was a massive beast, with dark brown hair and massive hooves. He snorted as Wolf held onto his reins, and stamped one hoof on the ground. There was a plain leather saddle on his back, almost the same colour as his mane.

  “Hello, Ty,” Aiden said feebly. He got up onto his feet and created some distance between him and the animal.

  “Don’t be afraid, newbie,” Wolf said, smiling. “You have to show him that you’re his friend. He will be yours from now on.”

  “Mine?”

  “Yeah, you need a horse, so this one is yours.”

  “What about you?” Aiden asked, shocked.

  “I already have a horse.” He nodded behind him. Sure enough, there stood another horse, which Aiden had somehow failed to notice when they first came out. It was even bigger than Ty and was a light grey colour. He had no saddle on his back, which didn’t surprise Aiden. He imagined Wolf could probably ride a horse with his eyes closed. “That is Grumpy.”

  Aiden gulped. “Why is his name Grumpy?”

  “Because he is a miserable old bag. I’m warning you now, he bites, so don’t get too close. T
y here is the complete opposite, though. He is a big, gentle giant—perfect for you. I’ve raised him since he was just a baby,” he revealed, stroking the horse’s long mane. “I think you two will make a good pair.”

  Aiden was surprised he was so willingly giving up the horse. Even though he had reassured him of the horse’s nature, Aiden couldn’t help but be nervous around him. He stood away from Ty, watching him carefully.

  “Oh, come on, newbie. He won’t do anything. Come grab his reins, and pet him. Make him see that you’re his new rider. You two have to connect to make this really work; otherwise, it will be more difficult for you.”

  Nodding his head slowly, Aiden hesitantly shuffled closer to the animal, reaching out with his hand. The horse immediately pushed his nose into his palm and snorted into it. Snot came flying out into his hand. Wolf laughed.

  “Look, he already likes you! Now grab these reins, and let’s go.”

  He handed Aiden the reins, and walked over to the grey horse. Aiden felt nervous holding such a large animal by a small lead, but the horse seemed to be perfectly content. They walked the two animals a little farther away from the walls, so they’d have more room. Ty walked obediently beside him, never pulling or complaining. Grumpy, on the other hand, continuously gave Wolf a hard time, which Wolf seemed to take in good humour.

  “He’s just acting up because Ty is here.” Wolf laughed, nudging the massive beast. “He gets jealous of him, but that will change when he realizes you’ll be the one riding him.” The reality of their situation dawned on Aiden, making him break out into a sweat. It was one thing to walk beside the large horse, but it was another thing to have to ride him. He couldn’t do it, he thought in a panic. There was no way he could picture himself on top of an animal this large. “This should be far enough,” announced Wolf, stopping in his tracks. “Time to get on!” Aiden instinctively froze.

  “I can’t,” he breathed.

  “Don’t be nervous,” he warned him. “He’ll sense that from you, and then you’ll make him nervous. Just get up slowly, and wiggle around until you feel comfortable. It will take a while for you to feel really comfortable on the saddle, but that is normal. If you get good enough, we can take it off.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “You never know,” Wolf replied, smiling. “Now get on, and don’t be scared. He won’t just take off on you; he’ll wait for you to instruct him.”

  “An … and how do I do that?” Aiden stuttered.

  He looked at Aiden with an inquisitive brow. “You really haven’t ridden before, have you?”

  “Why would I lie about something like that?”

  Shrugging his shoulders, he walked up to Aiden and bent down, cupping his hands below him. “Step into my hands, and hoist yourself up. We’ll take this one step at a time.”

  That was exactly what they did. Aiden almost felt humiliated, except for the fact that he sincerely appreciated the effort Wolf was putting into his lesson. It was as if he were teaching a toddler how to ride. The men on the walls watched them, most likely laughing at how ridiculous Aiden looked, but he didn’t care. As long as he got it in the end, he didn’t care how he got there. They started with Wolf walking with the reins in his hands, while Aiden sat on top. Wolf taught him all the leg and hand movements that would instruct Ty what to do. He also taught him how to speak to the animal, and how to reward him when he did well. The horse responded well to praises, clearly aiming to please the person who was riding him. They never went faster than a trot. Wolf saw how unsteady he was in the saddle, and said he didn’t want to risk an injury to him by making the horse run.

  “That will be for another day,” he said, pointing out that it was better to get his balance and the basics down first, before they moved on to more advanced commands. They spent the whole day out there, not even stopping for lunch. The sun began to fall in the sky, finally making Wolf call it quits.

  “I think we’ve done enough for now. You did a great job,” he cooed. Aiden was about to thank him, until he realized he was talking to the horse. “You too,” he laughed, looking up at Aiden.

  “Gee, thanks,” he replied sarcastically. “My ass is numb,” he complained, igniting laughter from Wolf. “It’s not funny. Help me down.” He started to walk toward Aiden, when suddenly Ty reared his front hooves and took off. Aiden began to scream, while Wolf broke out into sheer laughter.

  “Looks like he doesn’t want to let you off,” he yelled after him.

  “Wolf! Tell him to stop!” He bounced around on the saddle, holding on for dear life. He could feel his body slowly slipping to the side as the horse continued to race around the field. He was doing wide circles now, staying far enough away from Wolf that he couldn’t do anything. Just as he had dreamt the night before, Aiden found himself flying off the saddle as Ty jumped over a log that was lying in his path. The wind rushed past his ears as he flew through the air. Bracing himself for the inevitable impact, he closed his eyes tightly and let himself fly. The impact came—much, much harder than he could have ever imagined. Screaming out in pain, he lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, while the damn horse continued to run around frantically.

  “Aiden!” Wolf yelled, the first time he ever heard him use his actual name. “Are you okay? Don’t move!”

  “I wasn’t planning to,” he replied through clenched teeth.

  Rolling him over onto his back, he started to check Aiden for any broken bones. “That was quite the ride.” He smirked, obviously trying to lighten up the situation. Aiden felt ill, and rolled back over to vomit beside him. “Easy there, newbie!” He was checking every limb, making sure nothing was broken. Aiden lay still, scared to move in case he had done something to himself.

  “Is he all right?” he heard someone yell. There were numerous feet running across the field toward them. The setting sun shone right into his eyes, making it hard for him to see their faces. As they came closer he saw they were the Captain, the King, and another man he hadn’t met. All three wore faces of anxiety, watching Wolf do his inspection.

  “I don’t feel anything broken,” Wolf said at last. “I think you’ll live, newbie! Congratulations!”

  “Thanks,” Aiden replied sarcastically. Slowly, he sat up and stayed there, still feeling too ill to stand.

  “Are you okay, Aiden?” the King asked, crouching down in front of him. “How is your head?”

  “I’m fine,” he lied. “Just a little taken aback is all. I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

  The Captain walked over and slapped Wolf on the back of the head.

  “Ouch! What was that for?” Wolf cried, holding the back of his head.

  “For not keeping control over the situation!” the Captain replied, looking down at Aiden.

  “It’s not my fault!” he defended himself. “Ty was just excited; he hasn’t been able to run all day.”

  “Well, he is your horse; therefore, this is your fault. You’re supposed to be taking care of the boy, not getting him thrown off a bloody horse.”

  Wolf looked like he wanted to argue further, but the expression on the Captain’s face kept his words from escaping. He simply swallowed and looked back to Aiden.

  “It really isn’t his fault,” Aiden said, trying to help.

  The Captain ignored him. “Shall we get you up then, boy? We’ll have the doctor take a look at you.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Aiden said, holding up his hands. “I feel fine, nothing feels broken, and I didn’t really land on my head, so no harm done.” Wolf smiled at him approvingly, probably appreciating the brave face Aiden was trying to put on. He must have known how Aiden really felt.

  “Fine. Wolf, take him back to the dorm while I take the King and Chancellor Ottman back to the palace.”

  “Yes, sir,” he replied, reaching his hand out for Aiden to take. As the three men walked away, Aiden wondered if he should have gone to the doctor. He did hit the side of his head when he landed, and it was quite possible he had a concus
sion. On the other hand, he hated doctors, and he had no idea what they’d be like in a place like Eden. It was medieval, and he was afraid the doctors would be too. Shuddering at the thought, he looked around for Ty, and saw him farther down in the field eating grass.

  “Stupid beast,” Aiden muttered. Walking over to him, he grabbed his reins and told him he was bad. The horse just snorted, seemingly uninterested in what had just happened.

  “You did all right today, newbie,” Wolf said conversationally as they walked back to the city gate. “I’d say in a couple more days you’ll be comfortable enough to ride around on your own, and not fall off.”

  “Doubt it,” he replied sullenly. Wolf laughed at his attitude.

  “Why must you always be so pessimistic? Don’t you believe in yourself?”

  Shocked by the question, Aiden looked at him in surprise. He didn’t know how to answer that question. Did he believe in himself? Lately he had been flipping back and forth. Some days he felt like he could do this, and then others he felt completely useless, like today. There was just so much riding on his shoulders that he felt like even if he were to achieve some level of skill during his time in Eden, it still wouldn’t be enough. They were going to be facing a whole army, not just of men, but apparently also of huge magical beasts. How does one compete with that?

  Wolf continued before Aiden could think of an answer. “If anyone is going to believe in you, it should be yourself. Look—” He stopped, turning to face Aiden. “I don’t know what is going on, or why you’re here, but I trust the King, and I trust the Captain. Most important, I trust myself, and I know whatever we come up against, I’m going to be there to stop them with whatever abilities I have. I can’t do it on my own, though, so I need to know the people who will be around me are also going to be ready.”

  Aiden stood silently, as each word that came out of Wolf’s mouth caused goose bumps along his arms.

  “So, are you going to be ready?” he asked Aiden, his face an image of sincerity.