Time to check on someone whose optimism more than equals my pessimism. He left Wintersky and took the path that led to the pools and Kelvren.
The only quiet place to practice was beside the bathing pools, and Darian was more than tired of repeating his tiny magics over and over when Kelvren provided a welcome interruption.
“What passsesss, brrrancherrr?” the gryphon called, as he flew low over the pool, craning his neck to the side to keep his eyes on Darian. When Darian waved at him, the gryphon executed a slow and graceful gliding turn, then backwinged to a perfect one-claw landing on the rock edge of the pool beside Darian. Darian had to duck his head and shield his eyes against the dust storm kicked up by the gryphon’s wing-beats, but he grinned a greeting anyway.
“Nothing much passes except time, and that’s passing too slowly!” he complained, as the gryphon settled himself with a couple of crisp wing-flicks. He noticed that Kel had a bundle in his right front talon, which he placed on the ground behind the rocks, just out of sight. “I want to do something, not just sit here!”
“I agrrree,” Kel responded readily. “But I happen to have sssomething you can do. Do you sssuppossse you could give me a hand with grrrrooming? Nightwind isss bussy prrepar-ring herrr weaponsss, the herrrtasssI arrre all gone orrrr busssy, and I am no grrryfalcon, to have handsss that hold toolsss well.”
Help Kelvren? In a heartbeat! Darian was absolutely thrilled to be asked, and jumped to his feet, prepared to do anything that Kel requested. “Do I need to get anything special?” he asked anxiously. “The feather-oil or anything?”
“Not featherrr-oilsss,” the gryphon replied, “I have ever-rrything we’ll need. Thisss will be battle preparrrationsss.”
With his foreclaw the gryphon picked up the bag which he put down in front of Darian. He opened it and spread out the contents on the ground. It contained the usual brushes and combs, but also held files, a thin and flexible chest protector that was clearly made to fit over the chestplate on Kel’s harness, and a set of sharp metal claw-sheaths. “Thessse fit overrr the talonssss,” Kel said, indicating the metal sheaths. “You’ll have to file my talonsss to fit; they arrre a bit longerrr than they werrre when I wasss fitted with thessse.”
Darian picked up the set of three files and the right-side set of sheaths and went to work, as Kel advised and corrected what he was doing. He found that if he sat just under the gryphon’s chin with his back against Kel’s chest, they were both able to see what was going on clearly and were more comfortable. It was very pleasant, sitting there with his back against the feathery warmth of his friend, working diligently with the files on the shining black talons. He could almost forget why they were making these preparations. He couldn’t help thinking what the other boys Of Errold’s Grove would say if they saw what he was doing now. Wouldn’t their eyes just pop! They wouldn‘t believe what they were seeing! Imagine, me, helping take care of a real, live gryphon! Why, next thing, I’ll be helping trap a snow-drake or something.
The talon-sheaths fit over each claw and were held in place with a glovelike web of fine, strong leather straps. The workmanship was really ingenious, and the articulation was perfect. The sheaths didn’t really extend the length of the talons all that much, so Kel would still be able to walk, land, and pick things up. When Darian finished fitting the whole contraption to Kel’s right leg, the gryphon had what was effectively a set of four single-edged knives on the end of his leg. Not only did each sheath taper to a point as sharp as a needle, but the first third of each had a real sharpened edge for slashing.
Kel flexed his foot, and looked at it with a mixture of pride and chagrin, his huge golden eyes blinking slowly as he admired the shining metal now covering each talon. “Harrrd to walk in, thessse, becaussse of all the damage. You don’t want me anywherrre nearrr a tent, forrr insssstancsse. Sssstill. They prrrotect my rrreal talonsss; metal won’t brrreak the way a talon can. And obviousssly, - a weapon can’t chop one off.”
Darian nodded soberly, and set to work on the left-side set. I’d hate to see how awful it would be if a talon did get chopped off. He could bleed to death! Much better to have the sheaths, even if they were a bit awkward to wear. When he finished, Kelvren reared up on his hindquarters and made a few experimental slashes in the air. “Perrrfect!” he said with a gleeful sparkle in his eyes. “You may ‘be my trrrondi’irrrn any time!”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Darian replied, blushing with awkward pleasure. “I don’t know a fraction of what Nightwind knows, and anyway, any of the hertasi could have helped you just as well. Let’s get this chest thing on you, all right?”
“Sssurrrely,” Kel agreed, dropping back down to all fours. “It goesss onto the harnessss - ssssee the bucklesss? Then the neckpiecssse wrrrapsss arrrround the thrrroat.”
The protective armor would never withstand the blows of a sword or ax, but it would protect against arrows; it was made of overlapping articulated plates of a light, strong metal totally unfamiliar to Darian, backed with a thin leather that was the toughest such substance Darian had ever seen. Unlike the talons, which were a satin finished, highly-polished silver, the chest protector was a matte black and would not betray Kel by reflecting light. The whole thing didn’t even weigh as much as a single ordinary breastplate for a smallish human - but then, it would have to be light if Kel was going to fly while wearing it.
When Darian finished buckling it onto the harness, Kel gave himself a tremendous shake to settle it, and had him tighten two or three straps, then shook himself again.
“Urrrr,” he said, clicking his beak meditatively. “Not the mossst comforrrtable thing to wearrr. But then, I have hearrrd the human Sssilverrrsss sssay the sssame of theirrr arrrmorrr.”
“It could be worse, you could have a helmet and a stomach plate and things,” Darian pointed out. Kel shook his head comically.
“I think not!” the gryphon exclaimed. “I would not be able to walk, much lessss fly! Thisss isss bad enough, and I would not wearrr it had Nightwind not insssisssted. I fearrr it looksss rrridiculousss.”
“Well! You look tremendously warlike to me,” Darian told him, stepping back to admire him from a little distance. “Very impressive. Terrifying, in fact.”
“Oh, do I?” Kel exclaimed, ingenuously pleased. “Terrri-fying? Trrruly?”
“Truly,” Darian told him. “If I were the enemy, I’d take one look at you and run, I wouldn’t stick around to find out what you could do to me.”
And the gryphon did make a daunting sight, with the metal breastplate and neck guard forming what appeared to be a seamless black shell over his chest and neck, one claw upraised, and the metal talons gleaming wickedly in the sun. It was no exaggeration to say that Kel would probably have frightened any of the Errold’s Grove militia members into scuttling back to the village, metaphorical tail between his legs.
But would he have the same effect on the barbarians? The plain truth was, virtually anything the militia thought of as a “monster” had sent them scuttling back to the safety of the village. What did he know about fighting? Only what he’d heard and read in books.
I just hope we never find out, Darian thought, keeping his doubts to himself. I’d rather not know than have those barbarians turn up here.
“I think if I was Starfall, I would feel completely secure with you on watch,” he said aloud. “I wouldn’t need anybody else.”
“Rrreally?” Kel arched his neck, and his eyes pinned with excitement. “You arrre too kind. I am only a verrry juniorrr Sssilverrr.”
“I agree with him,” Nightwind said, emerging from the shadows of the path. “You look quite formidable, Kel. Starfall will feel quite secure with you on guard, and rightly so. You’re going to do a fine job.”
Kel’s neck arched a little more, and he practically purred. “Thank you,” he said. “I hope yourrr confidencssse is jussstified.”
Nightwind smiled. “I’m a trondi’im, remember? I’ve served quite a few gryphons in the past.
I have no doubt of it.”
In Darian’s opinion, Nightwind herself looked just as formidable as the gryphon; she had a breastplate made much like his, with gauntlets to match, a light helm, and a bow that Darian would never dream of being able to string, much less draw. He couldn’t see the business-end of the arrows she carried in a quiver at her belt, but he had no doubt that they were more of the nasty, man-killing type that the Tayledras were using tonight.
Her hair had been braided back tightly into a no-nonsense knot at the nape of her neck, and there wasn’t a single extraneous bead or feather on her spare, uniformlike costume. Like Kel, her breastplate had a badge embossed on it, and he peered at it curiously.
She noted where his eyes went, and smiled. “This is the badge of the Silver Gryphons,” she told him, the fingers of one hand lightly caressing the edge of the emblem. “Kel and I are both Silvers, the only ones in the group. I don’t think they quite realize yet what that means.”
“Why isn’t anyone else?” he asked.
She chuckled. “Because we are the only two Kaled’a’in here,” she told him. “We aren’t Tayledras at all - or rather, the Tayledras used to be Kaled’a’in, but - “
The gryphon waved a claw, interrupting her. “You arrre confusssing him,” Kel chided. “Darrr’ian, it isss sssimple. Long ago therrre wasss one people, the Kaled’a’in. When the Cataclyssssm wasss overrr, that people wasss sssunderrred. The Kaled’a’in Clan k’Lessshya wasss farrr separrrated frrrom the otherrrsss, and thossse within it did not even know if the rrresst had ssssurrrvived, sssso they went to sssaferrr landsss, wessst and sssouth, and became the allliesss of the Black Kingsss. Forrr the otherrrr Clansss it was differrrent. Theirrr homelandsss werrre dessstrrroyed, ssso they found when they went to look. The otherrrsss quarrrelled overrr the ussse of magic - thossse who wanted to continue the ussse of it became the Tayledrrrasss, and thossse who wissshed to ssshun it became the Sssshin’a’in.”
“But - because your people weren’t fighting over whether or not to use magic, you stayed Kaled’a’in?” Darian asked, scratching his head. “But if your people went so far away, why are you here?”
“Because we decided that the moment was right to come back north and see what time had made of the lands we left,” Nightwind told him, and smiled ruefully. “Little did we guess that we’d end up being here at the beginning of another Cataclysm! At least some of us managed to prevent this one, anyway. Kel’s version is a very abbreviated one, and at some point, you’ll have to hear the whole story.”
“Prrrobably frrrom one of the kyrrree hissstorrry-keep-errrs,” Kel said, meditatively examining his steel-sheathed talons. “Becaussse asss sssoon asss they learrrn you do not know the tale, you will have no choicsse but to hearrr it!”
Nightwind burst out laughing as if Kel had said something terribly funny. Darian couldn’t make out just what the joke was, but laughed politely anyway.
“Well, the point is that only the Kaled’a’in have the Silver Gryphons,” Nightwind continued, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “They serve a lot of the same functions that your Heralds do; peacekeepers, border guards, and as the Kaled’a’in militia. Some day I’ll tell you why things turned out that way, but the fact is that of all the people on this expedition, Kel and I are the only true warriors. Mind you, some of the others, Snowfire in particular, have seen combat - but we’re the only ones actually trained as warriors.” One corner of her mouth quirked in an ironic smile. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think Snowfire quite realizes that about me. He still thinks I’m just an Empath and Kel’s attendant. We haven’t had to get our battle gear out before this.”
“Not that it matterrrsss,” Kel added. “Thisss isss what we prrrrobably would have volunteerrred forrr if he hadn’t asssked usss. I am a bit larrrge to hide in a waterrrr-courrrse.”
“And we are the best sort of guards he could have on Starfall,” Nightwind finished. “That’s one of the things we’re trained for; there is always a set of gryphons acting as bodyguards to our chief ally among the Black Kings.”
But a new set of dazzling possibilities had opened up to Darian. “Could I be a Silver some day?” he asked breathlessly.
“Now that is an interesting thought,” Nightwind replied, looking at him with surprise. “I never considered that possibility. Yes, I suppose you could; you’re far too young right now, but once you’re at the age where we accept candidates, you could train as a Silver, if you still want to be one.”
“Being a mage would be an advantage,” Kel added, his eartufts pricked forward with interest. “Magessss in the Sssilverrsss learrrn combat-magicsss; verrry ssspecializssed ssstuff. It would mean anotherrr ssseverrral yearrrs of sss-chooling.”
Now that was a daunting thought. More training? But it might be worth it.
“You certainly don’t have to make up your mind right now,” Nightwind said, before he could even begin to consider the ramifications of the offer. “Let’s get through this, then finish up this expedition. By the time we get back to Tayledras territory, you’ll have a better idea of what you want to do. And if that includes joining the Silvers, Kel and I will see that you get a chance to apply and train.”
He stammered his thanks, and helped Nightwind pack up the grooming utensils, aware in a dazzled fashion that he had gone in the past few days from having no choice in his future life to having a bewildering array of choices.
He did not remain dazzled for long. First we have to get through this. Then I have to make sure that no one in Errold’s Grove thinks he still has any claims on me. Then - then I have to learn how to be a mage and a Hawkbrother. The enormity of the tasks still ahead of him sobered him quickly.
He glanced up at the sun, and judged that someone would probably come looking for him shortly. “I ought to go find Snowfire,” he began,
“Snowfire has already found you,” Nightwind chuckled, and pointed over his shoulder. He turned and saw the senior scout coming out into the sunlight by the side of the pool.
The Hawkbrother eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Kel and Nightwind, though his lips curved in a slow smile. “Welladay!” he said, with appreciation in his voice. “I find all three of the folk I needed to gather, and all in one spot. Very efficient.”
“Pure coincidence,” Nightwind pointed out. “But as you can see, we are ready to take our posts.”
“Whenever you’re ready,” Snowfire told her, with a little salute. “Unless you can think of anything you need to know, I’ll leave you to handle the business of guarding Starfall as you see fit.”
Darian had the feeling that Snowfire had intended to give Kel and Nightwind some careful instructions, and on being confronted by a pair of properly equipped professionals, had quickly revised his plans.
“Thank you for your confidence, Snowfire,” Nightwind said, without a hint of her usual irony. “I hope we will prove worthy of it. Now, I take it that you have come to fetch’ your guide?”
“I have,” he said, and turned his attention to Darian. “I hope you are ready, little brother, because we need to set off soon if we are to be in place after dark.”
Darian nodded, unable to trust his voice, for he knew that the fear rising within him would make it shake. Even if he wasn’t brave, he didn’t want Snowfire to guess. I have to go through with this. I let Justyn down; I’m not going to do that to Snowfire.
“Come, then,” the Hawkbrother said. “Nightwind, Kelvren, wind to thy wings.”
“Good hunting,” Kel said, as Nightwind sketched a salute to both of them, with a sly wink to Darian. That made him feel a little better; he managed to get out a proper farewell and followed in Snowfire’s wake to where the rest of the Hawkbrothers were gathered. His heart was in his mouth, and he felt queasy, but what needed to be done would be done.
For the most part, the journey was a blur to Darian; the Hawkbrothers set a pace he would never have been able to match if he had not been riding the horse stolen from the barbarians. He coul
d not for a moment imagine how they managed to keep up that steady lope for furlong after furlong. With Hweel and Huur providing “eyes ahead,” they kept up the grueling trek long after sunset, and finally came to a halt somewhere in the deep woods after full darkness fell.
“Dar’ian, you must get off the horse now,” whispered Wintersky, who had been holding the beast by a lead rope to prevent it from bolting off the way it had the last time. “We will turn the beast loose here, for we are now going down to the river.”
Darian dismounted stiffly; the horse’s trot had not been a comfortable gait, especially not for someone who never had been much of a rider. Wintersky untied the rope from the horse’s bridle, and used it to flick the beast on the flank. With an indignant squeal, it trotted off into the darkness, leaving them all standing beside one of the enormous trees. Beneath the whisper of wind in the leaves above, Darian heard the sound of the river; it couldn’t be too far off, then. They were very near their goal, the end of the aqueduct that carried water to the village.
“Come,” Snowfire whispered; somehow he had replaced Wintersky at Darian’s side. “Do not fear to keep up; we must go slowly now, avoiding the sentries.”
As gruelingly swift as the pace had been before, it was now just as agonizingly slow. The Hawkbrothers moved from cover to cover, slipping in and out of the shadows like silent shadows themselves, and far quieter than Darian was. Darian winced every time he stepped on a rock or a twig, for the sounds he made sounded as loud as shouts in the relative peace of the Forest.
But there were other things making sounds out here; he was amazed to realize how loud deer were, as they came across a pair of does and a fawn, feeding. He’d always thought that deer moved silently, but they tramped through the sparse underbrush as noisily as he.
At last they reached the river itself, with no signs of sentries that Darian could see. But then, what did he know? Hweel, Huur, and Snowfire were probably the only ones who would know where sentries were, and the point was to avoid them.
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