Apparition

by Tom Liberman

  “Supposedly Tanelorn is like that too,” said Mike shaking her head. “But it’s not that way at my house. All they ever do is tell you what to do, what to wear, how to cut your hair, what to eat, how late to stay up, when to go to parties, and be nice to old stupid people because they once did something or another. It’s just not fair.”

  “I mean, mom and dad did have rules about staying up late and things like that,” said Rhia looking at the girl with narrowed eyes. “I was talking about important things in life. What you do with yourself, how you behave, not rules about when to go to bed and you have to eat dinner before dessert. I guess all parents everywhere have rules like that.”

  “Stop defending them!” said Mike and her eyes were once again blazing. “If you think they’re so great you can go live with them. I’m free now. I’ll do as I please, when I please, and how I please.”

  “Sorry,” said Rhia backing away from the ferocity.

  “You should be,” said Mike and glared. “So, what’s your name now then?”

  “Rhia Buffalorider,” said Rhia and she couldn’t help but remember her friend Odellius. “Although I’m not really a knight. I had to pick something besides Speed.”

  “I’m not one to make fun of names,” said Mike with raised eyebrows, but the statement was clearly not a joke and Rhia suppressed any urge to laugh. “Why Buffalorider?”

  “In Elekargul you get to choose your name when you become a knight.”

  “Any name?”

  “No,” said Rhia with a firm shake of her head. “There is a list of names to choose from. You’re supposed to pick one that fits your personality.”

  “Who makes the list?” asked Mike.

  “It’s a list of the most famous knights,” said Rhia leaning back against the wall and looking up at the sky. It was still early morning and clouds floated across the blue sky.

  “There was a knight named Buffalorider?”

  “No, I mean yes, well no,” said Rhia. “A new name is created when someone does something particularly heroic. That’s the highest honor you can have in Elekargul, to have your own name.”

  “I’m not sure I understand,” said Mike.

  “I’ll tell you the story of Adandrus Buffalorider and maybe you will,” said Rhia as she settled back against the brick wall on top of the building and continued to watch the pathetic little red-haired girl struggle to unload the wagon and haul the pieces of the tent into the main building.

  Chapter 3

  The sun was high in the sky and a thousand Freeriders assembled on the great plains of Relm opposite at least twice that number of heavily armored orcs. The banner of the Elekargul, four outward facing horseshoes, fluttered from dozens of poles and the shiny steel armor and lances of the gathered host glinted like sunshine off the water.

  A group of men gathered near a large tent at the center of the army and spoke excitedly to one another.

  “Do you think he will come, Sir Kanus?” asked a tall man with thick eyebrows and bearing a heavy shield with the sigil of a broken hand upon it.

  “He has no choice but to come,” said a thin man with a wispy moustache and a little goatee of a beard. “Today is the day we destroy the nation of Relm once and for all. Today will be a day that goes down in the history of Elekargul. He must come and he must apologize to me.”

  “Sir Adandrus is a proud man,” said another man in the group. He was a tall and rather young knight. His sigil was simply a single slash between the four outward pointing horseshoes and he smiled. “I think he will come but I do not think he will apologize.”

  “He must either do that or make good on his pledge, First Rider,” said Sir Kanus nodding his head slightly to the leader of the army. “I offered him my mount and he said he would rather ride a buffalo than take charity from me.” With that he looked to a little corral a dozen yards away where one of the great beasts in question bent down to crop some grass in its makeshift pen. “I have brought him his buffalo,” he concluded with a guffaw and a dozen other of the most decorated knights of Elekargul laughed with him.

  “The proud Sir Adandrus,” said one of them. “Now we shall see whether he is a man of his word or not.”

  “Sir Agricul, he has bested you in how many tournaments?” asked the First Rider turning to the man who laughed most loudly.

  The man grinned and nodded his head, “I’ll be the first to admit to the martial skill of Sir Adandrus,” he said opening his hands in acknowledgement of this fact. “But he refused the aid of our friend there and he made a pledge. He must either keep that vow or apologize for refusing the generously offered help. He was dismounted, aground. Sir Kanus offered his in the midst of battle. Sir Adandrus said what he said, there is no taking it back, and there are no denials. Dozens witnessed the incident.”

  “There!” shouted a voice and everyone looked to the east where a small group of knights fast approached on their chargers. A banner fluttered on a pole held by lead rider. It showed a bloody hand and that knight, wearing shining armor and astride a beautiful and powerful black horse, led a group of ten men into the circle. The lead rider dismounted, as did the others, and he strode over with long steps while the rest hung back.

  “Hail, First Rider. Sir Adandrus Redhand salutes you and brings his sons and nephews to fight at your side.”

  “Hail, Sir Adandrus,” said the young warrior with a salute. “You are most welcome. Today we destroy the armies of Relm and assure our freedom for a generation. I believe you know Sir Kanus?” he concluded pointing to the wispy mustachioed man who smirked and bobbed his head ever so slightly.

  Sir Adandrus bowed deeply and smiled, “I’ve known him since we were boys together in Black Roost. We squired together for Sir Calon and established a mutual understanding even back then.”

  Sir Kanus nodded his own head, “So, you’ve come to join us on this momentous day, have you?”

  Sir Adandrus smiled, “Of course. When the First Rider goes to battle so too did my grandfather, and my father before me, so too will my sons and grandsons after I am gone. It is in the nature of my blood and has been since the time of Brutus Brokenhand.”

  “Perhaps you remember our last encounter,” said Sir Kanus his eyes dancing with delight.

  “I remember it well,” said Sir Adandrus and largely managed to suppress a cagy little grin, “But is this the time to dredge up old memories or should we prepare for the battle ahead?”

  “The battle ahead will likely be arduous but I think we must settle our dispute now. I offered you aid when your mount was cut from under you in our last battle with these self-same orcs of Relm. Surely you remember as much?”

  Sir Adandrus bowed, “It was a kind offer, but I’m afraid my seat would not find comfort in stallions bred from the stock of your stables.”

  “So you said and in a most charming fashion,” said the other man. “Yonder lies what I believe you deemed to be a more appropriate charger for you delicate backside. I have brought it along to see if it meets with your approval.”

  Sir Adandrus looked over to the pen and the rather placid looking creature penned inside. He smiled. “He looks much like all the horses that come from your stables, more interested in eating grass than in carrying a man in battle. Once again I must decline your kind offer. I’ve brought my own mount,” he said with a jerk of his head toward a large wagon that was slowing moving forward.

  “I do not care if you have brought your own mount or not,” said Sir Kanus with a smirk. “You said you would rather ride a buffalo than take my offer. So now you will ride a buffalo. Yonder is the beast that will carry you into battle today.”

  “I think no,” said Sir Adandrus with a grin and made a little motion with his head. Two of the youngest men that came with him were grinning from ear to ear as they walked quickly to the back of the wagon and disappeared behind it. A moment later they emerged leading a massive buffalo with horns nearly a foot long and fire in its eyes. It strained against the ropes that held it and chomped at
the heavy bit in its mouth. “I have brought my own buffalo,” concluded the mighty warrior. “It has more fire than the timid beast from your stable. When going to battle one must be certain that the fire in your belly is matched by the hunger in the heart of your mount. Is that not true, First Rider?”

  As if to make the point the great beast pawed the ground and gave off a great bellow.

  “It is true, Sir Adandrus,” said the First Rider with a grin of his own. “Will you do me the honor of riding at my side today?”

  “To fulfill the will of the First Rider is my sole desire in life,” said Sir Adandrus and walked over to the snorting beast. “Hold him steady now, boys” he ordered his sons and they wrapped the heavy ropes around their waists and lowered themselves close to the ground. A thick and strangely fashioned saddle was already cinched around the massive belly of the beast and Sir Adandrus leapt aboard with a confident and fast motion.

  The animal immediately snorted and tried to spin around but the young men held the ropes firmly, their cousins quickly joined them, and together they held the beast until it finally calmed.

  “Sound the horns,” said the First Rider with a nod of his head. “Sir Kanus, will you do me the honor of riding on my other side?”

  Sir Kanus nodded his head although spent a second to direct a glare at the warrior who sat astride the buffalo. “You will need someone who can properly hold a lance rather than merely holding on for dear life while on the back of an untrained beast. It will be my honor as it was the honor of my great-grandfather when Coinkeeper faced the Great Black alone!”

  With that horns began to blare and the host of knights mounted their steeds and moved into a pair of long lines. The young sons of Sir Adandrus let go of their ropes and climbed aboard their own chargers. Soon the entire host was ready. Banners fluttered in the breeze and thousands of battle-hardened orcs jeered from across the field.

  A sharp blast from a single horn and the First Rider put his heels into the side of his horse. A thousand riders moved forward in two great lines. First their mounts merely walked and the orcs across the field braced themselves for they had more than once tasted the ferocious steel of a charge from the Freeriders.

  The horses slowly picked up speed and Sir Adandrus pulled hard on the reigns keeping his ungainly mount in line with the First Rider in the center of the line. Soon the host was at full gallop and the sound of a thousand hooves upon the turf was like thunder in the air. A horn sounded and every lance leveled at the exact same moment.

  The orcs raised their own massive shields and arrows filled the sky from archers at the rear of their lines. The heavy tipped missiles largely glanced off thick armor but a few found purchase and horse and man went crashing to the ground while the thunder moved forward like a rolling tide.

  Two arrows plunged into the shoulder of the buffalo and the beast shrieked but the firm hand of Sir Adandrus kept its head focused on the enemy and it did not even miss a stride. Then they were upon the enemy and their lances reaped a horrible harvest. The orcs had set up little barbed spikes in the ground and a number of horses went down in a heap, including that of Sir Kanus, but the dual line flashed through the enemy and then they were onto to the other side, a sea of death and dying behind them.

  “Wheel!” shouted the First Rider with a motion from his hand and the rolling avalanche turned as one and headed back for another pass. The orcs tried to form up their lines while also hacking down the knights felled in the first assault.

  The second charge blasted into the orcs with equally deadly results although the line of horsemen became disjointed as little groups became isolated from the main body.

  “Sir Kanus and his son need help!” shouted a knight pointing to where a half-dozen orcs lashed out at the downed knight whose son stood over him and deflected the attacks.

  The First Rider motioned with his head, Sir Adandrus pulled with his reins, and he and his retinue charged forward to the melee. They arrived at the last moment and the great buffalo under Sir Adandrus, maddened with rage and unaccustomed to battle, lowered its head and impaled two orcs that were assaulting the brave knights.

  Two more orcs slashed their blades against its side and Adandrus was all but thrown from the saddle although he managed to somehow stay seated. The buffalo then trampled one of the attackers and gored another. Horns sounded again and the Freeriders, formed up again, made a final and devastating charge through the last of the resistance. What few orcs remained willing to fight formed into little knots but the battle was won.

  The First Rider rode up to where Sir Adandrus sat astride his mount, blood flowing from his neck where a blade nicked him. Sir Kanus knelt nearby, his armored covered in mud and his son standing beside him. “The battle is won,” said the leader of the nation with a nod of his head.

  “Relm is defeated,” said Sir Adandrus his hands still holding tightly to the reins of the buffalo that bled from the several wounds on its flank and shoulder.

  The First Rider nodded and smiled, “Sir Kanus, even you must admit that Sir Adandrus Redhand fulfilled his oath. Is this feud between you finished?”

  “I will admit no such thing,” said Sir Kanus rising to his feet although it was clear his left leg was broken at the ankle. He used is sword to keep himself upright.

  A scowl came across the face of the youngest son of Sir Adandrus and he opened his mouth to say something but the knight raised his hand and the words died in the lips of the boy.

  “Today I declare beyond the shadow of doubt, in front of my son, and in the name of the First Rider that Sir Adandrus Buffalorider fulfilled his oath,” said Sir Kanus bowing, although the movement caused him to wince in pain, and he looked to the First Rider.

  “Agreed,” said the First Rider with a slight nod and a wide grin.

  And the cheering began.

  Chapter 4

  “So was this guy, Sir Adandrus, your father or something?” asked Mike as the story came to an end.

  Rhia shook her head and laughed although it sent a shooting pain through her nose, “That’s not how it works. When you become a knight you choose your own name. Just because we have the same last name doesn’t mean we’re related. I just do him honor by taking his name.”

  “Right, I see,” said Mike scratching her head and looking back toward the front of the little shop where the girl seemed to have finally managed to put everything in order.

  “Although,” said Rhia with a raised eyebrow.

  Mike turned back to the young woman and looked at her.

  “Sir Kanus was my great grandfather.”

  “The bad guy?”

  “He wasn’t a bad guy; he just had a rivalry with Sir Adandrus. It’s not uncommon that two families in Elekargul will have some problems with each other, but when it comes down to it there’s nothing more important than upholding your honor on the field of battle. Side by side is what we say.”

  “Is that story really true?” said Mike once again turning to face Rhia. “I mean, a buffalo?”

  “It’s a naming story,” said Rhia her jaw firmly set. “That means it’s absolutely true. No one would lie about such an important thing.”

  Mike nodded her head, “I guess so, I mean, who could make up something that crazy.”

  “It’s the highest honor you can have in Elekargul to have your own name. Everyone who takes it after gives you honor.”

  Mike nodded her head and then looked back toward where the red-haired girl had vanished inside the dilapidated shop, “I’m sorry I said it was stupid,” she finally said while looking away.

  “Apology accepted,” said Rhia with a short nod and a tight smile. “Now, let’s get on about proving that girl is being abused. I mean, there’s no question it’s happening, but I guess Lofo wants proof before he sends someone in to take care of it.”

  “That’s right,” said Mike. “Here in Tanelorn people are pretty much allowed to do what they want, we don’t have many laws and there isn’t even really a militia to arrest pe
ople or anything. That means bad people can get away with things sometimes. It’s the price of freedom is what the Gray Lord says.”

  “It’s that way in Elekargul also,” said Rhia once again thinking about home, her parents, her father, and her sister. “But I’ve been lots of places where they have tons of laws. Places like that it seems like there are more police than regular people and bad people still get away with all sorts of things.”

  “Really?” asked Mike pursing her full lips and looking more like a beautiful young girl every time Rhia examined her.

  Rhia stared and tried to figure out how she could have been fooled in the first place. Certainly Mike was slim but her hips were rather full for a boy and her face was almost angelic in its beauty.

  “What are you looking at?” said Mike a frown on her face.

  Rhia looked down and shook her head, “Nothing,” she said.

  “It’s still early, sun won’t be setting for hours yet,” said Mike looking out to the west over the city. “It won’t be dark anytime soon.”

  “What should we do?” asked Rhia. “Why not wait until dark and break into the place and see what happens at night.”

  Mike shook her head and smiled a brilliant smile with perfect teeth in straight alignment, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. After what happened at the ceremony they’ll be laying low for a while I’d guess.”

  “Maybe,” said Rhia while shaking her head and her hand went to the sword at her side. “But I’d guess that Pillswar fellow is angry that his plans didn’t work, that Jon Gray and Sorus were there to stop them. If he’s as bad as you say, he’ll take it out on that girl. Tonight might be a good night to catch him in the act and then we can report to Lofo.”

  Mike pursed her lips and nodded her head, “That does make some sense. I’ve staked out the place a couple of times now so I know how we can get in. They take apples in through the cellar over there and store them before making pies and cider. It was a big operation a long time ago I guess but it’s died down in the last year since Marianna’s father was killed.”