Wielder's Awakening

by T. B. Christensen

  They had barely gotten off their horses when Hank had them back up again. Traven rode on in silence wondering if the day was ever going to end. He was not sure if he could spend two more days traveling at this pace. John kept assuring him that it really was not that bad and after another day he would be used to it. He wasn’t sure if he believed John but figured that it had to get easier over the next couple of days or he was going to die.

  “Hey Traven, have you heard about that army that’s being raised in the north of Balthus?”

  “An army?” Traven exclaimed excitedly as his wandering thoughts vanished.

  “That’s what I said. My neighbor took a load of wool into Kavar a few weeks ago and heard all about it.”

  “It’s just a rumor John. Don’t fill the boy’s head with a bunch of nonsense.”

  “It’s not just a rumor Hank. There were several people in Kavar who had actually seen the army.” John then turned back to Traven. “Apparently, there is an army that’s being gathered in northern Balthus. No one’s sure exactly why it’s being raised. Some say it’s just some noble who wants more land but others are saying that it’s a powerful wielder trying to cleanse the world. It seems that it’s made up of mostly bandits and shady characters. People who are looking for excuses to pillage and kill are flocking to the army. I can’t believe that this army can be anything but trouble if it’s made up of a bunch of rascals. They haven’t done anything yet, but the people of Beking are getting pretty nervous. They’re demanding that the Empress of Balthus send her army north to disperse the group, but the empress hasn’t done anything yet. In my opinion, I think she doesn’t really care about the people in Beking. She’ll probably just keep most of her army to protect her palace in Rankdra. I don’t think she really cares about anyone but herself.”

  “John, don’t go criticizing rulers that you don’t know anything about. You’re acting like you’re an expert on all of this, but all you’ve heard are rumors that have passed through so many different people that they probably don’t have any truth in them at all.”

  “You can say whatever you want, but you can’t deny that the High King, may he live long and prosper, has issued a call throughout Kalia for new recruits for the army. He is bulking up the army for some reason.”

  “Are they really strengthening the army?” Traven asked.

  He could not believe it. The army of Kalia was only strengthened when the High King was worried of being attacked or if there were any uprisings in the land. Traven couldn’t remember there ever being a need to strengthen the army in his lifetime. His grandfather had once mentioned something about a war when he himself was young but that there had never been any really big problems since then. Fifty years ago there had been a war with Cydus over the port city of Argont. That was the last time the army had been bulked up. It was the first time in fifty years the army was being strengthened to deal with a problem, and he was heading straight for Calyn. Maybe he would get some adventure yet. It sure would be interesting to see a grand army.

  “John’s not making that part up. Our neighbor actually brought a notice from Kavar inviting people to join the army. The wages of soldiers have been raised, and I’m sure that young, empty headed men from all over Kalia are hurrying to answer the invitation with false hopes of adventure.”

  “What’s wrong with being loyal to the High King, may he live long and prosper? Do you think that those who support the High King are stupid?” Traven answered defensively.

  “That’s not what I meant. It’s just that these kids don’t know what they’re getting themselves involved in. War brings nothing but death and sadness. It’s not as glorious as all the tales make it sound. Our father fought in the High King’s army when he was young to calm a rebellion in Argont about thirty years ago. He came back without one of his hands. I don’t suppose you young kids think about that in your fantasies.”

  Traven suddenly felt bad for what he had said. He hadn’t meant to accuse Hank of not being loyal to the High King. He apologized, but Hank said it did not bother him at all; he knew that Traven was just young and had a lot of fire in his belly. Hank then rode a little ahead of him and John.

  “Don’t worry about it Traven. Hank’s just too serious about everything. It wasn’t you that upset him. He’s upset because his boy wanted to run off and join the army. It has been a touchy subject for the past week.”

  Traven glanced ahead at Hank’s back and decided to drop it. He continued to talk about the rumors of the army in Balthus with John. He got so lost in the discussion that he was happily surprised when he realized that the sun was beginning to set. Hank rejoined them and said that it was almost time to stop but of course he wanted to cover just a little more ground first.

  By the time they finally pulled off the road, it was almost completely dark. They set up camp off to the right of the road. John gathered several of the dry, thorny bushes that seemed to grow all over the plains and started to build a small fire. He called the bushes thornweed and said that they actually burn for quite a long time and make good fodder. As soon as the fire was going, Hank pulled out a small pot from under the seat of the wagon and sent Traven to go and fill it up with water.

  Traven took the pot and headed for the river. He crossed the road and slowly made his way down to the edge. As he bent to fill the pot, he noticed that he could see all of the stars reflected in the water. Gazing at the river was almost the same as gazing at the sky. It was beautiful. It was hard to imagine how many stars there were above. He suddenly felt insignificant under such a large canopy of never-ending sparks of light. Slowly the stars in the river began to wink out. As he glanced up at the night sky, he could make out the clouds that were rolling in. He quickly filled the pot and made his way back to camp.

  “Some clouds are moving in. Do you think we’re going to get some rain?”

  Hank and John peered up at the sky as Traven set the pot down near the fire. After a few moments, Hank shook his head and looked back at Traven.

  “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to travel in any rain, but it looks like we might just get caught. Don’t worry about it raining on you tonight. Those aren’t rain clouds, but rain clouds are almost certain to follow them. We’ll probably run into rain sometime tomorrow morning. We better eat quickly and get some sleep. We need to start early and get as far as we can before the rain bogs us down.”

  Hank put the pot on the fire and started to cut vegetables into the water. He then cut in some mutton and threw some spices over the top for flavor. After the water had boiled for a while, he pulled the pot off of the fire and pulled out a wooden bowl and spoon. John did likewise, and Hank began to spoon the stew into their bowls. Hank then turned and looked at Traven.

  “Well, are you going to get out your bowl and have some stew or not? We’re not going to wait all night for you.”

  “Um, I don’t have a bowl,” Traven replied sheepishly. “I didn’t even think about needing one.”

  “You don’t have a bowl?” Hank asked incredulously. “How did you expect to eat food if you didn’t have a bowl and spoon?”

  “Don’t be so hard on the boy. This is the first time he’s traveled. Traven, you can use my bowl and spoon after I’m done eating as long as you clean up after the meal for me.”

  Traven thanked John and settled down to wait for him to finish eating. He watched them eat and tryied to keep his stomach from growling. After having a second helping, John handed his bowl and spoon to Traven and went over to the wagon. Traven quickly dished up a large bowl of the stew and downed it quickly. He emptied the rest of the stew into his bowl and walked over to see what John was doing. John had pulled out a large tarp from under the wagon seat and was tying two of its corners to the seat.

  “This is just in case it does rain tonight. If this wool gets weighed down with water, we’ll be moving at a snail’s pace. We keep this tarp in the wagon just in case something like this comes up.”

  Traven helped him pull the tarp the rest of the
way over the cargo and fastened his corner down. He then took John’s bowl and spoon and the pot down to the river to wash them. When he returned, both John and Hank were already curled up next to the coals of the fire. Traven could hear their breathing come at slow, steady intervals, and he put the newly cleaned utensils away as quietly as he could.

  He then pulled out his cloak and settled down on the other side of the fire. He lay there feeling the hard ground beneath him. He certainly missed sleeping in a bed. However, he was grateful to be laying down. He just couldn’t get comfortable no matter how he positioned himself. He should have been able to sleep instantly with how tired he felt. Instead, he reviewed the events of the last couple of days over and over in his mind. Thinking that he would never fall asleep, exhaustion finally overtook him, and he drifted off into a fitful slumber.

  Traven was shaken gently awake by John before the sun rose. They had a quick breakfast of stale biscuits and cheese as they mounted and started down the road. The sky was full of scattered clouds, but none of them looked like they carried rain. Traven pulled out the knob of wood that he had been carving and set about shaping it into a bowl and a spoon as they rode. He was determined to be self-sufficient. He was glad he had brought the knob of wood. It would definitely come in handy once it was a bowl. He carefully carved out a chunk of the wood that would be big enough for a spoon and then started hollowing out the knob to make a bowl. The bowl would not be very big, but it would serve its purpose. It was not going to be perfectly round either, but he figured he could smooth it out later when he had more time. The morning passed quickly away as Traven concentrated on the knob. There had not been any rain to bother them, but when they were getting ready to stop for lunch, black clouds could be seen rolling on the eastern horizon.

  “It looks like it’s gonna be a good one. Do you think we can outrun it Hank?” John said with a large smile and raise of his eyebrows.

  “Quit joking around. You won’t think it’s so funny when the storm catches up to us. Let’s speed up our pace a little and maybe we’ll be at a stopping point before it gets too bad.”

  They kept on going without stopping for lunch and ate more of the stale biscuits and cheese from atop their mounts. Traven continued carving away at the knob of wood despite the cramp in his hand and was almost finished with the bowl when a few cool drops of water hit his face. Soon it started to sprinkle.

  “Better get out your cloaks fellows,” Hank said with a frown. “It looks like it’s going to pour.”

  Traven promptly donned his new cloak and was pleased to see that the water beaded off of it nicely. It started to sprinkle a little harder but not that much, so he continued whittling away. He was able to finish the bowl and was admiring his work when there was a loud crack overhead and the heavens finally opened. It began pouring so hard that he had difficulty putting the bowl into his pack without getting his packed clothes drenched. He then turned and peered through the rain ahead of him. He could just make out Hank in front of him and John with the wagon to his right. The dirt road was fast becoming mud, slowing their progress. The horses kept plodding on, churning the mud with each step. As the wind began to pick up, it brought with it a chill that foretold of the fast approaching winter. Traven pulled his cloak tighter around his body and face trying to keep himself warm and dry.

  The rain continued on for the rest of the day and into the night. They camped on a small hill off the road where the ground was not as boggy as the lower land all around. John parked the wagon on the very top of the hill, and they all climbed under it to sleep. Traven was surprised to find that the wagon actually provided fairly good shelter from the storm. The ground beneath them was still damp, but the rest of the rainwater ran down the hill away from them. The ground was softer than it had been the night before, but it was still far from comfortable. The dampness seeped into his bones. Eventually, the splashing of the raindrops slowly lulled him to sleep.

  The rain lasted all through the night and into the morning. By the time they started out, it had weakened to a slow drizzle. The drizzle lasted all day, and they continued to ride in soggy silence. The wagon almost got stuck several times, but the two horses were always able to pull it out. Toward evening, the storm finally started to break up. Traven was grateful when the rain finally stopped, and he whittled a spoon from the leftover wood. When he finished, he slowly put the spoon away feeling quite proud of himself. Ahead of them the road rose slightly, and the sun was hidden from view behind it. It looked as though he would have to spend yet another uncomfortable night sleeping on the ground before they finally reached Kavar.

  “How much farther are we going to have to ride tomorrow to reach Kavar?” Traven asked.

  Hank just looked back at him with a grin on his face, and John pointed ahead. Traven looked ahead confused. As they came over the rise, there, silhouetted against the setting sun rose the great walls of Kavar. Traven’s jaw dropped in amazement at its immense size. He had not imagined that a city would be so large.

  “Didn’t they tell you that Hank always makes the journey in three days?”

  5

  Traven could not stop staring with wide eyes as they slowly made their way down the rise towards the east gate. The gray walls rose thirty feet out of the ground. Atop the walls, towers squatted as they gazed over the surrounding countryside. An enemy could be spotted miles away from the towers, and never had an army breached the city’s walls. The tops of several buildings could be seen even above the walls, their roofs covered with bright red and blue tiles. The sun reflected off the colorful roofs, dazzling the eye.

  Traven was so intent on the city that he was startled when they arrived at the bridge that they would need to cross to get to the city. The bridge was not what startled him. It looked sturdy enough. It was wide enough for two wagons to easily fit across it side by side and made of strong stone blocks. The thing that startled him was how much water flowed under the bridge. The Adrinavelle was much larger than he had ever imagined. It dwarfed the Blue River that emptied into it further to the west. The river rushed past in front of them making him feel insignificant. The Adrinavelle had to be at least twenty arm spans across!

  The stone blocks rang as they slowly began to cross the bridge over the river. Traven was surprised that they were the only people in sight. He had expected a lot more traffic near such a large city as Kavar. It was surprisingly quiet. He could not see anyone entering or leaving the city as they slowly approached the east gate. He was even more surprised to see that it was closed. John had told him that the gate stayed open until after dark and was opened very early in the morning. As Traven glanced over at Hank and John, he found that he was not the only one who was confused.

  “There’s still at least an hour of light left!” Hank exclaimed. “Why are the gates already closed?”

  He shook his head with a sour expression on his face as they got closer and closer to the walls. As they pulled up in front of the gate, a guardsman slipped out from a small door that was almost invisible in the wall next to the gate. Traven realized it had been painted to resemble the stones of the wall. The gate sentry advanced towards them cautiously trying to look in every direction at once as if expecting an ambush.

  “What might you be doing coming to Kavar so late?” the grizzled guard demanded suspiciously.

  “What do you mean late?” Hank demanded right back. “I can’t remember the gates ever being closed this early in all the years I have been selling sheepskin. Why don’t you tell me why the gates are closed so early?”

  “Whoa there shepherd. Calm down. You mean you really haven’t heard the news?” When Hank shook his head, the guard continued on. “The countryside is full of bandits. No one living outside the walls of the city dares to even step out of their homes after sunset. There are plenty of caravans and farmers that have been attacked in the last couple weeks. The only safe time to travel is during the light of day. The gates have been ordered to stay shut from sunset to sunrise. I’ll see what I ca
n do though. I can’t leave you out here with bandits about. Just wait a minute.”

  The guard slipped back through the door and left them standing there wondering if there really were bandits nearby. John said that they had not seen any bandits so far and probably would not now, but he would still rather sleep in a comfortable bed tonight than on the ground again. After several minutes, the gate still had not opened. Hank suggested that they might as well find a good spot to set up camp, but as they turned to leave, the gates slowly began to creak open. The gate stopped when it was just wide enough for the wagon to slip through and immediately began to close again after they squeezed by. They thanked the guards and slowly made their way deeper into the city.

  On either side of the street, shops were beginning to close up. People dotted the streets as they finished up the errands of the day. Here most of the shops were two stories. It felt strange to have buildings towering all around him. Back at home only Hand’s mill had been taller than a single story. All of the buildings here seemed to be at least two stories. They turned down the first street that crossed the one they were following and headed north towards the warehouses. Hank explained that all of the warehouses were built around the northern gate. By the time they reached the warehouse where they sold their sheepskins, it was beginning to get dark. Even in the dark Traven could see that the warehouses towered above all of the shops around them. Traven was sure that some of the warehouses had to be at least four stories. The height of the buildings was somewhat offset by their width. They didn’t seem quite so tall with their bases being even wider than they were tall. They all seemed so immense to Traven.