by GJ Kelly
“Ah now,” Drake grinned and slung his crossbow over his other shoulder, “You shouldn't be too quick to judge folk. See, she may be carrying a weight on her shoulders we know nothing about and it's that weight that's making her temper short and her tongue sharp. Always a reason why someone's out of sorts, though they may not choose to tell us.”
Garin looked up at Drake, wondering at the wisdom lurking inside that powerful frame. Drake misunderstood Garin's gaze though and hastily apologised…
“Well, by Cordak, of course you'd know, being a Master Wizard and all. Just humble folks like yours truly that need to be mindful of others' feelings and remember the lessons of our elders. You being a Wizard and all, you probably know exactly what the problem is. And the lass is right, I'm full of air, so I'd best shut up in case you turns me into a frog for me impudence.”
Garin laughed and suddenly the pack on his own back seemed lighter and there was a spring in his step as they continued their journey to Rydan Drake's jolly little tune.
It wasn't until later, when the sun was high overhead that Garin began to realise that taking the west road had created unforeseen problems. Food, for one thing. By noon, as they sat together beside a great oak tree to eat their lunch, the problem of what they'd eat for dinner that night reared its head. Taya was well-prepared, it seemed and, if the amount of food in her pack was anything to go by, then that was the weight on her shoulders that Drake suggested had put her 'out of sorts'.
Garin's held only a small portion of dried fish, half a loaf and some cheese, where food was concerned, and Drake carried only a pair of heavy blankets for sleeping. Neither Garin nor Drake had the temerity to mention their lack of supplies to Taya. They finished their frugal lunch of bread and cheese and stepped out onto the track once more. Drake spent a great deal of his time glancing at the forest around them and handling his crossbow nervously. And he stopped whistling.
Taya was still obviously in poor temper and once again put a distance of some twenty paces between her and her travelling companions.
“Birds around here are pretty thin,” Drake mumbled, eyeing one he'd spotted high in the branches overhead. “Need quite a few of them for a decent meal.”
“Something'll turn up,” Garin said, with what he hoped was a cheerful optimism. With Taya pouting up front, and Drake silently looking about them for something to shoot and eat, the young wizard had suddenly found that he missed the cheerful whistling.
But once again, the massive warrior misunderstood Garin's meaning. “Ah!” he grinned and winked again, “I beg yer pardon, Master Wizard! Of course! Something'll turn up, eh? Of course!” And with that, grinning from ear to ear, he slung his crossbow over his shoulder and started whistling again.
Garin groaned inside. Clearly, Rydan Drake believed that the Master Wizard of Portsan would magically conjure up a meal fit for a king come sundown and therefore he no longer needed to keep an eye out for a wild bird or beast for dinner.
Trouble was, there was nothing Garin could do. It was clear that while Taya seemed convinced that Garin was nothing more than the Apprentice Fool that he'd been a few short days ago, Drake believed Garin to be a powerful wizard. Even if he confessed all to Drake, and told him that his magic was all but useless, the young man would probably think it a joke and laugh until he finally starved to death.
And besides, he didn't want to confirm Taya’s obvious low opinion of himself. So, feeling decidedly miserable, Garin trudged on and said nothing.
Some hours later, as dusk was beginning to fall, both Garin and Drake suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. Only Taya kept walking.
“Something's coming,” Garin whispered, glancing about warily as Drake unslung his crossbow.
“Aye, wizard,” Drake whispered back.
Suddenly, before Taya had taken more than five steps further down the track, something began crashing through the forest undergrowth, something big, something grunting fearfully. And then a wild boar, the biggest Garin had ever seen, bigger than the largest dog in Portsan, burst from the undergrowth and onto the track, about ten paces in front of Taya.
The beast stopped and swung its massive head towards them. Its tusks were dirty and yellowed, but sharp nevertheless, and its ugly snout waved from side to side, catching their scent as its nostrils flared. Beady, wicked eyes glowered at them and Taya took an unconscious step backwards away from it.
“A fine meal that'll make,” Drake whispered, so low that Garin barely heard him.
Garin wondered why the warrior wasn't taking aim with his crossbow, why he hadn't killed the vicious beast already. Wild boar were savage and he'd heard stories of them attacking travellers who crossed their path. The beast bellowed, lowered its snout, pointing its tusks straight at the terrified girl and began pawing at the ground, making ready to charge.
Still Drake waited, smiling, and Garin suddenly realised with horror that the warrior thought that he, the Master Wizard of Portsan, had conjured this beast for their dinner, and would slay it with a magical word or two, or a wave of the elf-tree staff…
Before Garin could say anything, the beast began its charge. Taya cried out, turned on her heel and started to run back towards them.
“Aaack!” Drake spat with disgust and was suddenly a blur of motion…
The crossbow came up, his head came down to meet the sights, his finger pressed the trigger and the bowstring thrummed as the boar squealed in rage…The steel bolt flew from the bow, straight and true, its goose-feather flights twirling in the blood-red rays of the dying sun…
Garin couldn't see the boar because Taya was in the way. She ran straight towards him, looking over her shoulder at the terrifying beast. It bellowed and thundered towards her as something flashed past her side, inches from her leg.
And with a thunk! that resounded through the forest, the bolt struck home. It killed the beast instantly as Taya collided with Garin and sent him sprawling backwards to the ground.
“By Cordak! What a shot!” Drake cried. He lifted his crossbow high above his head he yelled a triumphant battle-cry.
Garin's head hurt and it took a few seconds to realise that the weight crushing the breath from his chest was Taya. It took a few seconds more to realise that the wild laughter was coming from high above him, from Rydan Drake.
“By my sword, girl, you're lucky that Rydan Drake's the keenest marksman ever to walk the land!”
Suddenly the weight was lifted from Garin's chest and he looked up to see Drake helping Taya to her feet and dusting her off.
“Another five paces and our dinner would've had you for breakfast! What possessed you to run like that?”
Garin sat up, rubbed the back of his head and stared at the scene before him. Not ten paces away lay the dead beast, a great furrow ploughed into the track where its tusks had buried themselves in its death-throes. There, not two paces away, was Rydan Drake, towering over Taya like a parent over a young child, berating her in just the same way.
“If you'd only stood still for a second more,” Drake said sternly, “Wizard Garin would've had that beast skinned, cooked, carved and on a silver tray by now!”
“It charged at me!” Taya protested, tears brimming as she remembered how close she'd come to a terrible mauling, or worse…
“And so you ran between it and the wizard! How's he supposed to work his magic if you get in the way? By Cordak, there I was licking me lips waiting for me dinner to be served hot on a plate and you go and spoil it all!”
Garin felt a bubble of mirth welling up within him. It was simply incredible. Drake, Warrior of Jarak believed that Garin, Master Wizard of Portsan, had in fact conjured up the beast from the depths of the forest. Drake had stood there waiting for the mighty wizard to work a magical miracle while Taya was fleeing for her life. The simple truth was that if Drake hadn't been there, chances were that both Taya and Garin would be lying bleeding on the ground, terribly injured. Or terribly dead. Garin couldn't control the laughter any more and soon he was shak
ing with it.
“See what you've done!” Drake shouted, alarmed, “The magic's backfired somehow and he's gone mad! If he turns into a frog, it's your fault, by Cordak, for getting in the way of his spells!”
And that made Garin laugh all the more, even while Drake was lifting him to his feet and dusting him down.
It was the sight of Taya, though, standing a few paces away from the dead beast and silently weeping that stilled Garin's laughter. He couldn't allow her to believe that somehow she was to blame for all this, for 'interfering' with Garin's non-existent spell.
“Uhm, are you yourself, Master Wizard?” Drake asked, hopefully.
“Yes, Drake, I'm fine. And you, Taya, are you hurt?”
“No, Master Wizard,” she replied softly, picking up her fallen pack and refusing to meet his gaze. And then she mumbled, so low that they almost didn't hear, “I'm sorry…”
“Right!” Drake announced, the grin returning, “Then let's have at this magnificent beast, quarter it, and find ourselves a suitable spot to camp before nightfall catches us all unawares!”
oOo
-4-
“By Cordak this is good!” Drake cried, and sank his teeth into haunch of roast boar before waving the leg in the air once more. “I tell you in all honesty, Wizard Garin, if ever you tire of magic, you'll make yerself a fine living as a Master Cook in some nobleman's kitchens! I've never tasted the like!”
“It was just a few herbs and spices…” Garin began, before remembering he'd said exactly the same thing yesterday, back at the cottage.
“So says you, wizard, so says you. And who am I to gainsay a Master Wizard, eh? No-one, that's who! But by my sword, I don't care whether it be seasoning or spells has made this meat so tasty, I'll eat it all the same!”
And he took another massive bite at the joint. Garin ate quietly, keenly aware that thus far, Taya had refused the roasted meat offered her, preferring instead to nibble on dried fish and a cake of unleavened bread.
“Now see here, missy…” Drake protested as he chewed, following Garin's gaze. “Seems to me you should be saving your preserves against leaner times ahead. It might be that Wizard Garin can't muster up the magic for another boar like this and then you'll need yer preserves. Eat!”
Garin eyed the monstrous boar roasting on a spit over their fire. There was enough there to feed them for weeks! Did the warrior intend to eat it all in one sitting?
“Thank you,” Taya said quietly, “But I don't have much of an appetite.”
“Hmmff!” Drake spluttered, in mid-bite. “Pride's stuck in yer throat, I daresay! Seems to me that a soul ought to relish the chance to eat the monster that nearly parted ye from this world! Go on, swallow yer pride, eat some of this, and if ye like, I'll entertain you both to a fine tale of courage and chivalry afore it's time to retire!”
Drake was so jovial and insistent that Taya had no choice. She reached out for the crude wooden bowl on which the warrior stacked a heap of meat a hand-span high. Then she tasted a small bite and then her eyes widened with surprise.
“It is good!” she announced and Garin glowed a little inside.
“Told ye!” Drake mumbled, swallowed another huge mouthful and washed it down with a generous gulp of water from an ornate gourd by his side. “Usually it's tough as old boots unless it's left to hang for a day or two. But be it seasoning or spells, this un's the finest boar I can remember! I salute you, Wizard Garin!” And with that, Drake belched loudly, and raised his gourd again.
Garin grinned and continued his meal in silence. The clearing in the woods where they'd made their makeshift camp was far enough from the track not to attract the interest of any passing traveller, but they'd neither seen nor heard anyone all day. Drake had collected firewood while Taya had skinned and butchered the boar, leaving Garin almost idle. He still felt uncomfortable around the girl and had volunteered to fill their gourds with water from the stream not far from camp.
When he'd got back, he found that Drake had collected enough wood to light a signal beacon that would doubtless be visible in Scaret, Portsan, and probably Kinlock itself. The warrior laid the bare bones of the fire and then stood back, eyeing Garin expectantly. But Garin had simply put down the gourds and gone about the business of seasoning and glazing the prepared boar.
“Ah, I see now!” Drake had exclaimed, lighting the fire with flint and steel.
“What do you see, warrior?” Taya had asked, but the rude edge to her voice had departed with the spirit of the boar.
“Wizard Garin's saving his magic, in case they expect him to do something truly miraculous at the castle! And here stood I, buffoon that I am, waiting for him to light it with a word or spell! Forgive this humble warrior, Master Wizard, for I am but an idiot!”
Garin had flushed, but hunched as he was over the carcass of the boar, and in the failing light, no-one noticed.
Now, as they ate their unexpected meal, Garin sneaked a sidelong glance at his companions. Taya was eating quietly, lost in her own thoughts. Whatever doubts she may have about Garin's abilities, she hadn't said anything. In fact, she hadn't said much at all since the boar had charged them. And Drake? Well. The mighty warrior clearly still laboured under the impression that Garin was every inch as great a wizard as Eyan had been.
It was getting embarrassing, Garin knew and he didn't doubt for a second that sometime, somewhere, on this journey of theirs, something serious was going to happen and they'd expect him to use his magic to save them. Master Eyan would have been able to light the fire with a slight wave of his hand and a few muttered words. Garin had just stood there like an idiot wondering what was expected of him. True, he had once succeeded in lighting a fire. When he'd tried to restore life to a dead branch back at the cottage.
Master Eyan could have downed that wild boar with a word and a gesture of the elf-tree staff. Garin would have been gored to death by the beast, and Taya too, had not Drake saved the day with a hasty shot from his crossbow. Garin shivered in spite of the warmth from the fire. Rydan Drake's words haunted him:
…in case they expect him to do something truly miraculous at the castle…
What if they did? What if King Peiter required something far beyond Garin's flawed and meagre abilities? The king would be furious. Garin would be shamed. Taya would tell the story for years to come, her grandchildren sitting on her knee as she related the tale of the Apprentice Fool and how he became nothing more than a Court Jester in castle Kinlock…
“Cold, Master Wizard?” Drake mumbled. “I'll chuck another log on the fire if you are.”
“Another tree, you mean.” Taya smiled, the meal warming her mood as much as Drake's unceasing good humour.
“No, I'm fine, thanks,” Garin replied, and set aside his plate, his stomach full.
“More?”
“No thanks, Drake. I've had plenty.”
“What about you, young lass? You look like you could do with fattening up a bit.”
“Thank you, no. Half a boar's enough for me. But you carry on, if you're still hungry.”
Drake laughed and eyed the remains of the haunch he still held. “It was good, I'll say that! But enough is enough, even for me, and I daresay what's left over will suffice for breakfast tomorrow.”
Garin didn't know whether Drake was joking or not, but Taya laughed quietly anyway.
After they'd cleared away their bowls and Drake had carved the remainder of the meat and packed it away in all of their backpacks, there was so much of it, they settled on their blankets and stared into the flames.
“I recall a vague and airy promise about a tale of courage and chivalry?” Taya prompted.
“Ah!” Drake exclaimed, settling himself back and covering himself with a blanket. “And such tales I can tell! Why, tales that'll make yer hair turn white and yer toes curl! Once, when I was travelling from Jarak to Elvenglade, I found myself on a strange and unknown path. Not being one to turn back, I shrugged old Felgardin on me back and set off. No sooner had I
gone but half a league, when I comes across an old villager …”
And while Drake regaled them with unbelievable tales of amazing strength and courage and chivalry on his behalf, and boggled their imaginations with stories that surely couldn't be true for a warrior so young, Garin lay back and stared up into the night sky.
The fire slowly burned lower, the stars seemed to shine more brightly, and as both Taya and Garin found themselves lulled by the deep and humorous voice in their midst, they slept.
Thus they travelled, journeying along the western track by day, sleeping beneath the stars by night, with the ever jovial Rydan Drake making their steps the lighter for his unquenchable good humour. Whistling by day, sometimes even singing, to the alarm of every wild creature within two leagues, and telling outrageous stories by firelight, Drake seemed almost to carry them from Portsan to Kinlock.
So it seemed to Garin, anyway. Taya for the most part kept herself slightly distant from him, although it was clear that she had warmed to the friendly giant and his massive sword, Felgardin. To Drake she smiled and never hesitated to look him in the eye when they spoke. But to Garin she seemed distant, aloof, as if she would be glad when their journey was over and she no longer had to share the young man's company.
Garin was bemused by this and spent a great deal of time trying to understand what it was he'd done that must have upset her so badly. She wouldn't look him in the eye, even after four days and nights on the road. But each step brought them closer to Kinlock and that meant each step brought them closer to his meeting with King Peiter. Slowly, with each league they left behind them, Garin's thoughts turned inwards and he was increasingly troubled by the unknown future which lay so close ahead of him.
Drake and Taya seemed to sense this and spoke quietly amongst themselves, well, as quietly as Drake could speak, granting him a little space to think. But in no time at all the trees that lined their track began to thin and in the distance they heard the sounds of life in a castle city. Taya had been right, taking the western road had cut a full day off their journey and when the trees finally parted and opened out onto a vast expanse of green and rolling fields, there atop Kinlock Hill was the castle and below it in the valley, the walled city of Kinlock itself.
