by Aaron Thomas
“I’ll have to see if I can find one, not sure as I have any weapons. Not much call for a peddler to sell a weapon. Say? You aren’t going to start a fight here tonight are ya?”
“Sir, I assure you that I have no problems with anyone in this town tonight. My problem is headed for another town this night.”
“Well, in that case I have this long knife here. It costs two silver.” Kilen tossed two silver into the peddler’s hand and tied the long knife onto his belt. He drew the blade. It was sharp and not polished but it would serve its purpose if he was forced to that. As he made his way to the town’s edge, he passed fewer and fewer people. Those he did pass were sitting on porches or in windows being too old to participate in the dance. He decided he should probably start getting use to the ring’s magic effect. He stopped and put the chain around his neck, letting the rings fall inside his shirt. He could feel the power. At first he walked, then jogged, then he tried to run. His body lurched forward as if he had jumped instead. His body left the ground and his legs moved too fast, touching only air. His leg’s continued to move as if he was trying to run in the air. He wheeled his arms around trying to keep his balance but instead, landed on his chest in the middle of a cobblestone street. He only managed to keep his head from hitting the stones. Standing up, he noticed the impact had torn his shirt and cut his hands and knees. He now looked like a beggar covered with dirt and clothes’ ripped to shreds. He didn’t care what he looked like. He had only one task in the world, and that was to catch Chit. Kilen started again, at first trying to run then leaping one leg at a time. He was now moving faster than he thought could be possible.
***
Bowie tried again and again to pry at least one girl from Daniel, but the competition for him had already begun. The girls wouldn’t give Bowie a second glance, even though he was the one who provided the wine for this celebration under the lantern pole. Kara came running up looking worried. “Kilen went after Chit, to get that sword. He stopped at the peddler and bought a knife, I watched him. He is going to get himself killed. You have to help me stop him.”
Bowie laughed as she finished, “Did he get a horse to ride, or does he plan on running the whole way to Basham?”
“Not running, LEAPING! He was jumping so fast I couldn’t keep up with him.”Bowie was shocked by the thought.
“How?” Bowie replied, still skeptical.
“I don’t know. He’s moving fast and we don’t have much time to wait.” Kara was picking at her braid. He had always noticed she did that when she was nervous, usually when Kilen and him were pranking someone.
Bowie could tell that she was truly concerned. “I’ll load up Charger. I should be able to catch him before he gets too far, and I’ll bring him back so he can finish the celebration.” Bowie started to walk away.
“No you won’t. You will take me with you so I can make sure he’s safe. He doesn’t plan on coming home to say goodbye.” Bowie shook his head no, but before he could say anything she spoke again and louder. “You will take me with you, or I’ll tell the mayor that you took the nails out of Chit’s new horse’s shoes. That will keep you from leaving town for a couple weeks and you won’t get to be with my brother at all!” Bowie considered her. He didn’t need the trouble and neither did his dad’s shop. He nodded in agreement. He knew Charger was fast enough to catch up, even with two people on his back.
“I’ll get my supplies and meet you at the stable behind my dad’s shop.”
Kilen leapt for the better part of an hour, then slowed to a jog, then a walk. He could not keep going like this. He was not tired, as much as he was dehydrated. To make things worse, he didn’t have any water with him. His mouth was dry as dust. It resulted in his slow dragging walk. His lungs were on fire. He felt like he had spent all day breathing in the smoke from the blacksmith’s furnace. He knew if he didn’t get some water that he would die, but he could not stop his pursuit of Chit. The desire burned in his chest. It burned fiercer than the dry lungs, white hot. The sun went down nearly an hour ago and no light was left on the horizon. The moon had climbed halfway up the sky. It was a bright night, probably a full moon, he thought. Kilen could not recall the last time he took note of the moon. There was only the blade, Chit, and water, in that order.
He fell to his knees and stopped to take a breath. It hurt to breathe deeply. If only it started raining he could drink while running, he thought. Kilen felt his shirt and noticed that it was damp from sweat. He had stopped sweating a little while before, and that was not a good sign. He needed water. He looked up at the night sky. It was clear except for the moon. The moon was bright, probably a full moon he thought again. Chit’s horse would make good time on a night like this. He wouldn’t have to stop in fear of a broken hoof. He would have gained distance on Kilen, but Kilen knew where he was headed, and he would eventually catch up. That was if he ever got something to drink. He tried to stand up and lost his balance. He should have tried harder. He was stronger with the power. He thought himself invincible because of the magic still flowing in his veins keeping him alive when he should have stopped hours ago. He saw the world dim around the edges of his vision until it went dark. Where was the moon now?
He woke to the sounds of night. The moon was bright in the sky, and he immediately returned to his quest, getting to Basham before Chit could get lost into the cities buildings. He stood with great effort; and remembered that he was very thirsty. He thought that he should just get a drink from that river that the moon was reflecting off of, he would be fine. Kilen stumbled like a drunkard off the cart worn path and into the brush. The moon was bright, making it easier to see the water. With the water this close, he wondered why he hadn’t stopped before. He chastised himself for not remembering to pack a water skin. He couldn’t shake the persistent hammering in his brain that he should be running, not wasting time trying to get a drink from the river. He was very close to the water. Despite the earth magic altering his mind to keep focused on Chit, he made his last few steps to the river for a couple swallows. He could hear a horse along the path cantering down the road toward Basham. He looked back to see two people riding a horse in the moonlight. It was not Chit, so he continued on. He walked to the water’s edge and fell into the water enough that half of his mouth was above water’s surface. He drank deeply of the muddy water that his face had stirred up, and then he breathed, and repeated the process.
Slowly his brain came out of the clouded confusion it had been in. He still felt the desire to get the sword, but he could make decisions on how to do it. The ring had driven him to leave without gathering any supplies. The moon was still not at its peak. He knew he still might be able to catch Chit. He thought Chit would have slowed his horse to a walk, not that it looked to be a runner anyway. It was a long ride for any horse, and worse in the dark. Kilen pushed himself up to his knees and moved further into the water. He thought it would do him better if he could drink water that wasn’t muddy if he could get far enough out. The water started to pull him in but he was stronger than the current and dug into the mud. With the new found strength he felt his skin cut against the rocks in the bank as his fingers grabbed for a hand hold. Kilen drank more, and decided it would be best to wait for a little while before returning to run. It didn’t take long for his full awareness to return. Finally a solution came to him from his magical determination and his own logical thoughts. This river ran just outside of Basham. He should be able to swim in the river, letting the current do most of the work. The city even had docks that came to the deepest part of the river that he could grasp onto to get out. He wasted no time formulating the plan more. He jumped from the bank into the middle of the river letting the full force of the river sweep him in. He was now moving faster than he had been leaping down the worn road. There was a fight to keep his head above the water, his new strength had no effect on his ability to fight the current. It took him under and tossed him upside down. He hit dead trees and rocks, losing his sense of direction of what was up or d
own. His body had no foothold to push his strength against. The power he wanted to relay on was next to useless. Kilen felt his feet hit the bottom of the river, and instinctively jumped which provided for his strength to be used. His upper body burst from the surface of the river as he breathed deep. He began swimming as hard as he could downstream. He went faster but more importantly his head stayed above the water.
***
Bowie rode with Kara up front. It had taken time to gather his clothes, supplies, arrows, and put Chargers saddle back on. They had made the entire ride a canter, the moon was bright enough for Charger to see. Bowie let him pick his own path and pace. The horse loved to run. Trainers might think that it was cruel to run a horse like he was. Bowie knew Charger was having the time of his life. They had stopped a couple of times to walk so they could stay awake. It also gave Charger a chance to breath and drink.
After the second time of her almost falling off he insisted she ride in front of him. Kara had fallen asleep with the sway of the saddle while resting on Bowie’s back. He let her sleep, as much as she could. Perhaps they could find her a carriage ride back to Humbridge in the morning. Bowie still had a ways to go. He popped the cork out of a bottle of cherry wine, and nibbled on some of the cheese he had scraped together. He heard a splash in the river coming from behind him, but kept going to make sure they could catch Kilen.
***
Kilen began to slow down in his swim to Basham, not because he was getting tired or that he was swimming slower. The river was widening and it slowed to a crawl. He could now see the approaching lights from the bonfires in Basham and the torches on the cities walls and buildings. He felt his stomach tying itself in knots. It wasn’t the thirst that gnawed at him now, it was the hunger. He decided that there was a lot to learn about using magic, and that most of it would be dangerous if learned on his own. The hunger was really more of an afterthought. He thought of Chit and the sword relentlessly. He would have to keep fighting this eternal battle until he completed his quest or took off the rings. The thoughts of what he would do when he found Chit consumed him. He rehearsed the encounter to come, over and over, every scenario. In some Kilen bought the sword back, some he had to fight Chit to the death.
As he neared Basham, Kilen could start to see the docks. He swam nearer to that side of the river so that he could reach out and catch the piers posts. He thought of everything he need to do, get a pack, some food, a water skin, and if he had time, a bigger blade. He saw the piers coming closer. He wished he could swim upriver to help slow him down, he had tried it earlier to make sure it would work but got pulled under by the current. Kilen didn’t want to hit the posts at the full force of the current. Hitting the cobblestones in Humbridge didn’t break any bones, but it still hurt like it should have. He reached for the first pier support It was slippery and he only got a hand hold for a second, but it was enough to slow him in the water. He reached for its pair and slipped off, but slowing even more. At the third he swung his hand hard and sunk his fingers knuckle deep into wood. He had used his strength to make his own handhold in the wood post. The water swept over the top of him, dragging him down into the water again. He did not let go, instead he reached his other hand up and slowly climbed the pier support using his legs underwater against the pole for strength. He reached the floor of the pier and climbed up. Wasting no time, Kilen gathered his thoughts and jogged into town. Water sloshed off of him, as he passed the wharf master’s station and waved. The guard gave him a look but did not try and stop him. He made for the busiest part of the city, and soon found merchant stalls lining the streets. They had brought their wares outside to sell. Minstrels seemed to be on every street corner and people danced up and down the streets. They wore bright colors, some wore masks, but everyone had a smile on their face, even the tavern thugs tapping the beat of the music with their cudgels.
Kilen found a stall selling leather packs, and water skins. The price’s were what he would be paying in Humbridge, which surprised him since prices usually went up the later it was on springfest. He bought two sticks of roasting meat, some cheese, a loaf of bread, and a sewing kit to fill the pack. While filling the water skin in a well he looked around at the shops. There seemed to be no weapons being sold. The mayor probably prevented it just like in Humbridge. There would be no violence on springfest except for the occasional tossing of a drunk into the street. Each vendor looked at Kilen and refused to bring forth their wares until he produced silver showing he wasn’t a beggar looking to steal. Soon Kilen had what he needed and felt again the tugging of the task at hand. Find Chit and get the sword from him, no matter what it took.
He passed through the town getting weird looks as he ran down the street. He was sure people would be looking for him tomorrow. Someone would say a beggar had cut their purse. To avoid the situation he started to take side streets, avoiding people altogether. He stopped when he reached the city gate to speak with the guards posted there.
“Have you seen a rider tonight? One with a sword and sheath worked with silver coils down the length of it. He would be coming from Humbridge.”
“No riders from Humbridge. What is your business with the rider, boy?”
Kilen considered the guards question for a moment before answering. “He has my sword and I intend to get it back.”
The guards laughed sizing Kilen up saying he couldn’t get a sword back from anyone. “If he did that to you, you better wait until you’re a bit more prepared before trying to take it back.”
“I’ll consider your advice, I have run here from Humbridge this night, it’s been a long run. I fell into some trouble as you can see,” Kilen said showing off his tattered clothing. The guards looked at each other and back at Kilen, not believing a word he said. “I am going get my sword back. I think I’ll wait for him outside the city gates so you two don’t have to get involved.”
It was not their jobs to settle problems outside the city gates. They gave an approving nod and went back to enjoying the music drifting up the streets. Kilen leapt up the dirt road only looking back to see the guard’s jaws drop watching him bounding away from the city. He came to a narrow part in the trail with bushes to either side and stopped. He listened to the sounds drifting up the road, no horses, no music. Slipping into the bushes was harder than he expected. There were thorns on many of the underbrush. They added to his already cut and scraped skin and tattered clothing. He sat down for the first time since lunch and ravenously started in on the food he had bought. It didn’t fill him up. He sighed. He would have to get more once he was done dealing with Chit. The wizard had told Chit not to stop. It would be like Chit to stop every chance he got just to vex her. No, if he wanted to get to drinking he would have traveled fast. Kilen soon pulled off his shirt and started sewing it back up, keeping himself busy was the only way to resist the urge to run back up the road to Humbridge to find Chit. The water had washed most of the blood and dirt from his clothing. He used tattered parts of the pant legs to sew patches on the knees, and used the knife to make them even. He wrung as much water from each piece of clothing before he put it back on. The air had cooled the dampness left in the clothing, and when he put them back on each piece caused Kilen to shiver. Still he remained crouched in the bushes shivering in cold wet clothes. It was spring but the season’s warmth hadn’t set into a regular pattern. The night would be cool and being wet made it worse. He knew he could not start a fire. It might give his position away to Chit, or attract unwanted company from the glow and heat. His father had taught him to be wary when traveling on country roads.
Before long Kilen could hear an approaching horse. He slowly crept forward towards the road, keeping low in the bushes. The horse was brown and the rider appeared to be big, Kilen could only see the shadows. He would have to wait until they came closer. When the rider passed by he was wearing a riding cloak with the hood pulled up. Kilen could not tell if it was Chit or not, he decided to chase them down. He leapt from his hiding spot and ran abreast of the rider
to get a look into his hood. They neared the town gates. As the rider saw him, he urged the horse to run faster. Kilen ran faster also. The city gates were nearing in the distance and Kilen took two giant leaps ahead of the horse. He would wrestle Chit’s horse to a stop before he got to the gates if it was needed. The torches from the cities gate let him glance into the hood. A boy about the same build and age as Kilen looked back from the hood with piercing blue eyes. He wore a deep blue traveling cloak, and never took his eyes from Kilen as he passed into the city. Kilen stood about one gigantic leap from the gates as he watched the rider go inside. Kilen listened to the horse’s footsteps echo off the stone streets. The horse seemed to slow down and come back in the gates direction. He waited and waited for the rider to emerge from the city, probably to see who could run with leaps. Kilen’s heart was thumping in his ears from the confrontation of running next to a horse and meeting the rider’s eyes. He was so focused on the horse’s sound that he excluded everything else in the world.
Kilen finally realized that the echo’s weren’t from inside the city but from outside. Another rider was coming along the path and had sped to a canter as they got into the light of the city’s torches. The rider passed him, and slowed to a stop just under the gate’s arch. The guards came out to see his business, and Kilen saw it, his sword’s silver wrapped sheath. The guards were getting into an argument with Chit and he turned his horse around. “I don’t know how you beat me here, but this sword was given to me. If you want this child’s toy come in and buy me a drink and will talk this over like old pals.”
Kilen had no choice but to go with him. Kilen nodded and walked behind Chit’s horse. He stopped around the corner out, of the sight of the guards, at a local tavern. It had a dog drinking from a mug on the sign. Chit tied up his horse. He lead Kilen to the mouth of the alley way. “Chit, I’ve had a bad night, I just want my sword back. I’ll even buy it from you if that’s what it takes.” Kilen was still a little intimidated by Chit’s size. He was a whole head taller than Kilen was. He took out three gold crowns and held them for Chit to see.
