“Scratch, are you lost?” he asked.
“No,” the trainee replied, “I know exactly where we are.”
I doubt that, Blaze thought, out loud he said, “If you are, don’t be afraid to tell me. It’s okay to make mistakes once in a while.”
“I’m not lost.” Scratch insisted.
They walked for another twenty minutes before Blaze had had enough, “All right, Scratch, I’m taking over,” he said, “Let’s go that way.”
He turned in the direction he had specified, and began walking, Scratch in tow. Soon, they were in a spot Blaze recognized very well. It was a small hill, with an even smaller cave opening in it.
“Scratch, do you smell anything?” He asked.
Scratch sniffed the air, then said, “It smells a bit like fox, but it’s really old.”
“You’re right,” Blaze agreed, “This is the spot where I first met Flame.”
“You mean the fox that attacked our camp? Scarlet’s mate?”
“That’s the one. I was actually stupid enough to ask him for directions to Acorn Place, and he attacked me. Slicer and I managed to drive him away, but Slicer did most of the work. I felt terrible. What kind of a saloli speaks to a fox? I thought I was a letdown for the entire tribe. I was wrong though. Do you know why?”
“Because you killed him later, right?”
“Yes, that too, but I was referring to the fact that, as long as they remain loyal, no saloli is a letdown in Icefire.”
“I heard you killed Flame with your own claws!” Scratch exclaimed, “You ripped him to shreds all by yourself, and fed the pieces to the crows!”
Blaze was shocked that rumors like that were going around about him. He needed to set them straight, “Okay, first of all, Scratch,” he said, “I did not fight Flame by myself. Smallthorn helped me. I would have died if it wasn’t for him. Secondly, I didn’t rip him to shreds. I only managed to kill him because he was standing on the edge of camp where the ditch is. I distracted him, and he fell. Lastly, Scarlet would have killed me afterwards if Rust hadn’t saved me. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Scratch shook his head, “I’m saying that no saloli is invincible. You always need friends to stand beside you, or you are lost.”
Scratch thought about this, then looked at the ground, ashamed.
“What’s wrong?” Blaze asked.
“I don’t have any friends.” He responded, his voice barely a whisper.
“What do you mean? What about Ink?”
“She’s not my friend, she’s my sister. There’s a difference, right?”
“Not if you don’t want there to be. Just because you’re family doesn’t mean that you can’t still be friends.”
“Oh. Blaze?”
“Yes, Scratch?” Scratch glanced away, as if embarrassed about what he was about to say, “What?” Blaze encouraged him.
“Would. . . you be the friend who stands beside me?” Scratch asked, finally.
Blaze was a bit surprised by this. He had never realized how much this young saloli looked up to him, “Of course,” he promised, “I’ll stand by you anywhere.”
<><><><><>
Goliath paced back and forth, agitated. The worry was evident in his eyes. Though he could not see it, Mordred sensed that something was amiss.
“Is all well with you, my chief?” he asked.
“No, of course it isn’t!” Goliath snarled, “Why didn’t you tell me about the outsider’s aura sooner?”
“What does it matter what aura he has? He is still a saloli.”
“Maybe, maybe not. After what I’ve heard, I’m guessing that it’s the latter.”
“And what is it that you have heard?”
“Just something that Ratty told me once. He thought it was a message from Valde Abbas. He said ‘beware the one with the past of a human, the body of a saloli, and the heart of a hero.’”
Mordred silently contemplated this, “And,” he asked, finally, “Did he ever mention a sword?”
“Yes,” Goliath said, surprised, “How did you know?”
“I have my ways, Goliath. But tell me, what exactly did he say about the sword?”
“Just that the sword would be able to put my plans in jeopardy.”
Mordred fell silent once more, “I will need to think about this.” He said after a minute had passed.
“Why do you care about the sword when there may be a much more pressing matter at hand? What about the human past?”
“The sword and the one Ratty spoke of may have more to do with each other than you think.”
“What do you mean?”
“The sword may be much more than a blade made of metal.”
“How could it be? What else could a sword be made of?”
“Think Goliath. Remember the first Sword that Valde Abbas created.”
Goliath’s eyes widened with fear, “You don’t mean. . .”
“I do.” Goliath could only stare in horror as Mordred turned and left his tree. Could it really be the Sword?
Chapter Twenty Four
For the next several days, Blaze took Scratch out to train daily. The young saloli was happy to do this, his one desire now being to please his mentor. Blaze taught him more fighting moves, how to use his tail to make himself look bigger in order to scare away predators, how to disguise his scent, and how to move through the forest undergrowth completely silent. The red trainee was making progress faster than Blaze would have believed possible. There was another thing that he noticed, too. Scratch was growing, not just in skill, but in size. When he first met the trainee, Scratch had been a whole head shorter than him, but now he was nearly the same length as his mentor from tail to nose. His voice was getting lower as well, but through all this, he still remained the same Scratch Blaze had always known. One evening, after a good, long day of training, the two saloli were heading back to camp when Scratch spoke up.
“Blaze?” he asked.
“Yes, Scratch?”
“Is it true that you used to be an outsider?”
Once again, this question took Blaze by surprise. Everybody acted as if they had forgotten about his so called “past,” but it seemed that it lived on in stories and rumors, “Yes, Scratch,” he confirmed, “I used to be an outsider.”
“What was it like?”
“It was difficult. I had to fend for myself, and I didn’t have a tribe to back me up.”
“What about Valde Abbas? Didn’t he help you?”
“Outsiders don’t believe in Valde Abbas.” Blaze said, bluntly.
“What? How can you not believe in Valde Abbas?”
“I know, it seems ridiculous, right? Now that I’m here, I’ve seen the light, and know the truth. But out there, there’s nobody to tell them what we know.”
“What do they believe in?”
“Some theory about earth being formed by dust particles, and tiny creatures turning into us over millions of years.”
Scratch was silent for a moment, contemplating this, then asked, “You know what I think about believing in Valde Abbas?”
“No, what?” Blaze asked. Somehow, he felt that Scratch was about to tell him something very deep, and he wasn’t disappointed.
“I believe that knowing Valde Abbas exists is just a feeling you get in your heart. You feel his presence there, comforting you and guiding you. The only saloli that don’t believe in him are the ones without hearts. They can’t feel him.”
That’s a pretty good theory, actually, Blaze thought, The whole “heartless” part sums Mask up pretty well.
“I think you’re on to something there.” He said out loud, “remember that one, it may come in handy for defending your faith some day.”
I think I’ve just found your argument, Mask.
They walked in silence for another five minutes, then Scratch spoke up once more.
“Blaze? Do you have a family?”
“Family?” Blaze repeated, “Yes. Yes, I have a family.”
“Who? How many?�
�
“Just my mother. She’s the only one I still count as family. My father deserted us to live by himself a long time ago. I don’t even remember his face. Why?”
“N- no reason,” Scratch responded.
Despite Smallthorn’s warning, Blaze asked, “Scratch, apart from Ink, who is your family?”
“I- I- I. . .” Scratch stammered.
“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”
“No, you deserve to know. The truth is, my father is. . . Razor.”
This made Blaze stop dead in his tracks, “Razor?” he repeated, “As in the Razor?”
“Is there another one I don’t know about?” Scratch asked, miserably.
“And Ink is his daughter?”
“Yes.”
Despite this being the biggest surprise he had received from Scratch yet, Blaze managed to keep his composure. He didn’t want to drive his trainee away. “Well, I can see why you wouldn’t want to tell me.”
“Yeah. I’m ashamed of him, the dirty, rotten traitor!”
Blaze’s first instinct was to tell Scratch off for saying such a thing, but then he remembered who it was they were talking about, “If you don’t mind me asking again, who was your mother?” He inquired.
“That’s just it, I don’t know. Neither does Ink. All they will say is that she died giving birth to us.”
“Hmm.” Blaze mused, not able to think of a reason for this.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like talking about this anymore.” said Scratch. Blaze nodded, and his trainee resumed the walk back to camp.
“Shame that such a loyal saloli had to have him for a father.” someone behind Blaze said. He spun around to find Rust standing there.
“It doesn’t matter who his family is.” Blaze told him, “Razor’s path is not Scratch’s. Scratch will make his own path, and I know that he will someday be a great Icefire saloli.”
Blaze had decided to give Rust another chance. It seemed that, even if he wasn’t aware of it, he was taking advantage of it.
“I know.” Rust agreed, “Actually, that’s why I’m here. You’ve done a wonderful job training him, Blaze, and I believe it’s time for him to be promoted.” That statement nearly knocked Blaze off of his paws! His trainee? Promoted? He could hardly comprehend it. It only seemed like yesterday that the little red saloli had been assigned to him. “Yes, they do grow up fast.” Rust said, reading Blaze’s expression, “When you agreed to train him, he was barely an infant. Now he is almost a fully grown saloli who is ready to become a full member of our tribe. But first, I must ask you, do you believe he is up to it?”
Blaze answered without hesitation, “Yes, he is.”
Rust smiled, “That’s the kind of enthusiasm I like to hear from my mentors! He will take his patrol tomorrow. Now, go and tell him.”
Blaze immediately turned and ran towards camp. He met his trainee right at the entrance, “Scratch!” he called.
“What is it?” the ex-trainee asked, spinning around.
“I’ve just spoken to Rust. Guess what he said?”
“I don’t know, what?”
“He says that you’re ready to be promoted!”
Scratch’s eyes grew wide in shock. Whatever he had expected Blaze to say, it wasn’t this! “R- really?” He asked.
“Would I joke about something like that?”
Scratch looked at the ground, his mind obviously reeling with excitement. He looked back up at his mentor, “What about my father?” He asked, “Will everyone still trust me?”
“First off,” Blaze assured him, “Rust and I are the only two who know. Secondly, you are not your father. You are not bound by his actions. You could, of course, follow his pawsteps, but I know you won’t.”
Scratch’s eyes lit up, “Wow! Me, a tribe member! But what about Ink? Is she being promoted too?”
“Um. . .” Blaze said, realizing he should have asked about her as well.
“I’m afraid not, Scratch.” Rust himself said, saving Blaze, “She’s not quite up to your level just yet, so we can’t promote her. Don’t worry, though, her time will come soon enough.”
“But. . .” Scratch protested, his enthusiasm gone, “we do everything together! I wanted to be promoted with her!”
“She’s getting close,” Rust assured him, “but I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to put off your special day just to wait for her.”
“Maybe.” Scratch said, “All right, I’ll do it.”
“Good!” Rust congratulated him, “You will take your first patrol tomorrow. But first, there is one more thing that Blaze needs to teach you, isn’t there?”
Blaze thought back to his training with Slicer. On the day he was to be promoted, Slicer had taught Blaze how to leap between trees. That’s what he would do with Scratch, too, “Go get some rest,” Blaze said, “you’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
<><><><><>
The day was bright and sunny. Blaze and Scratch stood in the Acorn Place, ready for their last training session, “Okay, Scratch, do you know what we’re going to do today?” Blaze asked.
“No, what?” Scratch replied, eager to finish and get back to camp.
“I’m going to teach you how to leap from one tree to another. This is dangerous, but I know you can do it. Come on, let’s get up there.” Blaze led his trainee up the closest tree, to the highest branch. He motioned with his tail to a branch in the next tree over, “All right, Scratch. You’re going to jump from here to there. Do you think you can do that?”
“Isn’t there a. . .”
“No, there isn’t. This is the shortest gap in all of Acorn Place. All trainees learn to jump here.”
“Okay.”
“Here’s what you do: first, gauge the distance between branches. Determine how much speed you will need to use, and how much leg strength you will have to add to that to make it across. Watch me.”
Blaze raced across the branch, and, coming to the end of it, leapt into the air, soaring across the expanse between the two trees. He landed safely on the other side.
“All right, now you try!” he called back across.
Scratch was obviously nervous. He braced himself, then dashed across the branch. Coming to the end, he took to the air, making straight for the other branch. Wait a minute…
No! Scratch’s aim was off! He was going to miss the branch! He could never survive a fall from this height! Then, the last thing Blaze was expecting happened. The branch bent slightly to the left, putting itself directly under Scratch! The trainee landed safely, and the branch returned to its normal position.
“W- what was that?” Blaze demanded.
“What was what?” Scratch responded, speaking so quickly that his guilt was obvious. It showed in his eyes.
“The tree,” said Blaze, “it moved! Did you make it do that?”
“I. . . I. . .” finally, he gave in, dropping his head and tail in shame, “Yes, it was me. I can control plants. I don’t know how I do it, or why I can, it just happens. That tree that picked up Scarlet and Gulp, I did that.”
“Does anybody else know about this?”
“No, just us.”
“And me.” said Rust, climbing up to stand beside Blaze. Both saloli gasped when they saw their chief.
“Rust, how long have you been there?” Blaze asked, taken by surprise.
“Long enough to see and hear everything. This saloli is a traitor!” He snarled, looking at Scratch.
“What? No I’m not!” Scratch protested.
“You are! No saloli has powers like that naturally, not even the prophets! You must have received them by other means, and I’m willing to bet that Goliath was involved.”
“Rust, didn’t you hear him?” Blaze argued, “He has no idea what these powers are! He doesn’t even know how he uses them!”
“A good lie, if he actually expected someone to believe it.”
“I believe it!” Blaze insisted.
“Blaze, I know you have some affec
tion for this saloli, being his mentor, but trust me, he’s a danger to this tribe!”
Legends of the Saloli: Approaching Storm Page 26
