The Twins

by Gary Alan Wassner

  He raised his head slowly and scrutinized Cairn with a friendly smile across his lips.

  “I am too tired to be concerned about that. Besides, what worry could I cause anyone? There was a great battle below. I took refuge here. I was on my way to Pardatha to trade my carvings,” he pointed to the saddle bags hanging from the side of his horse.

  Their appearance surprised Cairn because he did not remember seeing them there just a moment ago, but he could have been mistaken.

  “I was unable to enter the city and I had no place else to go,” he said downcast.

  “A great battle, you say?” Cairn inquired without sounding too anxious. “Has it ended? Was there a victor?” he asked the strange man.

  “The earth itself gobbled up the Dark Lord’s army. It was horrible to watch. Fantastic magic was at work in Pardatha today,” he answered solemnly, staring into the fire. “And now a great forest stands where there was once only parched earth,” he continued.

  “And what of the Dark Lord? What of Colton?” he asked.

  “I do not know, good man. I do not know,” he said, and he hung his head again, weary and forlorn. “Perhaps he was gobbled up by the earth and reclaimed by the trees. I did not linger to find out.”

  Cairn was elated to hear this news, but something about this man disturbed him greatly. He would be thoroughly relieved to be further down the path and past him. He was also terribly concerned about Tomas, whom he had reluctantly left behind.

  “Calyx, relax, my friend!” he said to the big cat, seeing that he was still on edge. “See to our things for me, would you?” he asked the Moulant, pointing behind him to where Tomas sat hidden from view.

  Cairn turned his head to nod in that direction, and he noticed the old man’s eyes rise suddenly. Something in them caused a chill to creep over his entire body.

  For a tired old man, his reactions are quick.

  “Straightaway Calyx, we must be moving on. Preston? Come over to me. We have dallied here too long already,” he said, and he motioned to the Dwarf to join him.

  When Preston was at his side, Cairn turned his back to the fire, bent his mouth to the young Dwarfs ear and whispered, “Go with Calyx right away and help him to carry Tomas to the path below. I will come to you when you are past this clearing. Take care to keep him concealed. I trust not this traveler.”

  Preston looked at Cairn and he could tell right away that something was wrong. Without questioning him, he pivoted and went to assist the big cat.

  “What is your name, old man?” Cairn asked, and he moved closer to the fire, hoping to distract him from seeing what the others were doing.

  “Some call me Motek. But I care not how I am addressed. Choose what you will,” he replied with his grey head bent over.

  “Well then, Motek, where are you headed to now?” Cairn asked, moving to his opposite side in his effort to keep his attention off of the path that they had just come down.

  “Back home,” he answered, casual and unconcerned.

  “And where may that be?” Cairn continued.

  By this time, Calyx had crossed the clearing with Tomas prostrate upon his back and Preston walking by his side, obscuring the unconscious boy as best as he could with his own body.

  “Your horse over there looks as if he could use some grain. Have you nothing to feed him?” he questioned, and he pointed over to the tired, old animal, hoping to further draw his attention away from his friends.

  The old man raised his head and stared Cairn straight in the face. His lips curled up in a diabolical smile and he responded in a voice menacing and hushed, while his bloodshot eyes glowed a deep red.

  “Be off with you, scholar, while you are still able! Join your friends and leave me be. You have asked me enough questions, have you not?” he hissed, and turned away from him in dismissal.

  Cairn’s skin chilled and his body was sluggish to obey his own commands. He struggled to walk away, feeling suddenly soiled and wrong, his entire being aching, and without looking back, he hurried down the path as quickly as his legs would carry him.

  He caught up to the others at the top of the hill. Tomas was standing and conversing with Preston once again, and Calyx stood protectively in front of the two of them.

  “Hurry! We must be gone from here. We are not safe. That old man is not what he appears to be and I trust him not,” Cairn said as he urged them forward.

  Tomas on the contrary was himself once more, behaving as if nothing unusual had just occurred.

  “Tomas? What happened to you before?” he asked, and he walked up between the two boys. “I cannot tell you how much you cause me to worry. What were you doing?” he questioned, feeling only a little bit better now that he was some distance away from the stranger.

  “I did not want my presence to be known,” the boy responded so naturally that Cairn felt as if he should have guessed this already. “It was not the right time for him to know that I am here,” he continued.

  Cairn looked sideways at Tomas, hoping for more information, but he decided not to question the young man any further. He had his own baleful suspicions already, and he did not want to waste any more time talking until they all were safely behind the gates of Pardatha.

  “Make haste, you two! We’ve been long enough upon this road and our journey is almost at an end,” he pronounced, and he hurried the boys down the hill before him, looking fretfully over his shoulder all the while as Calyx, still growling, followed close behind.

  Chapter Forty-eight

  “Grogan must find a way to close that gate. The mountain Trolls alone cannot harm us badly if they cannot enter the city,” Baladar said to Filaree after she informed him of how close the marauding army was, based upon Parsifal’s recent observations.

  “They ride hard and fast, Lord Baladar, and they are more directed and smarter than those of their race we have recently contended with. My people know them only too well. Their country is an efficiently organized one. They are properly trained and well armed. Toth has been independent for many hundreds of tiels. Its allegiance to Colton has always been known, but the Trolls of the mountains were always content to live separate and apart, and not to confront or challenge their neighbors. At least until now,” Thembak the woodsman said. “They are fearsome fighters. They also do not give up easily,” he continued.

  “There is not much that the craftsmen can do in so short a time. The balance of the gate is essential to its movement. Its strength lies in its symmetry, and if that is not corrected, the seals will not set properly,” Elion remarked, knowing more about Elfin workmanship than anyone else on the council.

  “Is it impossible then to fix it before we are attacked once again?” Thembak asked stern-faced.

  Head bowed, “I am afraid so, woodsman,” Elion answered.

  “We must do our best then to fortify the courtyard, and to make certain that the breach in our defense does not become a fatal one,” Baladar commented.

  “I shall see to it with your permission, Lord. My knowledge of this enemy is more intimate than that of any other here in the city. I can help design our defense, if you will allow me too,” Thembak said.

  “I would be most grateful, master Thembak, thank you,” Baladar responded.

  The woodsman saluted and rushed out to begin his preparations.

  “Sir Parsifal? How much time have we?” Baladar inquired.

  Stepping forward, the knight bowed to the Lord of Pardatha before speaking in his deep, throaty voice,

  “They travel on foot, but they move quickly. We overtook them on our journey here. In order for us to arrive in time to warn you, we had to avoid them by traveling eastward and then south. They were moving at a good pace directly toward the city. They should be here within two hours now, I suspect,” he reasoned.

  “Our soldiers are weary and theirs are fresh. It will not be an easy fight with the gates askew. We have come away victorious from the last battle, thanks to Robyn dar Tamarand and our valiant friends. But, he lies as
leep now and he is exhausted with his energy totally spent. He will not be rejuvenated for quite a while, and we cannot look to him for help this time. I hesitate to ask more of you and the Lady Filaree,” he said to Elion. “Let us all to our tasks, and may we each find the inner fortitude with which to continue. We will meet on the battlements when the horns sound the mountain Trolls’ approach,” Baladar said, and they all dispersed, each attending to his or her own preparations.

  Chapter Forty-nine

  Colton watched from the top of the hill as the travelers walked down to the gorge. He laughed to himself, knowing what they were about to encounter.

  The older one seems quite worried. With a Moulant for company, he should be safe enough if he stays in the hills. Well, good riddance to them all. They will never reach their destination now anyway, even with the big cat to protect them. The Troll army will have them all for an appetizer, those unsuspecting fools.

  He remembered that he had seen at least one other besides the teacher. It was a Dwarf, he assumed by the looks of him, although he was quite tall for the race. He wanted the satisfaction of watching the advent of the Trolls’ attack upon the city before he left, and as he looked out upon the plain below, he thought he saw another person accompanying them as well.

  The Dark Lord, tired as he was, focused his vision upon the light haired youth and wondered why he had not noticed him before. He sent out a pulse of probing energy, hoping that they were not already too far away for him to successfully discover anything, and just before it reached the one he had not seen before, the accursed scholar stepped in front of him, shielding him from Colton’s scrutiny. A rush of information flooded his mind and he realized that this was not just an ordinary group of travelers. He learned nothing about the one young man, but he learned much about the purpose of the scholar’s visit to Pardatha.

  So, he was summoned to train the heir! What a pity he will not get the chance to fulfill his chosen obligations. Let the Trolls have him. There is some justice after all.

  He had been so preoccupied when they had encountered him in the hills before, that he barely paid attention to them. Now, he felt that perhaps he had missed an opportunity to learn more about the boy he sought so desperately to capture. He watched them walk further into the trap, revealing himself only slightly as they moved forth. His abilities were impaired by the previous day’s trying events, and he could still not clearly see the face of the young blonde haired boy, but something about him was familiar, though every time he tried to scrutinize him closely, his vision was oddly obstructed.

  Colton was weary and ready to return to Sedahar by this time, and he was not overly concerned with these misguided wanderers. He watched only as long as it took for the evidence of the mountain Trolls’ presence to manifest itself to the small group, and for them to realize the fatal circumstances into which they had stumbled. Grinning to himself, he observed as the older man grabbed the hands of his little followers and, like a helpless mother trying to protect her children from an attacking pack of wolves, started to run for a shelter that he would never reach.

  Ah, the irony of it all, he thought and laughed out loud. They will not live out the hour. That will mean one less chance for the heir, and one more chance for me. And now this day is beginning to bore me.

  He turned and walked back up the mountain path, without giving these innocent and doomed pilgrims another thought.

  Chapter Fifty

  Tomas was the first to step upon the parched earth of the gorge, having descended from the foothills before the rest of his group. Preston ran to catch up with him, and he yelled with excitement all the way.

  “Tomas! Wait for me! Can you see the city?”

  He had never been to Pardatha, though his home was not far from it, but he had heard about it his entire life. The Dwarf was as enthralled as he had ever been, finally stumbling upon the adventure he so yearned for. Cairn and Calyx stepped from behind the final escarpment, having cautiously brought up the rear, happy to have allowed some distance to be created between the two boys and the old man they left behind. When Preston finally did reach Tomas’ side, he discovered him standing perfectly still with his eyes focused on the edge of the great forest that bordered the city to the north east. He appeared to be mesmerized, motionless and silent. Cairn and Calyx joined them, relieved to be so close to their destination at last.

  The city loomed in the distance with its walls broad and imposing. They could see the towers of the castle and the surrounding buildings beyond. Cairn could vaguely make out the circle of great stones that comprised the Temple Mount high on a hill near the majestic rise of the Thorndar’s peaks. The plains before the gates were conspicuously empty and there was almost no activity outside the walls, which was not how Cairn remembered this engrossing place. He had been to Pardatha before, many years ago, but he vividly recalled being amazed by the tumult that went on within the city and beyond the gates as well.

  Before he could finish his thought, he was struck by a delicious fragrance wafting across the ancient river bed, the identical odor he noticed previously as they traveled down the mountain pass. He could see that the Pardathans had cultivated a new area of dense greenery at the edge of the gorge, remembering clearly how barren it had been when he was last there. The youth of the city used to play sports on the broad flats of the ravine, and he recalled how open and spacious the expanse previously was.

  Calyx had his snout in the air once again, trying to distinguish between the many and varied odors that blew his way, and something was still bothering the big Moulant. Cairn stroked his immense back, trying to settle him down. He had been on edge ever since they encountered the strange man in the hills, and Cairn imagined he was still unsettled by that. They overtook Preston who was standing next to Tomas, and Cairn was about to point to Pardatha and mention his concerns, when Tomas turned to him with a fearful look in his eyes, so uncharacteristic of the boy. Cairn was immediately struck by the young man’s distress, as he had so far been incredibly calm in the face of every adversity they had encountered since the day they had met, and now he was obviously greatly agitated.

  “What do you see, Tomas?” Cairn asked shouted, looking toward the woods that the boy was focusing his gaze upon.

  Preston also grew uneasy, as he had been standing with Tomas up until the others arrived, and the blonde haired boy had not spoken or stopped scrutinizing the far horizon since he had caught up to him.

  “He has been acting this way as long as he has been standing here. As soon as we stepped foot upon this ground, he stopped speaking,” Preston reiterated, alarmed.

  Cairn had become accustomed to the strange boy’s behavior, but he had yet to see fear disturb his ever calm demeanor.

  “We must get into the city as fast as we can! One battle had already ended, but another will begin shortly. We are not safe here!” he said, still motionless.

  The fur on Calyx’s back began to shimmer and shift rapidly from color to color, and the Moulant growled deeply, his eyes focused upon the trees beyond the hills to the northeast. Cairn looked as closely as he could and he thought he saw a line of dust rising on the crest beyond.

  “It is too late!” Tomas whispered, his arms hanging limp by his side.

  “What did you say?” Cairn asked him, not believing that he heard what he thought he did. “Too late for what?” he pressed.

  “The Troll army is attacking now. We do not have time to reach the gates. And one gate is still open, while the other, though closed, is charred and damaged. It must have been a terrible clash and a fierce foe who could have damaged the Noban gates,” Tomas answered, staring now toward the opening to the city. His usual calm demeanor had returned, though the news he disseminated was far from comforting. “Colton left his fearsome mark before he retreated, and despite his loss, he still manipulates the game,” the boy mused, seemingly to himself.

  He appeared once more to be deep in thought, speaking as if no others were present.

  “Let us
go back into the shelter of the hills then,” Cairn said with urgency in his voice, as he went to take Preston’s arm.

  “We cannot. Our way is blocked,” Tomas replied, raising his arm without even looking and pointing toward the shadow of a horse and rider emerging from the pass at the top of the incline.

  “We cannot stay here, Tomas. We must run or we’ll be trampled, at best,” Cairn encouraged. .

  “It will do us no good to run, Cairn,” the boy said casually now, having surmounted whatever initial fear he may have experienced and now reconciled to their fate as he saw it.

  “I will not stand here and let us be overcome. If the gate is still open, we should try to reach it,” Cairn said, pressing them to hurry, unwilling to just give up and be slaughtered after coming all this way.

  They could feel the ground trembling as the huge army surged forward, out from the shelter of the trees and down the slope onto the plains. The bells in the city were sounding the attack and the horns were blowing the assembly. The noise was deafening as the mountain Trolls stampeded with their axes raised high in the air and yelling in their undulating tongue. They could not yet have seen the small group of travelers, but they were directly in the path of the onslaught and there was nothing they could do to escape it.

  With a speed that defied belief, Calyx rose upon his hind legs and raised his mouth to the sky. A roar escaped from his throat that echoed across the valley, bouncing off of the rocks and hills all around. It was the plea of aid that he issued, the call for help that indicated the direst of circumstances; the signal that a Moulant or its charge was in grave danger. Calyx repeated the sound once again as Cairn gathered Tomas and Preston together, preparing to make a run for the city. By the looks of the situation, he did not believe that help could arrive soon enough to aid any of them now.