by Tom Liberman
Jon walked over to the river, gave a whistle, and his horse lifted its head and came over at a trot. Sorus watched with a wry smile and tried the same whistle but his steed, borrowed from the stables just a few days before, did not react in the same way. “How long did it take you to train him?” said Sorus as he grabbed the reigns of his own horse.
“He’s Tarlton bred,” said Jon. “The finest horses in the world, the man who sold him taught me the whistle. Naturally, I didn’t get any of the palace stock but he’s a beautiful animal for long journeys and not as slow as he looks.”
“I’ve heard of Tarlton,” said Sorus, “it’s the desert city, right?”
“It’s an amazing place. Can you imagine a huge city on the edge of the desert and not a river in site? They get all their water from the oceans; their priests worship a sun god named Ras and they wade out into water every day with these huge containers and pray for the water to be drinkable. Then, everyone in the entire city comes and fills their personal and family containers from those. It’s a sight to see, let me tell you.”
“What if someday the water stayed salty?” asked Sorus a look of almost horror on his face.
“Everyone would die I guess,” said Jon with a shrug of his shoulders. “The city is from the Old Empire though and was re-founded almost 500 years ago according to what I was told. I guess if something like that were going to happen it probably already would have. It seems kind of crazy to me too, but it works for them. I saw a few nomads in town while I was there as well. Dark-skinned men with hard eyes and hard bodies. They say that is where they breed the best horses, out in The Sands where the nomads live. I don’t know, I only spent a couple of days there picking up a horse and then my ship headed south for Doria.”
The two mounted their horses and began the journey north up the river in the same direction they went just a few days before with Sir Germanius and Mikus. “It was only, what, five days ago we took this same route,” said Sorus, looking at Jon with a frown on his face and puttting his right hand on his chest above his heart. “It seems like a long time ago but sometimes it feels like it didn’t happen at all,” he continued with a look at the ground as the horses moved slowly forward. “I know what your father says, but those things are in my heart now.”
Jon didn’t say anything as they continued the journey north. About two hours later they came to a small sandy area where they crossed the river and headed northeast towards the center of Elekargul. “How many days until we get to Hollow Wood?” asked Jon, the first words spoken in some time.
Sorus shrugged, “I don’t know Jon; I’ve only been outside of Black Dale a few times in my life. I guess maybe a week? We should run across patrols sometime soon though, or at least a small farm where we can ask someone about the last time riders went through.” Even as the young knight said these words they came up over a small rise and spotted a group of houses in a small valley. “There you go,” said Sorus with a smile on his face. “It’s probably someone I know; the farmers come into town fairly frequently to sell their produce.”
The two spurred their horses towards the group of homes and as they approached made out more of the details of the place. A small grove of some sort of crop trees sat on the left side of the main house and beyond that a field with green plants gathered up the midday sunshine. The largest building turned out to be a sturdy wooden barn painted light yellow where an old horse nipped at the grass, and the last building was a large shed or possibly a small guest house. As they approached the buildings a young boy of nine or ten dashed out from the barn and waved a small wooden sword at them. He was immediately followed by an older boy who started to yell something but then spotted Jon and Sorus and stopped with his mouth open for a long moment. The smaller boy looked back and saw the older’s expression and quickly turned to face them. A broad smile came across his face and he waved at them and gave out a high pitched yell, “Hello!”
“Hey there,” shouted Jon back as he rode over to the boy, reached down with one massive paw, hauled him up the horse, and sat him down in the front. “What’s your name?”
“You talk funny,” said the boy as he craned his head around to see Jon.
Jon nodded his, “I’m not from around here, my name is Jon Gray, what’s yours?”
“That’s a funny name,” said the boy his face screwed up in a puzzled expression. “Aren’t you a knight?”
“I’m not from around here,” replied Jon and put his hand on top of the boy’s head and turned it around to face the front as they approached the house. “What’s your name?”
The boy squirmed around again to face Jon and looked up him with squinting eyes, “You’re taller than my dad?” he said with wide eyes.
“I believe you,” said Jon and smiled down at the boy once again. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Danus,” said the boy as he still tried to squirm around to look at Jon, although the gray knight’s huge hand kept the boy turned around to face the front. “Let me go!”
Jon put his arm around the boy, with a swing of his leg dismounted, and then set him down on the ground. “Go get your father, Danus,” he said and released his hold around the young fellow’s waist.
Meanwhile Sorus rode over to the older boy who looked to be in his early teens and dismounted from his steed. “Hi there, do I know you?”
The boy shook his head and gazed back with wide eyes.
“I’m Sorus Nightwalker but I used to be Sorus Brewer from Black Dale down the river. I bet you’ve been to town a few times, right?”
The boy nodded his head his eyes still wide.
“Have you seen any patrols come by lately? Any dragon children?” said Sorus as he led his horse over to a nearby post and tied off the reins. “Is your mom or dad home?”
The boy shook his head at the first question but then nodded it at the follow-up.
Sorus looked at him for a second, “Was that no to seeing any patrols and yes to the dragon child or yes to your mom and dad?” The young knight then laughed out loud as the boy stared at him for a moment. “Never mind, we’ll figure it out. Come on, let’s go to the house with Jon and your brother. That is your brother isn’t it?”
The boy nodded his head and smiled.
“What’s his name?” said Sorus as he motioned with his head to the younger boy who walked with Jon Gray towards the house.
“He’s Danus,” said the older boy, “and I’m Olneus.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Olneus,” said Sorus and he suddenly realized he mimicked the behavior many of the powerful knights of Elekargul used when the spoke to him back in Black Dale. “Have you seen any children of the dragons around here at all?”
The boy shook his head no again as they got to Jon and Danus. “What have you managed to get out of this one,” said Sorus to the knight of gray, just as a tall man came out of the house, a sword buckled to his side and a square jaw that looked a bit orcish, although his blonde hair and features were mostly human. “Proteus,” said Sorus with a smile. “I thought I might know who lived here. It’s me, Sorus Brewer, except I’m a knight now, Sorus Nightwalk.”
The man’s frown suddenly broke and he smiled at Sorus, “Sorus Nightwalk, it suits you, and who’s your big friend?”
“I’m Jon Gray,” said Jon and moved forward to grasp the man by the hand. “Sorus and I are looking for the First Rider. Has he been by on patrol anytime recently?”
Proteus looked to Soras for a moment and then at Jon with a glance of narrowed eyes.
“He’s ok, Proteus,” said Sorus. “He’s an ambassador from a place called Tanelorn. We were up in the Mountains of the Orc with Sir Germanius a few days back. Jon, show him that sketch you made of Sir Germanius.”
“That old man,” said Proteus with a smile. “He served with my grandfather if you can believe that and I’m old enough to be your father, Sorus. How is he?”
Jon handed over the sketch and the square-jawed man looked at it for a moment and said, “Oh, well, that
puts a new light on the subject then doesn’t it? Why don’t you boys come on in and the lads and me will make up some dinner. You’re welcome to stay in the barn tonight. We can talk about the First Rider in a bit. So how did you end up with a sketch like this of Sir Germanius, Jon?”
The two boys tried to peek at the paper their father held, he looked at it one more time as a smile appeared on his face and then handed it to his oldest son. “Don’t rip that Olneus and make sure your bother doesn’t either.”
The young boy nodded his head solemnly and took the piece of paper over to a butcher block table in the kitchen. His brother climbed up on a chair next to him and they stared at the paper wide-eyed while the others walked through the kitchen and into a small dining room.
As they passed, Jon noted the kitchen looked well equipped with a fine wood stove and a number of cabinets but none of the floral curtains or vases filled with flowers that one expected to find in the domain of women. They made their way to the dining room that was also clean and orderly although lacking in the feminine touch.
Proteus motioned to the chairs and took a seat at the head of the table. “So, Jon, tell me how you ended up with this sketch.”
Jon looked at the square-jawed man and then to Sorus, who nodded his head, “I came to Elekargul on a mission from my father and we ran into some trouble in town with the mayor. He didn’t … think my story was believable and refused to send out scouts to alert the First Rider.”
“I can understand that,” said Proteus. “Who knows who you really represent and, if you wait long enough, the First Rider will find you eventually.”
“That seems reasonable,” said Jon. “It was Sorus here who I first met up with when I came out of the Mountains of the Orc and he suggested heading out to prove myself as a warrior. Sir Germanius and the mayor’s son came with us.”
“The old fellow looking to get himself killed in one last heroic stand no doubt,” said Proteus, “but why did Mikus come along?”
“I’d guess the mayor wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything to harm Elekargul,” said Jon with a shrug of his shoulders although he did raise his eyebrows.
“That’s a charitable assessment,” said Proteus as he nodded his head. “So you found a dragon up in the mountains. That’s quite an achievement.”
“I don’t think it was a coincidence,” said Jon. “The dragon recognized me as soon as it saw me and called out my name. Fortunately for me, Sir Germanius had one last good fight in him and killed the beast before it did the same to me. I’m no artist but I think the sketch is fairly accurate.”
“Why would the dragon recognize you?” said Proteus his hands flat on the table.
“We don’t know,” interrupted Sorus, “but I heard it say his name as clear as day. The dragon children are involved in this as well. Jon … Jon confided his mission to me and I can vouch for it. He needs to see the First Rider as soon as possible. There are forces in the darkling lands moving against him and maybe all of Elekargul.”
“We’ve seen several reptile men about of late but none with dragonish features, just the usual sort from Darag’dal but they did act a bit strange,” said Proteus.
“The mayor martialled all the civilian knights in Black Dale and sent them south to fight off an invasion from the reptile people,” said Sorus. “The town is completely vulnerable and Jon and I found a stairwell in the darkling lands wide enough to march up an entire army. We have to find the First Rider and tell him what is going on.”
“He was here not long ago,” said Proteus. “But, there’s nothing we can do until tomorrow morning,” he went on. “You wait here and the boys and I’ll set up something to eat.” With that the square-jawed man stood up and left the room.
“He looks like a knight but he’s a farmer?” said Jon.
“Proteus’s wife died in childbirth with their second son. He has no sisters and he took the Brokenshield so that he could raise the boys. He’s one of the finest knights in all of Elekargul and once served as the First Rider but that was before I was born,” said Sorus. “Once the boys are old enough to be on their own he can try to regain his name.”
“Can’t he just take it back; it’s not like those other fellows who had theirs stripped from them,” said Jon a puzzled expression across his face.
“That’s not the way it works,” said Sorus with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter how you become a Brokenshield, the only way back is through some act of heroism and then another knight can give you a second name.”
“We’ll be safe here?” said Jon, “He can be trusted?”
Sorus nodded, “Absolutely Jon. I know the mayor comes across badly but there aren’t many knights like that in all of Elekargul. Even the mayor did what he thinks is best for the nation even if it doesn’t seem that way.”
“Unless he’s being influenced somehow,” said Jon his hand placed on the table as he drummed with his fingers. “There are forces here at work beyond what I understand. The Staff of Sakatha is a relic of the Old Empire there are a lot of people who want to get a hold of it. The reptile men, or dragon children, or whatever you want to call them, yes, but other forces as well. An item like that brings out the worst in men, that’s why my father wants to put it away where it can’t influence the world.” Jon suddenly looked up from the table and saw that young Danus gazed at him with wide eyes from the doorway. “Did you hear all that?” said Jon looking at the boy.
Danus nodded his head. “What’s the Staff of Sakatha?”
Jon looked at Sorus and shook his head, “I’m not doing a good job of keeping this whole thing secret, am I?”
The young knight smiled and laughed, “I don’t think there is much of a secret at all to be honest Jon. That dragon knew you; Proteus mentioned that reptile men in the region are acting strangely. It took you how many months to get here after you left Tanelorn?”
“Maybe four and a bit. I used a portal to Sea’cra but then it took me a while to find a ship heading as far south as Tarlton. Once I got to Doria it took me almost two months to make my way here,” said Jon as he closed his eyes and looked to the sky. “If anyone back in Tanelorn knew my mission they couldn’t have beaten me here.”
“No, but they could use magic to pass messages along. I’ve seen the priests in the temple of the Black Horse communicate all the way across Elekargul with other clerics almost instantaneously,” said Sorus. “Who knows what’s possible with magic, and your father doesn’t control the only working portal in the world.”
“That’s true,” said Jon just as Danus came back into the room with his brother, both carrying plates and silverware and beginning to set the table. The boys worked diligently for a few moments and soon flatware, silverware, and stemware covered the previously empty surface. The boys finished their work and disappeared back in the kitchen only to emerge with pitchers of water that they poured it into all the glasses. Jon and Sorus watched the proceedings and looked at one another with raised eyebrows. After pouring the water the boys returned to the kitchen and Danus came back out a moment later with a small plate of dried bread and cheeses while Olneus returned the art work to Jon. “Here’s your drawing back,” he said and held it up with a shy smile on his face.
“Thank you, Olneus,” said Jon and took the parchment with a smile. “Did you know Sir Germanius?”
The young boy nodded his head solemnly, “He fell asleep once over there,” he said and pointed to the large fireplace where kindling and logs stood at the ready and a rocking chair did look invitingly comfortable.
“Hello Dolly,” said Jon and walked over to the fireplace, spotted a knife and a metal block, which he quickly used to spark up the blaze. Within a few moments the kindling caught fire and smoke began to rise up the flue.
A couple of hours later the boys were in bed while Jon, Sorus, and Proteus sat around the blaze and sipped whiskey from tall tumblers, “You get this from the orcs you say,” asked Sorus as he screwed up his face and took another sip.
“Just
over the mountains,” said Proteus who also took a small sip and closed his eyes as an expression of contentment came over his face. “They make the finest I’ve ever had and I trade some of my chicken eggs with a fellow over there about once a month or so. Add a little more water if it’s too hearty for you, Sorus. You’re just a boy still, even if you’re a knight, and there’s no shame in adding water for taste. Sometimes a fellow thinks he has to do something the hard way to appear manlier, but often times the best strategy is to do things as easily and effectively as possible.”
Sorus nodded his head and eyed the tumbler for a moment before he got up, took the water filled pitcher from the small cherry wood side table near the fire, and poured a small amount into his glass. He then stood and looked at the fire for a moment before he took another sip and nodded his head, “That’s a bit more like it. I thought I was drinking straight from an ant’s stinger!”
Proteus laughed and Jon stood up and went over to the pitcher himself. “I had the same sort of thoughts,” he said and put a splash of water in his own drink. “That stuff is toxic,” he said as he took a sip of the drink and smiled. “Much better. Proteus, I want to thank you for having us as guests in your home. You’ve raised a couple of fine boys there and I’m sure they’ll become knights when they get older. Do you plan to try and gain back your name once they become men?”
Proteus nodded his head and rubbed his chin with his forefinger and thumb. “I’ve thought about that a lot over the least ten years,” he said. “I’m not as young as I was then and I’ve grown fond of this lifestyle. I take care of the cows, the chickens, manage the crops; it’s hard work in its own right and Elekargul needs good farmers as much as it needs good warriors in many ways.”
“That’s true,” said Sorus, “just like it needs good brewers, but isn’t that why we serve a twelve month every other year, to be good citizens, not just good warriors?”
“The twelve month system works fine,” said Proteus with a shake of his head in contradiction to his words, “and I think it’s generally a good idea, but there is no way a knight can really learn a trade by serving twelve months. It’s up to the journeymen and the apprentice boys who never want to be knights to do things right. We knights tend to get rotated in our twelve months anyway, so just as you’re getting a feel for one job it’s back to the patrolling and then off to some new job. When I did my twelve month I always tried to take on too much responsibility rather than let the journeyman do the job. I’ve thought about that a lot since I took the Brokenshield,” he concluded as he still rubbed his chin and looked at the roaring fire.
