The doors were drawn open from within by two different warriors. The two walked inside, and Toria jumped when there was a shout from one of the people gathered within. She saw a flash of movement, and her hand shot to her side subconsciously seeking the knife that was almost always there.
“Tag!” The shout was from a beautiful woman who launched herself at the big man. Both were smiling broadly as he lifted her high off of her feet and then gathered her in his arms. Toria experienced a brief flash of mild jealousy. She had not recognized that she had developed a slight crush on her new friend. Then she realized that this whole trip had been for her new friend Tag to find his Lady Dwan. This must be her.
After a few twirls Taggart set the woman down. “Meena,” he exclaimed. “What a sight you are. As beautiful as ever.”
Toria frowned at hearing that this was not Dwan and wondered at the relationship. Perhaps the famous love story of The Legend and Lady Dwan was not as accurate as she had heard. Then the name he’d shouted settled into her mind, and she recalled the story of the famous last battle of the Great War. Meena was a very famous lady warrior who had accompanied Ruguer and Tag-Gar as they had walked, hopelessly outnumbered, toward a hoard of attacking Grey Ones. She had gone on to marry the newly-crowned King Ruguer and become his queen. Toria was suddenly very self-conscious to be in the presence of such a woman.
Toria might have been intimidated by Meena’s presence, but Taggart certainly was not. The two chattered away at each other stopping every moment or two to engage in another hug. Finally, Taggart took the queen’s arm and steered her over to Toria. The girl gulped, and fought hard to keep herself from shaking.
“Queen Meena of Olvion, may I present the Lady Toria,” he said. Toria felt her face flushing, and she suddenly realized she had no idea how to respond to a royal introduction. She finally executed a deep bow.
Meena smiled and lifted her back to a standing position. “Welcome Lady Toria” she said smiling. “Friends do not stand on ceremony in this castle. I understand you accompanied my dear friend on his journey to Olvion?”
Taggart put a hand on Toria’s shoulder. “Not only did she accompany me, Meena, she actually saved my life by engaging a Grey One in one-on-one combat and killing the odious beast with nothing more than a set of knives.”
The queen looked at Toria now with a fresh awareness. “Really? All by yourself with nothing but knives?” she asked.
Toria ignored the slight to her knives. They were almost a part of her, and she had complete faith in her abilities to use them effectively. She quickly realized, though, that the Queen’s interest was in the act and not a disrespect of her choice of weapons. She gulped again and answered the queen. “Yes, Your Majesty, but it was only one.”
The queen and Taggart both laughed. “Only one? Only one Grey One slain by a young woman with Tooth and Claw?”
Evidently the other dozen or so people in the room had been listening to their conversation. At the queen’s last statement the room erupted into the Olvioni equivalent of applause with all those standing slapping their chests and those seated pounding on the tables before them. Toria felt her face darken with the rushing blood, and she found herself wishing that there was a convenient hole in the floor through which she could escape.
Meena finally held up a hand to halt the applause. She then guided them over to a corner where they could talk more privately.
“I am not exaggerating when I say this young woman reminds me of a young metal worker who came to this city as a refugee and wound up being a fierce warrior,” Taggart said.
Meena looked closely at Toria. She felt the girl’s arms and shoulders. “Yes,” she finally said. “I can see it. It takes years of hard work to build those muscles, especially the shoulders. Tell me, Toria, do you practice every day with the Tooth and Claw?”
Toria nodded. “And with sword and spear.”
“I thought so. You certainly could be a warrior. You have not had the years of training that we offer those who are raised near the castle. They start their indoctrination at the age of ten summers, but if you ever find yourself wanting to join our military just go to any guard post and tell them you need to speak with me. If they are not receptive, tell them you are my personal friend.”
Toria’s head was swimming. So much had happened to her that she was not even able to manage a verbal reply. She just smiled and nodded.
The tone of the conversation then took a different tone. Meena put her hand on Taggart’s shoulder. “Tag, I am so sorry that Dwan is not here. As I am certain Vynn told you, she left for Aspell a season past. I fear that every place she went in Olvion, she was constantly reminded of you. You must tell me later about the details of your disappearance, but for right now, I’m afraid I must give you some more bad news. Just earlier today we were informed that a fleet of invaders have besieged Aspell. They came from the sea, evidently from a land that we never knew existed. They are acting like pirates and have ransacked the entire town. King Tyner, and some of his military have closed the gates to the stronghold and our last information, which was three days old, told us that it has not yet been assaulted. It is hoped that the invaders will take whatever treasure they can gather from the town and countryside and leave.
“As you know, Ruguer is gone, out on a tour of the valley to determine the full extent of damages from the war. He was scheduled to return four days from now. We’ve sent riders and staged fresh charon at points along the way so that he can return as quickly as possible. I pray he stays to his planned schedule and hasn’t gone off on one of his explorations. Anyway, we expect him back in two days or sooner now. In the meantime, Vynn is arranging an attack force to begin marching west at first light.”
“How about cavalry?” Taggart asked.
“Yes. Sub-Commander Tophar is set to leave at the same time with two hundred mounted warriors.”
Taggart frowned. “So few?”
The queen put her hand on his shoulder. “I know, Tag. The war has hit us hard. As you know, all of our cavalry were lost. The scant few that we have since trained, I split up and am sending half to Aspell and keeping the rest here to help protect the city. I know it is too few to have an immediate effect, but we are told that the word has gone out to Archer’s Gate and Northland. We expect that all kingdoms will contribute to the effort.
“These people, wherever they came from, haven’t brought that large of a force. The estimates that were sent to us are between four and five thousand. We should be able to mount a reaction force able to take care of that number. Right now, because of the war, we are in the unusual position of being the weakest of the four kingdoms, so we must rely heavily on Archer’s Gate and Northland.”
Taggart had his head pointing downward, considering this new information. He looked up at Meena with a frown on his face. “Well, it is what it is. I’ll be leaving with Vynn in the morning.” He looked at Toria. “I have enjoyed our time together Lady Toria. I’ll be leaving you in Meena’s hands. She’ll make certain that you are delivered to your cousin.”
Meena stopped him as he turned to leave. “Tag wait. About Toria’s cousin. You say he was just recently released from service with Aspell’s military?” Toria nodded. “Well I can’t be certain, but I think he would be among the hundred or so that were reactivated for service due to the invasion. If so, he has already been sent out. They left right after we got the news. What is his entire name, Toria?”
The girl gave Meena her cousin’s full name, and she went over to one of the warrior’s guarding the doors. There was a short discussion before he went hustling out into the hallway. While they were waiting, Toria put a hand on Taggart’s forearm.
“If Lyyl is gone then you have to take me with you.”
He was caught unprepared for such a demand. “I’m afraid that would be impossible. I have enjoyed your company, and I am glad we had the chance to become friends, but taking you with me is impossible. I’ve been in war before, and it is no place for…for people as
young as you.”
Toria could feel herself growing angry. “I know what you almost said. You almost said it is no place for a child. I’m not a child. I’m almost as old as Geraar. You made a promise to my mother and father to deliver me safely to my cousin. Well, Lyyl is on his way to Aspell. If you intend to honor your pledge, you have to take me.”
“Toria, as I said before, it is impossible. Meena will see to it that you are cared for here, within the castle. It will be a grand adventure for you, dining with the Queen of Olvion, meeting King Ruguer when he returns. It will give you a lifetime of stories to tell.”
Meena had returned and heard their conversation. “He’s right, Toria. It’s not safe out there, even for trained warriors. Besides, I’m looking forward to having another woman around to talk to. The fact that you are Tag’s friend makes you mine also. We’ll have so much fun together.”
Toria was not agreeing with any of what she was hearing. She may not be a trained warrior, she thought, but how many of the newly trained warriors in this hastily reformed military had killed a Grey One in combat? She was smart enough, however, to see that her arguments were not going to sway these two.
***
Tinker held her breath. Beside her, Mate was also silent. They were both backed into a thick bush and hoped that they were totally hidden by its branches. Twenty paces away, a large animal with thick black fur was sniffing the air. Tinker could see he was a predator. He had oversized jaws with long canine teeth that protruded from his maw like tusks. His muscular chest and back were crisscrossed by scars, and his smaller rear legs were built for short bursts of speed such as one would need to chase down and latch onto prey.
As the two Mountain Children stilled their heartbeats and slowed their breathing, they also redirected energy to their minds. The hunter had not yet caught their scent, but it was a simple matter of time for that to happen. The pair set about putting to use their special talents to avoid a confrontation. Not that they were helpless should they be forced to fight, but they did not want to risk an injury this far from their home.
So now they concentrated on combining and focusing their abilities on the predator. He (it was obviously male) was at least six times larger than they. He took a few steps in their direction, sampled the air again and then moved closer still.
With their minds joined, the decision to act was simultaneous. A burst of pure mental energy was projected straight into the mind of the hulking creature before them. It looked as if something had crept up on the animal from behind and struck it with a war hammer. He rose up on hind legs and fell completely over on his back.
The beast recovered quickly and leapt back onto his feet, squealing with rage. His scarred and matted head swung back and forth as the tusks sought a target to rend and tear. Then he stopped. The only thing moving on him was his chest as it swelled and constricted with each breath. His weak eyes searched for the source of the attack. Once again he sniffed the air, using his strongest sense to seek out his attacker.
Mate was signaling his intention to deliver another shock to the brutish animal, but Tinker calmed him and gathered his strength onto herself for another ploy. Instead of directing another burst of physical pain, this time she sought his nerve centers and quickly located those which dealt with his sense of smell. Mate sent her a wave of understanding just before she fed the nerves of the beast the scent of blood.
The predator sniffed over and over exploring every direction with his nose. Finally he was able to identify the direction from which he thought the enticing aroma was emanating. Emitting an ear splitting squeal, the monster went crashing through the brush. He would chase the false scent for several leagues before the implanted suggestion would weaken and fade away. By that time, Tinker and Mate would be well out of danger. They started off again following the path that the Awareness had given them.
It was their tenth day of travel. They had just decided to seek out a nest for the night when the hunter had appeared. Now they were safely beyond the danger he posed and were once again feeling the pull of fatigue. They searched the terrain as they continued in their chosen direction. A small hole or even a hollowed log would serve them well enough. Then, just before the light faded away, they saw the welcome silhouettes of an entire grove of sleep trees.
Mate started to climb the first one they came to, but Tinker emitted a caution emotion. Using just her mind this time, she probed the interior of the bulb-shaped tree’s limbs and leaves. Sleep trees were wonderful plants. In this fading light, they had a shape very much like a pineapple on a stick with the trunk being the stick and the limbs and leaves being the pineapple. The leaves of the trees formed a hollow interior in which animals as large as humans could take refuge for the night. As far as Tinker was aware, only humans and her kind used the trees for that purpose, but there was always the chance that another predator or one of the fearsome Grey Ones had taken refuge within one.
Tinker searched the hollow bulb for any sign of a living being. Finding none, she stood back while Mate scampered up the trunk and dug his way in through the tough, brittle covering of dried exterior leaves. Tinker could have found an easier way inside, but she had many tasks on this trek. One of those was building Mate’s confidence. By standing aside and allowing him to take the lead she was very subtly doing this. He finished his inspection of the tree’s interior and emitted a chirp. She quickly climbed up and went inside using the pathway he’d dug.
The most miraculous thing about a sleep tree was concealed within its interior. The older, dried leaves that made up the exterior were unremarkable, but inside the hollow bulb of the plant were thousands of new leaves which gently glowed in darkness. The result was a cheerful illumination that kept the interior of the trees from being pitch black. The strength of the illumination was such that the humans harvested them and used them to light their residences. The leaves were placed in glass balls and changed regularly to ensure an adequate source of light. Here, inside their nest for the night, Tinker waited as Mate selected a spot on which to lie down. When he made his choice she crossed over the spongy leaves that made up the soft and comfortable bottom of the plant interior and snuggled up closely to him. He snuggled closer still, and his long, fluffy tail wrapped itself protectively around her. He began sleep-purring first, but she was not far behind.
The next morning Tinker awoke and quietly stretched, careful to let Mate get as much rest as possible. Travel was not overly difficult for them. They were used to climbing rocks all day and were raised in an altitude that had thinner air than was available down this far, but they were using different muscles in their trip. It was not as difficult as climbing, but Tinker found her back and neck stiff from the unusual exercise.
She snuck over to the place where both had entered the tree the night before. It was easy work to wiggle back through until her head poked out into sunlight. She sniffed the sweet air and enjoyed the scents of trees and grass and the different animals that had passed by. Overhead she heard the shrieks of flying raptors and the tweets of smaller birds. She listened for a spell and even entertained herself by mimicking their songs. Some sang back to her, and it filled her with happiness. She’d missed the lowlands and these sights and sounds.
She heard Mate rustling his way through the leaf covering so she pulled herself entirely out and scratched her way down the trunk. She took a second for another delicious stretch, then looked up to see Mate descending. She took note of the thick muscles in his legs and his back.
Once they were both on the ground, they rose onto their rear legs and embraced. It was the way that Mountain Children started every morning. Every passing resident of the village received an embrace from the smallest of the pups to the oldest of the elders. An unusual characteristic of their kind was the ability to walk on two legs when such an act was desired. They customarily used this ability for short distances and fell back to all fours when a longer trek was required.
Once done with their morning habits, the two started off again
. Mate was almost quivering with excitement. His task was finally before him. The unfamiliar surroundings of the lowlands thrilled him. He’d always desired to travel and see things other than the mountains of his home, but he’d never dared strike out on his own for fear that the Awareness would not task him if he wasn’t near his home. Now here he was. He’d made Tinker tell him many times of her task and the huge battles that she’d seen. The battles did not entice him, but they were an interesting element of the stories. It hurt his heart when she would tell of her battle with the Silver and the horrible wounds she’d suffered. She had almost died from them and still wore the scars on her neck and arm.
Mate wondered what his task would entail. Battles? Strange places? He was so happy that he sang to the trees and rocks around them. Tinker listened for a while, then she joined in, and the two traveled that way for many leagues.
***
Taggart awoke and bathed. He considered shaving, but after looking into the small polished mirror, he decided he liked the beard. It more clearly marked his difference from the Olvionis and other humans here in that none of them had blonde hair. Or blue eyes for that matter but that was not why he liked it. He would never admit it to another soul, but the truth of the matter was that he thought it made him look like a Viking. Before his supernatural transportations to Olvion, Taggart and his brothers had sent in a DNA sample to an online genealogy site and discovered they were descended from people of the area that had been populated by Vikings. For some reason, they’d always been extremely proud of that fact. His two older siblings had gone so far as to have the word “Viking” tattooed on their arms. So anything that made him look even more like a Viking was attractive to him.
Meena had sent a messenger to awaken him early so he would have time to take breakfast with her and Toria. Taggart did not look forward to seeing the young woman again. He knew she would try to make him feel guilty for leaving her in the city. What else could he do? He didn’t want to take her into a war situation, he’d already seen far too many friends die. He absolutely would not endanger her like that. He also wondered what would happen to her. What if her cousin did not return? Would he need to leave Dwan right after finding her again in order to return to Olvion and escort Toria back to her farm?
The Coastal Kingdoms of Olvion: Book Two of The Chronicles of Olvion Page 15
