The Elder's Path

by J. D. Caldwell

  Siege was good enough to allow Lyn to have the pick of his armory before they set out. As much as Lyn loved her bow, she had made it some time ago back in the forest. It was worn, the wood slightly warped and cracked from her journey, and the draw power needed to be higher to match use outside basic forest game. The Skyehart armory was not lacking in any equipment, and Lyn quickly found a supple dark wood bow that fit her needs perfectly. It was a bow meant for battle rather than hunting, but Lyn was aware of how to use it and make it work for her. She also had Siege sharpen her belt knife, though the knife Zhiva had passed to her required no maintenance other than a good oiling. Siege was in fact very impressed with the blade, claiming to have never seen its like. Lyn was pleased to receive the praise, even though the knife had been a gift. Siege himself had a sword that fit everything else about him; that is to say, it was huge. It stood nearly as tall as Lyn and was almost a hand span wide. Lyn's mouth went agape when she saw it, and Siege, blushing, said that it was the style his family had favored throughout their history. Lyn was just glad it wasn't her family legacy to carry on.

  It turned out Siege had procured another horse for Lyn to make use of.

  "I don't go anywhere without Stygian," Siege had said lovingly while brushing the horse down. He had gotten her a thankfully smaller horse, but one who seemed no less capable. It was a chestnut brown with a shaggy mane and seemed very well tempered, if a bit eager. "He is young," Siege said to her, "you'll need to get used to each other. I wish we'd had more time to make that happen here instead of on the road, but that is the nature of life."

  Lyn had little experience prior with horses; there was little need for them with a people that never left their homes. Plus, horses usually didn't reside in the forest proper. Yet despite the lack of practicality, like many young girls Lyn had always wanted a horse, and now she had one. Siege had insisted that the horse was her very own, that she could name him and train him as she saw fit. After some consideration, Lyn named him Argos.

  "An apt name for a swift steed," Siege agreed, and he proceeded to show her how to care for her horse and tack. Lyn let Alir out from the coop and he flew aloft, circling above them. Lyn and Siege mounted, their packs secured to their respective horses and their cloaks wrapped about them. Alir dropped from the sky and alighted on his regular perch at Lyn's shoulder. The travelers set off towards their first destination, which Siege had mentioned was the second and last city in the whole of the mountain range, simply called Range. The weather was holding nicely, and Siege did not predict another storm on their way to Range. By nightfall they were well away from Skyehart's home; the man certainly knew how to traverse the mountains. When Lyn commented on this, the young man explained that he had spent quite some time traveling around the area, and as he had grown older he had found himself spending more time outside his home than in.

  Nighttime outdoors was difficult to re-adjust to, but Siege made it as comfortable as possible. Morning brought another storm less day and progress continued. Silence dominated the trek the majority of the time, and Lyn had no objection; it was clear that like her, Siege was accustomed to traveling by himself and had no need to converse as he moved along. As much as Lyn had loved traveling with Yusef's caravan, they had made so much noise as they progressed that Lyn wondered how they hadn't brought the looming mountain down on top of themselves.

  Unfortunately, their comfortably silent travel did not last much longer. Alir, with a cry and a violent beating of his wings, took to the air and flew ahead. Lyn winced, rubbing the back of her head where her companion's wings had slapped against her.

  "What's the idea, Alir?" she said with annoyance. But the strange behavior did not stop at Alir; soon Stygian and Argos began shifting and bridling. Argos began turning his head and grunting, while Stygian chomped with flared nostrils.

  "Blood," Siege said quietly, patting his black mount on the neck. "He smells blood."

  --

  Alir circled above a campsite, keeping watch. Or at least, what remained of the campsite. By the time it was close enough for them to see, Argos had become nervous and was difficult to control. Siege sidled up alongside her and took the reins. He gently led them both near the outside of the encampment and dismounted. Stygian pranced but did not seem out of sorts.

  "Why is your horse responding so drastically different than mine?"

  "He is a warhorse," Siege replied as he tethered his equine partner to a tree. "He is accustomed to this. From our hunts, and the skirmishes we've waged."

  Lyn dismounted and gave over control to Siege, who showed her how to properly secure her mount. "Now, stay here, and calm your new friend down. If you ever want him to get acclimated, you have to keep him calm and show him it's ok."

  Lyn did as she was told and stayed with the horses, feeding an apple to Argos and gently cooing to him the entirety of it. Siege had told her that many times horses simply responded to the sound of the voice, so she kept up the reassurance.

  Argos had calmed down noticeably as Siege made his way back to them. Siege, however, did not share the mentality; his face was grim, and Lyn was scared to ask. She looked to him questioningly, but he shook his head. Helping her free their horses, the two mounted and continued on. Siege gave one last look back and following his gaze, Lyn saw the remnants of the camp light in slow flames. She looked to Siege, who now focused his eyes forward.

  "They did not deserve to sit unnoticed," he said simply. Lyn nodded, but said nothing. The practice of burning bodies was not recognized among her people; they believed that returning the body to the earth renewed the cycle of life so that others may live. She knew that not all shared this belief, however she had never before experienced anything different. So she sat quietly, deep in her thoughts. From the corner of her eye, she caught her blonde friend casting looks to her.

  "I've just never seen anything like that before," Lyn said quietly. Siege seemed to understand, and left her to her silence.

  That night brought little rest for Lyn. She was bothered by the events of the day. She knew, deep down, that the world was not the innocent and wondrous place she had made it to be in her mind. She had just felt so safe and so right in the Northern Province that she had let herself forget that the world was a hard place, and that peace was hard won. She steeled herself. In a way she was glad that they happened upon the camp; it made her remember that she couldn't afford to get comfortable and complacent. It reminded her that the world was not out to please and facilitate her. Her duty was to add as much to it as she could, and return home. Nothing more, nothing less.

  She tossed and turned in her furs, trying to get a position that would allow her to sleep. Finally turning on her side, she cracked open an eye to see Siege sitting by the fire in silence. She lay motionless, watching him stare into the flames. She wondered what he saw there, wondered if he ever thought of her as she found herself thinking of him. She quickly blew out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, exasperated with herself. She turned over once more, her back to the fire and the man staring into it, and drifted off to sleep.

  Travel the next day was quiet, but the silence was a heavy one. The only time Siege spoke, it was to mention that they were nearly to the next town. Weather was still holding out, but due to the incident the day previous Siege insisted that they stay in town. Lyn put up no resistance; she had been more shaken by the campsite than she cared to admit. Siege paid for stabling and housing for the night, and their separate rooms. He came by later in the evening for dinner, but she did not answer. She was upset with herself for losing the edge she'd had when she had first started out. Those few months already seemed like lifetimes ago, and she felt like a completely different person. A part of her wished she'd never met Siege or Yusef or Satora or Zhiva or any of them; a part of her wished it was just her and Alir, in a simpler world where travelers didn't come across campsite slaughters or ancient demons on the hunt or men to fall in love with. She wished she could be as naive as she once was.

 
Darkness fell on the town of Range, and still Lyn found no rest. She lay on her bed awake, staring at the wall and listening to Alir preen himself in the corner. Siege had not even tried to part her with her companion, and for that she was glad. She had never really mentioned to Siege who she was, or what Alir was to her, but somehow he had seemed to guess they were very close. So close now in fact that her restlessness was transferring to him, and she could feel his annoyance that she would not let him rest. He was bored, and understandably hated being indoors. She sensed a rapid change, however, as footfalls came to stop next to her door. The creak of the wood shifted slightly, and the handle jiggled as whoever it was outside her door attempted entrance. Lyn tensed, and reached for her dagger. Alir was deathly silent, and leaning forward as though on the hunt. The mysterious visitor turned away and left, and once Lyn could no longer hear the steps she rushed out of bed and dressed herself, buckling her armor quickly and taking Alir on her arm.

  They stepped in to the hallway, but it was strangely empty. There was no sound of men downstairs at the bar, or the dishes being done, or patrons in their rooms going about their business. It was altogether too quiet. Alir, still highly alert, cocked his head to and fro, taking in the scene. Lyn was comforted by his presence, but her arm was getting tired from hoisting him.

  Stepping over to Siege's room, she put her ear against the door. There was no sound from within. Biting her lip, she gulped and turned the handle. The door gave slowly and opened in to the room. Darkness was all that stared back at her; the room was empty. Heart now racing, a cold sweat began on Lyn's forehead. Her breathing quickened, and Alir began to puff his feathers in response. She loosed her knife in its sheathe and fingered the grip. Creeping down the stair, she looked about to find the place empty and dark. A quiet sound slithered in to her ear, and she froze to try and better hear it. It continued to grow in volume until it became very clear; a hoarse voice whispering "death".

  With a cry, Lyn sat awake, covered in sweat. Her door quickly opened to reveal Siege, clad as usual in his armor.

  "What is it?" he yelled, reaching out to her.

  Lyn shrieked again, this time tugging her blankets to cover herself. "Whatever happened to knocking!" she yelled back. "Get out!"

  With a bashful 'oops', Siege quickly shut the door and Lyn was left in her room to contemplate her dream.

  A note waited for Lyn the next morning. It was from Siege, indicating that he was going about town looking for information on his brother. He did not insult her by trying to tell her to stay put, and she was glad that she wouldn't have to disobey him. She immediately headed for the trees outside the town. This area of the mountain was becoming increasingly forested, and Lyn had full intention to take advantage of it. Taking her bow and her hawk friend, she departed Range to brush up her skills and hunt.

  But as she moved through the trees, Marcho suddenly came into view, standing still as though he had always been there. Lyn started and put a hand to her chest, supposing to herself that she should have been used to it by now, but the dream she'd had the night previous had not helped her nerves.

  "You've been touched," Marcho said matter-of-factly.

  "Touched by what?" Lyn asked with annoyance, passing the wolf by.

  "By the darkness. By Umbra." His voice spoke right behind her ear in an uncanny fashion. She turned abruptly, startling birds from a nearby tree, but Marcho was not there. Turning forward once more, she came face to face with the great demon.

  He took a deep whiff of her and licked his large teeth. "It is close by. It has touched you. You know of what I speak."

  Lyn's heart skipped a beat as she realized he was referring to her dream. Alir shrieked, but Marcho didn't so much as flick an ear.

  "The dead you met on your way here, they were of Umbra's doing."

  "I worried that was the case." Lyn stopped, her shoulders slumping. Any chance she'd had of not getting involved in this was now gone, she suspected.

  "It will sense me as I have sensed it," Marcho said, looking back towards the town. "When it gets wind of me, the situation will worsen quickly. You should keep away, and safe. Now that you have located it for me, I have no further need of you. Our destinies will part ways here."

  Lyn chewed her lip, torn between conflicting feelings. "I can't leave without Siege, and I do not think he will come willingly knowing that his brother is here somewhere."

  Marcho gave her a significant look, but said nothing. Mistaking his look for judgment, she became immediately indignant. "Don't look at me that way! It may seem strange to you, monster, but humans care for one another and look out for one another! It's what makes us different than you, and I won't pick up and go just because you say you're done with me. My purpose is served when I say, no one else!"

  Marcho did not respond, but sat watching her passively. This irritated Lyn even more and with a frustrated grunt she turned heel and headed back to town.

  She met Siege at the inn, where she found him sitting in the corner of the common room downstairs. She approached him and sat down at the table.

  "Did you find him?" she asked, hopeful that somehow they'd be able to wrap up the business with the Skyehart brothers and hightail it out before Marcho and Umbra turned the place to rubble.

  Siege shook his head slowly, consternation showing plainly on his face. "I know he is nearby. I know it. I feel like he is just at the edge of my perception, watching." He slammed his armored hands down on the table, making the other patrons jump and shoot over suspicious looks. The barkeep put his hands on his hips and looked at their table with open irritation.

  Lyn, embarrassed, waved an apology and turned back to Siege. "I think I know the feeling," she said, remembering her dream from the night previous.

  The young warrior gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "That coward," he said through clenched jaw. "The sooner we can end this, the better."

  Chapter 11

  21th day, 12th lunar cycle, 700th age of Arc

  "I am officially on my way back down the mountain now. The time I spent here in the Northern Province now seems surreal, faced with the harsh reality of strife. This town has none of the hospitality, beauty, or feeling of home that Brightpeak or even Skyehart manor offered. I feel as though there is a shadow cast over this whole place, and indeed, the mist has swallowed the sky once more. Why anyone would choose to live here I do not know. Evidently there is a smaller village down the mountain further; hopefully once this business is concluded I can continue to it and leave this dreariness behind me. I wonder if Siege will return home once he has done what he has set out to. I have to remember what Satora told me; I can't get too comfortable or attached. I don't belong in this world, I'm here to observe.

  I am haunted by the dream I had; to be honest I am scared to go to sleep again. After we came across the campsite on our way to Range, rest has become a luxury. But the exhaustion I feel is not just in body; the very light seems to have been sucked out of me, and I long for color in my life once more."

  Night came quickly, and Lyn dreaded the coming sleep. She laid down in her bed and put her arm over her forehead, trying to hold back an encroaching headache. After what seemed like an eternity of lying awake, there was a soft knock at her door. Thinking it was Siege, she got up to open it. As she reached out for the door handle, she noticed something; Alir was not in the room with her. She froze, her hand outstretched, her breathing halted. She heard nothing. No dishes, no patrons, no snoring, no creaking. With horror she realized she must have fallen asleep, and she was back in the dream again. Gooseflesh covered her arms, and she felt the hair at the back of her neck stand. She clenched her jaw to avoid panic and slowly retreated back to her bed, sitting down. A bead of sweat trailed down her neck, but she refused to move. A whisper started from outside the door, and Lyn could have sworn she saw tendrils of darkness creeping under the door. Nostrils flared, Lyn pulled her dagger from her belt and launched herself at the door, opening it quickly. Unsurprisingly, the hall was empty an
d quiet. The whispering sound continued to reach her, and she thought it sounded as though it were coming from downstairs.

  She made her way slowly down the stairs, her stance wide and knife at the ready. She was terrified, but she would let the Void take her before she let fear dictate her. A dark laugh came through the sound of the whispers and just as suddenly as they started, it all stopped. Lyn stood at the ready, eyes wide and nostrils flared. Her breath came in quick succession, and she could practically feel the adrenaline coursing through her.