The Wanderer's Tale: Esmor

by Rex Foote

  “Did I sleep through the day?” he asked.

  “And night.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me?”

  “Because we both needed the sleep, and I was fairly sure that nothing would disturb us; I made sure of that.”

  She gestured to the animal hide now lying crumpled around them, and he nodded in appreciation. Then she rose, stretching, and started to get a meal ready. While he went to refill their waterskins, he asked, “How do you feel?”

  “A lot better,” she replied, and she meant it. The day spent doing nothing and replenishing her energy reserves had done her good, and she was almost ready to carry on. Hark too looked better, with most of the swelling gone from his face, leaving him with slowly fading bruises, no doubt thanks to the poultice Kellan used. Which reminded her…

  “Kellan came to speak to me yesterday.”

  Hark froze at this, his hand holding his waterskin under the stream’s surface.

  “He said that he and his group were going back; they have decided to stop chasing us.”

  He notably relaxed at this. “Good,” he said. “With them no longer chasing us, we should have an easy walk to Mymt, at last.”

  After filling the waterskins, they shouldered their packs and set off in the direction they thought the lagoon was in. The day’s travel was fine enough; both were well rested and made good progress, sometimes chatting idly, other times walking in a comfortable, companionable silence. One thing they didn’t talk about was Esme’s arm, and she thought she saw him wince whenever he caught sight of the place where it should be, as if he blamed himself for it. It was this that made her realise that both of them were too willing to accept blame for things that weren’t their fault; it wasn’t either of their fault that she had lost an arm, or that he had been beaten, and she resolved to talk to him about it that night. Unfortunately, it started to cloud over about midday, and just as they were nearing the top of a steep hill, a heavy, warm blanket of mist settled on the hill and surrounding slope. It cut their vision to just a few feet in front of them and made it look like they were walking through grey, warm mud. As they gained the top of the hill and started down the other side, Hark spoke.

  “There,” Hark said, pointing further down the slope to where a cave mouth was just visible on the hillside.

  She got his meaning instantly and nodded her understanding, and they set out towards it. By the time they reached its shelter, darkness was falling, and if they had carried on then they would have been utterly lost. Though it was the Season of Light and the cave was warm, Hark lit a fire, and while their dinner cooked, she started to speak, but he spoke first.

  “When I stopped by that stream and laid you down to rest and saw that your arm had withered away to dust, I was scared.” He had been staring at the fire, but as he finished speaking, he turned to face her, his face grim and serious. “In fact, I have never been more scared in my life. Even when you went under the mud in the swamp, I wasn’t as scared as I was looking down at you then. Your arm was basically gone, you had started to go cold, your skin was clammy, and I thought you were dying.”

  Anything she had been about to say was quickly forgotten. She could see in his eyes that he needed to speak, to give voice to thoughts that had clearly hounded him for the past few days.

  “At that moment, looking down at you, it occurred to me that I never told you I loved you. I decided I did, you know, as we were in that ravine and you were climbing up the wall. I decided that I did love you. When you first told me, I was afraid, afraid that if I failed you again and you were hurt because of it that I would be unable to live with myself. But when I thought you were dead, I understood that it would be a hideous waste if I refused to love you back just because of some stupid ‘what if’ fear, as if I could let a little, insignificant, and unlikely possibility hold me back from admitting what I really felt about you. I do love you, Esme, and wherever you go after we reach Mymt, I want to be there with you, always by your side keeping you company and seeing what this world has to offer.”

  There was silence between them for a long time after he had finished; the only sound in the cave was the crackle of the fire. Then Esme rose and came over to hug him, and he replied in kind. They held each other that way for a long time just sharing in each other’s warmth and relishing each other’s presence. No words needed to be spoken, as all that needed to be said had been expressed over the long journey they had shared in these past thirty-nine days. At some point, one of them went to get a blanket to sleep on and laid it down. They held each other close as the warmth of the fire and the comfort of each other’s presence lulled them into a peaceful sleep.

  Esme never would be sure what woke her the following morning. Maybe the sound of a rock falling further back in the cave, maybe an animal call, or maybe it was Hark stirring in his sleep. Whatever the reason, she came to with Hark’s arms wrapped around her as she opened her eyes to stare at the stone cave ceiling, now painted red in the glow coming from outside the cave. She carefully disengaged Hark’s arms and sat up, guessing that the red glow was the sunrise, and then froze at what she saw. Getting to her feet, she quietly walked outside into the warm dawn air and took in what lay before her. They had camped in a small hollow on the slope of a hill. Not far from where the slope met the ground was the shoreline of what she could only guess was Mymt Lagoon. The lagoon was a vast, still, and peaceful body of water whose far horizon was temporarily obscured by the blazing orb of the sun, which had risen to hover above the far water line, casting the whole still mirror of Mymt’s surface in a warm orange glow that reflected off of the water and onto the surrounding hills. To her right near the shoreline sat a large island, silhouetted in the dawn light. It was a dark, uneven thing that sat amidst the smooth water like a hulking beast, somehow menacing and foreboding in an otherwise peaceful place. She stood there for some time taking in the scene before her. The scene she had spent countless nights in her room back at Caladaria trying to picture, a scene that she had spent the last month trying to reach, at long last revealed to her in all its beauty, and at that moment she knew that this journey had been worth it, though not just for what lay before her. She had changed considerably during her journey; she was no longer Esme the apprentice mage, plump, unfit, and an unwilling pupil of the Mages’ Guild. Now she was the Esme that had determinedly journeyed to this beautiful scene before her, overcoming all obstacles, be they her own personal obstacles or those that others had set for her. She was fit, young, and shared a mutual love with her oldest and dearest friend. As she thought on this, he came up alongside her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

  “It is beautiful,” he breathed, as struck by the sight as she was.

  They stood there until the sun had fully risen and the dawn light faded. They went back into the cave at that point, ate a quick breakfast, and headed down to the shoreline where they both took to the crystal-clear waters of the lagoon to wash off the dirt and the bad memories of the last few days, though they mostly just enjoyed the cold, refreshing feel of the lagoon’s waters. After they had returned to shore and dressed, they found a tree providing decent shade to sit under, and once seated, Esme cleared her throat. Though Hark had cleared up much of what had been bothering him last night, she still had one thing she needed to talk to him about.

  “You won’t like this,” she began as Hark bit into an apple, one of the few remaining from the supplies the Ohruin had given them. “But we have to go back to Caladaria.”

  He almost choked on the mouthful of apple, and had to spend a few moments of hurried chewing before he could swallow and gasp.

  “Why would you ever want to go back? Didn’t we just fight off three adventurers who wanted to take you back?”

  “I know it sounds crazy, but this whole journey sounded crazy at first. Look, we know that my parents want me back and think you kidnapped me, and when those adventurers don’t return, they will think the worst, right?”

  He nodded his assent and she carried on.
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  “I have to go back to tell them that I am leaving for good and because I want to, not because someone forced me or tricked me or whatever they think you did to get me to leave the city. I have to talk to them so there can be no doubt as to why I am leaving, and so we don’t have to worry about people coming after us.”

  Though he looked unhappy, Hark once more nodded his agreement, her logic overcoming any understandable fears he had about going back. Seeing his unease, she took his hand in hers.

  “I won’t let them do anything to you, I promise. We will go to the city, talk to my parents, resupply, and leave. And maybe you could have a chance to see your father again?”

  At this, Hark visibly brightened before asking, “So you keep implying that we are going to go somewhere after Caladaria. Any idea where?”

  Esme thought about it and came to the conclusion that she didn’t really mind where they wandered to next so long as Hark was with her.

  “I don’t have any particular preference. What about you? I mean, I got to choose Mymt; it’s only fair that you get to pick somewhere.”

  A faraway look took Hark’s eyes as he turned to gaze out on the lagoon.

  “The Heartward Isles,” he said after a brief pause. “The Isle of the first Okryd tree. It means a lot to Elreni, and I always wanted to visit it. I even planned on taking you one day.” He turned back to her and gave her a warm smile. “And now I can.”

  “Will they let me? I mean, I am not an Elreni…”

  “Sure they will,” Hark said as he leaned back against the tree and clasped his hands behind his head. “I can be very persuasive.”

  She leaned in close and he draped an arm over her shoulders. They sat there together for a long time just sitting and watching the lagoon as it shimmered and sparkled in the warm sunlight. There was no urgent task for them to rush to complete, nor any fast-closing deadline to hurry them from that place. There was just each other and the land laid out before them, content and at peace.

  Chapter Nineteen

  25th Day of Jiva. The Season of Light. Year 250.

  The guard watched as the pair made their way up the winding road towards Caladaria’s northern gate. He assessed them from afar, noticing their animal hide clothes and general well-travelled appearance. What caught his eye next was that one was a redheaded young woman with one arm, and the other was a tall, lean, young Elreni male. At the back of his mind, something was startled into wakefulness by the sight of the pair, but he couldn’t quite recall what it was. Resolving to find out shortly, he strode forward to meet them, one hand on his sword hilt, the other held out to stop the pair from coming closer.

  “Halt!” he cried, and the pair stopped, both fixing their eyes on him. “State your names and purpose for visiting the city.”

  “The guards weren’t this pushy last time I came here,” muttered the Elreni, who received an elbow in the ribs from his companion.

  “My name is Esme Lane,” the young woman said, gesturing to herself and then to the Elreni “And this is Hark Ulaneiros.”

  That jogged the guard’s memory. Hark was the name of that Elreni who was suspected of kidnapping that girl, no doubt the very one doing the talking. Every guard stationed at the north gate knew that tale and knew that a very wealthy merchant had paid their former sergeant handsomely to go and find this pair, and was likely to be just as generous to the guard who brought news of them to him. He shouted for his fellow guards. Then, pointing at the pair, he said, “Wait here, don’t move,” before jogging off into the city.

  ***

  “Well, that went well.” Hark sighed as a trio of guards came up to take position around them, moving them off to the side of the road.

  “Don’t worry,” Esme replied. “You haven’t been arrested yet, which means that you haven’t been charged with kidnapping.”

  “I am so relieved,” Hark said dryly. She just smiled at that, and they stood there in the heat of sun’s peak waiting for the arrival of Esme parents and the confrontation that would follow.

  Esme was about to say something to Hark when several things happened at once. Her parents appeared in the gate, her mother screamed her name in a tone of desperate relief, and her father pointed to Hark and shouted, “ARREST THAT ELRENI!” At which point the guard nearest Hark made to move towards him.

  “ENOUGH!”

  Everyone stopped and stared with open-mouthed wonder at Esme, who had enhanced her voice with magic so that when she shouted that word, it was uttered with enough force to send vibrations through the people standing closest to her.

  “First,” she said, her voice returning to its normal volume, “Hark is not under arrest because he didn’t do anything wrong. He didn’t kidnap me, but he did follow me out of the city and offered to come with me, and saved my life by doing so.”

  Sensing that perhaps it was best to give the four their privacy, the guards left them to their conversation while Averie and Michale just gaped at their daughter, shock plainly displayed across their features, while Hark stood just behind her, more than willing to support her with his presence rather than words.

  “Secondly, I don’t know if I should be happy or angry to see you, since you did send an armed patrol after me, and after that didn’t work, a trio of adventurers, which resulted in this.” She gestured with her remaining arm to the empty spot that her left arm used to occupy. Upon finally noticing this, both Averie and Michale’s expressions went from shock to dark anger.

  “You did this,” Michale spluttered as he pointed directly at Hark.

  “No he did not,” came Esme’s sharp reply.

  “I did this myself trying to free us from those adventurers. The same adventurers paid to come after me. You had more to do with this than Hark did.

  “But you could have just come back with them!” Averie’s outburst came in a pained tone that spoke of her sorrow at their daughter’s loss, and at Esme’s words.

  “No, I couldn’t have,” Esme replied, her tone softening in response to her mother’s pain. “If I had, then you would have never let me out of your sight ever again, and you would probably have either tried to get Hark killed or killed him yourself.”

  At the mention of his name, her mother’s eyes snapped to the Elreni, piercing him with a gaze so overcome with raw hatred that he almost took a step back, and would have if Esme had not taken his hand in hers.

  “None of what happened was his fault,” she carried on, fixing her mother with a steady gaze. “He saved my life at least three times, and without him I would have never even made it past the first day.”

  While she meant well, her parents clearly didn’t think so, probably because they wished she hadn’t made it through the first day and had just come home.

  “Well, then, now that you are back, we should get you back to the Guild as soon as we can. After all, you have been gone fifty days and have a lot to catch up on.”

  This time, it was Esme’s turn to feel her resolve weaken slightly, but Hark banished any doubts that she may have had by giving her hand a slight squeeze.

  “I am not going back to the Guild. In fact…”

  She didn’t get to finish, as her mother interrupted, practically screaming, “WHAT?”

  “You would throw away your future, your position in the Guild, and your duty to the king and the people of Esmor, and all for what?”

  “The past fifty days, I have never felt so alive, so happy, or so content,” Esme began, feeling the pressure of long-repressed emotions building behind her words until that wall broke and she let her feelings out in a rush of words. “Every day I spent in the Guild, I wanted to be somewhere else. I was dying of boredom in that damn stuffy, old building, and what’s worse is that I never asked for my gift, or to join the Guild. It was all decided for me without anyone once asking if it’s what I wanted.”

  Recognizing that breathing was a good idea even when delivering a tirade, she stopped, took a deep breath, and carried on. “I don’t want this, any of it. I don’t want
to be a mage in the Guild serving the king and the people. I want to be out there experiencing life outside of our cities. Seeing things like lagoons at sunrise, a bolt of lightning contrasted against a dark wall of storm clouds, seeing a valley filled to the ridgeline with fog, and watching as the sun’s first rays cast the surface in a brilliant golden glow. This is what I want to do with my life, not become a mage just because I was born with the ability to do magic.”

  “What will you become? Some homeless vagrant, aimlessly walking about with no purpose?” Averie’s voice rose steadily in pitch as she spoke, taking on a shrill note as she finished speaking.

  Esme was silent for a long time, acutely aware that everyone was looking at her, waiting for her next words. Then she remembered something Yatur had said to her on the morning of that fateful conversation in his tent. He had called her something, and that word now surged into the fore of her thoughts.

  “I will be a Wanderer, Esme the Wanderer.”

  Both her parents went pale at that, but this wasn’t the end of their discomfort, as Hark spoke behind her. “She won’t be alone, because I will be with her.”

  In the time it took to have this conversation, Averie and Michale’s expressions went from shock, to outrage, to pure rage, and finally rested on resigned defeat. Without a word, they turned and walked back into the city, knowing that to try and convince their daughter to stay and resume her old life was pointless. When they were through the gate and had vanished into the city, Esme felt her legs go weak, and Hark had to move quickly to steady her.