“Take care of the horses, Garth,” Kalina instructed, “I will get some food and blankets for our guests. They must be hungry with what they have been through and I can see that they are soaked. Stoke up the fire some more after you’re done with the horses and we’ll see if we can dry them out.”
“Excuse me,” Tedi interrupted. “I appreciate your hospitality, but I am not a believer in coincidences. You wandered into our campsite in Lorgo and now you just happen to send this bandit after us to protect us from Dark Riders. Who are you really and what do you want with us?”
Arik looked stunned at Tedi’s impertinence, but Kalina just smiled. “I would be sorely disappointed if you believed that I would risk Garth’s life just to play games with you. You boys are destined to greatness and any person who would stand by and allow you to fall into the hands of the Dark One is a person whom I would not want to associate with. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kalina. I am a gypsy and have some sense of foretelling. When I walked into your campsite the other day, I was struck with an aura of greatness and goodness, which emanated from you two boys. I mentioned this to Garth and he told me that one of you had tried sneaking into our campsite before we reached Lorgo.”
“I wasn’t trying to sneak in,” protested Tedi. “I thought you were a gang of bandits and I wanted to know your intent with regards to Lorgo.”
Garth laughed out loud as he was securing the horses and Kalina smiled. “I am sure,” she continued, “but I also do not believe in coincidences. When Garth told me about the witch who was interested in you, I vowed that I would look after you until you were capable of protecting yourselves.”
“So, if we decided we were capable of protecting ourselves, you wouldn’t stop us from leaving?” Arik asked.
“I would never stop you from going your own way,” Kalina declared adamantly. “Did Garth force you to come here? If he did, I will have words with him.”
“No,” Arik admitted, “he did not force us, although our choices were slim at the time.”
“Well, your choices are not much better now,” Kalina said, “but you are free to leave at any time. Before you decide to up and leave, though, let me give you some advice. I doubt that you boys have ever been out of Lorgo before, because you seem totally unaware of what is waiting for you out there. Garth can train you to take care of yourselves. He can teach you how to ride a horse, use a sword, be quieter in the forest, lay false trails, and read the trails of others. There is so much that Garth can teach you that I would think you foolish if you did not avail yourselves of the opportunity to learn from him, but the choice is yours. Should I bring you dinner, or will you be on your way?”
“As long as we are free to leave when we wish,” Arik said forcefully, “we will stay and appreciate your generosity.”
Garth strode over and stood before the boys. Reaching down slowly he took the sword and scabbard from Arik’s hand. “I can stitch the belt on this for you,” Garth uttered. “Unfortunately, I was in a bit of a hurry when I cut it loose.”
Arik let the sword go and Garth turned to Tedi and took his sword, as well. Kalina emerged from the wagon with several blankets, which she draped over the boys like a caring mother. “Slip out of your wet clothes and I will dry them over the fire,” Kalina added as she turned to prepare plates of dinner for Garth and the boys.
Tedi could smell the turkey and realized that it had been some time since he and Arik had eaten a meal. The boys managed to wiggle out of their clothes and Kalina collected them as she handed the boys mugs of hot coffee. Both boys shivered slightly as their skin finally realized that it was cold and wet. They pulled the blankets close around themselves as they sipped their coffee. After a short period of time, Garth came over and sat by the fire just as Kalina was bringing plates of food. Tedi tore into the turkey, turnips and some kind of green, leafy vegetable that he had never seen. The boys cleaned their plates quickly and Kalina gave them another serving of everything.
Arik could not believe it, but by the time they had finished dinner, the boys' clothes were dry and warm. They wiggled into their clothes under the blankets and eventually let the blankets drop from their shoulders. Garth finished mending the scabbards and returned the swords to the boys. “Tomorrow we will begin instruction on how to use those,” he commented.
“What about the Dark Riders?” inquired Arik. “Won’t they track us to here? Shouldn’t we be moving on?”
“They will first assess the damage that has been done to them,” smiled Garth as he stripped off his scabbard straps and shirt and refastened the sword to his back. “Then they will suspect that a large group ambushed their men and they will send for reinforcements. If we leave in the morning, we will be well ahead of them. As for them tracking us to here, it will not be as easy as they are used to. There are tricks to covering your path that I can explain to you when the time is right.”
Arik looked around the campsite and saw Kalina doing something at the back of the wagon, safely outside the range of hearing. “Garth,” he began, “you seem to be quite capable of taking care of yourself and you don’t seem to be too fond of Tedi and me. Why would you risk your life to save us and then offer to teach us your tricks? Surely, it is not just because Kalina thinks we are destined for greatness, whatever that means.”
Garth smiled grimly and stared at Arik. “Kalina is a great woman,” he said quietly. “If she sees something special in you two, then there is something special. Frankly, I see nothing but two fisherboys who have run away from home and wish to play at the games of men as if they knew the rules.”
“Your compassion is heartwarming,” snipped Tedi. “Perhaps, if you looked, you would see two young boys whose mothers were stolen from them and forced to leave their fathers because Dark Riders and bandits won't let them live in peace. Perhaps if you lost something or someone you love, you wouldn’t be so damn aloof about other people’s troubles.”
Garth’s face grew visibly taut and the veins of his temples and neck bulged considerably. He rose silently and walked across the campsite to a clear area well away from Kalina and the boys and whipped his sword out of the sheath on his back. Slowly he began moving his sword back and forth as if fighting some invisible foe. His arms and feet moved surely like the fine steps of a choreographed dance. The sword moved high and low, varying from sweeps to lunges, from checks to severs, slowly picking up speed until the blade became hard to focus on.
Kalina came out of the wagon with a tray of small, dried sweet cakes, which she brought to the boys. She looked over at Garth and sat next to the boys. “What were you talking about?” she asked.
“I get the feeling that Garth is not real happy about us being here,” remarked Tedi. “I told him that he should have more compassion for other people instead of only thinking about himself.”
Garth was moving faster now. His arms and feet began moving so fast that it appeared he was just jumping around at random, but closer inspection revealed that each stroke of his sword was centered on the same invisible foe. At a speed that Arik thought would make most people dizzy, Garth’s every movement was sure-footed and precise. While the hit with his sword might be high, low or in between, they all would have hit the invisible foe.
“You truly do not understand Garth,” Kalina said softly. “He has lost more than any man I know and he bears the responsibility for each and every loss. He does not dwell long on his own problems because the weight of them would crush him. Instead, he devotes his life to other people’s problems. He helps those who are incapable of helping themselves. Sometimes they are grateful, sometimes they are not, but always they think that their problems are the worst in the world. None of them have ever thought to ask about his problems, not that he would discuss them if anyone did ask.”
Kalina sighed and looked back at Garth. He was now fighting a circle of invisible foes, twirling round and round and varying the stroke so that no opponent could foretell the stroke that would be aimed at him. Sweat poured down his body in riv
ers, yet his breath appeared even and measured. Arik and Tedi stared at his rippling muscles and sure steps and were amazed at the variety of strokes he could deliver with the sword. Kalina rose and went back to the wagon.
“Perhaps, you spoke hastily,” Arik chided. “It did not appear to me that the man who killed ten Dark Riders that were after us was thinking only of himself.”
“He got me mad,” responded Tedi sheepishly. “He was treating us like little boys that had stolen some candy and gotten caught.”
“Maybe that is how we appear,” commented Arik. “What does he know of us? You tried to sneak into his camp and he scared you off. One sight of him in town and we both ran into the woods. Then he overheard me bragging about how quiet I was and I didn’t even know he was there. Finally, we get ourselves caught in a trap with no way out and we just ran, mindless of how we were going to escape. Maybe that is what we are, a couple of kids who think we know more than we do. Maybe our problems are not so bad after all. It might be that we just don’t know how to handle them.”
Garth was now fighting an ever bigger force of imaginary foes. One that was spread out farther apart. Garth would slash and leap towards another member of the attackers or roll across the intervening ground and strike out with his feet as he swung at yet another. It was hard to determine how many foes Garth was facing, but however many there were, Arik would not like to be one of them.
“I guess I was hasty,” admitted Tedi. “The man did save our lives no matter how ill I feel towards him. I would have said that he could have died saving our lives, but in watching him, I don’t think those Dark Riders had a chance.”
“It only takes one slash or one arrow to kill the best warrior, Tedi,” Arik reminded. “Any time you go into battle, there is a chance you won’t come out. He may be quite capable, but he risked his life to save ours. Not only do we owe him a chance to explain, I want to learn some of what he can teach me. I’m going to stick around for a while, at least until I feel a little more comfortable about defending myself.”
“I won’t say that I like the thought of staying,” declared Tedi, “but I will agree to stay if you are not stubborn when it comes time to go.”
“Agreed,” Arik stated and turned to watch Garth, who was now using the terrain to aid him in defeating his foes, from backing his foe into stumbling over a rock to swinging from a low hanging branch to disable one foe while slashing at another. It was a marvelous display to watch until you realized that it was the dance of a man dealing out death to other men.
Garth continued on for over half an hour before Kalina emerged from the wagon with a towel and a clean shirt for Garth. Arik rose and intercepted her before she reached Garth. “Would it be all right if I took it to him?” Arik asked.
Kalina looked at the boy and finally smiled. “I think that would be a good idea, Arik. Let him see you approach, though.”
Arik nodded and took the towel and shirt from Kalina. Slowly, he walked towards Garth and stood outside the circle of imaginary foes. Garth gave no indication of having seen Arik, but ended up rolling directly to the boy’s feet while sheathing his sword as he rose. Silently he stripped off the sheath strapping and reached for the towel. Arik had expected the man to be gasping for breath after the workout, but Garth was only panting slightly. After a quick wipe down, Garth wrapped the towel around his head and took the shirt from Arik and put it on. Without thought, he strapped the sword to his back. “Thank you, fisherboy. That was thoughtful.”
“I would prefer that you call me Arik,” the boy responded, “and I would be pleased if you would teach me some things that will help me survive.”
Garth nodded thoughtfully. “I would be pleased to teach you what I can in the time you allot to stay with us, Arik. We will begin in the morning.”
Garth walked past the fire and squatted next to Tedi. “I owe you an apology,” Garth declared. “I should be more sensitive about other people’s feelings. I sometimes believe that acknowledging a problem as being severe is giving an edge to your enemies. I refuse to do so with my own problems, but I should not expect others to feel the same way. Still, do not think that your problems are so bad that you have no say in your future. Your actions will determine what becomes of you, not the actions of others. Always keep faith in yourself and always strive to better yourself.”
Tedi sat stunned by Garth’s comments as the man got up and strode out of the campsite. Arik came over and sat next to his friend. Tedi turned to him and shook his head. “I wonder if he is playing with my mind,” Tedi mumbled to himself. “First, he’s a bad guy, then good, then bad again. Why can’t anything be simple? Why can’t he be one or the other?”
“He is who he is,” philosophized Arik. “Neither of us is a simple creature, why should he be?”
The boys sat quietly gazing at the campfire. After an hour had passed Garth returned to the campsite looking refreshed. “There is a stream out that way about a quarter of a mile in case you are in the mind for refreshing in the morning,” Garth said. “Now it is time for us to retire. Tomorrow will be a hard day for you. I assume that Tedi will be receiving lessons as well. We will begin in the morning with learning to ride a horse properly. After breakfast, you will get a chance to practice on the trail as we move south from here. Tomorrow evening we focus on caring for the horses and simple self-defense. Good night.”
“Shouldn’t we set a sentry?” Arik asked. “The Dark Riders are not that far away.”
“It won’t be necessary tonight,” assured Garth and then he disappeared behind the wagon. The boys were tired enough to have no problems falling asleep.
The boys woke at early light and looked around the campsite. Nothing seemed to be moving and they rose and gathered their blankets into a roll. Tedi was startled when Garth walked in from the woods without making a sound.
“Good morning,” Garth announced. “I hope you are ready for your lessons.
Arik stifled a yawn and seemed to be looking around for something to eat. Garth gathered the two horses the boys had rode in on and led them towards the pile of saddles. For two hours the boys learned the rudimentary facts of horse caring and how to properly mount and guide the horses, before Kalina called that breakfast was ready.
Kalina served a bountiful breakfast of some kind of eggs, too large for chicken eggs, and bacon that was saltier than any Arik had ever tasted. Only the bread was a disappointment, being hard and crusty. Coffee was served with a half lemon and Arik watched how Garth devoured this before attempting it himself. Biting into the lemon was like a shock to his nervous system, but the taste of the coffee afterwards was superb. Arik couldn’t help comparing it to the wonderful relief you felt after pulling out a hook that was stuck in your hand.
After breakfast everyone helped to clean up the campsite and Garth hitched two horses to the wagon. He also tied two horses to the rear of the wagon, a beautiful white mare and the dun stallion he had acquired from the Dark Riders. The boys rode the geldings that Garth had given them to escape on. Arik’s was solid black and Tedi’s was black with a white blaze. Garth, of course, rode his black stallion.
There wasn’t much of a trail at first, but Garth led them slightly southwest until they hit a seldom used but decent path southward. For hours they rode mostly in silence with only the sounds of the birds or an occasional word from Garth on their riding skills. Kalina passed out some dried beef and crusty bread and they ate lunch while riding. Just as the sky began to darken, Garth shot forward without explanation. Ten minutes later, he returned and spoke with Kalina and then announced that they would be stopping for the night.
Garth led them to a clearing alongside a brook and motioned for the boys to follow him as Kalina positioned the wagon where she wanted it. Garth dismounted and instructed the boys on their duties in caring for the horses and then jogged off to collect firewood. After the fire was started and the animals tended to, Garth produced a couple of wooden lath swords and started instructing the boys in the basics of swordsmansh
ip. He worked the boys for an hour before Kalina indicated that dinner was ready.
The dinner consisted of fried river trout and turnips and some more of that leafy green vegetable. When Kalina saw the boys examining the trout, she laughed.
She nodded towards the brook and chuckled. “You didn’t think I was darning socks while you men played with your swords, did you? They are probably a bit smaller than your typical salt water fish, but I assure you they are quite tasty.”
After dinner Garth lit a pipe and leaned his back against a large rock. “We’ll rest a bit before we start instructions again,” Garth announced. When the boys stifled small groans, Garth looked at them with an arched eyebrow. “If you wish me to make warriors out of you before you leave, we do not have much time to spare. Why, you already spent most of the day just sitting.”
Tedi actually chuckled until he tried to change his sitting position and the pain shot through his thighs. “I’m not sure what is worse,” he said, “being killed outright by the Dark Riders or being killed slowly by you.”
Garth just smiled and leaned his head back against the tree. “The first few days are the worst,” he offered softly. “You’d be surprised at how quick the body adjusts to accept pain. You’re not going through anything that your fathers didn’t go through.”
“My father never had to ride a horse or swing a sword,” laughed Arik.
Garth leaned forward and looked at the boys. “Your fathers did both and I’m sure they did it well.”
Both boys looked in amazement at Garth, but it was Tedi who took the bait. “What do you know about our fathers that we don’t?” he asked.
“I know that they were both soldiers before they took up fishing,” Garth stated. “And from the courage they both exhibited, I would think they were very good soldiers.”
“How do you know that?” inquired Arik. “And what courage are you talking about?”
“And now I can tell that they are not boastful men,” Garth laughed. “As for them being soldiers, it is obvious. When a man enters an army, the army breaks the man down to subservience and when he has learned to obey, they bring him up to leadership so he knows how to command. This conditioning marks a man for life. He will never slouch again. He will never walk down a street in a daze oblivious to his surroundings. His eyes will learn to evaluate without conscious thought. Both of your fathers learned their lessons well. As far as their courage, not many men would mess with the likes of me, yet Master Markel shadowed me for an entire day. He knew that I knew he was watching me, yet he refused to be scared away. Very admirable and courageous. Master Clava walked into the Fisherman’s Inn and sat in a seat that no one else in the entire town would sit in. The seat right across from me.”
Sapphire of the Fairies, Book 1 of Sword of Heavens Page 11
