Or anyway, Glaide thought the place was like the others, until his master showed him around briefly. Actually, a good part of the construction was very different from what he’d seen until then. Some structures were tall, narrow towers that looked almost like trees, with their facades covered in something that looked like wood. These were often connected to other towers by walkways that hung several yards above the ground. Others, in contrast, looked like pieces of the mountain placed there to be used as homes. These structures were very irregular, sometimes more square, and sometimes more pointed. Before the adolescent had a chance to say anything, his master explained that what he was seeing was dwarvish and elven architecture. These bore witness to the glorious past of the city, much like the wall. Hearing that, a question entered the boy’s head.
“Master, you told me that long ago, all of the peoples roamed the Known Lands. They even built cities together, and we can see the proof of that before us. But I can’t believe that Shinozuka never sheltered any creatures but humans! Why aren’t there any traces there of other races?”
“For one simple reason. About two hundred years ago, the capital experienced many fires and earthquakes. No one ever discovered whether the source of it was magical or natural, but as a result, many of the buildings were destroyed. Then, it was left to humans to rebuild the city. But if you look carefully, you can still find a few statues and such, though far fewer than you’ll see here.” As he spoke, Kezthrem motioned to the roads surrounding them, and Glaide noticed that at each crossroads stood a sculpture of a dwarf, barbarian, elf, or human, each accompanied by a plaque explaining what famous figure was depicted there.
“Right,” continued the man. “Now that you’re a bit more familiar with the place, let’s find somewhere to eat and sleep. We’ll worry about the horses tomorrow.” Glaide grimaced when he heard the reference to the animals, but he said nothing. Happily, they soon found a moderately-sized inn run by a warm and welcoming woman. Most of the rooms were already rented out, and the two travelers took the last one. Kezthrem informed her that they’d be leaving the next day, and Glaide couldn’t help but wish they could stay longer. However, their adventure hadn’t reached an end, and they didn’t have time to stay long. After enjoying a veritable feast, the master and his disciple went to sleep in the soft quiet provided by this city with its illustrious past, this witness to another age.
Chapter 23
“DON’T cling to its neck like that, or you’ll suffocate the poor creature. Use the reins, or the mane, at the very least.”
“Easy for you to say,” grumbled Glaide through gritted teeth. He tried to straighten up and take the reins, but the speed of his mount was making him dizzy, and he soon fell back against the horse’s neck. This time, though, he tried to hang onto the horse’s mane instead of its neck. “And to think, they assured us this was a gentle creature,” thought the young man just as the animal turned sharply, almost sending its rider flying. The rider tried to recover, then discovered that his horse had pressed into the forest, still at a gallop. “Oh no,” murmured the boy. From behind him, he heard Kezthrem yell something, but he was too far away to hear. Around him, Glaide saw thick vegetation that prevented him from making out much of anything. His mount was apparently terrified, and he didn’t know how to make it stop. Suddenly, he spotted a solid looking branch that hung quite low. Without stopping to think, he let go of the creature's mane and, with the help of the stirrups, pushed himself higher just as he passed under the branch.
He managed to grab it, but struck it so violently because of his speed that it knocked the wind out of him. He let go out of shock and fell the two yards back to the ground, stunned. He could vaguely hear his horse continuing frantically on its way, the sounds of its hooves gradually disappearing into the distance. Glaide tried to catch his breath, but the blow had been a strong one, and he’d be surprised not to have any broken ribs. Bent over double, he slowly calmed down, and finally he found he could breathe normally again. It was just then that he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“You’re not hurt, are you?” asked Kezthrem. The boy shook his head, and his master pulled him onto the back of his own horse to return to the clearing where their lesson had begun. The two travelers had left Vlatendire in the middle of the morning with their two rented horses. At first, Glaide had walked alongside his, obstinately refusing to climb on. With time and fatigue, however, he had eventually become convinced. Kezthrem hadn’t push him, and as long as the animal had stayed at a slow walk, the young man had had no problem with it. However, his master had insisted they take a break to learn a few of the basics, so that at the very least, he’d be able to gallop without falling off. For the time being, he wouldn’t need to learn to fight on horseback, or even lead the creature, but to simply be able to stay on its back when it took off at a high speed. So, the two had found a clearing with enough space for some training, and to use as shelter for the approaching night.
Glaide got back on his feet. He felt angry at himself, because he felt incapable of doing what he’d been asked, and angry at his horse, because he wasn’t helping matters at all. He grumbled to himself for a few moments, but when he finally had his emotions in check, he approached his master to help him prepare the fire.
“The horse will come back,” his master declared. “He was simply frightened. He wasn’t trying to be unruly, and I think he’s a trustworthy animal. We’ll see him again soon.”
“But why did he get so testy all of a sudden?” demanded the adolescent.
“Simply because you were squeezing his neck; he was choking! In my opinion, he’s more afraid of you than you are of him.”
Glaide sighed. “Will we hire other horses when we reach Ojilon?”
“I’m not sure. At any rate, we’ll have to be careful not to work them too hard, and once we’ve passed that village, we won’t pass another before we arrive at our destination. We certainly won’t find another place to change horses, and we need them to be in good shape when we pass by Zakorth.”
“That makes sense.”
Then, it was time for supper, and after that, time to sleep, and still the horse had not returned. Glaide had recovered entirely by then, and had even begun to feel bad for having frightened the poor creature. He hoped with all his heart that he’d return before morning, because he wanted to convince the creature that he was a friend, and not an executioner.
In the middle of the night, the young man opened his eyes. A soft, regular sound had woken him. He knew that his master must have also heard the sound. After a few minutes, the adolescent recognized it as hooves striking the ground. He smiled and forced himself to his feet. His black mount was almost invisible in the darkness of a night without a moon. Seeing him move, the animal backed up a few paces and nickered softly. Glaide calmed him slightly by holding out a hand, as if to stroke the animal, and advanced slowly. His technique worked, and at last he could pet the creature on its neck. He didn’t like talking to animals, because it made him feel silly, so instead, he chose to look the animal in its eyes, blinking carefully and deliberately all the while, trying to transmit his apology and a promise that he would do better in the future.
After a moment, he moved away again, laying down on the ground and letting his horse settle in to graze silently.
The next day, Kezthrem announced that he didn’t want to stay in the clearing long. He declared that it would be just as easy to practice horseback riding anywhere else. It would take more than a day to reach Ojilon, since riding at breakneck speed was out of the question, and he didn’t want to delay even more.
For the boy, things seemed to be going better, though, first, because they didn’t gallop, and secondly, because he’d finally been able to connect with his horse. The day before, even at a slow walk, he’d struggled to lead the creature at all, and even then, it had often had its own way. Today, things were different. The animal didn’t even require directions, and instead docilely followed Kezthrem’s mount, offering his rider a calm a
nd comfortable trip.
He took advantage of the opportunity to practice drawing his sword and striking from side to side without harming his animal, though he quickly discovered that was a difficult task, and the size of his blade didn’t help matters. He promised himself that if he ever had to enter combat on horseback, the first thing he would do would be to climb down! The day passed peacefully, without a single dangerous encounter, which surprised the young man, who had become used to crossing paths with at least one group of orks each day. An idea crossed Glaide’s mind suddenly.
“Master,” he exclaimed, “do you think we could keep traveling into the night?” Kezthrem raised an eyebrow at the strange request, so the adolescent continued, “It’s just that... Well, when I was alone, after meeting the dwarves, I decided to keep going until midnight once. It was tiring, but also so majestic that I’d love to do that again. I’ve never really had a chance to up until now, though.”
“Sure,” declared the man with a smile. “We can keep going until midnight. However, our mounts need some rest, so we’ll have to go on foot.” The day was drawing to a close then, so, just as the sun reached the horizon, Kezthrem easily jumped down from his mount. His disciple followed his example, then the two gripped the reins of the horses and continued to walk. Glaide soon felt older memories surface, and the higher the moon rose in the sky, the more he felt a strange mix of joy and melancholy fill him. All around him, the countryside was relatively flat, so that it was very much like what he had seen near Oclin-Fer. The only real change was the dark shadow moving in front of him. The shadow that he had been searching for, and that he had found.
“Will I have to leave him soon?” the boy wondered to himself. “Will he come with me when I go to look for my friends? He told me he would have nothing more to teach me until I had found Emily, but will he stay with me?” He thought back to the evening he had arrived, when he had pledged an oath to do his best to be Kezthrem’s disciple, and when he had asked himself, apprehensively, what he would do when that man was no longer there to guide him. Today, his fear was gone, but he still didn’t want to leave his master. They had so many things to say to one another!
With a smile, Glaide thought back to the different phases of his training: all of the stretches, and having to learn how to make his weapon appear and disappear, then attacking the wooden dummies, and the long nights awake, trying not to be caught off guard and asleep. How quickly the time had passed. In hindsight, he thought that of the five months of his training, the last one, when he’d gone to the temple and now, when he was returning, had been the most important. He had learned so many things about Kezthrem, Galadria, and his own future. He had spoken with all kinds of people, and today he knew that the man that he had sought and found was not just a teacher, but a true master. His training had fulfilled all of his hopes and expectations, more than just giving him the knowledge that he had so hoped for. He knew, though, that one day, he and his master would have to part ways, as one always had to.
“Is meeting people ever more than a prelude to leaving people?” he wondered.
“Ojilon is just ahead,” declared Kezthrem suddenly. Glaide, arriving at the top of the hill, noticed that the strange mountains surrounding the city were already visible in the distance.
“Will we reach it by this evening?” he asked.
“If we hurry a little, yes. Once we’ve arrived, I’d suggest we rest for a day, long enough to refresh our supplies and plan our itinerary for passing through the area around Zakorth. Have you decided if you want to change horses?”
“I have, and I’d rather not. I rather like this animal, and I’m sure he’ll do well.”
“Right.” With that, the man urged his horse into a trot. Immediately, Glaide’s horse followed, and he soon found himself once again being tossed about in the saddle. Nonetheless, he managed to stay put until they reached the city. As they passed through the northern route into the valley that housed the citizens of the city, Glaide realized that Ojilon was the second city—after Adrish—that he’d been able to return to. This time, however, he didn’t feel the same calm and relief that he’d felt when he’d seen the guard towers of that village. Ojilon was just a step in his travels, and not a destination.
Nothing had changed there, and it was with the same sense of awe that the adolescent looked out at the principal road, the only one still lit by the sun at this late hour. Once more, he wondered to himself how anyone could live so much of their lives in the shadows, like these people did.
Kezthrem chose the same inn that they had used the last time, and it was with pleasure that the young man again looked through the windows as they let in the golden rays of light. They took their time and enjoyed a copious repast, then took a walk outside to enjoy the last light of the evening. “It’s incredible when you think that it’s February, in the middle of winter, and seems like May!” Glaide thought to himself. After that, the master and his disciple went to their beds.
The next day, they carefully purchased more provisions and, as Kezthrem had declared before, planned their itinerary.
“If we advance slowly, as we’ve done so far, it will take us three days to reach the area around Zakorth,” the man declared. “Then, if we push our mounts to go at higher speeds, we’ll be able to pass through that area in less than a day. However you should know that the days to come will not be as calm as the ones we’ve just passed. Just as when we came, we will come across villages, and where there is life, there is also death.”
“I understand. I’ll be on my guard.”
The two travelers left Ojilon the next day. Glaide was happy to see his horse again, and it was with joy that he climbed up, and felt the muscles of the creature contract as he began to walk. Just like when Ayrokkan had carried him, he appreciated the feeling that he was being carried by a living, breathing creature.
Just an hour after leaving, Kezthrem left the main road to pass through the fields, following his own path. Glaide wondered why they’d changed their route, and his master replied that it would let them gain some time, because they’d be able to avoid the twists and turns that the main road used to avoid obstacles. Also, it would make it easier for them to come across small villages, since they were often hidden to avoid the attention of Baras’ minions. Unfortunately, when night fell, closing their sixth day of traveling since leaving the temple, the master and his disciple had still not crossed another living soul.
The adolescent doubted that even Kezthrem knew exactly where they were. His master, though, as if he could read his student’s thoughts, pointed to some mountains in the distance and declared that they would pass through them the next day. In his opinion, that would be an excellent place to build a small hamlet, since it would be easy to defend, and Glaide thought to himself that it might present an opportunity for them to sleep in real beds, too!
Traveling at a good pace the following day, they reached their destination before noon. The mouth of the young man, who had nothing on his mind besides food at that point, began to water as he thought of the excellent meals that civilization would surely have to offer. However, the closer they came, the more he felt that they would find nothing here. The path was rocky and steep, and the two travelers soon had to dismount, because their horses were slipping and sliding. Immense rocks to their right and left created walls around the path, and they had no choice but to continue in the same direction. Their visibility, too, was reduced by the rocks, and there was no sign of what they would find when they reached the summit of the path.
Glaide never gave up hope that he would enjoy a good meal, however. Even though he’d left Ojilon and its inn only a day earlier, he was ready to welcome any meal different from what he’d become used to eating while traveling.
However, it wasn’t the delicious aroma that the disciple and his master were hoping for that welcomed them, but rather a cry of horror.
Chapter 24
“I guess you were right, master,” the young man declared. “There are ind
eed people living up here.” The two combatants hurried to climb the last few yards while their mounts—as if they understood the urgency—accelerated their steps, as well. As Glaide ran, he glanced around to the sides and realized that all kinds of hiding places were hidden among the rocks, making it easy to keep watch over the road he was traveling up.
“In reality, it’s a bit like a natural fortress,” he thought to himself. The two quickly reached the top and saw that here the pathway opened onto a plateau that, though not spacious, sheltered a small village. The village was made up of houses gathered off to the two sides, and separated by what seemed to be the main road, which now drew their attention. On the road, a crowd was gathered. As they approached, they understood the reason for the cries. A man lay in the dust, covered in blood. Middle-aged, he appeared to be a father, assuming the woman and two children crying in the arms of some other villagers belonged to him. Glaide immediately noted that the injured man still breathed, though weakly. It seemed that he had arrived here at the price of great effort, after having been attacked by something. Everyone seemed to be in a panic, and no one seemed to know what to do. Kezthrem advanced toward the man. Up until then, no one had noticed the master and his disciple, but the two removed their traveling capes, while leaving their weapons visible. Rapidly, Kezthrem evaluated the patient and then, in a loud voice, he spoke.
“This man is seriously injured and requires immediate care. Is there a magg here?” His voice seemed to lift the people out of a stupor, and an old woman stepped forward to reply.
Chronicles of Galadria III - Lessons Page 17
