by Kurtis Smith
The swords’ blades on the side with malice and falsities, will weaken
Let it be true in this”
It wasn’t long, but it seemed to ensnare every single one of their senses in its recitation. Davin felt renewed in spirit and in strength. His wound from the Auki bothered him no more. The others looked as if they had just received the same sensation. He was glad they seemed to have understood it as well.
“I pray that your journey goes well. Goodbye, friends of the Ancients and kin.” She bowed and disappeared for the last time into nothingness. They weren’t able to take their eyes off the spot where she had been for some time. And when they finally did, it was with great reluctance. Her words had filled them with a sense of hope and contentment to which none had ever known.
Chapter 22 A Fateful Decision
When they were all bundled again, Egan began to lead them back down the tenuous, winding pass that took them to the Chasm. Davin was irritably reminded that they still had to cross back. At least this time they wouldn’t be dealing with the Auki afterwards.
The weather had turned for the worst. Beside the occasional update as to how far away they were from the bottom of the pass, there was little conversation for several hours. Instead, they concentrated on keeping their body temperatures up by moving steadily, so as to not freeze. This action didn’t come as easily as it sounded. And without the fear of the Auki this time, all their anxieties rested in the landscape. Deep snow drifts and thin cliff side paths hindered their efforts at every turn.
It took them a full day and a half to meander their way back down through the High Passes. Davin tried to occupy himself with clearing his mind from all of his thoughts, but quickly realized he was staring at Kayleigh trudge forward in front of him. The tactic seemed help relieve the constant ache of cold and stress within him for a while.
When there was a break in the weather on the second day, he caught up and fell in step with her. Even with her bundled up to an almost unrecognizable degree, she still made his heart skip a beat.
She glanced at him as he approached her side, but didn’t say anything. She’s going to wait until I say something first. He took a deep breath.
“Some weather we’re having,” he said, shivering. The cold was going to make this conversation difficult.
She pulled her coat away from her face, but didn’t seem bothered by his statement of the obvious. “Yes it is. I’ve been curious. What did you discuss with the Lady?”
Davin stammered at first, but then told her everything, all of his thoughts and actions up until this point.
She blinked at him. “It seems hard to believe there ever was a time you didn’t care.”
“Me either, but up until now I thought there was. Maybe I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.”
“I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same to you if I had been in that situation,” she told him. But Davin highly doubted, at least from what he had observed so far, that she had a crass bone in her body.
“I don’t know about that,” Davin admitted, “I tend to overreacted about a lot of things.”
“Still,” she said, watching him, “who am I to be offended, especially since you did help save my life from the Auki.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“That was foolish of you to risk your life for me considering who you are,” she said, her face grim
Davin grunted. “You are the second person to tell me that my life is more important than theirs. I don’t happen to believe that is true.”
He almost thought he saw her smile from beneath her hood. Their conversation lulled shortly, then she said, “I didn’t say I didn’t appreciate your bravery.”
For a few seconds Davin grew warmer within his cloaks. His cheeks would have grown bright red had they not already been that way from the weather.
She addressed him again. “I do have a favor to ask you, if I may.”
“Whatever you need, ask.” He was happy at the prospect of helping her with a problem.
She hesitated, as if disinclined to say. He was about to coax her after a long moment had passed, but then she spoke at last. “I was wondering if you and Egan would be willing to teach me how to fight with a sword. I know a little from simple dueling lessons when I was younger, but not much actual fighting technique.”
Davin smiled, embarrassedly. “I don’t know how well you would learn from me. I’ve only been training for a couple of months.”
“Yes, but you also learn at a much faster rate than normal man, another gift of your ancestors,” she said. Davin often forgot, in their short time together, that she was probably more knowledgeable about his ancestors than he was.
He didn’t want to lie to her, but he also liked the idea of them working closely together. “Egan would probably be the better choice.”
“Pay attention, you two,” Egan called from ahead.
Davin wanted to respond to Kayleigh, but refrained from speaking while they assessed what Egan was talking about. A part of the path had crumbled in front of them. It took a couple of hours to climb down the cliff face. It was slippery and he had trouble keeping a grip. The others seemed to be having the same trouble. Egan made it to the bottom first, landing painfully on the ground below them. For the others, Egan had to create a monstrous snow bank to soften their fall as they jumped. And they still had to get about halfway down before it was safe to jump. It didn’t help as much as Davin would have liked.
When the danger was behind them, she spoke again, “Did you tell me the truth about your family the other night?”
Davin snapped back from his thoughts and looked at her. “Yes, I wish I knew the truth,” he confessed. “If I could tell what happened to them I might have an idea where they are, or if they’re still alive. That’s why I pushed Egan to use the Union of Consciousness on me. But I see now that it is not safe.”
“Maybe when you’re stronger-“
“No, I won’t go through that again,” Davin said, cutting her off. “A few seconds longer and I could have died. I won’t take that risk.”
“What of that man in Tilea and the governor of Daust? They somehow had the powers you have. What if someone like them was involved with your parents?”
Davin hadn’t thought of it like that before. He furrowed his brows, curiously. “If my mother had the same skills I have, someone as their equal would be the only way to overpower her,” he admitted. “But these powers seem to be a recent development according to Egan. They couldn’t have been used on my mother. That was a long time ago.”
A voice sounded behind them. It was Teague. Davin had forgotten about him, he’d been so quiet. Davin wondered how much of their conversation he had listened to.
“Maybe that is why my father wants to find the other Descendants. To reproduce the Ancients’ powers in a more effective way. We have seen how that they can use your power, but obviously it hasn’t worked correctly up until now. What is unclear is why it is this way. Why are their powers only just showing up now? And why are they incomplete?”
Davin had never seen Teague speak with such conviction. Maybe he would yet stand up to his father. “That’s an answer we don’t have yet. If those men aren’t our kin, then there is something more at work here that we can’t see yet.”
“That would explain why Deverell didn’t kill you when he had the chance, said Kayleigh. “He hoped you and Egan would work for him, help them find the scroll and your family. It would make things easier than trying to create a legitimate mockery of your power. One that doesn’t drive men mad,” said Kayleigh.
Davin thought about what she said. His mind reeled. “Whatever is happening, it has something to do with Deverell. It all comes back to him somehow. He must be motivating O’Hara in this matter. Whatever this false power it is flawed, but it is definitely still dangerous. It’s reason enough to face them soon.”
Kayleigh rounded on Davin. “There is still time. We know that they have not fully harnessed whatever ancient pow
er that was discovered. And we have one the scroll pieces O’Hara needs. They may not want or expect us to storm the capital city yet.”
“We will need the element of surprise either way when the time comes,” Teague said. “A full regiment with proper time to prepare would likely be enough to crush us and any extra fighters.”
“Meeting your friend in Swift River is the most important task,” Kayleigh said to Davin, in a determined voice.
Davin said nothing for a second. He looked up ahead of them at Egan. He was nearly out of sight, winding around the mountain side.
He’s been keeping to himself a lot.
“We should speak to Egan about this,” Kayleigh suggested firmly. They all inclined their heads in agreement. “It should be enough to convince him that this is the right option. Davin, you must speak with him tonight when we camp.”
***
As night fell upon them, they reached the Chasm. The bridge still stood, but now with a fresh covering of snow. None of them favored having to cross it once again.
“Just remember that you will probably never again come this way,” Egan said, trying to make their faces look less grim. All he managed to receive were forced smiles in return.
As before, it was slow going across the thin rock of the Ancient’s bridge. Davin hoped that the return crossing would have been easier. It was not. He tried not to look down, but, once again, it didn’t work. And when he did glance in the direction the endless blackness, his stomach was replaced by a lead weight. Every time his gaze slipped, he had to close his eyes until he could picture anything else. Only then could he proceed. Kayleigh and Teague seemed to be following a similar pattern. Egan remained calm, but there was even a note of tension in the way he walked as well.
Wind blew heavily through the Chasm and whistled through the bridge. By the end, Davin felt exhausted and out of breath. They all agreed that it was as good a time as any to camp for the night.
They settled into the crevasse that sat on the front side of step rock face, blocking themselves from the wind and at least some of the snowfall.
While a meal was prepared Davin began to tell Egan of what he, Teague, and Kayleigh had discussed earlier. Egan waited until Davin was finished before responding. When Davin was done, the three of them stared at him intensely.
“Do not worry. When we return to civilized lands, we will be forced to decide. Or…if our luck is against us, our decision will be made for us.” Egan peered at each of them in turn. “Three against one, good odds if I was betting man. I bet you all enjoyed this.”
“Of course,” Davin retorted.
Egan’s grin fell away in one fluid movement. “I agree that the questions of how these people have been using our power and who giving it to them are important. But we can’t make any move until we can better predict the result of our actions,” he argued.
“So you want to just wait until we are led in the right direction? Why not take action and deal with what comes later?” said Davin.
“Haste in all things is not always best, Davin,” Egan quickly retorted. “We could easily make matters worse for everyone.”
“How?” said Davin, his expression telling Egan that he thought this thinking was ludicrous. Why was Egan being so hesitant?
Kayleigh answered unexpectedly during the silence, her voice somewhat pleading.
“Egan, won’t everything become much clearer once we know their intentions? If we know what they’re ultimately after, we can act accordingly.” Egan’s face softened as he stared at the fire blankly.
“I will consider this while we travel,” he said. “But no more will we speak of it tonight. My head aches and I wish to rest.” He rubbed his temples for a moment, looking frustrated with the pain.
“No matter the plan,” Kayleigh said, “I wish to be trained to fight with you. Teach me how to use a sword, a bow, anything you want.”
Egan cackled and it reverberated off the hills. “That won’t be necessary. We will keep you far from the fighting if it comes to that.”
“I would prefer not to be.”
“Why do you want this training?” Egan said, whipping his head toward her. “No one is forcing you to fight with us. There are other ways you can help us and your father.”
She looked as if she was musing over what he had to say very seriously. He didn’t interrupt her.
Finally, she spoke with a biting strength, “I want to help where I can do the most damage. This is not the first time I’ve had to deal with the King. If anyone deserves to be fighting against him, it is me.”
What do you mean?”
The hard lines of her face softened. “You don’t want to be troubled with my reasons,” she said.
“Tell us.”
She looked at him for a minute, as if deciding to burden him or not. Then, “The Scholar you were looking for when you came to Tilea isn’t my real father. I was adopted by him when I was young. According to him, my real parents lived the same lives as many there. They lived as street wretches. I was born in a dank alleyway one night.”
She paused for a moment. The next part seemed to trouble her more. “Then my parents luck turned for the worst. They stole many times to survive. It was a necessity for them and they didn’t think twice about it. But finally, when I was five, they were caught for the last time. From what I understand, the building that they had stolen from happened to be housing Grand Soldiers in it at the time. Most let the street wretches off easy, with just warnings or smaller punishments. But that was not the case here. They were taken to the Prison Keep at the capital city and died there shortly after. Why they didn’t survive long in the prison I don’t know, but my adopted father seems to think it was the depression of losing their one daughter. I was the only good thing in their lives. Without that keeping them going, they simply lost the will to live.”
“That’s terrible,” said Davin.
A tear fell from her eye. She wiped it away quickly. “I was taken in by the Scholar not long after. He raised me as his own. When I got older I asked him why he did it. He told me he always wanted a daughter, but never had the time to look for a wife because of his work. And he wanted me to carry on his work, follow in his footsteps when he died. I couldn’t refuse. He treated me as well as any father could. So I studied the manuscripts with him and became engrossed by them, just as he had.”
“So you have lost your real parents and your adopted father to the Grand Army,” Egan said, now somber.
Her voice rose passionately, as if she had been eager to reveal this information. “I have been waiting for a chance my whole life to do something that will make a difference. I studied the information of the Ancient’s manuscripts because my adopted father truly believed their Descendants still existed. He convinced me they did.” Her eyes became fierce. “And that possibility is what drove me onward in my studies. I wanted to find them and help them. When I got the letter from Liam, I knew that my life would not be wasted. I would help you in whatever way I could.”
Egan nodded. “We will honor your request.” He then laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
It amazed Davin how similar their stories were. He too had lost parents and another father figure, except his answer to that problem had been to hide away. When he had stood up for Roland back home, he hadn’t realized what he was doing at the time. And even for a while afterward he still didn’t want to have anything to do with issues outside him. Kayleigh, however, had embraced the idea of doing something great in the world. It had been her driving force her entire life. More than he ever had previously, Davin actually felt ashamed.
That didn’t have to be the case any longer.
He took a deep breath. “Since my Awakening I have denied the responsibilities that come with what I am, and refused to believe that I actually did want to do something significant to help. I accept what being kin to the Ancient race means now.”
Egan opened his eyes to tiny slits.
“I will go to Swift Rive
r alone,” Davin said, with a note of finality in his tone.
The others looked at him. He held strong as their gazes bore into him. Looking at all of them in turn, he realized they were waiting for him to continue. His eyes finally stopped on Egan. “It is not out of defiance and anger I choose this. I must go. It was a promise I made and I will keep it, whether you like it or not. I know that doing this is the right thing.”
Egan did not argue, only nodded and said, “What of the scroll? Will you abandon me to complete it on my own?”
Davin shook his head. “No. I will find you again when my own task is complete.”
“And what if she is alone in Swift River?” Egan asked.
“She won’t be.” Somehow, he knew this truth. He believed it.
Egan didn’t speak for a long moment. No one else said anything either, and the air remained heavy during the silence.
“Very well, Davin, I will come with you. I sense that this certainty in you is well founded. Let’s just hope that Niahm hasn’t been waiting too long.” Egan smiled.
Didn’t expect that one.
Completing the scroll was important to him too. He wanted to find out if he had other family out there. And he wanted to beat O’Hara to them.
But Roland had waited long enough…this kingdom had waited long enough.
He wanted it to be done with it.
Egan laid his head back against the stone again and closed his eyes. Davin looked at the other the two. Teague was staring off at the cave exit and Kayleigh was staring right at him. He turned away as quickly as he noticed, his face growing hot. There was the admiration in her gaze. That much he could tell.
I wish she would stop looking at me like that.
Feeling foolish, he looked back and smiled at her, trying to act causal. She nodded at him slowly. Davin felt himself blushing as his insides melted. He forced himself to become distracted by thoughts of home.
Chapter 23 The Madness Spreads
When they settled in a night later underneath one of the great black oaks, Davin still wasn’t sure how he was going to go about his teaching. He looked over at Kayleigh to try and get inspired. It didn’t work. Nothing came to him.
