by Kurtis Smith
This only added to the torment that ate at him. He ached with desire to tell her of this torment she put him through, and all the reasons why she made him feel this way. Or maybe it wasn’t feelings at all. Maybe it was just being around a woman his age day in and day out. And she was attractive, there was no denying it. She could have looked halfway like a horse and he might have still had stirrings simply because she was a girl. He felt like he wouldn’t know until this was all over.
It’s not the right time. There more important things to focus on anyway.
***
Davin was jerked awake some time later by the hands of Druce. He jumped and grabbed for his sword, fearing he was being attacked. When he realized who it was, he threw Druce a nasty look. Druce missed it which was probably for the better.
A few minutes later the group of twenty-one riders quickly approached the gate, but made sure they looked like nothing out of the ordinary. When they arrived, no one was there to greet them. The city guards at the gate paid them no mind. Davin looked around everywhere, but he didn’t witness a familiar face. They passed into Swift River proper and followed the widest road throughout the homes and shops.
“Did she not say where she would meet you, Davin?” said Egan, as they approached center of town fifteen minutes later. The river was coming into view.
“No, I figured it wouldn’t be hard to find her,” Davin replied, feeling a little depressed. What if she hadn’t come? What would happen if no one came?
As they came out of the enclosure of the streets and into the grassy area surrounding the great river, Davin’s eyes shot around for some sign of good news. He didn’t see any at first. Three hooded figures emerged from another side street. The others hadn’t noticed them, but Davin certainly had. They seemed to be analyzing the group of travelers that had just entered the town. After only a few seconds they disappeared back the way they had come, but at a quicker pace this time. Davin informed the others.
“Let’s head across the river,” said Egan, more alert after Davin’s revelation. Davin tried remaining hopeful in his mind. They still had the other side of town to check.
“Maybe they just haven’t noticed that we arrived yet,” Teague offered, sensing everyone’s doubt.
The group carried on toward the river banks, watching children playing in the grass while they rode. The kids were so content and full of life, and didn’t spend their time wallowing in the concerns of tomorrow. Childhood was a simpler time and Davin envied that innocence from time to time, especially now.
After nearly reaching one of the high arching, multicolored bridges that led across river, a loud horn sounded back in the square. The six of them all spun around quickly to see what was happening. It was an odd sight. People were quickly stopping their errands and gathering into a thick crowd around where the horn had been blown. The one who had sounded it was a hooded figure.
“This isn’t right. Stand ready, friends.” Druce whispered loudly to those around him. Davin saw Aiden nod his head in agreement.
The group of twenty-one approached cautiously, keeping close track of their surroundings. If there was some sort of ambush planned, they would be ready. Davin felt down at his side for his sword and gripped it tightly, feeling ready to strike at a moment’s notice. He caught the others similarly grabbing at their weapons.
They reached the gathering crowd. People were muttering and staring at the Davin and his fellow travelers. The looks on their faces weren’t fear or anger, though, which seemed strange. It was more like the excitement one felt when meeting royalty or a favorite actor in one of the traveling theater troupes.
The other two hooded figures joined the first now. The middle one spoke in a deep male voice, but didn’t sound natural. The voice sounded as if it was being masked.
“You sir,” the figure pointed at Davin, “come join me in the middle of this crowd.” Davin indicated himself with his forefinger, questioning who the man was pointing at. He confirmed Davin’s assumption.
Davin looked at Egan and the others in turn, looking for some confirmation that he should take this risk. Egan mouthed the words “go on” and tilted his head toward the speaker. Davin knew he had no choice. He tried to assure himself that if the people had wanted them dead they would have attacked already. Reluctantly, he forced his legs to move forward.
He began to fight his way around the citizens of Swift River toward the hooded people, hoping that one of them didn’t have a concealed weapon that’s purpose was to off him as he passed. That would be a pretty pathetic way to die.
He stood before the three unknown people a minute later, he face clenched in a firm frown. “What do you wish of me?” he asked.
The figure on the left raised its hands to its hood and pushed it back. Davin gasp. Tension fell from his muscles instantly. The person standing before him was Niahm.
“I wish to thank the Ancients you are alive. I was worried you would never come,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. She walked swiftly over to embrace him. Davin was suddenly aware how many eyes were watching their reunion.
“I have come,” he said finally, “as promised. And I am not alone.”
She smiled even broader. “Neither am I.”
Chapter 26 A Mother’s Gift
After a long minute, Niahm let Davin go.
She then turned to the other two cloaked figures with her and gestured for them to lower their hoods as well. Davin gasp a second time. Brax the trader and Prack the pub owner stood in front him with grim smiles on their faces. Davin’s mind reeled. Did everyone come as he’d hoped?
“It’s good to see you again, Davin,” said Prack in his baritone voice. “It seems I was mistaken, I guess we were ready to stand when the time came.” Prack winked at him and Davin recalled their last conversation in the pub several months ago. If the others hadn’t understood what he meant, they kept it to themselves.
“I am glad you did,” Davin replied sincerely.
Brax took his turn to speak. “Yes, I regret the impatience we had with one another so frequently in past. I hope that you understand that it was a necessary burden, and have moved on from it as I have.”
Davin nodded. “I have. My mindset has changed much since I left. In the short amount of time since I last saw you, many things in my mind have become clearer.”
Brax accepted Davin’s words with a grateful smile, the wrinkles on his face becoming more pronounced as he did. “Then we start anew,” he concluded.
Davin turned back to Niahm. “I just have one question about the people of Lemirre. Did they always know who I was?”
Niahm reached for his hand in a soothing way, as if she feared he might get upset by the truth. “Your mother was very involved in town events and issues. But they were only open about their ancestry with Roland and me. Both of your identities would need to be kept secret from the general public for some time yet. Days before she was taken, she asked that we take you in if anything happened to them. We knew that when you reached seventeen you would be the same, but never told anyone until now.”
Davin retracted into his mind for a moment and didn’t even notice Egan, Druce, Aiden, Kayleigh, Teague and the citizens of Habok join them. A well-dressed, yet plain and balding man Davin didn’t recognize presented himself, stepping forward from Egan’s side. He stared at Davin, bowed, and stuck out his hand. Davin shook it hesitantly, not sure of the man’s intentions or who he was.
Egan spoke up, seeing Davin’s concern. He sounded excited. “This is Governor Conn Seamus. He has turned against the king as well and is committing people from Swift River. This is most unexpected but most welcome.”
“Yes it is. I don’t know how to thank you, Governor,” Davin said, bowing back at Governor Seamus and not masking his excitement.
“I should be thanking you to have the courage to make the first move against O’Hara. But if you require, you may thank me by fighting alongside me to rid of the corruption of our king.” He waited for his words to sink in,
and then continued. “But I feel that once he finds out that at least one of his governors and his son,” Seamus indicated Teague, “are fighting against him in battle, his resolve to squash the insurgence will only strengthen.”
Davin hardened his face. “None the less, I still gladly play my part in this task. Did you imply that more governors than you have turned against O’Hara?”
“I do not presume to. But some of the guildsmen in this town have spoken with their fellow guildsman in other towns. Word has spread quietly around the kingdom about this gathering of dissenters in the plains.”
Egan broke in before Davin could protest. “I have already informed the governor of the risk. He is aware and has been for some time.”
Davin nodded. What was done was done, but he still didn’t like it. Druce had been guilty of the same thing. The more word got out, the easier it could fall into the wrong hands. However, he had to consider the other side. What if others fed up with O’Hara were able to join them? This might be another risk worth taking.
It is time you revealed yourselves to the public,” the governor said.
He suddenly turned to the crowd and addressed them in a thunderous voice. “Citizens of Swift River, the ones we had hoped for have come.” He motioned for Davin and Egan to step forward and be seen. “These men are true Descendants of the race whose presence has been forgotten. They hold great power and are going to lead us against the king. With them on our side we will have a great advantage.”
He felt his cheeks go red as he knew every eye in the crowd was sizing Egan and himself up. Egan stood stiffly next to him. A tremendous silence fell upon the crowd for what felt like a lifetime. The rush of the river beyond was the only sound to be heard.
Finally, shouts of “yes”, “aye”, and other guttural noises of approval erupted from the crowd. As the confirmations began to overtake the entirety of the people around them, applause broke out. The clapping started sporadically, but in several short seconds it had spread throughout the people like a wildfire.
Davin followed Egan’s lead and acknowledged the support with a wave of his hand. It was an odd sensation.
Before he knew it, the crowd was upon the two of them. The first to introduce themselves to the folk who would be adding their blades and bows to the fight. There was no commonality among them, only people who were through with tyranny. Men and women of all shapes and sizes came forward and Davin tried to keep track of how many hands he shook, but lost count before they were done. And according to the governor, that wasn’t all of them.
After the initial greetings, the rest of the crowd rushed the Descendants. Davin found himself shaking more hands that day than he ever thought he would in his entire life. Some people proceeded to ask them both endless questions about their ancestry and their gifts, to which they replied patiently with the best of their knowledge. Many offered words of encouragement and expressed their excitement that there were true Descendants fighting alongside them. And the rest were simply so in awe of Egan and Davin that they had no words whatsoever.
I never thought there’d come a day where I’d feel like a celebrity.
“’Bet you thought that would never end,” Davin heard Egan whisper in his ear from behind him as the crowd finally dispersed.
“Couldn’t agree more. I feel more worn out from that than I ever did sparring against you.”
***
Davin heard Niahm call to them as the Swift River crowd dispersed. She had apparently left during Davin and Egan’s greeting session, and was now returning with a group of her own. . Davin had nearly groaned out loud, but then he witnessed familiar faces in this crowd. It was the people of Lemirre, about fifty by his estimate.
“They did come,” Egan said, quickly. Davin looked at him, slightly depressed.
“Not all of them. I had been hoping for more than this,” he said.
Still not looking at Davin, Egan replied, “We’ll take what we can get. I wouldn’t complain if it had only been ten more. It would be ten more than we had before.”
“True,” Davin admitted.
“Besides,” Egan continued, “we didn’t know we’d have several hundred from Swift River either.”
Niahm approached them, flanked by Kayleigh, Teague, Druce, and Aiden. And behind them were the fifty or so people Davin had grown up around, all looking at him in an obvious wonderment. It probably was a stretch for them to believe that the anti-social loner from their home had done something noteworthy with his life.
“Why didn’t they just show themselves earlier?” Davin asked Niahm suddenly. “And why did you hide yourself?”
“Protection, of course,” said Niahm, politely. “We don’t know how much information the king has about us. If he knew, he might’ve sent troops to stop the insurgence before it became a real threat. So we kept ourselves hidden, and had these citizens here,” she waved her hand around at the town in general, “act as lookouts for you and Egan.”
“I just hope our diversion will work,” Davin said. “If it does, we will have fewer soldiers in our way.”
“Yes, as long as we don’t have to face an organized military force outside the city walls, we have a chance of reaching the king,” Egan said. “Strictly by the numbers, we have already lost.”
“Prince Teague informed me of your diversion. Even if it only succeeds in throwing the king off of our scent, it will be worth it, I think. And we already know there are guildsmen in other towns that are friendly to our cause. They are keeping lookout for any that might either sell us out or be willing to join,” said Niahm.
“What preparations are being made?” Egan asked.
“Since the entire town has committed themselves to our task, we have many resources. Farmers have donated their current crops, and blacksmiths have been hard at work on their contributions. Several bakers are providing their goods for our usage as well. We even have,” Niahm held up a finger as she saw Egan open his mouth to speak, “a Cureist that has agreed to come along. Governor Seamus is overseeing all of this, of course.”
Egan closed his mouth. Apparently she’d answered the question that had been on the tip of his tongue. He said nothing more.
Davin spent another half an hour talking to the rest of Lemirre. They were surprisingly forgiving about his previous attitude toward them, just as Prack and Brax had been. Davin was beginning to feel guilty. If it had been the other way around, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have held a grudge. Haskell begged him to relay the tale of the last couple of months. Davin obliged, mustering up the energy to give a quick summary. Everyone listened patiently while he told them. Nearly all of them told him they were proud of what he had accomplished, and said that his mother would have been too.
The others had disappeared by the time he was done. Sensing Davin’s curiosity about their location, Niahm said, “Egan went to see the training grounds we have established. Kayleigh and Teague went with Druce and Aiden and the others from Habok to have a good meal.”
Davin stomach growled at the thought of food. “I could use a one of those too,” he said.
“I will take you to where they are,” said Niahm. She gestured toward the others side of the river.
As they walked Davin said, “Have you heard of Roland’s execution announcement?”
“Yes, fortunately for us they have not set a date for it yet, otherwise I would have forced us to move out before we were ready,” said Niahm. The conversation lulled as they crossed the river.
“Do you miss him?” asked Davin finally, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it out loud.
She looked at Davin directly in the eye. “Terribly so, my wanting to see him again has been my motivation for the action I have taken lately.”
Davin thought about all they had done since Roland’s arrest. “This may be hard to hear, but I think it was meant to happen. None of this would have been done if Roland hadn’t been tortured and taken away. The king would be sinking even more into madness, and no one would be doing an
ything. We have put everyone’s fates along a different path.”
The east side of Swift River held nearly all of the businesses in the town. There was at least a handful of each kind business that someone would seek, all of them situated in their own zones together.
Niahm led him into one of the many pubs in the area and they spotted the others. They ate quickly for there was much to do that afternoon.
After they were fed, Davin suggested that he wanted to see the training grounds for himself, and maybe get a little practice in as well. Niahm led him to the training grounds, which were located just outside the eastern gate. There had been a make-shift fence made, and it was shaped like a rectangle. The ground had been flattened, removed off obstacles, and look to be covered in a thin layer of dirt. Along one of edges, a large cloth covering held up by poles had been set up with the collection of weapons and armor made so far, all situated on wooden racks. There had even been archery targets set up past the farthest edge, where a couple of people were relentlessly practicing their technique.
A large handful of people were going at one another within the perimeter of the grounds. Davin spotted Egan taking on a bulky man, giving instruction to him at each break in attack.
“Commit to your strike before you do it, don’t hesitate. Again!” Egan shouted after their latest match finished.
“So that’s why he wanted to come here,” Davin said, thinking out loud.
Niahm looked at Davin, and then followed his line of sight. “He knows the importance of having the skills of combat. Many people that are going with us have never even held a weapon before now.”
Davin’s head drooped and he stared down blankly. He took a moment to speak. “We don’t have time to train everyone.”
“I never expected you to,” Niahm said quickly. “We have enough people here that can at least teach basic skills to the rest before we are to leave. That will have to do.”
“When do you wish to depart, soon I would hope?” Davin asked with a note of pleading present in his voice.
