by Kurtis Smith
Egan and the other two men even decided that this was a smarter use of time also. They hurried to replace the books in their hands with swords and fell into step with Davin at the front of the crowd.
“You make us look bad, Davin,” said Egan said to Davin in a low voice.
Governor Seamus said with a false airiness, “I don’t know about you gentlemen, but I could use the practice. That’s all I care about.”
Davin requested that Druce and Egan help sort everyone into fighting groups. The archers were told to make make-shift targets to carry out their practice as well.
As they started, Davin made the rounds and requested Egan to give tips on better technique to those who seemed to be struggling. It turned out to be quite productive for them. Egan was a master swordsman after all.
The moon was low in the sky when a woman named Sarai of Swift River, whom had been acting as a lookout, rode toward them swiftly on a pooka. Her haste told them that it was urgent. Davin waved at the group to stop what they were doing, but most had seen her coming already and turned to face her.
“Riders approach from the west. I could not tell who they were yet when I left, but I would guess it was our people returning from Oamlund,” she said, slightly breathless. Her voice was low and not very womanly, but it matched her features.
Davin, Egan, and Governor Seamus rallied the people back to the camp. By the time they arrived back in the campsite, the riders from Oamlund were nearly upon them. It was their scouting group that had been sent just hours before. The lot of them looked grim at best, and Davin prepared for the worst.
After dismounting, Niahm and Kayleigh greeted Davin and the other leaders that had stayed behind.
“The news is not good,” said Niahm mysteriously. “Oamlund is not what we expected. The city is quite deserted except for some lingering mothers and children. It seems the majority of the town up and left when the king asked for citizens to volunteer to serve him as a militia force.”
Egan cursed. “That settles it; the king must know of us and wants to make sure we are crushed beyond belief.”
“Not necessarily,” said Druce. “The people you spoke to could have lied. There are many reasons for the people to leave.
“I agree. You haven’t heard everything yet, my lords.”
“What other news do you have?” asked Governor Seamus, ignoring the previous complaint.
Kayleigh spoke again. “We saw with our own eyes the sketches of people on the execution list. Roland and my father are both at the top of it and Davin and Egan have been added. The instruction is to kill the two Descendants on sight. The sketches are accurate enough for you both to be recognized with ease.” She paused. “My blood boils at the idea that my father is receiving this punishment for no reason.”
“He has served his purpose to the king. That is the only reason for it,” said Egan, solemnly.
Governor Seamus suddenly looked angry, “I am tired of all this, friends,” he growled to the group at large. “I want to know the truth to all of these uncertainties.”
“There is something else,” Kayleigh said, shivering as she spoke.
“What?” Egan asked.
“The people we spoke with were scared, acting very nervous, as if traumatized. We didn’t understand until we saw the pile of bodies on the south end of the city. Had to be around two hundred dead at least, some soldiers, but mostly citizens. A fight of sorts took place there, similar to what we encountered in Habok.”
Davin and the other men stood in shock.
Egan spoke. “Did you learn if they were some of the same possessed soldiers also sent to Habok?”
Kayleigh nodded. “Probably. By the way people were acting, it is almost certain they were.”
“If Deverell has attacked a larger city like Oamlund in this way, there might be others by now,” said Seamus.
“The death toll is rising quickly,” said Druce, chuckling joylessly.
“We should move out as soon as possible. Give them a little rest and keep travelling,” said Davin.
Governor Seamus nodded. Everyone else didn’t move.
Finally Druce spoke. “That is not smart. We all need our rest.”
Davin felt his irritability rise at Druce’s rebuttal almost on instinct, but it was Egan who spoke. “I agree. Everyone must rest before we move on.”
“People are dying in large numbers,” said Davin. “We don’t have the luxury of waiting. Something has to be sacrificed. In battle, no one will feel their weariness.”
Druce raised his voice. “Decision-making, reaction time, inability to focus. These are just a few things that will get them killed without proper rest. They do not have the endurance training of a soldier. They cannot handle those conditions. It is the sad truth.”
Davin released his irritation, but tried to not let it get out of control. “You are playing with everyone’s lives by your hesitance. Look around.” He gestured to the mass of people behind him. “Do you think that anyone here is really finding much rest, knowing what will happen in a few days? Rest or no rest, it will make no difference.”
“I am not hesitant, Davin. I am realistic. Leaving now is no worse than forcing sparring sessions is upon them like you did. You are only lowering their morale and wearing them out. People with no motivation to fight are no better than people who cannot fight.”
“Some of those people have never held a weapon before, much less fought in a battle. And no matter what we do, many will still not be ready when it’s time. We are already forcing many them to face their deaths. They know this!”
In one fluid movement Kayleigh stomped between Davin and Druce, glaring with a look that would frighten even a battle- hardened man.
“Gentlemen! Measure your sword lengths at another time. All of this speculation and non-sense is not going to get us anywhere. We will find out soon enough which plans will come to fruition and which ones won’t. There is no need for your sharp tongues. This has gone on long enough. It has to end here or we will not succeed.” She paused, letting herself calm down.
Davin saw that all standing with him had mingled looks of shock, admiration, and embarrassment pressed on their faces. Some people resting nearby stopped and stared at Kayleigh for a moment.
Druce’s next rebuttal dropped from his lips. All of the other leaders remained silent for a moment as well.
A voice sounded from the silence. It was Prack, who had been standing within the group of leaders and the rest of the scouting party. “You say you are speaking for the people, that it’s their lives you are concerned for. Then you have to let them decide. It is the only way.”
Davin caught Druce’s eye and they nodded at each other, but said nothing in return. Prack was right, as had been Kayleigh to break them apart. They didn’t have time for such pettiness. One thing was certain. The king was tearing his kingdom apart from the inside out. If their group did the same thing, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
***
Davin had drifted off and woken again three times before realized he didn’t want to try and sleep anymore. He sat up and began to think about what lie ahead. Half an hour later, as the first shades of light began to show on the eastern horizon, he heard Kayleigh whisper behind him.
Seconds passed and she was sitting next to him. “You didn’t like the decision everyone made to stay. I could tell. You came right over here after the vote was done.”
“I thought I hid my disapproval rather well,” he said, smiling at her.
“You don’t have to try so hard, you know,” she said, sighing.
Davin jerked involuntarily. Was she talking about him trying to impress her? He decided not to assume that just yet.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I get what you two are doing to each other. It’s very obvious.”
“Great,” Davin said, looking relieved, “please tell me.”
You both feel that you have Talamaraon’s best interest at heart. And you need to prove it to everyone,�
�� she said.
Davin thought for a moment. Kayleigh was right. And it had to stop.
“I will try and stop, but it’s not all me. I’ve got to speak to Druce.”
“Egan’s already taken care of it.”
Davin paused, thinking about how she came to her conclusion and her decision to finally put an end to the squabbling. “You are very perceptive….and brave for stepping between two angry men.”
She shrugged. “You just have to pay attention to people, their mannerisms, body language, what they are saying, how they are saying it. Plus with boys who don’t get along it’s always the same, trying to either prove something to each other or there is a girl they’re fighting over. I assumed it wasn’t the latter.”
Davin blushed and hoped she didn’t see. Don’t be so sure.
“Known a lot of boys well over the years, have we?” Davin said, the words slipping out before he could catch them.
What am I doing? I don’t want to know this.
She didn’t seem to care. “Maybe a couple, but they were not meant to last. I figure that if he wasn’t interesting enough to tear me away from my studies like a good man should, he wasn’t worth it.”
She turned her blue eyes toward him. Davin didn’t notice that she was looking at him at first. Her stare lingered longer than he wanted it too.
“This is an incredible thing you have done,” she told him. He looked at her skeptically, but was somewhat glad that she was changing the subject.
“I’ve heard that more than once,” he said, more to himself than to her. “I haven’t done anything yet. Our fight is still ahead of us, and besides Egan has done much more than me in his lifetime.”
“He didn’t risk himself to stand against this injustice, though. He ran and hid after that night in Daust,” Kayleigh replied. “We both know he didn’t mean to find you. It was an accident.”
“Egan is a great man,” said Davin defensively. “He killed that mad governor. He helped train me. Without him we would not have accomplished half of what we did.”
“But you asked me why everyone praises you and I told you. As far as Egan goes, I know he regrets not trying to stir people’s hearts into action. He is jealous for your passion, even when you fight with Druce and take it too far. It is the only thing that can drive us to such drastic choices.” Davin was taken aback, and for the first time, appreciative of the compliments he’d received.
“I never thought of it that way,” he mumbled.
Chapter 28 The Ruins of Omela
“I’ll take this constant moving to long periods of rest any time. Don’t you agree Ruth, dear? Too much time to think tends to make me go mad,” one lanky man of Swift River said, once the three-hundred and fifty were travelling again. Davin was riding some distance from them, but he had been listening with enhanced hearing. He was curious about what people were saying out of earshot of the leaders.
A woman, that might have been the man’s wife replied, “I do, Willard. I think those Descendants and the rest of them have the right idea. I respect their leadership. They know what they’re doing and I trust we have a chance at victory. That is why I am willing to do whatever they ask.”
Willard added, “Besides, those magic users have got to count for a bit extra.”
Davin felt relief pour over him momentarily, but didn’t want to show he was spying on people’s private conversations. He did smile, though. As long as there were a few more that felt the same way those two, they wouldn’t have to worry about an unexpected mutiny.
The sun shined on them again a couple of hours later and they continued along north. Davin and Egan kept up their task of keeping an eye on their surroundings.
“Lake Omela separates the Ruins of Omela and Daust. Once we reach the lake’s edge, we just need to follow the shoreline to the right and we’ll reach the ruins,” Egan told the other leaders.
“It is a large area with many hiding spots. It will be a good place to get some much needed rest,” said Governor Seamus, looking and sounding exhausted himself.
“That is because it is a swamp land. Our pace will be slowed greatly. And my father took me there once when I was younger, so I know he knows of it,” said Teague.
Egan waved his hands lazily. “Don’t worry, we won’t bring attention to ourselves, and we will trudge through as quickly as possible.”
They continued traveling well into the night. When Davin began to wonder how much longer they could push everyone without more than a few minutes break, Governor Seamus made a suggestion to the rest of the leaders. He told them to immerse themselves in the crowd.
“Morale always boosts when people feel a personal connection with their leaders,” he said. The others agreed and split up into the masses.
Davin found himself in a lively discussion with the Cureist of Swift River, Dominic, and his son, Taylor. Davin asked him about the cures to many different ailments and he had a response for most them. It turned out to be a fun game and Davin never stumped him once. When they were done he told the Cureist about his journey through the Pools of Confusion and the Self Heal there. Dominic was impressed.
The people finally found themselves traveling alongside a handful of winding rivers coming from the Greenlands to their left. As they continued the rivers began to gradually converge. This went on for several hours until they arrived at the source.
The travelers had reached the Omela Marsh. Swamplands spread into the distance as far as anyone could see without a raised view of the surroundings. Tall sharp weeds, grasses and watery muck became their companions. The marshes that surrounded the lake its eastern side made it never a popular place to come. They wouldn’t have to worry about seeing too many people here, except those who liked a difficult hunt. Hopefully, they would avoid the unnaturally giant wild boars that were the coveted prize for any ambitious hunters.
The edge of Lake Omela was reached by the midnight hour. Knowing that the assembly had been traveling for nearly a full day and night straight, with little rest in between, Davin and Egan spoke to them reluctantly.
After the short rest, they continued around Lake Omela. Their trail became even more water-logged and sunken, with grass and sharp weeds as rising taller than a person. It slowed them, but they trudged on.
This continued for another two days and an evening. Davin finally began drift into a restless sleep in the early morning, bouncing sloppily on the top his pooka, when Kayleigh spoke. The sun was coming up over the horizon.
“Is that them? Are those the ruins?”
Everyone’s drooping heads shot up and looked ahead. Through the tall grass could be seen overgrown stone rising in several different shapes, piled in some areas and the remains of old structures abandoned long ago. Broken statues and blocks of rock that were once parts of buildings rose around them. All that was left of what looked like beautiful stone was rubble. It was handiwork of an old people from a long time ago, that much was clear. Nothing in the current world valued this kind of art work.
“The Ruins of Omela, we have arrived,” said Teague as excitedly as one who was exhausted could. “This sight brings back memories of my childhood.”
When they reached the first blocks of stone everyone was told to find a good place to rest. They would sleep until midday, just enough time to recover the strength to fight.
“Who did this?” Davin asked to no one in particular. He was surprised that Kayleigh was the one who spoke up. She had not settled in yet. She stood still admiring the landscape.
“This was built for the Ancients as a home. When the alliance between Ancients and men was first made this place was built. It was a second home for them away from the forest. They were still close to Talamaraon City, but isolated enough to continue living in their own way.”
Davin glanced at Egan. Egan nodded, confirming these facts. Davin began to ask more but Kayleigh told him there wasn’t any other information left about this place in the texts. He felt exhausted anyway. He found a spot to lie down, staring up a h
alf erect statue of one of his ancestors as he drifted to sleep. Even though it was mere carved rock, he felt honored to be in its presence.
***
“Wake up. I am organizing a search group for the ruins,” Egan said, shaking Davin to consciousness a few hours later.
“What for?”
“Anything really, but I am curious to see if we might be lucky enough to come across Driocht orbs. Some of the people don’t really feel like waiting around, so I thought we could use their help.”
Davin perked up at this. It would make sense that this place, if anywhere, would have orbs. And that would be a great find. The size of this destroyed city did make it a bit more daunting. If they did find something, though, it would be worth it.
Davin joined one group of twenty that would check the western section, and Egan joined the other, searching the eastern section. They would meet back at the camp in two hours.
Davin moved through the rubble and broken down stone pillars and buildings. All of the carved statues that he had seen had fallen, but remained mostly intact. He took time examine them closer simply to satisfy his own curiosity, wondering how real the depictions of the Ancients were in these carvings. It was quite inspiring to think that he was seeing the true images of members of his powerful ancestors.
The tall grass and marshes had swallowed so much here that it was hard to discover what purpose some of the rubble had served in its time. And it made certain areas hard to get around. Still Davin and the others in his party continued.
After an hour had passed, a voice yelled from somewhere in the distance. A couple of people near Davin began to move to the area. Davin trudged towards the voice as well. It had come from another area of broken stone, separated from where he stood by a short, steep hill.
When Davin and the rest of his party reached the man that had called out, they stopped. The building where they stood still had a roof area that had not fallen and was hidden well by a grove of trees. This grove was round and nearly one hundred feet in diameter. Davin could make out that the building and the grove had been built as one structure since before this place had been abandoned.
