The War of Stardeon (The Bowl of Souls)

by Cooley, Trevor H.

“He and Bettie left with the other dwarves a little while ago to speak with your father,” the wizard said.

  “Oh, we’re running late,” Justan said. “Did you hear anything new from Willum last night?”

  “Well, your mother is very happy that you are back together with your father,” Coal said. “Willum says that she wants me to tell you all the regular mother to son things again, and I have a slightly inappropriate message she wants delivered to your father.”

  “You don’t need to tell me that part,” Justan said.

  Coal chuckled. “Yes, well she and Willum have made little progress tracking down the traitor. Willum is keeping an eye on the council assistants while your mother has been watching the Council members themselves for any odd behavior. I did give them the information about the moonrat eyes and they have a better idea of what to look out for now so maybe they’ll find out something soon.”

  “Are we close enough yet that you can link with Willum without waiting until night time?” Justan asked.

  “Almost. I should be able to stay in constant contact with him once we reach Wobble,” Coal said.

  “Having a bonded inside the academy is going to be really useful when the fighting begins,” Zambon said.

  “Master Coal,” Justan said. “This is my friend Zambon. I’ve told you about him before. He’s Tamboor the Fearless’ son.”

  “Ah, yes,” Coal said and shook Zambon’s hand. “Well shall we go? Bettie says that they are already heading to the secret entrance.”

  They rushed up the path Lenny and Faldon had taken. The trail ran right up to a sheer cliff wall, then meandered along the base of it. The ground around them was littered with boulders and Justan found it hard not to stare up the whole time looking for falling rocks. When they caught up with the others, Lenny was leading the way, talking to Faldon and Locksher as he walked. Justan looked around, but Jhonate was nowhere in sight.

  “Now,” Lenny was saying. “Once we get inside a couple miles, the path narrows up to ‘bout seven foot. Too tight fer some wagons, so we’re gonna have to leave the wider ones behind. There’s a dag-gum big cave just inside the entrance that’s been hollowed out so’s you can leave ‘em there, but I can’t guarantee they’ll still be there if y’all want to come back fer ‘em later. Us dwarves usually just take ‘em or leave ‘em as we come through.”

  “Some of the families won’t like that,” said Sir Lance, who was walking closely behind them. “Many of them brought precious belongings they didn’t want to leave behind.”

  “Well ain’t durn much we can do ‘bout that,” Lenny said. “Some things could be okay. Hand carts and the like, but just remember the seven foot rule. We got too many folks comin’ through to have to stop’n turn everybody ‘round cuz some stubborn folks want to bring gall-durn heirlooms.”

  “How much further is it?” Faldon asked.

  “Perty close. We’re almost there.”

  “I don’t see how it could be,” Zambon said. “We were all over this area yesterday. It’s just a solid cliff wall the whole way.”

  “You’ll see why,” Lenny said with a grin. “It’s somethin’ special.”

  Lenny stopped a short time later and turned to look at the base of the cliff.

  “Why are we stopped here?” Faldon asked.

  “This here’s the entrance,” Lenny said, kicking some rocks away from the wall.

  “What are we supposed to do,” grumbled Sir Lance. “Climb it?”

  “Just watch, you gall-durn ornery cuss!” The dwarf got down low to the ground, planted his shoulder against the rock, and gave it a shove. There was a groaning noise from inside the rock and a section of the cliff face about ten-feet-wide and eight-feet-tall swung inward and upward. “See!” he said, his voice echoing into the tunnel beyond. “Old Stangrove Leatherbend was a genius!”

  “You must me kidding me,” Justan said, his mouth hanging open. Inside the opening was a dark tunnel about twenty feet deep but he could see light and open space on the other side.

  Locksher laughed out loud and darted inside, casting a light spell so that he could see the mechanism behind the door. “As I thought! It’s done with counterweights. Your Stangrove was a genius indeed.”

  “That’s right,” Lenny said. “That rock slab’s gall-durn heavy, but it opens so easy a single dwarf could open it by himself. And yet if’n you needed to, you could disable the weights and a hunnerd men couldn’t move it.”

  “Amazing,” Justan said as he walked into the tunnel. He ran his hand along the rock and felt the tiny ridges left behind by what ever tool the dwarves had used to carve the walls. He couldn’t tell how it had been done. “Sandstone. This area sure has a strange mix of rock.”

  “Alright!” Lenny shouted. “Come on through. Pall and Rahbbie’re bringin’ up the rear so’s they’cn shut the door once everybody’s in!”

  The word went out and the long procession started. The plan was for Faldon’s troops to head in first, followed by the people of Sampo. Captain Demetrius’ cavalry would ride in last.

  Justan walked out of the tunnel and stared up in amazement. The passage Lenny had called a crevasse was a narrow canyon that ran like a long crack through the plateau high above. The floor of the canyon was flat and slightly sandy but well cleared of debris, perfect to travel down.

  Fist and Gwyrtha entered right behind him, the ogre staring up with a wide grin, just as amazed as he was. Deathclaw on the other hand, had a different route in mind. As people began pouring through the tunnel into the passage beyond, Justan sensed that the raptoid had just finished climbing the cliff face. Justan looked up and caught just a brief glimpse of Deathclaw’s head peering down from the top of the plateau high above.

  Lenny and Faldon led the way and Justan told Fist and Gwyrtha to go on ahead with them. He would catch up later. He stepped back and let people pass, trying to keep an eye out for Jhonate. He was hoping to talk to her as they traveled, but she was nowhere to be seen. He waited for some time, wondering if she had deliberately snuck by.

  I see her. She is not far ahead, sent Deathclaw and Justan saw the image of her trotting up to join her academy friends.

  Thank you. Justan smiled. How are you doing up there?

  It is high, the raptoid replied. But I will not fall. There are no sign of enemies up here.

  Justan trotted up the line, passing people until he saw the familiar line of her staff ahead. He edged between two horses and saw her walking next to Jobar and Poz, staring up at the edges of the cliffs on either side of the trail. Her eyes narrowed and Justan wondered if she had seen Deathclaw’s head peering over the top. He trotted up behind her and only Poz saw him coming. The freckled warrior gave Justan an encouraging nod.

  “Hello, Jhonate,” he said, startling her.

  “Why that has to be the first time I’ve seen her jump,” Poz said with a boyish smile.

  Jhonate sent a frown the student’s way, then turned her eyes on Justan and said coolly, “Good morning, Sir Edge.”

  Justan moved up beside her. “I’ve been thinking on what you said yesterday and I have made a decision.”

  “Regarding what?” she asked.

  “Your penance,” Justan said. “For your inappropriate behavior.”

  “Why don’t you just leave her alone?” Jobar growled protectively. “It’s obvious she’s trying to avoid you.”

  “I don’t have time for you, Jobar,” Justan said, his eyes not leaving Jhonate’s. Her cheeks had gone red.

  Jobar took a step towards him, his hands balled into fists, but Jhonate swung her staff in the student’s way. “What do you propose?”

  “If I remember correctly,” Justan said. “My trainer used to make me run laps around the training grounds when she felt I needed correcting.”

  “I see,” she said.

  “I spoke to Lenny earlier and he said that the route to the caves is about eight miles long. That means we have about seven to go. I think that should be enough for someone with your
strengths, don’t you?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “That could be dangerous, running around all these horses.”

  Something Jhonate often used to tell him came to mind. “If I did not think you could handle it, I would not tell you to do it.”

  A smile touched her lips. “Very well, Sir Edge.”

  Justan began to run forward. “Then come, Jhonate. I suggest you get going. You wouldn’t want me to add another mile.”

  “Hmph!” she said and took off after him.

  Justan ran past several of Faldon’s men, old academy veterans carrying loaded packs, trying to see how long he could stay ahead of her. She was right behind him. He could hear her hastily mumbled “excuse me”s to the men as she ran past. He darted around some heavily laden horses, grateful that they were well-trained, but the next thing he knew, Jhonate was right beside him.

  “Are we going to continue at this slow pace?” she asked. “Or are you a better runner than you used to be?”

  Justan chuckled. “How fast can you go?”

  “We shall see if you keep up,” she replied and sped ahead.

  Justan followed behind her with a grin. He had never seen Jhonate run like this. She ran leaning forward, her arms hanging loose at her side, her staff clutched in one hand. He had forgotten she had been raised in the forest, but it was easy to see in her movements. Jhonate moved with fluid grace, dodging people and animals with ease as if they were trees standing still.

  He was hard pressed to stay with her, his strides not quite so fluid as hers. It was kind of embarrassing. He had thought that his practice racing Deathclaw had made him a lot better.

  You think wrong, Justan, said Deathclaw and Justan knew the raptoid was running along the plateau above, keeping pace with them.

  What do you mean? he asked.

  You see the running as a game, the raptoid replied. This is why I always defeat you. This is no game. This is a battle.

  “A battle . . .” Justan tried to wrap his mind around what Deathclaw meant. Was he saying he wasn’t trying hard enough?

  She understands, your Jhonate, Deathclaw said. Watch her. She does not run like she is trying to be faster. She runs like a hunter.

  Justan watched her more closely and saw what Deathclaw meant. The way she ran kept all the pressure on the balls of her feet, allowing her to change directions quickly and the way her arms hung lose at her side allowed her to keep her staff parallel to the ground, ready to strike at any time.

  He attempted to emulate her posture, but it didn’t feel quite right; he was a little off balance, a little awkward. He lurched around one man and bumped him, causing the man to stagger. “Sorry!”

  Now you try to act like it is a battle, Deathclaw said. Don’t just act. Think like it is a battle. Breathe in your surroundings like you would if an enemy was before you.

  Justan began to understand. When he was in battle, his senses were sharper. Everything was much clearer. He thought back to the night he faced Talon and tried to recapture that sense of awareness. He felt a tiny click within his mind and time seemed to slow. The people, the horses, they all moved like they were underwater. Everything but Jhonate. Only she was at one with the air around her.

  Justan joined her fluid weaving, aware of each part of his body’s relation to the space around it, careful not to touch the living obstacles in his path, acting as if any contact would cause injury. He gained ground and soon he was at her heels.

  As they neared the seven-foot-wide squeeze Lenny had warned of, the crevasse narrowed around them. The people they passed slowed, walking closer together and the path became even more difficult to navigate. Soon the people and horses walked in single file.

  Good, said Deathclaw. You near the end of the human line. Once you pass them, the way will be clear.

  Justan was having trouble finding a place to pass Jhonate, but he finally saw the opening he was looking for. She was coming up on a large warhorse as it approached the seven-foot gap of the narrows. He darted forward, forcing her to the right, the horse’s wide rear end blocking her path. Justan surged ahead and as he passed its left flank, the horse moved to the side as it was trained, nearly brushing the cliff wall.

  There was no gap for Jhonate to squeeze through, but she didn’t slow. She dove between the horse’s rear legs, her staff held out in front of her, keeping her body low to the ground and making sure that no part of her body touched the horse.

  Justan passed the horse, proud that he had finally pulled ahead and was surprised when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jhonate dart out from between the horse’s front legs right next to him. The horse reared and his driver swore, but Justan and Jhonate continued on. He promised himself to return to the man and apologize later.

  The way opened up a bit and they ran past Justan’s bonded. Fist waved and Gwyrtha wanted to follow but Justan asked her to stay back with the ogre. Then they finally reached the front of the line.

  “Father . . . Lenny . . . Bettie.” Justan said as he sped by.

  “Slow down, dag-blast it!” Lenny called out.

  “Beat her!” shouted Bettie.

  “Don’t let my son show you up, Jhonate!” Faldon shouted.

  Justan and Jhonate were in the open. Despite the narrowness of the crevasse, there were no more obstacles in their way. It was just the two of them side by side. Justan looked over at her and smiled. She smiled back.

  “Nice move through that horse’s legs!” he said.

  “You seem to have lost your awkward gait,” she replied.

  “I outgrew it!” Justan said. “And you, I’ve never seen you run like this. Is it new?”

  “You were always too slow to see it!” she said.

  “You’re so graceful, even Deathclaw is impressed.”

  Her eyes glanced to the top of the cliffs above. “He keeps pace with us?”

  “He finds it a challenge,” Justan said. “There are more obstacles up there.”

  “Then let us make it more difficult for him.”

  Jhonate picked up speed and Justan matched her stride for stride. Finally, he felt Deathclaw’s frustration as rock formations got in his way, forcing the raptoid to run around. He laughed. “We are pulling away!”

  She gave him a curious smile. “What? Have you never beaten him before?”

  “Not in a foot race!” he replied.

  This does not count, Deathclaw complained. You have the advantage of terrain.

  There are unfair advantages often in battle, Justan replied. A leader recognizes this and takes the better path.

  Deathclaw gave a disgusted snort.

  They ran on for a time, neither speaking, just enjoying each other’s company. Then Jhonate edged close and nudged Justan’s shoulder with her own. Justan stumbled to the side a ways, then nudged her back. She stumbled a bit herself, barking out a laugh.

  Justan reached out and grasped her hand.

  They slowed down slightly and she looked down at his hand, her cheeks reddening. “What is this?”

  “I’m holding your hand,” Justan said. They continued to run, though they slowed a bit more. She looked away, blinking and he asked, “Do you want me to let go?”

  “No,” she replied quickly.

  Soon they were just moving along at a slight jog and Justan began to walk.

  “Wait,” she said. “We need to keep running. My penance-.”

  “There is no penance needed,” Justan said. “I just wanted to be alone with you for a while. I wanted to talk.”

  “Alone? Even from your bonded?” she asked softly and Justan knew she was thinking of the way they had monitored his talk with Vannya.

  “I have closed my side of the connection,” he said. “We are truly alone. They cannot hear.”

  “I see,” she said and then they were just walking, holding hands. “This is . . . enjoyable.”

  “Jhonate, I’m sorry about before and . . . and everything that happened with Vannya.”

  “Do not mention her, please,”
she said.

  “Sorry.”

  “Do not apologize either. It is not your fault. You and I had not made promises and . . . you did nothing wrong. I . . . it is just that I never-.” Jhonate shook her head. “Sir Edge, why did you give me the ring?”

  “It . . . I wanted to give you something. You had given me so much and-.” Justan swallowed. “You were dear to me. You had become my best friend, and it was the most valuable thing I had to give. I wanted you to have something to remember me by.”

  Her hand gripped his more tightly, but she kept her face turned away, unwilling to look at his eyes. “And why didn’t you tell me about its magic?”