“The Durvies are actually a violent, warlike type of people.” Aarden was awoken by the chirpy voice. He looked around for the lecturer. “They’ve lived in fear more of their own nature than of any outside invaders.”
Aarden finally found the guards, discussing their captors with none other than his pet Spot. He was standing upright, carving a small piece of wood with an extended claw. Aarden had never seen Spot extend a claw. He watched his pet fascinated.
Spot continued yammering about the Durvies until he realized he had more of an audience. He turned to Aarden and his mouth cracked in a smile.
“Hello Aarden,” Spot said as he moved to the cage. “How are you this morning?”
“I’ve been looking for you Spot. You can talk?”
“My name is actually Stubenjolli, and yes, I can talk.” Stubenjolli retracted his claw and extended his hand. Aarden confusedly shook it. Vale roused and dragged over to Aarden.
“Oh, you found Spot,” he said, patting Aarden on the shoulder. Aarden looked at Vale in a daze.
“His name is Stubenjolli,” Aarden managed to push out.
“How are you Master Durmond?” Stubenjolli extended his hand to Vale. Vale also gained a dazed look as he shook the Ingot’s paw.
Mace was also awoken by the chattering and joined the group. “So this is your pet,” he said with a smirk.
“Pet,” Stubenjolli snorted. “I was Aarden’s guardian, appointed by his mother.”
Mace laughed loudly, earning the ire of their guards. Aarden and Vale looked strangely at him.
“Where have you been since the ambush,” Aarden asked.
“I was put in a sack and bounced around roughly. It wasn’t until the next morning that I was brought to Lord Tiyogi to be questioned; or eaten. He immediately recognized his mistake and has provided me all the liberties allotted someone of my stature.”
Vale stifled a laugh and was rewarded with a glare from Stubenjolli. Mace didn’t stifle his and again attracted the guards’ attention. He waved and the guards grunted and ignored the prisoners.
They had been on the road now for three days. The trail had been rough, especially trying to walk with their hands tied.
Aarden had been amazed seeing the army moving. A long column of armored knights, mounted on large warhorses; camouflaged archers skirted the edges, hunting and scouting; supply wagons rolled in the middle, protected by their own guard; and Tiyogi road in the lead, an impressive array of strength and power.
Despite being prisoners, Aarden, Vale, and Mace had been treated fairly. They were forced to march with their hands tied, but were left free during the night. Forn had ridden most of the trip close to the prisoners. Aarden could feel the Elven eyes burning through him.
“So what do I call you,” Aarden asked shyly to his pet.
“I was quite fond of Spot, although only from you. My friends call me Jolli.” The camp was beginning to revive as Stubenjolli continued chatting with his former master.
Vale could hear another conversation nearby. He recognized Tiyogi’s voice and looked around for him. His eyes searched for the Elven commander and finally pinpointed the voices coming from the command tent. It was several hundred yards away; there was no way he could be hearing the conversation from there. But the more he struggled to focus on the conversation, the more he was drawn to that tent. As he watched, Tiyogi emerged from the tent with his brother.
Vale was suddenly aware of several conversations all over the camp. He could hear a couple of soldiers discussing the mush they were being served. He heard the quartermaster whispering soothing words into the ears of one of the war horses. He could hear a group of archers discussing how to flush out rabbits for dinner. Then he heard the rabbit’s heart beat as the hunters passed by the bush where it was hiding.
With his newly found skill, Vale quickly looked in that direction, locating the bush where the rabbit was hiding. His eyes zoomed in and he could see the rabbit’s heart twitching under the fur. A smile crossed his lips as he saw the hunters walk noisily past the terrified animal.
Vale turned to Aarden to ask if he could see it too, when Aarden suddenly collapsed. He cried out and grabbed his head, rolling around in pain.
The guards moved quickly to the cage and banged on the bars, yelling at him to stop. Vale crouched down next to his friend, but Aarden was inconsolable. Mace examined the boy, but could find no physical mark, no cause for the pain.
“Make it stop,” Aarden finally pushed out. He grabbed Vale’s arm, squeezing hard enough to draw blood. Vale yanked his arm out of Aarden’s grasp as Aarden curled into a ball. Finally, the seizure stopped and Aarden relaxed into a sweaty mess.
“What was that,” Vale asked as he tried to help Aarden relax.
“I don’t know,” Aarden gasped out. “All of a sudden, I saw a rabbit in my mind and felt an arrow slide through my heart.”
Vale quickly turned around to look for the rabbit under the bush. It was no longer there, but he could hear the hunters celebrating a kill. He turned back to Aarden.
“You felt the rabbit?”
“I don’t know, I saw the rabbit and then felt the arrow.”
Vale felt a twinge of jealousy. He had this new found ability, but so did Aarden; and it appeared Aarden’s was better.
“Try it again,” Mace said, excited. “Try to feel something else.”
Aarden closed his eyes. He started to sweat as he concentrated harder. Finally, a smile broke across his face. Mace began laughing his deep, thick laugh.
“What is it,” Vale asked, less excited.
“I can feel the trees. The sun is beginning to touch their leaves and they’re soaking up the dew from last night.”
“How is this possible,” Vale asked, pointing to Stubenjolli.
“You’d be surprised what’s possible above ground,” Stubenjolli said, cracking a smile.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Chapter Nine
Aarden awoke to a banging. A tall, thin, strange looking man brought them small tins full of water and a few pieces of dried bread.
He couldn’t remember much after the ambush. The blindfolds had been removed once they had been placed in a small, wooden cage. They were sharing it with a large, hairy man. The man was badly beaten, his arms still tied together.
The man was huge, a head taller than Aarden and weighing three times as much. His muscles showed through his loose fitting shirt. His hair was dark, greasy, and thick and continued down across his jaw. His hair was tied back in a tail and his beard also tied on his chin. His face was dirty and had the remains of blue paint, but sweat and weather had stripped most of it off. Despite his rough appearance, Aarden saw in the clear blue eyes compassion and humor.
As Aarden examined his cellmate, he suddenly realized that Spot and Vale were missing. He began looking panicked around the camp.
“Your friend was taken this morning,” the man rumbled. “He’ll be in the interrogation tent.” The man pointed with his head towards a large canvas tent on the other side of the camp.
“Both of them?”
“There was only one other person brought in with you last night. Perhaps you have someone out there to come free us.”
“My pet is the other. His name is Spot.”
Mace sat down rejected. He shook his head and began eating his dried bread.
“Where are you from lad,” Mace asked through his bread. He took a drink and water slid down his beard.
“Distrus, down by the Wall,” Aarden responded, looking uninterested at the bread.
“Never heard of it, but then again, I’ve never been to Epsil.”
“Epsil? I’ve never heard of Epsil.”
Mace gave Aarden a confused look and continued eating in silence. Aarden sat down and started munching on the dried bread. Mace continued chatting with him about the weather and the battle, but Aarden only seemed to confuse Mace more with his answers.
The sun began to beat down on the two prisoners. Aarden was suddenly aware that the sounds of battle had disappeared. A putrid smoke drifted through the camp, ‘from burning the Goblins’ bodies,’ Mace supplied.
Finally, Aarden saw guards bringing Vale back to the cage. Vale’s nose was bleeding and he was being carried, as if he was unconscious.
The guards poked swords through the prison bars to push Mace and Aarden away from the door. Once convinced, they opened the door and threw Vale to the ground. Aarden rushed over to him and helped him up.
Vale wasn’t unconscious, but he was weak. His hands were torn from where the ropes had bound his arms and his face was bruised from several punches.
To ease Aarden’s concern, Vale smiled. He looked over at Mace who smiled back.
“Nothing to worry about,” Mace said to Aarden. “They do this to all their prisoners. Most are eventually brought back. They’ll come for you tomorrow.”
“Did you see Spot,” Aarden asked as he helped Vale with his bread and water.
“What would they want with that Ingot,” Vale asked, wiping blood from his lip.
“Your pet is an Ingot?” Aarden and Vale turned, confused at Mace’s surprise. Mace saw their looks. “Ingots are rare around these parts. I’ve never heard of Humans making them pets.”
“There are hundreds in Durvy; nearly every noble family has them.” Aarden was beginning to tire of this game Mace was playing on them.
“Did you say Durvy? That explains a lot.”
“Of course we’re from Durvy,” Vale returned, irritated. “What do we look like?”
“Well, I can tell from your look, but the boy,” he nodded at Aarden, “he looks to be from Epsil all the way.”
A hundred questions were on Aarden’s lips, but the guards came and rattled the cage. Vale and Aarden silenced their questions for now.
* * *
Aarden was woken roughly as hands grabbed him and pulled him out of bed. He managed to get a look back at Mace who was awake, picking grass from the bottom of the cage. He gave a slight wave to Aarden before the guards threw Aarden into the tent he had seen earlier.
The tent was large, with a table and several chairs. Maps and messages were laid out for a future war meeting. Despite its large size, the tent felt stuffy. Several soldiers were there, waiting for orders. They heard Aarden dragged in and immediately pushed past him, out the tent’s door. The tall man who had captured Aarden was standing at the head of the table, next to someone who looked like a brother. The guards tied Aarden up quickly and then retreated out the tent door.
Aarden tried to get his head on straight as the brothers discussed something under their breath. Finally, the man who had captured Aarden came forward.
On seeing him closer, Aarden started to notice strange features of his captor. His skin seemed to shine with a silver hue and looked like it was pulled tight, especially his face. His hair was dark black, with a slight blue glow. Five small, tight braids ringed the right side of his head. Aarden realized he wasn’t really thin, in fact, he looked quite strong and muscular, but his body was long. His fingers were especially long and he was constantly moving them as he talked. The brother was smaller, thinner, less muscular, but all of his features were almost exactly the same.
The captor stared at Aarden for several intense moments. Finally, “you are a spy,” burst from his lips. Aarden just stared. The strange looking man let out a long sigh. “We captured you crossing our lines late two nights ago. You were armed and ready for combat. Your friend has already admitted to being a spy. If you corroborate his story, we will punish you lightly and release you.”
“We will cut off your hands instead of your head,” the brother stated, a little too matter-of-factly. The one Aarden had deemed as the older brother turned and glared at the younger. After several more tense moments, the older brother turned back to Aarden, waiting his answer. Aarden continued to remain silent.
A right hand snaked from the older interrogator and slapped Aarden roughly across the face. Lights flashed in his Aarden’s eyes and his head rocked back limp. He regained his balance and continued to stare at his captor. “Who are you,” Aarden finally croaked out.
“I will ask the questions,” the older brother punctuated with another slap. Aarden was prepared for this one however, and met it solidly.
“I am Aarden, son of Gosh and Genish, Lord and Lady of Distrus, commercial city of Durvy.” Aarden hadn’t recited his noble introduction for some time. It came out sounding more rehearsed than brave. The interrogator again stared for several moments and Aarden couldn’t return the stare.
“I am Tiyogi, Commander of the Left of the Paladin Irregulars,” the older brother sighed out. “I am the son of Ooroma and Chavan Gawa, knights of the mighty Kob Elf army. This is my brother Forn.”
The younger brother nodded with a sarcastic smile. “Nice to meet you.” Tiyogi glared at his brother once again.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that Humans would work as spies for Goblins, but nothing in this campaign has made sense. You will remain a prisoner until our priestess Crystal can glean your true nature.”
Aarden sat stunned. It suddenly hit him that they were waiting for him to respond. He finally shook himself out of it. “I’m sorry, did you say you were Elves; you live in trees and talk to animals?”
“You dare insult us like this,” Forn yelled, charging at Aarden. Tiyogi also jerked angrily towards Aarden, but stopped himself. He grabbed his brother before he strangled their captive. The outburst left Aarden even more stunned.
“I will forgive your disrespect on the claim of your friend that you are Durvies. Durvies haven’t been seen for hundreds of years. I cannot discern any deceit among him, nor you, so I will believe your innocence for now.” Tiyogi had complete control of himself, but his brother still seethed.
“We’re no plant loving Hauns elf. How dare you compare us to those low-lives? You have dishonored us. I challenge you to combat mortal.”
Aarden finally found his voice. “I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect. I really am innocent.”
Tiyogi helped his brother to a chair on the other side of the table and told him something in their tongue. Forn calmed down slightly, but continued to glare. Tiyogi returned to stand in front of Aarden.
“Consider yourself lucky. Forn would kill you before you could lift your sword. It’s only my curiosity that stays my own hand. We are returning from our sortie into the Dwarven lands and will soon be back with our unit. Your fate will be decided then.”
He whistled a high pitch noise and the two guards returned. Aarden’s arms were tied once again and he was led back to his cell. Aarden was becoming exhausted from all of his confusion.
He couldn’t remember much after the ambush. The blindfolds had been removed once they had been placed in a small, wooden cage. They were sharing it with a large, hairy man. The man was badly beaten, his arms still tied together.
The man was huge, a head taller than Aarden and weighing three times as much. His muscles showed through his loose fitting shirt. His hair was dark, greasy, and thick and continued down across his jaw. His hair was tied back in a tail and his beard also tied on his chin. His face was dirty and had the remains of blue paint, but sweat and weather had stripped most of it off. Despite his rough appearance, Aarden saw in the clear blue eyes compassion and humor.
As Aarden examined his cellmate, he suddenly realized that Spot and Vale were missing. He began looking panicked around the camp.
“Your friend was taken this morning,” the man rumbled. “He’ll be in the interrogation tent.” The man pointed with his head towards a large canvas tent on the other side of the camp.
“Both of them?”
“There was only one other person brought in with you last night. Perhaps you have someone out there to come free us.”
“My pet is the other. His name is Spot.”
Mace sat down rejected. He shook his head and began eating his dried bread.
“Where are you from lad,” Mace asked through his bread. He took a drink and water slid down his beard.
“Distrus, down by the Wall,” Aarden responded, looking uninterested at the bread.
“Never heard of it, but then again, I’ve never been to Epsil.”
“Epsil? I’ve never heard of Epsil.”
Mace gave Aarden a confused look and continued eating in silence. Aarden sat down and started munching on the dried bread. Mace continued chatting with him about the weather and the battle, but Aarden only seemed to confuse Mace more with his answers.
The sun began to beat down on the two prisoners. Aarden was suddenly aware that the sounds of battle had disappeared. A putrid smoke drifted through the camp, ‘from burning the Goblins’ bodies,’ Mace supplied.
Finally, Aarden saw guards bringing Vale back to the cage. Vale’s nose was bleeding and he was being carried, as if he was unconscious.
The guards poked swords through the prison bars to push Mace and Aarden away from the door. Once convinced, they opened the door and threw Vale to the ground. Aarden rushed over to him and helped him up.
Vale wasn’t unconscious, but he was weak. His hands were torn from where the ropes had bound his arms and his face was bruised from several punches.
To ease Aarden’s concern, Vale smiled. He looked over at Mace who smiled back.
“Nothing to worry about,” Mace said to Aarden. “They do this to all their prisoners. Most are eventually brought back. They’ll come for you tomorrow.”
“Did you see Spot,” Aarden asked as he helped Vale with his bread and water.
“What would they want with that Ingot,” Vale asked, wiping blood from his lip.
“Your pet is an Ingot?” Aarden and Vale turned, confused at Mace’s surprise. Mace saw their looks. “Ingots are rare around these parts. I’ve never heard of Humans making them pets.”
“There are hundreds in Durvy; nearly every noble family has them.” Aarden was beginning to tire of this game Mace was playing on them.
“Did you say Durvy? That explains a lot.”
“Of course we’re from Durvy,” Vale returned, irritated. “What do we look like?”
“Well, I can tell from your look, but the boy,” he nodded at Aarden, “he looks to be from Epsil all the way.”
A hundred questions were on Aarden’s lips, but the guards came and rattled the cage. Vale and Aarden silenced their questions for now.
* * *
Aarden was woken roughly as hands grabbed him and pulled him out of bed. He managed to get a look back at Mace who was awake, picking grass from the bottom of the cage. He gave a slight wave to Aarden before the guards threw Aarden into the tent he had seen earlier.
The tent was large, with a table and several chairs. Maps and messages were laid out for a future war meeting. Despite its large size, the tent felt stuffy. Several soldiers were there, waiting for orders. They heard Aarden dragged in and immediately pushed past him, out the tent’s door. The tall man who had captured Aarden was standing at the head of the table, next to someone who looked like a brother. The guards tied Aarden up quickly and then retreated out the tent door.
Aarden tried to get his head on straight as the brothers discussed something under their breath. Finally, the man who had captured Aarden came forward.
On seeing him closer, Aarden started to notice strange features of his captor. His skin seemed to shine with a silver hue and looked like it was pulled tight, especially his face. His hair was dark black, with a slight blue glow. Five small, tight braids ringed the right side of his head. Aarden realized he wasn’t really thin, in fact, he looked quite strong and muscular, but his body was long. His fingers were especially long and he was constantly moving them as he talked. The brother was smaller, thinner, less muscular, but all of his features were almost exactly the same.
The captor stared at Aarden for several intense moments. Finally, “you are a spy,” burst from his lips. Aarden just stared. The strange looking man let out a long sigh. “We captured you crossing our lines late two nights ago. You were armed and ready for combat. Your friend has already admitted to being a spy. If you corroborate his story, we will punish you lightly and release you.”
“We will cut off your hands instead of your head,” the brother stated, a little too matter-of-factly. The one Aarden had deemed as the older brother turned and glared at the younger. After several more tense moments, the older brother turned back to Aarden, waiting his answer. Aarden continued to remain silent.
A right hand snaked from the older interrogator and slapped Aarden roughly across the face. Lights flashed in his Aarden’s eyes and his head rocked back limp. He regained his balance and continued to stare at his captor. “Who are you,” Aarden finally croaked out.
“I will ask the questions,” the older brother punctuated with another slap. Aarden was prepared for this one however, and met it solidly.
“I am Aarden, son of Gosh and Genish, Lord and Lady of Distrus, commercial city of Durvy.” Aarden hadn’t recited his noble introduction for some time. It came out sounding more rehearsed than brave. The interrogator again stared for several moments and Aarden couldn’t return the stare.
“I am Tiyogi, Commander of the Left of the Paladin Irregulars,” the older brother sighed out. “I am the son of Ooroma and Chavan Gawa, knights of the mighty Kob Elf army. This is my brother Forn.”
The younger brother nodded with a sarcastic smile. “Nice to meet you.” Tiyogi glared at his brother once again.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that Humans would work as spies for Goblins, but nothing in this campaign has made sense. You will remain a prisoner until our priestess Crystal can glean your true nature.”
Aarden sat stunned. It suddenly hit him that they were waiting for him to respond. He finally shook himself out of it. “I’m sorry, did you say you were Elves; you live in trees and talk to animals?”
“You dare insult us like this,” Forn yelled, charging at Aarden. Tiyogi also jerked angrily towards Aarden, but stopped himself. He grabbed his brother before he strangled their captive. The outburst left Aarden even more stunned.
“I will forgive your disrespect on the claim of your friend that you are Durvies. Durvies haven’t been seen for hundreds of years. I cannot discern any deceit among him, nor you, so I will believe your innocence for now.” Tiyogi had complete control of himself, but his brother still seethed.
“We’re no plant loving Hauns elf. How dare you compare us to those low-lives? You have dishonored us. I challenge you to combat mortal.”
Aarden finally found his voice. “I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect. I really am innocent.”
Tiyogi helped his brother to a chair on the other side of the table and told him something in their tongue. Forn calmed down slightly, but continued to glare. Tiyogi returned to stand in front of Aarden.
“Consider yourself lucky. Forn would kill you before you could lift your sword. It’s only my curiosity that stays my own hand. We are returning from our sortie into the Dwarven lands and will soon be back with our unit. Your fate will be decided then.”
He whistled a high pitch noise and the two guards returned. Aarden’s arms were tied once again and he was led back to his cell. Aarden was becoming exhausted from all of his confusion.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Chapter 8
Vale and Aarden sat in their hollowed tree, bored. They had been listening to the battle noises all day. It was exciting to begin with, but now it had lulled them to distraction. Spot had performed all his tricks for them several times, Vale had tried to describe the battle from what he could hear, Aarden had even drawn Vale into a conversation about gardening.
Vale peaked out from the end of the tree regularly. When the Humans had led their ambush with the Dwarves, Vale had told Aarden the battle would soon be over. However, the Goblins had an ambush in place as well. The two sides had set up their battle lines and been slugging it out all day.
The Humans were the superior fighters and, with the Dwarves, had a substantial force. The Goblins however had thousands of warriors. As soon as a unit was defeated, two more came to take its place. The Goblins had threatened to overrun the Human lines several times, but the Humans always seemed to repulse it.
The Durvies had a belief that the wars outside the Wall had continued while they remained isolated from the world. Immediately after crossing through the Wall, Aarden and Vale found a battle.
Vale was itching to join the battle, but he knew they needed to lay low. Aarden was a weak fighter and was handicapped by protecting Spot. He also wanted to wait for Booruck. He had obviously been here before and could help with their current situation. But how was he going to find them hiding in this hollowed out tree.
The sun was beginning to set and Vale peaked out once again. The battle was beginning to die down and the lines were digging in for a night of respite. Vale started to dig in his pack for some food.
“It looks like they’re stopping for the night. We should try to get away while we can.”
Aarden nodded while yawning. Spot had settled down for an afternoon nap and whimpered in his sleep. Vale looked at his exhausted friends and slouched against the wall of the trunk. They didn’t have the energy to make the run tonight.
Vale again stuck his head out from the tree. The battle had almost completely died down and the battle ground had almost returned to a serene mountain field. He searched for a better hiding place. An outcropping of rocks stood on the Human’s right flank. They were isolated behind the Goblin’s lines but had a clear path towards the Humans. Vale sat back down and began sketching the path for Aarden.
* * *
After a short hour of sleep, Vale and Aarden finally left their wooden hideout. They ran crouched through the grass towards the outcropping. Goblin campfires signaled their borders, but Vale remained concerned about sentries.
They finally came upon the stream dividing the field. Vale grabbed Aarden’s shirt and pulled him back to the bushes edging the stream.
Vale crept carefully out into the gently running water. He crouched with his bow drawn and snuck to the opposite shore. He gestured for Aarden and Spot to follow.
Spot scampered noiselessly through the water. Aarden moved through the water slowly, but felt something brush against his leg. He bent over and felt for something, but couldn’t feel anything. Suddenly, a fire arrow shot over him, lighting up the stream. Aarden saw blood running through the stream. He froze as he saw it.
“What are you doing,” Vale yelled in a whisper.
Several more fire arrows arced over them as Human soldiers emerged from the bushes all around them. They quickly disarmed Vale and shoved Spot into a sack. Aarden continued to stand frozen in the center of the stream.
“Stand right there,” a large Human knight said. Aarden raised his hands with Vale.
They were quickly surrounded, tied, and gagged. Aarden tried to keep his bearings as he was shoved along, but the darkness soon confused him. He stumbled along behind Vale hearing Spot whining from the sack.
Vale peaked out from the end of the tree regularly. When the Humans had led their ambush with the Dwarves, Vale had told Aarden the battle would soon be over. However, the Goblins had an ambush in place as well. The two sides had set up their battle lines and been slugging it out all day.
The Humans were the superior fighters and, with the Dwarves, had a substantial force. The Goblins however had thousands of warriors. As soon as a unit was defeated, two more came to take its place. The Goblins had threatened to overrun the Human lines several times, but the Humans always seemed to repulse it.
The Durvies had a belief that the wars outside the Wall had continued while they remained isolated from the world. Immediately after crossing through the Wall, Aarden and Vale found a battle.
Vale was itching to join the battle, but he knew they needed to lay low. Aarden was a weak fighter and was handicapped by protecting Spot. He also wanted to wait for Booruck. He had obviously been here before and could help with their current situation. But how was he going to find them hiding in this hollowed out tree.
The sun was beginning to set and Vale peaked out once again. The battle was beginning to die down and the lines were digging in for a night of respite. Vale started to dig in his pack for some food.
“It looks like they’re stopping for the night. We should try to get away while we can.”
Aarden nodded while yawning. Spot had settled down for an afternoon nap and whimpered in his sleep. Vale looked at his exhausted friends and slouched against the wall of the trunk. They didn’t have the energy to make the run tonight.
Vale again stuck his head out from the tree. The battle had almost completely died down and the battle ground had almost returned to a serene mountain field. He searched for a better hiding place. An outcropping of rocks stood on the Human’s right flank. They were isolated behind the Goblin’s lines but had a clear path towards the Humans. Vale sat back down and began sketching the path for Aarden.
* * *
After a short hour of sleep, Vale and Aarden finally left their wooden hideout. They ran crouched through the grass towards the outcropping. Goblin campfires signaled their borders, but Vale remained concerned about sentries.
They finally came upon the stream dividing the field. Vale grabbed Aarden’s shirt and pulled him back to the bushes edging the stream.
Vale crept carefully out into the gently running water. He crouched with his bow drawn and snuck to the opposite shore. He gestured for Aarden and Spot to follow.
Spot scampered noiselessly through the water. Aarden moved through the water slowly, but felt something brush against his leg. He bent over and felt for something, but couldn’t feel anything. Suddenly, a fire arrow shot over him, lighting up the stream. Aarden saw blood running through the stream. He froze as he saw it.
“What are you doing,” Vale yelled in a whisper.
Several more fire arrows arced over them as Human soldiers emerged from the bushes all around them. They quickly disarmed Vale and shoved Spot into a sack. Aarden continued to stand frozen in the center of the stream.
“Stand right there,” a large Human knight said. Aarden raised his hands with Vale.
They were quickly surrounded, tied, and gagged. Aarden tried to keep his bearings as he was shoved along, but the darkness soon confused him. He stumbled along behind Vale hearing Spot whining from the sack.
Chapter 8
Vale and Aarden sat in their hollowed tree, bored. They had been listening to the battle noises all day. It was exciting to begin with, but now it had lulled them to distraction. Spot had performed all his tricks for them several times, Vale had tried to describe the battle from what he could hear, Aarden had even drawn Vale into a conversation about gardening.
Vale peaked out from the end of the tree regularly. When the Humans had led their ambush with the Dwarves, Vale had told Aarden the battle would soon be over. However, the Goblins had an ambush in place as well. The two sides had set up their battle lines and been slugging it out all day.
The Humans were the superior fighters and, with the Dwarves, had a substantial force. The Goblins however had thousands of warriors. As soon as a unit was defeated, two more came to take its place. The Goblins had threatened to overrun the Human lines several times, but the Humans always seemed to repulse it.
The Durvies had a belief that the wars outside the Wall had continued while they remained isolated from the world. Immediately after crossing through the Wall, Aarden and Vale found a battle.
Vale was itching to join the battle, but he knew they needed to lay low. Aarden was a weak fighter and was handicapped by protecting Spot. He also wanted to wait for Booruck. He had obviously been here before and could help with their current situation. But how was he going to find them hiding in this hollowed out tree.
The sun was beginning to set and Vale peaked out once again. The battle was beginning to die down and the lines were digging in for a night of respite. Vale started to dig in his pack for some food.
“It looks like they’re stopping for the night. We should try to get away while we can.”
Aarden nodded while yawning. Spot had settled down for an afternoon nap and whimpered in his sleep. Vale looked at his exhausted friends and slouched against the wall of the trunk. They didn’t have the energy to make the run tonight.
Vale again stuck his head out from the tree. The battle had almost completely died down and the battle ground had almost returned to a serene mountain field. He searched for a better hiding place. An outcropping of rocks stood on the Human’s right flank. They were isolated behind the Goblin’s lines but had a clear path towards the Humans. Vale sat back down and began sketching the path for Aarden.
* * *
After a short hour of sleep, Vale and Aarden finally left their wooden hideout. They ran crouched through the grass towards the outcropping. Goblin campfires signaled their borders, but Vale remained concerned about sentries.
They finally came upon the stream dividing the field. Vale grabbed Aarden’s shirt and pulled him back to the bushes edging the stream.
Vale crept carefully out into the gently running water. He crouched with his bow drawn and snuck to the opposite shore. He gestured for Aarden and Spot to follow.
Spot scampered noiselessly through the water. Aarden moved through the water slowly, but felt something brush against his leg. He bent over and felt for something, but couldn’t feel anything. Suddenly, a fire arrow shot over him, lighting up the stream. Aarden saw blood running through the stream. He froze as he saw it.
“What are you doing,” Vale yelled in a whisper.
Several more fire arrows arced over them as Human soldiers emerged from the bushes all around them. They quickly disarmed Vale and shoved Spot into a sack. Aarden continued to stand frozen in the center of the stream.
“Stand right there,” a large Human knight said. Aarden raised his hands with Vale.
They were quickly surrounded, tied, and gagged. Aarden tried to keep his bearings as he was shoved along, but the darkness soon confused him. He stumbled along behind Vale hearing Spot whining from the sack.
Vale peaked out from the end of the tree regularly. When the Humans had led their ambush with the Dwarves, Vale had told Aarden the battle would soon be over. However, the Goblins had an ambush in place as well. The two sides had set up their battle lines and been slugging it out all day.
The Humans were the superior fighters and, with the Dwarves, had a substantial force. The Goblins however had thousands of warriors. As soon as a unit was defeated, two more came to take its place. The Goblins had threatened to overrun the Human lines several times, but the Humans always seemed to repulse it.
The Durvies had a belief that the wars outside the Wall had continued while they remained isolated from the world. Immediately after crossing through the Wall, Aarden and Vale found a battle.
Vale was itching to join the battle, but he knew they needed to lay low. Aarden was a weak fighter and was handicapped by protecting Spot. He also wanted to wait for Booruck. He had obviously been here before and could help with their current situation. But how was he going to find them hiding in this hollowed out tree.
The sun was beginning to set and Vale peaked out once again. The battle was beginning to die down and the lines were digging in for a night of respite. Vale started to dig in his pack for some food.
“It looks like they’re stopping for the night. We should try to get away while we can.”
Aarden nodded while yawning. Spot had settled down for an afternoon nap and whimpered in his sleep. Vale looked at his exhausted friends and slouched against the wall of the trunk. They didn’t have the energy to make the run tonight.
Vale again stuck his head out from the tree. The battle had almost completely died down and the battle ground had almost returned to a serene mountain field. He searched for a better hiding place. An outcropping of rocks stood on the Human’s right flank. They were isolated behind the Goblin’s lines but had a clear path towards the Humans. Vale sat back down and began sketching the path for Aarden.
* * *
After a short hour of sleep, Vale and Aarden finally left their wooden hideout. They ran crouched through the grass towards the outcropping. Goblin campfires signaled their borders, but Vale remained concerned about sentries.
They finally came upon the stream dividing the field. Vale grabbed Aarden’s shirt and pulled him back to the bushes edging the stream.
Vale crept carefully out into the gently running water. He crouched with his bow drawn and snuck to the opposite shore. He gestured for Aarden and Spot to follow.
Spot scampered noiselessly through the water. Aarden moved through the water slowly, but felt something brush against his leg. He bent over and felt for something, but couldn’t feel anything. Suddenly, a fire arrow shot over him, lighting up the stream. Aarden saw blood running through the stream. He froze as he saw it.
“What are you doing,” Vale yelled in a whisper.
Several more fire arrows arced over them as Human soldiers emerged from the bushes all around them. They quickly disarmed Vale and shoved Spot into a sack. Aarden continued to stand frozen in the center of the stream.
“Stand right there,” a large Human knight said. Aarden raised his hands with Vale.
They were quickly surrounded, tied, and gagged. Aarden tried to keep his bearings as he was shoved along, but the darkness soon confused him. He stumbled along behind Vale hearing Spot whining from the sack.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Chapter 7
They camped in a cave a few miles after passing through the wall. Vale felt they could continue during the day, but Booruck insisted that they wait, at least a few hours. Aarden was almost dead on his feet and needed the break.
Vale stood guard while Booruck and Aarden lay down. Aarden struggled to stay awake but soon fell deeply into sleep.
Aarden was walking through a forest, a dagger drawn. He knew Vale was nearby with his bow, but couldn’t tell which direction. He began to panic.
Aarden began looking around frantic; then remembered what Vale had taught him. He concentrated on slowing down his heartbeat and began using his other senses. The forest smelled old, a deep pine scent flooded his mind. He closed his eyes to remove his sight from his mind.
Immediately he could feel a breeze against his face, it felt cooler than the other air around him. It was coming from the south and he began moving in that direction.
The smells became fresher, the pine forest drifting away. He soon came upon a clear mountain stream. It made him suddenly thirsty.
Aarden kneeled down and touched his fingertips to the water. The water was chilling, almost painful. Aarden looked upstream to see snow topping the nearby mountain peaks.
The sky was strangely bright and blue. He looked down at his hands again and found them a strange caramel color. The Durvy tan that had escaped him for so long had finally settled in his skin. Aarden finally dipped his hands into the water and took a drink.
The water cooled a rough fire in his throat. He felt it filling his almost empty stomach. He quickly dipped his hands back into the water.
Before he could bring the water back to his mouth, a trickle of blood slid into his hands. It whirled a moment and began intensifying.
Aarden quickly dropped the water and looked upstream again, seeing the blood sliding down the rocks. He crouched quickly and moved up the rocks.
The stream of blood became thicker as he got farther up the stream. The stream began moving to the west and slowing down.
Fear gripped Aarden as he began to round the corner. The water was deeper, diluting the blood in a small pool. He continued following the blood and started to climb a small drop. Almost at the top, he fell backwards into the small pool.
Aarden woke suddenly. The sun had begun its journey towards the horizon. Vale was asleep next to him and Booruck sat, hunched over at the mouth of the cave.
Booruck turned when he heard Aarden rising. His eyes seemed to glow a bright blue. Suddenly, he blinked and the blue light disappeared. Aarden tried to wipe the sleep out of his eyes. Booruck smiled a nervous smile and gestured for Aarden to move closer.
Outside the cave, Aarden saw an empty meadow. It looked peacefully quiet. The sky looked bigger, almost closer. As he looked closer, he could see a small green snake sliding through the grass.
“If we left now, we could be out before sunset,” Booruck said eerily. Aarden shuddered as he remembered the blue eyes he thought he saw.
“Out of where?”
Booruck looked at him a long time. The stare became uncomfortable. A chill slid through Aarden’s poncho and he shuddered again. Finally, Booruck broke his gaze.
“Out of Durvy territory. We’ll be in Dwarven territory soon.”
“Dwarves?” Aarden was suddenly excited. No Durvies ever went through the wall. Other races of creatures were legend in the school books he had read, but he thought it was only stories. Aarden looked to see if Booruck was teasing him, but there was no trace of kidding in his face.
They heard Vale begin to stir behind them. Booruck nodded and began gathering his equipment.
* * *
The group traveled north as the sun cut across the sky behind them. Booruck led them and Vale stayed on the lookout for game. Several times, Vale bounded into woods on the edge of the meadow they were traveling through. Booruck snatched and killed several snakes from the grass. He soon had a bag full of them and they decided to stop to eat. Vale added some dandelions and herbs to the snakes and they had snake and dandelion stew.
The sky continued get closer as the sun set deeper into the sky. It was nearly dark by the time they rejoined their journey.
Vale was enjoying this adventure. There was a light in his eyes that Aarden hadn’t seen since Vale was adventuring around the streets of Distrus as an orphan. Aarden had met Vale on one of these adventures. Vale broke into Aarden’s house to steal some food. Aarden had been sneaking some treats from the kitchen when Vale tumbled out of the pantry.
The two were instantly friends. Aarden took Vale in and shared his food and clothing. Vale took Aarden on his adventures, sneaking into the noble’s manors and sleeping in the fields and gardens. Aarden’s parents looked on the relationship with concern, but allowed the two to hang out together. They housed Vale and helped him find the ()s who fostered him. Vale strained at their rules and restrictions and it often got him beaten.
Vale was forced to abandon his adventures when the two got older. Girls soon replaced Vale’s love for adventure. He was at ease among the young Durvy women while Aarden was timid and awkward. Vale was attractive where Aarden was tall, clumsy, lanky and pale. However, Vale was an orphan, an inappropriate choice for a husband. Aarden’s family was noble and wealthy and the girls were more than willing to marry his name.
Aarden looked at his friend chasing after a rabbit. He took aim and fired, barely missing the rabbit as it went scurrying down a hole. Aarden retrieved his arrow and hurried back to the others, smiling.
Booruck however frowned at Vale. “We need to keep moving.”
“What’s the hurry? We’re free.”
“If you don’t remember,” Booruck barked, “we’re fugitive criminals. It won’t take them long to find their way through the Wall. If they catch us, they’ll execute us, including the farm boy.” Vale nodded quietly.
* * *
As the light from the sun vanished, Aarden had the sinking feeling that the sky was crowding even closer to them. It seemed to be a darker brown color and almost had a texture to it. Finally, Booruck stopped.
Vale and Aarden both stared in wonder at a hole in a mountain side. The mountain had come from no where. Vale looked up, trying to see the top of it, but it just blended into the sky.
“This is amazing,” Vale whispered. Booruck smirked as he ducked into the hole. Vale and Aarden looked at each other and smiled, diving in after him.
The hole turned out to be a tunnel. Booruck barely fit through, his shoulders brushing the ceiling. After a while struggling through, the cave got smaller. The three were forced to crawl. Finally, Booruck pushed through an exit, hidden by a thick bush.
Aarden found himself on a hillside. He turned around and saw a huge mountain behind him. The sky was dark black with pinpoint stars throughout. Aarden felt suddenly small and insignificant. The air was thin and cold. All the smells of Durvy rushed away from him.
Vale staggered from the hole and Aarden saw the same effects attacking him. Booruck on the other hand stretched and smiled. The relief was apparent on his face; he clearly felt they had passed beyond the reach of the Durvies.
“We’ll camp here,” Booruck said, starting to unpack. Vale and Aarden looked at each other, confused.
“I thought we wanted to travel at night,” Vale asked, “we’ve been traveling only a few hours.”
“You two need to become accustomed to the outside world before we move on.”
“The outside world,” Aarden asked.
“You’ll understand in the morning. I’ll stand watch tonight, you two get to sleep.” Booruck began building a small fire as Vale and Aarden, still reluctant, unrolled their beds.
Vale suddenly tensed. A rustling came from the leaves of the bush they had just pushed through. Aarden looked at Vale concerned. They both looked at Booruck who was oblivious. Vale loaded his bow and Aarden drew his sword. They crept closer to the bush. Spot suddenly exploded through the bush. Booruck heard and jumped on the Ingot. He held spot up by the neck, his sword drawn.
Aarden knocked the sword away and pulled Spot away from Booruck.
“What is this,” Booruck sneered. “We’re being followed by this mongrel?”
“He’s mine. He must have followed us from the house.” Spot climbed onto Aarden’s shoulder and grunted at Booruck.
“I forgot the Durvies’ love for their pet Ingots.”
Booruck sheathed his sword and returned to squatting on his rock. Vale settled down into his bedroll and was soon asleep. Aarden stared at the back of Booruck for a long time while Spot nibbled on some berries Aarden had brought along. Aarden had always assumed Booruck was a Durvy, even though his appearance was different. Aarden was different, but he was still a Durvy. How had Booruck known his way through the Wall, what was he, was he some sort of spy? Aarden’s distrust of this creature was growing deeper.
* * *
Aarden was suddenly awoken by strange sounds. Vale was awake, watching through the bushes. Booruck was no where to be seen. Aarden jumped up, scrambling for his dagger. He finally found him and rushed over to Vale.
Realization suddenly hit Aarden. The sky was bright blue and light flooded in from everywhere. Aarden was overwhelmed by the space around him.
They had camped on the foothills of the mountain Aarden had seen the night before. The hill overlooked a large valley pock-marked by clumps of trees. A small river wound its way through the valley. Everything was overwhelmingly green.
Finally, Aarden located the source of the loud noises. A unit of soldiers was dug in between several groups of trees. Tribes of goblins were attacking from all sides. They were throwing themselves against the works, their bodies piling up.
“Vale,” Aarden whispered quietly, “what do we do?”
“We need to get inside that wall I think.”
Aarden looked around for some sort of answer. Spot was on edge, watching the mountain behind him. Aarden followed his eyes and saw troops restlessly hidden among the rocks. He grabbed Vale’s arm and pointed into the hlls. Vale quickly saw what Aarden was pointing at.
“Whose side are they on?” Vale strained his eyes to see the warriors. Aarden finally got a good look at one of them.
“They look like Dwarves; at least what I think a Dwarf would look like.”
“I think that means they’re probably with the Humans, but I didn’t think Dwarves were warlike.”
Spot suddenly let out a strange cry. Aarden had never heard him make a noise like that before. Spot started throwing rocks at the hidden Dwarven units. Vale hurried over to Spot, grabbing him and slapping his hand over the Ingot’s mouth.
A Human ambush unit suddenly appeared on all sides of the hill. Vale, still holding spot, ducked into a bush. Aarden tripped backwards and rolled down the side of the hill, rolling through the ambush line.
Aarden stopped and waited, but the soldiers didn’t come after him. The unit rushed towards the center defenses, smashing the goblin tribes against the defended Human center.
Vale appeared at Aarden’s side and dragged him back into cover. They crawled through the bushes until Vale found a fallen tree. They climbed into its hollowed out trunk and laid quietly, listening to the battle sounds around them.
Vale stood guard while Booruck and Aarden lay down. Aarden struggled to stay awake but soon fell deeply into sleep.
Aarden was walking through a forest, a dagger drawn. He knew Vale was nearby with his bow, but couldn’t tell which direction. He began to panic.
Aarden began looking around frantic; then remembered what Vale had taught him. He concentrated on slowing down his heartbeat and began using his other senses. The forest smelled old, a deep pine scent flooded his mind. He closed his eyes to remove his sight from his mind.
Immediately he could feel a breeze against his face, it felt cooler than the other air around him. It was coming from the south and he began moving in that direction.
The smells became fresher, the pine forest drifting away. He soon came upon a clear mountain stream. It made him suddenly thirsty.
Aarden kneeled down and touched his fingertips to the water. The water was chilling, almost painful. Aarden looked upstream to see snow topping the nearby mountain peaks.
The sky was strangely bright and blue. He looked down at his hands again and found them a strange caramel color. The Durvy tan that had escaped him for so long had finally settled in his skin. Aarden finally dipped his hands into the water and took a drink.
The water cooled a rough fire in his throat. He felt it filling his almost empty stomach. He quickly dipped his hands back into the water.
Before he could bring the water back to his mouth, a trickle of blood slid into his hands. It whirled a moment and began intensifying.
Aarden quickly dropped the water and looked upstream again, seeing the blood sliding down the rocks. He crouched quickly and moved up the rocks.
The stream of blood became thicker as he got farther up the stream. The stream began moving to the west and slowing down.
Fear gripped Aarden as he began to round the corner. The water was deeper, diluting the blood in a small pool. He continued following the blood and started to climb a small drop. Almost at the top, he fell backwards into the small pool.
Aarden woke suddenly. The sun had begun its journey towards the horizon. Vale was asleep next to him and Booruck sat, hunched over at the mouth of the cave.
Booruck turned when he heard Aarden rising. His eyes seemed to glow a bright blue. Suddenly, he blinked and the blue light disappeared. Aarden tried to wipe the sleep out of his eyes. Booruck smiled a nervous smile and gestured for Aarden to move closer.
Outside the cave, Aarden saw an empty meadow. It looked peacefully quiet. The sky looked bigger, almost closer. As he looked closer, he could see a small green snake sliding through the grass.
“If we left now, we could be out before sunset,” Booruck said eerily. Aarden shuddered as he remembered the blue eyes he thought he saw.
“Out of where?”
Booruck looked at him a long time. The stare became uncomfortable. A chill slid through Aarden’s poncho and he shuddered again. Finally, Booruck broke his gaze.
“Out of Durvy territory. We’ll be in Dwarven territory soon.”
“Dwarves?” Aarden was suddenly excited. No Durvies ever went through the wall. Other races of creatures were legend in the school books he had read, but he thought it was only stories. Aarden looked to see if Booruck was teasing him, but there was no trace of kidding in his face.
They heard Vale begin to stir behind them. Booruck nodded and began gathering his equipment.
* * *
The group traveled north as the sun cut across the sky behind them. Booruck led them and Vale stayed on the lookout for game. Several times, Vale bounded into woods on the edge of the meadow they were traveling through. Booruck snatched and killed several snakes from the grass. He soon had a bag full of them and they decided to stop to eat. Vale added some dandelions and herbs to the snakes and they had snake and dandelion stew.
The sky continued get closer as the sun set deeper into the sky. It was nearly dark by the time they rejoined their journey.
Vale was enjoying this adventure. There was a light in his eyes that Aarden hadn’t seen since Vale was adventuring around the streets of Distrus as an orphan. Aarden had met Vale on one of these adventures. Vale broke into Aarden’s house to steal some food. Aarden had been sneaking some treats from the kitchen when Vale tumbled out of the pantry.
The two were instantly friends. Aarden took Vale in and shared his food and clothing. Vale took Aarden on his adventures, sneaking into the noble’s manors and sleeping in the fields and gardens. Aarden’s parents looked on the relationship with concern, but allowed the two to hang out together. They housed Vale and helped him find the ()s who fostered him. Vale strained at their rules and restrictions and it often got him beaten.
Vale was forced to abandon his adventures when the two got older. Girls soon replaced Vale’s love for adventure. He was at ease among the young Durvy women while Aarden was timid and awkward. Vale was attractive where Aarden was tall, clumsy, lanky and pale. However, Vale was an orphan, an inappropriate choice for a husband. Aarden’s family was noble and wealthy and the girls were more than willing to marry his name.
Aarden looked at his friend chasing after a rabbit. He took aim and fired, barely missing the rabbit as it went scurrying down a hole. Aarden retrieved his arrow and hurried back to the others, smiling.
Booruck however frowned at Vale. “We need to keep moving.”
“What’s the hurry? We’re free.”
“If you don’t remember,” Booruck barked, “we’re fugitive criminals. It won’t take them long to find their way through the Wall. If they catch us, they’ll execute us, including the farm boy.” Vale nodded quietly.
* * *
As the light from the sun vanished, Aarden had the sinking feeling that the sky was crowding even closer to them. It seemed to be a darker brown color and almost had a texture to it. Finally, Booruck stopped.
Vale and Aarden both stared in wonder at a hole in a mountain side. The mountain had come from no where. Vale looked up, trying to see the top of it, but it just blended into the sky.
“This is amazing,” Vale whispered. Booruck smirked as he ducked into the hole. Vale and Aarden looked at each other and smiled, diving in after him.
The hole turned out to be a tunnel. Booruck barely fit through, his shoulders brushing the ceiling. After a while struggling through, the cave got smaller. The three were forced to crawl. Finally, Booruck pushed through an exit, hidden by a thick bush.
Aarden found himself on a hillside. He turned around and saw a huge mountain behind him. The sky was dark black with pinpoint stars throughout. Aarden felt suddenly small and insignificant. The air was thin and cold. All the smells of Durvy rushed away from him.
Vale staggered from the hole and Aarden saw the same effects attacking him. Booruck on the other hand stretched and smiled. The relief was apparent on his face; he clearly felt they had passed beyond the reach of the Durvies.
“We’ll camp here,” Booruck said, starting to unpack. Vale and Aarden looked at each other, confused.
“I thought we wanted to travel at night,” Vale asked, “we’ve been traveling only a few hours.”
“You two need to become accustomed to the outside world before we move on.”
“The outside world,” Aarden asked.
“You’ll understand in the morning. I’ll stand watch tonight, you two get to sleep.” Booruck began building a small fire as Vale and Aarden, still reluctant, unrolled their beds.
Vale suddenly tensed. A rustling came from the leaves of the bush they had just pushed through. Aarden looked at Vale concerned. They both looked at Booruck who was oblivious. Vale loaded his bow and Aarden drew his sword. They crept closer to the bush. Spot suddenly exploded through the bush. Booruck heard and jumped on the Ingot. He held spot up by the neck, his sword drawn.
Aarden knocked the sword away and pulled Spot away from Booruck.
“What is this,” Booruck sneered. “We’re being followed by this mongrel?”
“He’s mine. He must have followed us from the house.” Spot climbed onto Aarden’s shoulder and grunted at Booruck.
“I forgot the Durvies’ love for their pet Ingots.”
Booruck sheathed his sword and returned to squatting on his rock. Vale settled down into his bedroll and was soon asleep. Aarden stared at the back of Booruck for a long time while Spot nibbled on some berries Aarden had brought along. Aarden had always assumed Booruck was a Durvy, even though his appearance was different. Aarden was different, but he was still a Durvy. How had Booruck known his way through the Wall, what was he, was he some sort of spy? Aarden’s distrust of this creature was growing deeper.
* * *
Aarden was suddenly awoken by strange sounds. Vale was awake, watching through the bushes. Booruck was no where to be seen. Aarden jumped up, scrambling for his dagger. He finally found him and rushed over to Vale.
Realization suddenly hit Aarden. The sky was bright blue and light flooded in from everywhere. Aarden was overwhelmed by the space around him.
They had camped on the foothills of the mountain Aarden had seen the night before. The hill overlooked a large valley pock-marked by clumps of trees. A small river wound its way through the valley. Everything was overwhelmingly green.
Finally, Aarden located the source of the loud noises. A unit of soldiers was dug in between several groups of trees. Tribes of goblins were attacking from all sides. They were throwing themselves against the works, their bodies piling up.
“Vale,” Aarden whispered quietly, “what do we do?”
“We need to get inside that wall I think.”
Aarden looked around for some sort of answer. Spot was on edge, watching the mountain behind him. Aarden followed his eyes and saw troops restlessly hidden among the rocks. He grabbed Vale’s arm and pointed into the hlls. Vale quickly saw what Aarden was pointing at.
“Whose side are they on?” Vale strained his eyes to see the warriors. Aarden finally got a good look at one of them.
“They look like Dwarves; at least what I think a Dwarf would look like.”
“I think that means they’re probably with the Humans, but I didn’t think Dwarves were warlike.”
Spot suddenly let out a strange cry. Aarden had never heard him make a noise like that before. Spot started throwing rocks at the hidden Dwarven units. Vale hurried over to Spot, grabbing him and slapping his hand over the Ingot’s mouth.
A Human ambush unit suddenly appeared on all sides of the hill. Vale, still holding spot, ducked into a bush. Aarden tripped backwards and rolled down the side of the hill, rolling through the ambush line.
Aarden stopped and waited, but the soldiers didn’t come after him. The unit rushed towards the center defenses, smashing the goblin tribes against the defended Human center.
Vale appeared at Aarden’s side and dragged him back into cover. They crawled through the bushes until Vale found a fallen tree. They climbed into its hollowed out trunk and laid quietly, listening to the battle sounds around them.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Book I Chapter 6
The two friends hurried through the courtyard. They entered the main building, grabbing a knapsack full of food that Aarden had left tucked in a dark alcove.
“You were planning this?” Vale asked, smirking.
“Just in case,” Aarden smirked back.
Aarden pulled an empty sack out of the knapsack and grabbed some pieces of art and jewelry that was lying around the entranceway. Vale gave him a confused look.
“She’ll never miss it,” Aarden said in a rush. “We’ll need money eventually.”
He handed the bag to Vale and they ran out together. Vale’s horse was tied up next to a beautiful brown stallion. The horse snorted wildly and Aarden cast a worried look at Vale.
“It was the only one I could find,” Vale shrugged, concerned.
“It’ll be fine,” Aarden said. He stepped over to the horse and touched his hand to its nose. The horse immediately calmed and climbed onto the horse’s back.
* * *
Several miles outside the city walls, Vale began to slow. A grove of trees stood on top of a hill, overlooking the road. Aarden began looking nervously around, but Vale turned his horse off the road and started up the hill.
Aarden’s eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and he soon found the dark shape of Booruck on a large black warhorse. He exchanged some quick words with Vale and they started at a gallop out the other side of the grove.
Booruck allowed Vale to take the lead and dropped back to talk to Aarden. The farm boy was still uneasy with this smooth dark man. Booruck smiled his crooked smile as they sized each other up.
“I want to thank you for your help with the escape,” Booruck finally said. His voice sounded loud in the nightly quiet. Aarden glanced to see if anyone was around to hear. “Vale told me how much you helped, and at a great deal of sacrifice to yourself. I understand how difficult it must be for you to be here tonight.”
“I’m here for Vale,” Aarden said kindly. “He is my brother.”
“Yes, Vale has told me of your devotion towards each other. Be careful. I’m afraid that it may one day get in the way of your duty.”
Aarden looked at Booruck out of the corner of his eye. Who was this being who felt it his place to pass judgment on his friendship with Vale. Booruck’s dark complexion was exaggerated by the darkness. Aarden suddenly realized how well he could see, even though there was no moonlight. The sky seemed to have a pale brown light glowing from it, as if it was early morning.
Booruck saw Aarden’s confusion and smiled. “The sky has a natural light here close to the Wall.”
“The Wall? Where is it? How close are we?”
Booruck pointed ahead of them. Aarden could just see a large structure at the top of a distant hill. He stared expectantly, but was distracted when Vale suddenly held up his hand. They stopped as Vale slid off his horse.
Vale clicked at his horse as he let her go and the obedient mare quietly trotted back to Aarden and Booruck while Vale crept quietly forward. Aarden held his breath as he watched. Booruck’s hand was on his sword, and Aarden did likewise.
Soon, Vale crawled back to Aarden and Booruck. His face was distressed.
“There is a patrol camped ahead. They’re blocking the road and the terrain looks dangerous around them. I just don’t know this area.”
“We can’t afford a confrontation,” Booruck whispered back. “We need to find a way around.”
“Wouldn’t it be best if we waited until they went to sleep,” Aarden joined.
“They’ll have sentries-.”
“But a few is easier to sneak through than a patrol,” Booruck interrupted Vale. Vale nodded and pulled a blanket out of his saddle. Booruck did likewise and started wrapping it around his saddle. Aarden saw how it kept the buckles on the saddles quiet and copied his companions.
When they were done, all three crept to the outlook and spied on the patrol camp. Vale discussed the camp’s strengths and weaknesses with Booruck. Aarden tried to pay attention but soon drifted to sleep.
* * *
Vale shook Aarden awake. Aarden quickly got his bearings and noticed Booruck was missing. Vale put his finger to his lips and pointed down at the camp. Aarden looked carefully and found Booruck creeping towards a sentry. Aarden jumped, but Vale put his hand over Aarden’s mouth. He pointed again as Booruck passed silently past the sleeping sentry; then turned and waved Vale and Aarden down.
When they got to the camp, Booruck pointed at a sentry sleeping on the other side of camp and made a motion with his hand. Vale nodded and passed the gesture on to Aarden. Aarden nodded, confused, merely copying Vale.
As they passed through the camp, Aarden glanced down at the sleeping soldiers. They all were wearing white armor with lion symbols on the breastplates. The shadows cast a red hue on everything; the fire had died to burning embers.
Aarden finally relaxed once they passed the outer sentries. These were awake and alert, but Vale and Booruck guided Aarden through silently.
Once out of earshot, Vale let out his breath and smiled. They all began undoing the blankets on the saddles, breathing easier.
“Did you see their breastplates?” Vale finally asked, breaking the silence. “They were elite guards.”
“That shows the state of the army here,” Booruck laughed. “The Durvies could be taken by a single tribe of Ingots.”
Aarden felt ashamed. Only a few months ago, those same criticisms had come from him. Coming from Booruck, they felt more derisive, even condemning.
As Aarden began dwelling on his suspicions of Booruck, Vale stole his attention as he gasped and pointed. Aarden looked up quickly to see the Wall looming before them. They had failed to realize how far they had gone in silence, creeping through the patrol camp. They were now less than a mile away from the base of the enormous structure.
“That must have been the famed wall guard,” Booruck said sarcastically, looking back at the glow of the fire pit. “We shouldn’t have much more of a problem with the military.”
“Where do we go from here?” Vale finished packing his blanket and snacked on a piece of dried fruit they had raided from Aarden’s kitchen.
“About a mile to the left of here, we’ll find a crack in the wall. I’m afraid we’ll have to go on foot from there.”
“The horses should be able to find their way back to Aarden’s manor,” Vale said, more to quell his own fears. Booruck nodded and then began leading them along the Wall.
Aarden glanced up at the massive structure. The Wall stood over ten times higher than Aarden. He had to look nearly straight up to see the top. Soldiers had once stood guard at the top of the Wall, but defenses had become lax after years of peace.
The Wall was gateless, windowless, with a dozen sets of stairs running up to the top. The rocks had been cut from the mountains surrounding the then hamlet of villages. Once the Durvies trusted the Wall, the villages quickly became cities until they developed into the metropolises they were now.Booruck snapped Aarden out of his thoughts. At the bottom of the wall was a large boulder. It looked like it had fallen out of the wall, but it still blocked most of the hole. Aarden squeezed his body through the gap and found an equivalent crack on the other side. Booruck followed closely behind. Vale took the gear from the horses and slapped their rears, sending them home. Then he too pushed himself through the gaps
“You were planning this?” Vale asked, smirking.
“Just in case,” Aarden smirked back.
Aarden pulled an empty sack out of the knapsack and grabbed some pieces of art and jewelry that was lying around the entranceway. Vale gave him a confused look.
“She’ll never miss it,” Aarden said in a rush. “We’ll need money eventually.”
He handed the bag to Vale and they ran out together. Vale’s horse was tied up next to a beautiful brown stallion. The horse snorted wildly and Aarden cast a worried look at Vale.
“It was the only one I could find,” Vale shrugged, concerned.
“It’ll be fine,” Aarden said. He stepped over to the horse and touched his hand to its nose. The horse immediately calmed and climbed onto the horse’s back.
* * *
Several miles outside the city walls, Vale began to slow. A grove of trees stood on top of a hill, overlooking the road. Aarden began looking nervously around, but Vale turned his horse off the road and started up the hill.
Aarden’s eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and he soon found the dark shape of Booruck on a large black warhorse. He exchanged some quick words with Vale and they started at a gallop out the other side of the grove.
Booruck allowed Vale to take the lead and dropped back to talk to Aarden. The farm boy was still uneasy with this smooth dark man. Booruck smiled his crooked smile as they sized each other up.
“I want to thank you for your help with the escape,” Booruck finally said. His voice sounded loud in the nightly quiet. Aarden glanced to see if anyone was around to hear. “Vale told me how much you helped, and at a great deal of sacrifice to yourself. I understand how difficult it must be for you to be here tonight.”
“I’m here for Vale,” Aarden said kindly. “He is my brother.”
“Yes, Vale has told me of your devotion towards each other. Be careful. I’m afraid that it may one day get in the way of your duty.”
Aarden looked at Booruck out of the corner of his eye. Who was this being who felt it his place to pass judgment on his friendship with Vale. Booruck’s dark complexion was exaggerated by the darkness. Aarden suddenly realized how well he could see, even though there was no moonlight. The sky seemed to have a pale brown light glowing from it, as if it was early morning.
Booruck saw Aarden’s confusion and smiled. “The sky has a natural light here close to the Wall.”
“The Wall? Where is it? How close are we?”
Booruck pointed ahead of them. Aarden could just see a large structure at the top of a distant hill. He stared expectantly, but was distracted when Vale suddenly held up his hand. They stopped as Vale slid off his horse.
Vale clicked at his horse as he let her go and the obedient mare quietly trotted back to Aarden and Booruck while Vale crept quietly forward. Aarden held his breath as he watched. Booruck’s hand was on his sword, and Aarden did likewise.
Soon, Vale crawled back to Aarden and Booruck. His face was distressed.
“There is a patrol camped ahead. They’re blocking the road and the terrain looks dangerous around them. I just don’t know this area.”
“We can’t afford a confrontation,” Booruck whispered back. “We need to find a way around.”
“Wouldn’t it be best if we waited until they went to sleep,” Aarden joined.
“They’ll have sentries-.”
“But a few is easier to sneak through than a patrol,” Booruck interrupted Vale. Vale nodded and pulled a blanket out of his saddle. Booruck did likewise and started wrapping it around his saddle. Aarden saw how it kept the buckles on the saddles quiet and copied his companions.
When they were done, all three crept to the outlook and spied on the patrol camp. Vale discussed the camp’s strengths and weaknesses with Booruck. Aarden tried to pay attention but soon drifted to sleep.
* * *
Vale shook Aarden awake. Aarden quickly got his bearings and noticed Booruck was missing. Vale put his finger to his lips and pointed down at the camp. Aarden looked carefully and found Booruck creeping towards a sentry. Aarden jumped, but Vale put his hand over Aarden’s mouth. He pointed again as Booruck passed silently past the sleeping sentry; then turned and waved Vale and Aarden down.
When they got to the camp, Booruck pointed at a sentry sleeping on the other side of camp and made a motion with his hand. Vale nodded and passed the gesture on to Aarden. Aarden nodded, confused, merely copying Vale.
As they passed through the camp, Aarden glanced down at the sleeping soldiers. They all were wearing white armor with lion symbols on the breastplates. The shadows cast a red hue on everything; the fire had died to burning embers.
Aarden finally relaxed once they passed the outer sentries. These were awake and alert, but Vale and Booruck guided Aarden through silently.
Once out of earshot, Vale let out his breath and smiled. They all began undoing the blankets on the saddles, breathing easier.
“Did you see their breastplates?” Vale finally asked, breaking the silence. “They were elite guards.”
“That shows the state of the army here,” Booruck laughed. “The Durvies could be taken by a single tribe of Ingots.”
Aarden felt ashamed. Only a few months ago, those same criticisms had come from him. Coming from Booruck, they felt more derisive, even condemning.
As Aarden began dwelling on his suspicions of Booruck, Vale stole his attention as he gasped and pointed. Aarden looked up quickly to see the Wall looming before them. They had failed to realize how far they had gone in silence, creeping through the patrol camp. They were now less than a mile away from the base of the enormous structure.
“That must have been the famed wall guard,” Booruck said sarcastically, looking back at the glow of the fire pit. “We shouldn’t have much more of a problem with the military.”
“Where do we go from here?” Vale finished packing his blanket and snacked on a piece of dried fruit they had raided from Aarden’s kitchen.
“About a mile to the left of here, we’ll find a crack in the wall. I’m afraid we’ll have to go on foot from there.”
“The horses should be able to find their way back to Aarden’s manor,” Vale said, more to quell his own fears. Booruck nodded and then began leading them along the Wall.
Aarden glanced up at the massive structure. The Wall stood over ten times higher than Aarden. He had to look nearly straight up to see the top. Soldiers had once stood guard at the top of the Wall, but defenses had become lax after years of peace.
The Wall was gateless, windowless, with a dozen sets of stairs running up to the top. The rocks had been cut from the mountains surrounding the then hamlet of villages. Once the Durvies trusted the Wall, the villages quickly became cities until they developed into the metropolises they were now.Booruck snapped Aarden out of his thoughts. At the bottom of the wall was a large boulder. It looked like it had fallen out of the wall, but it still blocked most of the hole. Aarden squeezed his body through the gap and found an equivalent crack on the other side. Booruck followed closely behind. Vale took the gear from the horses and slapped their rears, sending them home. Then he too pushed himself through the gaps
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Chapter 5
Aarden lay awake in his bed. He was back in his mother’s manor, in his old bed. Spot lay whimpering, curled around his feet. The dream had been once again bad, but it had ended early as he tried to remember what had woken him.
Aarden had been watching the calendar carefully. Vale had said he would attempt the breakout when the moon died and before the new moon was born. The moon had died two nights ago, but no word of a breakout or an attempted breakout had reached Distrus.
A noise suddenly alerted Aarden. There was a scratching sound outside his window. Spot heard it too and crawled over to the window.
Aarden quickly climbed out of bed and went to the window. He opened it expectantly and pulled Vale up into his room.
Vale looked worn. To have gotten here after attempting the escape, Vale would have had to ride day and night. His shirt was dirty and torn, his hair was matted with blood, a sword was strapped to his leg, and the quiver that was strung to his back was only half full. Aarden hurriedly grabbed a wash basin and handed it to Vale. Vale looked at it and set it aside.
“I’ve ridden all day and night. Booruck is outside the city. He’s injured.”
“What do you need?”
“Come with me Aarden.” Vale had a wild look in his eyes.
“What happened,” Aarden finally asked.
“They were waiting for us. Someone tipped them off. They were guarding all the entrances and passageways you told me about.”
“How many were killed?”
“All of them; nine guards in all.”
Aarden went flush and sat down hard on his bed. Vale moved over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m an outlaw now my friend,” Vale said calmly. “I have to leave and can never come back. I need your help. Please come with me.”
“Why do you need me?”
Vale looked at Aarden, his proud and confident demeanor fleeing his appearance. He finally looked defeated.
“You’re my only friend, the only person I trust. You’ve always been my friend, even when I was an orphan. Your family has been my family, your life, my life.”
“What about my mother?”
Vale turned back to the window, frustrated. “Your mother doesn’t need you. You cling to her like a little boy. Grow up Aarden, it’s time to go.”
Aarden stared at the back of Vale for a long time. Vale stared back. Aarden finally pulled a loaded bag from under his bed and climbed out the window as Vale stood, stunned.
Aarden had been watching the calendar carefully. Vale had said he would attempt the breakout when the moon died and before the new moon was born. The moon had died two nights ago, but no word of a breakout or an attempted breakout had reached Distrus.
A noise suddenly alerted Aarden. There was a scratching sound outside his window. Spot heard it too and crawled over to the window.
Aarden quickly climbed out of bed and went to the window. He opened it expectantly and pulled Vale up into his room.
Vale looked worn. To have gotten here after attempting the escape, Vale would have had to ride day and night. His shirt was dirty and torn, his hair was matted with blood, a sword was strapped to his leg, and the quiver that was strung to his back was only half full. Aarden hurriedly grabbed a wash basin and handed it to Vale. Vale looked at it and set it aside.
“I’ve ridden all day and night. Booruck is outside the city. He’s injured.”
“What do you need?”
“Come with me Aarden.” Vale had a wild look in his eyes.
“What happened,” Aarden finally asked.
“They were waiting for us. Someone tipped them off. They were guarding all the entrances and passageways you told me about.”
“How many were killed?”
“All of them; nine guards in all.”
Aarden went flush and sat down hard on his bed. Vale moved over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m an outlaw now my friend,” Vale said calmly. “I have to leave and can never come back. I need your help. Please come with me.”
“Why do you need me?”
Vale looked at Aarden, his proud and confident demeanor fleeing his appearance. He finally looked defeated.
“You’re my only friend, the only person I trust. You’ve always been my friend, even when I was an orphan. Your family has been my family, your life, my life.”
“What about my mother?”
Vale turned back to the window, frustrated. “Your mother doesn’t need you. You cling to her like a little boy. Grow up Aarden, it’s time to go.”
Aarden stared at the back of Vale for a long time. Vale stared back. Aarden finally pulled a loaded bag from under his bed and climbed out the window as Vale stood, stunned.
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