Awakening (Telindell Book 1) (23 page)

“Aren’t you just full of optimism.” Sarath rolled her eyes again.

“Let’s not let this horse go to waste.  I don’t really have any other food,” he said.

Sarath glanced between the butchered horse and Lian for moment.  She finally settled her gaze upon Lian.  “You’re not serious, are you?”

Lian looked to Kane.  “It can’t be that bad.”

Kane licked his chops and looked at the horse.

Sarath’s mouth dropped open.  “Ugh, you are serious.”

Lian knelt and searched the bodies of the two slain men.  Sarath approached the fire and looked at a hunk of horse meat roasting on a stick.  She took a deep breath and slowly looked away, closing her eyes.  “Seems they already started cooking our meal.”

“Good,” he said.  “I found a few drinks of water.  Not much, but enough to fight off thirst for a few hours.”

Sarath sat next to fire.  Lian sat down next to her.  He looked to Kane.  “Go ahead Kane.  There is plenty here for me and her.”

Sarath watched as Kane trotted happily to the horse and started eating.  She looked to Lian with confusion.  “He understood you?  Clearly?”

“You noticed that?” he asked.  “He understands you, too.”

Sarath shifted her gaze to Kane.  “How?”

“He’s one of a kind,” he said, giving her a half-smile.  “My oldest friend.  He’s been with me since I was twelve.”

“I don’t see how you could befriend a wolf,” she said, still with a puzzled look.

“He befriended me.  I owe him my life,” he said.

Sarath leaned over to Lian.  “Sounds like an interesting story.”

Lian remained quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath.  “One for another time.”

Sarath looked at Lian closely.  She had wronged him, and yet he had still saved her from certain death.  Now he was showing her kindness.  Kindness she had never been shown by a man before.

“His name is Kane?” she asked, watching the wolf.  “Did you name him?”

“No, someone else did,” he said.

Sarath leaned in a little closer.  “Who?”

Lian stared blankly at the fire.  “Someone very old.”

Sarath took a deep frustrated breath.  “Who?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said.

Sarath pulled away from Lian and turned her nose up smugly.  “Is that the answer you give when you don’t want to answer a question?”

Lian glanced at Sarath and reached for the roasting meat.  “Maybe it’s the answer I give to someone I don’t fully trust.”

Sarath dropped her head.  “I can’t blame you for not trusting me.”  She looked over to him.  “You have done nothing but help me.  Since the moment you laid eyes on me… and I’ve done nothing but wrong you.”

Lian smirked at her.  “I wouldn’t say it was all wrong.”

Sarath lightly smiled and blushed slightly.  She scooted closer to him.  “I guess if there was a right moment, it was that night.”  She looked to Lian.  “You know you were the first--”

Lian looked to Sarath and interrupted with, “I thought you did that sort of thing for a living?”

Sarath glared at him and looked away.  “The first to not pay… or take it.”

Lian’s eyes widened. “I’m… I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to be rude.”

Sarath frowned and shook her head.  She stood and walked slowly to the tree, sitting down with her back against it.  She brought her knees to her chest and looked over to Lian.  “I’m not hungry.  It’s only a few hours until nightfall.  I’m going to sleep.”

Lian looked back to Sarath.  He dropped his head when he saw the familiar position she had taken.  “You know… you were my first… ever.”

Sarath looked up and slightly grinned.  “From that night, I never would’ve known.”

The corner of Lian’s mouth rose in a slight smile.  “I’ll wake you in a bit.”

Sarath nodded to Lian and laid her head on her knees.

Lian took a bite of the horse meat.  He choked it down with a sour expression then stood and approached Kane.  “Here, you can have this as well.  I think Sarath has the right idea.”  Kane looked up to Lian and nodded before snatching the meat.  Lian sat down next to Sarath and closed his eyes.

A couple of hours passed.  Kane lay down next to Lian on his other side.  Sarath mumbled in her sleep.  Lian opened his eyes and looked at her.  Kane’s ears twitched at Sarath’s mumbles, and he opened his eyes as well.  Lian looked upon Sarath, her face was troubled and tears were starting to escape from her closed eyes.

She jerked her head from left to right and mumbled, “Please, no!”

Lian leaned in closer to listen to Sarath, and Kane raised his head to listen as well.”

“Please Arthur, don’t.  I don’t want to,” she said, flinching.

Kane stood and looked to Lian before moving to sit next to Sarath.  Lian reached over and nudged her shoulder.  Sarath opened her eyes and let out a gasp.  She looked over to Lian, then to Kane who was next to her.  Tears were streaming down her face.  Kane moved closer to her, sensing the turmoil within her.  He laid his head against her chest.  Sarath looked down at the wolf.  She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his fur, sobbing as she held him tightly.

Lian placed his hand on her shoulder.  “Sarath, you can talk to me.”

Sarath glanced up while sobbing and said, “You wouldn’t understand.”

Lian took a deep breath.  “I don’t know what you went through or who this Arthur--”

Sarath quickly raised her head and snapped at Lian, “Don’t you ever say his name around me!”

Lian slowly moved his hand away.  “I’m… I’m… Sorry.”

“Don’t,” she said.  Sarath scooted closer to him.  She laid her head against Lian’s shoulder.  He wrapped his arm around her and held her.  Kane laid his head in Sarath’s lap watching the two.  “Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” he said.

Sarath slowly closed her eyes.  “For showing me kindness.  Kindness where no other has.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said.  Not many were kind to me when I was a child.  I know what it’s like to be scorned.”

Sarath slowly slid her head down onto Lian’s chest.  “The Elves were mean to you?”

“No, they were kind,” he said while he shook his head.  “I wasn’t always with them.  I basically lived on my own until I was twelve.”

“What about your mother?” she said.

“When she ran from Draken’s men, she left me in a village in Dawn’s Grasp,” he said.  “They had followed her.  She wanted to lead them away from me.”

“Dawn’s Grasp?” she said before yawning.

“A valley beyond the Telindell Mountains,” he said.

“Telindell?” she said.  “I thought your name sounded familiar.  I thought nobody went out to those mountains?”

“Very few did.  I never saw any travelers my entire time there,” he said.

“So you grew up there?”  Sarath said.

Lian took a deep breath.  Images of the Dalronian attack flashed in his mind.  “I… I had to leave when I was twelve.”

“Why?” she said.  “Did the people make you?”

“No, although they probably would have,” he said.  “Earlier that day, a boy named Ebon said bad things about my mother.  I didn’t know her at the time, but it made me angry.  I think I killed him.”

Sarath shrugged her shoulders.  “Then he deserved it.”

Lian shook his head.  “No.  No he didn’t.  He was still a child, like me.  Most of the villagers scorned me, and the children picked on me.  Still, they didn’t deserve what happened to them.”

Sarath glanced up to Lian.  “What happened?”

Lian looked away into the distance.  “Something horrible.”

Sarath nestled up tightly to Lian.  “Is that when you met Kane?”

“Yeah, he saved my life that day, at great cost,” he said.

Sarath let out a sigh of relief.  “Well… I’m glad… he did.”

Lian looked down to see Sarath sleeping.  “I am too.” He stared at the troubled woman in his arms.  Within her, he felt the same darkness that resided in him.  But she had never found any relief from it, where he had.  Lian held her tightly.  He closed his eyes. 
“I don’t think I want to let go…”
he thought.

The sun began to sink beneath the horizon.  Kane tugged at Lian’s shirt, attempting to rouse him.

Lian opened his eyes slowly and looked to Sarath who was still asleep in his arms.  “Alright, Kane.”  Lian looked to his fury companion.  “You can do the honors.”

Kane nodded and began licking Sarath’s face.

Sarath twisted her head for a few moments before finally speaking.  “Ugh, what’s that smell?”

Lian looked down and chuckled.  “I’d bet on horse breath.”

Sarath opened her eyes to see Kane’s nose an inch from her face.  She rose up quickly and shouted, “Eww!”  Lian laughed lightly while Kane whined and backed away from her.  Sarath glared at Lian.  “You told him to do that, didn’t you?”

Lian smirked.  “Had to wake you up.”

“A nudge would have done just as well,” she said.  Sarath stood and looked to Kane.  “And you need to wash your mouth out.”

Kane shook his head at her and snorted.

She turned to Lian.  “Your wolf is a smartass.”

Lian smiled and stood.  “He has his moments.”  He looked across the plains.  “We had best get a move on.  I’m eager to see if we die or not.”

Sarath sighed and shook her head.  “There is that optimism of yours again.”  She stepped toward Lian.  “Well, let’s go.  If I’m going to die, I can’t think of a better place to do it than in a barren desert.”

Lian laughed and put his arm around her.

Sarath immediately pulled away and turned up her nose.  “You have lost the privilege of touching me.  Remember this next time you think waking me up in that manner is a good idea or funny.”  She walked away briskly.

Roxees sat upon her throne admiring the throne room.  The décor had been changed extensively.  Black drapery now lined the walls.  Kynlynn’s insignia had been replaced with one of her own design.  It was a clenched fist with blood dripping from it.  She smiled with satisfaction at her conquest.  She stood and spun around with her arms outstretched as she laughed sadistically.  “Mine! All mine!”  She let out a sigh and sat back down.

A guard burst through the entrance and ran to her.  Roxees glared at the guard as he knelt before her.  “I did not summon you.”

He looked up, trembling.  “My… My apologies, my Queen.”

Roxees snorted and stood.  “What is it?  For your sake, it had better be good.”

He stared down at the stone floor.  “It… It is.  Seven thousand of our soldiers are here in Allendale awaiting your orders.  I also have news of the one you ordered us to search for.”

Roxees paced in front of the guard.  “The news?”

The guard looked up, still trembling.  “He… he was in Riverwood.  A soldier there let him pass, and others reported seeing someone matching the description there as well.”

Roxees’ lips quivered and she clenched her fists.  The guard noticed that his own breath was becoming visible.  Roxees let out a long scream.  The temperature in the chamber had dropped to well below freezing.  The guard stood and attempted to back away.  He tugged at his feet, which were frozen to the floor.  He began to scream in terror.  Roxees continued screaming while lightning radiated from her body.  The windows lining the throne room burst, allowing gusts of wind to travel through the room.  Snow and ice were blowing through the room.  The guard looked down to see frostbite beginning to creep up his fingers and ice covering his skin.  Roxees looked at him with glowing red eyes.  He opened his mouth to scream, but succumbed to the deathly chill before making a sound.  Roxees gritted her teeth and she held out her hand, where her staff materialized.  Roxees swung it with devastating might into the frozen guard.  He shattered, leaving nothing but a frozen mist hanging where he had been standing.

Roxees took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and the deadly ice storm passed.  She paced back and forth before returning to her throne.  “He passed Allendale.  He should have come here.  The bitch must be up to something.”  Roxees snarled and clutched her staff tighter.  “I need reinforcements.”  She placed her hand on her forehead.  “If I ask the Lord Commander, he’ll kill me.  I must make do with what I have.”

Roxees took a deep breath and shouted, “Captain!”

A few moments later, the Guard Captain burst into the room.  He gasped at the ice and snow within the throne room.  The Captain slowly approached Roxees and kneeled.

He looked up.  “Yes, my Queen?”

Roxees smiled.  “Captain, how are you today?”

The Captain glanced around the room, trembling.  “I am well, my Queen.  I trust all is well?”

Roxees giggled as she paced in front of him.  “No, not really.  With your help, though, I trust that all will be just fine shortly.”

The Captain quickly nodded.  “Anything I can do to serve you, my Queen.”

Roxees grinned.  “I was hoping you would say that!”  She walked down the stone steps into the throne room.  “Do you see all this devastation?”

The Captain stood and turned to face her.  “Yes, my Queen.”

Roxees looked at the Captain and batted her eyes.  “This is what true power entails.  It matters not how big or sharp your sword is.”  Roxees pointed at the Captain momentarily, then curled her fingers just in front of her face.  “With a snap of my finger, I could turn you to dust.”  The Captain gasped.  Roxees smiled and turned away from him.  “What would you do with such power?”

The Captain was stricken with fear.  He stuttered, “I… I… I….”

“Well, spit it out,” she said.  “I won’t kill you…”  Roxees looked back to the Captain with a devilish smile.  “Depending on your answer.”

The Captain gasped once again.  Sweat dripped from his brow despite the chill that remained in the room.  “I… I… would use it… to serve you, my Queen.”

Roxees turned to face him.  “I’ll hold you to that…”

Roxees fell into a fit of hysterical laughter, clutching her staff with both hands.  Roxees’ eyes glowed brightly.  The guard took a step back in fear for his life.  Roxees jumped into the air as a bright red aura began to glow around her.  She twirled her staff and slammed it against the floor.  The castle began to shake and the floor split open.  A blinding red light emitted from the newly formed fissure.  She screamed, causing the light to shimmer.  The Captain screamed in terror as he floated into the air, enveloped by the red aura.  His screams of terror shifted into those of agonizing pain.  Roxees watched while his body was twisted and stretched.  His muscles bulged as his stature grew.  Pieces of his armor popped away from his body while the fabric of his clothing stretched and tore. The pigment of his skin paled, then darkened to a nearly coal black.  The captain’s teeth slowly extended into fangs.  His hair then turned to a snowy white, and a dark red light shot from his eyes.  The Captain’s screams were now roars.

Roxees grinned at her creation while the fissure closed.  The monster floated to the ground as the red aura faded.  Roxees breathed heavily for a moment, then approached the reborn Captain.  “My very first Enforcer,” she said to herself.  The Captain stood still.  His heavy breathing could easily be confused with growls.  Roxees studied the creature and shook her head in annoyance.  “You aren’t as strong as the other Enforcers…”  Roxees walked around him.  “The Lord Commander is far more powerful than I.  Maybe that’s why his creations are so fierce.”  Roxees sighed.  “However, surely there is enough of you to defeat a boy.”  She walked towards her throne.  “Who do you serve?”

The new Kynlynn Enforcer turned to Roxees.  He growled heavily, then with a deep, monstrous voice, he said, “Queen Roxees.”

Roxees sat upon her throne and smiled.  “Excellent.”  She pointed to a doorway.  “Now, go make yourself scarce.  If the others see you… they may get cold feet.”  The Enforcer slowly nodded and left the room.  Roxees smiled.  “Now, for the rest of these pathetic humans.”

Roxees worked tirelessly through the night, transforming each of her guards and soldiers into Dalronian Enforcers.  By morning, the town of Allendale was empty of humans.  Those who were not transformed were brutally slaughtered or corralled in the dungeon.  Dawn shined down on Roxees as she stood upon the bridge leading to her castle.  In front of her were nearly eight thousand Enforcers.  The horde covered the town and its outskirts.  Roxees pointed and shouted, “My legion!  I command you to go forth and bring me three thousand humans!”  The Enforcers responded with beastly roars.  Roxees grinned.  “And those I do not require… Slaughter them, consume them, do what you will!”

The Enforcers scattered across the countryside.  They moved with ferocity and unending stamina.  Before the day’s end they had spread to Riverwood and Abinburrow.  True to their queen’s demands, they rounded up some humans.  All those who resisted were slaughtered mercilessly.  Blood flowed in their wake.  Each village in their path was decimated.  Limbs and entrails littered the ground.  There was no escape.