The Descendants Book One: The Broken Scroll (5 page)

No one in the real world had ever had abilities such as this that he’d known of.  Only in legends and fireside tales did gifts like this come forth.  Was he experiencing the symptoms of some fatal illness? 

No, that wasn’t it. 

Long after the sun had already gone down, he finally began to go back down the hill.  His mind wandered over explanations for his improved sight. 

Almost automatically though, his mind switched to hunting.  Suddenly his heart leapt with excitement.  The fear of this new gift abated almost as quickly as it came.  The possibility of hunting made easy consumed him.  If he could force himself to wake from those irritating dreams soon enough, he would have no trouble making a catch for the day. 

He had to stop the dreams.  This he was sure of. 

He would do anything it took to
keep himself from succumbing to fitful dreams.  His livelihood depended on it.  There would be no more visions of people that had nothing to do with him.  Whatever it was plaguing his dreams, it wouldn’t plague him anymore. 

Chapter 3 Secrets in the Forest

“Thank the Ancients,” Davin said for the third time since sunrise.  At last, his morning hadn’t been squandered.  He felt exhausted, but that feeling was over shadowed by
his change in mood.  The smile on his face did not leave even while he sharpened his dagger and made sure his bow was fit for killing. 

His hunter’s bow and basilard were well made and never failed him.  Both had been gifts from Roland.  Being close to the blacksmith had its obvious advantages.  

A part of him wanted to believe it was his sheer determination that kept his dreams at bay.  Deeper analysis caused him to not be so sure.  If his dreams were some sort of calling, they would not be stopped by just willpower.  Still, he was grateful that there was a simple way to overcome them…for now at least.  If they came back, he would deal with the nuisance then. 

There was no way he would miss out on the choice animals that roamed the forest at this time in the morning.  So many people feared the forest to no end.  He openly welcomed the chance to scavenge through its western edge.  Something about it made him feel at home.  But if he’d told anyone that they’d think him crazy, even Roland. 

He stepped outside the door of the shed and strolled into the early morning light.  With a quick turn he faced the path he took to the forest edge.  The forest was a league east of Davin’s cabin.  It took some trudging through some small rocky hills to get to, but it wasn’t anything your average traveler couldn’t handle.

He grabbed a canteen full of water, and some dried jerky meat to snack on.  As he strapped his dagger to his side he thought he heard a voice in the distance.  He stopped and looked around.  No one was there. 

Checking the tautness of the bow string, he walked on.   He had just made it to the first rocky hill when he heard a male voice calling out to him.  He looked back again. 

“Davin!” the man called.  Davin turned to see who was interrupting his hunting time.  It was Roland.

“What do you think you’re doing, climbing all the way up here to see me, old man?” Davin mocked him jovially. 

“Well, I was going
try to get you to come work for me again today.”  His eyes moved down to the bow in Davin’s hand.   “But it looks like you’re on your way out hunting.  I’ll leave you to it, kid.”

Roland turned to leave. 

“Why don’t you join me, Roland?  I know you are dying to get out and hunt.  It’s been awhile.”

“I’ve had my reasons.”  He gestured at his body.  “I’m not in the shape I used to be.  There’s no way I would keep up with you.”

Davin laughed at Roland’s poor excuse.  He certainly wasn’t as fit as he used to be, but by no means was he out of shape.  Making armor and weapons all day made sure of that.  The real reason was Roland just didn’t like being in the forest. 

“That’s a load of dung and you know it,” Davin shot back.

“I feel old even if I don’t look it,” Roland confessed.  He hunched his shoulders as if admitting this fact was a blow to his ego. 

“Besides,” he continued, “I’ve got to finish this equipment order from the King’s army.  They want it done when they arrive and I don’t have a lot of time.”

Davin looked away when Roland finished.  He didn’t want to hear anything more about the King or his army. 

“Come on, Roland.  You n
eed this.  You deserve to relax a little.”

“You call that place relaxing?  I’d better not, Davin.  I can’t let the First Captain down.”

Davin scrunched his face in an ugly grimace.  “Since when did you care about accommodating the King?”

“I don’t,” Roland answered.  He was serious.  “I hate what O’Hara’s doing right now.  Nothing’s been the same since Avery’s reign ended, but I can’t do anything about it.  You talk to anyone in town; they’ll feel the same way.”

Davin smirked, nodding at Roland in agreement. 

“You and Prack should talk some time.  Both of you sound the same,” he told him.  Time was already slipping away and he had hunting to get done. 

“You can do something, Roland,” Davin smiled, “you can come with me today instead.”

Roland caught onto his line of thought.  He looked once more in the direction of town, and then began to walk over to where Davin stood.  His face appeared pained, as if it took a great effort to do so. 

“You’re going to get me in some kind of trouble with the army.”

Davin patted him on the arm. 
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” Roland laughed humorlessly. 

They made their way to the forest edge in silence.  Davin wanted to talk, but figured Roland was fighting an internal battle about his decision to leave his work behind.  He left his godfather to his thoughts.  It wasn’t long before Davin found himself lost in his mind.  He hoped all this talk of the army, corrupt leaders, and politics in general, would soon be passed.  The topics were only so prevalent because of the visit.  The buzz would die down once the First Captain and his soldiers were gone. 

A short while later the forest loomed in front of them.  The sun hadn’t risen completely over the top of it.  This cast long shadows that engulfed the two men. 

The Ancient Forest was definitely unique.  The trees lining the edge acted as a solid wall of greenery.  The only way in was to inch through the vegetation until it cleared on the other side, almost like passing through a gateway to another world.  The pieces making up this monstrous wall reached out to them like hundreds of arms, as if trying to consciously restrict their passage.  No one could argue that the place didn’t hold a sense foreboding. 

“Been awhile since I’ve been here,” Roland spoke at last.

“B
ut I promise once you get in there you’ll feel right at home,” Davin said.             

“Unlikely,” Roland grumbled, obviously not in a frame of mind for jokes.

“Besides, it comes back you know.”

“What does?”

“The hunter’s instinct.  It’s like riding a pooka, you never really forget how.”  Davin smiled.  Roland returned it faintly. 

“Well, let’s get on with it.”

“After you,” Davin said, gesturing toward the trees.  Davin noticed quickly his attempts at levity were falling short.  He decided to leave Roland to his mood. 

Roland started to squeeze through the thick brush.  Davin followed him.  A few short moments later they felt the brush lighten slightly and knew they were now actually in the forest.  The difference was night and day.  Very little sunlight crept through the thick canopy overhead. 

“It takes a few minutes for your eyes to adjust,” Davin reminded him. 

“Right, forgot about that,” Davin heard Roland answer from a few feet away. 

“It looks like it has gotten worse since I’ve last been in here,” Roland said once he could see again. 

Everything seemed to fold over on itself and everything else, making it near impossible to navigate through.  The claustrophobic atmosphere alone was enough to drive most men mad.  The few who journeyed deep into the forest generally got lost or starved to death.  And the rest found themselves dead by the sorts of animals hidden in the deepest areas. 

“Let’s go,” he said. 

“So,” Roland started, “where are we headed?  You know this place better than anyone.”

There’s a place south of here.”  He pointed.  “The trees aren’t so thick.  I usually get some good catches over there.”

“Lead the way,” Roland said, gesturing Davin forward.

They walked in the direction Davin remembered to be south.  For half an hour or so all that was heard were grunts and swearing.  The thick forest proved to be more intrusive than Roland had remembered in the past and it didn’t improve his mood.  They struggled through, cutting themselves on thorny vines, shrubs, and tree limbs.

After a particularly troublesome stretch they decided to take a break.  They each took a seat on the soft, leaf covered ground.  Sweat was already pouring off them. 

“If we did that everyday I’d be a thin man,” Roland said, breaking the silence.

“Not with the way Niahm cooks
,” Davin added. 

“She’s honored to be the one that keeps me fat
.  It gives her joy in life, I think.”  

Davin
laughed weakly.  “Not to worry, I’m sure I will end up the same way.  With the meals we have when I come over, I’ll grow up just like you.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Yeah, well-,” Davin cut off, looking around him.             

“What is it?”

“Sounds like its coming from our left about…a hundred feet or so,” Davin replied.  His tone was more curious than worried. 

Roland stared at him in astonishment.  “You can hear that well, kid?”

Davin hadn’t thought about the fact that his hearing had improved until now, but it was true.  He concentrated intently on the noise that had perked his interest.  The instant he did the sounds amplified.  It wasn’t like he could hear everything in great detail all at once, but whatever he
did
focus on improved at least twice his normal hearing.  And he could control when he wanted to use it.  Was this another strange new ability surfacing?  How many more of these gifts would present themselves before it was all done? 

In another second, he remembered Roland was waiting for his answer.  There was a part of him that still wanted to tell Roland everything, but now wasn’t the time.

“What, you can’t hear that.  It’s clear as day,” Davin lied. 

Roland shook his head and sighed.  “Must be getting older than I thought.  Animal?”

“Probably,” Davin answered, “let’s move to see if it’s my next week’s pay.”

They trotted around a large tree trunk and under a few thorny vines.  Davin saw movement in the brush in front of them.  The darkness and the growth made it hard to see what was going on, even at this close distance.  If it was an animal he didn’t want them to spook it.

The sounds were clearer now.  Davin heard something scraping and sliding across the ground and clinking metal.

So it’s definitely not an animal
, Davin thought to himself.  He reached out and willed his sight and hearing to intensify as much as he could. 

There were men.  No, soldiers. 

Davin made out that there were five of them.  Four of them were holding onto a body, human, but lifeless.  The fifth stood observing the others. 

“What are soldiers doing here with a dead body?   Looks like one of them is a high ranking officer,” Davin observed to a brow-furrowed Roland. 

Roland looked astonished at Davin for a moment.  Obviously he was impressed by Davin’s incredible vision, though he didn’t bring it up.  “I don’t know, kid, but it’s not customary I’ll tell you that.  If it’s a person of importance to the kingdom they have there he would be buried at the Capital in the king’s or army’s graveyard.  And any normal man would not be dealt with by the Grand Army.  There’s got to be another reason they’re here.”

Davin looked back to toward the other men.  They had begun digging a hole for the dead body.  Davin heard voices and started to move forward.

Roland watched him sneak forward.  “You do what you want, but don’t get yourself killed.  I know that no one’s supposed to know about this or they wouldn’t be here.”

“I won’t be seen.”  Davin turned away from Roland and inched closer to the scene ahead of him.  There were now only a few tangled branches between him and the others.  He could hear them clearly.

“-yes, but what if someone finds him, Captain?”

“They won’t,” said a firm voice, “no one goes into this forest anymore, too many superstitions about it.”