The Eight Walls of Rogar: An Epic Fantasy Adventure Series! (The Lost Kingdoms of Laotswend Trilogy--Book One) (6 page)

***

Something wet brushed against his cheek.  Jade’s nose?  Somehow he was still on his feet, but he was fading in and out.  Did he hear a low whimper?  He was so dizzy and sick he couldn’t be sure.  The pain in his side was more than he could stand.  It felt as if he were being stabbed between the ribs with a hot poker.

***

His mother called to him from the kitchen, humming a happy tune as he entered, bustling around the place as she prepared his favorite meal of venison steaks and sautéed onions.  “It’s nearly ready,” she cooed, smiling down at him.  “Now go tell your father.”  Young Andaris ran outside with a huge grin on his face.

***

A tree branch scraped his cheek.  Was he going to die after all, in this strange land, so far from home?  He blinked away his tears, and still the singing grew louder, urging him on.  By the time he saw the firelight flickering through the trees, he could no longer feel his legs.  As he staggered into the camp, the singing abruptly stopped.

Two men and a woman sprang to their feet, the larger of the two men drawing a broad-bladed sword.

“Help us,” Andaris managed, trying to focus on him.  “Please.”

The big man gestured to him with his sword, saying something…unintelligible, his voice sounding garbled and slurred.  Andaris was trying to make sense of the unusual dialect when his ears filled with a loud ringing, drowning everything else out.  He saw the concern on the man’s face…saw his lips moving…then felt himself falling forward.  Jade spilled from his arms as they hit the ground, searing pain erupted through his body, and then all went dark.

Change of Direction

Andaris yawned and cracked open his eyes.  As his vision focused, he saw a figure standing over him—a young woman.  Golden curls fell to her shoulders, framing a face that was fine-featured and fair.  She smiled at him, revealing perfect white teeth.

“You’re beautiful,” he told her.

Her smile grew wider and, blushing, she laughed, a light melodic sound that filled the morning air.

“I think he’ll be all right,” remarked a gruff voice to his left.

Somewhat startled, Andaris turned his head.

The owner of the voice, a burly fellow with thick arms and a broad belly, sat on the stump of an oak tree.  He flashed Andaris a grin.  “We thought you were dead for sure,” he said, eyes twinkling, belly shaking with hearty laughter.

“Fortunately,” remarked a reedy voice to Andaris’ right, “much of the blood on you was from the krikken.”

The second speaker was the exact opposite of the first.  Tall and gaunt, his blue robe draped on his bony frame like a tent.  Andaris tried not to cringe beneath the thin man’s scrutiny, for his eyes smoldered with a frightful intelligence.

“What was fortunate was Trilla’s talent for healing,” the big man argued.

“How rude of us,” Trilla interrupted.  “We haven’t introduced ourselves.”

Andaris was again struck by her loveliness, by her ivory skin and sky-blue eyes.

“My name is Trilla,” she said sweetly, “as I am sure you overheard.  The large man to my left is Gaven.”

Gaven nodded and gave Andaris another grin, showing large crooked teeth.  “Pleased to meet you,” he said, his manners belying his appearance.  Three-foot-broad shoulders stretched against scuffed leather armor.  He had to weigh nearly as much as a macradon, and yet something in the way he sat suggested he could spring like a cat.  “And the wispy fellow to my right,” Gaven quipped, “is the amazing Ashel.”

Ashel acknowledged the introduction with the merest of nods, choosing to ignore Gaven’s sarcasm.  “And who are you,” Ashel asked, “if I may be so bold?”

Andaris struggled to meet his cold stare.  “Uh, I’m An…daris, Andaris Rocaren, of Fairhaven.  Is my dog, Jade…is she all right?”

Hearing her name, Jade padded up and licked Andaris on the face, slobbering all over him.

“Okay, okay,” he said with a laugh, pushing her away.  “I’m glad to see you, too.”  But then he noticed the bandages wrapped around her ribcage.  “Was she injured badly?” he asked.

Trilla shook her head.  “Not as badly as you.  Her wounds were mostly superficial.”

“But what about her foot?  I thought—”

“Oh, that was just the tip of a krikken claw stuck between the pads.  It was easy enough to remove.”  Trilla pulled the inch-long claw from a pouch on her belt and held it up for his inspection. 

Andaris shuddered, remembering how it had felt to have those talons raking across his skin.

“You were the one I was worried about,” Trilla told him.  “You lost a lot of blood from those chest wounds.”

Andaris looked down and saw that he too was bandaged.  Now it was his turn to blush, for other than the bandages, he wore only his small clothes.

“You’re just lucky they weren’t red krikkens,” Gaven said, chortling loudly and slapping his knee.  “They would have roasted ya!”

“Yes, I suppose that would have been worse,” Andaris admitted, pulling the blanket up to cover himself.  “But how did you—”

“The feathers,” said Ashel, his tone patronizing, “the ones we found stuck to your clothes, they were black.  Now tell me, exactly where is this place of which you speak, An…daris, Andaris Rocaren of Fairhaven?  I have not heard of it.”

“Oh, leave him alone,” Trilla scolded.  “He’s still very weak.”

“Where?” Ashel asked again, ignoring her.

“Later,” Trilla snapped.  “He needs his rest.”

To Andaris’ surprise, Ashel shrugged his shoulders, as though he hadn’t really been interested in the first place, then turned around and walked off.

“Don’t mind him, Andaris,” said Trilla.  “His moods range from distant to sour, but he’s a good man.”

“Hmph.  A good man,” Gaven echoed.

“He’s saved your life more than once,” Trilla pointed out.

Gaven looked at his feet and muttered something under his breath.

Trilla shook her head.  “I’m sorry, Andaris.  Separately they’re quite reasonable.  Together….  Well, you can see for yourself.”

“I understand,” he assured her with a yawn.  “I have two brothers.  My eldest brother Blakeland and I never got along.  I guess we’re just too different.  But we love one another.  And if I ever really need him, he’s there.”

“That’s it precisely,” she said, sounding pleased.  “You do understand.”

Andaris nodded, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him.  “Yes,” he mumbled.  “Now if you don’t mind, I think I need to sleep.”

He didn’t remember closing his eyes, but when he opened them, it was the next morning, the sun just rising above the tops of the trees, its fiery face bearded by clouds.  He got to his feet and stretched.

“Much better!” he announced.

Unfortunately, Ashel was the only one in camp, sitting on a log beside the fire like it was his throne, narrow face matching the cloudy sky perfectly.  “How wonderful for you,” he said, staring down his long nose at Andaris, making him feel like a bug beneath a glass.  “Sometime later, when it is convenient, and you are properly fed and dressed, I have some things I would like to discuss, questions that need answering.”

“Sure,” Andaris replied.  “Whenever you want.  I…just let me know.”

Ashel peered at him as though looking through him, at something behind him.  “Truly, you are a cunning linguist,” he said, words dripping with sarcasm.  Then he stood up and, as before, without giving any explanation as to where he was going, walked away.

“Hey, wait.” Andaris called after him. “Where is everyone?”

Ashel responded without stopping.  “Gaven and your dog are out hunting, and Trilla is asleep, attempting to recover from the extremely arduous task of healing you.”

A moment later, Andaris was alone, standing in the center of camp, still wearing only his small clothes.  Truth be told, he had a few questions of his own—little things like where was he, and how was he going to get back?

After poking around a bit, he found his clothes and pack stacked beside what he assumed to be Trilla’s tent, including, to his relief, his scale mail shirt.  The tent was made of supple green leather, presumably to blend in with the forest, its frame consisting of four bamboo poles held together at the top by a metal ring.  A wide flap covered the entrance, the sides of which were slightly gapped open.  His pulse quickened.  He could see her, but only a few blonde curls and part of a bare shoulder, just enough to arouse his imagination.

I’m being a voyeur
, he realized with sudden shame, pulling his eyes away. 
A scantily clad voyeur at that.
  He wasn’t normally the type to intrude on other people’s privacy.  The trouble was, when he looked at her, his stomach filled with butterflies and he couldn’t think straight. 
Just get dressed,
he told himself.

He was pleased to discover, as he slipped into his clothes, that they had been washed and mended.  Now there was only a faint discoloration where the krikken blood had been.  What’s more, the bandages around his middle were gone, and the skin beneath looked smooth and undamaged.
How long was I out?
he wondered.  He wished someone would return so he could ask.

Trying to be patient, he wandered over to the fire pit in the hopes of finding something to eat.  The embers still glowed red, but there was no food.  His stomach growled, twisting into a tight knot.  He felt like he hadn’t eaten for a week. 
Probably because I haven’t,
he thought.

Lacking anything better to do, he walked to the stream next to the campsite, sat with his back against a tree, and began to wash up.  The water was cool and bracing against his face, but it did little to cheer him.  He sighed, combed through his hair with his fingers, and frowned, feeling inexplicably sad as he watched the water rush past, winding its way merrily through the forest.

Soft footsteps approached from the campsite.  “How are you?” Trilla asked, smiling down at him.

“Oh, much better,” he told her.

She heard the unspoken “but.”  Kneeling beside the stream, she dipped a cloth into the water and began to scrub her face and neck.  “It is common,” she told him, “to feel somewhat melancholy after a healing.  It is nothing to be ashamed of.  And don’t worry, it’ll pass.”

Andaris sighed again.  “I’d feel better if I could figure out where I am.  I got lost in some caverns, and then couldn’t find my way back.”

She nodded and stood up.  Andaris saw the pity in her eyes, which only made him feel worse.  He didn’t want her to pity him.

“Let’s go find Ashel,” she suggested.  “He may know what to do.”  Andaris didn’t relish the thought of talking to Ashel.  He’d much rather talk to her, but he couldn’t tell her that, so he stood and followed her back into camp.  Trilla went to her tent to change clothes, while Andaris sat down on one of the flat rocks beside the fire pit, doing his best to ignore the dissatisfied rumblings of his stomach.

“Thank the maker you’re finally awake!” Gaven boomed.  “I was getting bored waiting on you to heal.”

Andaris whipped his head around as Jade and Gaven emerged from the tree line.  Jade barked twice and passed Gaven with a sudden burst of speed.  When she reached Andaris, she rolled onto her back.  He smiled and rubbed her belly.  “Hello, girl.  I must say, you’re looking much improved.”

“Hungry?” Gaven asked.

Andaris gawked at him as though he’d sprouted a second head.  “Are you kidding?  I’m famished.”

Gaven took out his skinning knife and began to clean the largest rabbit that Andaris had ever seen—a male rabbit about the size of a goat.  “Trilla said you would be, after the healing.” 

Andaris watched as the big man deftly filleted the meat from the bones, thick fingers moving with practiced ease.  “How long was I out?” he asked.

Gaven paused to consider.  “Uh…it’s been about two days.”

“Two days?” Andaris said with surprise.  “But…how can that be?  How did I heal so fast?”

Gaven kept working as he talked.  “Trilla has the Power,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.  When he saw that Andaris didn’t understand, he tried to be clearer.  “She has a rare gift,” he continued.

“What do you mean?” Andaris asked. 

“She used her magic on you,” he finally said.

“But there’s no such thing as--” Andaris stopped short, remembering the maps and the stars.  He wasn’t sure what to believe any more.  If it had really only been two days, what, if not magic, could account for his and Jade’s miraculous recovery?

Soon the group was gathered around a crackling fire, feasting on succulent strips of dark meat, juicy red berries, and spiced yams.  By the time the fire burned low, they sat back with full stomachs and contented expressions.

“Never heard of the place,” Gaven told Andaris, picking something from between his teeth.  “You said Fairhaven, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Andaris answered.  “The old man I told you about hadn’t heard of it either.  He showed me a map of a world foreign to me.  The map had only one continent, yet even so, some of the names seemed familiar.  Only vaguely familiar though, kind of like when you eat something you’ve never tried before and it reminds you of something you have.  It’s strange.  I felt sure I’d heard them somewhere, like maybe in the Shallae.  But that can’t be right, because the Shallae is supposed to be a historical account of my people, telling of a time before they came to the Valley of Plenty.  So unless my people are originally from here, how can the names come from the Shallae?”

Andaris picked up a stick, ran the end through the dirt at his feet, then heaved a sigh and tossed it into the fire.  “Now I wish I’d been more attentive in history class.  I never paid the teachings of the Shallae much mind, what with all the tales concerning magic and the like.  It was just too far-fetched.”  Andaris stood up, walked to his pack, pulled out the two maps and, with an air of deference, handed them to Ashel.

“Hmm, yes, these are fairly well drawn,” Ashel said, unrolling one and then the other.  “The detail is lacking in certain areas, but they appear to be to scale.  I have several that are similar, though mine, of course, are of a much higher quality.”

“Have I lost my mind?” Andaris asked.

“Perhaps,” Ashel replied, handing the maps to Trilla.  “Though I don’t think so.  It is much more likely that you suffered some sort of head trauma during your battle with the krikken that has made you forget who you really are, causing your subconscious to fill in the gaps with fantasy.”  Ashel paused, allowing the significance of his statement to sink in.

Gaven rolled his eyes.  “Oh, just spit it out,
wizard,
while we’re all still breathing!”

Ashel glared at the big man.  “Interesting choice of words, my oafish friend.  I could arrange—”