The Realms of Animar (21 page)

“I would not be here if many lives were not a stake,” he said. “Please, you must hear me.”

She hesitated and then glanced back to the waters from where she had come. Her eyes then fell back on Guderian and she said, “I take great risk in speaking to you. Tell me what you must - quickly.”

Relieved that she would hear his plea, Guderian quickly described the history of the village and the perilous situation that Avryndale now faced. He explained that they were desperate for help and that the carnivores would extend their thirst for blood to the water if his kind were destroyed.

The woman blinked, thought a moment and without expression asked, “So you are a herbivore?”

“I am, yes.”

“Fascinating. You only eat plants?”

“Mostly I suppose, we do a lot of baking actually.” He then smiled and added, “I doubt your people like sweets as much as ours.”

The stranger was not amused. “It’s odd that you seek our help. You do realize that we are more like your enemies than yourselves?”

Guderian grew worried. “Well, no I suppose—”

She interrupted, “I can take back what I have heard to our Realmlord but they will likely come for you and punish me for having spoken to a land dweller. It would be best if you just leave now and tell your kind never to return.”

His face grew stern. “I will remain until I receive an answer or an audience with this…Realmlord.”

“So naïve you are land walker,” she said grimly. “If they come for you it will be during the darkness of night. Like invisible executioners they will fall upon you without warning. Brave though you might be and perhaps even a mighty warrior, you will be no match for them. Like your possessions, your body will never be found and your family and friends will never know your fate.”

Guderian suddenly thought of the group that vanished before, of his sister, and realized what likely happened to them. He had no choice.

“Then so be it,” he said defiantly. “Too much is at stake. I have to try.”

The Aquan made a slight hissing sound and then turned and dove into the water where she quickly vanished from sight. A strange, gray triangular shape then appeared atop the water just before it drifted beneath the waves. His fate was in her hands. He sat down and waited.

The afternoon passed without incident as did the evening. Although Guderian was possessed by remarkable courage, the words of the stranger lingered in his mind. Sleep evaded him that night as his eyes constantly scoured the sea for signs of his would-be killers. He thought about Joli and longed to hold her one more time. He hoped he would get that chance but inside he feared he was doomed.

The hours slipped by without incident and Guderian began to wonder if perhaps they would simply not answer his plea but allow him to live. His eyes, like his head, ached from strain.

Just before daybreak, when the darkness of night began to lift, he heard a soft patter behind him. Startled, he turned. There, standing above him, freshly ripped from his nightmares, were five shadowy assassins.

Chapter 23

F
ollowing his fifth day of training, Thane left the arena as he had after each of the previous four – tired, cold and hungry. The difference now was that he was no longer discouraged as he walked along the path toward home. His mind now reflected on the lessons of the day and how better to utilize what he had learned tomorrow. An unexpected idea popped into his head and he immediately came to a stop.

With a quick glance toward the sun in the west he pondered if there was time left until it set. He ignored the growls from his stomach and decided that dinner could wait. He nodded to himself and changed direction. Driven by another motivation, his walk turned to a run.

Thane navigated the pathways quickly, he could find his way blindfolded if so tested. Within minutes, he approached the front of the Hoppensey house and he quickly peered to the right side of the building while he gathered his breath. Choosing a more conventional approach this time, he walked to the sturdy wooden door and gently knocked three times. While his heart pounded, he waited.

Voices bellowed from within the house. Thane grew nervous with the passing of each moment and time seemed to slow to a painful crawl. He turned to leave when the door opened and there, standing in the doorway, was Alia.

“Thane!” she said before lowering her tone. “Um, what are you doing here? I mean…”

He was frozen, his tongue suddenly unable to function. She looked amazing. Her long blonde hair was freshly brushed and she looked at him with her piercing blue eyes.

His anxiety was obvious and a smile appeared on the girl’s face. “I see, well…how is your training going? Have they made you into a mighty warrior yet?”

Thoughts flowed through his mind like lightning yet for some reason he simply replied, “Good.”

With that, he wanted to run.

Alia looked perplexed. “Good? Ah your training is going good. Gotcha. So…did you come to hear what you have missed in school?”

Finally his nerves settled and he replied, “Not really but how…are you doing? Has the new teacher started yet?” He was relieved to offer a somewhat normal response.

“She did, today actually. Trussil is supposed to leave tonight I think, I guess she took the day to get ready.”

“That’s strange, why would she go at night?”

“I don’t know,” Alia said with a shrug. “Maybe she sees better at night? She is the last to leave, the others left days ago.”

“Yeah, I heard. I wish I could have gone with them.”

She giggled. “A few days of training and already you are a ready for a fight.”

Thane frowned.

“Oh, relax. I’m only teasing,” Alia said, obviously having noticed his reaction. “Someone had to stay behind and protect the village you know.”

“Very funny,” he replied, sensing her sarcasm.

The deep voice of an older man called out from inside the house, “Close the door already! You are letting the cold air in! I’m going to freeze my tail off and it’s pretty small as it is!”

Alia gasped and stepped through the entry then pulled the wooden door closed behind her. Her amazing eyes looked up at Thane, “Sorry about that. Mr. Hoppensey isn’t very fond of the cold weather.”

“Listen, why I came…well, I was wondering…have you ever been on a horseback ride before?”

A broad smile appeared on her lips. “Nope!” Alia replied clearly excited. “Come to think of it, I haven’t been on a unicorn either!”

“Will you get in trouble?”

“I doubt it. Just get me back before dark. Do you think the guards will let us out?”

Thane held out a slightly trembling hand and replied, “Leave that to me.”

The girl beamed with delight and placed her warm hand in his. Thane’s heart raced when she closed her eyes. The thumping of footsteps sounded in his ears when someone approached from within the house. Now experienced with his gift, he focused his mind on a field near the village. As the door began to open, they vanished.

A round-faced plump man with puffy red cheeks and a tiny nose peered out from the now ajar door. He turned his head from side to side as he searched for the mischievous children that just seconds before had annoyed him with their chattering.

“Up to no good I’m sure,” he muttered to himself just before he closed the door quickly and returned to the warmth of his house.

***

They appeared in a harvested wheat field, a good distance from the village that stood atop a large hill to the south. The land here was flat and spacious, feeding the chilling wind that cascaded upon them.

Feeling the warmth of her touch, Thane glanced at Alia who opened her eyes. In unison they looked down at their clasped hands before each released from the awkward embrace.

“Lots of room out here,” Thane said as he peered across the open landscape in front of them. “You aren’t too cold are you?”

“Oh no, I’m fine,” she replied. “I have a warm metabolism.”

“Alright, just let me know…”

“It’s fine,” she interrupted. “Now what?”

“Alright just hold on with your legs really tight. They are going to be sore tomorrow. I’m sorry in advance.”

Unfazed by the warning she smiled and said, “I have strong legs. They run in my family.”

“Go ahead and grab hold of my mane with your hands. Don’t worry, it isn’t like pulling our hair. I hardly feel it.” Growing more confident around the girl he added, “I think you will need a good grip, I’m going to get going pretty fast.”

“Ok let’s go!”

Thane peered into her eyes just before he morphed into a unicorn. The transition was seamless and took less than a second. Had the girl blinked, she would have missed it.

He kicked with his front right hoof and then lowered his body to the ground slowly. Alia clapped gleefully as she hopped onto the back of the brilliant white creature, ignoring any concerns of damage from a fall. She leaned forward and grabbed his mane as he had instructed while her legs took grip of his sides.

“Go!” she yelled.

With a thunderous crack he was off.

***

Felia stood next to her husband as they stared into the distance from the top floor of the Great Hall. Together they watched as their son, now a unicorn, galloped across the open field with the young girl that was the object of his infatuation seated atop his back.

Inside Felia’s emotions were mixed. Thane would always be her little boy but she knew it was time for him to become a man. She glanced at Avryn and noted the worry on his face. He briskly turned to walk away and she grabbed his arm.

“Let them run for a bit longer,” she said as she looked into his eyes. “I remember a time when you would sneak me away like this.”

“I didn’t have an army of men out for my head. If you hadn’t spotted them we wouldn’t even know…”

She shook her head and then placed a hand on his chest. “Darling, you once asked me what value is life if you can’t live it. Let them have some fun.”

Beaten, Avryn grumbled and returned his vision to the fields. “Fine but just a bit longer and then we’re going after them.”

Felia smiled as she peered out the window. Within seconds, her smile vanished and was replaced not by a look of pride, but by one of shock.

***

Thane could feel the grass crumple beneath his hooves as he sped across the field at a steady pace. The cold air filled his lungs with an awakening chill while the girl riding atop his back tugged on his mane to keep her balance.

With so much open land in front of them, he was eager to impress her with his speed that he realized had not been put to the test for several months. Above the sound of his rhythmic footfalls and the howling wind that deafened them both, he could make out shouts of delight coming from the girl. He quickened his pace.

His powerful legs began to tingle, perhaps due to the cold. He paid no attention to the sensation and focused on the land before him as he pushed against the ground with all of his might. As usual, when in his animal form he felt a great sense of freedom. His training and the impending dangers that faced them were temporarily forgotten. He was focused on his pace and pushed himself to go faster. The sensation he felt increased. A previously untapped power now coursed through his veins and fed his spirit.

Thane peered at the trees that lined the western edge of the field ahead. To his surprise they appeared to be approaching rather fast. Startled, he twisted his head to the right and noticed that the trees in the distance parallel to their path were flying by with a blur. With the initial shock of his remarkable speed gone, excitement took over and his pace increased even more.

Suddenly, his head was jerked back by a powerful tug. His focus returned and over the thunder of his gallop he heard a scream from his rider. Without thought, he forced a stop by leaning back and skidding into the soft cool dirt. As the magical sensation began to lift, time seemed to slow around him. He felt the weight on his back relieved and he quickly realized Alia had been thrown forward, narrowly missing his horn by a matter of inches as she sailed over his head. Instinct took over and, in one fluid motion that occurred in a flash, Thane morphed back to his human form and jumped in front of her path.

There are times in a person’s life that they think back on as the years pass. Not always pleasant, these are reflections of events that impacted them along the way, perhaps a triumph or a failure, first kiss or the birth of a child. For Thane, one such moment took place when his good intentions failed and his effort to catch the girl he had catapulted moments before ended in the two colliding in a heap of dirt and grass.

His head, like his ribs, ached. He shook off the pain and stood up gingerly while he glanced over at Alia who sat on her knees about ten feet away. He walked over and held out a hand which she accepted without hesitation and crawled to her feet.

The fall had left her hair tangled and blotted with grass and her clothes soiled. The greatest damage to Thane had been to his pride.

Realizing they were near the forest edge, he turned back toward home. Not visible at first, he squinted and found it in the distance, now a tiny speck on the horizon, fortunately highlighted by the setting sun. To his bewilderment, they had traveled the entire length of the fields in a matter of seconds. Stunned, he turned to Alia.

In that moment when their eyes locked, had she slapped him for his carelessness, Thane would not have been surprised. Since they had met, however, she had been anything but predictable.

It was therefore a welcome relief when the girl smiled and said, “Ready to run back?”