The Tessellation Saga. Book Two. 'The One' (24 page)

‘
JED,’
a
familiar warm fuzzy feeling disturbed Gideon’s father as he grilled
pancakes for breakfast.
‘JED, COME NOW.’
Sonal, entering the
cottage after his brother and the racing wolf was chatting amicably
as he sat at one of the kitchen benches, he stopped mid-sentence
and looked from Jed to the wolf.

‘What the…?’ He
said softly, shaking his head. The wolf immediately turned its deep
piercing gaze on Sonal, its beautiful blue eyes almost the same
shade as Sonal’s own. Sonal began to feel the warm fuzzy glow he
had felt once before as the wolf had stared at him.

‘Are you trying
to talk to me boy?’ He smiled and stretched out his hand to scratch
behind its ears. Sonal’s head felt warm and fuzzy as if he had had
just a little too much to drink.

‘What is it
boy?’ He asked the wolf, as he looked deeply into the animal’s eyes
and continued to scratch. Jed remained oblivious as he cracked eggs
into a pan, his back turned away from the scene.

‘Sonal…,’ began
Varan exasperated as he tried to get Sonal to finish his
conversation. ‘Sonal…,’ his irritation died as he watched the wolf
and his brother staring intently into each other’s faces.
If
anything, it’s the wolf that is looking frustrated
; he thought
and reached over smiling indulgently now as he touched Sonal on the
arm to regain his attention. Immediately both men started, as if an
electric current had run throughout their entire bodies and shocked
them both, while a piercing yell sounded in their heads. Varan
released his brother and stepped back knocking into Jed who was
cooking, the pancakes he was preparing flopped out of the pan and
into the fire sending coals, sparks and ash scuttling across the
hearth.

‘By the
journey, that was all the eggs we ‘ad, now the girls’ won’t be
getting any breakfast neither, not till I can get ter me stores
anyroad,’ he said crossly looking at the company in the room.

“Journey’s
Gates!’ what was that…?’ Sonal asked, after Varan hurriedly
extended his apologies to Jed. Jed still cross began to clear up
the mess, Blue hadn’t moved, he sat still, staring intently at the
brothers before turning to Jed once more. Jed looked at the
wolf.

‘Blue, I can’t
go with yer jus’ now.’ Jed said aloud unthinkingly, Varan nudged
his brother.

‘
I believe
they are communicating.’
Varan sent through the ether, Sonal
nodded and tentatively Varan reached out his hand and touched his
brother once more.

‘…
.OW,’
they heard the noise vibrating in their heads loud and clear, Varan
looked to his brother then to Jed.

‘How long has
the wolf been able to talk to you Jed?’ He asked quietly. Jed
looked up from where he was clearing up the last of the mess.

‘Oh blow, I was
‘hopin’ yer ‘adn’t ‘eard me, it jus’ kinda slipped out, coz I was
cross like.’ Jed said by way of explanation.

‘How long
Jed…?’ Sonal repeated. Jed, embarrassed at having been found out
was about to refuse to answer when Blue placed his furry head under
his large hand.

‘
EXPLAIN’
he heard and Jed smiled.

‘Well it’s like
this see, I first ‘eard ‘im when I were a kid, younger even then
than Gid is now…’ Jed replied his reluctance easing. ‘E’s a special
wolf, special.’ Jed added, ‘always ‘as been.’ The wolf turned his
head toward Varan and slowly advanced, confused, Sonal watched as
the wolf took his brother’s hand between its teeth and gently
dragged Varan back toward him before releasing the hand and letting
it fall onto Sonal’s shoulder. Not liking the slimy feel of the
saliva coating his skin Varan lifted his hand to wipe it.
Immediately the wolf growled loudly startling everyone in the room
just as Gideon and young Jed rushed into the parlour slamming the
door behind them, still wet from their water fight.

‘I think Blue
wants you to put your hand back on me,’ stated Sonal with a smile
at the wolf. ‘You do boy, don’t you?’ Sonal asked the wolf as he
took hold of Varan himself.

‘
IT’S A BIT
OF SALIVA FOR JOURNEY’S SAKE, IT’LL WASH OFF!’
Shouted Blue
crossly, sounding for the entire world as if he were scolding a
schoolchild. In total shock, Varan flopped down beside his brother
on the bench. Both men burst into nervous laughter, Sonal,
recovering first reached once more for his brother’s arm but before
he touched it, he smiled at the wolf apologetically.

‘Blue, can I
ask that you don’t shout, your voice is really deafening…’ Sonal
smiled again.

‘
I have to
shout for Jed to hear me, my apologies young man.
’ Blue said as
the older twins linked a forearm. Both Sonal and Varan had such
looks of incredulity on their faces the others drew nearer in
wonder.

‘Jed, Gideon,
Blue is talking to us…’ Sonal said a grin exploding across his
face.

‘Hey, Blue can
yer talk ter us too?’ Mayan called from her place beside the fire
where Rhoàld was in the process of plaiting the girls’ now dry
hair.

‘How?’ Sonal
asked, looking at the blue-eyed wolf once more.

‘I will
explain,’ replied the wolf his voice now cultured and refined,
instead of loud and aggressive. ‘I will explain all, but not here
and not now, Gath’s men are attempting to enter the forest and if
they gain entry they will come this way, we do have a little time
as the forest will help us but we must go…
NOW!’

Sonal looked at
his brother and nodded, Varan dropped his brothers arm and moved
away to start collecting his belongings together, leaving Sonal to
explain. Sonal looked first at his friend and then at the assembled
company, his face changing from happy relaxed surprise, to worry
and consternation.

‘Well,’ said
his friend, closely.

‘What’s goin’
on?’ Gideon asked.

‘We ‘eard Blue,
growlin’,’ said Jed adding, ‘can ‘e really talk?’ His question went
unanswered.

‘It’s the
soldiers,’ Sonal explained to everyone who would listen, ‘they’ve
followed us and are here, attempting to enter the forest. Blue says
we must go, now.’ Gideon’s father smiled at the wolf and stroked
his head lovingly.

‘If Blue says
it’s so, then tis so,’ he said, adding ‘‘e’s never been wrong yet,’
he turned immediately to douse the fire and becoming business like
he began issuing orders.

‘Gid go open
the pens, Rhoàld ‘elp ‘im would yer, Jed set out some ‘ay fer the
‘orses ‘case they come back, ladies find some warm clothes ‘n’
blankets an’ get some grub stored in a bag. Gid, go find me
‘mergency pack too. I gotta task o’ me own ter do. You two,’ Jed
said, looking fast at Sonal and Varan, ‘talk ter Blue, find out
where we be goin’, coz I know pretty much all o’ this forest an’
iffen the soldiers can find their way ‘ere, they can find us
anywhere.’ With that, Jed pulled on his topcoat and walked out of
the cottage. Twenty minutes later the company was ready to move on
again as Gideon’s father placed the final stone on the top of the
newest cairn, that of Gideon’s real mother, Lydia, the king’s
daughter.

Gath stood with
two of his men at the edge of the forest, from the time they left
Devilly they had travelled quickly and stopped only once they
arrived at the village but although pleased at the progress they
had made he was feeling very uncomfortable. He had felt this way
ever since his party had crossed the village boundary and it was
worse now the forest was before him. It looked and felt oppressive
and he knew his men could feel it too even though they were not of
the blood. In the full light of day, he intended to enter the dark
green world before him and capture his son but for now, he just
wanted to see the forest he had heard so much about for himself and
to gain an insight into the lie of the land.

Since leaving
the slavers, Gath had had Toby by his side and he had been very
willing to share information about Gideon, the village and the
forest. He also explained that Gideon’s home was deep within the
forest’s leafy borders with a man he called father and he had
eagerly regaled the strange tales he had grown up alongside and it
amused him to think Toby was scared, more scared of the forest than
he was of his king.

Dawn had not
been far off as they stopped and Gath ordered camp to be set up on
the village green. Leaving Toby in charge of making the inn ready
for his own personal use Gath, Colonel Thurl and a young recruit
headed out of the village toward the dense woodland ahead.

‘On up the lane
sire,’ Toby had said, ‘past Sonal’s cottage. Can’t miss it…,’ he
added as he finished his directions.

The three men
had walked their horses in eerie silence in the pre-dawn light and
before long, they had reached the cottage, just as Toby had
described. Going inside, Gath walked around the house feeling very
unwelcome, almost as if he were intruding, which he was. He came
across a legerdemain’s elaborate costume cloak in a box stored
underneath one of the beds, its bright corner stuck out as if it
had been hurriedly and not to carefully put away. Smiling to
himself, he fingered the fabric and remembered seeing costumes like
this before many times; years ago, he had scoured the country for
magic users, inviting all to see him at Devilly. Some had been the
magic users they claimed to be and he had relished the harvesting
of their ancient blood, albeit much diluted but others were just
quick, ordinary citizens with the ability to do sleight of hand.
Sonal,
he thought, recalling the name Toby had given him and
for some reason the name rang bells in his head. Suddenly he
remembered, once before he had heard the name Sonal, coupled with a
tale of such amazing ability that he had been sure this Sonal was
of the blood. He had had Rhoàld send an invitation to the magician
to perform for him and although accepted, the legerdemain had never
turned up.
I believe it was only a few years after Lydia
disappeared
, the king’s thoughts continued.

The cloak,
clutched tightly in his hands grew hot, so hot it burst into flame
in front of his eyes and Gath dropped it on the bed watching as the
flames took hold, spreading across the counterpane quickly and
eagerly and eating up the beautiful fabric. The hot burning body of
gas echoed the bright gaudy colours hungrily with yellow spikes and
red feathers of flame that licked at the wooden bedposts and
stretched for the draperies hanging at the window. Gath watched
dispassionately as the room began to blacken, though he moved
slowly back away from the radiated heat. He watched the fire grow,
its devotion to colour and detail fascinated him, each tiny flame
that licked and caressed the very fabric of the room, like a lover
leaving no flesh un-kissed. He stepped back once more as the fire
spread again, a ball of orange flame growing like an orchestral
symphony reaching toward a finale. It spoke to him of beauty and
passion.

‘Sire,’ called
Thurl as he dragged the king from the burning rooms and out of the
house, Gath stood in the lane beside the fence watching as the
house burnt, its timbers glowing white hot as the flames leapt into
the pre-dawn sky. The horses snorted and reared in fear as the
flames grew ever more ferocious, ever more savage.

Gath laughed as
the house burnt; he was exhilarated, the fire made him feel alive.
Reluctantly he turned his back on the flames and taking his
frightened horse by the reins walked toward the forest once
more.

‘Come Thurl,’
he said, his hand petting his horse’s neck, his touch calmed the
skittish animal and gently he led the horse toward the trees.

Standing now
before the forest Gath smiled. He tied the horse to a small bush
out on the fringes of the wood and jumped over a ditch that seemed
to run for miles along the edge of the trees. The wet earth smelt
of loam and pine and he could smell freshly washed leaves in the
air and with a feeling of pressure building in front of him, he
laughed aloud.

‘Sire?’ Thurl
called as he handed the reins of his horse to the young recruit;
carefully he crossed the ditch, to stand a little way behind the
king.

‘Can’t you feel
the magic Thurl?’ Laughed Gath, as he walked nearer the dense
trees, he squatted down pushing his fingers deep into the soft
soil.
It’s warm, the soil is warm!
Gath thought in surprise
as he reached for the ether.

‘Colonel…,’
called the young trouper as he tied the horses loosely together.
‘Colonel, I need a piss...’ Thurl turned and scowled at the use of
rough language in front of the king but he nodded toward the trees
and the young man walked quietly away for some privacy. The officer
looked back to the king as he squatted on a loamy verge before the
forest and he sat upon the dead trunk of a felled tree, his back
resting against an upright branch, he closed his eyes and waited
quietly.

Finishing his
business, the young soldier did up his trews and made his way back
to where he had left his colonel and his king slowly, he liked the
brooding forest it reminded him of the home he had not seen for
such a long time. As he clambered over a pile of broken logs and
dried grasses, he inadvertently disturbed the home of a hibernating
family of hedgehogs. He picked up the branch he had dislodged in
order to replace it and protect the tiny spiky creatures from the
cold and the winter chill but as he handled the wood he realised it
was a fine dry piece of oak. Exactly what I need for my new bow, he
thought and with a second look at the now exposed hedgehog family,
the soldier sighed.

‘Sorry boys and
girls, my need is greater than yours,’ he said as he threw a
handful of dry twigs over the family in exchange for the protection
of the dry clean length of hardwood. He saw the King, still in the
same position as when he had left him, squatting in a, quite
undignified fashion for a king, he thought, with his fingers buried
up to the knuckles in the surprisingly soft earth and he could see
Colonel Thurl sitting against a fallen log fast asleep. He grinned;
deciding to take advantage of his unlooked for good luck and sat
down against the bole of a tree on the edge of the forest. Removing
the quiver and arrows from his back, he laid them beside his bow on
the forest floor, in an attempt to make himself more comfortable as
he inspected his piece of wood. Smiling again, he stroked the old
bow with his fingertips as it lay in the ivy, remembering how his
father had made it for him when he had joined the army, cutting and
cleaning the green wood before removing the skin and soaking the
length of pine in boiling water.