B006T5JMRC EBOK (9 page)

“Thomas, I can’t clean myself with this filth; there are monsloth remnants. I’d rather stay damp with my own stench before I rub those monstrosities all over my body.”

“You’re too much, boy.” Thomas laughed. “The water is clean; I retrieved it from a tiny stream just to the east. Those ashes you see are from the fire. Stir the water and they’ll dissolve.”

“Oh, sorry. Thanks for bringing this to me,” Kale muttered, feeling slightly guilty for having had to rely on an old man to help care for him. “Thomas... Why do I look so young? I saw myself—my reflection. I look like a boy.”

“Because you
are
a boy, Kale. I’d go as far to say a young man—but you do still behave as though you were a boy at times.” Thomas chuckled. “As I’ve told you before, a dragon’s lifespan is scaled much differently than that of a human. You have lived for one hundred and twenty six years. If you were to convert that into a human equivalent, you would be a maturing man of eighteen years—exactly what you see in the reflection.”

“I am no ignorant human child.” He raised an upper lip in distaste as he removed his soiled clothing. Once again he dunked his hand into the bucket, scrubbing away at the sweat and vomit that covered his torso. It felt amazing to have the cool water trickle down his body, countering the blazing sunlight that shoneover him. He ran a hand through his wet hair causing black spikes to stick out in all directions. Having the filth removed from his body felt invigorating. Using the remaining water within the bucket, he soaked his putrid smelling clothing, dunking each piece repeatedly until the orange chunks were no longer present on the cloth.

Kale, carrying his dripping wet garments, walked over to where Thomas sat with his back turned. “What can I do with these until they dry?”

The old sorcerer glanced over his shoulder, “Jumping balt toads, Kale! You can’t go walking up behind people unclothed!” He quickly snatched the clothing, turning away. “I’ll help you—this time.”

“You have no right to get upset, Thomas. Let’s not forget it was
you
who did this to m—” Before Kale could finish, he heard a loud gasp that caused him to spin around on his heels. For the first time in Kale’s life, he leapt in fear, wrapping his arms around his body.

Before Kale’s blue eyes stood a very petite, young woman with a tattered, oversized brown hat. She wore a black tunic, obviously not made to fit her thin frame, and red tights hung from her skinny legs. A grand wooden bow hung over her back with a leather quiver stocked full of arrows.

“Hello?” Kale questioned.

The woman peeked between the cracks in her fingers as her porcelain-looking cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

Kale reached out to move her hand from covering her face. He was unaccustomed to proper greetings.

“Do not touch me!” She pulled away quickly, cringing at the sight of Kale. “What is wrong with you? Are you some sort of dim-wit who runs around the forest without clothing?”

By this point, Kale appreciated her previous silence much more. Before she once again buried her face within her palms, Kale caught a glimpse of her unusual violet eyes from behind shaggy brown bangs that covered her forehead.

“Now dear, please do not be frightened.” Thomas approached her. The gesture seemed to cause even further uneasiness as she had not noticed the old man’s presence until that moment. “My friend was simply bathing here at our camp before we make way to the next destination. He was unaware there were other travelers nearby or he surely would not have been so careless.” The sorcerer threw Kale his clothing which was surprisingly dry.

Kale could only assume magic had been used.

“
Your
camp?” She snickered, tossing a lock of brunette hair over her shoulder. “This happens to be a road, you know. Traders have used it in secrecy for years. No one camps here unless they care to sleep with one eye open for risk of getting their throat slit as they sleep. Thieves are wise to the goods transported through this forest and have been known to attack unsuspecting travelers.” She cautiously glanced toward the ransacked caravan. “You wouldn’t happen to be thieves, now would you?” Her eyes narrowed. “I’d advise you to answer if you wish to live. Thieves are scum.” She bravely tilted her body to give the two men a better view of her longbow.

Kale took notice of its magnificent craftsmanship. It appeared as though the bow was infused with both wood and gold, intertwining around one another to create an impeccable weapon of range.

“We’re definitely not thieves. And despite your attempts to frighten me, I don’t fear you.” Kale smirked, pulling his pants up and tightening them around his waist. “Do such threats actually work on humans? You don’t even reach my shoulders.” He held a hand out, measuring her height in a mocking gesture.

Thomas immediately cut into the conversation, fearful Kale might reveal too much information to the stranger. “I assure you—we mean you no harm. Allow me to introduce ourselves—my name is Thomas, and this is my good friend, Kale.”

He went on to explain they were travelers, new to the region, and were en route toward the town of Braxle to rest and recover after a long journey. Once Kale was fully clothed, the young woman appeared more at ease, no longer hiding behind her hands or shunning their presence. Without an invitation, she took it upon herself to sit upon an old tree stump as she continued to listen to Thomas speak of their fictitious travels. He had a habit of elaborating even the smallest of tales. Although he enjoyed telling grand stories, even more he loved having others to share them with.

“Now then,” Thomas sat, resting his bearded chin onto his knuckles, “you know a bit about our lives, please enlighten us about yourself.” He smiled warmly.

She immediately grew defensive, crossing her arms over her chest. “Who said I was planning to stay? And, I don’t recall telling either of you I wanted to share my life story and become friends.” She paused, glancing toward the ground and sighing. “But, I guess if we’re all heading in the same direction anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to travel together.” The young woman stood, brushing stray hairs from her face. “My name is Neelan. I suppose it’s not such a bad thing that I ran into you.” She shot a glance toward Kale as if to say,
I still don’t want you to get close to me
.

“Neelan, you say?” Thomas lightly stroked the hair beneath his bottom lip. He eyed her curiously, inspecting her structure and movements while taking note of her unique violet eyes.

Neelan shifted uncomfortably as her eyes quickly dodged Thomas’.

Kale could sense that Neelan was uncomfortable with the conversation. He groaned loudly, rubbing his stomach in hunger, suggesting they find something to eat before traveling to a new location.

Neelan agreed, explaining she had not eaten in over a day. She continued on to tell the two men she had spotted a grand army traveling from Eldawin, which caused her to flee into the forest. Neelan expressed her assumption that it was the nefarious General Jedah whom she heard had performed so many abhorrent deeds across Ravondore.

Kale swallowed hard, trying to conceal his bitter hatred for Jedah. He knew from stories Thomas had told that Eladwin was a town to the northwest of his cave. He shifted his thoughts toward the young woman, trying to determine why she had decided to conveniently invite herself to join them. Kale noticed the deep look of loneliness within her eyes that she shielded through a very assertive attitude and reinforced with sarcasm. Whatever her reasons, Kale’s aching stomach stole his focus. He did not care to concern himself any further on the subject of Neelan’s reasoning.

“We should try to hunt something for lunch. After the past few days, I need something more than an apple before I exert this puny body any further. I’m quite familiar with the variety of animals within this forest—many are quite tender, juicy, and delicious. I would love to sink my teeth into something fresh,” Kale licked his lips at the thought.

Neelan lifted the bow from upon her back. “You have an odd way of speaking, you know. If I didn’t see you standing before me now, I’d be tempted to assume
you
were an animal yourself.” She paused a moment in thought. “Wait a moment; I thought you both were new to this region?”

Kale chewed on his bottom lip at a loss for words.

Thomas stepped in to salvage the situation. “My dear, we are indeed new to this area, however, Kale is quite familiar with its wildlife through numerous books and documentations he has read.”

Kale smiled uncomfortably. He would have to choose his words carefully from this point on. Neelan was much more observant than he assumed.

“All right then, Kale,” she smacked him on the back, “Let’s get something to eat.”

“If you don’t mind,” Thomas spoke as he lowered himself to the ground, sliding off a slipper-like, black shoe, “I’m going to rest my feet awhile. You two go on ahead.” He gave Kale a look of warning as if to tell him to watch his tongue.

Neelan and Kale nodded, beginning their hunt as they silently made their way through the forest. They took great caution not to step on any dried leaves or other debris that would reveal their location. Neelan scouted many steps in front of Kale and he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he watched her movement. Her outfit was as pitiful as his, drooping ridiculously off her small frame. The whole scenario seemed comical to him.

Before Kale could further amuse himself, Neelan turned to face him, holding a finger to her lips, and using her free hand to point through a growth of green ferns. He gently moved a cluster of leaves to the side so he could view the creature on the other side. It was a large bald animal with a long wet snout and stiff thick whiskers protruding from its wrinkled cheeks. It curiously moved around the tiny clearing, baring bucked front teeth and hissing viciously. Kale immediately recognized the creature; he had eaten many of its kind in the past. They were carnivorous beings called sugalrats that savagely digest smaller animals, preferably rodents, much like a snake.

“Give me the bow,” Kale softly whispered. He had no idea how to properly hold a bow, let alone shoot one, but his mind could not fathom such a small female having the ability or skill to hit the target.

“Never!” Neelan quietly snapped back. She withdrew a steel-tipped arrow from her quiver, steadying it upon her fingers as she tugged back firmly on the string. The arrow shot rapidly through the air toward the creature, striking it in the side. The sugalrat released a shrill cry before collapsing onto the ground. “Right on target.” She smirked, winking at Kale.

“Lucky shot.” He rolled his eyes, too proud to admit she had skills he did not possess.

The two gripped the animal’s legs and carried it back to the camp where Thomas hungrily awaited their return.

“Magnificent work, you two!” He clapped his palms together, eagerly eyeing their catch.

It wasn’t much longer before the animal had been prepared and speared to roast over the open fire. It smelled delectable as the aroma filled their nostrils. Once the sugalrat’s outer layers had turned a leathery golden-brown, they removed it from the heat and began to slice the tender meat onto a smoothed rock using Neelan’s pocket-sized knife. Kale shoveled a hearty helping of meat into his mouth, rolling his eyes upward in pure bliss.

After they could eat no more, it was time to depart. Thomas knew they would only have a few hours before darkness consumed the sky. They needed to make haste and find a new place to camp.

Kale groaned in discomfort as he lazily struggled to stand. He watched as Thomas dumped the bucket of dirty water over the dwindling fire. It sizzled as a cloud of smoke rose into the sky. Before leaving, Kale retrieved the iron rod he previously used as a weapon.

“Just in case,” He said while tapping it against the palm of his hand. Kale still had not told Thomas about the mysterious orange glow of the weapon, or the exceptional strength he possessed during the fight against the monsloths.

The three began their journey along the traders’ path as the sun peeked through the foliage above, beating down upon their heads.

“I must admit, I’m looking forward to taking a relaxing soak in a cool tub of water once we arrive at the inn tomorrow.” Thomas wiped many beads of sweat from his forehead.

Kale could only imagine how hot the old sorcerer must be in his long robes. Yet he knew there would be no convincing his friend to remove them, despite the horrid heat. As they continued on, Kale’s mind drifted in thought. He couldn’t help but wonder about Neelan, the mysterious woman who unexpectedly showed up at their camp, revealing only miniscule details about herself. A smile crossed Kale’s face. Neelan had already gotten under his skin numerous times, yet he saw a bit of his own personality within her. Although he wasn’t about to tell her, he did enjoy having conversation with someone other than Thomas for a change. 

They walked for many miles through the humid forest before Kale finally decided to press Neelan for more information.

“Where are you heading?” he asked while running his fingers through his matted, sweaty hair which caused it to stick out in an untamed appearance.

Neelan glanced up, giggling childishly at the sight. “I’m heading to the—” she paused a moment, “to the north.” Her light eyes once again were dodgy, avoiding contact. “That’s all you need to know.”

Kale sighed. Neelan’s
secretive demeanor
was getting old. He pondered why Neelan was behaving so reserved. Scenarios involving her as a criminal on the run rushed through his mind. Thoughts continued to press on Kale’s mind, as curiosity had certainly gotten the best of him.

Finally, the faint sound of running water could be heard, bringing a wave of excitement to the group. All frustrations from the hot walk seemed to drain away as the thought of cooling off became a reality.

“I think it’s this way.” Kale pointed to his left, where the sound intensified.

They veered off the main trail, heading through a thick growth of bushes, hearty vines, and cypress trees. Kale thrashed the iron rod against the foliage, clearing an opening for them to pass. The walk was brief before they came upon an inviting river. The three were thankful to see the water moved slowly enough for them to enter without fear of being swept away. Kale was the first to approach the riverbed, dipping his toe into the water.

“It feels great!” he called out with enthusiasm.

“With a lady in our presence, I will simply soak my legs. These robes would take an eternity to dry and I don’t think anyone would care to see this old, withered body without them.” Thomas chuckled.

Kale nodded, knowing that as long as Neelan was around, Thomas would not be able to utilize his magic. Despite the fact that Kale’s clothes had been dried only hours ago, he was determined to get into the water; this would be his first time swimming. He tossed the iron rod to the ground and glanced playfully at Neelan. Before her mind could register what was happening, Kale had cleverly lifted her quiver and bow, removing them over her head.