Kingdom's Dawn (10 page)

The Plains of Kerr was a no-man's-land as far as the eye could see. In the early morning light, Leinad could make out the distinct elevation line of the Vactor Deluge's destruction in the jagged profile of the Tara Hills Mountain Range. The night had been cool, and both he and Tess were looking forward to the shadows of the mountains disappearing and bringing some warmth to the air.

The sound of the Vactor Deluge was gone. It had slowly diminished through the night until silence once more filled the air. Leinad deduced that the Vactor Deluge had run its course and that it was probably safe to descend, but there was no point. There was nothing to descend to. The only life in the region, maybe in the entire kingdom for all Leinad knew, was above the Vactor Deluge's consumption line. He contemplated what to do next.

Tess was shivering. Leinad put his arm around her to warm her a bit and was thankful that her shaking was from
the cool air and not from the previous night's terror. Leinad was proud of her for not losing her head in the whole ordeal. She was a tough little girl. He knew that the coming days of survival might be a lot worse if she was not as emotionally strong as she was. Leinad wasn't much more than a boy himself, but he knew he had to become a man … quickly. The responsibility of providing for and protecting Tess pushed him out of the selfishness and self-pity he was tempted to fall into.

Leinad's next move was dictated by the hunger pangs they were feeling. “Well, Tess,” Leinad said, “I have a feeling that our breakfast is going to be pretty slim this morning.”

“What do we do now, Leinad?” Tess asked. “We ain't got no food, no horse, an' no place to go.”

“For now, Tess, there is only one thing we can do—survive!” Leinad managed a weak smile to encourage her.

“I know how ta survive on the streets in a town, but there ain't no town no more.”

“The way I see it, we can't stay here forever. We know that the Plains of Kerr are not an option, so our only choice is to get to the other side of these mountains and see if some parts of the kingdom were unaffected by the Vactor Deluge.”

“But you don't even have shoes, an' what are we gonna eat? You ain't gonna catch much with that sword.”

Leinad raised an eyebrow. “That's for sure. It's going to take a few days to get prepared before we can even think about traveling. The first thing we need to do is find a water supply and hopefully a few berries to eat. Then we need to
build a shelter and set up camp. Once we get that done, I'll focus on hunting up some meat for us.”

Tess seemed to feel better having heard Leinad's plan.

W
ITHIN TWO DAYS
, L
EINAD
and Tess had found a mountain stream that carried cold, fresh water to the desolate plains below them. They built a makeshift shelter nearby using logs, leaves, and grass. Although it was rather crude, it gave them some protection from the elements and afforded a feeling of security. Unfortunately, Leinad's plan to find game for food was more of a challenge than he'd expected. By the fifth day, Tess was so weak that she could not rise from her grassy bed. Leinad was weak himself, but the thought of failing Tess drove him to his feet. He made sure Tess had water and was warm.

“You rest, Tess,” he said tenderly. “Today I will bring back some food.”

Tess managed a weak smile but did not move or speak.

Without the means or time to make a decent bow, Leinad's hunting gear was comprised of three sharpened sticks to use as spears. He thought some animals must have been frightened to higher ground by the Vactor Deluge. The notion of climbing higher into the mountains in his weakened state was not pleasant, but he knew that Tess might not make it if he wasn't successful today. He climbed, listened, watched, and climbed some more. The flutter of a small bird was his only reward.

By midday, the sun was hot, and the physical and emotional strain was taking its toll on Leinad. He climbed a
small rise that was much more difficult than it should have been and knelt down in a small clearing to catch his breath.

The frustration of an unfruitful hunt and the thought of returning to Tess empty-handed to watch her wither further was becoming unbearable. Leinad's thoughts turned to the past, where his father and their farm still remained on the fertile Plains of Kerr. His deep breaths became moans of despair, and he could not stop the tears that fell for the loss of joy that had embraced him just a few short days ago. Leinad had never had a chance to fully mourn for his father, and now the tremendous burden of being responsible for the life of another was overwhelming. He dropped his spears, fell to both knees, and covered his face with his hands. In the solitude of the mountain clearing, he wept.

“I have failed Tess, my father, my people, and my King. I can't do this,” he whispered. “I can't do this!” he screamed and fell to the ground in the fetal position. He lay still and wept until a fitful sleep overcame his exhaustion and despair.

L
EINAD WAS VAGUELY AWARE
of the shadow that crossed his face and wondered if he had slept so long that the evening sun was already casting its long shadows from the trees.

“Leinad,” came a strong but gentle voice from above him.

Leinad blinked groggily thinking he didn't remember voices sounding so real in his other dreams.

“Leinad. Wake up,” said the voice again.

Leinad raised himself on one arm and looked up at the figure that was casting the shadow across him. A man with broad shoulders and a noble face stood before him. Across his shoulders was a young antlered deer. He dropped the game to the ground and knelt down to Leinad.

Leinad wiped his eyes and wondered if his weakened condition was causing his mind to hallucinate. “Who are you?” he managed to ask.

“Here … drink some water,” the stranger said as he put a flask of water to Leinad's lips.

He drank heavily.

“You must eat, but eat slowly and not too much,” he said, offering some sweet bread and a bit of dried meat.

It took a tremendous amount of discipline not to devour the food ravenously, for it was delicious. Leinad immediately thought of Tess.

“I have to get this to Tess,” he said earnestly and began to rise.

The stranger put a firm hand on his shoulder. “We will get to her soon, but you must take another minute to eat and strengthen yourself.”

Leinad stopped and looked into the eyes of the stranger for the first time. They were penetrating eyes, and yet they held the same love that he remembered seeing in his father's eyes. He was handsome and carried himself as a nobleman.

“Who are you, sir?” Leinad asked again.

“I am a man from a distant land.”

Leinad thought that he looked more like a prince than a traveler. He finished his meat and drank again.

“Thank you for your kindness, sir. We are in a desperate situation, and I must get food to my friend back at camp,” Leinad said.

“Yes, I know. Let us make haste and get Tess some food.”

His tone made Leinad feel as though this man knew Tess. He seemed to know Leinad as well, but he was sure he had never seen the man before.

The stranger helped Leinad to his feet and easily lifted the young buck back onto his shoulders. They hurried back to Leinad's campsite.

When they arrived, Tess was barely coherent. Leinad fed her some of the sweet bread and water and let her rest again.

“It will take you a few days to nurse her back to full strength.” The stranger looked down at her and smiled. “She has a good heart, Leinad. Take care of her.” It was more than a request; it was a charge. “I will leave the rest of my provisions with you. Take the deer, and cook what you need. Dry the rest of the meat to take on your journey.”

This man and his knowledge of their condition perplexed Leinad, but there was a natural authority in him that brought comfort.

“Can you travel with us, sir?” Leinad asked hopefully.

“I'm sorry, Leinad, that is not possible. You must make this journey on your own. My path lies in a different direction.”

Leinad looked down toward the ground. His confidence in his own abilities was waning. A gleam of sunlight caught his eye as it reflected off a magnificent sword that hung at the stranger's side. It was a sword that had no
equal. The mark on the sword was the same as the one on his sword—the mark of the King.

The stranger placed his hand on Leinad's shoulder. “You have done well, Leinad. Do not be afraid or discouraged. The King will be with you. Your calling is noble, and you are well suited to fulfill it.”

Leinad looked up into the stranger's eyes once again and found the confidence that had left him. “What am I supposed to do?”

“You must travel south to the Valley of Nan. Those people have been chosen by the King to fulfill his plan for Arrethtrae.”

Leinad nodded. “I will do as the King wishes.”

The stranger smiled, looked toward Tess, and left their campsite in a northerly direction.

With the provisions left behind by the stranger, Leinad and Tess regained their strength over the next few days. Leinad decided to travel around the mountains just above the Vactor Deluge consumption line on their journey to the Valley of Nan. He did not want to risk crossing over the mountains with the cold season approaching. As they moved south, they became more adept at locating food, though there seemed to be no end to the destruction of the Vactor Deluge. Their progress was slow but steady. Most of their energy was spent on surviving and traveling. A mutual respect grew out of the enormity of their challenge.

After many weeks of travel, they finally reached the southern portion of the Tara Hills Mountain Range. The aftermath of the Vactor Deluge was still evident clear up to the Red Canyon, which lay a day's journey across what once was a
fertile plain. By midday one afternoon, they had reached a vantage point that enabled them to see far to the south.

“Look beyond the canyon, Tess,” Leinad said. “What do you see?”

Tess strained her eyes, for the distance was great and the horizon was slightly hazy. “It looks like … green!” she exclaimed.

They both smiled for the first time in many days.

“Yes. Green!” Leinad said. “And that's where we're headed as soon as we can stock up on food and water to make it across that barren plain. We'd better plan on two days of provisions.”

Once they were ready, they descended to the Vactor Deluge consumption line. They stopped just a few feet above the motionless black mass. Being this close to the Vactor creatures, even though they were dead, made Leinad and Tess uneasy. The disturbing memories of that sorrowful day a few weeks earlier flooded back into Leinad's mind.

He reached down with the tip of the hunting bow he had fashioned and pushed some of the mass aside. To his surprise, the bow uncovered the tender spires of thick, fresh grass growing beneath.

“Look, Tess,” he said. “It's lush too. It's as though the soil is more fertile than it was before.”

He stepped onto the black mass and felt the cushion of the grass. It was a strange sensation standing on the dark mass that earlier had ravaged the countryside.

He reached out for Tess's hand. “Come on, Sunshine. Let's go find a home.”

Tess smiled and obliged.

The journey across the plain was not pleasant. Their clothes were soon covered from the waist down with a black powder. They were careful not to stir up the mass, but it was nearly impossible. They were forced to cover their mouths with a cloth to improve the air they breathed. Leinad decided to travel on through the night and into the next day if need be. The thought of sleeping in the black powder was unacceptable to him.

Leinad and Tess were grateful to finally reach the majestic Red Canyon. However, it posed a formidable task to cross, as the canyon was enormous. The reddish rocks and soil added to the impression that it was a scar that ran from the Great Sea deep into the heart of the kingdom. Leinad could see that the river that flowed on the canyon floor was the dividing line between land consumed by the Vactor Deluge and land that was still alive.