Outcasts of Velrune (3 page)

Now he just had to work on acting like his father. He already helped the villagers by running errands and repairing equipment. He even acted as “sheriff” for the other kids, breaking up fights and settling arguments. While it cost him some friends, the villagers had begun to look at him with the same respect he had seen them give his father. Unfortunately, as soon as he brought up his sword training, they went back to treating him like a little kid. Thankfully Mr. Penna had the final say on his dream of becoming a Protector, although, at times, even he acted reluctant to allow him to train.

Max put his thoughts aside as he reached the café and went inside. “Eve! Come on! Let’s go!”

Mrs. Tassi grabbed Max’s shirt and pulled him to a halt. “Land sakes, Maxwell! Watch where you’re going!”

“Oh, sorry, Mrs. Tassi. Hey, where’s Eve?”

“She’s in the storeroom trying to get rid of a mouse for me.”

“Is she done with her work for today?”

“She is if she can get rid of that filthy rodent.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Tassi.”

Max worked his way past the tables and customers, back towards the storeroom, opened the door, and stepped in.

“Hey, Eve, I hear you...have a …rodent…problem?”

The room was almost completely dark, only a few small slivers of light seeping in around the edges of the covered windows. Max turned and started to step back outside of the room, but stopped when he heard a low, quiet growl from behind him. Max sighed and his shoulders slumped.

“Le...Let’s think this through, Eve.” Max started to turn back. “You really don’t wa-“

Max finished his turn in time to see a dark shape spring out from behind one of the crates in the storeroom. The thing lunged straight for him. The impact knocked him out of the room and onto the floor in the hallway. It took a few seconds for Max to regain his breath. As he did he heard the faint breathing of the thing on top of him. Max rubbed the stars out of his eyes and focused on the face that hovered inches from his own.

“Hi, Eve.”

Eve laughed. “Hi, Maxy.”

“You know, normal people shake hands rather than pouncing when they greet each other.”

“Well, thank goodness I’m not normal then. I mean, what fun would that be? Besides, it’s not my fault that you don’t pay more attention to your surroundings.”

“You know I can’t see in the dark like you can.”

“See you? I heard you when you came into the cafe, smelled you from there too.” Eve waved her hand in front of her nose and laughed again. “When’s the last time you took a bath? Besides, think of the pouncings as extra training.” Eve put on a more serious tone much like Tyco’s. “Learn to observe your surroundings.”

“Alright, alright, you win. You also do a good impression of Tyco.” Max let out a groan. “Now could you get off of me? You may be light on your feet, but you still weigh plenty when you’re crouched on my chest like this.”

Eve stood up and offered a hand to Maxwell. He took it, and she helped him up. Max dusted off his backside.

“Weren’t you supposed to be after a mouse, anyways?”

“Yep! Caught him shortly before you showed up. It made a nice little snack.”

Eve licked her lips as if she’d just eaten a delicious piece of pie. Max scrunched his face up in disgust.

“You’re kidding, right?”

Eve just smiled. “Well, I am part cat after all.” She didn’t need to tell him that. He was well aware of it. He had become accustomed to the ears and tail during their friendship, but her cat-like behavior still amused him. On sunny days he would often find her lying on top of a house fast asleep. At night she ran around in the fields chasing moths and bats.

Eve had an insatiable curiosity as well. She would crawl in holes, trudge through ditches, and climb anything in sight so that no place went unexplored. Her clothes, a loose shirt with two pockets and a line of buttons up the front plus a pair of baggy pants, all well-worn and ragged, testified to these adventures. Max, on the other hand, often came back with an assortment of scratches, cuts and various bruises. At least someone in this town let him get into trouble. Of course, she always had to get him back out of it. He smiled. Except for one misadventure where she fell in the pond. He’d told her that branch wouldn’t hold, but she really wanted to catch the butterfly.

As Max’s thoughts circled back to considering what a live mouse tasted like, Mrs. Tassi came down the hallway. “Well, did you catch that filthy rodent?”

“Yep, sure did, Mrs. Tassi.” At this, Eve brought her tail around, the end of which wrapped around a small mouse. “She’s just a little one.”

Mrs. Tassi took a half step back and raised her voice a little. “I don’t care what size it is. Just get rid of it! Then you can go play with Maxwell till closing this evening.”

“Okay, Mrs. Tassi.” Eve turned and flashed a devilish grin to a stunned Max. “You didn’t think I’d actually eaten it, did you, Max?”

Eve, humming to herself, walked out the back door of the cafe. Max shut his mouth and followed her. Outside, they headed to the edge of the village where Tyco lived.

Bemused, Max studied the white and brown mouse still entrapped by Eve’s tail. “So, what are you going to do with your furry little friend?”

Eve lifted her tail over her shoulder and dropped the mouse into her hands. “Mmm, don’t know. Maybe I’ll keep her as a pet.”

“A cat keeping a mouse as a pet?” Max shook his head in disbelief. “You know, everyone already thinks you’re crazy. Do you really want to add this as well?”

Eve turned her nose up and smirked. “They only think that because I hang around with you.”

“Hey, now…”

Eve had a talent for interrupting Max at times like this. She pointed ahead of them. “Looks like Tyco is out and waiting for us.”

“Hey, don’t go changing the subject.”

Eve ignored him. “Looks like someone else is there with him. Wonder who it is?”

Max followed Eve’s gaze and saw Tyco standing in front of his house speaking with a stranger. “Don’t know. Guess we’ll find out. Let’s go.”

Max picked up his pace while Eve lingered behind, a wry smile on her face. “Okay, okay.” She gently put the mouse into her shirt pocket. Eve turned her ears forward and followed after Max. With the wind blowing towards her she could faintly hear the conversation between Tyco and the stranger.

The stranger, who wore a dull gray cloak with the hood pulled up over his head, nodded in their direction and leaned over to Tyco. “That him?”

Tyco glanced up at her and Max. “That’s him.”

Eve saw the stranger spit out a piece of a foul substance that he was chewing. “Who’s the stray?”

“The cafe owner bought her years ago. From what I’ve gathered, she’s the one that hid Maxwell the night the bandits killed his father. They’re close friends.”

Eve could see the disgust form on the stranger’s face. She started to tense up, but stopped herself when the stranger focused in her direction.

“Will she be a problem?”

“She might want to go along.”

The stranger’s mouth formed a brief, crooked smile. “Humph. I suppose we could accommodate her.” The smile disappeared. “You know what to do, then?”

Tyco nodded to the stranger. “Yes, I’ve got it.”

“Then I’ll get things ready. I’ll see you in a week.”

“I’ll have him there.”

The stranger walked to the side of the house and mounted a large black stallion tied there. Eve and Max climbed over the fence that separated the field from Tyco’s house as the stranger rode off. Maxwell walked up to Tyco.

“Who was that?”

“A messenger.”

Eve watched the stranger ride out of sight. “The horse was beautiful, but he gave me the creeps.”

Tyco nodded. “Riding across the south end of the dead lands can do that to a person.”

Eve shook her head. “I don’t know, he seemed like he belongs in the dead lands to me.”

Tyco glared at Eve, but she still faced in the direction of the departed stranger.

“It is none of your concern, lacarnian.”

Eve turned towards Tyco, an inaudible growl emitted from her chest. Max, able to sense the low growls after years of friendship, changed the subject.

“So, what are we practicing today?”

Tyco broke his gaze from Eve and smiled. “Nothing new today Max, instead I want to assess what you’ve already learned. Go get the practice swords and meet me in the circle for a match.”

Tyco moved toward a large circle drawn in chalk not far from his house. Max faced Eve. “I know Tyco doesn’t like you much, but you usually put up with him a little better than that.”

Eve looked over at Tyco. He was standing close enough that he might overhear her, so she kept to a whisper. “We don’t know much about Tyco, and I think that stranger is trouble.”

“Tyco is a Protector. He’s not going to harm us.”

“Max, there are things you don’t…”

Tyco shouted at Max from inside the circle. “Maxwell, we’re wasting daylight.”

“Coming, Tyco.” Max leaned over to Eve. “I’m sure it’s fine. If I’m wrong, you can tear the messenger to shreds later. Deal?”

Eve huffed. “Fine.”

Max laughed and ran into the house where he grabbed the wooden swords that Tyco and he used for training. He rushed back out and over to the large circle. Eve walked over to the fence next to the field and seated herself on the top bar. She tried to put aside the conversation between Tyco and the stranger. She enjoyed watching Max fight and did not want to be distracted; however, her thoughts still wandered.

The villagers knew little about Tyco. They guessed that he was in his late thirty’s. He stood six feet tall with broad shoulders and well-built muscles. His skin was weathered a bit, and his hands had the beginnings of permanent calluses.

He had arrived alone in the village a few years back. He had retired from the Protectors after a back injury prevented him from performing the rigorous usual duties of service. The villagers, having expected him to be like Max’s father, invited him to stay in the village. However, his gruff demeanor and lack of interest in Swiftwater’s affairs soon disappoited the villagers, but he did prove to be helpful in repairing houses, carts and the like. He also ventured to the woods a couple of days ride to the east to gather supplies.

Tyco’s arrival had thrilled Max. Until that time, he had no one to teach him proper fighting techniques. When Max had first asked, Mr. Penna forbade the training; however, after several months of Max’s begging, he finally allowed it. Tyco had jumped at the chance to mentor him.

Tyco started by first assessing Max’s natural abilities to best determine his fighting style. After a good bit of trial and error, Tyco discovered that Max fought best with only light leather armor while carrying two short blades. Max had speed, but not much strength. Tyco, on the other hand, had strength to spare. His weapon of choice was a two-handed long sword. Though slower to maneuver, the weapon’s length provided a good block to Max’s two swords and also allowed Tyco to deliver powerful blows.

Over the past two years, Max’s skill had improved greatly. He now at least presented a challenge to Tyco. Tyco; however, never ran out of new tricks. The increased volume and frequency of clashing swords broke Eve free of her thoughts and she focused on the fight. It appeared Max had held his ground so far. Eve knew that would change at any moment. She had studied Tyco enough during these sessions that she could predict his movements better than Max. She wished she could have a go at Tyco, but, for now she watched Max try his best.

Max swung at Tyco with his right sword; with his left held in defense. Tyco angled his blade to block Max’s. The two wooden blades made contact with a loud thunk. Tyco pushed forward with his sword which shoved Max’s back and also blocked his left sword. Max hesitated for a moment, his lack of experience leaving him unsure of how to get out of this situation. Tyco took the advantage and placed his right foot behind Max’s leg. With another further shove he tripped Max and sent him to the ground. Max blinked a couple of times from the jolt and found the tip of Tyco’s wooden sword at his throat.

“Well done, Max. You did better than I had hoped.”

Tyco tossed the wooden sword to the side and extended his hand to Max. Max grabbed Tyco’s hand and let Tyco pull him up.

“There’s still a little daylight left, teach me that move you just used.”

“Sorry, Max, I have to get ready to leave in the morning.”

“Oh, are you going to the forest for supplies?”

“No, to Protector Headquarters in Moenia.”

Eve joined the two. “The messenger, right?”

Tyco nodded. “He said training has grown lax and Lord Avram has requested my input to correct the problem.”

Eve’s ears twitched, the earlier conversation coming back to her. “Why, after three years, have they requested your help?”

“I’ve been sending them information on my training with Max. I guess they liked what I’ve accomplished. It’s a shame you can’t come along, Max, so I can show them how well it’s worked.”

Eve saw Max’s eyes light up at the thought of a chance to go to Protector Headquarters. She cut off his next question. “It’s too dangerous, Max. The dead lands take a week to cross and it’s filled with Bandits.”