Tested (The Life of Uktesh Book 1) (32 page)

“It’s just something we men folk do to ease our fears about you women folk walking around constantly afraid.” said Esolc. 

“If that’s the case, why did he tell my mom?”

“Special circumstances. Originally he had gone there to say goodbye before dying. It was only during their conversation that he was able to come up with a battle strategy.”

“Basam is once again glad that Basam chose such a great teacher.”

“Do you think that he’d be willing to teach me?” asked Repus.

“Probably, but you would have to ask him when he wakes up.” said Laurilli.

Uktesh yawned, stretched as much as he could, and while he feigned ignorance asked, “Ask me what?”

“If you wouldn’t mind training Repus and Esolc as well.” Laurilli said.

He lazily hugged her and slowly sat up, “I don’t mind. I don’t know if you two want to begin training while on vacation, but I don’t mind telling you to run.”  He leaned against Laurilli and breathed her in deeply and asked, “How long have I been asleep?”

“Maybe four or five hours, which means we have another five or six hours left of travelling today.” she said.  They travelled wrapped in their own thoughts for several hours.  When they were ready to start to set up camp, Uktesh was able to walk around much better than before, and far more able to help. So he gathered some of the twigs and small branches for the fire.  When all three tents were up, the fire was started, and the meal almost done being cooked, they all relaxed around the fire while Laurilli told a story about their Hero for Hire job they’d dubbed, “The Disappearing Pies.” 

“So after we got hired by the widow, we were just sitting in her kitchen.  She put out four pies, and when nothing happened right away, we got to talking and eating one of the pies.  Sure enough, maybe two minutes later, Uktesh noticed a pink thing slithering around the bottom of one of the pies. Then quick as an arrow, the pie was gone!  Uktesh dove out of the open window and I went out the front door to find, what I thought was, a bloody Uktesh wrestling with, what looked like, a pink snake with a furry bottom, or something furry stuck to its back side.  Uktesh finally coiled the snake around his arm and I saw that the fur was its body and the snake was its tongue!” 

She laughed as she obviously remembered her delight, “It was the first time I’d ever heard of a lick mutt much less seen one!  It’s whole body was wiggling back and forth and I realized it was having fun!  Well once we got Uktesh and it separated, and the widow Glenn got a good look at it, she decided that it was so cute she didn’t mind if it ate her pies.  I heard that it actually drove away some kids that heard about her lost pies and decided to get some for themselves.  Can you imagine!” she acted like she reached into a window and grabbed a pie one handed only to be halted, “Wazz dist ting ‘round me wrist!” 

She lurched back like her hand was pulled and Uktesh quickly joined her and pretended to pull on her other arm, “We gots you!  Jus lets go of the pie!” Uktesh said as he also pretended to be one of the other boys.

Laurilli laughed and said, “Aye hain’t got the pie no more!”  Suddenly she fell back into Uktesh and their act became real as the both fell to the ground, “Aye’s free!” she said and held up her previously trapped hand, “Commun lets get out o’ here!”  The adults applauded the act and story as Laurilli helped Uktesh to his feet before they sat together again, right as their food was done.  Laurilli only took one bowl and fed both of them. While Uktesh continued to close and open his hands, he wondered again why it was that his hands were more injured than his muscles that tore. 
It must be the god form I almost used. 
He’d purposefully tried not to think about it, because if he did, he knew that as a swordsman, he wouldn’t be able to stop at just the thought of it until he attempted it again. 

“What are you so happy about Uktesh?” asked Repus, though by his tone he thought he already knew why Uktesh had a smile on his face.

Uktesh was unsure, should he lie or should he tell them that he was on the cusp of the first god form ever learned.  He paused for too long in thought about which to tell, because Esolc said in a breathless tone, “Heaven,” and looked off into the distance with a blank look on his face, to which everyone shared a laugh.

“You’d better not be, because we’re still not even!” said Laurilli as she pretended that last night hadn’t happened.

“No, no, I was thinking about the fight with Riu, and I realized that I might’ve surpassed my trainers.  I don’t think I could’ve come as far as I did had I stayed in my village and trained. Ever since I met Laurilli and Heathyr, I’ve been pushing myself to move faster, be stronger, and have more endurance.  I don’t know if the fights I would’ve had while training would’ve allowed as much growth in as short a time.”

“You probably would’ve found someone to protect and would’ve grown just as quickly.” said Laurilli.

“Maybe, but probably not, because  here there’s just been me for a long time, and there, I would’ve had others to fight a saber rabbit or minotaur the right way.” he said, even though he doubted for another reason it as he remembered Essra, the dark haired beauty that he had had no interest in.  He was sure she would have caused “accidents” for anyone he liked that wasn’t able to defend themselves.  “I’m content with how it turned out, though I wish our dads were with us.”

They quieted down after that somber thought and soon Esolc stood, stretched, and said, “Well I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow we should reach Jubay, if all goes well.”

Isle de Tramonto

Uktesh woke to the last day of their travels and felt good enough to help pack up the camp.  He could feel the strength in his legs and arms had quickly returned. Though his hands still didn’t open or close all the way, and they had little strength, they too had improved.  With the end so close, the companions were all smiles and laughter.  Laurilli twirled around him and kissed him, then dashed off to help pack, only to return back to him moments later, to spin away again.  Even without much help from the two of them, the wagon was quickly packed and soon they were back on the road.

“When do you think we’ll get there?” asked Laurilli.

“Probably sometime after noon.” answered Esolc.

Laurilli let out a peel of laughter that echoed the mood the group was in.  The road they travelled had started to become more populated, and soon when they passed one person on the road, they could see another in the distance.  At the sign for the turn off to the Isle de Tramonto, they couldn’t help but break out in a babble of excited chatter about what they were going to do once they reached the island.  

“I can’t wait to eat something good!” said Esolc.

“Food that isn’t jerky!” added Repus.

“Eat some bread!” exclaimed Heathyr.

“Eat some cake!” laughed Laurilli, and after everyone stopped to stare at her she said, “What!  I like cake!”

“Better be careful about that Uktesh, don’t want a,” Repus paused to gather his thoughts, “mountain woman.”

Everyone laughed, but Uktesh spoke when they’d calmed down, “I’d love her then, as long as she doesn’t mind me joining in her mountainous ways!”

They shared another laugh at that before Heathyr said, “Drink water that isn’t stale!”

“Drink a pint of the local brew!” add Esolc.

“I wanna try some of their fruit juices.” said Uktesh.

“We’ll let ya try some of that, but first you have to try some of their famous fire water.” said Repus.

Uktesh could smell salt in the air and the temperature had dropped noticeably.  He was still comfortable, but he knew that meant they were now close to the coast.  Ahead he saw a bridge and guessed that they’d see the ocean under it.  He noticed that Basam hadn’t joined them, and then noticed that he had his hand on the hilt of his sword.  He thought about the sign, and the fact that even though the road had started to become more crowded, they hadn’t seen one person on this road.  “We should stop.” he said to the group.

Heathyr pulled up on the reins and the three riders brought their horses to a halt.  “What’s going on?”

“Basam, do you want to answer that?”

“Basam thinks this is a trap, but hasn’t seen any evidence, just a feeling.”

“I got some evidence for you, if this is the road to the Isle de Tramonto why is no one on it?  We’re close to the ocean, but I don’t hear any sounds of a bustling city preparing for the day. We should turn around and check road again.”

They nodded suddenly wary and as they had begun to turn the cart around, a man stepped from the shadows an arrow nocked in his bow, but not yet drawn.  “Greeting strangers! This here’s a toll road, it’s a modest fee but we’ll be taking your money, and not your lives.”

Laurilli had stealthily strung her bow and Uktesh stood, to draw attention from her, “You’re in luck. We’ve chosen not to use this road.”  He scanned the trees and didn’t see any movement, but he did see six men started to come down the road from the bridge.  Laurilli laid the bow where he could get to it, pulled the three arrows she could get to from under their belongings, and put them next to it.

“Boy, you don’t want to,” he cut off what he was going to say, and his expression turned from threat to shock and Uktesh knew he had to act.  He grabbed the bow and the arrows and rolled out of the cart as an arrow sliced through the space he’d been moments before.  Uktesh came up and fired an arrow into the thief’s head.  It didn’t have enough strength behind it, and after piercing the skin it bounce off the skull and fell down.  The thief had another arrow ready, pulled it back, and fired.  For the first time, Uktesh got a good look at the skill of the man he fought and was impressed. His stance was solid, his draw smooth, he exhaled as he released and had he been in a fight with someone else, he probably would’ve killed them then and there. But Uktesh tilted his head out of the path, and heard Laurilli gasp as the arrow passed by.  He could feel the wind of its passage as he readied his arrow.  The thief dropped his weapons and disappeared into the woods. Had he the strength, Uktesh would’ve fired a second arrow into the thief as he ran. But as it was, he tossed the bow into the cart, as the horses danced back and forth as Heathyr struggled to turn the cart.  He held his hands up to Laurilli and she grabbed his wrists and hauled him in the bed of the cart. 

Basam, Repus, and Esolc charged the six thieves that had begun to run towards them. They trusted Uktesh to handle the one thief injured, and Uktesh was surprised that he hadn’t the same confidence in himself at the moment.  They got the cart turned around, as Repus, Esolc, and Basam crashed into and through the thieves which left four on the ground, injured or dead, and the other two continued toward the cart.  Heathyr snapped the horses into a trot, but Uktesh knew that the men would catch them before they got up to speed.  He grabbed Laurilli’s hand and had her grab his pants so that he wouldn’t fall from the sway of the cart. 

Uktesh quickly picked up the bow and arrows, nocked one and with a quick pull back released it into one of their thighs, the thief went down and rolled into the trees.  The last thief thought he was close enough that he would make it before Uktesh could fire again, but he didn’t know who his foe was.  His hands throbbed with pain, but he drew back the final arrow they had available and, as he fired, the cart hit a stone or root and the arrow arched high into the man’s shoulder, but must’ve hit a bone, because Uktesh could tell the wound was shallow.

The man smiled and vaulted into the cart sword ready, only to have his face meet Uktesh’s boot.  Again his strength betrayed him and a blow that should’ve decapitated didn’t even break a nose.  Uktesh attacked in the balanced Crescent Kick, before the man could recover, and his heel slammed into the back of the thief’s head.  He staggered more into the cart, and Uktesh flowed into the Imperfect Wooden Post and snapped his foot straight into the man’s chest and felt something break.  Finally the man flew from the cart.

Uktesh collapsed into Laurilli and as he slowly let his breath returned to normal, Repus, Esolc, and Basam returned and formed up around them.  “That was exciting!” shouted Repus over the pounding of the horse’s hooves.

“I could’ve done with less excitement!” shouted Heathyr.

“Basam is glad Basam was right, but sad that Basam couldn’t finish off the thieves.”

“Maybe on our return trip, my friend.” said Esolc and clapped a hand on Basam’s arm.

“Basam thinks by then Uktesh will be well enough to take them all out.”

Uktesh was too tired to laugh with the rest of them, because he still had not yet caught his breath.  His hands throbbed with pain.  Laurilli must’ve been able to tell, because she started to massage his hands and, even though it hurt, he wasn’t about to stop her.  They made it safely back to the main road, destroyed the sign that they now knew was a trap, and realized that everyone passed the turn off that they’d taken.  By the time they decided to follow the flow of traffic, Uktesh’s hands no longer hurt.  By the time they came in site of Jubay, Laurilli was resting against him and used a finger to trace the lines in his hands.  Compared to Manori and his village, it would’ve shocked Uktesh to see so many people in one place, but after the tournament in Baenok, with a city that size crammed to overflow, it was not as impressive as it once would’ve been.