The Awakening (The Stones of Revenge) (11 page)

Then, without warning, lightning struck a few trees on the edge of the forest nearest to Adela’s. Panic seized him and he knew something had to be done. He looked about him for a source of water with which he could extinguish the flames before they destroyed the cottage. Nothing was available to him. He watched as the fire spread from tree to tree. He dashed over to the fire and felt the heat from the inferno on his face. Birds scattered from the trees and a number of foxes darted out of the darkness. Adela and Gavin rushed out of the house.

“Geoffrey, grab water from the cellar, hurry!”Adela said to the young man who had stabled Aquila.

“What have you done?!” Gavin accused.

“I have done nothing!” Landon said. “I’m not the selfish cretin who only cares for himself.”

“One day soon, I vow, you and I will settle this.”

He left Landon where he was standing and rushed to help Geoffrey with the water. Landon was about to help as well when something strange happened. He watched as the trees began to move and sway as though a light breeze were being blown upon their surface. Then the breeze grew stronger and the trees began to bend with its force. Still the wind grew until the trees were waving wildly and creaking under the gale force winds. Landon, himself, found it difficult to keep his footing from the gusts. Slowly, aided by the wind, the fire began to increase spreading faster from tree to tree. The flames were licking at the edges of the inn. Landon felt the blaze all around him and closed his eyes fearing he would be destroyed along with the inn.

He wanted to be as far away from the flames possible. They brought back too many recent memories of his farm and the disaster that awaited him when he returned. He closed his eyes and wished the flames would move away from the house. It was the only thing he felt he could do. In his mind he watched as the flames ran away from the cottage like scared animals until they were lost in the darkness. He felt the wind suddenly disappear and he opened his eyes to see that the fire had been put out. He was filled with relief. The roof was soaked with water as were the trees. The edge of forest was blacker than usual from the black soot.

“Thanks for the help,” Geoffrey snapped. “Standing there with your eyes closed was the best idea you could come up with?”

“I don’t –” was all Landon could say. The others re-entered the building leaving him alone in the road. Away to the south a rumbling of thunder could be heard. Unsure of what just happened, he decided he had better get some rest. They were certain not to get as comfortable lodgings for the rest of the journey. He entered the building and walked down the long corridor to his room. He turned the handle to open the door, but found it was locked. He pushed on it and realized that Gavin had locked him out. He pounded on the door, but there was no stir from within. He pounded again and was greeted with a large bang from the other side of the door.

He stood in the hall and heard the dull crackle emanate from the fireplace He looked towards the great room on his left and decided the couches in front of the fire would have to suffice. Plopping himself down on one of the couches, Landon released his anger. He relaxed into the soft padding listening to the sound of the fire. The warmth from the hearth warmed his skin in the cold room. He closed his eyes and listened to the fire. Slowly he felt his weariness overcome him and he receded into his mind.

Chapter
Eleven

The Arden

Landon stood on a wooden surface and heard the sound of many birds calling in the distance. The heat from the sun beat down upon him accompanied by another sensation. The ground beneath him moved up and down rhythmically, and he felt he would soon fall over. He smelled salt in the air and felt a sudden splash of coolness upon his cheek eliminating the sun’s strength for a brief second. He looked before him and noticed that the wooden floor curved in front of him into a point. Beyond that point he saw a blue carpet appear suddenly as the ground bent beneath him then disappear as the floor moved upwards toward the sky. He watched this phenomenon for a minute before he realized what he was seeing.

The blue carpet was actually the ocean, and the ground was the deck of a ship.  Standing before him was the prow of a large vessel bobbing up and down in the water. The birds he had heard earlier were gulls. He knew little of life at sea, but minstrels’ stories always held that gulls only flew near land. Looking around him, however, he could not see land, only the deep blue rolled out before him. He looked about the ship for signs of life. He saw none on the deck where he stood, so he looked back towards the aft of the ship. There stood a man holding on to a large wheel looking out into the sea beyond. He had never been this close to a ship before and noticed how massive the sails above him were. High up on the top of the middle mast was a large, circular deck upon which stood a man gazing out before the ship as well. Beyond that, the ship seemed deserted.

Landon thought to explore the ship to see what else existed but before he had the chance, the man from the crow’s nest yelled something inaudible and pointed to the prow of the ship. Landon turned around and saw something appearing before him. A large, brown mass a thousand times higher and larger than the ship was materializing before his eyes out of a mist that he hadn’t noticed earlier. As the water vapor slowly dissolved, an enormous mountain appeared in its place. At its base stretched miles of green grass and forests. Beyond which, closest to the ocean and himself, lay mounds of sand. It seemed paradise to him, and he longed to set foot upon the island and never leave.

The boat continued to bob upon the surface of the water and, though the two men he saw seemed to concentrate on bringing the ship toward the island, if felt as though the island never got closer. Landon’s heart raced with anxiety at how slow the trip took to approach the island. He longed for a faster route and realized that if the boat would not get him there, he would have to do it himself. He walked to the edge of the ship and gazed down into the dark water far below. Fear from the fall held him to the ship, but his desire for the island grew more intense with each passing moment. Eventually, his desire overcame his fear, and courage set in. He looked into the water and aimed for a spot as far away from the ship as he could get. He took a few steps back, bent his legs low and with a great burst of speed, sprang forward headfirst into the deep below. The wind whipped his face as he plummeted gaining more speed the further he fell. He could feel the cold water spray his body from the edge of the massive ship. Down, down he fell until he hit the surface of the water with a cold shock.

Splash!

Roughly he sat up on his couch before the fireplace, confused by how real the dream seemed. He looked around himself to get his bearings then realized he was holding his breath. Deeply he let out a sigh and filled his lungs again with fresh air. Landon’s back hurt from sleeping on a couch all night. He remembered the events from last night and his reason for being there and his annoyance with Gavin rekindled. He couldn’t believe he had been forced to sleep outside. He got up and stretched looking at the hearth. The fire had burnt out during the night leaving a pile of ashes behind.

His muscles already ached, and he knew he had many days of hard riding before him. He wasn’t sure if his body could handle it. And he was beginning to resent Gavin for placing this extra burden upon him. As if reacting to Landon’s thought, Gavin appeared in the doorway of their room.

“Let’s move,” he said abrasively and exited the small inn with his belongings.

“A very fine morning to you as well,” Landon remarked though he was sure no one else heard him. He decided to retrieve his effects from their room and noticed them sitting in the exact spot he had left them the previous night. He buckled
Affliction
to his waist then picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He glanced at the bed and felt a slight envy for what he could have experienced. Turning with a sigh, he exited the dwelling as well to be greeted by a bright sunbeam.

Once his sight acclimated to the light, he saw two images that stuck out to him. First, he noticed that Gavin had already saddled, loaded, and mounted his horse and sat there looking grimly at him. Second, he noticed the devastation the fire had caused to the border of the forest. The entire line of trees from the road extending to the north was blackened from the blaze. The roof of the cottage also held a tinge of soot as though a tongue of fire had licked it. He remembered his fear from the previous night, but shook his head trying to eliminate it from his mind. Geoffrey brought Aquila to him from the stables.

“Your horse, my lord,” he said drawing out the last part as though in mockery. Landon happily received her and slung his bag around the saddle. He mounted Aquila and stiffened a bit when his back spammed from a tight muscle. He turned the horse toward the trees and pushed her into a trot. Gavin had already moved on without a word of appreciation to their hosts. Noticing this, Landon turned to bid his own appreciation; however, the door was abruptly shut from within.

He marveled at the sudden change of hospitality. These people were acting as though he had caused the fire. He began this journey already not liking Gavin, and it seemed the more people he met along the way, the more enemies he made. The world outside his farm had so far turned out to be a very different place than he had originally imagined. He looked before to the road that headed into the shadow of the forest and saw Gavin well ahead of him. He chose to stay behind and take in the scenery.

As he edged closer to the trees he noticed the sunshine began to lessen upon the earth. The yellow rays of the sun faded slowly into chartreuse. He looked into the sky as he passed beneath the canopy of the Arden, watching the blue be replaced by the sporadic lines of green and brown. Immediately the temperature cooled on his skin and the light dimmed. He felt the vastness of the forest draw its arms around him as if ominously telling him he would not leave as easily as he entered.

He continued along the path noticing it kept a straight line for quite some time before bending toward the right. Up ahead, Gavin was already at the bend and presently would disappear from his sight. Landon knew the Arden Forest would take nearly three days to cross, but other than that he knew nothing of what it contained. His lack of knowledge of the outside world was beginning to show. He figured he ought not to lose sight of the only person with experience in these woods.

Hurrying Aquila along, Landon caught up with Gavin just as he was making the bend.  He slowed his horse to a trot just beside the black mare. Gavin rode in silence without acknowledging Landon’s presence. This seemed fine to him after the debacle of the previous night. Their first conversation had vexed Landon enough to need space from Gavin, but forcing him to sleep on a couch put a distance in their already estranged relationship. Landon had never trusted Gavin, and after last night, knew he had to regard the man with caution.

The day wore on as the two of them rode in silence under the green canopy. At times, when the road straightened out, they would speed into a gallop to make time, and at others, when it wound back and forth, they would slow to a trot. The only words they spoke were when Gavin gave the signal to alter their speed. The first day was like riding through a thick fog of silence. As the sun set, Landon and Gavin decided on a place to make camp and build a fire. They found a great clearing near a small stream where many trees did not grow. Landon led Aquila towards the stream for a drink while Gavin prepared the fire.

Neither of them had eaten anything and few animals had been seen along the road. Resolving to find some nourishment, Landon searched his pack. The only items he found were pieces of bread and a few apples. He decided to try some bread while he was near the stream. His first bite into the bread was a shock to his body. He had already ached at the start of the day, but his head and stomach had joined in the pain causing this bread to taste even better than had he eaten it at home. He took a couple more quick bites and swallowed as fast as he could. A hiccup escaped his lips. The vibrations from it nearly shook his entire body. He bent down to the stream and gulped up a few large handfuls of water to refresh himself. Though he was not satisfied, he knew the food had to last until Ellington; another five days ride. Therefore, he replaced the bread and moved with Aquila back to the camp sight.

There he saw a sight. Gavin had somehow managed to capture a couple of rabbits and was preparing to roast them over the large fire he had created. Landon unrolled his pack and lay down upon it preparing for a long night on an empty stomach. As soon as his head touched the earth Gavin broke his silence.

“You are not hungry, then?” he inquired.

“Hungry? I’m starving, but I suppose you are not sharing amenities with me for a second night,” Landon said referring to the bed Gavin had deprived him of.

“Nonsense, I am simply prone to fits of irritation. I have long since forgotten my anger towards you. We have many miles to ride and you cannot do so without proper food. Now come, and let us see what kind of supper we can make of these conies.”

Landon, suspicious of the sudden show of friendship, moved from his position to a large log which lay sideways near the flames. The coolness of the approaching night had not set in with Landon until he sat near the fire. Its warmth radiated around him and he recognized how much more comfortable he was near it.

He watched as Gavin skinned the hares, speared them with sticks, and placed them between to Y-shaped sticks he had set on either end of the fire. This allowed him to rotate the meat so it could cook evenly. As Landon looked on, he couldn’t help but wonder why the abrupt change of heart with Gavin. He wondered what game he was at, and decided to keep an even closer eye on his movements.

Nearly half an hour after the meat had been placed on the fire, it was ready to eat. Gavin handed Landon one of the rabbits still steaming. Landon accepted the food but held it easily being only luke-warm in his hands. He inspected the meat thoroughly as though Gavin might have somehow poisoned it. Gavin noticed this and laughed out loud.

“I promise you my friend, it is safe to eat. Here look,” Gavin said reaching over to pull a piece of meat from the rabbit and eat it first. Landon was uneasy at first, then relented and dug into the warm flesh. Gavin watched him for a minute before tearing off a piece from his own meal. Eating the meat Landon began to feel his body relax. The tension in his head began to ease and the muscles in his body unwound. The day had been full and now he was feeling the effects of it. Finishing his supper, Landon threw the bones into the fire. He retrieved his mat and pulled it closer to the warmth. Laying down he half expected Gavin to say something or react, but he did neither. He took Landon’s lead and lied down beside the fire as well. Within minutes Landon heard his loud snores begin to echo off the trees. Feeling more at ease, he too let the night embrace him.

The morning came sooner than Landon expected and as he woke he was greeted with the cheerful sounds of Gavin picking up camp.

“What hour is it?” Landon asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“It is nearly dawn. The sun will shine within the hour and we should be off.”

Agreeing, Landon picked up his end of the camp and loaded his bags onto Aquila once more who neighed and gave him a look to show her discomfort with being saddled and loaded so frequently. Once loaded he stood next to the fire waiting for Gavin to secure his own saddle. He looked down at the fire pit they had created last night and noticed the remnants of the bones he had tossed away. All flesh had been burned away leaving a sad, charred skeleton lying amongst the ashes. The image of death reminded him too much of the life he had taken only a week prior and re-instilled in him the desire never to kill again.

Finally Gavin finished and the two men were on the road again. This day Gavin was more loquacious but only about trivial matters. He related information about the different animals in the forest and how he could tell where their hidden nests were. Landon listened with feigned interest as he was certain Gavin was up to something.
There has to be a reason for his abrupt change of attitude
, Landon thought. Then again, perhaps he has decided that our differences aren’t worth the constant arguing
.
Maybe he was truly beginning to understand Landon’s naivety or just decided to become a guide rather than a hindrance, but whatever the case Landon was becoming more intrigued by the minute. What he really wanted was to be in Ellington getting the answers he craved.

When the sun had risen to the noon hour, Gavin turned from discussions of the forest to the adventures of his past. One story in particular changed Landon’s attitude from feigned interest to real interest.

“…see there we were on the edge of a precipice at the end of the road. The army was only a mile away; its drums echoing in my heart. The plain we stood on contained no trees or shrubbery of any kind in which to hide so the only option left to us was to stand and fight. Imagine that, three of us against an army!”