The Choosing (6 page)

“How do you guys make a living?”  Seth asked.  “That is if I’m not asking anything too personal.”  He added as an after-thought.

“Well my mom continues to heal people.”  Ashton said with pride. “Though she only accepts donations because some people can’t afford much, or sometimes they can’t afford anything at all.  My dad however no longer wields a sword.  He spends most of his time helping people build houses, and it pays pretty well.  Glenvale is growing fast, I guess it’s because we are so close to the ocean, and it’s the only pass around the mountains to the north.”  Ashton ended, his childish face alight with a giant smile, thinking of home.

As it were however, against his awkward boyish looks, Ashton was nearly 4 months older than the twins.  This had come as quite a surprise to the twins as they compared birthdates with their new found friend.

They continued walking and talking like old friends as they wound their way southward, following the narrow trail through the forest as the sky slowly began to darken.  The day had been perfect for traveling, warm, but not uncomfortable, a slight cool breeze at their backs, sunshine, not a single cloud in the sky.  Though the day was fading, rapidly becoming night, it appeared that they too would have a well weathered night.  As daylight was fading the three companions decided they should look for a spot to make camp.  Continuing down the trail they looked this way and that searching for a suitable spot to rest for the night.  It wasn’t long before Garret spotted a small clearing just off the right side of the trail where a large tree had uprooted and leaned against its neighbors, making a large depression, sheltered from the elements on three sides beneath its roots.  The trio could not believe their luck, and set to making camp.

The air was cooling off a bit as the last of the debris was removed from the hollow beneath the tree, but it wasn’t yet cold enough for a fire, so the boys unanimously agreed against starting one.  The twins dug their blankets out of their packs and unrolled them and laid them in their makeshift shelter.  Ashton pulled a large leather hide out of his pack, which he told them was from a small bear, and laid it in the shelter as well.  They all pulled food from their packs and shared with each other happily, and talked about their hopes for The Choosing.  Obviously Ashton wanted to join the white robed healers who followed the teachings of their Goddess Lorentia.  Garret too had no problem telling them that he was hoping to join the ranks of the army and win glorious battles.  It was then that Ashton told them that there were two gods that most of the army worshipped, Gorandor, the god of honor and valor, and Vikstol the god of battle.  This brought Garret’s hopes to a screeching halt.  Sure he had heard of the gods, though he didn’t remember any of their names until now, but he had never considered joining a religion.  After all there were no places of worship in Vineleaf, and no one there that he could think of offhand that had worshipped any god.  Thinking over it a few minutes while Ashton prattled on about the differences between the two gods, and the differences in their worship, Garret came to the conclusion that if these gods were good enough for those under the banner of the armies of Valdadore, than certainly one of them would be worthy of his worship.  Only when it was Seth’s turn to tell of his hopes did their shelter seem a bit too small.  Seth told them he had no hopes what so ever of glory, or honor for that matter.  He wasn’t keenly interested in helping the injured, though he told Ashton it was indeed a worthy cause, just he wasn’t compelled to do it.  Seth, ruining the spirit of their camaraderie temporarily told them he just wanted to come home alive, after his five years of service.  He wanted it to pass quickly; doing whatever it was that he was chosen to do.  He did not want to put down any roots, did not want to burden himself with choosing a god to worship.  Most of all, if given a choice, as few were given at The Choosing; Seth wished he could perhaps do something for the families who would lose their loved ones in the Kingdom’s wars.  All were quiet for a few moments, taking in all that Seth had revealed about himself.  Ashton was the first to speak.

“That’s awfully sacrificial of you Seth.”

Seth refused to respond still consumed in thought.  It was Garret who spoke next.

“How so Ashton?”  Garret asked as his face puckered up in deep concentration.

“Well.”  Ashton answered.  “You are willing to sacrifice your life to the Kingdom by dying in battle.  I am willing to sacrifice my own life to save another.  Seth is willing to sacrifice happiness, to bear the burden of the Kingdom’s failures, the burden of families’ loses, the burden of broken hearts and anguished lovers.  Seth is willing to sacrifice himself over and over, while we are willing to do it once.”

Seth spoke then in a low voice, trying not to let Ashton’s words sink in.

“Let’s get some sleep guys, if we pick up the pace a bit tomorrow, we should be able to reach Stone Haven by tomorrow evening.”  Seth immediately lay down on his blanket, laying on half, covering himself with the other half and rolled over to face away from his brother and new found friend.  He hadn’t said much to them about his thoughts about The Choosing, and yet Ashton had seen right through his vagueness, and read what his soul felt, what his mind was loathed to reveal.  Ashton looked at Garret questioningly and Garret shrugged his large shoulders in response.  They too then lay down, covering themselves from the cool nighttime air, slowly drifted off to sleep.

Seth lay awake a while listening first to Ashton’s words, playing over and over again in his head.  He had never thought of his choice as being self sacrificial.  Still it was hard for him to imagine it as a sacrifice, trying to help those that had truly sacrificed the most.  It simply felt to him as a good worthy cause, helping others heal their souls, not their bodies.  Bringing closure to the bereaved just felt like the right thing to do.

Seth lay pondering his choices until he heard his brothers light snoring, as well as Ashton’s quiet even breathing.  Knowing that there would be no more conversation tonight, he relaxed his hold on consciousness and let his mind drift where ever it might go.  The last thing Seth saw before his consciousness was lost to darkness was an image of his mother smiling at him, that concerned look in her eyes.

Garret was the first to wake, and sitting up quickly as was his habit at home, smashed his face into a low hanging root, abruptly scaring him wide awake enough to yell at the top of his enormously loud lungs, startling his brother and Ashton awake as well.  Seth quickly got his bearings, and then sat up scrutinizing his surroundings for whatever danger caused his brother to yell.  Nothing found, he looked at his brother, seeing the root directly in front of Garret’s face, and the face of his brother, filled with rage, snarling at the root, he quickly surmised that there was nothing to worry about.  Ashton sat up as well and just sat there looking at Garret like he were an unworldly creature, unleashed to disrupt others peaceful sleep.  Seth then looking from his brother’s face to Ashton’s starting laughing loudly, causing both his companions to look at him, Garret still with a face of half rage, and Ashton in questioning wonder.  Seth just shrugged his shoulders at them, with a smile still on his face, climbed out of their shelter and stood to stretch.  Garret too began to climb out giving his nemesis, the evil root, one last menacing glare, and then crawled out to join his brother.  Ashton and Garret cleared the cover of their shelter at the same time and echoed Seth’s stretches with their own.

“Eat now or later?”  Ashton asked the brothers, willing to follow their lead.

“Well, I could defiantly eat now.”  Garret replied and walked back to the fallen tree to retrieve his pack.

“Good enough for me.”  Ashton replied.  Then he and Seth both went to gather up their packs as well.

The three boys sat outside the pit that was created by the tree’s upheaval, they sprawled themselves out in a rough semi circle, their packs in their laps and each pulled out a little something to eat.  They ate in silence, Seth often smiling to himself thinking about his brother’s early morning battle.  Catching the little secret humor Seth noticed Ashton looking at him, then Garret and smiling.  The morning meal went off without a hitch, and soon they had their bedrolls back in their packs, and had their packs on their shoulders ready to go.

The day passed by quickly filled with small talk, all three of them avoiding any discussion of The Choosing.  The trail was easy, winding forever downhill and the large pines that made up the forest above began to give way to oaks and elms.  Less leaves had fallen at this lower altitude so it almost appeared to the boys that they were walking back in time from fall back into summer, though the occasional brisk breeze at their backs told a different story.  It was just after they had stopped for lunch, and had hit the trail again that one of Garret’s questions spurred a lengthy tutorial by Ashton.

“Well let me think.” Ashton had started.  “There used to be dozens of gods that people from all the races of men worshipped.  Most of them are now forgotten or dead I assume.”

“Wait hold up.”  Garret stopped him in his tracks.  “How is it that a god, something all powerful, would be dead?”

“Good question.” Stated Ashton.  “Sorry I didn’t think about elaborating on it, but I will.  It is believed that a god can only exist a short while without worshippers, though none can prove it.  It kind of makes sense though, think about it.  If a god holds the power to alter men’s existence then to balance it out should not men hold the power to alter the gods’ existence?  Like I said it can’t be proved of course, but with wars lands are taken over, with the new rule laws are set in place outlawing worship of a certain god.  Time passes and so too the knowledge of the god, even the memory of it passes, then when no one is left to worship the god supposedly even the god vanishes.  At least that is what some of the scholars think.  My mom told me about it.  Anyhow back to your original question, how many gods, who worships them, and what does it entail?  Well to be honest I don’t think I can completely answer your question Garret.  I have a limited knowledge of most of the Gods that are openly worshipped besides my own.  Even less knowledge do I have of the few gods who are not openly worshipped, yet still have a few followers.  But in any case I will try to tell you what I can of those I know if that will do?”

Garret simply nodded in response to Ashton’s question, and so Ashton continued.

“Well first and foremost of course is Lorentia.  She is widely accepted as the Goddess of healing and nurturing.  Being that most of us with a gift for healing come to worship her, and heal in her name, it is thought that we her followers have a gift for magic, but through us she channels healing powers to restore the wounded or dying.  Most of us pray to her, I know at least my family does, even my father who doesn’t have the gift, though he knows firsthand of its power.  Let’s see, I guess next, and of special interest to you would be Gorandor.  As I said last night, he is the god of Honor and Valor.  Mostly warriors worship Gorandor, and nearly all of his followers are human, elf, or dwarf, though some other races probably make up a small amount.  It is said that of his followers, only those with a pure heart and pure intentions are blessed with his gifts.  There are a few of his gifted followers in Valdadore so I won’t spoil the surprise for you, you will know them when you see them I promise.  I don’t really know how his followers carry out their beliefs though; I assume they pray to him as well.  Next on the list, who may also be of interest to you is Vikstol, the God of battle.  Now this one is a bit trickier I think.  Most warriors, if not nearly all of them give their spiritual allegiance to Vikstol.  Not because he gives them wondrous powers, or grants them wishes or anything, but because he is supposedly the god who controls the outcome of every battle.  It is believed that he is the difference between you dying from a single shot from an arrow, or you taking the impact of twenty arrows and still living just long enough to slay the man holding the bow.  Most followers of Gorandor, who do not receive his gifts drift off to worship Vikstol instead.  I do know that at least before a battle, Vikstol’s followers will pray to him, and some of his followers that still carry old traditions will often make a sacrifice in his honor.  Next up I guess would be Valonore, the god of nature.  He is the god of the green robed Druids you are sure to see around Valdadore.  Druids use earthly magics to create natural things.  It is said they can sculpt plants, animals, even stone and earth with their thoughts.  Oh and most Ranger types, you know trackers, worship him as well, they say the gifted ones can follow a year old trail buried beneath desert sands if given the gift of a magical sight by their god.  But who knows right?  Let’s see there is Saranadia, the Goddess of defensive magic, though from my understanding not many people worship her anymore, most preferring offensive magic.  But through worship of Saranadia followers are often gifted with the ability to shield themselves from nearly every type of harm, the most powerful of her followers were said to have been able to shield entire regiments of the Kings army.  Though I don’t think any are currently alive that can do that.  Hmm let’s see who have I missed…Oh yes Zeranthil the mighty god of offensive magic.  He has many, many followers all of them wear the red robes of his order of mages, all with the gift of magic of course.  He cannot give his blessings to those who do not already possess the gift.  He gives all of them his blessing to varying degrees, those who worship the greatest, and sacrifice the most of themselves to him, wield his most powerful blessings.  Let’s see there is Ximlin, the Dwarven god of stone and steel.  Ximlin has blessed the entire race of Dwarves with the ability to create the most wondrous items with those elements.  It is said he is very particular to dwarves, however my mom once said that on occasion he chooses a member of another race to bless with his gifts if they are worthy.  Who does that leave?”  Ashton questioned himself.  He thought about it a moment and started again.