Windcatcher: Book I of the Stone War Chronicles (33 page)

“
I am sorry, Xi’Lao. I do not speak the language of the Tiankong…not yet, anyway. I would have liked to speak to you in your native language, too.
”

“You silly magnificent creature, though I would love to have a conversation in my own language again, there’s no need to apologize for any such thing,” said Xi’Lao, politely.

Raylan saw she was trying not to lose her reserved posture and not to laugh out loud. It made him feel good that Galirras was getting along with the other members in the group. The guard, who looked at them having a conversation, relaxed for only a tiny fraction. He turned to Sebastian and spoke quite briskly.

Galirras stepped forward, but not directly at the guard, trying not to look threatening.

“
It is not my intention to frighten anyone. If it means that much to everyone, I have no problem waiting somewhere on the outskirts of the town. But there is no need to insult me.
”

That finally seemed to do the trick. They agreed that Galirras would follow up higher in the trees and wait at one of the empty spots Sebastian would point out.

As they passed the guard, he looked at every single one in the group with a strict concentration on his stern face. Only his known companions, like Twan and Otis, received a smile and greeting, welcoming them back to their home.

As they walked further, the full village came into view at the other side of the tree. The sight was amazing. Platforms, large and small, were constructed on the higher branches. The first huts were small and older; but as they got farther into the settlement, the buildings became larger and appeared increasingly sturdier. Full stairs, with handrails, had been constructed in many places, allowing for safe passage between each part. Some platforms even had troughs with dirt, where plants and berries seemed to grow.

A number of platforms were connected by the same kind of rope bridges they had crossed earlier, since the distance was too great for normal stairs. Torches were positioned on most platforms, but none were burning during the day.

“You know, you might actually be some kind of large lizard,”
remarked Raylan to Galirras, privately, as they walked on.

“Really?”
Galirras looked back at the guard with a hint of guilt.
“Maybe I should go back and apologize, then.”

Galirras felt uncomfortable, sitting on the platform. Next to him were all kinds of boxes and piles of wooden planks. At the other side were some woven baskets, smelling of fish and dirt. But, the scent was not the problem. They had only been there a short while, but news had spread quickly through the small treetop village; and a group of spectators rapidly formed, every single one making sure not to venture too close. A handful of small boys and a dark-eyed girl stared at him. The boys dared each other to approach him. Something that should not be that difficult, or scary, in Galirras’ opinion.

It was his first time seeing small children. They looked in all aspect human, but their dimensions were off in some ways. One of them with blond curly hair had arms and legs that seemed very long in comparison with his torso; and this other kid with short spiky rugged hair carried around a head that was way too big on those small shoulders. They also seemed to be much more rowdy than the full versions of humans.

Raylan and his brother were talking to Sebastian, when he noticed the group of spectators making way for a small delegation. Two women and a man approached them with slow, well-measured paces. Raylan, who was used to his home city’s council of thirty, had imagined something slightly different when Sebastian talked about their council. Back home, ‘The Thirty’ were influential men put in place to represent the common folk and to act as guidance for the king. It seemed an odd thing to call these three a council, though he admitted the three looked old enough to fit the image.

One woman looked like his old neighbor near his father’s workshop, and she had been a great-grandmother with more grandchildren than two hands could count. This woman looked anything but feeble though. She had strong eyes and held her gray head high as she took in the scene. Locking her eyes on Galirras, with interest, when she saw him.

The other woman and man seemed a bit younger, but were easily still twice Raylan’s age. The small, well-rounded woman looked like she enjoyed a good life, but the deep facial lines showed a hardworking life in the past and most likely the present. The man’s face showed the same hardness, though much of it was hidden behind a black and gray beard. His tall build made him an impressive presence even at his age. The one thing that was not covered by his facial hair was the slave mark burned in his cheek. Both women had one, too. The elderly woman didn’t have the symbol on her cheek but on her left hand. The mark was so faded it must have been there for a very long time.

“Sebastian, welcome back,” the man began, when the trio was close enough. “How did it go?”

“It’s been a long, but good, couple of weeks. The new trails are marked. One leads to a promising fishing pool. We did some maintenance on two bridges on the track to the stables, but the rest was still in great condition.”

“What about the food storage?” asked the round woman.

“Ann, Jarod, can’t you see we’ve got more important things to discuss? We’ve got guests,” the elderly woman said, cutting her short.

“More important? What is more important than feeding every mouth in this village? Food stock has already dwindled ever since we lost part of it in that last spring storm. We can’t have people go hungry. It’s not good for morale,” said Ann.

“You’re always hungry,” replied the elderly woman. “I for one, would like to know who these people are before we discuss anything of a sensitive nature.”

“Svetka’s got a point, Ann. My apologies for rushing in like that,” said the man called Jarod.

“Perhaps we should talk somewhere a bit more private?” suggested Svetka.

After some polite official introductions, they were invited to a small meeting space a little bit higher up in the tree. Raylan joined Gavin and Xi’Lao, attending the closed meeting with the small council and Sebastian. They were sure to have questions about Galirras, so Gavin wanted Raylan present to represent their unusual companion.

“Why have you brought them here?” said Svetka.

The question was directed at Sebastian; it seemed, for now, she was completely ignoring their party, which Raylan found quite rude.

“Because they’re from Aeterra, just like you, and Jarod. They can help us fight, can help us get back home,” Sebastian started.

“Home? Child, I’ve long forgotten my home. These dark woods feel more like home than any far away kingdom will ever be again. Who knows what has changed there after all this time. And how can you be so certain? It might be a trap. They might be here to kill us all when we least expect it,” she replied.

“No,” said Sebastian, shaking his head. “I don’t believe that. They were being chased by the dark troops. I saw them looking for them, everywhere.”

“And you brought them here? What if the enemy followed them?” added Ann.

“Dark troops have been known to speak Terran perfectly, if properly taught. Did you actually see them fight the dark troops?” asked Svetka.

Sebastian held his tongue on that one.

“It seems to me you have endangered everything we’ve built these last years by guiding these strangers here. If we’re discovered, we’ll have nowhere else to go. Not to mention, bringing this unknown ferocious looking creature into our midst, the like no-one has ever seen before.”

The old woman’s voice sounded like she was scolding her grandchild.

“It’s called a dragon, and he’s a member of our group,” Raylan interrupted.

“Silly child, don’t be absurd. There are no such things as dragons. It’s important for young people to know the difference between the real world and fairy tales.”

“Well, this fairy tale is tr—” began Raylan, when he was interrupted.

“We really mean your people no harm, ma’am. I can assure you this.” Gavin held up his hand to keep Raylan quiet, as he tried to prevent the situation from escalating. “We found ourselves stuck behind enemy lines after carrying out our mission and we are currently trying to find a suitable way home to bring this whole ordeal to a close.”

“How’d it come to pass that you’re stuck here?” This time, it was Jarod asking the question.

“We came on horseback over the northern top of the Great Eastern Divide. Our journey has taken us many moons from our safe haven. Before we could return, our road home was cut off by the Doskovian army coming in from the west and we were forced to travel south, escaping detection. We’re looking for the Drowned Man’s Fork. I was hoping perhaps you’ve heard of it?”

“And you can fight?” Jarod asked.

“We can hold our own,” stated Raylan, without permission.

“We’ve had some close calls, and I’m sad to say not all of us made it,” continued Gavin, ignoring Raylan’s rudeness.

“And this pet creature? No known animal looks like that, not even in these ancient woods.”

“He’s not a pet! Like I said, he’s a dragon, and as far as we know, the only one of his kind,” blurted Raylan.

“Good sir, council members, please feel at ease. We have no intention of staying longer than necessary and have no plans to put pressure on your resources. If we hadn’t run into Sebastian here, we’d have never met your community at all, I expect. We welcome your help, even if it is only advice. We don’t want to be a bother to anyone, so perhaps we can show our value in a way that can gain your trust?” said Gavin.

“Hmmm, I was just thinking the same thing. Maybe we should give them a chance to prove their value to us,” Ann remarked.

“What do you suggest?” said Svetka.

“Well, we really do need to restock our food supplies. They could join Sebastian and retrieve food from the newly discovered storage.”

“Would that be possible, Sebastian?” asked Jarod.

“The help is more than welcome. The depot is lightly guarded, and with the extra hands, we can be in and out without anyone knowing.”

“So, leader, what do you say about this chance to prove yourselves?” said Svetka.

The three of them had a short discussion before Gavin gave their response.

“Not all of my men will be fit enough to join. We’re willing to lend you a hand with those who’re capable. In return, please let our wounded rest and gain back their strength. I hope this will convince you that we’re who Sebastian says we are.”

“We’ll see. Another thing, the beast stays here. I don’t want that thing roaming around in the dark, allowing it to get the drop on us. He will be put under constant guard until you return.”

“You can’t do that. He’ll have to hunt!” exclaimed Raylan.

The old woman looked at them sternly.

“Fine, we’ll see if we can catch some birds for him.”

Raylan was furious. They did not need this. They should leave and let these tree dwellers to their own fate. He was about to give this woman a piece of his mind, when Gavin held up his hand again to urge him to calm down.

“We agree to your request. My men could use a good night’s rest, but those who will join Sebastian will be ready to go at first light.”

“Wha…” began Raylan, but his brother’s fierce eyes told him to keep his mouth firmly shut.

They left the meeting room shortly after that. Raylan was unable to bite his tongue any longer and turned to Gavin.

“Why the hell d’you do that? We can’t leave him here alone. Galirras won’t like it at all. And neither do I, for that matter.”

“
You
need to learn when you’re supposed to keep your mouth shut. Running your mouth at the one person that might be able to help us get home quicker—think on this, for a moment. We’re within enemy territory. We’ve got no idea how far we still need to go. We need allies.

“
You
need to follow orders. No, actually,
I
need
you to follow orders.
You
need to explain to Galirras this is…how it’ll be. Once we get back from this food-run, we can continue to our destination with the help of these people. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can head home.”

“We could easily fight our way out. They’re not soldiers, they’re probably untrained at combat, even though they outnumber us,” objected Raylan.

“And then what? We’re back where we started? Lost on a continent that wants us dead. No, our best chance is to gather information from the locals, and this is probably the best, if not the only, chance we’re going to get. No discussion.”

Raylan did not like it one bit. Xi’Lao saw him struggle internally.

“I can stay with Galirras for you. I can protect him. It will give us some time to talk uninterrupted,” she said.

“I’m letting Harwin and Peadar stay behind, too,” added Gavin. “Peadar can make sure the pigeon get its strength back for the flight home. Harwin can assist Xi’Lao, if there’s trouble. And don’t forget, Galirras isn’t that helpless either.”

That evening Raylan felt restless. He had informed Galirras of what they would have to do the next day. As expected, Galirras did not like it one bit. Not only would he have to stay put which would stop him from moving through the trees he enjoyed so immensely, but he would not be allowed to stay by Raylan’s side and protect him from possible danger. It took Raylan the entire evening meal to talk Galirras out of throwing a fit, and no amount of meat helped. Not that there was much to appease the angry dragon.