24. Rourk
Chapter twenty-four
Rourk
F orty-six of us make our way south toward the Kingdom late in the afternoon. We keep a fast pace, but it will be a long walk to the southern farmstead where we can procure horses for the rest of the journey. I keep myself near Galene, but not close enough to draw attention to us both. A thrumming energy courses through me still when I think of what we had just done against the tree. Her firm hold of me and her powerful eyes as our bodies became one. I hadn’t realized how much I’d yearned for her, and how thrilling the ecstasy would be.
And to think, just a week ago, she had hated me with every fiber of her being. But that had been before I’d known the measure of her, and before we’d become accustomed to each other. Before we’d acknowledge the mutual goodness of our hearts, and the strength of our resolve. Now, I can’t stop thinking about her touch and the taste of her lips. I even have her soft, strong voice playing in my mind .
Swaths of deep reds and oranges fill the sky, telling me that something terrible will happen tonight. The red sky at night summons the blight.
I look around at the familiar faces around me, proud of how many we have with us. Almost every able-bodied adult from the tribe. Those who do not have young ones or elderly to care for. It does bother me how few hunters we left to keep the village secure, but we focus our efforts on helping the Kingdom. It’s a strange thought to think I have an army with me again. A strange army of peaceful farmers and hunters with no soldiers and minimal combat experience.
I sense Bohan stepping closer beside me. He gives me a small nod.
“Some people think I’m hardheaded,” he begins, “and an oaf.”
“I can’t imagine why they think that,” I reply with a touch of humor.
“Well, it is true,” Bohan shrugs. “But I also know when to admit I was wrong. I was wrong about you, outsider. You’re a good man. And you have the experience we need with us. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
“So do I.” I give him a respectful nod. He returns the nod. “I had the wrong impression of you, also,” I say. “I know you want to help your people and do what’s best for them.”
“I will fight beside you. We will do what’s right. Even if that means we are helping the Kingdom.”
“I don’t like the idea of helping them any more than you,” I say ruefully. But we both know why we’re doing this. If the Kingdom falls, the rest of the world will follow. This is more about stopping Thanek’s re-forged army than saving the Kingdom. And none of us can let innocents die doing nothing to help.
It’s been over two years since I was last at the Kingdom, and even then I hadn’t entered the city gates. We had stolen grain from a storehouse and left with no one knowing. That feels like a lifetime ago.
The one among us who can fly, the girl named Delis, takes to the blood-red sky and swoops around. She had chosen to walk with us rather than fly ahead, but I get a sense of restlessness from her and the need to be in the air. If I could fly, maybe I would prefer being up there to being down here, too.
I notice the strained grimace on Freddick nearby. He looks to be on the verge of tears, or the end of quiet sobs. He notices me watching him and doesn’t hide his emotions.
“We’re not all coming back, are we?” He asks, his voice quivering.
“Battle is brutal,” I say. “There will be blood. And death. On both sides. That cannot be helped. But I promise I will do everything I can to protect you all. We must protect each other.”
Freddick’s bottom lip trembles. He gives me a shaky nod. “I want to be strong. Father would have wanted me to fight. He always fought for those weaker, or less able to help themselves. I know I’m doing the right thing. I just…” He looks up at me with shimmering eyes. “I just don’t want to die.”
“Dying in battle is an honor,” Bohan says stiffly .
I place a hand on Freddick’s shoulder. “If we are all doomed to die, we will spend our last moments doing something good. That’s more than many people do in their entire lives.”
“That’s better than what I said,” Bohan shakes his head. “Ignore my last comment.”
Freddick nods and smiles at us. He looks to be in better spirits.
We continue through the hills and valleys and reach the southern farmsteads before the last of the light fades from the sky. Dozens of horses are grazing on the land.
We have no time to ask for permission or search out the family of farmers, so we will have to seek forgiveness later. If we manage to save the world and return.
I give brief instructions to all on how to mount and ride a horse, as few Shanti People have riding experience. It takes a frustrating amount of time to get everyone mounted. There aren’t enough horses for us all, so several of them carry two people.
Delis now flies freely as the rest of us ride the horses. I note how the act of flying doesn’t seem to fatigue her. We make slower progress than I’d like, as the villagers need time to acclimatize to the horses, and many of them lack the confidence to push harder. It isn’t ideal to ride without a saddle, but we only need to cover the distance to the Kingdom. And now is not the time for comfort.
We stop on one occasion when someone falls off their horse. I begin to wonder if I need to race ahead and leave the villagers behind, although I want to keep us all together .
I shout out instructions and advice for horse riding as we go. Then we somehow start making swift progress. The horses speed up and the villagers no longer seem so out of control. Soon, we are all racing onward at a surprisingly fast pace, the horses swift and strong.
I have no explanation for this, and the villagers look just as bewildered as I am, but we are making good time, so I don’t question it.
Then I see a strained, tortured look on Wini’s face. The young girl is low on her horse, her brows creased and mouth twisted into a pained grimace.
“Stop this,” her brother Wills calls to her. “Wini. That’s enough.”
“No,” she says through her teeth. “I can do this.”
I realize what she’s doing. She is connecting to the minds of the horses.
“They need to know how important our task is.” Wini’s eyes are squeezed shut. “They want to help us.”
The horses pick up their pace even more and race faster than any I’ve ever known. Faster than the greatest horses of the Oathlands. I wonder if Wini is also imbuing them with extra strength.
“How are you doing this?” Wills asks her uncertainly.
Wini shakes her head and gasps. “I don’t know.”
After a time of swift galloping, Wini almost slides off her horse. She looks weakened and drained. Her determination is evident and admirable. Her brother tells her to back off before she hurts herself, but she remains resolute.
Somehow, the horses are not tiring. It makes me guess Wini is somehow absorbing their fatigue. Her magical gift seems to be a multi-faceted mystery .
I’m surprised at how strong Wini is, and I realize I had underestimated her character. She is far more than the voracious vixen who had tried to seduce me. It speaks of the strength of the Shanti People in general. These are good people capable of good things, who have kept to themselves for too long. Now is their time to show the world what they’re capable of. I just hope I don’t get them all killed.
We soon crest a hill and see the Kingdom far along the horizon. The sky-piercing white towers are highlighted against the flames surging through the city. The battle is well underway. The biggest city in our world looks like a glowing ember in the darkness.
Something is flying over the city, a dark shape against the firelight. It isn’t until I focus on it more that I realize it is a dragon of some kind. Other smaller creatures cover the sky over the city.
This is going to be a battle unlike anything that’s been seen in this world. We pick up our pace and race to reach the Kingdom before it’s too late.