Exodus: The Windwalker Archive: Book 3 (Legends of Agora) (24 page)

I see the child with flaming red hair in my dreams again. I see his stars, stars like his father’s. Outside, I look west. Perhaps it is time for another journey.

-Gretzen Spiritbone

Brightwing landed on the deck of Freedom, and the crew gave a hearty cheer. Many of the Skomm sailors had stayed behind to oversee the repairs to the ships, including Gill-Gammond and Torrance. Some of the gladiators were there as well, and offered Talon many congratulations on his success in Volnoss.

“Is it true, Windwalker? Have the Skomm really been taken from the island?” asked one.

“It is true. They sail west as we speak. Once the ships are seaworthy, you will join them as well at our new home, Eldon Island!”

Another cheer went up, and Talon saw Majhree making her way across the deck with Zilena.

“Excuse me,” said Talon to the man he had been speaking to. He took Akerri’s hand and led her across deck to meet the two.

“Windwalker,” said Zilena. “It is good to see you well.”

Talon’s eyes teared, and he suddenly wrapped his arms around her in a hug. “Thank you, thank you so much for everything you’ve done.”

The princess laughed somewhat nervously, as though she were completely taken aback by his affections. Her rigid body relaxed, however, and she returned the hug. “You are quite welcome.”

Talon released her, feeling a little silly.

“A passionate one you’ve got here,” Zilena said to Akerri, and the women laughed.

Talon’s face reddened, and Majhree pinched a cheek playfully. “He’s a brave lad, this one. I told him he was special from the day I met him.”

“Again, thank you,” said Talon, hoping to change the subject. “Thank you for healing Akerri. I thought that she might never come back from the spell she was under. And everything that you have done for the Skomm. We owe you our freedom.”

“You owe me nothing,” said Zilena. “Besides, I didn’t
officially
do anything for you. I simply dealt with a dark elf sighting.”

“Of course,” said Talon.

Han and the hawk riders came over to them just then, and Talon didn’t miss the looks shared by Zilena and the general.

“I have arranged dinner for us all at one of Sherna’s finest pubs, and I invite you all,” said Han, arms wide. “For celebration is in order.”

“I believe that you are right, general,” said Talon. “Let us eat!”

That night, the crews of both Freedom and Redemption enjoyed one of the finest meals that they had ever eaten. Talon sat with Han and the riders, with Akerri and Majhree at his sides. Zilena sat beside the general, and together they all drank the house dry and emptied many storage rooms of their wares.

The night was surreal to Talon. And now that it was all finally over, the entire adventure he had just endured seemed like a dream of fancy, one in which he could not have possibly lived through. He and Akerri were together at last, and he had made his peace with his father. On top of all that, the Skomm were now free with a land of their own.

Emotion overwhelmed him more than once that night. And more than once he raised his glass high and spoke of those who had died. He spoke of Jahsin most of all, dedicating more than one toast to his first real friend.

In the morning, Talon and Akerri set out for Eldon Island. Han had vowed to bring him—his last duty in the king’s deal with Talon and the Skomm. Zilena went with them, and Majhree as well, riding with Ash on his hawk.

Once Freedom and Redemption had been repaired, the Skomm would sail the ships to Eldon and join the others. And while Talon felt bad leaving them behind, he could hardly wait to see the new Skomm home.

The morning proved to be clear once again, and they set out west with the first rays of dawning. They flew hard that first day, traveling almost entirely across Shierdon and landing to camp on the western banks of Belldon Island at a fortress manned by Shierdonian soldiers. The general and the riders were well received, and the group enjoyed another fine meal before being given soft dry beds to sleep on.

With morning came another mild day. There were more clouds than the day before, and a thunderhead crept across the land from the southeast, but they were headed west, and so enjoyed pleasant skies during their second day of flying.

They flew over the kingdom of Uthen-Arden the entire day, stopping once again at night on the western coast of that land, in the shadow of the towering Ky’Dren Mountains. There were no jolly Shierdonian soldiers and warm beds to greet them here, only the wild forests on both sides of the clearing that Han had chosen. Still, they made a fire fast and cooked the food that they had brought with them from Shierdon. Songs were sung and stories told around the fire. Talon slept that night with Akerri in his arms, thanking the gods that he had not yet woken up from this amazing dream.

The following day they started out later than they had previously. Han said that the hawks needed to do some hunting and eat at their leisure, and so the group waited patiently until before noon, when the birds returned.

Talon and the others mounted up for the final leg of the journey and headed out over the ocean toward Eldon Island. Some hours before nightfall, they finally saw it rising out of the blue horizon.

“There it is, Akerri!” said Talon, pointing ahead of them.

“Eldon Island,” said Akerri dreamily. “Oh, Talon. Is it real? Tell me that this dream will never end.”

Talon couldn’t speak. He simply squeezed the hand laid around his waist and spurred Brightwing on toward the promised land.

The one vision that swayed my decision was that of twenty thousand smiling Skomm. They stood before Talon as he looked down upon them with Akerri from on high. It was then that I knew what I must do.

-Azzeal, Keeper of the Windwalker Archive

Eldon Island loomed before them, a mostly barren land with a long ridge of rocky hills set behind a lush canopy of tangled green.

Brightwing landed on the beach, and Talon let down Akerri, wanting her to be the first to step foot on the Skomm’s new home.

As soon as her feet touched the sand, she fell to her knees and began to cry. Talon leapt down beside her and stood with a hand upon her shoulder, weeping as well. To think that there were no Vald here, no spiteful Vaka, and that the Skomm might finally live in peace, it was all too much to comprehend. They set out from the beach like newborn fawns, heads darting this way and that as they took in the many wonders.

“Welcome to your new home,” said Han, arms wide and standing beside his silver hawk in the sand.

Zilena at once dismounted and tested the soil, taking it in her hand and letting it slowly fall. Even tasting it with her tongue.

Majhree was helped down by Ash, and the dwarf led her by the hand to sit on a grassy dune overlooking the beach. It was there that the woman sat and finally broke down in streaming tears.

Talon ran to her and took her by the hands. “What is wrong, Majhree?”

“Oh, nothing, child. Nothing is wrong. And that’s just it. This is all too good to be true. I feel like the roof of heaven is going to blow off, and Thodin is going to pick us out with his giant fingers and crush us.”

Talon knew the feeling. He felt it too. But he knew that it was irrational.

“We beat ‘em, Majhree. Just like you said. We beat ‘em with our minds. Ain’t no reason a good woman can’t live out the rest of her days in peace. The world doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes, well hells, sometimes the good ones win.”

Majhree patted his hand and nodded, crying tears of joy.

It was a week before the Shierdonian ships arrived with the Skomm refugees. And by that time, Talon and Akerri had erected the first of the new huts there on the eastern coast of the island.

When the first of the rowboats arrived, Talon was delighted to find Argath on it, along with many of the old gladiators and a grinning Crag.

“Welcome to Eldon!” said Talon, greeting the captain with wide arms.

“You must be the Akerri!” said Crag, taking up Akerri in a smothering hug.

“Yes, yes,” said Talon when the big man had released her. “Akerri, this is Crag. He’s a good friend.”

“And so strong!” said Akerri with a wink.

Crag blushed, but then his attention was taken by the big sprawling island beyond the two. “Hey, Folkhagi,” he said, leaning in toward Talon conspiratorially. “This really our new home?”

“Yes it is, Crag. Go on, pick out a place for your hus.”

“
My
hus!” said Crag, looking overwhelmed.

He lumbered off, mumbling to himself, and Gammond stepped off a rowboat and surveyed the island with a judgmental eye. “Why, I say, this will never do. This will never do at all. Are we to sleep beneath the stars?”

Talon was glad to hear the saner of the two speaking for him.

“Yes, but the sooner we all get to work harvesting the lumber in that jungle, the sooner it will look like a proper village.”

Argath took Talon’s hand and pulled him in for a brotherly hug. “By Thodin’s bloody axe, lad. You did it.”

“
We
did it,” said Talon.

The Skomm unloaded from the many ships, wide-eyed and grinning one and all. They marched across the beach and stopped before the high hill upon which Talon and Akerri had built the first hut.

“Skomm of Volnoss,” he said, raising his arms high. “May you shed that title and from this day forth call yourselves Eldonians. Welcome to Eldon Island. Here we may you live a bountiful and fulfilling life, free of the shackles and whips of the old masters!”

The Skomm cheered and took up the chant, “Windwalker, Windwalker.”

“Will you be our first chief?” one of the people called out.

Talon raised his hands against the cheers and shook his head. “I am sorry. But I cannot be your chief. Nor should I be. For I am still chiefson of Timber Wolf Tribe, and I would not bind you to my rule. But I have another in mind. And if there is to be voting, then I vote for Argath, Captain of Freedom, to be my chief and yours.”

The cheer for Argath went up, and Talon gratefully gave way for the man to address the crowd. Argath hugged him as he passed and took to the mound to speak. Talon joined Akerri and Majhree at the base of the mound and smiled upon his red-haired love.

“I’m pregnant,” she said, blushing. “You’re going to be a fadir.”

Talon grinned with pride and hugged Akerri. Then he fell to one knee and pulled Kyrr from his finger to present it to her.

“Akerri…”

“Behold!” Argath’s voice suddenly boomed. “Eldon’s first marriage proposal.”

The crowd went silent, and Talon felt thousands of eyes upon his back.

Akerri seemed only to see him. And in the hush of the moment, her words, “I do,” could be heard by all.

The crowd cheered as Talon slipped the ring on her finger and took her up in a loving embrace.

The first village went up before the summer was out, and they named it Heima, after the barbarian word meaning “to feel at home.” Some chose to explore farther inland and build where they might, though much of the island proved too rocky for good farming.

Argath accepted the title of Chief of Heima, and appointed Talon as his second in command.

Zilena remained with them for a few weeks, helping to heal those who had been badly malnourished or disabled by one ailment or another. She offered them many other gifts, including enchanted seeds that began to produce within weeks of being planted. The island itself offered many new and exotic foods, including fruits that grew year-round. The fishing was good, and it wasn’t but a few weeks before the first fleets were bringing back the bounties of the ocean.

Talon awoke on the day that Zilena and Han were to set out, and met them on the high bluff overlooking the new harbor. Akerri was with him, as well as Argath, who Talon knew secretly wished that Zilena would stay with him. But it was quite plain that Han and Zilena had something that she and Argath did not, and so the new chief respected her decision. He held no animosity toward Han, for how could he after all that the general had done.

“This is where we leave you,” said Han, extending his hand as Talon, Argath, and Akerri joined them.

Argath offered the man a firm shake and looked to Zilena. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek lovingly. “Until we meet again, brave Argath.”

“Thank you, for everything,” said Talon, shaking Han’s hand as well.

Han nodded, smiling. “I have decided to leave Brightwing with you for as long as she cares to stay. You are of course welcome to join the riders. Before you answer, take some time to think about it.”

“Again, thank you. I will.”

“The king wishes to speak with you soon as well. He plans to visit and see firsthand what you have built here.”

“I look forward to it,” said Talon. He turned to Zilena and offered his hand. She glanced at it and then smiled, pulling him in for a hug instead. “Thank you, princess, for all you have done for our people.”

“It has been my pleasure,” said Zilena, and she kissed his cheek. “You take care of that girl of yours.”

“You take care of Han. Try to keep him out of trouble.”

“Who, me?” said Han with a laugh. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Everyone waved goodbye as the silver hawk took them into the sky and off to the east.

The fall came, and the Eldonians marveled at how mild it was, for surely the Eldon’s fall would be considered a good summer on Volnoss. The winter proved nice as well, with snow falling and sticking to the land only twice, and even then it was quickly melted by the rising sun.

There was always work to be done in the new village. It was good, honest work. And it was done by happy people with eager hands.

The village offered little wildlife, aside from exotic snakes and all manner of new kinds of bugs, but the ocean was bountiful and gave them all the meat they needed. The former Skomm had many skills, and were soon trading with the Shierdonians, who provided livestock, cloth, and wheat, in exchange for the Eldonian goods made by skilled hands.

King Donarron visited them in the winter as promised, and to Talon’s delight, Han returned with him. Argath was both gladdened and disappointed that Zilena was not with the general. Together Argath, Donarron, and Talon drafted and ratified the Eldon-Shierdon treaty. The king had wanted exclusive trade rights, but Argath had wisely talked him down, saying that such a trade arrangement would leave them at Shierdon’s mercy, something that the chief could not do. Instead, he proposed a deal in which Shierdon would be given preference in future trade negotiations. Donarron accepted, saying that Argath was a wise leader indeed.

Twice Talon returned to Volnoss before the year was out to deal with his duties as chiefson. He and Kreal spent many long nights together catching up on nearly two decades of lost time.

The Vald had been struggling to make up for the loss of the Skomm, though the diamonds that Talon had given each tribe helped immensely. The dwarves had been eager to get them back, and had paid handsomely for their return. The gold would last many years and give the Vald a head start—though Talon wasted no time worrying for his old oppressors. He found it strange being the chiefson of Timber Wolf Tribe, and though he didn’t want the title, he could not give it up, for as long as Kreal was chief, then Talon would be chiefson. And if anything happened to Kreal, then tradition dictated that Talon would become the new chief.

He hoped that his father lived a long, long life.

In the spring of the next year, Akerri gave birth to a boy with flaming red hair to match his mother’s, and they named him Jahsin Windwalker.

Amma Gretzen surprised them on the day of Jahsin’s birth, and Talon was delighted to see Azzeal had come with her.

“Azzeal, my good friend,” said Talon, receiving him with open arms at the docks. “How is this possible?”

“Hello, Talon. It is good to see you as well. The council has granted me this visit. I told them that if I was to be the Keeper of the Windwalker Archive, I would have to see firsthand what happened at the end of the story.”

“This not end of story,” said Gretzen, hugging Talon. “This just beginning.”

Talon studied her for a time. “It is? I was hoping that it would end, ‘and they lived happily ever after on Eldon.’”

Gretzen winked and moved past him to greet Akerri and the bundle that she carried. “Ah,” she said, taking the babe up in her weathered hands. “Jahsin Windwalker. I have seen your stars. You will grow up to do great things.”

Talon and Akerri glanced worriedly from Gretzen to Azzeal.

The elf only smiled.