Rise of the Citadel (The Search for the Brights Book 2) (20 page)

John was
furious, “We were trying to question him!”

Bowie put a hand
on John’s shoulder to try and calm him down.

Auburn spoke
while still looking down, “He answered all of her questions. He said he was a
scout for the Fire Realm. He said he was to report the sighting of our army to
his troops. They were supposed to attack us in small groups, killing as many of
us as they could.” Auburn looked up at Bowie, “He was informed of our position
by one of his troops in town.”

Bowie nodded his
head in understanding, “I caused this. I gave our position away and put our men
in danger.” He slammed his hand down on the desk. He was expecting someone to
console him, to tell him it was not his fault.

Ria stood and
patted her lap, “Well, at least you are able to admit when you did something
wrong.” She started to head for the tent flap to leave.

Bowie put a hand
on her shoulder. “I will need bows very quickly.”

Ria curtsied and
bowed her head, “I will get started as soon as possible.”

She left the
tent and Bowie went right to work with the papers on his desk.

“John, you are
in charge of the camp now. I will be spending most of my time out with the
hunting parties. Auburn, I need the production of arrows doubled or tripled. We
will need those arrows completed as soon as possible. Take any man that is idle
in the camp and put him to work.”

Auburn accepted
the assignment but John’s face turned red with frustration, “You cannot put
yourself in danger like that Sargeant.”

Bowie snapped
back, “Like the danger I put everyone else in yesterday?! I am in charge and
you will do as I command.”

John’s jaw
clenched as he stared at Bowie in defiance. “If you will not stay, then I will
choose the men that ride at your side so you don’t get yourself killed.”

John left and
Auburn remained seated on the bed, smoothing the purple dress she had acquired
from Ramos.

“You still have
to keep your end of the deal.” She said quietly, as if she thought she would
not get her wish.

Bowie sighed, he
had forgotten the promise he had made her. “Yeah, I will keep my promise. Go
and get ready and I’ll give you a lesson before I ride out.”

Despite her
sunken, sleep deprived eyes, her expression brightened. She giggled and left
the tent.

Bowie changed
his jacket to a deep green to match the moss clinging to the trees in the
forest. He strung his new bow and tied a quiver to his hip. The camp was
already in a flurry and no one would stop to look Bowie in the eye. He knew
they thought he had given the order to kill the man. He had indirectly taken
responsibility for killing a man. At least it wasn’t one of his.

He continued
through the swarm of men moving in all directions to complete tasks given by
John and Auburn. Bowie found his way to the makeshift range Tyler had been
directed to set up. It currently consisted of wood logs with a couple rings of
paint. He knew it would improve. He pulled an arrow from his quiver. The new
bow was stiff and took a lot more effort to pull. The distinctive twang of the
string being released helped calm Bowie’s nerves. He emptied his quiver and
went to retrieve them from the log.

When he turned
around he saw a woman with a man's linen shirt on and wool breeches. Auburn had
braided her hair, it now fell over her shoulder just as Bowie’s did most days.
She was stringing a bow. The pants were tight and didn’t fit right, but she
definitely stopped Bowie in his tracks. She smiled at him and his mind returned
from wherever it had been.

“You can shoot a
bow in a dress, you know?”

He moved to
stand a couple of feet away from her.

“I know, but if
I am to join you on a hunt, I will need to be wearing something I can ride a
horse better in.”
            Bowie’s jaw dropped, “Joining me on a
hunt
!?! You will not
be going hunting with me!”

Auburn set her
jaw and put one hand on her now prominently displayed hip.

“You said you
would teach me how to use a bow. Shooting at a log is one thing, but shooting
at an animal or person is totally different.”

Bowie removed
his hat as Auburn stretched her bow’s string a few times testing her strength.

“You cannot
expect me to take you hunting for the Fire Realm while you are still trying to
learn to shoot.”

“Of course not,”
She laughed. “I expect you to teach me to shoot at the log first.”

Bowie didn’t know
what say. He figured he would leave this battle for a day when he had a full
night’s sleep. He gave in.

“The release is
the most crucial part of archery. When holding the string, use only the very
tips of your fingers so the string doesn’t roll along your fingers when you
release. Breath while trying to aim your arrow, letting go of the string
between breaths. There is a short pause in your breath, that is when your aim
is the most steady. Try it,” He said while exaggerating his breathing and the
pause.

Auburn flipped
her braided tail of hair off her shoulder. She pulled the string back with a
nocked arrow and Bowie stepped closer to her. He held her forward hand to
steady her draw and help her look down the shaft of the arrow. She smiled, then
giggled.

“What?” He
questioned.

She slowly let
the string’s tension relax and looked at him, “Do you hold all of your
trainee’s hands, or just the pretty ones?”

Thrown off
guard, Bowie took a step back and cleared his throat.

“Just, uhm. Just
shoot it and I will help you make improvements.”

Auburn giggled
and took a couple of shots before she truly felt the weight of the tension on
the bowstring. He coached her on how to improve her aim, but her strength began
to fail and she couldn’t pull the string back.

“I will see you
tomorrow morning for another lesson. If your arm can manage by then,” He said.

Bowie walked
away to find John and his hunting party, leaving Auburn to prepare for her
woman lessons. He was glad that Auburn wouldn’t be joining him for a while. Her
arms would have to build muscle in order shoot consistently, and then he would
still have to train her to be accurate.

Bowie was nearly
trampled when a group of archers ran through the camp carrying black bow
staffs, three or four in each hand. Ria had begun her work and was keeping up
her end of the bargain. He hoped he would be keeping his. That part of the
promise was all up to the red haired girl.

John was just as
excited to see the wizard-grown bows coming to his hunting party. Tyler and a
few other faces Bowie recognized where mounting horses. Charger awaited Bowie
near the front. A lump grew in his stomach, he was worried that not all of the
hunting party would return from this hunt.

**********

  Kilen reached
down into his shirt and pulled out his father’s rings. The rings made his
training easier by giving him energy throughout the night. He gently placed
them in a leather pouch beside the bed and sat up. The stone floor was always
cold and refreshing to his warm feet. He pulled on his boots and smelled the
cooked eggs and bread already on the table. The house was empty, Kilen had
heard Ray leaving before the sun had come over the horizon.

  Schedules were
almost nonexistent in this town. At least none that the wizards or weapon
bearers held him to. The lack of schedule made it hard to get out of bed. He
had nowhere special to be and no sense of urgency to finish a job. His only
responsibility was to prepare himself for whatever answer the wizards gave him.
He had been thinking about it for days and wondered if the wizards were waiting
to give him an answer dependent upon the one he gave them. Whether or not he wished
to be named a true weapon bearer, Kilen knew that if he didn’t give them an
answer, then they wouldn’t have time to stop the impending battle. He decided
his only choice was to become what they wanted and protect not just his sister,
but everyone in the Earth Realm’s army.

  The room was
empty so he spoke aloud to the men inside his mind.

“What do you
guys think I should do?”

  Joahna was
always first to give his opinion, “
I think you are overthinking it. The
choice is a win for everyone. You will get your dream of being able to roam the
realms in search of knowledge. The world will gain a true weapon bearer, a man
who seeks justice for the world. We also get to look for a way to get our
bodies back.”

 
Max
said, “
Being a weapon bearer is an honor I have always wanted. If I have to
be inside your head to do it, I’ll do my best to live the standard from in
here.”
Jace had a very proud feeling associated with his words.

  “Then it’s
decided. I will tell Ray today that I will be a weapon bearer.”

Kilen ate his breakfast
while the others talked in his head about getting into the wizard’s library as
soon as possible. They wanted to research how to get into new bodies. They
talked about the first thing they wanted to eat or drink once they were out of
the prison that was his mind.

“I’m sorry you
all haven't been able to be elementals for the last couple weeks. As soon as we
are out of here you can resume your forms.”

The men said
nothing in return, but their emotions told him they knew it was not his fault.

  Kilen picked
up his sword and strapped it on. He made his way through the misty village to
the place where he practiced with Ray. Ray was waiting as normal, straightening
the small area from the previous day’s practice. Kilen helped pick up some
broken pieces of practice swords. He knew that a wizard had come in the night
and grew new sparring weapons for them to use. Everyone here worked together
for the good of all, just like Leroy’s family in Keepers.

  When the
wooden shards were clear Ray picked up two, ready to start training for the day
but Kilen came forward with empty hands. “I’ve made a decision.”

  Ray lowered
the two swords, “What is your decision then?”

  “I am going to
be a true weapon bearer.” Kilen stood straighter as he said it.

Ray’s face went
from serious to a huge grin behind red facial hair. “Let’s go tell the wizards
then.” Ray held up his hand for Kilen to lead the way even though Kilen didn’t
know which wizard lived in which building. “I am glad you have chosen the way
you did. You have the potential to become a great weapon bearer. If you can
treat each person you meet as you would your friends and family, you just might
fulfill that potential.”

  Ray stopped
Kilen outside a house with white stones and a small chimney. “The Elders should
be inside. I will be here when you get out.”

Kilen nodded to
Ray and made his way up the cobblestone path to the door.

“I would knock.”
Ray called from the path.

The statement
sounded ominous and made a lump rise in Kilen’s throat.

  Max pushed
courage at Kilen’s emotions, “
We’re here with you. You are making the right
choice for us all.
”

Kilen knocked on
the door and stood holding his hand up, unsure if he had knocked hard enough.

  A man’s voice
called out from inside, “Come in, Kilen.”

  Before he
could enter the tiny home, and a young woman in white robes stepped out of the
house. She didn’t look at Kilen or acknowledge him in any way. He watched her
walk the path to the road where she waved at Ray.

“I assume you
have come to a decision?”

Kilen turned
back to the old wizard and saw that a wizard in blue robes was offering him a
seat. Kilen sat down and took a drink of the wine sitting on the table.

  “I have
decided that I am a weapon bearer,” Kilen said in his most confident voice.

  The old wizard
smiled, “Indeed you are.”

The wizard got
up from his seat and put a blue cylinder on the fire. Soon, blue smoke was
coming from the cylinder and rising up the chimney. The wizard then grabbed a
book off the shelves and started to flip through its pages until he found the
one he wanted. He set the book down in front of Kilen. It was a list of names
and blank spaces for new names to be written down. The wizard picked up a
bottle of ink and a quill handing it to Kilen.

Kilen looked
down at the list and read a few of the names and one was Ray’s. There had only
been two true weapon bearers added to the list since Ray. Kilen knew he was
joining a select few people in the world. He felt proud, and wished his mother
and friends could be there to share his moment. He dipped the quill in the ink
as the door burst open to admit a couple of women who clapped quietly at
arriving in time to see Kilen sign.

  Kilen turned
back to paper awaiting ink and placed the quill against the paper.

The door burst
open again and Alexander stumbled in, “Did he sign yet!?!”

Once again,
Kilen was interrupted. no one said anything as Alex shut the door and came to
sit beside Kilen. He finally put the quill to the paper and signed his name to
the list. The old wizard took the book and blew on it to dry. More wizards of
every element came to join them in the tiny house. Blue smoke still billowed up
the chimney. The only reason Kilen could see for this was to announce his
decision.

  Finally, after
all had congratulated Kilen, a few remained to listen to the old wizard’s
words.

“Now that you
have signed and taken the commitment of being a weapon bearer, we can give you
the direction you seek. We, however, are not allowed to tell you
what
to
do.”

  “I did seek
knowledge when I came here, but really my mission was to get you to help fight
a war.”

Kilen was
looking between Alexander and the Elder Wizard.

  “We will not
help with this war. In order for the Elder Wizards to act, the requesting realm
must follow the elemental realm’s laws set forth by the realm’s creators. King
Atmos blatantly breaks those laws. We will not act. If you think there is
justice to be served or a war to be prevented then you may choose to prevent
the war yourself. You, are after all, a weapon bearer,” the old wizard said,
closing the book.