The Chosen (5 page)

“My love, what is the matter?” Sara asked.

“I don’t know what we should do,” Seth stated, his expression now of what appeared to be panic.

“What do you mean? Everything worked out well. We are together. You’re not in the army, and even though I am going to be an errand girl, I think that we will see each other all the time,” Sara summarized, trying to soothe Seth’s worries.

“I know,” Seth said. “It is almost perfect. Really, it is more than we could have hoped for, except for one thing.”

“What is it, Seth?” Sara asked.

“If Judilanthaliz is right, then those with the gift only have it because a god has chosen to give it to them before they are even born. Remember, he said that those with the gift don’t really have any options. The only way they will be blessed is if they swear their soul to the same god who has given them the gift. That means I will never receive a blessing from Saranadia, as Ishanya has made it quite clear who gave me the gift of magic. I really don’t think Ishanya’s plans for me include me being a shield for someone else. That being said, how long do you think I can keep up the charade of trying to be a gray robe knowing full well that I am a fraud? How long until Jud decides that I am not going to become a gray robe and sends me to train elsewhere when you have to stay here with him?” Seth finished, his turmoil now boiling over and plainly visible upon his face.

Sara did not reply, instead she remained in Seth’s embrace, their faces only inches away. Sara gave herself a moment to let Seth’s words sink in, and another moment still to mull over everything he had said. It was certainly not as picture perfect as she had thought only moments before.

“I only see two options, love,” Sara stated in her small angelic voice.

“What do you think we should do?” Seth asked.

“Our first option is to stay. You learn what you can from Jud and use what spare time you have, if any, to research Ishanya, or plan your next encounter with her. When Jud realizes you are not going to become a shield, then we run away, as we had planned in the beginning. Option two is run now. We can probably hide out for a while in the temple devoted to Ishanya. I am sure Borrik would see to it that we got supplies and anything else we would need. He seems quite devoted to being your slave.” Sara added the last sentence with a grin.

“So we run now or we run later,” Seth said unenthusiastically. “Well, there might be a third option. Ishanya said to call to her when I have need. Perhaps I can strike a deal with her and find a way to at least pretend to be a shield.” He added.

“I would prefer if you weren’t too hasty to strike up a deal with a goddess,” Sara declared. “Perhaps if we stay a while we will find another option that isn’t available to us at this time?” Sara tried to sound hopeful.

“I hope you are right, my angel. I guess then at least for now we will stay. We must keep the fact that we are a couple a secret. I think you being Jud’s messenger might work out as an advantage to us. You will learn to find your way around and hear and see things that might give us another option before we run out of time. Keep your ears and eyes open. Learn everything you can about everyone you can. Also, as soon as Jud lets you leave the tower or sends you to run an errand you must visit Borrik at the temple. Tell him where he can locate us if the need arises. Also, tell him we may have to leave the city at a moment’s notice and to prepare the three of us for travel.” Seth spoke the words as he thought them.

Seth was creating a plan in his mind to flee the city when the time came. He would play the cards he was dealt until his hand was revealed. When that moment arose, if he had no other options, then they would flee the city.

“I will do as you say, my love,” Sara stated. “I only hope it does not come to that. I hope before Jud loses hope for you that we will have found something that doesn’t make us deserters and fugitives.” Sara added.

“I know, angel, I hope the same,” Seth said and pulled her tightly to himself once again.

“So what do we do now?” Sara asked.

“Exactly what Jud said, I suppose. Do you feel like helping me with reading again?” Seth asked her already knowing the answer.

“Of course,” Sara said with a smile while pulling herself out of his embrace. “We should have quite a lot of time if Jud expects to be out until early morning. I think if we work the scrolls and tomes like we did the last time, we can probably get a good portion of the smaller ones done tonight.” Sara added sounding delighted at the idea.

Seth and Sara seated themselves on the floor of Seth’s new room and began to sort the scrolls and books into piles as they had done only a few days before. The room smelled musty from disuse, however it was obviously recently cleaned. Working quickly and meticulously they started with the scrolls, and having them finished in short order, moved on to the smaller of the books. They read late into the night, sharing between books what information they had gleaned from the writings. When both of them struggled to keep their eyes open, they decided to take a break and get some sleep.

As they rose to their feet, Sara stepped into Seth’s open arms. They stood for many moments, locked in one another’s embrace, before Sara finally released Seth and turned to leave the room. She strode across the hall swaying her hips. Pausing at her door she turned and smiled back at the man she loved. He was staring at her just as she anticipated. Seth blushed slightly having been caught looking at her backside. They wished each other a good night and Sara slowly entered her room, closing the door behind her. Seth waited until he heard her door lock, and then closed and locked his as well. He quickly undressed, and passing his hand over the enchanted candle beside his bed, was blanketed in welcome darkness. Before his head hit the pillow he was fast asleep, the troubles of the world temporarily lost from his mind.

Chapter 2

Progress and a Proposal

Three weeks had passed since The Choosing ceremony and for Garret and Zorbin those first three weeks were grueling. The first couple of days had not been too terrible as they were filled with prayer and reading. They had read everything from the histories of the kingdom and of the gods, to war strategies and tomes about surviving in the wild. They read and read nearly twenty hours a day until both Garret and the dwarf thought their heads would explode from all the information.

However, that was the easy part. After their reading list was finished they started what Sirus had called stamina training. Sirus promised them that by the time he was done with them, they would be able to fight for days without sleep upon a battlefield. They started stamina training by running around the perimeter of the castle walls with a cart full of logs strapped across their chests, like a mule at harvest, trailing the cart behind them. Not wanting him to get lazy or complacent, Zorbin decided Xanth should join in on the fun and so the wolf got a cart of his own. They pulled the carts until they could no longer walk. When they fell to their knees Sirus told them that it would be a good time to pray. Having said their prayers, they would arise again and continue. When the carts became bearable Sirus presented them with armor. At first they both thanked him for the glorious gift, until they found out that now they would be running and pulling the carts dressed in full armor. This, Sirus explained, was not only to break their armor in, but get them used to its weight and feel as well.

It was not long before both Garret and Zorbin hated their armor. Xanth was already accustomed to running in his and so made it look effortless, much to the annoyance of his two-legged companions. When the carts and the armor no longer slowed them down and they could run for hours and hours with them, Sirus told them they were ready for their next task. It of course was less enjoyable than the previous one, consisting of strapping a wooden barrel filled partially with water to their backs and having them run up and down the dozen flights of steep stone steps of the castle wall. They climbed up and down day and night until they could go no longer. As they grew accustomed to the weight, Sirus simply added more water to the barrels. It made for a very long, very painful three weeks. Each night ended with a visit from a young healer named Daniella. She was a pretty young woman with flowing brown curls and green eyes. She would greet them both each night and then, with the blessing of her goddess, would heal their sore muscles and blistered and battered feet.

For twenty-eight hours straight Garret, Zorbin and Xanth had been running the stairs, this time, each with a full barrel of water on their backs. They were still running when Sirus stopped them at the bottom of the wall, a giant grin on his face.

“Having fun yet?” Sirus asked sarcastically.

Barely able to breathe, neither Zorbin nor Garret answered, however Xanth bobbed his head up and down showing his razor sharp fangs as he grinned.

“Good to see at least one of you enjoys being a knight,” Sirus said, still smiling. “Seriously, however, drop the barrels, guys. The hard part of your stamina training is over. Get some rest, tomorrow we start weapons training.” This Sirus stated without the sarcasm, and he watched as both of his newest recruits unstrapped themselves from the barrels.

After Zorbin removed Xanth’s barrel, the four of them walked across the courtyard toward the knights' small keep within the castle wall. Daniella sat just inside the main entrance at one of the large tables and smiled as they entered. She tended them both quickly while Sirus looked on. Having finished her job, Daniella rose from the table and headed for the door.

“Tomorrow we start weapons, Daniella. Please tell Karishtala we will be requiring your services from sun up until sunset for a while,” Sirus told the young woman as he opened the door for her.

“Yes m’lord,” Daniella replied as she slipped through the door.

Sirus closed the door and seated himself across the table from Garret and Zorbin. Xanth lay upon the floor, his head on his paws and his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. They sat quietly a few moments until their food was brought to them. Garret now was easily able to eat ten times the amount of food at one sitting than he had only a few weeks before. His body required a massive amount of nourishment to sustain him through the vigorous training Sirus was imposing on them.

As they were finishing their food, the large entry door swung open and Garret and Zorbin both turned to see who it was that was arriving to the garrison at this late hour. A young man stepped through the door closing it quickly behind him. Garret watched as the man approached the table nodding once toward Sirus. He was a tall, lean man with long, sandy-blonde hair cut to his shoulders and tied in a single braid down his neck. His face was free of anything remarkable. Though he was thin, every line of every exposed muscle of his body was etched deeply, revealing a very lean but very capable man. He took long, fast strides, rounding the table in mere steps and came to stand beside Sirus. Sirus rose to greet the newcomer, and turning to face both Garret and Zorbin he looked at them with yet another grin on his face.

“Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Philip, your fellow Knight of Valdadore, Sirus announced, watching them to witness their reactions.

Both Garret and Zorbin rose from the table and, extending their hands, introduced themselves. After exchanging their names, Zorbin introduced Xanth who padded up to see the newcomer. Uninterested Xanth quickly returned to the end of the table and curled up below it once again.

“Let us sit and talk for a while,” Sirus invited.

Sirus, Garret and Zorbin quickly took their seats and Philip sat himself beside Sirus, his expression now changing to one of concern.

“So what news from the south Philip? It seems you must have been delayed,” Sirus asked, taking note of the younger man’s expression.

“The dark army grows by the day, Sirus, but they have yet to make a move towards our forces. I know not what keeps them waiting as they easily outnumber us by at least two-fold. Some humans and ogres fight with them though the force is mostly made of goblins, ogres and orcs. I was not delayed so much as curious. I traced their supply lines deep into enemy territory, and discovering nothing very useful, I decided to hold up their caravans for a few weeks.” As Philip made the last statement he could not help but smile.

“Tell us of your deeds, Philip. I know you are dying to give us the details and I am quite sure our new friends here are just as anxious to hear them as you are to tell them,” Sirus stated grinning once again.

“Well, first I happened across a long line of wagons. Some were filled with grain and others with some sort of ale, and let me tell you someone should explain to the orcs just how flammable that combination can be!” Philip paused to let his three companions stop laughing before continuing.

“Wait though, that’s not the best part. I decided that by day I would keep my distance but I remained close enough that I could keep an eye on their progress. Each night for a full week I would run up and down the supply line for over a hundred miles and untie all the pack animals and any animal pulling a cart. Then the poor bastards would spend half the next day tracking down the beasts before starting the line moving again. It got so bad at the end of the week that every cow and mule for a hundred miles had its own personal guard. Then when the animals were too heavily guarded for me to continue without risk of injury, I decided to change tactics. I waited until the middle of the night then I raced to the nearest camp. I darted from one tent to another, snatching small items of value from each tent and placed each item in a different tent. After I finished with one camp, I moved onto the next. It might not sound too devious but you should have seen the results the following morning. Imagine if you will an entire encampment of militant goblins and orcs waking up to find they have been robbed. It didn’t take long for them to begin accusing one another and searching one another’s tents. Once that began, it was utter chaos. Within an hour of daylight every camp for nearly a hundred miles was up in arms and the slimy bastards were slaughtering one another for offences none of them committed. Needless to say, I don’t think that the enemy’s supply lines will be moving again for several days, if not weeks.” Philip’s grin stretched from one ear to the other.