The Rivers of Zadaa (13 page)

“How can you do that?” I screamed in frustration. “You can't see me!”

“We see you, Pendragon,” Alder said. “Not with our eyes.”

“That's stupid!” I shouted.

“Is it?” Saangi said as she smacked me around a few times.

I wanted to cry in frustration, and agony.

“What does this have to do with being a warrior?” I screamed.

“It isn't magic,” Loor said. “Fighting is a dance. Every move brings another. If you can sense your opponent, sense his movements, sense his strength and weakness, you will own him.”

Right. Use the Force, Luke. I tried to control my breathing. I even closed my eyes. Why not? They weren't doing me any good. I listened. They weren't ghosts. They had to breathe. They had to move. They had to give off heat and smell. As I stood there, trying to use every other sense but sight, I felt something. It was nothing more than a wisp of air on my arm. It lasted a nano-second. It was a slight breeze that came from something moving past. It was small, but I definitely felt it. Without taking a second to analyze, I reacted by sweeping my hand out to where I felt the body might be…and slapped somebody on the arm! I was so surprised, I actually said, “Oh! Sorry!”

An instant later, something was dropped at my feet. I didn't see it, but I felt it and jumped back in surprise. I had no idea what it could have been, though I expected it to be some kind of decoy-trick so that when I reached down to grab it, I'd get pummeled again. So I didn't move. Instead, I closed my eyes and tried to sense the others. This is going to sound strange, but after a second, I knew they were already gone. I had felt them. Or should I say, I didn't feel them anymore. I don't know how else to describe it.

After a few more moments, I cautiously knelt down to find out what had been thrown on the ground in front of me. I reached out and instantly felt something familiar, and welcome. It was a canteen full of water. Right next to it was a piece of fruit that felt like a pear. It was a reward. I had done something right. It wasn't just luck, either. I had found my opponent without using my eyes. Had I made a breakthrough? I figured I must have, seeing as I was not only given a reward of food and water, but was then allowed to sleep through the night without getting another beating. It was the first full night's rest I had since my stay at the Batu hospital. Man, I needed it.

I was feeling pretty good about myself, as if I had finally learned something. That was the good news. Bad news was that Loor felt the same way. I had finally shown a hint of promise; therefore she no longer felt the need to show me mercy. What followed on that dry, dusty training ground of Mooraj was the most grueling battle I had been through since my bout with Saint Dane.

This was going to be my final exam, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

ZADAA

“C
ounter a block with a strike,” Loor instructed. “It is when your opponent is the most vulnerable.”

I tried. Over and over. I had been trying. Loor would swing at me, I'd block it, but when I tried to counter with an attack, she'd quickly back off, or counter that move with a strike of her own and smack me. Hard.

“That's not fair,” I shouted. “It's like you know what I'm going to do.”

“I do,” Loor answered.

“Let's keep going,” I said, bearing down.

“The third move is the most important,” she explained. “That is the strike that will count.”

“I'm trying!” I shouted in frustration.

“Faster!” she commanded.

I tried. I tried. I tried. I failed every time. It was making me crazy. We went at it for hours. My hands were getting raw from squeezing the bamboo pole. I was so thirsty I was nauseous. Still, Loor wouldn't stop, and I wasn't about to give up. Once when she was walking back to get into position, I jumped at her to try and grab one of the spikes. I figured I'd catch her unaware. I didn't. It was like she had eyes in the back of her head. Without turning around, she jammed her pole at me, catching me in the gut, making me double over in pain.

“Never make the first move,” she said.

“Yeah, yeah, so you say,” I answered, grabbing my sore stomach.

The fight went on. Loor showed no sign of tiring. I showed no sign of making her tired. At one point the two of us stood facing each other, not moving, which was fine by me. I didn't want to get hit again. It was then that I realized something odd. I actually felt pretty good. Physically, I mean. In spite of all the sparring, I still had my breath. Saangi's challenges had helped build my endurance, and the training had taught me to use my energy carefully. Now if I could only get a feel for the fight!

Whack! I got hit from behind. A quick spin showed me that Alder had joined the fun. No sooner did I look at him, than Loor sprang and cracked me across the head.

“Never take your eye off your opponent,” she chastised.

“But he was my opponent!” I protested.

“We are both your opponents,” Alder said.

The two circled me. “How can I keep my eye on both of you?” I asked.

“Feel us,” Alder said.

Great. More Jedi talk. But the truth was, I started to think there was something to it. Loor was on one side, Alder on the other. I looked straight ahead, barely seeing them in my peripheral vision. But I could sense them. I knew where they were.

Alder attacked. I dropped down and rolled away, popping back up and expecting Loor to come from the other side. That's exactly what happened. Loor came in with her stick held high, ready to chop down at me. I was ready. She wasn't fast enough. When she struck, I threw up my weapon and blocked the shot. Yes! But my victory didn't last. A second later Alder cracked me across the head, and I saw stars.

“What was that?” I yelled, jumping up angrily. “I thought it was all about the third move?”

“It was,” Loor said. “I made it.”

“Exactly!” I countered. “Alder, then me, then you, and I blocked it!”

“Of course you did,” Loor said. “Because I made you wait.”

She was right. I sensed it at the time, but didn't react. She had come in way too slowly. She was setting me up. She made the third move all right. The important move. The move that set Alder up for the kill. I suddenly felt drained and frustrated. There was too much to learn, and we were taking too long to do it. We needed to be out hunting for Saint Dane, not trying to teach the unteachable. I dropped my shoulders, threw my weapon down, and turned to walk away.

“That's it,” I said. “I'm done.”

“Pendragon,” Loor called.

I didn't stop.

“Pendragon!” she called again.

For the first time since this ordeal began, she sounded angry. I heard it in her voice. I sensed her tension. I felt her coming after me. I kept walking.

“I will not allow you to give up!” she shouted at me.

She had nearly caught up to me. I could sense that she was reaching out to stop me. That's when I made my move. I dropped down, swept my leg, and caught her on the backs of both knees. Loor went down hard. I sprang forward, put my knee to her chin, and leaned down to her.

“Never make the first move,” I said.

I reached back and grabbed the red spikes from both her elbows, pulling each one off deliberately, enjoying myself.

Alder laughed. It was as big and boisterous a laugh as I had ever heard from him. He came over and picked me up off Loor like a doll, giving me a hug. Loor got up and stood where she had fallen. I've seen Loor in many fights. Not just in the last few weeks, but against real enemies, when it counted. I had never, ever seen anyone get the better of her. As far as I knew, I was the first. She didn't say anything. She only stood there, staring at me.

“Hey,” I said with a shrug. “You're the one who said I had to be clever.”

Loor stared me down for a long moment, and then she smiled. In that one instant I felt all the tension melt away. My guess was that she didn't consider this a defeat, but a victory. She had actually managed to teach me something.

“We are done, Pendragon,” she said. “There is nothing more we can teach you here.”

“Sure there is,” I said. “But we can't waste any more time.”

“Do not underestimate what you have learned,” Loor said. “You have done far better than I expected.”

“Seriously?” I asked.

“You are ready, my friend,” Alder said.

I glanced between the two of them and added, “You realize I hate you both.”

Neither were sure of how to react to that. I smiled and added, “But I'll get over it.”

“Saangi!” Loor shouted out. Saangi instantly came running out from one of the buildings to join us. Loor said, “Saangi, please bring the remaining food and water to the sleep area. Pendragon must eat.”

Saangi gave me one of her usual sour looks. I expected her to say something like: “Tell him to get it himself.” But instead she said, “It would be an honor.” She smiled at me and ran off.

Whoa. I didn't expect that.

Alder said, “I will help Saangi.” He took off, but not before saying, “I am proud of you, Pendragon.”

Loor and I were alone. It was kind of awkward. After having been “enemies” for these few weeks, it was hard to suddenly change my thinking.

“I'm not convinced this did any good,” I said. “But thank you for trying.”

“You always surprise me, Pendragon,” Loor said. “I know how difficult this was for you. You have the courage and the will, but fighting is not in your nature. You did well.”

“Well, thanks, but, I'm no warrior.”

“That is true,” Loor said. “If you meet Saint Dane again, he will not be using toy weapons.”

Oh, well. So much for building my confidence. Loor turned it around by stepping up to me, holding my shoulders, and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

“I am proud that you are my lead Traveler,” she said.

For once, I didn't know what to say. Really. I was a total mess.

“There is only one task left,” she said.

“What's that?” I asked, fearing she had one last diabolical surprise in store.

“We must celebrate,” was her answer.

 

An hour later we were all in the barracks, enjoying a spread of food and water that was greater than anything I had seen in weeks. By Second Earth standards it wasn't exactly Thanksgiving, but having the choice between several fruits and dried meats and loaves of bread was a luxury I wasn't used to. I learned that Saangi had been making daily stealth trips back and forth between Mooraj and Xhaxhu to replenish our supplies. (I never did find out where she was hiding the stuff.) I figured I had to be careful about eating too much because my stomach had probably shrunk to the size of a walnut. I didn't want to load up and then heave in front of everybody. That would have ruined the party for sure, and wasted a bunch of good food.

It felt like a last meal and a celebration rolled into one. Training was over. We were on the same team again. I knew that we were all thinking about how we would now have to turn our sites toward our real enemy, but after working so hard for so long, we deserved a vacation, even if it was only for a couple of minutes.

“To Pendragon!” Alder said while lifting a canteen to toast.

“To Pendragon!” Loor and Saangi echoed.

“I have one request,” Loor said.

“What's that?” I asked.

“You must remain true to who you are,” she said. “You have new skills; it does not mean you must use them.”

“Believe me,” I said, “if I never had to fight again, I'd be a happy guy. All you've done is give me a better shot at surviving. For that, I can't thank you enough. All of you.”

I raised my own canteen to them, and we drank a toast. After drinking, Loor pulled something out from beneath one of the bunks.

“You now fight like a Ghee,” she said. “With your dark skin, you almost look like a Batu. Almost.”

We all chuckled.

She continued, “Therefore, you should dress like one.”

Loor handed me the clothes I would be wearing from then on—the lightweight leather armor of a Ghee warrior.

“Are you sure?” I asked with surprise.

“You are not a Rokador,” she said. “There is no longer any sense in pretending to be one.”

“Thank you, Loor,” I said. “I'm honored. I really am.”

I took the clothing reverently. With a little help from Saangi, who had to explain exactly how to put it on, I donned the armor of a Ghee. I guess calling it armor is misleading. It was more like black clothing that had leather pads to protect vital areas like the chest, kidneys, and of course, the groin. Always gotta protect the groin. The sleeves and pants were short, but there were extra pads for the forearms that reminded me of the braces I used to wear when street skating. Same with my knees. It was all pretty comfortable, and I could move easily. I even liked the sandals. They had more protection than the open, Rokador variety. And I could keep on my boxers. That was key.

When I was dressed, I stepped back and said, “How do I look?”

Alder smiled and said, “Intimidating.”

“Yeah, right,” I said sarcastically. But the truth was, wearing this armor made me feel a little more formidable. Who knows? Maybe I had actually come a little closer to my fantasy image of a fierce warrior. Or maybe I was kidding myself.

“You look good,” Saangi said. “Nothing like a Ghee, but good.”

She was humoring me. That was okay. All I cared about was not looking like a little kid wearing my daddy's armor.

“You will also need this,” Loor said.

From under the bunk she pulled out the last piece in the puzzle. It was an official stave, the wooden weapon used by Ghee warriors. It was around six feet long and a few inches thick. It got thicker toward either end so it looked sort of like a long, double-ended club. It was pretty worn, too. This weapon had seen action. The wood was stained dark from sweat, and for all I knew, blood. No question, this weapon had a ton of history. As it turned out, I was absolutely correct.

Loor held the stave out reverently and said, “This was the weapon of my mother, Osa.”

My throat clutched. Osa. The Traveler from Zadaa before Loor. The last time I saw her, it was in a battle to defend me. She saved my life, and lost hers. I didn't feel worthy to take her weapon.

“I can't,” I said.

“You can,” Loor said firmly. “I believe this is the way it was meant to be.”

I hesitated, but one look in Loor's eyes told me she truly wanted me to have it. I tentatively reached out and took it. Of course, it was heavier than the bamboo poles I had been fighting with. More important, I felt Osa's spirit in this weapon.

I looked at Loor and said, “I don't know what to say.”

“Say you will honor the memory of my mother,” Loor said.

“I'll do my best.”

Loor nodded. It was a bittersweet moment.

I looked at Alder and said, “By coming here you may have saved my life. I'm really grateful.”

“You say that as if I am about to leave,” he replied.

“You've done your part,” I said. “You should return to Denduron.”

Alder picked up the short, metal rod that was the Rokador weapon. With his size and white skin, he still looked very much like a Rokador. There was no sense in dressing him like a Ghee.

“I am a Traveler,” Alder said. “That is reason enough. Loor helped us save Denduron; it is time to return the favor.”

I looked to Loor. She nodded.