"I thought we were going west," said Gewey.
"Don"t be stupid," replied Lee irritably. "If anyone sees us, they need to see us heading north. There"s a river crossing used by smugglers not far from here, but we can"t be seen making for it. It"s the long way around, but there"s no choice. Now be quiet, we have a lot of distance to cover before dawn."
To Gewey"s relief, they met no one along the way. The cold night air kept him from dozing off. The moon was new, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Gewey looked up at the stars and searched out the constellations his father had taught him when he was small. Posix, G.o.ddess of the Dawn, shined brightly in the darkened sky, and Gewey thought about the nights that he and his father had spent stargazing.
"Gewey," Lee said suddenly, shocking him to attention. "Dismount."
Lee and Gewey led their horses into the woods on the west side of the road. The forest in this area was thick and treacherous. Gewey could barely see a thing, but Lee seemed to know exactly where he was. The ground was rough and uneven, and Gewey tried not to curse aloud as he tripped over roots and walked headlong into low hanging branches.
It was nearly dawn, but the thickness of the trees blocked out the light. The air was still and damp, and the only sound he heard was that of their footsteps and the heavy breathing of the horses.
"We"re here," Lee said.
Gewey nearly ran into Lee"s horse. At first, he couldn"t see where "here" was, but then he spotted dim light shining ahead where the forest opened into a small clearing. As they entered, Gewey could see that it was at most half an hour past sunrise. The soft gra.s.s was drenched in morning dew, and Lee began unloading the pack horse and setting up camp.
"We travel at night and rest in the day for the time being," said Lee. "It"ll take a couple of days to get used to, but I don"t want to risk being seen for now."
Gewey found his own pack and pulled out the loaf of bread. He offered some to Lee, but he refused.
"At least we won"t need a fire," Gewey joked, plopping down on a blanket.
Gewey munched on the bread, watching as Lee finished setting up camp and checking the horses. He"d thought of everything; they had blankets, pots, rope, food, and even a small tent in case of bad weather. Gewey wondered how Lee had prepared in such a short time.
When Lee finished his preparations, he pulled out a small sweet cracker from one of the bags and sat across from Gewey.
"Well..." Lee paused. "I guess it"s time to tell you want you want to know."
Gewey leaned forward, determined not to miss a single word.
Chapter 3.
"I guess the best way to start is by telling you a bit about my life, and how I came to live in Sharpstone," Lee began. "Despite what I have told you, I was not born a northern lord. I was born on the coast of the Western Abyss in a small fishing village. My father was a fisherman and died at sea when I was eight. My mother was a beautiful woman, but full of spite and anger. She resented being a lowly fisherman"s wife, and hated my father for it. When he died, I think she hated him even more. After his death, she joined the Temple of Saraf, G.o.d of the Sea, as a novice. Without a husband and burdened with a child, she was left with no other options.
"The Temple sent us both to the city of Hazrah, north of the Razor Mountains. Though I think my mother would have preferred they hadn"t, I was made an acolyte so I could stay with her."
"For the first three years we lived in Hazrah, I hardly saw the city past the Temple doors. I hated it there and longed to leave. One day, Lord Dauvis Nal"Thain came to the Temple looking for a personal attendant. His last attendant had been killed, defending him from an a.s.sa.s.sination attempt. The High Priestess was reluctant to provide a.s.sistance, but could not refuse a lord, especially one as powerful as Lord Dauvis. She told him that he could pick an acolyte, as long as he agreed to pay all his wages and compensate the temple for the loss. She invited Lord Dauvis to stay the night so he could observe us at work, at a banquet in his honor.
"None of the others wanted to be chosen, but I was eager. Temple life was dull, monotonous, with endless days of cleaning and scrubbing, and endless nights of prayer and fasting. At the banquet, I did everything I could to be noticed, but Lord Dauvis barely looked at me. I remember how upset I was that night. I just knew I"d be stuck at the temple forever.
"The next morning, to my great surprise, my mother woke me early and told me to pack my belongings, that I had been chosen. I think it was the first time I had ever seen tears in her eyes. She helped me pack without a word, and led me to the office of the High Priestess.
"When I entered, Lord Dauvis was standing alone at the back of the room. He wasn"t a very tall man; though I was only eleven years old, I stood nearly as tall as he. What he lacked in height, however, he made up for in girth. Though the man must have weighed three hundred pounds, he moved with surprising agility.
"My mother put her hand on my shoulder, whispered "Farewell," and left the room. It was the last time I was to see her.
"Lord Dauvis looked me up and down and grunted. "I expected more," he said. I wasn"t sure if he was talking to me or to himself so I kept quiet.
""What"s your name, boy?" he asked.
""Lee Starfinder," I replied. I did my best not to sound afraid.
"Lord Dauvis explained what my duties would be. Mostly, they consisted of running messages, doing ch.o.r.es, and seeing that his meals were ready on time. All of that was fine by me. Anything was better than rotting away at the Temple, and from the sound of it, the work for Lord Dauvis would be a lot easier as well.
"The High Priestess was waiting for us at the entrance. She bowed to Lord Dauvis and asked that he send regular reports of me. He nodded, and thanked her for her hospitality. She gestured towards me and said, "Do not dishonor this temple boy, or I will know about it." I remember smiling with excitement as I walked out of the temple doors for the last time.
"Life with Lord Dauvis was harder than I had thought it would be. He was unmarried and had no children, so I spent every waking hour attending his needs. For five years, I ran his errands, arranged his schedule, and saw to his meals. I don"t think I stopped moving for more than a minute, but to tell you the truth, I loved it. I was living life outside the Temple. Hazrah was a bustling metropolis that breathed a life of its own, and my duties frequently had me traveling to nearby towns and villages. I learned more about the world in one month, under the service of Lord Dauvis, than I had in my entire life. As I got older, he gave me more responsibilities. Eventually, I acted as his proxy during minor business deals and spoke in his stead at meetings with local politicians.
"I think I would have been happy to live out my life in service to Lord Dauvis, but the G.o.ds had other plans. When I was sixteen, the two of us were traveling to Pendleton-a village two days ride to the west- to mediate a labor dispute, when suddenly our coach was attacked. Apparently, the mayor was afraid that he would be caught pocketing gold intended for village construction. His plan was to make it look like bandits had robbed and killed us, stealing all the accounting records and making any investigation impossible.
"When they attacked, I tried my best to protect Lord Dauvis; but I had never been taught to fight, and was quickly overcome. I was knocked to the ground and bleeding from a knife wound to my arm. A large man jumped onto my chest and was about to slit my throat. I braced myself, knowing I was about to die, when suddenly the man"s head separated from his shoulders and rolled to the ground beside me. I looked up and saw Lord Dauvis swinging his sword and fighting like a madman. He took on five bandits single handedly; one after the other fell to his sword, but in the end, it wasn"t enough. In desperation, one of the bandits flung a long knife at Lord Dauvis that pierced him through the belly. Ultimately, the attackers were all dead and Lord Dauvis lay dying. I remember how scared I was as I watched him pull out the knife. Blood soaked his waistcoat and spilled to the ground, but he bore the pain in silence.
"I helped him into the coach and hurried back to the manor. By the time the physician arrived, he was near death. It took three servants to force me out of the room, and even then, I didn"t wander more than a few feet from his chamber door. Hours seemed like days, and when the physician finally emerged he told me that Lord Dauvis was asking for me.
"He looked so pale and weak, laying there in his bed. No one was in the room but the two of us. He beckoned me to come closer and smiled.
""Lee" he said, "I don"t have much time, so listen carefully." He reached up and took my hand. "It was no accident that you are in my service. A week before you came here, I was told by the Oracle of Manisalia that I was to take you into my home and protect you. She said you were important, and that one day you would help save the world. I wasn"t sure if I believed her, but I wasn"t about to take the chance. Now, I think that I do believe."
"He called out for the housekeeper, who brought him a scroll sealed with the crest of his family."
""I"m leaving you everything," he said. I was stunned. "My wealth and t.i.tle will be pa.s.sed to you. I"ve already made all the arrangements, so there will be no one that can dispute your claim."
"I couldn"t believe what I was hearing. "Why?" I cried. "Why would you do this?"
""Because of what else the Oracle told me," he answered, still smiling.
""What did she tell you, my lord?" I asked. I could feel his grip loosen. He was slipping away.
"He pressed the scroll into my hands and said, "Promise me you will take care of my house and servants. You"re a Nal"Thain now.""
"Tears were streaming down my face. "I promise," I wept.
"Lord Dauvis closed his eyes, and whispered his last words: "Go see the Oracle.""
Lee paused and wiped his eyes.
"In the weeks that followed, I set about the business of learning to be a lord. I was now looked upon as Lee Nal"Thain, the son of Dauvis Nal"Thain.
"I sent for my mother at the temple, but learned that she had left the order shortly after I went to serve Lord Dauvis and had left no clue as to her whereabouts. I spent a small fortune trying to find her, but eventually gave up the search.
"It was almost a year before I went to see the Oracle. I was afraid of what she would tell me, so I kept putting it off. Millet was the one who finally convinced me to go. You"ve met him at my estate. He"s been with me a long time.
"It was a seven day journey to Manisalia. The town was quiet; it had a few shops, an inn, and a livery, but little else. I had pictured a city filled with pilgrims, and thought I"d be able to see the Temple towering from a mile away, but I didn"t. I actually had to ask for directions.
"The Temple of the Oracle turned out to be a small closed pavilion set upon a ma.s.sive marble floor. The floor had been built on a foundation where you would expect a temple to be; according to legend, it was located on the very spot where the G.o.ds first breathed life into humankind. A short flight of alabaster steps covering the small distance from the ground to the "temple floor" was the only other man-made structure. Later I learned that three temples had originally been built there. All had collapsed one after the other, only days after they had been built, leaving only the foundation and the floor intact. Taking it as a sign from the G.o.ds and fearing for the safety of the Oracle, it was decided not to attempt building a fourth.
"I had planned on a long stay. I figured I would be one of many waiting to see her, but as soon as I walked up, a young girl dressed in white linen robes approached me.
""It"s about time you got here, Lord Starfinder," she said, using my given name. She took my hand. "Come, she"s waiting."
"Needless to say I was surprised, but I let her lead me up the stairs-past men and women who looked as if they"d been waiting for a long time-and straight into the pavilion. I looked around for a second. A large green carpet covered the entire floor and pillows lay scattered everywhere. A few uncomfortable-looking chairs lined the walls and a number of dim lanterns hung from ropes strung across the pavilion"s support beams. Whatever I expected, this wasn"t it, and for a moment, I thought someone was playing a joke on me. The pavilion"s sole occupant was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, holding a rag and playing tug-o-war with a puppy. She was wearing green cotton trousers and a brown tunic. Her feet were bare and she wore no jewelry; nothing about her indicated that she was indeed the famous Oracle of Manisalia. She ignored me at first, clearly enjoying herself, and I was just about to walk out when she finally spoke to me.
""Do you like dogs?" she asked me. "Personally, I think they"re better than people. More loyal. Certainly smarter."
"I just stood there, staring like an idiot. Here before me was the great Oracle of Manisalia. People spoke of her wisdom all over the world. Kings and lords bowed to her will. In fact, she was the very reason I was now a lord instead of wasting away back at the Temple of Saraf. The woman had the ear of the entire known world, and here she was, barefoot on the floor, playing with a mongrel puppy. It wasn"t exactly inspiring."
Gewey grinned, trying to imagine the scene.
"She looked at me and smiled. Her skin was flawless, as if age could not touch her; but if the stories about her were true, then she must have been very old. Her jet-black hair was tied back in a loose braid, showing no hint of gray. Her eyes were sky blue and twinkled in the dim light. When she met my gaze, I felt small and insignificant- as though she had turned me into a child.
""I take it I"m not what you expected," she said. "Would you feel better if I have my a.s.sistant come in and chant in an ancient language? She knows one. She"s a very bright young girl." Clearly, the Oracle was having fun with me. "I guess you want to know what I told poor Dauvis about you."
"I sat in front of her on one of the pillows and told her my story. She listened patiently, but I had the feeling that she knew what I was going to say before I said it. Still, it felt good to tell someone. When I finished, she stood up and got a bowl of figs from the corner and we sat in silence and ate. When we finished eating, she reached over and put her hand on my cheek.
""So young, yet so strong," she said, her voice soft and melodic. "You"ve been through a lot, but there is much more to come. First it"s time you knew who you are, and why I told Dauvis to care for you."
"I remember how nervous I was, but I thought I was ready to hear it.
""You are the son of Saraf, G.o.d of the Sea," she told me.
"I was speechless. I couldn"t believe what she was saying. I refused to. I wanted to leave, but the Oracle leaned forward and grabbed my wrist. Her strength was surprising.
""I know it"s hard to understand," she said, "but it"s true. Saraf seduced your mother eighteen years ago. How it happened and why he did it, I don"t know. Perhaps one day, if you see your mother again, she can tell you. But that part of the story hasn"t been revealed to me."
"She released me and picked up the puppy that had been lying quietly beside her. "One day you will be given a great treasure, and you will have to leave your whole life behind to protect this treasure. If you refuse, or if you fail, darkness will consume the world. You have been chosen because of who and what you are. Your courage and wisdom will be put to the test, but if you face the challenge, you can save us all. What the treasure is, I do not know; but once you touch it for the first time, you will have no doubts, and you will know what to do. The only question will be if you"re willing to do it. The cost will be great, and once paid, your life will never be the same. Until then, you must train your mind and body. As the son of Saraf, you can achieve things far beyond the abilities of normal men. You have power you"ve never dreamed of, and the time is coming when you"ll need it."
"She lowered her eyes and stroked the sleeping puppy. I expected her to say something else, but she just sat there silently.
""Is that it?" I asked, but she just continued petting that b.l.o.o.d.y puppy. Finally, I got up and left the pavilion, not sure what to believe. None of it made sense to me.
"For the next few years I tried to forget about what she told me, and lived the life of a Hazrahinian lord. But the more I tried to forget, the more miserable I became. I renewed the search for my mother, but once again came up empty-handed. I thought if I found her, she could tell me it was all lies, and I could feel normal again. Eventually I decided it was time to begin training for what was to come, even though I had no idea what exactly that was.
"It turned out that the Oracle was right. As I trained, I discovered that I was stronger and faster than other men. It took me mere weeks to learn new sword techniques that took other people years to master. My eyesight was sharper and my hearing keener. The more I trained, the more I came to believe the Oracle; but it wasn"t until I first saw you that I knew for a fact she had told me the truth."
Lee stood up and stretched his legs. He walked over to where he had tied his horse, and stroked its mane.
"My father said you first saw me when I was a baby," said Gewey. "He said you came down to buy horses, though he really didn"t believe that. He also said he thought I was the reason you moved to Sharpstone."
Lee laughed softly. "Harman always was a bright one," he said. "And he was right. Looking back, I wish I had confided in him more. But at the time, it seemed safer to keep him in the dark." He walked back to the blanket and knelt down. "The truth is it was I that had Millet bring you to your father. I knew I couldn"t keep you safe. A lord showing up out of nowhere with a child...it would draw too much attention. Millet disguised himself as a merchant, and told your father he had found you in the wreckage of a raided caravan. I knew your father"s heart, and was sure he"d take you in."
"If all this is true, then how did you end up with me in the first place?" asked Gewey. "How did my father come into this? And why has it all been such a secret?"
"I was just getting to that," he replied. "Be patient and I"ll tell you."
Gewey sighed and motioned for Lee to continue.
"I trained for years, preparing myself," said Lee. "But for what, I still didn"t know. By the time I was twenty-eight I had learned everything the local masters had to teach, so I ventured out in search of anyone who could train me. It was on one of those trips that I met your father.
"He had left Sharpstone in search of his fortune. He was courting your mother at the time. Your grandfather had left him little in the way of a living, so he left home hoping to find work as a man at arms. With what he saved, he hoped to buy a farm and earn the right to marry your mother. I think she would have married him regardless, but Harman was a proud man, and he couldn"t imagine taking a wife without the means to support her.
"When I first encountered your father, I was making my way around the eastern end of the Razor Edge Mountains, on my way back to Hazrah. I had just finished studying under a sword master in Vallhavin, and had stopped for the night in a small village. What I didn"t know was that this particular village was home to a band of raiders and cutthroats that had been wreaking havoc in every town and village for a hundred miles. I was sitting in the common room of the inn, sharing a bottle of wine with Millet. He always came with me on these trips-he"s convinced that I can"t take care of myself-and to tell the truth, there were times I would have gone mad but for his company. Earlier I had heard talk of a sword-master and battle strategist somewhere in the northwest near the steppes; I was trying to decide whether to cancel my trip home and seek him out, when I noticed two men huddled in the corner staring at me.
"At once I knew their intentions. One of the abilities I had discovered was that I can sense when someone means harm. Sometimes, I can almost hear their thoughts. I immediately told Millet to go to our room and wait for me there.
"I didn"t have to wait long. As soon as Millet headed for the room, one of the men got up and followed him. I wasn"t wearing my sword and, for all his accomplishments, Millet is no warrior. I stood up and pretended not to notice that the other man still watched me as I walked towards the bar. As fast as I could, I grabbed a mug off a table and flung it at the man in the corner. It hit him squarely in the throat and he fell over gasping. I ran upstairs and saw the other man drawing a knife as he knocked at my door. I charged in, trying to get to him before Millet could answer, but the man saw me coming and ran down the hall to the back steps. Foolishly, I chased after him.
"By the time I caught up to him he had made it out the back entrance and was headed across the street to a nearby house. I reached out to grab for him when I felt a pain shoot through my left shoulder. It took a second for me to realize I"d been struck by an arrow. Three more men-one carrying a bow-jumped out from around the side of the house. I was unarmed, wounded, and out-numbered, and all I could think was that the b.l.o.o.d.y Oracle was wrong after all.
"I thought I was about to die right there in the street, but suddenly, out of nowhere, your father stepped in front of me, swinging his sword wildly. I think it was the sheer ferocity of his attack that saved us, being that his skills with a blade were crude at best. Later, he told me his father had served the King as a soldier and had taught him basic sword fighting when he was a boy, but he had never learned much beyond that. The men turned and ran, and your father, being a much wiser man than I, did not chase after them. Instead, he helped me back to the inn where he and Millet tended my wounds. The innkeeper warned us about the raiders, saying that they would definitely return and that we should leave as soon possible. Millet fussed and complained about me traveling wounded, but there was no choice. Your father came with us, and I hired him as a bodyguard. I introduced myself to him as Lee Starfinder-not Nal"Thain. In those days I never traveled under the name of my crest.
"I decided not to return to Hazrah, and headed west to seek out the sword master. As it turned out, the attack did me some good. The wound took only two weeks to heal. I kept this from your father, of course, but it was more proof of my heritage.
"I eventually found the sword master and studied under him for a year. When my studies were done, your father told me he wanted to go home. He had saved enough money to buy a small farm and take his bride. He feared if he waited any longer that she might marry another. I"m sure your father told you, but she was quite beautiful; even so, I don"t think she would have married anyone else even if he"d stayed away ten years. She truly loved him. I was sorry to see him go, but I knew from the look in his eyes that he was determined. I didn"t see him again for many years.
"I eventually returned home for good, or so I thought. I continued training myself, as there were no more masters left to teach me. Life went on as normal, and I found myself becoming forgetful of what the oracle had told me.
"It was the night of a ma.s.sive blizzard when Millet woke me and told me a messenger from the Oracle was waiting in my study to see me. I went downstairs and, to my surprise, found the young girl who had once led me to the pavilion all those years ago. Though she was no longer a young girl, I recognized her right away. She looked frightened and was shivering from the cold. In her arms, she held a baby wrapped in linen.
""It"s time," she said.
""What do you mean?" I asked, knowing perfectly well what she meant.
"She didn"t say another word. She just walked up, placed you in my arms, and ran out, disappearing into the storm."
Gewey"s jaw tightened. "Let me get this straight," he said. "I was dumped off in a storm in the middle of the night, and you decided I was the treasure, just like that. You then left me with my father, and moved hundreds of miles to Sharpstone to watch over me. And now, for whatever bizarre reason, some evil being is on our trail. Have I missed anything?"
"Don"t make light of this," Lee scolded. "I have sacrificed much, and you will listen to what I have to say."
"Fine," said Gewey, raising no objection.
Lee continued. "Like I said, when the girl handed you to me I had no idea what was happening. I looked down at you sleeping in my arms, and remembered what the Oracle said: when the time came, I would know what to do. Well, I didn"t, at least not until I pulled back the blanket you were wrapped in and touched your face with my finger. It was then that I understood why you are so important. The second I touched your skin, I knew what you really are." Lee paused and leaned in, "You are a G.o.d, Gewey," he said, "In fact, you are the only child ever born from the union of two G.o.ds."
Gewey burst into laughter. "You"re crazy," he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "And to think I was starting to believe you! I actually left my farm trusting that you might know something."
Lee frowned. "There is one way to show you," he said. He walked over to Gewey, and reached out his hand.
"What"s this?" asked Gewey, clearly amused.
"Take my hand," said Lee.
Gewey hesitated.
"Just do it," said Lee. "If this doesn"t make you believe me, you can go home and forget everything I"ve said."