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Authors: Maxwell Alexander Drake
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my own to be looking after.” Flinnok crossed the field and joined his men.
Tanin strode back to his son. Snagging Arderi by the arm, he led the boy in the opposite direction to where the rest of the fielders stood. All of the men gathered in a tight knot around the wagons.
“Do you think that guarder will be all right, Papa?”
“We shall find out in due time, son. They are Militants. They will tend to their own. For now, let us see to ours, shall we?”
He watched his father, who again had become the same easy-going man he had known all his life. Arderi tried to stop the shaking that filled him. Unable to calm down, he let Tanin guide him as they walked.
Masstin Wilt, a worn, thin man, broke from the group of fielders. “The boy all right?”
Tanin glanced over his shoulder at Arderi. “Fine, I think. A little shaken.” He made a motion with his arm to the far side of the field. “Anyone know who the fallen guarder is?”
“Nix, not as yet.” Mir’am Wilt’s answer was accompanied by a scowl. “What say we break for halfmeal, huh, Tanin?”
Tanin reached over and planted a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Arderi was just talking about being eaten—I mean… eating.” He made no attempt to hide his grin.
Several of the men gave out laughs and muttered agreement. Mir’am Wilt pulled out the food baskets and passed them around. Basket in hand, Riln caught Arderi’s attention and motioned for him to follow. Gathering up his own food, Arderi fell in step behind his friend.
“Oiy!”
Arderi froze. He knew that tone in his father’s voice all too well.
“And where might you be going, lads?” His father’s voice had his do-not-mess-with-me tone.
Both boys looked back at the group of fielders. “Just a walk, Papa.” Though Arderi still shook inside, he hoped it did not show in his voice.
“I do not be thinking so, lad. I allow the beasties only one chance a day to eat one of my young.” Chuckles resounded through the group. He pointed off to the other wagons. “You boys can stay near us if you need to talk.”
“Yes, Mir’am Cor.” Riln chimed in with a quickness that Arderi found discouraging. Pointing toward the furthest of the wagons, he pulled Arderi to it by the elbow.
Hopping on the back of the wagon, Riln unwrapped his meal. “That was wicked!” He kept a low voice so no one except Arderi could hear. “What were you thinking when that thing charged you?”
Arderi looked at him as if he were an idiot. “What in all the Planes of Hell do you think I was thinking?” Keeping his retort low, it came out more as a harsh whisper. “I thought I was going to die!”
Riln bit into the piece of flatbread he pulled from his basket. “You did look rather silly flinging dirt all around.” His giggle barely made it around his mouth full of food. A large piece of dried beef came to Arderi’s rescue and followed the bread into Riln’s mouth, forcing him to chew instead of talk.
Tearing off a piece of his own flatbread, Arderi placed it in his mouth. It tasted of ash.
There is no way I can eat anything just now.
He wrapped up the rest of his meal and set the food bundle in the wagon behind Riln. “We got a Crystal from Alant this morn. Came in with that caravan yesterday, I suppose.” Arderi stared off toward the woods into which the Krugour had disappeared.
“You all right, Arderi?”
Arderi glanced at his friend and noted the concern on his face. He nodded his head. “Why?”
“I was with you this morn when your Papa told you about the Crystal, remember.”
“Aye, right. I meant about the caravan.” Arderi let his eyes drift back to the tree line.
“Aye… and?” Riln continued to eat.
“You remember when we were younger, how we used to always say that one day we would leave on one of them caravans? Just hide in one of the wagons and go wherever it took us?”
“Aye, yet Arderi, that was just boy’s talk. Why bring it up now? What are you getting at?”
“It is
Tanin strode back to his son. Snagging Arderi by the arm, he led the boy in the opposite direction to where the rest of the fielders stood. All of the men gathered in a tight knot around the wagons.
“Do you think that guarder will be all right, Papa?”
“We shall find out in due time, son. They are Militants. They will tend to their own. For now, let us see to ours, shall we?”
He watched his father, who again had become the same easy-going man he had known all his life. Arderi tried to stop the shaking that filled him. Unable to calm down, he let Tanin guide him as they walked.
Masstin Wilt, a worn, thin man, broke from the group of fielders. “The boy all right?”
Tanin glanced over his shoulder at Arderi. “Fine, I think. A little shaken.” He made a motion with his arm to the far side of the field. “Anyone know who the fallen guarder is?”
“Nix, not as yet.” Mir’am Wilt’s answer was accompanied by a scowl. “What say we break for halfmeal, huh, Tanin?”
Tanin reached over and planted a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Arderi was just talking about being eaten—I mean… eating.” He made no attempt to hide his grin.
Several of the men gave out laughs and muttered agreement. Mir’am Wilt pulled out the food baskets and passed them around. Basket in hand, Riln caught Arderi’s attention and motioned for him to follow. Gathering up his own food, Arderi fell in step behind his friend.
“Oiy!”
Arderi froze. He knew that tone in his father’s voice all too well.
“And where might you be going, lads?” His father’s voice had his do-not-mess-with-me tone.
Both boys looked back at the group of fielders. “Just a walk, Papa.” Though Arderi still shook inside, he hoped it did not show in his voice.
“I do not be thinking so, lad. I allow the beasties only one chance a day to eat one of my young.” Chuckles resounded through the group. He pointed off to the other wagons. “You boys can stay near us if you need to talk.”
“Yes, Mir’am Cor.” Riln chimed in with a quickness that Arderi found discouraging. Pointing toward the furthest of the wagons, he pulled Arderi to it by the elbow.
Hopping on the back of the wagon, Riln unwrapped his meal. “That was wicked!” He kept a low voice so no one except Arderi could hear. “What were you thinking when that thing charged you?”
Arderi looked at him as if he were an idiot. “What in all the Planes of Hell do you think I was thinking?” Keeping his retort low, it came out more as a harsh whisper. “I thought I was going to die!”
Riln bit into the piece of flatbread he pulled from his basket. “You did look rather silly flinging dirt all around.” His giggle barely made it around his mouth full of food. A large piece of dried beef came to Arderi’s rescue and followed the bread into Riln’s mouth, forcing him to chew instead of talk.
Tearing off a piece of his own flatbread, Arderi placed it in his mouth. It tasted of ash.
There is no way I can eat anything just now.
He wrapped up the rest of his meal and set the food bundle in the wagon behind Riln. “We got a Crystal from Alant this morn. Came in with that caravan yesterday, I suppose.” Arderi stared off toward the woods into which the Krugour had disappeared.
“You all right, Arderi?”
Arderi glanced at his friend and noted the concern on his face. He nodded his head. “Why?”
“I was with you this morn when your Papa told you about the Crystal, remember.”
“Aye, right. I meant about the caravan.” Arderi let his eyes drift back to the tree line.
“Aye… and?” Riln continued to eat.
“You remember when we were younger, how we used to always say that one day we would leave on one of them caravans? Just hide in one of the wagons and go wherever it took us?”
“Aye, yet Arderi, that was just boy’s talk. Why bring it up now? What are you getting at?”
“It is
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