The Lupine Saga 97

Posted on November 13, 2021 by James Ashman

Lines of guards were on each side of the walkway, which led up to the two steps that were before the magistrate’s desk. The swine magistrate sat alone, scribbling away at some papers in front of him.

Va’il approached the length of carpet that started the walkway. He walked halfway to the magistrate before the swine looked up.

“Stop there,” the swine said. “Kneel and state your business.”

“Sir, I’ve come looking for my associate,” Va’il said.

“Kneel, then state your business,” the magistrate said.

“I’m stating my business. The person I’m traveling with, the bearan, he came here before,” Va’il said.

“I said kneel first, then speak. Why aren’t you kneeling?” the magistrate, his voice full of indignation, asked.

“I don’t understand what you’re asking,” Va’il said. He shrugged.

“I said you should kneel, then speak to me. So kneel, fool!”

“What does kneeling have to do with anything?” Va’il asked, confused. He was completely ignorant of the whims of those in power.

“Brash fool. Guards, take him, show him to his associate.”

Va’il couldn’t struggle much against the group of guards that surrounded and restrained him. He screamed at the magistrate, unable to understand what was going on, but to no avail. After a moment his struggling lessened, and another sound started to form, but it was not heard due to the next large voice.

“Stop right there!” Derlik shouted, his deep voice rumbling the halls.

“You’re still here?” the magistrate asked.

“Only by need. Release the boy, he is with me,” Derlik said.

“You should watch your partners better, then,” the magistrate said. He snorted lightly, his version of a sneer.

“I would have, if it weren’t for your incessant time-wasting. Let us go now. I apologize for my rudeness, but touching that child isn’t allowed. As you stated, we will be gone soon,” Derlik said.

“And if I disagree? He is a rude, uncultured child who needs to be disciplined,” the magistrate said.

“You try my patience. I’m devoted to his safety. And you sneer, thinking that, as fearsome as I am, your numbers and a hostage will keep you safe from me. Alone I was a threat, you thought, but not when I have that boy for a companion. You greedy fool. There is nothing we can give you. There is no pride of yours we need to obey. And that boy, a lupus, wasn’t going to just let you take him hostage. Isn’t that right?”

Va’il saw Derlik wink at him, and then he realized what was going on. He finally let out a low, menacing growl for the room to feel. The guards that held him loosened their hold just enough for Va’il to twist out of their grip and jump to Derlik’s side, his hands and face showing claws and fangs. He would not let himself be grabbed again.

“Fine fine,” the magistrate said, though there was trepidation in his voice. “It was a misunderstanding. We shouldn’t have to resort to real threats. You can leave our city. You have permission to travel quickly and leave Sounderthound as fast as possible.”

“Thank you, sir. Again, my apologies,” Derlik said while giving a short bow.

“Just leave. I hate both your kinds. Travelling fools. Lupus and their journey, we wouldn’t have had to waste this day if you’d mentioned it earlier. But, just don’t return, we won’t allow passage and risk her wrath next time,” the magistrate said.

“Out, Va’il.”

The two of them rushed out of the room and were quickly in the cart.

“What happened?” Ruby asked.

“Ask later,” Derlik said. He took the reins and had the horses go to the eastern gates as quickly as he could. He briefly showed some papers to the guards there, and then they were off on the open road again.

“So what was that?” Va’il asked.

“That’s what I want to ask! Don’t leave the cart if I say to stay put! We’re lucky that greedy swine didn’t want to test us further!” Derlik said, his voice brimming with anger.

“Why?”

“Oh, no use explaining it to you. Look, I had to go through their procedures, as boring and tedious as they were. This is a foreign land, and they aren’t happy to just let us pass. You’ve seen it before, and you’ll see it again, I’m sure. But in truth, that magistrate was likely corrupt and abusing his power elsewhere. Took a few coins just to get passage. If I weren’t a bearan, he’d likely try working us for a cost of passage. He might still have, if a lupus hadn’t shown up.”

“That’s terrible,” Va’il said. “So we had to just threaten our way out?”

“Yeah. Don’t rely on that too much, though. That swine may have been fearful of us. But he could have changed his mind, taken the risk, and just overcome us with numbers. And I wouldn’t want to use force anyways. It could harm relations, or lead to something far worse. And it doesn’t usually work on honest people. Well, the rest of the ride should be easy enough. Hare country for a while, and maybe bovine depending on the roads. Neither should have any delays. As long as the rest of the journey remains peaceful.”

Va’il and Ruby agreed to obey Derlik’s directions to stay put for the next areas they went through, though they agreed that if Derlik went missing for a full day they could investigate. That wouldn’t be necessary, but it was a precaution that gave the children a small relief.

The experience reminded them of their distance from Rising. In its sobering way, it told them there was no longer an opportunity to return to Rising. They couldn’t jump out of the cart and run away from Derlik and expect to return to Rising easily. The territory was unfamiliar and hostile. No longer did they live in the country where species intermingled freely, even if hesitatingly. Outside Rising, the various species had formed their own regions and borders. Though a few species internally divided themselves into different clans, tribes, or races, most of the species all lived within countries that identified them. Sounderthound was almost exclusively swine. Any swine outside Rising was almost always from Sounderthound. Any bearan outside Rising was from Grizz. The same applied to the rest, regardless of whether they called it a nation, a country, an occupied territory, an area abiding by a code of conduct, or one of many other names.

Facing those challenges of difference, a world previously unknown to them, Va’il and Ruby wouldn’t be able to move as they had hoped. This problem weighed on them, but they looked at it as something to be solved, not to be discouraged by.

Posted in Books, The Lupine Chevalier | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lupine Saga 96

Posted on November 6, 2021 by James Ashman

“What’s that?” Va’il asked.

“Gates to Trin. We’re about to enter mostly avian territory,” Derlik said.

“Both Farrow and Rising are far behind us, then,” Ruby said. Va’il nodded and then looked back at the road behind them.

“Get ready,” Derlik said. “They aren’t too keen on visitors. Be quiet and stay in the back. And don’t look down. Smile and talk quietly amongst yourselves.”

“Quiet but talk?” Va’il asked.

“Just pretend you’re just traveling happily. Guys ahead might not stop us if they don’t think anything is out of order. We’re too close now, I’m getting off,” Derlik said. The cart stopped and Derlik got up and met the approaching avian guards.

“He’s a lot bigger than them,” Va’il said.

“Don’t say it too loud. I don’t exactly want all this, but if we’re going, we should make sure nothing stops us. Especially not if we’re just passing through,” Ruby said.

“Are the three of us together now?” Va’il asked, the meaning clear for Ruby to see.

“We’ve gone too far to not be. Getting stopped and asking for help here could be the right move. Or it could be far worse than continuing on. At least we have an idea with the bearan. Maybe if it we were still further west, nearer to home. But with avian territory, I don’t think we can risk it.”

Va’il knew Ruby would go back if she thought it was the right move, but the area presented unknown risks to the young and unprepared girl and lupus boy. He dropped the idea of escape in the current situation, and continued conversing quietly, pretending to be a happy traveller.

“Avians. Interesting. So most of the people we will see for a while are going to be avian, right?” Va’il asked.

“Mostly. I’d expect a lot of felis traders around this area too, because this area is just south of felis territory. But after this, we should see mostly avians. I haven’t been here before, so I’m guessing. I’ve once seen the water kingdom before, but otherwise I’ve always been in Rising,” Ruby said.

“Ens, the water kingdom? What’s it like?” Va’il asked.

“It was when I was a lot younger. I can’t remember it well. A lot of water, of course. There are cities that seem to float, but it’s really just canals. The people are a little different. Blue hair, so they even kind of look like the sea. Very, very nice, that’s what I remember about them. The cities themselves are colorful. They call their cities coral towns, but their simplicity hides what amazing creations go on inside them. They harvest food differently, and have a lot of remedies and other creations. But that’s all I remember. It’s different than here. Just another town. Just like many others. Derlik is coming back.”

“We’re in luck,” Derlik said. “They are fine with us coming, and quickly going. We’ll stay in the city tonight, and leave tomorrow morning. We’ll exchange our tired horses with some fresh ones, and should be able to continue at a fast clip.”

#

The city was quaint, but uneventful. They rested that night, comfortable in a local inn. The next day they were off, Va’il and Ruby now used to the constraints of their situation. They passed by a few more avian towns and cities over the next week, where the same events repeated. Their path dipped south, so they ended up in mixed avian and lionel territory, but not long enough to be a problem for the territorial inhabitants.

They crossed into swine territory, a large area called Sounderthound. It was a long leg of the journey that took them quite a while and many viewings of Sendes to get through, but it was mostly uneventful. Each day that passed they’d further run out of books or schooling to recall and games two children could play on the road, and they couldn’t talk of serious or personal matters with another person around. Although the area was beautiful, they travelled through the southern areas of Sounderthound too quickly to appreciate the surroundings. Their stops in local villages or cities of swine were brief and seemingly without trouble, as long as they mostly kept to themselves and didn’t bother the inhabitants during their stays. Until their passage into hare lands was hindered by a certain event.

“Who wishes to pass?” asked the swine guard at the last major city they’d be passing through in Sounderthound.

“Just a group of weary travelers, visiting my esteemed home in Grizz. We seek passage only, nothing more,” Derlik said. The swine stepped back and conferred with his associate. He came back, his face just as stoic as it ever was.

“You may enter and see the magistrate. He will decide,” the swine said.

“I thank you,” Derlik said.

“You shouldn’t, not before leaving. Go on!”

The kids, feeling weary, didn’t pay much attention to their surroundings. The sound of children playing perked Va’il’s ears, but the smell of the world around him kept him from investigating further. The other cities had been neat and clean, perhaps due to being closer to the central areas or by being trading towns. But a single glance around told Va’il that no trade was happening here. It was poor and ragged.

“You two all right?” Derlik asked.

“Doing fine,” Va’il said.

“The sooner out of here, the better,” Ruby said. She was dressed in newer clothes, purchased from the last major town they were in. They were fitting rewards for the only warm bath Ruby had in the last couple weeks. She dressed in grey wool, wearing a simple shirt and loose pants, and her hair in a ponytail. It wasn’t her usual fashion, but they fit her well. She still radiated nobility and dignity, no matter what she wore. Derlik never did ask her where she hid her money or how much she had, but it didn’t bother or even surprise him that the noble girl had it.

“Certainly,” Derlik said. He drove the cart around, and stopped it in front of the magistrate’s office. He tied the horses and walked inside the building.

It was in the center of the city, a large and elaborate creation in the midst of poverty. It was two stories and had a marble entryway. Va’il looked at it for a while, but it wasn’t interesting to him.

Time passed, but Derlik didn’t return. They waited for the shadow of the sun to move a meter, but no amount of waiting changed the problem. Derlik had spent a couple hours in the magistrate’s office without coming out to tell Va’il and Ruby of what was going on.

“Is it supposed to take this long?” Va’il asked.

“It’s political, probably. He’s being questioned,” Ruby said.

“For this long? None of the other places took this long.”

“Maybe it’s because this is a border place. They might have to make sure of everything before letting us into hare lands. I’m not sure if their relations are good or not, but when it comes to territories or nations, you never know who dislikes who in truth.”

“Is there really that much distrust between them?”

“Yes, Va’il. Everyone has an objective, and their own ideas of how to get there.”

“But why can’t they all get along?”

“That’s pretty naive. Each region is different.”

“Why are they different?”

“Well, one might be governed a certain way, another might use their own method. Besides, really, almost all regions but ours are homogeneous. I mean, they are usually all one species, with some foreign traders here and there. Rising is mixed with lupus like you, human like me, and so on. The rest are all mostly different. Swine territory, bovine, bearan, and so on. So different, okay?”

“But they are all full of people, so they are all the same, right?”

“Well, if you say it like that, it makes sense. But I don’t think that’s important to figure out. Everyone’s different. And none of this helps us find out what’s taking Derlik.”

“I’m going to go in,” Va’il said.

“Should I come too?” Ruby asked.

“I don’t know. Stay here. Come in if you think you should.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll wait. Hurry up, Va’il.”

Va’il jumped out of the cart and entered the magistrate’s building. He sped past the decorations littering the place, and ended up in the main hall.

Posted in Books, The Lupine Chevalier | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lupine Saga 95

Posted on October 30, 2021 by James Ashman

They woke the next morning, surprised that they could sleep as well as they did. The two felt like the drug had run the last of its course, and no drowsiness or cloudiness was left in their bodies. Once up, they noticed the smell of burning meat, the sound of a fire.

“Finally up, kids?” Derlik asked. He was hunched over a fire where a morning kill was being cooked. The sight and sound of food reminded the two that they hadn’t eaten much in the past few days, and last night’s meal was dried provisions and water.

“Thank you,” Va’il said as he got up and walked to the fire.

“What is it?” Ruby asked.

“Food. Good enough, right?” Derlik asked.

“Yeah,” Ruby said, tired of her own question. It was food, and it didn’t matter what kind of animal it was that had fallen into Derlik’s grasp.

They ate and drank to what little fill they could, washed themselves and their clothes thanks to a nearby creek, and then prepared to leave. The horses had already been fed earlier, and so the moment Va’il and Ruby were in the cart Derlik took off.

Va’il and Ruby sat together in quiet, unable to think of anything more to talk about with Derlik. His demeanor last night showed them that he would answer questions, but only within a certain boundary, and never volunteered information himself. He was quiet, and would stay quiet if Va’il and Ruby had nothing to speak with him about.

A couple hours passed, and soon the sun had made its way above their heads. With nothing to do, nothing to talk about, and a small sense of hunger growing, they fell asleep.

#

“Wake up, eat,” Derlik said. His massive hand rocked Va’il’s shoulder.

Va’il looked around for a moment, but then stopped and roused Ruby. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the scenery Va’il had only glanced at.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Still in Farrow. Almost out. Eat now, and stay awake,” Derlik said.

The kids accepted and partook of dried fruit and tasteless bread. They would have asked why Derlik didn’t fetch something better to eat, but a look at the scenery told them why. They were in plains, littered with grasses and rolling hills. No forest or places for animals to hide were seen. The scenery had changed too quickly for them to tell how far they had gone. The cart started going again. Its pace was fast and steady. Quicker than Va’il and Ruby could remember from before.

As the day cooled down the cart went quicker, making the kids wonder exactly how far they were going each day. Their perception of distance and the world at large was limited by the simple maps that had been used in school. The maps of Rising were detailed and labeled, but the world at large was a general outline with rivers, mountains, and major cities labeled. They knew the basics, but they didn’t realize how far a day’s travel would take them across each region. They also knew that Rising wasn’t a large nation. Over the coming days and weeks they would learn how distance on maps turned into distance in real life: slowly.

The first full day of travel that Va’il and Ruby were conscious of ended, and at night Derlik left them alone while he went hunting.

“Ruby,” Va’il said.

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking. This is really boring. And tough.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve also been thinking. Why is this happening?”

“I have too.”

“Do you have an idea?” Va’il got up from where he was and sat next to Ruby. She smiled at him once, and then looked at the fire.

“I’ve been replaying our last moments out in my head. Well, you know what I mean. I’m trying to make sure I remember everything said and done. Everything about that day. And then backtracking, wondering if something other than that day was the reason.”

“It all happened so fast. Like it was planned. That’s what’s bothering me,” Va’il said.

“It makes sense. It had to be planned. But how far in advance? How would they know where I was? And then, why wait? Were they waiting for us to be together? I don’t think so. Silly as you are, I don’t think anyone would care about a simple commoner. No offense.”

“Of course not,” Va’il said. He agreed with Ruby, but if his secret had been revealed, Ruby would be wrong. He didn’t think that was the case, but couldn’t help but wonder if it was. And although that was a pressing thought, he couldn’t reveal it to Ruby. He feared the responsibility that would be pressed upon them both if his royal lineage were uncovered.

“So there is something nagging about it. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my voiced worries happened on the same day as our kidnapping. I think it was something said, at that time, that was the reason. Something I knew about, beforehand, that was the reason I was being watched. And I think I know what it is.”

“And what is it?” Va’il asked, both relieved and confused.

“That servant that I talked about, the one shadowing me,” Ruby said.

“Ah! This boring journey, I forgot!” Va’il said, his voice filled with sudden excitement.

“What? Did you forget our entire conversation from that time?” Ruby asked.

“That night has a cloud over it. Remembering what you were doing just before you fall asleep is tough. And the train of thought I was on was completely derailed by the passage of time. Arg, Ruby, remember that I questioned you after you mentioned that servant?”

“I think so. A lot of them. And then the world spun. You asked about someone important. Ah, now I remember! You’re right!”

“Regent Jin,” both children said.

“I forgot about him. And it would match. I did mention him once. And then you mentioned him. All those ridiculous things about him and the foreigners, right?” Ruby asked.

“I didn’t forget the name. I made the connection then. Ridiculous, was it, dear Ruby?”

“I thought he was trustworthy.”

“Does it seem like a coincidence, or something solid now?” Va’il asked.

“It could still be a coincidence,” Ruby said, though her eyes told another story. Even though her head told her that this progression wasn’t logical and they were jumping to conclusions, her heart swayed in a sea of mixed emotions.

“That’s true. Or maybe he was supposed to watch you, because of what happened before with those foreigners. It would make sense, if they were all colluding,” Va’il said, brimming with excitement at his discovery.

“Wait, wait,” Ruby said, her thoughts becoming clear. “You’re missing something Va’il. They only fully saw you. They didn’t see me directly. Even if you’re right, there has to be something else missing. No, I think it’s something else. Or we’re missing a part.”

“Like what? If they didn’t know you, then maybe me?” Va’il asked.

“No, that doesn’t fit either. Could it be something different?”

“If it was, then maybe it’s just a coincidence we overheard them speak of Jin before he sent a servant to shadow you,” Va’il said.

“Ah! Va’il, you figured it out! That’s it! There was already an issue! We overheard it years ago, and that had no bearing on the servant shadowing me! Then we met while I was being watched for some reason, talked about my suspicions, you had a revelation, they heard that, and got rid of us to keep that information from getting out! It fits!”

“It does,” Va’il said, quieter than before. “And it fits best. And it raises more problems than before, dear Ruby. Why you were being watched. Why our suspicions were such a problem. There is something bigger to all of this. Something bigger than you or I that we stumbled upon, and now cannot pursue.”

“We can go back,” Ruby said. She looked at Va’il, her eyes reflecting the fire in front of them, an analogue for the fiery emotions running though her.

“We should. But I don’t think we can now. That’s another problem raised. I hope we’re wrong about all we’ve thought of. Because if we’re right, then I know they cannot let us live with this knowledge.”

“So we’re wrong. Until we find a way to be right and live.”

“I didn’t realize you loved home this much,” Va’il said, smiling.

“It’s not exactly, well kinda. But not only that,” Ruby said, slightly stuttering.

“It’s not so bad, to get away like this for a while, to be on the journey,” Va’il said.

“I like it. I really do,” Ruby said.

“But you only would want to continue it if you knew it were temporary, right?” Va’il asked.

“Certain parts,” Ruby said. She then stood up and poked at the fire with a stick.

“Which?” Va’il asked.

“Just certain ones.” She kept her back to Va’il and mumbled lightly while prodding at the fire.

“If only others weren’t worrying about us,” Va’il said, thinking of his family and other friends. He felt like the burdens on him, the present worries, were alive and bearing down on him, but the visage of the girl in front of him gave him some relief, though he couldn’t understand why. He was comfortable, but disturbed and worried. He was worried for those he knew, but the girl in front of him was the only person he knew at that moment, and as much as he wished there were more people around him, he knew he only had one person to be concerned with at that moment.

They remained quiet, each one thinking of vastly different things for different reasons, neither knowing what the other’s top concern was. And soon enough Derlik returned with a grin on his face and a family of rabbits over his shoulder. They ate, talked a bit, and then slept.

Posted in Books, The Lupine Chevalier | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lupine Saga 94

Posted on October 23, 2021 by James Ashman

“Ugh. Hungry,” said the small, hoarse voice of Ruby. She was still down, but had started moving.

“Ruby! Are you awake now?” Va’il asked.

“Va’il?”

“Here, drink water,” Va’il said, and handed a skin filled with water to her. She drank it and then fully opened her eyes. She looked at the wretched figure of Va’il, and then gasped when she saw the bearan.

“I’m not going to do anything to you, miss,” the bearan said, taking note of Ruby’s frame of mind. “Eat and drink something first. It’s safe.”

Va’il nodded, and Ruby accepted the food and drink without word, and stayed silent until she had her fill. Va’il watched her the entire time, but didn’t intrude upon the silence.

“So,” Ruby said once done, “who are you, what happened, why, and where are you taking us?”

“I’m Derlik, and I’m taking you to a safe place. The only one I know outside of Rising, since you wouldn’t be safe there.”

“That’s what he thinks. He’s the bearan that attacked us before, but he’s saving us instead of killing us,” Va’il said.

“Not comforting. Or acceptable,” Ruby said, her temper returning with the rest of her senses.

“It is what it is,” Derlik said.

“Well, I’ll accept it for now if Va’il says so. But I’ll return to Rising eventually. Where are you taking us, if you are saving us? And again, why?”

“He won’t talk about who ordered him to get us. I’ve already asked. I can tell you more later,” Va’il said.

“As you said. I won’t answer why. But where we are going, that’s easy. My hometown, in Grizz,” Derlik said.

“Grizz? Wait! No, we can’t! That’s a vast distance across the continent!” Ruby said.

“Yeah, it is. That’s where we’re going. If we rush, I think it’ll take a month now. Probably longer. I know the route very well, though. Provisions and stables abound upon the road leading there, so it shouldn’t be too rough. Once we get there, you’ll be saved,” Derlik said.

“Saved? Saved? Ha. Va’il, we shouldn’t put up with this. Let’s ditch him and rush back. It shouldn’t be that hard,” Ruby said.

“I thought so too, but he has a point. And the trip back, even from only here, would be long and perilous. On foot, Ruby. Maybe I could, but what about you?” Va’il asked. He was considering the problem seriously. He knew all they had to do was travel west, but there were additional problems. Assuming they went the correct direction and took the right roads, it would still be more than a week before they returned to Rising, at the best. He was surprised at how far Derlik had travelled during their long sleep, but considering that Derlik didn’t have to stop often and had a healthy team of horses, it wasn’t unbelievable. That amount of travel time on foot would be difficult, if not impossible, for Va’il alone. Assisting a human along the way wouldn’t work.

That was all assuming they went the correct direction, and that the path they were currently on did somehow connect to a road or town that’d lead them in the right direction. Also, Rising was surrounded by natural barriers. If he didn’t find the tunnel connecting Farrow to Rising, then they would be unable to cross over the steep mountains without problems. Going around the mountains wouldn’t work either. They went far north and south, and after the mountains were the northern forests and southern river. There were more issues, too many to deal with, too many things that could go wrong.

“You’re giving up? Va’il! Besides, there’s something that’ll help,” Ruby said while looking at the bag next to her. “It seems he took my bag along when kidnapping us. There is something that will make the journey a lot shorter. It’s really fortunate these were brought with us.”

“And if the people who commanded him found you, what then? He’s a guard! Not a foreigner or ruffian! A guard! That means it could be someone who commands a lot of people, someone who could find you before you make it home. I want to go back too, but if going back means your death, I cannot risk it,” Va’il said. He was very attached to the idea of returning to Rising, no matter the risk to himself, but couldn’t deny the danger that would face Ruby.

“I’m a noble. A high-noble. I can get guards as soon as I arrive. Besides,” Ruby said, and then started to look away and mutter, “I already will have the best guard upon my arrival.”

“Ruby,” Va’il said, not hinting at whether he had heard Ruby with his sharp ears or not, “I don’t want to risk losing you. I hate it too. I want to go back, now. I think we should, anyways. And if there was danger, so be it. But, still, the risks are too great.”

“I’ll have you, won’t I? To protect me?” Ruby said, wanting Va’il to hear what she meant, understand, and respond.

“Yeah. Yeah you will. I will.”

“Then?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Hey you two,” Derlik said, jumping into the conversation he couldn’t avoid hearing, “it would still be foolish, now.”

“Now? Yeah, that’s it. Let’s wait a bit. Wait for a while, and then return. Okay, Ruby? They probably are on guard or still looking out for us since Derlik isn’t there. Wait until it calms down, okay?” Va’il asked.

“Yeah, that’s fine. We can wait a bit, then return secretly once their guard is down. Once they are sure we’re gone. Even the people we care about. Our friends and family,” Ruby said. She smiled, but her words cut with harsh truth. Va’il had avoided thinking about his friends and mother, knowing the reality in front of them was too much to handle at the moment.

He could only keep his composure by thinking that, at the least, he was still around and able to return. Even if others thought him gone, he could still return. He ached when he thought of Mai’ou crying, fretting over him, and considering him lost. The scars on his shoulder sent jolts of imaginary pain through him, reminding him of just how upset his only parent was. But the thought of her rejoicing and crying out of relief and happiness at his return was enough to bring a smile to his face.

“But there’s something else. Derlik, what about you? You’re going to be gone for a while. And missing, right after you were left with us. Won’t they be suspicious, whoever they are? Aren’t you going to be in trouble?” Va’il asked.

“Not something you need to worry about. I’ve already taken care of my own issue. I can say, you’re probably right about waiting. Give it a while, and circumstances surrounding you will change. Still doesn’t mean I’m going to turn back any earlier. Grizz is your last stop,” Derlik said.

“Really? So, how, how do you know circumstances might change?” Ruby asked.

“That’d involve telling you our secrets. I won’t do that.”

“How infuriating!” Ruby said.

“Get used to it. And try to go back to sleep until morning breaks.”

Posted in Books, The Lupine Chevalier | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lupine Saga 93

Posted on October 16, 2021 by James Ashman

The cold air was pierced by the sounds of hooves tearing at the ground. It was a steady and calming sound. The dirt road’s only illumination was the light from Sendes, the great blue moon.

On a road was a covered cart pulled by a few horses. They were moving at a quick pace, but weren’t being overly hurried by the driver. The cart passed through fields and forests, across smooth and then bumpy roads. The wooden wheels shook as the unpleasant ground made its displeasure known, but the cart wasn’t going to let itself be damaged. It remained sturdy and held together, though its occupants must have been troubled.

A bump made the cart jump. His head hitting the floor of the cart woke him. The shock had forced his eyes open, but there was overwhelming confusion plastered over his mind. He couldn’t make out what was happening, where he was, what he was doing, and even who he was. The shock of being woken so suddenly was having strange effects, but they gradually subsided as he let the world around him come into focus. It was dark, but his eyes adjusted quickly.

The smell was different. It was familiar, containing all the smells of life and nature, but it wasn’t something he was used to. As he gradually regained sense after sense, his awareness sharpened, and his memories screamed at him with newfound clarity.

“Where am I?” Va’il asked while he sat up. He immediately brought a hand to his throat. He could barely hear his own words. His voice was hoarse and his throat was dry. He then noticed an overwhelming sense of hunger. He looked around and saw Ruby, asleep. He felt a wave of drowsiness come over him, but he didn’t succumb to the feeling. He tried standing, but he fell over when a small bump was hit.

The cart stopped while the horses grunted. Va’il looked up from his fallen position and saw the driver stand and turn.

“You’re awake, finally?” the bearan asked.

“Yeah, what’s happening? Who are you?” Va’il asked, his voice stronger now that some saliva had formed. He gazed absently for a second, but his eyes soon focused on the bearan in front of him. His memory didn’t fail him, for he recognized the bearan. It was the same bearan from before. As if the current reality wasn’t enough, Va’il looked at his chest and arms to see if anything had been cut or bitten. He was in fine condition, not counting the dehydration, hunger, and dry skin. He also felt annoyed at the dirt on his claws on his left hand that had dried and stuck to him.

“You!” Va’il said, and then scrambled to his feet. He hunched over and extended all his claws, ready to attack.

“Wait, wait. I’m not going to harm you,” the bearan said.

“I don’t believe you! You drugged us and tried to kill us! Tried? Ruby better only be sleeping! You better not have done anything or else!”

“Hold on, I said,” the bearan said with a booming voice. “If I was going to kill you now, why wait until you’re awake? It’s been a while since the day you first passed out, and I could have easily done you in while you were asleep.”

“A couple days? A few days? That explains the hunger. But I still don’t believe you. Why didn’t you do away with us? You were going to! Right? Was that just an act? No, it doesn’t make sense.”

“Yes, I was going to kill you. As I was ordered. But I ended up saving you instead.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? Who told you to kill us? And why wouldn’t you know your own reason?” Va’il stood a little, relaxing the aggressive posture. He was still ready to move, should the need arise.

“I won’t say who ordered me.”

“What? But you’re saving us from them, betraying them, right? If not, then this is all just an act to gain my trust. I’m not so easy to trick.”

“No. Honest truth here. I didn’t want to save you. I just had to save you. That’s all. Asking me to explain it won’t help. I’m not going to go any further than that, like tell you about my superiors, who I’d like to think I’m still loyal to.”

“That all doesn’t matter anymore! You’re not making sense! Saving us because you had to? That’s wrong. Didn’t you want to?”

“No. Come on, I just do what I have to do, I cannot explain it better.”

“Geh. Fine. Nobody would use that excuse for a lie. And I’m still alive. Still won’t trust you. But I guess that’s fine. So, where are we?”

“Leaving Farrow.”

“We left Rising? Farrow? No, go back!” Va’il felt a rush of emotion when he realized they were no longer in Rising. He briefly turned to look out at the forest behind him. He realized it wasn’t one he knew, and the area was different from the areas of Rising he knew.

“I can’t do that. You’re supposed to be dead. I can’t be saving you if you go back there and end up getting killed. Forget about Rising,” the bearan said while crossing his arms. His uncaring, exasperated look was annoying Va’il.

“I can’t do that. Turn back. Or I’ll just jump off and go anyways.”

“And leave that girl? Or get her killed by returning? She’s a noble. Even I know that. The moment she returns, the people who ordered me to kill her would find out. She’ll be gone soon after. You might be able to hide. She can’t. Am I wrong?”

“But, this isn’t right! None of this! Why us?”

“That’s just how it is. Be thankful you’ll be saved at all.”

Va’il glared at the bearan. He considered his words, but decided he wouldn’t be able to go back to Rising that night. Va’il had not given up on the idea of returning to Rising, but did consider it prudent to wait until some time had passed. He thought of Mai’ou, and felt strings of attachment tug his heart in various directions. He wanted to see her, to tell her he was all right. All he could do was look up at the blue moon and hope that somewhere out there, she was seeing the same thing he was.

A while passed while the cart was driven a few more miles. The bearan eventually stopped it in order to sleep for the night and rest the horses. Va’il considered waiting for the bearan to fall asleep and taking the reins himself, but a second thought dashed that hope. He didn’t know where they were and how long it would take to get back. And his hunger, soon appeased by the stores of food the bearan had packed, told him that going somewhere without proper preparation would be foolhardy. He was soon distracted by something more important.

Posted in Books, The Lupine Chevalier | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment