The Realms of Animar Page 10

  Avryn reached up and grabbed Guderian by the arm. The string relaxed.

  The figure reached out his hand and stroked the back of the fallen wolf gently then withdrew the dagger from its throat and tossed it to the floor. He stood up and, ignoring the men at the back of the room, turned to face the teacher standing in front of him. He lowered his hood. Their eyes met.

  A quiet stillness fell over the room.

  Trussil’s heart leapt.

  Of the men at the back of the school, all seemed confused except for Avryn. He held out his arms to keep the other men back.

  Mordigal approached Trussil and gently cupped her face with his hands. For a brief instant they froze and then their lips met. A lost love had been reborn.

  They kissed passionately for only a few seconds but compared to the agony they had felt apart it seemed like a lifetime. Then they parted.

  Tears had formed in Trussil’s beautiful eyes. She wiped at them with her hands. “It’s wrong…we tried,” she sniffled.

  “I can’t believe you came with them. I thought… I will do anything for you. My life has been lost without you.”

  “How many more Mordigal?” Avryn demanded as he and the others walked forward.

  Guderian peered at Avryn inquisitively. He wondered how he had known the stranger’s name.

  Without turning his gaze from Trussil Mordigal replied, “Six others…well, five.”

  Avryn quickly grabbed the assassin and put his drawn sword to the man’s throat. “Tell me why you came or I will end this reunion now.”

  “Avryn no!” Trussil pleaded.

  “Lower your sword,” Mordigal replied. He then leaned back from the blade and winced as he pulled the arrow from his side. “I will tell you everything you need to know. But first you need to find your son.”

  A sound at the window caught their attention. They turned just as a hideous vulture squealed, spread its wings and flew away.

  ***

  Fright gave way to confusion as Thane struggled to regain his balance. He had not opened his eyes yet, he was somewhat mesmerized by the pulsing lights that flashed behind his lids. He smelled grass and was cold, very cold. He could hear yelling in the distance.

  Once settled, Thane looked around. He was surprised to find that he was sitting in a grassy field near the village. He wondered how he had gotten outside or where his attacker had gone. Nothing made sense.

  Thane was about to stand up when he saw two shadowy figures leap over the village wall, likely from a nearby rooftop. Startled, he crouched down. From afar they looked like large dogs and they appeared to be sprinting away from the village in his general direction, but fortunately not on a direct path.

  As they drew closer he could tell they were actually wolves, one grey with white splotches and another following that was dark brown. He crouched lower, hoping they would not see him. When he did so they stopped.

  The grey wolf raised its head and sniffed the air. It turned toward him and peered into the tall brown grass. Thane knew he had been detected. They shifted their direction and began to head directly toward him. He wondered if it was time to run.

  Before he could decide what to do he heard shouting in the distance and saw several men emerge from the village – most in human form along with a handful of horses. The wolves picked up their pace when they heard their pursuers. The lead wolf peered in Thane’s general direction but then ignored the scent and continued toward the forest line. Survival had become more important.

  Shivering, the boy stood up and brushed the grass from his legs. He was safe, but had countless questions lingering in his mind. He then morphed into a white horse and sprinted toward the village, cold air billowing from his nostrils as he galloped.

  Chapter 12

  The next morning was far from ordinary. The festival had been ruined and terror now coursed through the village. Four villagers had been slain in the attack and although they had managed to kill three of the wolves, two had escaped.

  During the night, and against the pleas of their friends, a handful of people had decided to leave Avryndale in fear of a larger, more devastating attack. They elected to endure the approaching winter storms and search for a new destiny elsewhere.

  The majority of the villagers, however, decided to stay and the only outlet for their anger was the captured assassin who was now locked in the stockade.

  Mordigal sat on the floor across from Trussil in the small stone room, staring into her eyes as daylight crept through the barred window above her head. In his wildest dreams he never could have imagined sitting with her that morning. Life was truly unpredictable.

  Neither Trussil nor Mordigal had changed clothes or slept and it showed on their weary faces. They had talked during the night, reliving the time they had spent apart. At other times they had sat in silence deciphering the emotional turmoil that had encompassed them. Surprising to both, they had only been interrupted by brief visits from the guards that Avryn had posted outside the makeshift prison.

  Mordigal’s side ached and his eyes throbbed. He glanced over at Trussil. She was so beautiful, even more so than he had remembered. Shackled to a wall and the fate of his brother unknown, he was still at peace with the decisions he had made. He could not continue without her.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Trussil said, blushing. “I look horrible I’m sure.” She then shyly tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Not in the morning light, not in any light.”

  “Such a charmer. I’m glad at least that did not change.”

  His smile dropped. “Nothing changed. I survived in the world I was left in. I am the same man you once loved.”

  She began to reply but instead leaned her head back against the cold stone wall and closed her eyes.

  “So you came with them after all?” Mordigal then asked. “You said—”

  “I severed the tie with my own kind long ago.”

  “You could have come back to me.”

  “I am a teacher, that is what I do…what I have to do. Carnivores don’t care about school, you know that.”

  “Well you have to believe that I would not have agreed to attack this place had I realized that you were here. Never.”

  “I know,” Trussil replied. “So that woman that tried to eat me, I take it a scorned lover?”

  Mordigal glared at her. “Hardly. She just wanted me because I was the alpha. I never caved in. My heart was spoken for.”

  “Lucky for me,” Trussil mused.

  “She was there the day you met my pack. I guess that is where she recorded your scent.”

  “I hate that you carnivores can remember our scents like that. So is mine any good?”

  “Unforgettable,” Mordigal replied with a grin.

  Trussil blushed and rolled her eyes.

  Mordigal then changed the subject. “So Avryn’s son,” he said. “I heard they found him.”

  “He was outside in the fields and almost ran into some of your friends apparently.” Her gaze then turned angry and she said, “I still can’t believe you would actually kill a boy. How could you?”

  “Well, he isn’t that young now is he? I would hardly call him a boy but yes, I was sent to kill him, by a truly vile man. You must know that I blamed Avryn for driving us apart so I somewhat justified it with that. I still don’t know if I could have actually gone through with it. You forget we are a different kind you and I. We see people differently, to an extent.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh believe me Mordi, I haven’t forgotten.”

  Mordigal sighed and lowered his head. He was ashamed. He could see the anguish on her face. He did not deserve her love.

  Trussil then asked, “So why would this monster that sent you want him murdered?”

  “I thought about it on our journey here quite a bit. At first I thought it was just to strike a blow to Avryn but I knew there had to be more. Why not send me after Avryn himself?” He shook his head. “It
just didn’t make sense….until yesterday.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh no, don’t play games with me. I saw it with my own eyes.”

  “Saw what? What are you talking about?”

  Mordigal was shocked. She honestly had no idea.

  “So nobody here has noticed anything strange about the boy? Anything unusual?” he asked.

  “Well, no. He is smart and quick witted but not my best student by any means. He is distracted a lot actually.”

  “What about unique talents?” Mordigal asked directly.

  “Nope, nothing really. He is fast, but all horses are I suppose.”

  “So he is a horse. Interesting. That doesn’t really explain...” Mordigal stopped himself. He realized that he needed to know more before he revealed his theory. Of course, there was always the possibility that he had lost his mind; that the boy had not vanished like he had seen. He did not believe in either alternative, he never believed in fairy tales or legends, he lived in a world of bitter reality. Life and death. Tangible truth.

  “Explain what?” she pressed.

  He was rescued by three raps on the door followed by the creaking sound of the door being opened. Two sturdy guards walked in, bringing with them the morning light. One was carrying a set of iron wrist shackles, the other armed with a long spear.

  The guard with the shackles stepped toward Mordigal. “Let’s go. Avryn wants a word with you.”

  Mordigal got up slowly, his muscles ached. The pain in his side was sharp but at least the bandage wrapped around his torso had stopped the bleeding.

  Trussil stood up and dusted off her weathered dress.

  The guard raised a hand to stop her. “Not you, just him.”

  “Am I prisoner now?” she scowled. “I just want to go home and get cleaned up if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course, of course!” the guard stammered. “I thought that, well, never mind.”

  Mordigal held out his arms while the guard applied the restraints. They were tight and he winced when the lock was secured. The other guard watched from the door nervously, obvious by the whiteness in his knuckles as he gripped the spear.

  The guards led him out into the bright sun and Trussil followed closely behind. As the emerged from the building, a tall muscular black man with short hair approached. Although it was cold, he wore no shirt and only long pants with no shoes. When the man drew near the guards momentarily turned away. They knew what was coming.

  “Caballus, it’s good to see—” Mordigal’s words were cut short by a solid punch to the jaw that jerked his head to the side.

  Trussil quickly moved between them and tried to push the stranger away. He was solid and resisted her efforts with ease.

  “It’s ok Trussil, I deserved that,” Mordigal said as he spat a small amount of blood to the ground.

  “That you did,” Caballus agreed in a deep booming voice. “You treated me better than the rest of your pack but you are the only one here to hit.”

  He was handsome with a broad smile that appeared on his face to the surprise of both Mordigal and Trussil.

  “Perhaps I can make amends somehow,” Mordigal said. “I do apologize for the shoes as well.”

  Caballus glanced briefly at Trussil and then replied, “My feet ache, no question there. In a way I should thank you for freeing the seven of us. You see, I believe in fate and you brought us to a better place.”

  Mordigal had thought about many things during the night. There would be consequences for his actions, he knew Fatalis well enough to be certain of that. He would come for Avryn and his son himself.

  “What if I offered to help you free the rest?” Mordigal asked.

  Caballus looked amused. “The rest from the stables? I would think you are insane!” He then laughed.

  “I’m serious. It can be done but I would need your help of course. It’s risky but possible.”

  The man rubbed his chin and eyed the assassin while the guards and Trussil looked at them with confused stares. He came to his conclusion fairly quickly.

  “Forgiveness is something we each do our own way,” Caballus said. “I paid attention; I listened to how you handled your pack on the way here. I can’t do this without you so I really have no choice.” He then laughed heartily. “The others will think I have lost my mind. They might just be right!”

  “You have my word, we will free them,” Mordigal said confidently as he lifted his shackles and shook the man’s hand. With a smile he added, “Just as soon as I get rid of these of course.”

  Caballus nodded. “If you need, I will speak on your behalf. You brought these people pain and they will grieve for those they have lost. It may be difficult for them to accept you.”

  “Thank you,” Mordigal replied. “I appreciate that.”

  The guards then took the assassin by his arms. He winked at Trussil as they nudged him along. It was time to meet with Avryn. It was time to learn his fate.

  ***

  The cold wind pressed against his face as the vulture flapped his wings against the current high above the snow-topped mountains. He could not believe what he had seen. Mordigal had killed one of his own? Incredible!

  This was good. Fatalis favored the wolf. Perhaps now he would see the value in Critias’ loyalty. Surely he would. He had spotted two of the wolves escaping, but not Mordigal. He stayed behind. He was a traitor! But why? The woman. Had to be the woman.

  Critias was still several days away but he needed to hurry. His master would be angry, so very angry. But not with Critias. Not this time.

  ***

  Mordigal was led to a large meeting chamber in the Great Hall. The room was currently empty with the exception of Avryn who sat at the far end of a long wooden table. With a shove the guards directed Mordigal to one of the open chairs while his chains dragged along the dusty stone floor.

  There was no expression on the king’s face. His calm demeanor surprised Mordigal, given what had to be going through his mind. He sat with one arm on the table while the other rubbed his chin through a short brown beard. He was apparently contemplating what he would say.

  The two were far from strangers. They had met many years ago, long before Avryn had established the village and become a king. In another part of the world and in another time, Avryn had been the head of a small group of herbivores. This particular settlement just happened to have in their ranks a certain teacher that had managed to capture the heart of a wolf and from that moment on their lives had been forever entangled.

  When Avryn had learned of her love for Mordigal, a natural carnivore, he asked to meet with them to discuss her future. He explained the complications and how impossible it would be for him to welcome a wolf into their ranks. Trussil was forced to choose between a life doing what she loved and the man she longed for with an unnatural desire.

  One morning in a teary goodbye Trussil had simply left, saying that she would not stay with Avryn’s people or continue her life with Mordigal. She needed to find a place where she could truly belong. He begged her to stay but the decision had been made and for nearly six years they had been apart.

  Mordigal had long since believed that it was Avryn who had convinced Trussil to leave him but he now knew that she had made the choice on her own. His hate had been misplaced and had nearly led him to consider killing the king’s only son.

  In an amazing twist of fate he now sat before Avryn as a man without a home and his life in the hands of the very man he once yearned to destroy.

  Avryn looked to the guards and said, “You can wait outside.” The men looked at one another and Avryn added, “It’s ok go on. We need a few minutes. I will yell if I need you.”

  He watched quietly while the guards walked out and closed the doors.

  Avryn then sat forward in his chair and placed his arms on the table before him. He stared into the eyes of the assassin and said firmly, “I will talk, you listen.”

  Mordigal nodded.

  “In about an hour
your future will be decided in this room. We have a council of ten people who make decisions and oversee the village affairs. The problem you see is that we have lived in virtual peace for quite some time now. We have no real crime, no social unrest. We have never held a trial much less a prisoner. I’m sure you picked up on this when we scrambled to create a cell to hold you in.”

  Avryn paused a moment and then continued, “You came here to kill my son, that much I have pieced together. It takes all of my strength not to string you up myself. Had we not crossed paths before I can’t say I could resist that temptation. Perhaps to you I took away your beloved Trussil, but that was her decision, mine was in the interest of my people.”

  When he paused Mordigal broke his silence. “Before you go on – and I do appreciate your candor – you must know that I was actually sent here to kill him, it was not my personal motivation to do so. I did not realize until now that you were unaware…but I must tell you now…our Alpha Lord Fatalis sent us here. I’m sure you have heard of him.”

  “I have,” Avryn replied with obvious concern. “Go on.”

  “I had no idea why he wanted your son killed and I do admit my resentment drove me to follow the order but I honestly can say that I held my dagger to his throat and could not strike him down. I knew that even before I saw the carving above his bed.”

  “Ah yes, the carving. Of course! You recognized Trussil’s work. I guess it’s fortunate that we hung it in his room.”

  “Everything came crashing on me at once and it’s just now beginning to make sense.” Mordigal leaned forward, pausing briefly when his shackles clanked against the table. He then continued, “Fatalis is a ruthless maniac and he will not stop until your kind are either dead or his slaves. We were essentially scouts Avryn. The worst is yet to come. Fatalis plans to gather an army and will not stop until you have been defeated. You and your people should leave while you can. He plans to bring an army here and he will not stop until you have been defeated. You need to leave while you can.”