Mighty Hammer Down (19 page)

"No I haven’t. I have not been that
far north in Vindyrion. Not a lot of people go up
there."

"My father said they are huge, and
that the temple that once stood there was carved right out of the
mountain. The bridge to the Land of the Gods no longer exists
though."

"Yes I have heard that, but I don’t
know anyone who has actually been there."

"Well isn’t there some other way
across? Like over a mountain or something? People could have built
the temple and then made a bridge that was already collapsed in
order to fool people into thinking that one really
existed."

"Yeah I never thought of that. That
seems just as believable as gods making it, in fact more so. But I
have heard people say that the mountains there are sheer walls,
straight up higher than birds can fly."

He laughed. "That’s a pretty big
mountain. I don’t know about all that."

The woods were lit with the soft blue
glow of the morning. They gathered their things and started the
long walk to Taburdum. Both of them were hungry and thirsty, and
were glad to find a small stream where they could drink. The food
would have to wait until they reached the city, and then only if
they were lucky enough to get any. Neither of them had any money
and no way to hunt for any food. They walked for a while in silence
but finally Alana spoke.

"How long were you with
Mirra?"

He answered after moment. "About three
years, maybe a little longer."

"And how long have you known him? What
was his name again?"

"Uritus. I’ve known the both of them
for pretty much my whole life. My father is the General of the
seven Legions, so I grew up in the company of the Emperor and his
two sons. We used to play in the hallways of the Emperor’s Hall. We
always fought over who got to be the Medorans and who had to be the
Vindyri in our little play wars."

"Who wouldn’t want to be a Vindyri?"
she asked with a smile.

"Well, times were different then. You
know how it is I’m sure. Don’t Vindyri children fight against
imaginary Medoran attackers?"

"I guess. I don’t know I never really
played games like that. Girls play with other girls and with dolls
and things."

"Yeah I guess that’s true
anywhere."

"Rommus, don’t you let this Mirra
bring you down. You are a good man. Handsome too. There is another
girl out there who will complete you and make you happy. Don’t let
one silly girl ruin it all."

"I am not worried about being happy
right now. I also think it’s pretty silly to devote yourself to a
person like that. Looking back I am sorry that I ever did. I cared
for her, and I thought she cared for me, but so what? What could
ever come from it? It seems so pointless."

"Finding happiness is pointless to
you?"

"Yes in a way. There are much more
important things to worry about. Do you think the Emperor or your
King focused on a woman while they were coming to power? There’s so
much more going on in the world, and to focus on finding happiness
seems a little selfish."

"So you want to be a leader
then?"

He laughed so hard that he almost fell
as he walked. "Me? No way. You haven’t seen the way people treat
me. No one cares about anything I have to say or about anything I
do. People either ignore me totally or avoid me at all cost. People
get quiet whenever I get near them. No one would ever follow me for
any reason."

"I followed you," she said smiling out
of the corner of her mouth.

"I hardly think following me to
Mirra’s house is the same as believing in someone and following
them as your leader."

"I know, I know. I was just kidding.
But maybe you intimidate people Rommus. Maybe you are just too big
and scary for people to be comfortable around you."

"Well I don’t see how that’s much
better. It’s not my fault that I am bigger than most people. And I
am always polite whenever I speak to anyone."

"Well maybe it’s just your overall
look. Do you ever smile at people when they look at
you?"

"What reason would I have to smile at
someone who is just passing by? They want nothing to do with me. I
don’t get any smiles."

"I think that might be your problem.
You’re intimidating, and you don’t show people that you have a
softer side. It probably makes them uncomfortable."

"I would agree with your answer except
that this is all very new. Just a few short years ago people came
to me and befriended me. They asked me for advice. They shared
their troubles and their joys. It all just went away without
anything changing on my part."

"Well I don’t know why people who knew
you started avoiding you, but you should make an effort to meet new
people. It’s not hard. You just have to start talking. They’ll
listen."

He didn’t look at her as he spoke but
kept his gaze on the trail ahead of him. "Thanks for the advice,
but I have tried all that. I just don’t think I have anything to
offer anyone. I have come to accept the way things are, and I am
learning to find the bright spots in my own little world. Of
course, Mirra was one of those bright spots."

"I told you not to let her bring you
down. A broken heart can destroy you if you let it."

"You sound as if you speak from
experience," he said as he turned to her.

"I’ve had some experience,
yes."

"Getting a broken heart, or giving
them?" He wished he had thought before he said that. He feared she
would think the comment was rude.

"A little of both," she said without
missing a beat. "I learn my lessons and move on. It’s what I think
works best. That’s why I gave you the advice."

"It’s a sound theory, but all
circumstances are different."

"I beg to differ, Rommus. We are all a
lot more alike than you probably think. We all need love. We all
need to be wanted and appreciated. We all need time alone
sometimes. We all have goals and we all have our views. It’s the
little differences that make us individuals, but we are all
human."

"I don’t see it that way. There are
too many variables. Some men are evil, some are good. Some care
about others and some don’t. Look at the Bhoors. They are nothing
like I am."

"Is that right? This coming from a
Medoran who has never seen one."

"So? I know my history and I know that
the Medorans before me hated them for a reason. I know the stories
about how they torture people, even children."

"Well you seem to be able to accept
Vindyri. Or am I wrong in thinking that?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "I
accept people if they are decent and do not harm anyone for their
own gains or pleasure. I accept you because you have proven
yourself to be a good person."

She was quiet for a moment as she
walked. "I don’t see how you can group all the Bhoors together and
dismiss them as evil. How can you truly believe that?"

"I will accept a Bhoor when he proves
himself. They have already proven themselves to be evil as far as I
am concerned, and I am not going to go digging through jagged rocks
to find the few diamonds among them. It’s the responsibility of the
individual to shine; not my responsibility to go searching for
them."

She walked a long time without saying
anything. He could tell she was trying to come up with a sharp
retort to his comments, but apparently she was having trouble. He
let her tend to her thoughts as he walked and enjoyed the scenery.
The trees slid slowly by as they moved through the woods toward the
city of Taburdum. The sun, now bright in the eastern sky, threw
long shadows behind them and sent shafts of light to dance on the
forest floor.

With his fingers, he studied the
craftsmanship of the sword at his hip. Each time he touched it he
felt a surge of energy tingling inside him. It brought him a joy
that was unexpected and hard to explain. He couldn’t imagine ever
putting it down and leaving it somewhere where someone else might
take it. It was a precious treasure that he intended to keep
forever, and he would do anything to avoid losing it.

After the silence had gone on for an
uncomfortable amount of time, he looked at her out of the corner of
his eye. She strode resolutely, looking straight ahead with a
slight look of anger on her face. He reached out and grabbed her by
the elbow, and stopped in the center of the trail.

"Alana, I’m sorry if I offended you. I
don’t want you to think I am a hateful person, but I am comfortable
in my beliefs and I don’t bother anyone. I have never hurt anyone
who didn’t deserve it, believe me, and I don’t intend to. Can’t you
just accept that I am not as open as you are when it comes to these
things?"

Her look softened a little as she
looked in his eyes. "I’m sorry too Rommus. I shouldn’t be angry.
You are free to believe what you want and I have no right to tell
you otherwise. Here I am, a stranger in your land, and you have
accepted me and taken care of me when I needed it. You have proven
to me that you are a good person, and I was wrong to doubt that
fact because of your beliefs."

"All right, all right." He smiled. "No
need to get all sappy about it."

She shook her head as she smiled. "How
close are we to Taburdum?"

He pointed out in the distance. "Well
we’re taking a shortcut. The main road would take a lot longer. See
where this ground drops down and then it rises back up over there
at that mountain?"

"What mountain? You mean that little
tree-covered hill over there? You must not know what a real
mountain is."

"I know what a mountain is. It’s true
that most of the mountains this far south are a lot smaller than
the ones up north, but that is way too large to call a hill.
Anyway, this trail leads us down into this valley and around the
side of the ‘hill’. On the other side is Taburdum."

"Well I don’t know if I can go that
far without starving to death. You’d better carry me."

"I carried you last time. How about
you carry me?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they finally arrived in Taburdum
they were greeted with cold stares. Rommus figured that it was
because of his makeshift black shirt, but he thought it might have
been the person wearing it. Alana marveled at the sights of the
city as he guided her to its center. She asked questions every few
minutes and he did his best to answer them.

"What’s that big building up there
above the rest?"

"That’s the Great Library. All the
cities have records, but that is where all the copies are kept from
all the cities in Medora. There are books on every subject, and
anyone can go in and study them."

"Aren’t there books that people aren’t
allowed to see?"

"Well, I’m sure there are, but they
would probably keep them somewhere besides this library. There are
plenty of places that are better hiding places."

"That’s the biggest building here. I
don’t see any temples like I saw in Brinn."

"Oh there are temples here too, but
Taburdum is more like a center for knowledge, not worship. Brinn
isn’t exactly a center for worship either, but many people come
from all over Medora to visit Brinn, so they have to have
everything there."

"And people come here for this
library?" she asked as she stared at the giant building that was
blurry in the hazy distance.

"Well, that building is the Great
Library, but there are probably 50 more libraries here where people
can study. But yes, for the most part, there is nothing really
interesting here unless you are looking for knowledge."

"Are we going to stop there?" she
asked.

"I don’t see a reason to go there, but
if you really want we can stop by before we leave."

"Why did they build this city so close
to Brinn?"

"They didn’t. Taburdum was the old
capital hundreds of years ago, but it is not big enough to serve as
one anymore. Instead of going to all the trouble to clear away
these mountains–I mean hills--they just started a new capital
nearby. Since then they have converted Taburdum into a city of
records mostly, but you’ll still find all the same things here that
you would in any city in Medora."

"So where are you taking
us?"

He pointed to a nearby building with
red banners snapping in the wind. "There, the city’s armory. I am
hoping that there is someone there I know and that we can get some
help. But I think it’s best that you stay outside for
now."

The guards moved aside as he got to
the top of the steps and entered the building. Inside more guards
looked him over but paid him no further attention. The fact that he
was armed didn’t really matter to them since he was the son of
Tannis Tirinius. He followed the red carpeting across a large room
to a door flanked by two more guards. Before he got to the door,
one of them went inside for a moment and then came back out and
returned to his post.

"You may enter," the guard said as he
approached.