The Brotherhood: Blood (35 page)
Once, when Nova struck his staff so hard its bottom end was thrust into the dirt beneath them, Odin nearly caught a blow in the face that surely would have broken his nose.
Concentrate. Watch his movements.
Nova’s unarguably-needed stance left him open for a number of attacks. His legs, far apart, could be struck, while his left side, mostly unattended as Nova was right handed, remained in perfect view. If he could only catch the man off-guard without revealing his plan.
He’s good,
Odin thought.
Who could have trained him to fight so well?
“Getting scared?” Nova smirked, throwing two strikes in Odin’s direction.
“No,” Odin lied, grinding his jaw together. “Why?”
“You’re sweating.”
A bead of moisture ran down Odin’s nose.
Stay calm. He’s not going to hurt you. You know that.
Either way, he couldn’t help but remember in that moment his confrontation with Herald Monvich, in which he’d been struck a mighty blow not by sword, but fist, and the blood he’d shed.
Nova swung his staff.
Odin’s eyes went out of focus.
What the—
He didn’t have time to react before the bigger man struck him in the ankles, sending him flying to the ground.
“Gotta watch your feet with long weapons,” the man laughed, offering Odin a hand. “You ok?”
“I’m all right,” he said, brushing the dirt off his pants. “I didn’t consider my feet.”
“Eh, it’s all right. I’m guessing in full armor you don’t have to worry about that so much, since the suit will be heavy and all, but on your own two feet? Hell no.”
Smiling, Odin turned his attention to the threshold—where, in the distance, Miko stood, watching from beneath the stone archway, almost completely invisible despite his gargantuan size.
“He’s pretty big,” Nova said, gently punching Odin’s shoulder, “isn’t he?”
“I guess. He’s the biggest man I’ve ever seen.”
Nova laughed.
It wasn’t until a short moment later, after Nova slung an arm around his shoulder, that Odin realized he’d called his knight master a man.
“What?” Nova asked, still laughing.
“I haven’t called him a man before.”
“How come?”
“I’ve… well… always thought of him as just an Elf.”
“Well, technically he
is
a man, even if he’s not human.”
Odin looked back at Miko and raised his hand. The Elf returned the gesture promptly. “When were we leaving?” Odin asked, setting his staff against its rack before looking up at Nova. “Did you hear?”
“No. Miko said it would be soon though, maybe this afternoon.”
“Why so late?”
“Well, we’re not ready now, are we? And besides—Jordan said he was having food and other supplies prepared for us. We can’t leave until those are ready, can we?”
Odin shrugged. He turned just in time to see Miko crossing the field and heading directly toward them.
“Are you two ready to leave?” the Elf asked.
“Where are we going, sir?” Odin frowned.
“Let’s just say its somewhere you wouldn’t have expected.”
Miko turned and began to head back into the castle.
Odin and Nova gave one another peculiar glances before following their companion into the structure.
“You won’t tell us?” Odin asked, busying himself with packing the few pairs of clothing he owned.
“Come on,” Nova laughed, slapping Miko’s back. “Don’t keep it a surprise.”
“What fun would that be?” the Elf smiled.
Odin shrugged. Nova chuckled, then tossed his hands over his head. “All right,” Nova said. “You win.”
“Finish packing,” the Elf said. “High Mage Daughtry and his daughter would like to meet with us before we leave.”
“High Mage Daughtry?” Odin frowned. “Why does he—”
“He said he’s had some clothes made for the both of you.”
“Clothes?” Nova asked. “What about—”
“I don’t need extra clothing. This is what I wear.”
“You don’t get tired of wearing the same thing over and over?”
“No. I don’t.”
They returned to packing with silence and efficiency that should have been impossible given the circumstance they were about to throw themselves into. Here they were—he, Odin, and Nova, his friend—preparing for a trip and a destination neither of them knew, all the while listening to a creature who could very well spell for them a trip dangerous and unnecessary. While he thought, and while he considered the possibilities, Odin found himself looking up and around the room they’d shared together for the near-month they’d been here, mesmerized and mystified by the idea of the coming adventure.
After all this time, after all this preparation, they would
finally
be leaving.
But where?
he thought.
Where he didn’t know, but at that current point in time, he didn’t particularly care. At least they were headed in the right direction.
“Hey, kid,” Nova said, slapping Odin’s arm. “You still there?”
“Yeah.” Odin blinked. “Why?”
“You stopped packing your stuff.”
“Oh.” Odin looked down at the pair of pants spread out in front of him. “I didn’t know.”
Nova slung his pack over his shoulder and ruffled Odin’s hair in the process. Odin, too, finished securing his belongings within the sack before rising to follow both his friend and his knight master out of the room, nerves in tangles and his heart beating ever so fast as they began to make their way through the halls.
The torches, the stone, the ornate rugs, the paintings in which heroes were predicted and the past was returned to the present—he wouldn’t be seeing any of this for some time.
Just like Father.
He should’ve spent more time with him before he left. Miko would’ve understood—would’ve encouraged it, so far as he knew—so to think that they’d spent such a short amount of time together after being apart for so long nearly tore his heart to strings.
A week?
he thought, frowning.
Was that all the time I got to spent with him?
“You ok?” Nova asked.
“I’m fine,” Odin said, bowing his head.
The older man slid an arm across his shoulder.
Content with his misery and selfishness, Odin continued forward, Nova’s arm around his shoulder and his eyes on his knight master’s dark cloak trailing behind him.
“Everything’ll be fine,” Nova whispered, leaning close so only the two of them could hear. “You don’t need to worry about anything.”
Nova clapped Odin’s back before straightening his posture.
Before long, the massive double doors that made up the front entrance came into view, spilling light into the castle and lighting way for the future that was to come.
Odin turned his head up.
The world seemed to open before him.
“Come,” Miko said, pressing his hand against Odin’s back. “Let’s not keep Daughtry waiting.”
“Oh,” Daughtry said, upon opening the door to see the three of them. “Miko.”
“You’ve met before?” Odin frowned, shifting in place.
“He was one of the men who witnessed my appearance when I came through the front gates,” the Elf said, giving a slight bow of the head. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have made it sooner, Daughtry. We were delayed by packing.”
“No. That’s perfectly fine,” the mage said. “Come in. I have your things right here.”
Careful to let his knight master go first, then to allow Nova in before him, Odin stepped through the threshold and scanned the interior of the house with wary eyes, already dreading the emotions currently placating his conscience as if he were a stray apple left out for the worms.
To think,
he thought,
that you were here before it all went down.
From the threshold that led to the stairwell came a little girl. In a forest-green dress, fancy black shoes and her brown hair in pigtails, she looked to be the very definition of youth, youth with a wild spirit that existed within her dark green eyes, and stopped in midstride upon noticing the strangers in her house. Her eyes immediately fell to Odin—whom, upon contact alone, seemed to widen—before her attention trailed up to Miko’s hulking form.
“Anna,” Daughtry said, gesturing to his daughter to follow them into the room.
“Yes Father?” the little girl asked.
“You remember Odin, don’t you?”
Once more the little girl’s eyes fell upon him. Such a strong gaze should not have existed in a child—so strong that, in fact, it seemed to judge him without actually speaking, to tear him to pieces upon examination and to decipher him without actually conversing. That in itself was enough to make him uneasy, as when the little girl gave a slight nod and a pout of her lip she raised her hand and conjured the butterfly she had summoned all those years ago.
“I remember,” the little girl said.
Odin pushed his hand palm-up and made a butterfly of his own. Together, the summoned constructs flew into the air and danced around each other, almost as if both he and the little girl shared the same thought process and repeated it likewise.
“These are the clothes I’ve arranged for the pair of you,” Daughtry said, drawing Odin’s attention away from the scene before them and to his face. “A few of the villagers were willing to offer up their teenage sons’ clothing. These I had spare for you, Mr. Eternity.”
“Thank you,” Nova said, running a hand along one of the simple shirts.
“I assume the three of you are leaving then?”
“Yes,” Miko said. “We are.”
“I’m sure you’re aware that you can’t leave on a boat here. You’re going to have to go to Elna.”
“Elna?” Odin frowned. “Miko, sir, why—”
The Elf raised a hand. “Yes, Daughtry,” he said. “I’m more than aware.”
“Your horses are being tended to as we speak,” the high mage said, stepping up to one of the windows and parting the curtains to look at the outside world. “Would you like extra bags for your clothing, friends?”
“They can fit them in their sacks,” the Elf said. “Right, Odin? Nova?”
“Right,” Nova said.
Still a bit dumbstruck to speak, Odin went about unlacing the pack over his shoulder and securing the clothes within its confines. To think that they would be heading more than halfway across the country to secure themselves a way to their destination was more than a bit unsettling. How long would such a journey take? Weeks, possibly even months?
Why can’t we just use one of the kingdom’s boats?
he wondered.
Could their inability to charter a boat from here be because Ornala was not equipped for such travel, or was it because Miko was not truly royalty and would not be allowed such privileges?
Either way, he couldn’t necessarily think about it right now.
After the clothes were packed and tucked away within the sack, Odin rose to his full height and faced Daughtry full-on.
In that man’s dark-blue eyes, he thought he saw a bit of worry for the three of them.
This will be a long journey,
his eyes seemed to say.
Prepare for it.
“Elna?” Nova asked. “That’s the only way we can disembark?”
“That’s the only way we can leave on a big ship,” Miko said, running his long, bony fingers through his stallion’s mane.
“Why can’t we just charter a boat from Ornala?”
“Because I am not royalty.”
Of course,
Odin thought, his suspicions confirmed in but a few simple words. “But sir,” he continued. “Why do we need a big ship?”
“We just do.”
Just
do.
The secrecy was starting to get to him.
“Sir,” he continued, hoping his tone didn’t sound childish and his thoughts irrational. “Does this
really
have to be a secret?”
There you go,
he thought. Now
you sound like a child.
He chuckled at the thought.
“I’m glad you find this amusing,” Miko said, his smile revealed even from beneath the shroud of his hood. “But yes. It’s a surprise.”
“How long will it take us to get to Elna?” Nova frowned.
“A good while. Have either of you been so far west?”
Both Odin and Nova shook their heads.
“I’ve only traveled north of Felnon,” Odin said.
“I’ve been east,” Nova added, “but that’s because I came from Bohren. This is the farthest west I’ve been my whole life.”
“The terrain gets a little rough as we go along,” Miko explained. “The plains are one thing, but the lowlands are another.”