The Coastal Kingdoms of Olvion: Book Two of The Chronicles of Olvion (18 page)

When the military marched out, she just followed like the dozens of others who did not have a place on the wagons to ride.  She made it a point to strike up conversations with several people close to her age.  Before long she was laughing and joking and talking like the rest of them.

By the time the procession stopped for the night, she thought she had pulled it off.  She was unloading cooking supplies from one of the wagons when she literally ran right into Geraar.  He had been standing behind her watching when she wheeled around, and her nose went right into his chest.  She backed up intending to apologize until she saw who it was.  Then she just stood there and gulped.

With his hands on both hips, the young warrior tried to put a stern expression on his face.  He had been passing by the rear of the caravan hoping to sneak a snack from one of the wagons when he saw her.  At first he thought he
should
be angry.  This was, after all, a dangerous military action that they were embarking on, and she was an unauthorized civilian.  For some reason he was unable to muster up that reaction.  He marveled at her tenacity, and recalled the many times on their trip from the charon ranch to Olvion that she had impressed him with her confidence. 

While the four men in their group were just trying to keep up with each other, this young woman was a sting-fly’s nest of activity.  When a halt was called for water, food or to check hooves, the men would seize upon the opportunity to get off the saddles, stretch and sit in some shade.  Toria, on the other hand, would be climbing trees, throwing stones, practicing with her knives and a dozen other activities. She seemed incapable of sitting still.

Geraar thought of all of the women who served ably as warriors right alongside their male counterparts.  Certainly this youth was as capable as they were, maybe more so, as she had already drawn blood against a Grey One, a very dangerous enemy.

So now here he was with her nose buried into his chest and trying so very hard not to smile.  She backed up and recognized him.  Her expressions gave her thoughts away.  First her face reflected surprise, then guilt and finally, defiance.  So typical of her.

“So when did you hire out to support this military excursion?”

She scratched her nose and looked around.  “Uh, yesterday?”  She looked hopeful, thinking Geraar might actually believe that she had a legitimate reason to be with them.  Then she caught the smile that was seeping through his forced stern expression.  “Well, I couldn’t stay behind by myself while Tag and…and you went off without me.  Besides, my father gave me instructions to find my cousin and return to the farm with him.  Well, Lyyl is somewhere near Aspell, and Father never said anything about me not leaving Olvion to find him.”

Geraar rubbed his chin as he pretended to consider the worth of her reasoning.  Then he grabbed her by the wrist and started pulling her along behind him.

“Wh…where are you taking me?” she sputtered.

Geraar kept walking while he spoke.  “I might accept your reasoning if it were just me,
Lady
Toria.”  She winced at the use of the title.  “But I am a warrior of Olvion, and this is a military combat formation.  My duty requires me to bring this to the attention of my superiors.”

Toria tried out various arguments on him to try to get him to reconsider his course of action, but she saw the set of his jaw and the slight squint in his eyes.  She had seen the same expression in her father many times when she had pushed his patience too far.  She tried prying his hand off of her wrist, but he was surprisingly strong.  She had met few men and boys near her age whom she could not overpower when they tried to impress her with their strength, but no matter how she strained and pulled, his hand was like a vice on her arm. 

Taggart and Vynn were off to the side of the forming camp when they saw Geraar approaching with Toria literally in tow.  Vynn just cut his eyes in Taggart’s direction and raised his brows.  Taggart shrugged.

“Lord Vynn,” Geraar said as he saluted, “I’m afraid I must report an unauthorized person in our camp.”

Vynn was chewing a piece of dried meat.  He looked at her for an uncomfortably long time until he was able to swallow it.  He then turned to look at Taggart again.  “I assume you knew nothing about this?”

Taggart shook his head.  “The last thing I heard about her was when Meena told me she didn’t answer her door this morning.  We both thought she was pouting.”  Toria reacted with a frown to his words.  He ignored her.  “Now that I think about it more clearly, I realize that I should have suspected something like this.” He looked at her sternly.  “Do you realize the situation you have put us in?  We have few enough warriors as it is.  Now we have to have four of them escort you back to Olvion tomorrow morning.  Your willfulness might very well cost us lives in the long run.” 

Toria was surprised at his tone.  For the entire time she had known the big man he had always been friendly and jovial.  Now he was actually showing a temper.  The change in him made her think that maybe she had gone over the line again.  She was used to going over the line.  Her father’s patience had been tested more by her than by all of her brothers put together.  She was aware of that, and she always regretted the problems that she had created for her parents.

No one seemed to understand
her
, however
.
  She did not willingly cause difficulties for the people around her, but she had always felt like she was driven
.
  Something inside of her had always compelled her to discover her own limits instead of having others set them for her.  She had always been certain that she was meant for something grand, and glorious in her life.  Here was this amazing adventure happening right in front of her, and she was being asked…no,
told
to be a good little girl and just stay where it was safe.

“I am really sorry for disobeying you, and I did not mean to cause any problems,” she said.  She briefly dropped her eyes in mock shame.  Then they snapped back up again to look at him directly.  “But I need you to try to understand me.  I am always being told what to do.  I have had an entire lifetime of doing as I am instructed,
and it is strangling me!
The only time I have ever felt fully alive was when I was with you on our journey and we were attacked.  Yes, I could have died, I know that, but I didn’t.  I have never before felt like that in my entire life.  I want to feel like that again.  I
need
to feel like that!

“I was supposed to meet Lyyl in Olvion, now we know he will not be coming back until this situation is resolved.  How long am I expected to wait alone in Olvion?  A season?  A summer?  How long will it be before there is someone available to take me back to my parent’s farm?  You know me Tag, do you really think I will not start out on my own before long?”

Taggart considered her words, and decided she was right.  If left alone she would definitely find a way to sneak away from the castle, and strike out on her own.  She continued.

“I look around myself in this camp, and I see dozens of women not more than one summer older than me.  They are warriors.  Do you think any of them are more competent than me?  I have never met any other woman and only very few men who were as strong as I am.  You have seen me in combat.  You know I can fight.”

Vynn was finding himself amused by her spirit.  “You have been in combat?  Against who?”

Toria’s dark eyes flashed as she looked to him.  “Not against who, against what.”  She pointed at Taggart.  “We were attacked by five Grey Ones on the road.  He threw one down then got involved in fighting the other four.  The one he threw got up and was going to stab him from behind with a sword.  I killed him.”

Now Vynn laughed.  “You killed him?  A Grey One, all by yourself.  What did you kill him with?  A stick?”

She felt her temper emerging, and forced herself to give an icy yet quiet reply.  “No, I used my knives.”

“Your knives?”  Vynn chuckled again.  “Against a Grey One with a sword?”

Taggart put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.  “Uh, she did.”  When Vynn gave a look of confusion, he explained.  “No, really, she did.  She is actually very good with the Tooth and Claw.  With a sword also, for that matter.”

Now Vynn looked impressed.  So was Geraar even though he’d heard the story before. 

Toria saw their expressions and grew hopeful.  At least they knew she wasn’t a helpless little girl that needed to be protected.  That was a thought she could not abide.

Vynn considered the matter for a moment then spoke.  “Perhaps we are thinking about this backwards.  Instead of losing warriors maybe we are gaining one.”  He looked at Taggart.  “I know you have made promises to her parents, and I am prepared to commit people to taking her back if you insist.  Here’s a proposal:  We allow her to stay on.  I will assign a warrior…say this young man here, what is your name, Warrior?” 

Geraar snapped to attention again when he realized he was being addressed by his superior.  “Warrior Geraar Da ‘Aylon, Lord Vynn.”

Vynn nodded.  To Taggart he said, “Yes, I put her with young Geraar here.  He teaches her things such as how to be an effective sentry, scouting and reading a trail.  We don’t lose any warriors, and we have an effective guard to help protect our camp.  We will keep her out of any combat situations, of course.  As much as we can, anyway.”

Taggart considered the idea.  He was not happy about breaking his word to her parents, but he could not ignore the truth of her words.  She would not sit idly in Olvion for seasons at a time, and she was right about her abilities and her age.  The scenario set forth by Vynn would at least give her an opportunity to learn some things that could help keep her alive.  The argument that most swayed Taggart was the fact that the effort to free Aspell, and thus Dwan, was going to need every fighter that was available.  Toria could help that effort if only by standing sentry duty to free up a warrior for combat.

“Your proposal has merit.”

Toria drew a sharp breath and held it.  It was happening.  She didn’t want to do or say anything that might cause them to change their minds, so she remained perfectly silent.

Taggart fixed her with a stern glare.  “Don’t expect any celebrations.  You will be allowed to stay only if you follow any and all instructions that this warrior gives you.  You might even learn some things from him if you keep your mind open.  Defy him one time, and you will find yourself walking back to Olvion.”

Vynn pointed to Geraar.  “I expect you to give her good instruction, Lad.  Now go on, and get her started on her education.”

Geraar snapped to attention and saluted again.  Beside him Toria did the same.

When they were gone, Vynn looked back at Taggart.  “So she really went shield to shield with a Grey One and was victorious?”

“Absolutely.  Don’t be misled by her brashness, she has astonishing physical abilities.  She’s right about her strength, but what impressed me about her was the speed at which she can move.  She opened that Grey’s throat while he was still raising his weapon.  The only thing that I have seen that is quicker than she, is a Mountain Child.”  Taggart was thinking back to the time that Tinker had been attacked by a serpent.  The poor predator barely made it to safety and left behind a good portion of scales and skin.  Thinking of Tinker pulled at his heart.  He missed his little friend terribly, and wondered about her, hoping she was safe, and back in her mountain home.

Vynn looked at the two youths as they walked away.  “Stars!  I hope young Geraar will be able to handle her.”

“I have seen that young man in battle,” Taggart said.  “He is more than capable of handling her
physically. 
I think I caught something in her expression when she looked at him just then.  I might be wrong, but I think she might be willing to pay much attention to him.”

***

Tinker and Mate sat on the bluffs that overlooked the walled city of Olvion.  They had arrived early in the afternoon.  Both put themselves into the condition that allowed them to receive the mindscent.  They had remained absolutely still and silent.  The light wind blew around them, but they ignored it and the small clouds of dust that swept over them. 

Tinker came out of her condition first.  She worried that their individual quests would force her to abandon Tag in order to assist Mate with his tasking.  She quickly calmed herself.  There was an order to things over which she had no control.  She would aid Mate’s tasking first, if needed, and then go on to find her human.  She knew he was no longer inside the city, and she was certain that he was, again, facing danger.  He would need her help.

Mate emerged from his trance soon after.  It took him a little longer to shake off the effects.  Then he turned his head to Tinker.  “She is not there.  She travels to the sea.”

Tinker fought down the urge to express her joy at this turn of events.  “We should cross over the mountain foothills,” she said as she looked in the direction of the Hounds Teeth Mountain range.  “It will save us much time and allow us to intercept our…your human.  That is, if you think that is best.”

Mate found himself experiencing a wave of affection from her.  He responded in kind.  He knew she was extremely anxious about the safety of her “Tag” human.  He felt a deep appreciation for the way she was putting her own desires aside to help him accomplish his tasking.  He leaned over so that his whiskered cheek nuzzled hers.  “Yes, I think that would be best.”