Friday, August 31, 2007
Chapter 1, Part 2 of 4
“What do you mean ‘he’s gone’, he was being guarded and wizards were shielding him.” The king pounded his fist on the chair causing the small cringing pageboy in front of him to visibly jump.
“His room is empty and his horse is gone, no one has seen him since the funeral yesterday, milord.” The thin whisper was barely heard over the king’s steady pounding on the thrones arm. The wood creaked with each blow of his meaty fist.
“Who saddled his horse? How could no one see him? People don’t just up and vanish!” The king noticed the pageboy cringing after each bellowed question, in a much calmer voice he said, “Send for Gutner, then go find the vizier and tell him what has happened.” Sagging into a relieved bow, the pageboy quickly scurried out of the room.
Still pounding on the thick arm of the throne chair, the king tugged at his beard with the other hand remembering back several years ago when Nathan had spent much of the summer escaping from the palace guards just to see how far he could get. He never could shake old Gutner from his trail. Gutner always found him by the end of the day. He would have to meet with the Taldagan delegation and explain somehow that Nathan had vanished during the night. He could picture the Emir’s reaction and cringed despite himself. This was not going to be easy.
--
The half hidden sliver of moon was just becoming visible through the thick fast moving clouds, casting silver fingers of light down through the bare branches of the trees overhead. Letting the crescent moon light guide the horse, Nathan pointed the lantern into the dark mass of trees to his right. After several long minutes, he noticed a much darker gap in the wall of trees. Guiding the horse to the gap, Nathan could barely make out the small trail. Nathan lead the horse down the trail then went back and swept the tracks from the mud. He knew the rain would take care of his trail, but the horse left deeper tracks.
On either side of the small winding track, the trees pressed in, looming over the narrow track. The silvery light of the moon could not penetrate the thick overhead mat of branches and the thinning clouds. The rain was letting up as the clouds were swept across the sky. The track crossed over several small rills of water before turning and following a larger stream. Nathan crossed the stream and hung the lantern on a tree branch. He then wandered the horse around for several minutes and churned up the area. Taking up the lantern, Nathan moved the horse back into the stream and followed the trail from the streambed.
Several times over the night, Nathan crossed streams or followed them. The moon was no longer visible through the trees and Nathan had lost the track long ago. With the trees pressing in on him, he let the horse pick his own path while he lost himself in his memories.
It had been the first warm day of the year. The sun was dazzling to the eyes after a long winter spent inside. There was a crisp bite to the air, but the warmth of the sun warded off most of the chill. The women had decided to plan a lavish lunch on the park green while the men took the hounds out for the first run of the year. Nathan could remember hearing the baying of the hounds echoing in his ears, mixed with the laughter of the women and the giggles of the children. He had led the men out of the woods onto the park green near the top of the hill. He stopped to look down at the friendly gathering and his heart swelled with warmth. He could just make out his brother talking to his wife. The brief exchange caused his wife to toss her head back and laugh. Nathan could hear her husky laughter from the hilltop. He could feel a small pang of jealousy clench at his heart. He urged his horse forward to join the party. The desire to turn the horse around and gallop off into the woods was very strong, Nathan knew he didn’t have half the charm of his brother and hated social events. He was hoping this event would be different as there were only a few close friends. Deep inside him he could hear his doubts rising, the black despair of being ignored by everyone.
Unconsciously, Nathan had signaled the horse to halt. He could see everyone having fun yet no one waved him over. The black despair started to eat at his heart. He hated them, hated the way they treated him. Why couldn’t he be more like his brother. The mesmerizing song swelled louder in his head. Finally, just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, he closed his eyes and silently screamed. He could hear the laughter change to cries of pain then screams of horror. Before he could open his eyes to investigate, he felt himself flying through the air. The next thing he knew, he was on his back on the ground. The sun was shining in his eyes. He could hear horses galloping towards him but he couldn’t move. His chest hurt and his face and hands felt hot. He had wanted them dead and now they were.
Nathan was shaken from his memories when the horse lurched down a small incline. He almost pitched over the horse’s head at the sudden change of pace. The sun was just beginning to tint the sky on the eastern horizon when Nathan urged the tired horse further down the incline and into another rocky stream. Nathan’s head sagged as much as the horse’s head. They had been riding northwards all night. This was the fifth stream they had encountered and the third stream they had followed. Splashing onward, Nathan let the horse set his own pace over the rocky streambed. Glancing to his right, Nathan watched the sky slowly develop a rosy tint.
It had stopped raining, but the branches still rained large drops down on their heads. With cold stiff fingers, Nathan guided the horse up the eastern bank of the stream. Looking at the sunrise, Nathan noticed a small cave. The shelter of the cave would be most welcome for a few hours rest. Nathan knew he couldn’t rest for long. He had to get as far away from everyone as possible.
“His room is empty and his horse is gone, no one has seen him since the funeral yesterday, milord.” The thin whisper was barely heard over the king’s steady pounding on the thrones arm. The wood creaked with each blow of his meaty fist.
“Who saddled his horse? How could no one see him? People don’t just up and vanish!” The king noticed the pageboy cringing after each bellowed question, in a much calmer voice he said, “Send for Gutner, then go find the vizier and tell him what has happened.” Sagging into a relieved bow, the pageboy quickly scurried out of the room.
Still pounding on the thick arm of the throne chair, the king tugged at his beard with the other hand remembering back several years ago when Nathan had spent much of the summer escaping from the palace guards just to see how far he could get. He never could shake old Gutner from his trail. Gutner always found him by the end of the day. He would have to meet with the Taldagan delegation and explain somehow that Nathan had vanished during the night. He could picture the Emir’s reaction and cringed despite himself. This was not going to be easy.
--
The half hidden sliver of moon was just becoming visible through the thick fast moving clouds, casting silver fingers of light down through the bare branches of the trees overhead. Letting the crescent moon light guide the horse, Nathan pointed the lantern into the dark mass of trees to his right. After several long minutes, he noticed a much darker gap in the wall of trees. Guiding the horse to the gap, Nathan could barely make out the small trail. Nathan lead the horse down the trail then went back and swept the tracks from the mud. He knew the rain would take care of his trail, but the horse left deeper tracks.
On either side of the small winding track, the trees pressed in, looming over the narrow track. The silvery light of the moon could not penetrate the thick overhead mat of branches and the thinning clouds. The rain was letting up as the clouds were swept across the sky. The track crossed over several small rills of water before turning and following a larger stream. Nathan crossed the stream and hung the lantern on a tree branch. He then wandered the horse around for several minutes and churned up the area. Taking up the lantern, Nathan moved the horse back into the stream and followed the trail from the streambed.
Several times over the night, Nathan crossed streams or followed them. The moon was no longer visible through the trees and Nathan had lost the track long ago. With the trees pressing in on him, he let the horse pick his own path while he lost himself in his memories.
It had been the first warm day of the year. The sun was dazzling to the eyes after a long winter spent inside. There was a crisp bite to the air, but the warmth of the sun warded off most of the chill. The women had decided to plan a lavish lunch on the park green while the men took the hounds out for the first run of the year. Nathan could remember hearing the baying of the hounds echoing in his ears, mixed with the laughter of the women and the giggles of the children. He had led the men out of the woods onto the park green near the top of the hill. He stopped to look down at the friendly gathering and his heart swelled with warmth. He could just make out his brother talking to his wife. The brief exchange caused his wife to toss her head back and laugh. Nathan could hear her husky laughter from the hilltop. He could feel a small pang of jealousy clench at his heart. He urged his horse forward to join the party. The desire to turn the horse around and gallop off into the woods was very strong, Nathan knew he didn’t have half the charm of his brother and hated social events. He was hoping this event would be different as there were only a few close friends. Deep inside him he could hear his doubts rising, the black despair of being ignored by everyone.
Unconsciously, Nathan had signaled the horse to halt. He could see everyone having fun yet no one waved him over. The black despair started to eat at his heart. He hated them, hated the way they treated him. Why couldn’t he be more like his brother. The mesmerizing song swelled louder in his head. Finally, just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, he closed his eyes and silently screamed. He could hear the laughter change to cries of pain then screams of horror. Before he could open his eyes to investigate, he felt himself flying through the air. The next thing he knew, he was on his back on the ground. The sun was shining in his eyes. He could hear horses galloping towards him but he couldn’t move. His chest hurt and his face and hands felt hot. He had wanted them dead and now they were.
Nathan was shaken from his memories when the horse lurched down a small incline. He almost pitched over the horse’s head at the sudden change of pace. The sun was just beginning to tint the sky on the eastern horizon when Nathan urged the tired horse further down the incline and into another rocky stream. Nathan’s head sagged as much as the horse’s head. They had been riding northwards all night. This was the fifth stream they had encountered and the third stream they had followed. Splashing onward, Nathan let the horse set his own pace over the rocky streambed. Glancing to his right, Nathan watched the sky slowly develop a rosy tint.
It had stopped raining, but the branches still rained large drops down on their heads. With cold stiff fingers, Nathan guided the horse up the eastern bank of the stream. Looking at the sunrise, Nathan noticed a small cave. The shelter of the cave would be most welcome for a few hours rest. Nathan knew he couldn’t rest for long. He had to get as far away from everyone as possible.
# posted by Canadian Loonie @ 11:38 AM 
