Friday, September 07, 2007
Chapter 1, Part 3 of 4
Gutner lead his horse down the embankment and watched the rain engorged stream dance over the jumble of rocks. The trail led straight into the stream. Mounting up, he urged the horse across the stream. The brush on the far side of the stream was undisturbed. Gutner looked up then down the stream while his mount calmly stood there. Gutner had trained this gelding to be steady and calm. As old as the horse was, he was too well trained at this point to be replaced. There were graying flecks of hair appearing around the muzzle and the horse was no longer as quick and agile as he had once been. The horse was still a part of him and was irreplaceable. Gutner looked as old as the horse did. His hair was shot through with gray and his eyes crinkled at the edges from squinting down for the next sign of a trail.
Gutner turned his horse north following the general direction the trail had been taking. He kept the horse to the middle of the stream to find his own footing, but he kept his eyes trained to the far side of the stream. The brush seemed to make an impenetrable screen, hiding the forest from the stream, hiding any trail signs from his questing eyes. After what seemed like hours, Gutner’s weary eyes snagged on a broken branch near a small break in the brushes. The graying gelding had stopped the instant Gutner noticed the break. Carefully maneuvering the horse closer, Gutner inspected the ground. The muddy ground was churned up with the tracks of several deer, a raccoon, and what may have been a horse. Cursing the rain, Gutner dismounted. The icy stab of the cold water against his legs sent chills up his spine and over his scalp.
Bending over the muddy embankment, Gutner tried to pick clues out of the muddy mess. His eyes were not as good as they used to be. He shifted his body over a little and sunlight lit up the mud in stark relief. Two deer had passed by recently, a doe and fawn. Earlier a raccoon had sat on the embankment and caught a fish, which it ate before leaving. Before the raccoon, Gutner could barely make out the tread of a shod horse. Moving up the trail he caught another partially obscured horse print. Following the trail, Gutner worked his way closer to his quarry.
The cave was just out of sight of the stream. Nathan must have stopped here for several hours and had cobbled his horse. Horse tracks filled the small clearing and most of the tender spring shots had been cropped down to the ground. A small fire had been built just under the cave ledge. Squatting in the cave, Gutner looked out past his gelding, lost in thought.
Nathan had spent most of the summer trying to get away from life at the castle. Gutner couldn’t help but feel a little sad for the extremely shy kid. His older brother was very friendly and outgoing, liked by everyone. Nathan was lost in the shadow of his brother’s personality. People never noticed him with Rael around, not even his own father. Gutner had spent most of the summer tracking the kid down from one hiding place after another. Each time Nathan got further away from the castle but always he would make some error that would lead Gutner to him. Each time, Gutner would sit Nathan down, build a fire and together they would talk about nothing and everything. Gutner would tell Nathan some of the lore surrounding the wizards and what might have happened to them. Gutner suspected that Nathan could go much further but the kid grew to like Gutner’s company. No one ever knew about their talks. Nathan would go back to the castle in a better mood only to have his spirits dashed when no one seemed to notice his return.
Looking into the cave, Gutner noticed a scrap of paper sticking out from under a rock. Lifting the rock gingerly, Gutner retrieved a sealed letter with his name on it. Opening the letter, Gutner stood up and walked out into the mottled light of the small clearing.
Dear Gutner, I am sure you had hoped to have caught up to me by now. Unfortunately for you I learned from the best on how to avoid being found. Please leave me alone to my own despair. Our little campfire talks will not be of help this time. I must learn to live with what I did and the consequences of my actions. I cannot live with what I have done while everyone looks at me with fear or loathing in their eyes. I do not want their pity or yours. I am unfit to live let alone rule a kingdom. No one has missed me in the past, they will not miss me now. Go back to your warm bed and leave me alone. Nathan
After scouring the area for more signs of the trail, Gutner went back to the stream. Gutner spent the next few hours searching both sides of the bank north of the little cave. Finding nothing, he turned back and started searching the banks south of the original entry point. After an hour the stream branched. Gutner stopped in the middle of the stream looking first down one path then down the other. His shoulders drooped in weariness and frustration. He had never failed before, this time would be no different, he told himself. Squaring his shoulders, Gutner decided to take a break. Urging the horse onto the bank of the land between the divided stream, Gutner almost missed the clue right in front of his face.
Caught in the branches he was about to duck under was a small wisp of hair. Auburn hair that seemed to catch and shine in the light. Looking down at the ground, Gutner could see that Nathan had tried to obscure the trail. Gutner could make out the sweeping tracks left in the rain sodden river bank. If it wasn’t for the scrap of hair, Gutner might have missed it altogether. Gutner felt his weariness fade as the thrill of the chase caught up with him again. Urging his horse onwards, Gutner’s eyes began scanning the ground as he followed the meager clues.
Gutner turned his horse north following the general direction the trail had been taking. He kept the horse to the middle of the stream to find his own footing, but he kept his eyes trained to the far side of the stream. The brush seemed to make an impenetrable screen, hiding the forest from the stream, hiding any trail signs from his questing eyes. After what seemed like hours, Gutner’s weary eyes snagged on a broken branch near a small break in the brushes. The graying gelding had stopped the instant Gutner noticed the break. Carefully maneuvering the horse closer, Gutner inspected the ground. The muddy ground was churned up with the tracks of several deer, a raccoon, and what may have been a horse. Cursing the rain, Gutner dismounted. The icy stab of the cold water against his legs sent chills up his spine and over his scalp.
Bending over the muddy embankment, Gutner tried to pick clues out of the muddy mess. His eyes were not as good as they used to be. He shifted his body over a little and sunlight lit up the mud in stark relief. Two deer had passed by recently, a doe and fawn. Earlier a raccoon had sat on the embankment and caught a fish, which it ate before leaving. Before the raccoon, Gutner could barely make out the tread of a shod horse. Moving up the trail he caught another partially obscured horse print. Following the trail, Gutner worked his way closer to his quarry.
The cave was just out of sight of the stream. Nathan must have stopped here for several hours and had cobbled his horse. Horse tracks filled the small clearing and most of the tender spring shots had been cropped down to the ground. A small fire had been built just under the cave ledge. Squatting in the cave, Gutner looked out past his gelding, lost in thought.
Nathan had spent most of the summer trying to get away from life at the castle. Gutner couldn’t help but feel a little sad for the extremely shy kid. His older brother was very friendly and outgoing, liked by everyone. Nathan was lost in the shadow of his brother’s personality. People never noticed him with Rael around, not even his own father. Gutner had spent most of the summer tracking the kid down from one hiding place after another. Each time Nathan got further away from the castle but always he would make some error that would lead Gutner to him. Each time, Gutner would sit Nathan down, build a fire and together they would talk about nothing and everything. Gutner would tell Nathan some of the lore surrounding the wizards and what might have happened to them. Gutner suspected that Nathan could go much further but the kid grew to like Gutner’s company. No one ever knew about their talks. Nathan would go back to the castle in a better mood only to have his spirits dashed when no one seemed to notice his return.
Looking into the cave, Gutner noticed a scrap of paper sticking out from under a rock. Lifting the rock gingerly, Gutner retrieved a sealed letter with his name on it. Opening the letter, Gutner stood up and walked out into the mottled light of the small clearing.
Dear Gutner, I am sure you had hoped to have caught up to me by now. Unfortunately for you I learned from the best on how to avoid being found. Please leave me alone to my own despair. Our little campfire talks will not be of help this time. I must learn to live with what I did and the consequences of my actions. I cannot live with what I have done while everyone looks at me with fear or loathing in their eyes. I do not want their pity or yours. I am unfit to live let alone rule a kingdom. No one has missed me in the past, they will not miss me now. Go back to your warm bed and leave me alone. Nathan
After scouring the area for more signs of the trail, Gutner went back to the stream. Gutner spent the next few hours searching both sides of the bank north of the little cave. Finding nothing, he turned back and started searching the banks south of the original entry point. After an hour the stream branched. Gutner stopped in the middle of the stream looking first down one path then down the other. His shoulders drooped in weariness and frustration. He had never failed before, this time would be no different, he told himself. Squaring his shoulders, Gutner decided to take a break. Urging the horse onto the bank of the land between the divided stream, Gutner almost missed the clue right in front of his face.
Caught in the branches he was about to duck under was a small wisp of hair. Auburn hair that seemed to catch and shine in the light. Looking down at the ground, Gutner could see that Nathan had tried to obscure the trail. Gutner could make out the sweeping tracks left in the rain sodden river bank. If it wasn’t for the scrap of hair, Gutner might have missed it altogether. Gutner felt his weariness fade as the thrill of the chase caught up with him again. Urging his horse onwards, Gutner’s eyes began scanning the ground as he followed the meager clues.
# posted by Canadian Loonie @ 7:41 AM 
