By the Sword Read online

  Now, his daughter was on a mission to one of the most dangerous forests in the area, and there was nothing that he could do for her. Talya had made the decision to go, and Uittan seemed to believe that she was doing a God-ordained task. Surely He would protect her. Besides, she was one of the bravest and most capable people that Edandir had ever known.

  Talya truly is a replica of her mother.

  Edandir let out a whoosh of air. At least she would be spared from the battle now. Maybe he should be thankful that she would be far away from the Malinorians and their wicked magic.

  Chapter Ten

  The morning sun was already pounding down on Talya’s back. Her throat was parched, and she had already gone through three out of the four canteens in her bag. She had to somehow save the rest of her water for the sweltering afternoon that would soon come.

  Talya had heard of the arid, barren wilderness, but she never imagined that it would be this hot and dry. She had already seen countless mirages. Surely she would pass by a real stream soon.

  At last, she gave in to her thirst and guzzled down half of the last canteen. She needed so much more.

  After another hour, another blurry image came into view on the horizon. It looked like several tents. Talya shook her head and wondered what she would see next. Why hadn’t the prophet warned her to take more water? She had already perspired more than she had drunk just a short time ago.

  As Talya approached the cloth dwellings, she noticed several desert people were moving about. Some were tending to their goats and pigs, while others were pumping water from wells. They looked real. It all had to be real.

  Stars filled Talya’s vision as she approached a woman who was filling a wooden pail with fresh water. Talya wondered if they even spoke the same language. The lady narrowed her eyes suspiciously and set her bucket down.

  Talya sat on the well and closed her eyes for a moment, willing the dizzy spell to end.

  “I apologize for trespassing,” said Talya, “but I was hoping to refill my canteens. I am journeying to Hunter Forest.”

  “Hunter Forest? Are you mad?” the woman spat.

  “It’s a special mission,” said Talya, feeling foolish.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Get your water, girl, and do it quick. We don’t like strangers lingering too long.”

  “I understand.”

  The woman huffed and left Talya alone to get her own water.

  Talya sat down again, hoping that her lightheadedness would subside once she drank enough. She swallowed down what was left in the last canteen and then refilled all four of the containers.

  Hopefully it will last me until I reach the next water source.

  Talya had already attracted enough attention. Groups of small children watched her with wide eyes while their mothers glared. A few of the men stood there gawking at her.

  Talya cringed inwardly, walking quickly through the village.

  She was about to sigh with relief when she saw a shocking sight ahead. A man was beating a fallen animal with a whip. It was a black horse lying on its side in the sand, submitting to its cruel master.

  Enraged, Talya ran over to them.

  “What are you doing?” she shouted.

  The man turned and squinted at Talya. He appeared to be in his mid-forties with long, scraggly black hair and a thick scar on his cheek. He ceased whipping the animal for a moment. His hooded eyes roved slowly over Talya.

  “She refused to move,” he said. “Ten times more stubborn than a mule she is, and I was told these blasted Pegasus horses bred in Malinor were of top quality. I didn’t go to all the work of stealing this thing to put up with disobedience. I taught her real good, I did.”

  Talya had no idea how he’d gotten his filthy hands on such a rare animal, but she knew that the man did not deserve to be the owner of any living thing.

  “You were going to beat her to death weren’t you?”

  “What’s it to you, pretty lady?”

  “I’m not going to turn a blind eye to abuse.”

  “My, oh, my. Beautiful and passionate. I don’t think I’ve ever met one like you before. Why don’t you come and stay with Mog for a while? Then I may consider letting the mare free.”

  Talya wished that she had brought her sword. She wanted to slit his throat where he stood.

  Stay composed. Remember what Uittan said.

  Talya folded her arms across her chest.

  “I’m going to Hunter Forest,” she said.

  “Is that a fact?” he chuckled as he reached to grab her arm.

  She smacked his hand away and kicked him in the shin.

  “Get away from me!” she yelled.

  “A feisty one to be sure,” he grinned as he pulled out a knife. “Like a wild filly.”

  Talya gritted her teeth and readied herself to kick the weapon out of his mangy hands. He looked strong so she had to be quick.

  “Come here, my fair-haired pet,” he cooed.

  She waited for him to get close enough and then kicked his armed hand.

  He yelled in pain as the dagger fell to the ground.

  Talya dove for it and clenched it with both of her hands, holding it in front of her.

  He backed away slowly.

  “You crazy wench,” he said.

  “Just get out of here!”

  The uncouth man ran back into the small village. She knew that she would have to get moving soon, in case he came back with more people, but not before looking over the battered horse.

  Talya crouched down and caressed the velvety soft muzzle of the abused Pegasus. Her eyes were closed. Her breathing was shallow. Deep lash marks ran from her neck down to her rump. Her legs had also been whipped.

  “I’m so sorry,” Talya said.

  She was a beautiful animal with an ebony coat, bell-shaped hair over her hooves, and sleek wings similar in design to those of a bat. The creature, if left, would slowly starve to death. It was best to put her out of her misery.

  Talya gripped the dagger firmly in her hands, trying to work up the courage to end the poor beast’s life.

  “You hesitate to kill a horse, but you willingly slay the lost.”

  Talya glanced up at the sky as gooseflesh covered her body. God hadn’t whispered to her heart like that in years. Now He had. It was true that her conscience had grown cold for the men of Malinor. Unlike Tanel, Talya had fought for the power that she felt when she slew her enemies. Her friend killed only when it was needed.

  Talya glanced down at the wounded horse.

  “But she’s innocent, Lord,” said Talya quietly. “The men I kill burn villages and slay many righteous people – even innocent children. They deserve death.”

  This time there was no answer.

  Talya shut her eyes. She didn’t know if she could ever be rid of her blood lust for the evil. It was what she had lived for so long.

  The mare snorted.

  Talya jumped back at the startling sound. The horse’s dark eyes were wide open now. She rolled onto her belly and pawed at the ground with her front hooves.

  Talya’s pulse quickened.

  She used all of her might to help the animal stand.

  “Come on, you can do it!” cried Talya.

  After several moments, the beautiful mare stood shakily on all fours.

  Talya immediately grabbed the water from her bag and poured it over the mare’s wounds.

  She removed her outer tunic – which was really much too heavy anyway – and began to tear strips from it, wrapping them around the mare’s largest leg wounds. She was amazingly tame considering the harsh treatment from that sweaty dolt.

  The horse’s black, almost sheer wings spread. They had been, for the most part, spared from the brutal beating.

  Thank God.

  Then, the horse slowly dropped onto her knees.

  Talya frowned.

  “What are you doing?”

  The horse whinnied. She had more strength in her than Talya would have thought. Tal
ya had never ridden on a winged horse before. How well would a Pegasus obey commands?

  Then again, anything bred and raised in Malinor would have to follow orders very well.

  Pegasus horses were much smaller and most likely faster than the dragons back home. It would certainly solve the water issue – Talya would be at her destination by nightfall on a fast steed. They could both quench their parched throats in Hunter Forest.

  Talya took the blanket from her sack and placed it on the mare’s back. She slowly got up onto the horse, being careful not to bump too many of her cuts and bruises.

  The horse leaped gracefully into the air as she spread her wings and carried them high above the hot desert.

  Talya closed her eyes. The fast ascent made her feel lightheaded again.

  With a greater velocity than Sanctus’ swiftest firedrake, the horse flew toward the forest. Talya hung on to the mare’s strong neck until she got used to the feeling of flying so fast. Once she relaxed a little, she drifted into a fitful sleep as her new companion carried her toward the forest.

  Talya dreamed of the boy again.

  His childlike, sorrowful eyes from the previous dream had transformed into those of a soulless killer. He was now in his early teens. An angry red scar above his left eyebrow marred an otherwise flawless face.

  He rode proudly on his ebony horse as he led thousands of men two, three, and four times his age into war. He was the only one not wearing a battle mask. He and his army collided with a sea of opposing warriors. With amazing stealth, the boy stabbed, sliced, and chopped his way through powerful opposing warriors. Talya wondered what battle it was. She could not recognize the other army’s armor.

  The vision then transported Talya to after the war. The boy was beheading the hopelessly wounded of his own army. He was already becoming one of them.

  As Talya watched him, she saw a wounded, angry youth forced into being something that he never would have dreamed. They had made him into something he did not want to become.

  A tall, powerfully built warrior approached him. The cocky lad suddenly cowered in the man’s presence, appearing to be the young boy he truly was.

  “What did I tell you about the horses?” the man roared.

  It sounded like the same man that had given him the piece of bread when he was younger.

  The boy hung his head.

  “If I catch you sparing the enemy’s horses again, I will beat you so badly that you will wish you were never born!” the masked commander yelled.

  He struck the boy numerous times.

  The youth didn’t cry out. He stood tall and proud, and not one tear emerged from his emotionless eyes as the last morsel of humanity was beaten out of him.

  Talya awoke covered in sweat. The cool breeze hit her flesh, chilling her to the bone. She took a canteen from her bag and drank. When they landed, she would have to make a fire.

  Talya could think of nothing else but that horrific vision.

  Why am I seeing these things? How can I help this boy now that he has become like every other soldier in Malinor?

  Talya remembered the scroll that Uittan had given her, and she opened it, intent on reading at least one chapter before they got to the forest. As she read the words, peace began to coat her troubled heart. She felt like a fool for avoiding God for so long. Her soul had felt empty for so long, but she had grown accustomed to the vacant feeling.

  Before I die, I want to help him. As Uittan said, there is still hope for him. Maybe after I get rid of Jalarn, it will be easier to accomplish that.

  *****

  Tanel had finished shooting targets for the evening. With help from Pori and Timlin, he had learned the basics of fighting with the sword earlier that day. At least he had a backup plan if he ran out of arrows, as he had in the past battle. With the magically created monsters that Malinor would unleash on them, it would take many rounds to take just one of them down.

  Tanel was still in shock that Talya was on her way to Hunter Forest at that very moment. It meant that he would not have a chance to apologize to her before the war. He had been cruel to her since their journey to Malinor, especially considering that they were both still grieving Hanten.

  I was blessed by God to still have Talya as a friend. I should have been there for her, especially when she had been doing a good thing by helping that defenseless girl back in Malinor.

  Now he might never have the chance to tell her that he was sorry.

  General Edandir was approaching him. Tanel cleared his throat.

  “You are improving with the sword. I saw you dueling a while ago. Good work,” said the general.

  “Thank you, Sir,” replied Tanel. “I just wish that Talya was here to see it.”

  “My one comfort is that she’s excellent with that sword of hers. She’ll get herself out of anything that she comes across,” said General Edandir.

  Tanel nodded. At the very least, she would have her valuable weapon. That gave him some peace of mind.

  Atalsa ran up to them. Her indigo eyes were wide and she was holding a sword.

  Tanel’s heart raced when he recognized it. It was Talya’s sword.

  “What are you doing with that?” Tanel asked.

  “Talya left it beside my cot with a note saying, ‘I am giving this to you for the battle. Please use it well. It’s high time that you fought like a real knight.’ I – I thought that it was a joke, but then I didn’t see her at all today, and I heard about her mission to Hunter Forest from Sir Timlin.”

  Has Talya completely lost her mind?

  “Why in the world would she leave her sword here?” asked Tanel.

  “Give that to me,” Edandir said as he took the sword from Atalsa.

  The general scanned the field for Uittan. He saw the prophet and stormed over to him with Talya’s prized weapon.

  Tanel followed close behind him.

  “Do you know anything about this?” Edandir asked the prophet.

  He gestured at the weapon with his free hand.

  “She is not to bring any weapons on her journey,” replied Uittan.

  “Oh no,” said Tanel.

  The thought of his friend without a weapon of any kind made him feel sick. This was Hunter Forest she was traveling to.

  “I would be very careful what you say, lad. The Lord gave me the terms of this mission.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Tanel replied.

  General Edandir shook his head. He gave Talya’s sword back to Atalsa and walked away. He was obviously too furious to speak with Uittan.

  Atalsa rested her hand on Tanel’s shoulder.

  “I know this must be hard for you, but Talya would be quite the scrapper even without a weapon. The giants are not animals. She will be fine. Why don’t we fire some rounds before dinner?”

  Tanel nodded. The only thing that he could do for Talya now was pray for her. God would protect her. She was doing His work, after all. In the meantime, he had to stay alive so that he could make it up to her later.

  “We should also make sure that you get some lessons on how to use that sword, too,” said Tanel.

  “Yes. It would make Talya proud,” smiled Atalsa.

  *****

  The full moon highlighted the treetops of Hunter Forest below. Talya figured that reclusive giants would probably prefer being in the thickest part of the forest, so she waited until they passed over the center to signal that they needed to land.

  Now, if only I knew how to steer a Pegasus horse downward. Well, here goes nothing.

  Talya clicked her tongue and pulled gently on the mare’s mane. The horse complied and they swooped down quicker than Talya would have liked. She cinched her arms around the horse’s neck.

  The Pegasus landed gracefully, much to Talya’s relief. No wonder the Malinorians preferred the elegant equestrians over firedrakes.

  Talya jumped off of her steed, enjoying the feel of solid ground beneath her feet. A soft, trickling sound reminded her of how thirsty she was. She followed the sound
and came to a small stream.

  “Come here, girl,” Talya cooed to the horse.

  The mare trotted over and they both had a long drink of the refreshing water. Talya also splashed some on her dust stained face and arms. She would never take the valuable liquid for granted again.

  The air was very warm and humid. No fire was needed.

  Talya scanned the area. The trees there were the tallest that Talya had ever seen. Their trunks were as thick as houses and they seemed to extend into the sky for miles. She wondered if the insects and spiders were also much larger than normal. At least she now had a dagger with her if that were the case.

  The familiar smell of roasted beast filled her nostrils. It had to be pork. Her stomach rumbled. It felt like ages since she had eaten.

  Her horse grazed hungrily on the lush, leafy bushes all around them.

  At least one of us won’t go hungry.

  Talya wanted to see where the aroma was coming from. Was it the giants making their evening meal, or was it the Malinorians? If it was the latter, she would have to find the giants soon.

  Deep voices arose in the distance. As Talya quietly made her way through the thick brush, she saw two Malinorian knights standing nearby in a clearing. They were both digging their teeth into large chunks of meat.

  Talya slowly backed away, stepping carefully. She could not afford to be heard, let alone spotted. Not without a decent weapon. It was not that kind of mission anyway.

  Talya had no idea what part of the forest the giants would live in.

  You would think that they would be easy enough to spot.

  Talya didn’t even know which direction to go. Maybe that was the idea. God probably wanted her to depend on Him instead of her own strength for a change.

  “All right, Lord, I admit that I really need Your help. It was stupid of me to think that I could do this on my own.”

  Talya felt strange asking Him to help her. She was probably the last person that had the right to be asking for God’s help.