chapter SEVEN
It was just before dawn, the sky bluish-gray, when Jake was nudged awake by Dominic. Jake had slept soundly, dreamless, throughout the night. Jake awoke to find that his head did not hurt anymore and the pain in his side had faded to a light dull ache. His knew that that his injuries were still there, but the pain was gone and it seemed that the healing process had sped up.
"Get up, boy." Dominic said, tapping Jake in the shoulder again with his boot. "We need to get on the road if you want to sleep in a bed tonight. If you need to answer nature's call, there is a stream back over there." Dominic pointed across the clearing to where the ground sloped down. He tossed Jake a small object in waxed paper.
Jake looked at it confused, unsure what it was. "It is soap." Dominic said as he turned and started repacking his supplies. Jake saw that Shadow had a feed bag on when he glanced over at the horse.
Jake sat up and slowly stood, unsure if his legs would support him. To his delight, it appeared that the foul-tasting potion Dominic had given him worked on his legs as well. He stretched for a second, then headed for the stream. The morning air was cool, but not uncomfortable. His feet still felt damp as he walked across the clearing and he could see that his sweats were worse for wear, dirty and torn in multiple places from his race to escape Matus' group.
After he used the bathroom, he bent down next to the stream and pulled out the soap. His gave it a sniff and found that it had a pleasant floral scent. He washed his hands, rewrapping the soap and headed back, letting his hands air dry rather than wipe them on his dirty clothes. Jake walked slowly, twisting and stretching out some of the stiffness he felt as he moved. Dominic had packed the supplies and was saddling Shadow when Jake got back.
"Can I help?" Jake asked, feeling odd just standing there watching.
"No." Dominic replied shortly. He pointed to the waterskin and a small pouch sitting on a nearby log. "There is something to eat and drink. Eat it all as we will not stop for a meal until mid-day." He went back to tightening the hitches on the saddle.
Jake's mouth watered and his stomach grumbled in response to the thought of food. He picked up the pouch and opened it. He saw several large pieces of the jerky and a rough-cut piece of cheese. He immediately pulled out the jerky and dug in, tearing at it with his teeth and savoring the flavor. He ate all of the food, chasing his bites with sips from the waterskin. Once he was done, he closed the empty pouch and capped the waterskin and went back over to where Dominic was waiting.
"Do you feel strong enough to stay on the horse without help?" Dominic asked as he put the pouch in a saddlebag and slung the waterskin over the pommel. Jake nodded and Dominic swung up into the saddle. He held down his hand and pulled Jake up and behind him.
"Hang on, boy." Dominic warned Jake. Jake grabbed the straps on Dominic's breastplate. "On, Shadow!" Dominic called and Shadow leapt forward. Dominic guided the big horse down a small dirt trail and back onto the forest road. The trees moved by quickly as Shadow picked up speed.
Jake shifted a few times to get comfortable as Shadow settled into a steady gallop. He saw that they were still surrounded by the forest, though the trees seemed fewer and farther apart. The morning light was scattered around the forest floor, streaming through the many gaps in the trees.
"How big is this forest?" Jake asked Dominic loudly, trying to be heard over the sound of Shadow's hooves. "It seems to go on forever."
"It is called the Great Southern Forest for a reason. It stretches for hundreds of leagues south, perhaps the largest forest in the world. It begins in the east at the base of the Gray Ridges mountain chain and spills out onto the Plain of Sanduas." Dominic said over his shoulder. "However, we are closer to its northern edge than you might imagine; we should be out of it within the hour. The road we are on travels north-northeast. We will exit onto the plains and travel to the Sanduas Royal Highway, the main east-west roadway. From there, we will be able to reach Sanduas, the capital city, by nightfall."
"So, once we get there…" Jake started, trying to get a sense of what lay ahead.
"I know that you have many questions, boy, but talking over my shoulder to answer them is not something I want to do. I am sure when we get to Sanduas, Jonas will have a map and be more than happy to answer all of the questions you want to put to him. Until then, the trip will be easier in silence." Dominic turned his head forward, ending further conversation.
Rather than bounce along in frustrating silence, Jake carefully took out his phone and powered it on. He checked the battery and saw that he had about a ninety percent charge. Even though he did not want to drain it, he decided to listen to some music to pass the time. He put in his earbuds, picked a rock playlist and let his mind wander as the terrain blurred past. His thoughts turned randomly to his family, Sean and Matt, Tina and, of course, Sabrina. He was saddened by the thoughts, homesick, but, recalling his father's words, tried to set aside that emotion and remain calm.
As the music seemed to beat in time with Shadow's rhythmic gait, he silently pondered how he would ever see them again. He knew he was no longer on Earth; the past couple of days made that clear. He had no idea how or why he came to be here, wherever here was; as such, he had no idea on how he could return. He mulled that over for awhile, finding no answers. In the end, he decided that he had no choice but to let this play out. On the plus side, he felt safe with Dominic, despite his gruff demeanor. Dominic seemed to have a lot of faith in this friend of his, Jonas. Hopefully, he would be able to help Jake find out the answers to his questions and, more importantly, find a way home.
Without much transition, the trees suddenly fell away and a rolling expanse of grassland opened up, cut only by the road. Jake could see that there were clumps of trees scatted randomly across the plains and shadowed against the horizon. The sun, shining brilliantly in the nearly cloudless bright blue sky, lit up the grasses and plants that covered the ground. He could tell that it was still at mid-morning. He felt Shadow increase his pace, as if the open land triggered a need for more speed. The grasses flowed by, Shadow moving effortlessly, seemingly tireless in his stamina.
After about an hour of travel, they came to a fork in the road. To the east, there was a road that intersected the road they were on. The road ahead split off into two paths, one bending off to the west and the other heading north.
There they encountered the first people other than Matus' group and Dominic that Jake had seen. A wagon being pulled by four horses, its bed covered with a canvas tarp, was coming from the east along the intersecting road, followed by two men on horseback. They reached the crossroads at the same time as Dominic and Jake. Dominic slowed Shadow to a walk, raising his hand in greeting to the wagon's occupants and pulled up next to them, Dominic facing the driver.
The wagon driver was a stout man with a large belly, his round face red from the sun. He was dressed in plain brown leather clothing, along with a shirt of chainmail. He carried a large wooden club over his shoulder. The following riders were dressed in similar garb, armed with swords. They eyed Dominic, clearly a trained and armored warrior, with suspicion and some concern, but made no threatening moves.
It was clear to Jake that they were guards to the other man on the wagon. He was an older man, thin and white haired. He was dressed more finely in well-made, though plain, light colored cotton pants and shirt, with polished brown leather boots that came up about mid-calf. He had several pouches and a long dagger hanging from his thin leather belt. He looked bored, slouching in the wagon's seat.
"Greetings, warrior. How fares the road from the south?" The older man said as Dominic stopped Shadow, sounding as if he did not really care one way or the other. "Any trouble along the way?"
"We had some encounters in the Forest." Dominic replied. "You may need a stronger guard if you travel that way."
"Fortunately, we head west." The man nodded towards the westerly road. "I am heading to Samutia to test the markets there."
"Any news from the capital? I have been away for a period of time." Dominic asked.
"No real news, warrior. Just gossip about who the king will select for young princess and the usual jockeying amongst the nobles." The man said with a shrug of his shoulders.
As he spoke with Dominic, Shadow shifted and the man gave a little start when he noticed Jake for the first time, with his strange clothes and earbuds in, and his eyes suddenly sparkled with interest. "A strange boy you have with you, warrior. Where do you hail from, son?"
"My thanks, merchant. Safe travels." Dominic said briefly before Jake could answer. He wheeled Shadow and spurred him on to avoid any more questions. They sped off up the north road.
"What are they doing?" Dominic asked Jake over his shoulder, voice hard, body tense, his hand gripping his sword.
Jake looked back and saw the wagon crossing the road and moving onto the westerly road. "They're heading west. Is there a problem?" Jake asked.
"I'm not sure. I am always suspicious of travelers with too much curiosity. The merchant's interest in you troubled me for some reason." Dominic said, frowning, releasing his sword. He reached into a saddlebag and pulled out a long cloak. "Put this on. Our enemies have eyes and ears everywhere and your clothes stand out. For now, do not speak to anyone until we reach Jonas." Dominic urged Shadow to a faster pace.
They did not slow or stop for the rest of the morning. Jake had put on the cloak and tucked away his phone to save power and was stuck gazing out across the plains as Dominic refused to talk about his concerns. As it approached mid-day, he noticed a dark line appear on the horizon in front of them. As they drew closer, Jake could see that it was a line of large, leafy trees that seemed to stretch for miles in either direction. "What is that?" Jake asked.
"The Royal Highway." Dominic replied. "Over the centuries, the kings have planted trees to line both sides of the highway. They each tried to outdo their predecessors, so the trees now line the complete length of the highway."
As they approached the trees, Jake could make out a wooden building set just off the side of the road, settled in the trees. It was a two-story building with a small fence around it. As they drew closer, Jake saw several horses tied up next to the building and people standing on the porch. There were also tables and chairs set up out in the small clearing under the trees.
"What is this?" Jake asked.
"A waystation set up by the Crown to allow for travelers to eat and rest." Dominic replied. He glanced back at Jake. "Pull up the hood to cover your face and do not speak to anyone for any reason."
Jake settled the hood over his head as Dominic slowed and stopped Shadow at the waystation. "Stay here" was all Dominic said as he dismounted and headed inside. Clearly, Dominic was well known as several people greeted him as he climbed the steps, Dominic giving them curt nods in reply as he entered the building. Many of the people on the porch started talking and pointing in his direction after Dominic passed.
Jake could see and feel the curious stares on him as he quietly sat on Shadow. He really wanted to get down for a few minutes. His butt was sore from all of the riding, it was getting hot under the cloak and he felt a little stupid just sitting there. However, he did not want to get on Dominic's bad side by disobeying him. Showing a confidence he did not feel, he ignored the stares and quiet murmurings.
He glanced around and saw the highway on the other side of the building. The dirt road they were on gave way to a paved road. The highway was wide and paved with interlocking blocks of flat gray stone. There were wear marks in the road, indicating many years of traffic. Another row of the same type of tree rose on the other side of the highway. Jake saw some riders on horses and a couple of wagons pass by as he waited for Dominic.
After a few minutes, Jake heard the murmuring increase at the building and turned his head to see Dominic heading back towards him, two large pouches in his hand. Dominic quickly pulled himself into the saddle and directed Shadow out onto the highway, pushing him into a gallop. Shadow's metal-shod hooves rang as they hit the paving stones.
"Here." Dominic said as he handed Jake a pouch. "We'll eat in the saddle." Jake struggled at first to open the pouch and maintain his balance on the horse. He finally succeeded in opening it to find what looked like a large turkey leg, some cheese and an apple. It took a couple of minutes of frustration, but Jake finally got the hang of eating one-handed on the back of a moving horse. He was hungry and quickly finished the food. The leg of meat did taste like turkey and was flavored nicely, the cheese was sharp and the apple tart. He followed Dominic's example and tossed the bones and apple core into the tree line and stuffed the empty pouch into a pocket inside the cloak. Dominic handed Jake the waterskin to wash it all down.
They were approaching a small rise in the highway when Jake heard the rumble from the hooves of multiple horses and rattling metal coming from the other side of the rise in front of them. As they neared the top, a large group of armored men on horseback came riding towards them. They all looked alike, so Jake knew they had to be soldiers.
They wore the same thick breastplates and greaves, their arms cover in chainmail, with leather gauntlets protected with interlocking sections of metal. They all carried a lance about eight feet long, tipped with a shining metal blade. A sword hung from the saddle of every horse. They were riding in formation, three abreast and six deep.
A few feet in front of the formation, two men rode. One was dressed like the others, carrying a smooth pole with a green and yellow pennant snapping as they rode; the other was covered in full plate armor, the metal gleaming in the sunlight, also armed with a lance. Unlike the others, he had a battle axe hanging from his saddle, the head made of two large moon-shaped blades with a long spike sticking out between them. Given his armor and position in the formation, Jake assumed that this man was the leader.
The leader saw Dominic and gave the signal to stop. The formation slowed and came to a halt with the sound of creaking leather and snorting horses. He raised his gauntleted hand in salute. Dominic slowed and returned the salute.
He pulled up next to the leader to talk. Jake thought the leader was in his late twenties, a handsome dark-haired man, apparently of good cheer, with a broad smile on his face.
"Greetings, Dominic." He said as he gave Dominic a small bow. "It is good to see you heading back to the capital after many weeks away. Any success in your hunt?" The young man asked lightly, his expression like they were sharing a private joke.
"I was able to thin the herd some, Sir Alleon." Dominic replied dryly. He nodded at the battle axe. "I see you still look forward to chopping wood." Soft laughter rose from the men as they shared the comment.
Sir Alleon laughed as well, affectionately patting his ax. He shook his head and noticed Jake's cloaked and hooded form. He looked at Dominic with a cocked eyebrow. "Did you find something else on your hunt? Something special after all these years, perhaps?" He asked with a grin.
Dominic's face went flat at that comment and Sir Alleon, suddenly looking abashed, quickly raised both hands. "Your pardon, Dominic. I can be so stupid at times. My mouth often runs ahead of my mind. I did not mean to make light of your grief."
Dominic's face relaxed and he gave a nod of his head and a short wave of his hand. "Your pardon, Sir Alleon. I have been away from other people for too long. No offense was taken."
Sir Alleon gave a weak smile, looking relieved. "Without giving offense, can I know about your passenger? You are not known to keep company on the road."
"No. I think it is best to keep that secret for now. I'll allow the king to decide who should be told. Will you be back at court soon?"
"No. We are heading for the western border forts. There have been reports of raids and other troubles. We have been ordered there until further notice." Sir Alleon replied, not looking happy about it.
"Any news of the capital I should know of?"
Sir Alleon's face turned grim. "About a week ago, a patrol from my company ran into a large group of half-men only a few miles south of the city. They had an Imp with them. About half the patrol was killed before the clerics were able to drive off the Imp and the remaining half-men." He shook his head sadly. "They were good men. Since then, the king has ordered the city gates to be closed at night. If you want to get in, you will need to be there before the sun goes down."
"Well, I'll not keep you any longer." Dominic said. "We both have long journeys. My thanks and good hunting." Dominic saluted Sir Alleon and spurred Shadow on, maintaining his salute down the line of soldiers. They returned the salute, some bowing their heads to Dominic.
Jake glanced back and saw the formation moving out as well. He turned back, gauging whether Dominic would tell him anything. He doubted it.
The rest of the day was spent riding down the highway. They passed by many other travelers as they made their way east. The traffic seemed to get more crowded the further they went. Several large crossroads intersected the highway along their route. As he looked down the crossroads, Jake could see several small towns that sprang up just a mile or so down the road.
"How come there are no towns along the highway?" Jake asked Dominic. "They all seem to be down the side roads."
"As with all things, a royal decree." Dominic replied. "The kings wanted the highway to speed commerce, as well as allow their armies to march quickly around the realm. Having towns on the highway could impede that. So, all towns and villages must be at least half a league off the highway."
Jake also noticed that, at seeming random distances, the types of trees lining the roadway would change. The large leafy trees gave way to tall evergreens which gave way to oak-like trees and back again. He asked Dominic about it.
"The whims of kings, boy. Every new king seemed to feel he could not plant the same tree as his father. So, they would pick a new tree to be planted during their reign." Dominic shook his head. "The children learn their history by remembering what tree was planted by which king. For example, these pine trees are from the reign of King Alderic. We are getting close now. You should soon be able to see the capital." Dominic turned forward, ending the conversation.
As the sun dipped lower behind them, the terrain slowly changed from relatively flat into a series of large hills. The road rose and fell with the hills. As they reached the peaks, Jake could see snow-capped mountains looming in the distance.
He asked Dominic if they were the same range he saw when he first arrived. Dominic nodded. "It is the Gray Ridges."
They traveled for a few more miles and rode up the last hill. Dominic halted Shadow at the peak, taking in the view. Jake could see at the bottom of this hill, a large valley spread out in front of them. It was bordered to the east by the Gray Ridges and the hills they were in to the west. The western hills connected with the foothills of the Gray Ridges to form a bowl at the southern end of the valley. A wide river ran down from the mountains and cut through the valley, its course traveling west-northwest. The northern part of the valley was open and seemed to go on forever.
In the late afternoon light, Jake could see that the land was dotted with farms and homesteads. The road they were on made a gray line through the green and browns of the fields. It headed straight towards the river. At its end rose a large city.
Even at this distance, Jake saw that it was surrounded on all sides by large stone walls that looked to be at least twenty to thirty feet tall. Inside the walls, a grid of streets cut through a variety of buildings: homes, businesses and others. At its center, a large castle rose. Its walls were painted white, but appeared almost golden as they caught the yellow rays of the setting sun.
"Welcome to Sanduas, boy." Dominic said as he started Shadow moving again. "Here we will find Jonas and maybe some answers."