Through the Dark Wood Page 5

  “They’re my siblings! And Zam is not the swordsman he needs to be!”

  Zam agreed, but knew he must be the one to go. Galwen tried to raise his voice again, but the pain made him wince. He said quietly, “Dorrin, you are needed here. Zam will go for the children.” Pain passed over Galwen’s face again as Molly set to the arrow in his leg. She wasted no time. Its shaft was broken and pulled out in a moment. Galwen let out a cry as she removed it.

  Zam put his hand to Dorrin’s shoulder. “There isn’t time to argue, Dorrin. And I do not know the way.”

  Dorrin looked to his grandfather and sorrowfully conceded. Handing Zam the bow and quiver he’d slung over his shoulder when the warning bell rang, he hurriedly explained. “North from here, this side of the river past the blacksmith’s, an old path branches off toward thick forest. That is the border of Darlandis. That is the way they would go, but they are fools to go there.”

  Zam stood and Dorrin caught his arm. “Avoid the watchtower. Randec is the one who rang the bell. He’s a skilled archer, and dropped many townsfolk as they came to answer the call. He nearly got me before I realized our enemy was in the watchtower. Be quick, Zam, and be a better warrior than yesterday.”

  Zam nodded and was out the door in an instant. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. Behind him he heard Molly tell Dorrin, “That last remark could have been left off.”

  Galwen cried out again as Zam exited the inn. Molly must be getting that other Arrow. Please let Galwen be all right. He hit the trail at a sprint, hoping he would find them before they reached Darlandis. How will I best these villains? Or a dragon? His vision ran through his mind bringing with it dark thoughts. The dragon. The tears running down Tearis’ face. His own death. But also Galwen’s words that Elyon would not send him on a quest to die in vain. Choosing to trust, he quickened his pace. Rounding the corner past the blacksmith’s, he nearly collided with Keer, who was running home. Tears were streaming down his face.

  “Keer!”

  “Zam! Oh, Zam, they’ve taken my sister!”

  “How did you get free?”

  “I bit the bad man and he dropped me. He chased me, but he fell. I... I... I kept running.”

  “Are you all right? Can you make it the rest of the way home?”

  Keer nodded. “I can, Zam. I’m brave. Will you help my sister?”

  Zam swallowed hard. “That's why I came to Rivertowne, Keer. I will help her.” Even as he said the words, he found he actually believed them.

  Keer hugged him. “She knew you would.” He then turned and ran toward home.

  Zam called back to him, “Stay clear of the watchtower! There’s a bad man there too!”

  Keer shouted back. “I will, Zam!”

  Zam charged down the trail with renewed speed. Not long after, he found himself plunging into the dark of Darlandis. He slowed as the trail wove in and out of trees, making sharp, unexpected turns. Soon he found where Keer’s captor had fallen—into a pit. It appeared to be Phillip and he lay either dead or unconscious at the bottom. Zam briefly studied the loose twigs and grass lying about the edge and inside the pit. When Phillip was chasing Keer, this didn’t seem a pit at all, rather solid ground... a trap laid by someone. Then he thought of Tearis and Mort, and his heart ached. He pressed forward for a long time. The sun began to peek over the mountains flooding down light that carried with it eerie colors as it passed through the leaves of the ancient forest.

  Here and there were beautiful trees with slender gray trunks and leaves that glowed like fire when the sun touched them, and a few with massive trunks whose leaves radiated the most astounding emerald, almost as if they were jewels and not leaves at all. ‘Round about those were others trees that, if they were people, one would never wish to meet them. They were dark and fearsome, gnarled and twisted. Their leaves seemed to eat light and put forth a green darkness—not like the light through any leaves you have ever seen unless you traveled Darlandis in those unwholesome years. The darkness overwhelmed the beauty, but Zam was thankful for the glimpses of the fiery trees and emeralds. For some reason they reminded him to hope.

  Farther in and hours later, a noise startled Zam: Tearis, screaming! He bolted in the direction of the sound, but froze when another scream sounded. Mort. Where Tearis’ scream was born of fear, Mort’s was born of pain. As his cry died out, Zam was certain Mort had as well. Tearis’ scream was absorbed into a greater sound, like that of a blazing furnace. Zam raced toward the noise, all fear gone.

  He burst into the clearing to see a large black dragon with armor-like scales, razor-sharp talons, and teeth like scythes. Zam stood, unmoved by the sight, and drew his sword.

  The black dragon spoke, its voice imposing and self-important, “Have you come to claim my prize, Boy? You may not. I have captured her and she is mine. I have just had my lunch, and need not hunt for my supper. Perhaps you wish to stick around for breakfassst.” A swipe of the dragon’s massive talons tore past Zam as he dropped and rolled out of its reach.

  Everything seemed to be moving very slowly. He remembered every moment of his vision with perfect clarity. This is the dragon and this is the clearing. Don’t get too close, Zam... not yet. Don’t give in if he taunts you....

  Tearis lay unconscious on a rock at the edge of the clearing, beyond a wall of dragon’s fire, just as he’d expected. He kept his emotions in check, knowing that any wrong move would be the death of them both. The dragon’s tail flashed just above Zam’s head, its lance-like tip catching the sunlight and shimmering.

  Zam recalled his vision. I’ll need to keep my distance from that…. Dragons are said to be cunning, but perhaps if I can be cunning enough…. “Dragon, I give you thanks for the lunch you’ve had. It saves me the trouble of dispatching the fiend myself. I suppose he was an untasty morsel.”

  The dragon cocked its head, though malice remained in its eyes. “Was he not your friend, little human?”

  Zam’s gaze focused on the dragon, searching for any vulnerability, He slowly shook his head. “No. By no means. More my enemy in the worst possible way, so as I said, I thank you.”

  With an air of contempt the dragon spoke again. “Do you not fear me?”

  “Surely you are a great dragon and most terrible, easily capable of killing who and what you will.” Zam bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on the dragon. “But, Great One, my fear is overcome with the sudden and easy completion of my hunt. And though there is no trophy to bring back with me to prove the deed–”

  “You lie, Boy!” The dragon seethed. “But your lies do not offend me. A dragon senses more about its prey than you are aware. I’ve watched your eyes.” It lowered its head to meet Zam’s gaze. “Searching me, horns to tail, for any way you might kill me. Though neither does that offend me, for many times have wanderers looked at me in such a way.” The beast’s tone grew severe as it slowly raised its head. “What does offend me is your lack of fear! I cannot smell it on you. It was on your quarry, and it was delicious.”

  As the dragon spoke, a fear did begin edging its way into Zam. He knew where the dragon was leading him now and that there was no cunning means of freeing Tearis.

  The dragon leered at her. “Now... the little one... well, her fear was more delicious than that. Just the scent of it is like a sumptuous meal, a mighty banquet fit for… me.” Suddenly the contempt slipped from the dragon’s face and it smiled. A shiver shot through Zam and his skin crawled. “There it is, Boy. I can almost taste it. I simply had to find the right fear. And believe me, the child will be tasty. I’ll savor every... little... bite.”

  A wave of anger rushed over Zam, but he held to his spot, gripping the sword’s hilt tighter. He had not yet found a weak spot in the dragon’s armor, but he knew the time for holding off the fight with words was coming to a close. He tried to keep his fear and anger in check. If he did not, he would act rashly, or worse yet, cower, and in so doing forfeit both his and Tearis’ lives.

  He remembered again Galwen saying Elyon would not sen
d him on a quest simply to die. The words Elyon will decide echoed through his mind and filled his entire being, pushing out all fear.

  The dragon roared as it sensed the change, “Fear me!” It reared up onto its hind legs, stretching to its greatest height and spreading it wings to their fullest. So large and terrible did it seem that it nearly blocked out the noontime sun. In a blur Zam traded his sword for Dorrin’s bow, nocked an arrow, and let fly. Please let this arrow fly true. He recalled the angle at which his sword slid through the scales in the vision, and now the dragon, in its attempt to seem greater and more terrible, had given Zam just such an angle.

  The arrow penetrated deeper than the sword in his vision just below the dragon’s chin. Unaccustomed to pain the dragon reeled further back, and Zam found gaps in the scaly armor. Shaking off his shock, he let another arrow fly, piercing the dragon’s throat again. The creature lurched to the ground and tucked it head close to its body trying to protect its wounds, but the very act increased the pain, and the beast struggled franticly to pull the arrows from its body. The arrows cracked and snapped off—the larger lengths remaining inside. The result was excruciating.

  Zam cried, “I will not fear you! Elyon will decide this battle!”

  The dragon winced at the name, then lunged at Zam as if to swallow him whole. “Vile boy!”

  Zam rolled just under the dragon’s strike and found the point where boiling hot dragon’s blood seeped between scales and forced his sword deeper than any blow the dragon had yet received.

  In retaliation the dragon twisted to strike Zam with its horns. The force of the blow ripped the blade from Zam's hands and tossed him aside like a child’s play thing, but the blade remained in its place between the dragon’s scales.

  Across the clearing, Zam staggered to his feet, only a short distance from the wall of fire that separated him from Tearis. She was stirring as Zam turned back to the dragon.

  Terror and anger poured from the dragon’s eyes as it tried to speak some vile thing to Zam, but found its voice was gone. It took a great breath, filling its lungs to destroy him with fire. A gale force of scorching air struck Zam, and his face and hands burned from it, but it was only air.

  An odd, almost pitiable look crossed the dragon’s face. It had been injured beyond its pride. Even were it to survive this battle, it would no more be a dragon. In its own mind it would be nothing but a large, mute, flying lizard.

  New rage burned in its eyes and Zam felt it. Though bruised and bloodied from the dragon’s blow and aching from the heat of its breath, he ran headlong toward the dragon to take back his sword and finish the fight. The dragon leapt at him, pinning him to the ground with one forefoot, nearly crushing him. Zam felt the breath leaving him.

  Tearis, now fully awake, watched the scene in stunned silence. The dragon picked Zam up and threw him against the trees. As he tumbled to the ground gasping for air, Tearis called out, “Zam!” He turned and saw the most peaceful look on her face. She smiled—this innocent standing so close to the battle—“You can do it, Zam!”

  The dragon turned its attention to Tearis, and Zam stood to approach the dragon, but it knocked him to the ground with its tail as it moved toward her.

  She stood upon the rock, face to face with the monster. Were it to strike, it could have swallowed her whole. “You are evil... and you will not win.” Her calm certainty strengthened Zam.

  The beast boiled with hatred for this girl who was no longer afraid. In its rage it forgot the peril in which it stood. As it let out a long gurgling attempt at a growl, Zam moved quickly to where his sword remained in the dragon. He grasped the hilt, twisted it, and drove the blade deeper yet into the beast.

  Confusion and terror shone in the dragon’s eyes as it gasped for air. It turned on Zam again, stumbling, swinging legs, tail, head, horns, and teeth, intent on ending this boy before it reached its own end. Several blows struck and Zam was battered, but finally this beast, this mighty dragon fell and breathed its last.

  At its death the Dragon’s fire, which had kept Tearis captive, died out. For a dragon’s fire will burn as long as a dragon desires unless other forces are set against it, or its life is forfeit. In death no amount of previous desire can keep a dragon’s fire burning.

  For the moment, Zam lay on the ground, broken and breathing heavily, taking in the few fiery and emerald trees in the clearing. As before, they reminded him to hope. Wearily he stood and crossed the distance to Tearis, who smiled and held her arms out to him. When he reached the rock he took her from it, holding her close. He needed to know she was safe, that this moment was real, that he had truly won the day.

  She pressed her head hard against his shoulder and whispered, “I knew you’d keep me safe, Zam. I knew it.”

  A tear rolled down his cheek. “Thank you for believing.”

  After that, neither said anything for a long time as they began the long march back to Rivertowne. Still carrying Tearis, he wondered at the events of the day, how a mere shepherd, just barely a man, if that, could have accomplished such a deed. This quest Elyon set him on had grown in importance from just a grand adventure to having life and death trials at its heart. He shook his head. In this quest, more battles and some greater purpose than simply seeking treasure await.

  As they moved through the forest its beauty seemed increased, enhanced, and every fiery tree and every emerald tree, set a little more joy and a little more strength in their hearts. When the sun had finally waned and Zam’s strength had nearly run its course, they came at last to the edge of Rivertowne.

  Darik had cleared the watchtower. So, the call went up the moment Zam and Tearis rounded the blacksmith’s shop. “Hear me! Master Windwater approaches with Tearis in arm!”

  Zam wasn’t used to being referred to as Master Windwater. It sounded too proper for a shepherd boy.

  One of the watchmen called out. “Is she well, Zam?” It was Dorrin. He was concerned that Zam was carrying her. He descended from the tower and was closing the distance between them when he asked again, “Is she well?”

  Zam’s heart leapt to hear the voice and see the face of a friend. In a loud whisper, he said, “She sleeps.” He nearly stumbled from exhaustion.

  Dorrin caught Zam’s arm to steady him and whispered, “I will carry her now. You need to rest.” His voice carried a sense of awe that Zam still stood, that he had actually returned, and that Tearis was alive.

  “I will carry her, Dorrin, until she is safely home. Then I will rest.”

  “Then I will walk with you and help you should you stumble.”

  “Thank you, Dorrin.”

  As they walked, several townspeople came out to greet them, their faces beaming. Dorrin nodded, but put his finger to his lips to quiet them. By the time they met Molly and the other children on the porch of the inn, a large crowd was following. Molly and the children were taken aback at Zam’s battered appearance as he approached.

  When he crossed the threshold, Molly thanked the people for their concern and bid them return to their homes.

  “Her room?” Zam asked wearily, and Molly led the way. The children followed. Barea was asleep in a chair near Tearis’ bed.

  As Zam gently lay Tearis on the bed, Barea began to stir. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Barea, your daughter is home.”

  She opened her eyes and saw Tearis, at first disbelieving her senses and looking for some sign this was not a dream. Upon seeing Molly's beaming face, she took Zam’s hand and kissed it, holding it tightly to her cheek.

  Tears slipped from her eyes and her voice was choked with emotion. “Thank you.”

  “You're welcome, Barea…. Elyon… decided.” He nearly fell over with exhaustion, and Dorrin and Molly caught him.

  Molly said softly, “You’ve done well, Zam. Now to bed with you. I will tend your wounds.”

  Zam stumbled to his room with Dorrin and Molly keeping him from collapsing along the way. As they lay him on the bed he asked drowsily, “Has Galwen survived, Molly?
”

  “Yes. He is bandaged and in bed. He will be fine in time. Now sleep.”

  “Make... make sure he knows... Tearis is safe... please. I don’t want him to… worry needlessly.”

  She gently stroked his hair, brushing it aside so it wouldn’t get in his eyes. “I’ll make sure.”

  Dorrin stood by to guard his sister’s hero from any harm, and Zam slipped into a deep, blissful, dreamless sleep.

  CHAPTER FOUR: THE BEGINNING OF STRENGTH

  Zam slept for several days and Dorrin kept watch every moment Molly would allow. Many times Tearis sat and held Zam’s hand, quietly thanking him for rescuing her. Molly was a good nurse, and Zam had been so deeply exhausted that she was able to tend his wounds without waking him. Several ribs had been broken in the fight, and he was cut deeply in many places. His left arm had also been broken, something Molly hadn’t noticed the night Zam brought Tearis home.

  Molly ground tannes leaves into a paste to treat the many wounds so they wouldn’t scar too badly or become infected, but only time would mend the breaks. Zam’s deep sleep was a blessing. He hadn’t even woken when she splinted his arm in hopes it would heal properly. So deep was his sleep that as the days drew on she feared he might not wake at all.

  On the sixth day as daylight passed and dusk was settling in, Zam awoke. He blinked and squinted, trying to determine where he was. He ached more than he could ever recall. Some places ached more than others. He was lying on something soft. That’s a welcome surprise. It felt like down. He gazed up at the worn wooden rafters casting shadows in the light of the lamp. Then he noticed something soft lying across his hand and a sweet sound filtering into his ears.

  As he came fully to, he realized it was Tearis, her hand resting gently on his. She was singing softly and looking toward the ceiling with a sweet, far-off look in her eyes.