Call of the Herald (10 page)

The sound of the waterfall faded into the
distance, and Catrin picked up the hint of a noisy brook. She knew
a stream ran near the grove, and she wondered if it was the same
one. The incline grew steep, and sweat soaked them as they hiked,
their legs aching. Soon, though, they emerged from the forest onto
a large plateau, which was carpeted with thick, green grass broken
occasionally by weathered outcroppings of obsidian rock. Emerald
moss clung to the megaliths, marbling their surface, as the land
slowly reclaimed the masses of stone.

Ancient and immense, the greatoaks were
unmistakable in the distance, towering above the tallest elm.
Unlike any trees they had ever seen, the greatoaks soared into the
sky, their tops obscured by low-lying clouds. As the group drew
closer, the sheer magnitude of the trees became even more evident.
Twenty-four in all, they were evenly spaced and formed a nearly
perfect circle, but each one was a force unto itself. The trunks
were so massive that twenty people could stand around one, with
arms outstretched, and still their hands would not meet. Awed by
the magnificence of the place, none of them made a sound, afraid to
break the spell.

Magical in its beauty, the grove lured them,
but Catrin was drawn by more than just the aesthetics. She could
feel the power of the grove, a place in which the very air seemed
alive with energy. They walked in slow reverence, as if entering a
holy place. Much of the grove was blanketed with lush grasses, but
an irregular circle of bare stone dominated the heart of it. There
were no writings or symbols, nothing beyond its sheer might to
indicate it was sacred, but it felt that way. The black stone was
smooth and level with the grass, and Catrin found it strange that
no moss or grass had encroached on it. It seemed almost as if the
plants kept their distance out of respect for the mighty stone.

"I don't think we should camp in here,"
Osbourne said into the eerie silence, and yet the spell remained
unbroken. "I feel like we're welcome, but I don't want to disturb
the beauty of this place."

In quiet agreement, they walked toward the
far side of the grove in search of a suitable campsite. The western
clearing was much the same as the one in the east, and at about the
same distance, the forest began again. Only the area between the
two sections of forest was clear of underbrush. As Catrin searched
for a place to camp, she concentrated on the sound of running water
and moved toward it.

An almost imperceptible waterfall glistened
down the valley wall. The water flow was slight, but it fed a small
stream that lay hidden in the folds of the land. The stream was
narrow but its water cool and clear. Not far from the base of the
fall, Catrin spotted a large shelf of rock protruding from the
cliff face and knew it would provide some shelter. On further
inspection, it was obvious that others had camped there before,
though it appeared to have been some time ago. A bare spot looked
to have been used as a fire pit, and a few rocks still lay in a
circle around it.

Catrin and the others knew without saying a
word that they had found their campsite. They dropped their packs
and stretched sore muscles. Catrin went in search of stones to
complete the fire circle.

"Would you boys gather some wood?" she asked,
and they set off for the western forest since no dead trees or
branches were to be found in the grove. By the time they returned,
Catrin had finished constructing the fire circle and gathered dried
grass for kindling. Chase and Osbourne dumped their armloads of
wood directly into the circle of stones, and Strom started a
woodpile off to one side.

They left Catrin to start the fire while they
ventured out for more wood. The wood they left was damp, and she
knew she would have a hard time getting it to burn. Strom had left
some sticks and leaves along with the larger pieces of wood, and
Catrin gathered what was dry, placing it at the center of the fire
circle. She retrieved her tinderbox from her pack and pulled out
some dry shavings and her flint. She piled the dry shavings neatly
at the base of her kindling pile and grabbed some larger pieces of
wood, leaning them against one another so they formed a cone above
her kindling.

Sparks flew as she struck her stones against
one another, but few actually made it to the shavings. After
several sparks hit the shavings, going out almost immediately, one
took hold, a small flame blooming around it. She cupped her hands
and blew gently, and though the tiny flame went out, the shavings
glowed red. The flames returned, double their size, and quickly
consumed the kindling but barely even dried the damp branches.
Piling even the damp kindling atop her small blaze, she sent a
cloud of smoke into the air. With a few puffs, though, the flames
returned, licking eagerly at the branches.

"Is that little fire the best you could do? I
was expecting you to have dinner cooked by now," Chase said,
dumping his armload of wood, and he jumped back as Catrin took a
swipe at him. He laughed and went to lay out his bedroll. He chose
a spot that was near the fire yet still shaded by the rock
overhang; Osbourne and Strom threw their bedrolls down near his. By
the time they were comfortable, Catrin had a nice fire going. The
air above it shimmered, and the light danced over them.

She retrieved her bedroll, only to find all
the sheltered spots taken, and the boys pretended not to notice her
irritation. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at each
of them. Chase could no longer keep up the ruse and was the first
to start laughing.

He and Osbourne moved their bedrolls closer
together, and Strom moved his to the other side, making a spot in
the middle for Catrin. She curtsied and pounced on the newly
cleared spot, leaving them no chance for reconsideration. Something
about being in a strange place together and sitting around a fire
made everything seem right with the world.

They rummaged through their packs in search
of various goodies, and they feasted on sausage breads, cheeses,
and dried fruit. They made sure to leave themselves enough supplies
for a few more meals, but what they ate was delicious--it was
adventure food, free of restraint and responsibility. There was
nothing to clean up when they were done, and they could relax with
full bellies. They had no reason to wake in the morning, no chores
awaiting them; it was a glorious feeling, only slightly dampened by
the knowledge that it was temporary.

Catrin just watched the flames, but Chase
seemed obsessed with tending the fire, constantly shifting the
coals and poking them with a stick. She excused herself, suddenly
stifled by the heat of the fire. Wandering into the deepening
shadows, she drank in the fresh air and savored it. Stopping for a
moment to take another deep breath, she looked up at the skies.
Cloud cover was slowly breaking up, and a few stars were visible
through the gaps.

Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes.
She felt her mind expanding and perceived an almost audible click,
as if a doorway in her mind suddenly opened. Her body felt
intensely alive, every sensation magnified. With her arms wide, she
stood, basking in the light breeze as it tousled her hair.

Chase yelled from the campsite, "Catrin, are
you going to sleep out there?"

"It's such a pretty night," she said. "I
think I'm going to take a walk. Would anyone care to join me?"

"Nah, we'll just stay here and eat all the
food," he replied, laughing, but the boys roused themselves and
joined her.

The night drew them on, pulling them into the
ring of mighty trees. Beams of moonlight shone through the parting
clouds, lighting Catrin's way. She let her body go where it wished,
her path leading straight toward the center of the grove. The
others followed in silence, as if entranced by her rhythmic
movements.

Cold stone caressed her feet, soothing them
as she strode upon it. Feeling as if she could ride the wind,
Catrin whirled in a rhythmic dance. Around her pulsed the beat of
life, and she danced to its lilting cadence. Life energy was
everywhere, but it was more focused in the grove, almost tangible.
Spinning on the wind, she closed her eyes and raised her hands to
the heavens. Energy from above bathed her in its warmth, and she
grabbed onto it with her mind, tasting its sweetness, smelling its
fragrance, caressing its texture. Its beauty overwhelmed her.

She clung to the energy, letting it suspend
and hold her. Overcome with joy, tears coursed down her cheeks. The
boys' talking shook Catrin from her revelry. She opened her eyes to
see the night sky and two bright sources of light. It took a moment
for her eyes to focus; then she clearly saw the moon and another
bright object. The second was like nothing she had ever seen.
Elliptical, with a long trail of light in its wake, it sparkled
with life and called to her. It was so beautiful, she could not
look away.

"By the gods, do you see that?" Chase
shouted, and Catrin returned to herself somewhat again.

Another, closer source of light stole the
brightness from the doubly lit night sky. Lightning danced along
her fingers in powerful arcs, and twin beams of liquid energy
extended from the palms of her hands into the sky, twining
themselves into a single thread of energy. Colors raced along it,
constantly shifting and changing, each moment bringing something
new.

Catrin heaved, her mind finally reconciling
what her eyes reported. She yanked her hands down violently,
feeling an awful tearing sensation as she pulled herself away from
the massive energy flow. In that moment, she realized her feet were
not touching anything, and she had no time to brace herself before
they struck the black stone beneath her. Even in her confused
state, she realized she must have been high above the ground,
judging by her impact, which buckled her knees and tossed her onto
her back.

She remained supine for a moment, staring at
the sky, and she caught another brief glimpse of the comet before
fast-moving clouds once again obscured it. The clouds, Catrin
realized, were moving far too fast; a storm was upon them.
Lightning ripped across the sky in a vast web of light, and the
wind howled as bands of horizontal rain assaulted them.

"Run for cover!" Catrin shrieked above the
wind, and they fled to the relative shelter of their campsite. Hail
pelted them as they ran. The stones were small at first but
steadily grew larger and more dangerous. The light of their
windblown fire illuminated their belongings as they were scattered
around the campsite, sent tumbling by the wind. After scrambling to
collect their things, they huddled under their packs, watching
helplessly as gale-force winds snuffed their fire.

The darkness was nearly complete, broken only
by monstrous bolts of lightning as they set fire to the
thunderheads. The wind howled and intensified, screaming at them,
sucking their belongings into the night. Thunderous cracks and
booms mixed with the wailing call of the wind and battered Catrin's
senses, making her think she was about to go mad. Dirt and debris,
carried by fierce gusts, stung her exposed skin.

Catrin screamed as lightning illuminated the
plateau long enough for her to see a mass of branches and leaves
hurtling toward them. It struck the ground in front of them with
incredible force, driving the air from her lungs. Startled but
uninjured, Catrin and her friends huddled under the massive limb,
hoping nothing else would fly from the darkness.

* * *

From the deck of his flagship,
Rebellion's
End,
General Dempsy stared at the skies in disbelief. It was
not the storm that came as such a surprise; it was the comet.
Archmaster Belegra had told him it would come, but he had not
believed; instead he had chosen to deny the truth, to go into the
greatest of peril unprepared because of his own blindness. It took
some time for him to accept this new reality, since it seemed
everything in his world had suddenly changed.

Next came his anger. What did Archmaster
Belegra expect him to do against the ultimate adversary? How could
he ever be expected to achieve victory? His father had taught him
that joining a battle where there is no chance for victory was to
die a noble fool, but General Dempsy could see no honorable way
out. No matter what his father had said, honor was a thing worth
dying for, and he would not back away from his responsibilities
because of fear.

In his mind, a plan began to form, and his
face settled into a look of determination. Whether his plan would
achieve victory or utter defeat, General Dempsy would use every
trick he had ever learned. May the Herald beware.

Chapter 5

In our darkest moments, we come to know the
true measure of our souls.

--Ain Giest, Sleepless One

* * *

As dawn illuminated the valley, turning it
into a rippling palette of light and shadow, Catrin and her friends
could see the full extent of the storm damage. The majestic grove
that had drawn them was no more. Not even one of the greatoaks
remained standing. They were strewn about the plateau as if felled
by a mighty hand. Some were almost whole but had been torn from the
soil and apparently flung about. Others had been twisted then
sheared off, leaving fingers of wood sticking out from stumps like
splinters of bone protruding from grisly wounds. It was the
lightning-struck trees, though, that disturbed Catrin most. The
bark was blasted off in many places, and the exposed wood was so
warped, it resembled partially melted candle wax.

Catrin surveyed the damage, walking ahead of
the dispirited group toward the place that had once been the center
of the grove. Her heart was hurt at the sight of the ruination, but
some morbid sense drew her on, forcing her to commit the images to
memory. Since passage was hard to find among the fallen leviathans,
their progress was slow, but no one spoke a word of protest. Catrin
ran her hands along the fallen trunks as she passed them, bidding
them a silent farewell.