Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) (21 page)

Just as he was about to be crushed, Renja jumped up and kicked his leg against the beam that was meant to kill him and instead pushed himself onto the horse’s back while pulling his leg up to avoid contact with the side of the corral. The horse smashed into the beam stealing some of its breath and some of its strength. Renja yelled out in triumph while lying as flat as he could against the horse’s back and gripping its main in both hands.

The horse jumped and twisted turning around and around but to no avail. When he was away from the sides, Renja pressed his legs as hard as he could against the horse’s sides trying to steady
himself while at the same time hoping to limit the horses breathing so it would tire faster.

Soon, the horse’s gyrations began to slow, and Renja knew that he had won the battle. A smile played against his lips as the horse finally stopped and rested its rump against one of the large beams. Renja let out a heavy sigh. He’d done it. He was anxious to see Jne’s face this time when he trotted into the camp on top of the animal.

His smile faded though as he looked around the corral. It was far too high for the horse to jump out of, and there was no gate. It was as if the corral had been built around the horse. Renja loosened his grip some testing to see whether the horse was actually finished or if there was still life in him. Nothing. The horse merely dropped its head in submission. Good, it was beaten but there still remained the problem of getting it out. He gave it a tiny kick to get it to move forward and it complied without a fight. Reaching one of the leather straps that held one of the beams in place, Renja reached out his hand to see if he could somehow get it loose. He quickly realized that the knot was in a good position to get at but he would need both hands to untie it. Pressing his legs tight into the horse’s sides, he hesitantly released his grip on its mane and reached over with both hands while talking softly to calm his mount. It seemed to be working right up until the point when Renja found himself tumbling in the air over the top of the highest beam and out of the corral. He’d been played the fool by a horse. Landing with a thud, he let out a cry of pain and frustration as the wind was knocked from his lungs.

For long moments he rolled about in the grass trying to regain his breath while the horse neighed at him as if with laughter. Finally able to suck air back into his lungs, he slowly forced himself to his feet. There was not much night left and he suddenly felt the urgency of what he needed to accomplish. Time was slipping away too quickly. Straightening himself, he walked over to the corral and looked through the gap between two beams and stared at the horse.

“Can’t you just help me this one time?” he said, pleading with the horse. “Just let me ride you into camp and then I won’t ever bother you again. I promise.” The horse just stared at him not moving at all. Renja stared back their eyes locked in a battle of wills.

Renja could feel the minutes pass and knew time was quickly fading but for some reason he couldn’t pull his eyes away. He felt strange, almost as if he could see himself reflected in the
horse’s eyes. The large dark orbs seemed to call to him to look deeper. Renja let out a soft breath and willed himself to look harder, to go deeper. He could still feel the wood against his skin but somehow felt himself getting closer to the horse. The smell of grass grew stronger and he could hear the wind gathering strength farther out on the plains. He could feel the fly that sucked the moisture from the horse’s eye and moved his hand to his own eye to try and flick it away.

Closer and closer he got to the horse though he knew that he was still outside the corral. Suddenly he felt a tremendous tug and then found he was no longer looking at the horse but instead was staring back at himself on the outside of the enclosure.
But how? Strange thoughts and feelings immediately flooded his mind. They were feelings of pain and of sorrow, but mostly of anger.

Renja tried to sort through those feelings as they cascaded over him like a flood. He tried to soothe them, tried to make sense of them, tried to wash them away. This horse had been rejected. He had been rejected. Not accepted like the proud horses of its kin. He was not accepted. It was left to die, to waste away, to never feel the freedom of the wind against its face as it ran free across the plains. He was going to die. It was
Renja
. He was
Renja
.

Suddenly, they understood each other. Renja didn’t know how, but he knew that he and the horse understood each other. They had to get out. They had to get back to the tented city of the
Rena’ja
. Unexpectedly, Renja felt himself jerk forward and no longer was he staring at himself through the horse’s eyes. He watched as the horse turned about and then raced forward, lifting into the air with a tremendous leap that sent it soaring over the top post and his head to land softly on the ground behind him. Renja laughed. It was free. They were free. The horse trotted over and nuzzled its nose against Renja’s neck. They understood each other.

Once again Jne was the only one to greet him as he rode the horse into the camp two hours before sunup. He had passed water and horse. Her eyes seethed with hatred and loathing, her body tense with the desire to kill but her voice remained surprisingly steady. “You will not survive steel. Prepare yourself. You will be tested at midday.”

Renja’s smile disappeared. Midday? He was beyond the point of exhaustion. All he wanted to do was sleep. He wanted to object but knew that there was no use to it.

Jne’s face suddenly softened but her words were chill. “You have made it to steel,
Renja
, but you will not succeed this time.”

He opened his mouth to reply but it turned into a great yawn instead. When he looked down again Jne was already gone.

CHAPTER TWELVE

He had six hours to prepare, but there was no use in trying to practice anymore. He could barely keep himself standing let alone hold up a sword. There was nothing he could do now but sleep and try to regain some of his strength. His previous two victories would be for not if he was unable to meet and win the final challenge. His only preparation would be rest.

Once again when he returned to his tent, he found food and drink. He left the horse outside not bothering to stake it down or tie it up. It was not his to command or to keep against its will. They understood each other now; that was all that mattered. The horse could come and go as it pleased, though Renja hoped that it would stay with him. It was the only friend he had.

Quickly devouring the meal, he lay down on his blankets and closed his eyes. Jne’s face, filled with anger and hate, immediately appeared in his mind making him sigh. What had he done to deserve such loathing and animosity? He wanted to ask but knew that it was futile. She would not tell him anything more than was strictly requisite.

She was such a contradiction. Or maybe he was the contradiction. No matter how much she hated him, Renja could not help his regard for her. She was attractive, even with the constant scowl on her face, but he didn’t think that his feelings for her were based on her physical appearance. There was something else about her, her manner, and her dignity, which called to him. He sighed again. No use dwelling on it now. He had to rest. He would face steel in only a few short hours and whether Jne cared if he lived or died was not a top priority.

He could only guess that the test required him to fight someone.
Probably Kardosh. He had not seen any of the Tjal use a sword but Jne. But judging from Kardosh’s stature and fluidity of movement, he knew that these final hours before noon very well could be his last. Surprisingly, the thought of death didn’t bother him. Right now, if death afforded him some rest, he would welcome it.

A sharp light suddenly beat across his face and Kardosh’s voice broke through his thoughts. “It is time, Renja,” his voice rolled. “You will now face steel as your final test.”

Renja cracked an eye at the shadow that filled the tent flap, the blinding light coming in from behind it making him blink. “It can’t be noon already,” he yawned. “I just laid down.”

“It is time,” Kardosh retorted, his voice emotionless. “You have five minutes to appear at the circle fire or you will…”

Renja raised a hand to cut him off. “I know, I know. Or I will be killed. I get it.” The tent flap closed and he was left in darkness. He almost put his head back down on his pillow but knew that if he did he would never wake again. Pushing himself up with effort, he grabbed the swords that he’d left by his bedroll and staggered toward the tent flap. Pulling it back he had to place a hand over his eyes to dull the brightness of the noonday sun. His body still cried for sleep but he was determined not to die in his bed. At least he would die with some honor intact, if that even really meant anything to him. For all he knew he might have been a rogue thief that had no honor.

A gentle snort to his left brought his head up finding him face to face with the horse. It was still there. He smiled. It had not left him. “I hope to do the same for you…” he stopped in mid-sentence and then looked down under the horse’s belly. “
…boy. If I make it through the day, I will have to come up with a name for you. For now, enjoy your freedom. I must go and try to win my own.” The horse raised his head and snorted as if to wish him luck and then Renja turned toward the camp and started for the circle fire.

As with the night previous, the entire
Rena’ja Tja
was present. This time though, there was no fire and all the logs and ash had been completely removed leaving the circle free of debris.
So, here is the testing ground then
. Surprisingly, Renja didn’t feel as nervous as he felt he should. In fact, the sleep had quickly left his mind and body as he weaved his way through the tents toward the circle. The idea of living alone without identity was far worse than the idea of death. Today he felt he would be satisfied either way, though given a choice he would still choose life.

Kardosh was in the center of the circle and motioned him forward.
It looks like it will be Kardosh after all
, he thought, as he broke through the crowd and met the large Tjal man. Kardosh regarded him for a brief moment and then raised his hands to silence the gathered crowd.

“Here is Renja, for that is the name he has chosen since his own has left his head.”

Renja raised an eyebrow at that since the name was really given to him by Jne, but he kept his mouth shut.

“He has come seeking life as a
Rena’ja
and has proven himself past the first two tests. Today you will witness whether or not he is worthy to stand among us.”

Renja scanned the crowd briefly trying to find an encouraging look from anyone but was only greeted by cold, hard stares. Was he to be an outcast no matter if he won or lost? Searching the crowd again he tried to find Jne, but found her to be strangely absent. He thought for sure that she would enjoy seeing him die during his test with steel. Where could she be?

Kardosh’s voice boomed again. “The wager for his life has been set at one hundred five and twenty to one. Is there any who wishes to bet on the side of his life?”

Renja searched the crowd again. He couldn’t blame the odds, he would not have bet on himself either, but he figured that there must be at least one or two people who were willing to
take the risk for such a large return. Nothing. All was silent. Not even the wind made a noise. Neither man nor nature wanted to take that bet.
So be it
, he thought.