The Choosing (23 page)

Garret placed his foot in the stirrup of his mount.  He knew it was his mount because it was the tallest of the four.  He had picked this one for that very reason.  Lifting his body high into the air he swung his other leg over the saddle and into the other stirrup.  Standing in the stirrups he looked on down the road to the horizon.  Shimmering just over the horizon, Garret could see six identical objects, evenly spaced from one another.  Oblivious to the danger of doing so, and wanting to get a better look at what he was seeing, Garret removed his feet from the stirrups and precariously climbed up to stand atop his saddle.  Looking again to the distance, this time with a better vantage point, he could more clearly see the objects.  Not only could he see the objects he could now identify as towers, but he could also see the wall that connected them.

Garret’s three companions watched him climb dangerously on top of his saddle.  They each watched him quietly not wanting to startle him or his mount.  They had each assumed correctly what it was that he was doing, but none of them knew why he was doing it.  They all remained silently, still watching, when he climbed back down into the saddle.

“So?”  Seth said questioningly

Garret pulled on his reigns, turning his mount back around to face his companions.  As he turned everyone noted the smile on his face, but waited for him to answer his brother’s question.

“We’re there.”  Garret stated coolly, the smile still remaining on his lips.

“We’re where?”  Again it was Seth who asked

“Here.”  Garret answered jokingly.

“Ok then bro, then where exactly is here?”  Seth asked perplexed.

“Valdadore.”  Garret simply stated, the smile returning to his face, then continued.  “If you look carefully you can see six triangles on the horizon all spaced the same amount apart from one another.”

Seth, Ashton, and Sara each looked to the horizon at this statement, and one by one returned their eyes to Garret, each nodding their agreement.  Once each of them had let him know that they too could see the objects he continued.

“When I stood up I could see that each of those triangles is the top of a tower, and connecting the towers is a wall.  I think it is Valdadore.  It must be, there aren’t any other towns or cities between Raven’s hold and the capital that I can recall hearing about.”

“How far away do you think it is?”  Seth asked his twin.

“Well at the pace we were keeping this morning I would say maybe four hours.  That’s assuming the walls here are the same height as the walls of Raven’s Hold.  If they are taller that means it is further away and so will take longer.  However, if we pick up the pace, like we were doing yesterday or maybe even faster if the horses can take it, I would say two and a half maybe three hours tops.  That would get us there right about sunset.”

Seth looked up noting the suns position in the sky.  The sky was still clear, and they did have about three hours of light left.  Looking across the sky from the sun Seth also noted the two moons shining pale in the still lit sky.  The first was already well in the sky, the second just coming over the eastern horizon.

“Well I guess we better get going then.”  Seth said.  “Seems to me even if your off by a few hours both moons will be out tonight so if we have to travel in the dark we should still be able to see.”

Not waiting for the others to agree, Garret spun his horse back around and drove his heels into its flanks.  His mount erupted forward, blazing down the road away from his companions.  Seth looked to Sara, and then to Ashton with a wry grin on his face.  All three of them copied Garrets previous actions and burst off down the road at a gut wrenching pace. 

They pushed their enormous mounts harder than they had the day before, pushing them to speeds the young companions had not imagined capable by a living creature.  They thundered down the road with scenery flashing past them in a blur.  They rode like this, nonstop until only the last traces of light remained.  Finally Garret reigned in his horse and shortly was joined by his twin and their other companions.  They looked still at the horizon ahead of them, still at least three hours away, at the massive city that sprawled across the landscape.  The sheer size of it left them in awe.  How was it that man could build something this magnificent, this enormous?  Even at this distance it was easy to tell that each of the towers rose a full twelve stories from the ground, and the wall that connected them was easily ten stories itself.  In the center of the wall facing them was one massive gate.  The gate stood half the height of the wall itself, and was twice as wide as it was tall.  The light was beginning to fade from the sky, but even so it was apparent from this distance that the twins had been mistaken in their assumptions of how the city would look.  Each of them had imagined it much smaller for starters.  Also they had each thought that it would be the same dull, blue-grey color as Stone haven.  After all it was said that the capital city had been built from stone quarried from the town they had previously visited.  But as it stood, magnificent on the horizon, Valdadore gleamed white into the impending darkness.

“So what should we do?”  Sara asked no one in particular.

“Well it appears it is at least three more hours at the pace we were just running.  We can’t even travel at half that speed in the dark, moons or not.  So we are looking at a minimum of six more hours, if not more, if we continue on tonight.  Garret replied.

“I say we find a spot.  We make camp.  Then first thing tomorrow we pick up where we left off, and we can eat breakfast within the walls of Valdadore before mid morning.”  Seth stated his mind already made up.

They each agreed with Seth’s idea and headed off the road, spreading out but remaining in sight of one another, to look for a place to make camp.  Not able to find anything resembling shelter, Seth led his horse to a large oak that sat alone in a field.  No leaves remained on the tree, but they did make a nice soft layer on the ground beneath it, and so he decided it would have to do.  Calling to Sara to join him he dismounted his horse, and looked for a place to tie it.  Sara called to Ashton, who called to Garret, and the three came to join Seth beneath the large tree.  When they arrived they each dismounted and led their horses to where Seth was tying his own to a large branch that hung low to the ground.  Tying each of their horses to the branch far from the trunk, they dug through their saddle bags for their food.  Carrying their supplies they each walked around the tree, opposite the horses and spread out near its base.  They sat to eat in the early darkness, none of them speaking, each of them day dreaming of what they might see the next morning.

They ate quickly and quietly, and without much conversation they each unpacked their blankets and settled down to get to sleep.  Seth walked a ways off from his brother and Ashton wanting a bit of privacy with Sara.  She followed him to where he laid out their blanket, and when he sat so did she.

Instead of sitting in his lap, as she would have usually done, she sat in front of him.  She wanted to be close enough they could talk quietly, privately, but at the same time she wanted to be able to see his expressions as they talked.

“I’ve been thinking today.”  Sara stated.

“Thinking about what my angel?”  Seth asked lovingly.

“About The Choosing.”  She replied

“Ah…”  Seth said then asked.  “What about it?”

“I’m scared Seth.”  Sara whispered, her lower lip trembling.

Instinctively Seth leaned forward and hugged Sara into his chest, hoping to ease her pain.  Hoping to make her feel safe.

“Why are you scared my love?”  He asked her.  “There is nothing to be afraid of. I won’t let anything happen to you.  It’s just a ceremony.  Nobody is going to hurt you.”

“I know how it works Seth, and that is why I am scared.”  She told him.

“Then what are you afraid of Sara?  I will be there with you I promise.”  Seth replied.

“I know you will, but I’m afraid we are going to go to the ceremony together and they are going to choose us for different positions in different places.  I’m afraid they are going to take you away from me.”  Sara sobbed no longer able to control her emotions.

The thought had dawned on Seth before, and now that he thought about it, he too was afraid, not only of losing Sara, but as always, of losing his brother.

“I’m so sorry Sara.  I hadn’t thought to mention it before.  You said you have been thinking about it, have you come up with a plan or solution?”  Seth asked.

“No love, the only thing I could think of is us running away.  We could go somewhere far away where no one has heard of The Choosing, and we could hide.  That way, at least we could be together.”  Sara stated still sobbing, but hopeful he would agree with her.

Seth thought it over a moment.  It was a good plan.  It was simple and to the point, and with the money they had combined they would be able to travel nearly anywhere they wanted if they went on foot.  The only thing that kept Seth from immediately agreeing was his brother.  Seth and Garret had been not only brothers, but best friends from birth.  They had never been apart, not even for a day.  Seth could not imagine running away not knowing when if ever he would see his twin again.  He knew too that Garret would not agree to run with them.  Garret
wanted
to go to The Choosing,
wanted
to serve the Kingdom.  Seth looked to the beautiful woman who sat in front of him.  She sat watching him expectantly, hopeful that he would accept her plan and they could leave this night.  He loved her with every fiber of his being and wanted in no way to hurt or disappoint her.  Thinking quickly, Seth formulated a solid, mature decision.

“We can’t run away Sara.”  Seth started, and seeing Sara’s shoulders slump, and tears fill her eyes, he continued.  “Not yet at least.  Please don’t cry Sara, hear me out.  I think you will agree with my idea, and if you don’t like it we will figure something out together.”

Sara did not trust her voice and so she nodded for him to continue, and he did.

“My dad used to tell Garret and I to never give something up without trying it.”  Seth began.  “It has always been good advice so far, so I think it should also apply to this.  I say we go to The Choosing, give it a try, see what we are chosen for.  If they separate us, we make a run for it.  Tomorrow night we will be staying in an inn somewhere in the city.  Where ever that inn is, is where we will meet if they separate us.  As soon as it is dark, just head to the inn and I will be there and we will leave together I promise.  If we aren’t separated, then I say we do our five years of service so long as we are together.”  Seth finished, his eyes never leaving Sara’s amber gaze.

Sara listened to Seth explain.  Seth was, as she expected, easily able to come up with a plan.  He was a rational thinking person, an intelligent person.  Sara knew if they had any options he would find them, and so he did.  She nodded her agreement to him, wiping the tears from her face.  She smiled at the man she loved.  He would be there for her no matter what, and just thinking about it made the pain of future possibilities vanish.  No longer was she afraid of The Choosing.  She reached up, placed her hands on his chest and shoved with all her might.

Seth toppled over backwards, landing on his back in the leaves, no longer even upon their blanket.  Before he could process what had just happened Sara was on top of him.  She jumped quickly upon him giving him no time to react.  She straddled his waist, pressing her body to his.  She pressed her mouth to his and parted his lips with her eager tongue.  They kissed passionately for many moments until their breath came in ragged gasps.  Releasing his lips she trailed down his neck kissing him softly, every kiss bringing her kisses lower on his neck.  When she ran out of neck to kiss she reached between their bodies and grabbing his shirt pulled it all the way up to his shoulders.  She sat up, admiring his muscled chest, and ran her fingers lightly across the lines of his chest and abdomen.  Lying back down upon him she began to kiss his chest.  She kissed him in random locations across his chest and stomach until he could no longer endure remaining still.

Unable to continue taking the pleasurable torment she unleashed upon him, Seth took matters into his own hands.  Seth rolled over quickly careful not to hurt Sara he pinned her beneath his body.  Holding his own weight he slid his body down until once again their lips met.  He kissed her hard but lovingly.  His lips remained locked to hers relentlessly.  Her breaths coming in gasps she pulled her legs out from beneath him raising her knees to either side of him.  This position brought her hips and pelvis to press against his body in a pleasurable way he had not experienced before, and not wanting to give her the upper hand he changed his tactic.  Sliding down once more he began to lightly kiss her neck, exhaling his warm breath upon her as he did.  As his lips worked down the length of her neck a small moan escaped her lips.  He knew he was on the right track.  Continuing his descent he left a trail of kisses down to her collar bone.  Her breaths came loud and fast as he continued his assault.  Her tunic was cut severely low in the front, exposing portions of her soft body he yearned to touch.  Keeping his hands to either side of her to support his body, he continued to kiss her exposed flesh.  Her body began to tremble, and so he continued to kiss her, low into the V of her tunic.  As his mouth reached the last portion of her exposed body her quick breaths stopped as she bit her bottom lip, her hips rolling against his abdomen, she shuddered, and her breaths returned deep and slow.