The Forgotten Stone, page 8
Oloren’s eyes widened. “He did what? … Oh, he and I will definitely be having words later.”
“Later is probably good—he may still need to cool off,” Enouim noted.
Pakel laughed. “Don’t worry, I set the story straight with Baird.”
Baird spoke up for the first time. “A good thing too! It sounds like this Canukke fellow may have more Kalka’an in him than he’d like to admit. That’s a surprise.”
“He gets ahead of himself sometimes,” Oloren returned, “but he knows what he’s doing and is a good choice for a leader all things considered.”
“Seems to me there are some serious trust issues to resolve though,” Baird continued. “How did he end up being the head of this mission? Kilith seems like a competent man, and his name is known to us. And I have led a number of excursions myself, as I’m sure several of you have.”
“Kilith only came on the condition that he be free to leave at any time,” Vadik explained. “That means no official leadership role. He doesn’t like to be tied down.”
“Practically it means that he follows along for as long as he wants to be here, but Canukke respects him, and they often confer together.” Pakel pulled out his karambit and started twirling it in his hands again. “I imagine Canukke wouldn’t try rebuking Kilith, knowing if he did it wouldn’t go well. If there’s something to discuss, they’ll address it among the two of them and we probably won’t even know about it. As for other leaders, aside from Kilith, Canukke is the natural choice despite all our experience.”
“Canukke knows Gorgenbrild leaders well and is looked up to by many,” Oloren said. “Like I said, he is highly skilled, and I’ve fought alongside him many times before.”
Vadik grinned. “You sound pretty loyal for railing at him a few minutes ago.”
“When it counts, I trust his ability and intelligence. He’s strategic and he gets the job done, but I know him well enough to call him out when I see something I don’t think is right. He can be arrogant, and I don’t agree with everything he does, but we work it out in the end.”
“I’ll have to defer judgment then and see for myself if he is really as good as he says he is,” Baird said. “Enouim, what do you think of him?”
“I don’t know him as well as Oloren or the others.”
“But you know enough to have an opinion. I mean, you charged up to him and weren’t mincing words then. Obviously you have thoughts on the man.”
“I think he’s arrogant, like Oloren said. I think he fits Gorgenbrild stereotypes to a T, and I think he could treat people better, you know? I know warriors can be effective without caring about people, but I just feel like he could do better on that front. Maybe even … well, anyway, I don’t like him as a person, but apparently he knows what he’s doing in military scenarios.”
“You know something we don’t?” Pakel pressed, a twinkle in his eye.
“Not really. It doesn’t matter,” Enouim replied, thinking of the little bit she had gathered about Canukke and Edone’s relationship, and the way Canukke flirted back with the women that forever surrounded him. “So what about you, Baird? You talk about Canukke’s trustworthiness, but you’re from Kalka’an. Wouldn’t he somehow earn points for deceit in your book?”
“Hey now! We can be trusted through our actions, and you’ll learn that I’m here to further the mission. I was sent as a representative of Kalka’an, and if my people didn’t trust I would be able to report back accurately, they would’ve sent someone else. Get to know me and see what you think.”
“So they sent you, or you volunteered?” Oloren asked.
“Both!”
“What made you want to come?” Pakel inquired.
“Adventure! I love the rush of exploring something new. Unexpected turns of events. I am also here for the greater good, for Kalka’an, for our allies in Gorgenbrild. Finding the Ecyah Stone would be legendary to say the least. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And protecting our peoples at the same time? Nothing better! How can you say no to that?”
Enouim couldn’t help but like Baird. He was easy going and animated, a free spirit with a genuine zest for life. Whether or not he was genuine in other areas, Enouim wasn’t sure. She wanted to trust him, but she didn’t want to be bitten for it later. He was from Kalka’an after all. But Baird certainly was friendly, and that put her at ease. He also seemed to have accepted her as part of the group back in Kalka’an, and Enouim hadn’t forgotten that.
Enouim allowed herself to settle into traveling, enjoying a blissful breeze and marveling at the sparkling sea to their right. She learned that Kalka’an’s investigation into whether or not Levav possessed the Ecyah Stone had returned murky at best. The stone had vanished without a trace after the Great Rift. Gorgenbrild believed they had a right to the stone, for they were the most skilled in war and followed a code of honor. Who better to remove every menace from the face of the earth? When The Ecyah Stone reappeared in the hand of Glintenon in the First Morthed War, Gorgenbrild held that their right to the stone was confirmed, as Glintenton himself must have intended it. But, to their dismay, the stone disappeared again, and three decades later rumors started that Levav had it.
Levav was a fortress, and though at one time they had an open-door policy to anyone desiring to enter, Levav soon discovered spies attempting to locate the stone and sabotage their control of the region. Levav shut its gates and, though they still traded with other peoples, became well-guarded and watchful. The Levavin often sent small groups out to the nomads in the desert and in boats across the sea on peaceful missions, but they were selective in who they permitted inside their own walls. One-hundred years after the First Morthed War, most in the surrounding areas were convinced the Ecyah Stone was with Levav. These suspicions were made stronger when Kalka’an, Morthed, and several other smaller groups each attempted to conquer it and claim the stone for themselves and were soundly defeated. Levav had lived in relative peace ever since.
The company continued along the coastline, but the space between the water and the cliffs opened up to about thirty yards, and they moved away from the beach to firmer ground. The waves lapped gently on the shore to her right, and as she looked up at her left she was astounded at how the cliff rose with hardly a rocky crag, as if it were cut glass. It would take them two months to get to Levav, and Enouim began to think about what lay ahead.
Now that she was on the mission, she realized that her only real fighting skill was with a knife, but a few knife tricks wouldn’t be enough to get her through the mission in one piece. Even if the stone was in Levav and they somehow managed to seize it, getting it home again would be no easy task. The Sumus would know by now that they’d departed Gorgenbrild, and they may have hypothesized why.
For this reason Enouim resolved to learn to fight. With weeks of travel ahead, there was no better time to practice. She had the basics of course, like any Gorgenbrilder would pick up even without trying, but she had never applied herself to it and was far behind the skill of the warriors she rode alongside. Enouim brought it up with Pakel and Oloren, and they were more than happy to help.
The company stopped to rest the horses and eat, and Pakel and Enouim took the opportunity to practice combat. Pakel’s eyes shone with excitement. Clearly, he thoroughly enjoyed taking on his new role as principal instructor.
“Close the distance—good,” he said, moving toward her. He swung at her and she blocked, then he caught her off guard with a jab to the throat. “Aha! You have to be better with the fast attacks. Not every move is so easy to see coming.”
“Sorry.” It was a good thing Pakel had such a positive attitude. Any other teacher would dampen her motivation and discourage her efforts.
“No apologizing.” He lunged toward her again. “Here’s the thing. You don’t have time to apologize in a real fight. You might not die from throwing techniques with imperfect form, but you will definitely die from stopping to berate yourself for doing it wrong. Again.”
Enouim steeled herself and took a deep breath. Pakel came at her, and she moved into the motion, meeting him with force so that even a block was a counterattack. She picked up the pace to match him, and they quickly exchanged blows, deflections, and counterattacks in a rhythm that was almost poetic.
“Breathe,” he reminded her.
Ugh. How could she possibly forget something her body usually did on its own? She had been holding her breath. Frustrated, she went into her next move but left her torso open, and Pakel made a slicing motion to signify that she would have been cut. He made several more slicing motions and then came after her again.
“I’m dead,” she said flatly, backing away and breathing hard. “I would have died about five times by now.”
“We’ll probably all die soon anyway,” Gabor said brightly from the sidelines. “Good to get used to the idea now!”
Silas laughed, but Pakel ignored them. “Every time you see a knife, you need to assume you’re going to get cut. Getting cut isn’t the end of the world if you can control where you get cut.”
“Or you could avoid it altogether by disarming them before they get the chance,” Vadik drawled.
“Even if some of those were just shallow cuts, I’m still dead,” Enouim said to Pakel, ignoring Vadik.
“So what? You just quit? Come on, Enouim. Go again.” This time Gabor’s voice was less jovial.
Enouim felt like her energy had been drained just as quickly as her blood would have been if the scenario were real. She shook her head. She couldn’t do this.
“Never stop moving,” Oloren added softly but firmly. “I know you’re tired, but even if you’re slower, hit harder and keep going.”
“You’re soft,” Canukke commented casually. His condescending tone hit Enouim like a punch to the gut. Every look he gave her reeked of it. “You’re thinking you aren’t cut out for this. Glintenon, maybe there’s a reason.”
“Focus,” Kilith said. Somehow Kilith watching her—quietly, intently—brought a sliver of determination back to her mind. Though he’d said little so far, he’d been watching with a keen eye from the start. Who was this mysterious man? How did he know her father? Kilith was older than her father had been and may have encountered him before she’d come along, she supposed. Why hadn’t she heard of him? Why did he warn her about proving herself to Canukke?
Enouim wanted to impress Kilith, she knew that. And she wanted to prove Canukke wrong. But her body cried for reprieve. It would be counterproductive to try proving him wrong when failure was certain. At the same time, what other choice did she have? She couldn’t very well train in private. Privacy was a thing of the past now anyway; the group was together every moment.
Enouim willed herself back to the present and faced Pakel. He came forward again, and she produced a side kick with enough force to send him backward a bit. She pulled out her own blade and closed the space between them, nearly getting the sharp edge to his neck before he deflected and spun behind her. Pakel put her in a choke hold from behind, and she tucked her chin as best as she could, but it was too late. She felt her airway constrict and tapped Pakel’s arm. He released her.
“I survived my first fight to the death at fourteen,” Canukke said. “Killed my first zegrath at sixteen. Here you are, unable to even stand on your own two feet.”
Enouim’s felt her shoulders fall forward, and a sour look settled on her face.
“I’m Canukke,” Pakel said softly. “Perfectly cocky and obnoxious. Ignore him except to funnel all frustration with him at me.”
“Breathe,” Oloren reminded her again. “Relax.”
Relaxing did not come naturally in fighting scenarios. How was she supposed to do that? Enouim drew her shoulders back and took a deep breath, and as she let it out, she felt her muscles release some of their tension. Another deep breath.
Silas whispered behind her, “She’ll never make it.”
With a guttural cry, she flew at Pakel, deflecting his front kick, throwing a jab and an uppercut to the chin, trapping one of his arms in an underhook and gripping the back of his shirt with the other. Enouim pulled his body down and struck him in the stomach with her knee. Cheers erupted from several of the onlookers. Feeding off their energy, Enouim dealt several more blows. Pakel went for a takedown around her waist, but she leaped backward in the nick of time.
Pakel regained his footing and smiled. “Good! We have a lot of work to do, but we’re making progress.”
Enouim glanced behind her and saw Gabor smile and nod. Kilith had a twinkle in his eye, but Canukke glowered at her.
They worked on hand to hand, knife, and sword. Enouim worked primarily with Pakel, but as they progressed, several others joined in on the fun. Vadik loomed eight inches taller than her own five foot-six height and gave her more aggression than Pakel. Baird was quick on his feet and used more feigning moves than her Gorgenbrilder companions, and Gabor was smooth as silk with his blade and footwork so that he seemed to glide across the ground.
Sometimes Enouim felt discouraged by the stark size and strength differences between herself and the men, but Oloren showed her how to make the most of her size. At five foot three, Oloren held her own by manipulating torque rather than brute strength. She showed Enouim what weak points to target, such as bearing down on a fulcrum joint in a shoulder or elbow.
“It’s not about size,” she told Enouim as she doubled Baird over with one hand, twisting his wrist. “It’s about strategy. You can appreciate that, can’t you, Baird? And if he’s too tall, a few strikes to vulnerable areas like the groin or knee will bring him down to your level.”
The company continued on between the ocean and the cliff, and though night fell, still Canukke pressed onward. Enouim felt her eyelids drooping as she struggled to stay awake.
Gabor punched her in the arm. “If he sees you sleeping, you might never wake up,” he hissed.
“Why haven’t we stopped yet? We never go this long,” Enouim whispered back.
“He doesn’t like being surrounded by so many barriers with no natural cover or resources. No trees, no fresh water.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want more Kalka’an coming down the cliff,” Vadik suggested.
Silas shook his head. “We don’t live in the cliffs this far down. No one does. But we don’t like to feel trapped in this funnel any more than he does, so I can’t say I blame him for this one.”
Up ahead, Canukke’s horse stopped, and slowly the rest halted. Canukke’s beady eyes glinted in the dim moonlight, and Enouim could just make out his gesture for silence before he walked his horse forward again.
“Who exactly does he think will hear us?” Vadik asked, looking to Silas.
“I think he’s just in a mood. There’s no one in this direction, not for miles.”
“Is he ever not in a mood?” Baird grumbled. A small object whizzed through the air and hit Baird on the head. “Ouch!” he hissed, catching the seashell as it fell.
Canukke was staring back at him. Gabor snorted, and Canukke repeated his gesture for silence.
Another three hours passed before Canukke finally motioned for them to make camp. The air was brisk, and Enouim tugged the hood of her mantle up over her head.
“We may talk in low tones now,” said Canukke.
“I don’t want to talk,” Vadik said. “I want to fall straight asleep!”
Baird grinned. “Well, there’s a first!” The corner of his mouth twitched.
“Now if only we had a fire,” Oloren said.
“No, it’s a mercy there aren’t any resources to tempt us here,” Canukke said quietly. “Camrin ships target this strip, and many unfortunate travelers on this road go missing. Keep a weather eye out, and don’t draw attention to yourselves.”
“Camrin ships! Son of a zegrath, surely they don’t have the gall to come this far?” Pakel looked concerned.
Kilith spoke for the first time. “Canukke has spent more time in this area than most, even more than many Kalka’an. I would take heed if I were you. Let’s get some rest.”
The suggestion couldn’t have sounded sweeter to Enouim. She gladly unrolled her blanket and lay down, her comrades following suit. Wind blew the sand in her face, and she turned away, pulling the blanket tightly around herself. She woke during the night and saw only the sleeping forms of seven warriors.
Canukke sat alone twenty feet off, staring out over the sea. Following his gaze, she saw two twinkling lights in the distance, bobbing across the surface of the water. One disappeared for a moment, but reappeared a moment later. Anxious thoughts about Camrin ships came to mind, but Canukke was watching over them, alert, but unconcerned, unhurried, but prepared. He knew what he was doing. With this reassurance, she let herself drift away once more.
10
Morning came far too quickly, and being jostled awake before her body was ready to cooperate was among Enouim least favorite experiences.
“Time to go, Enouim! Wake up!” Vadik’s voice was loud in her ear.
“You have way too much energy,” Enouim mumbled, rolling over.
“Well, take some of mine then. Come on!” He shook her harder, and she groaned.
“Isn’t she up yet?” Canukke called. “If she’s not in the saddle in two minutes, I drag her behind my horse.”
Enouim snapped her eyes open and pushed herself up, but the sudden motion made her head spin. She blinked and shook her head, trying to clear it. Canukke gave a sly grin, and Gabor and Pakel laughed good-naturedly.
Gabor took her under the arm and hoisted her to her feet. “That did it, eh?” He patted her on the arm, then released her.
Enouim took only a step toward Inferno before tripping over her own feet and falling right back on her rump. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head once more.
“And you people think I’m a liability,” Silas muttered from somewhere behind her.
Oloren helped her to her feet, laughing. “Rough morning, En,” she said with a wink.
