Temple of the Tiger Part Two A calling of Warriors
Chapter Two. Friends apart
Keelagh had explained as best she could what had happened when she had lost Wraith in the streets, she had also explained that Magryth was also searching for him, Paidrech had instructed Bodin to stay and make sure the ship was readied for they had to sail on the evening tide.
That was hours ago, and despite the searching and the calling, despite having a Magical Unicorn also doing these things there was still no sign of the Wolf. The time was fast approaching for them to set sail and Keelagh realised for the first time that she may have to leave without her beloved Wolf, a prospect she did not want to face. She knew she could not ask them to go on without her, the pledge she had taken when she had agreed to the Quest meant that she had to see it through no matter what happened to anyone or anything else.
They searched streets and alleys, they asked questions, but the people of the Port of Pertune were not like the people in Duranbro and they were closed and suspicious of the strangers looking for a wild animal. Nothing bore fruit, no one apparently would admit to seeing the Wolf let alone knowing about his disappearance. Then as they approached the last of the streets, on their way back to the ship, they had come across Wraiths Golden collar, the one that he had been presented with after the Battle in which he had played the greatest part. It was broken and on it a bloody mark. They had then searched the Quayside, but there was no sign of him.
It was with a heavy heart that she finally boarded the ship, Bryntich was waiting out at sea beyond the City, and Magryth had decided to stay and continue the search for the Wolf, even he could not understand how he had not been able to pick up Wraiths trail and believed that there was something more behind this than a random capture of a wild creature, though he did not tell Keelagh for she was upset enough. As the ship slipped out from the Quayside Keelagh stood, eyes shining from unshed tears, looking back at the city that had taken her dear friend from her, she vowed that no matter what happened she would find him and those that had taken him would pay dearly. She knew he still lived, she felt that, she just hoped that he was not suffering, for that would make them pay even more dearly.
He laid, quiet, eyes closed, but not sleeping, he listened, he waited. They thought they had subdued him with their sticks and lashes, they hadn’t, he could not be subdued. He was not what they thought he was, or maybe they didn’t know and the orders that they acted under had not been specific about what they were dealing with. He had injured one, when they had tried to hold him by the collar, he would not use that hand for fighting again. He had little room to move in the box they had placed him in, but he was a patient creature and his time would come, he felt motion, a rolling motion, similar to when they had crossed the lake but deeper more powerful. And as the motion continued he felt the pain from the one that was his deepest friend, he would find her, they would not be able to stop him, for now he waited patiently.
Bryntich had landed gently and gracefully on the ship once they were well out to sea, stating that when there was no slippy green stuff he could land anywhere. His heart ached for Keelagh, the lost and sad look in her eyes each time she looked to the side for Wraith and he was not there. He knew there was a reason that Wraith had been taken, Magryth had told him that whoever had done it had cloaked The Wolf so he could not be sensed by him. Cloaking a creature from the Magic of A Unicorn was no easy feat, which meant an enemy maybe as powerful as the one they had faced at Duranbro, and in a land that they did not know, with dangers that would be unseen without the power of the Wolf and the Unicorn there. He would wait to tell them of this, for he knew Keelagh and she would at once want to turn the ship around and go searching for whatever/whoever was responsible, her pledge would tear her apart.
“What sort of Man would want this for a life?” she jumped as he spoke to her, turning she smiled at him, Bryntich ever present, always knowing what went on in her head and heart, “No land for miles and miles and nothing but the sea to look at” he continued
“Well some must for there are many that travel the seas to new lands looking for spices and silks to bring home, and the fishermen of course” She answered him “I guess they like the solitude of the sea, the way that it speaks, the soft rolling of the waves that lulls them to sleep”
“Pah! The soft rolling of the waves that makes you green with sickness, you mean” And he looked towards the opposite rail where Yailith was looking a funny shade of Greeny/white and sweating and shivering in turn. Keelagh laughed, “He hasn’t found his sea legs yet to be sure, but we are only an hour or so out, he will get used to it, as I have”
“Nothing seems to throw you Keelagh” the Dragon mused softly “First time out to sea and you act like you have done it all your life”
“I feel like I have Bryn, just as I felt I had done a thousand adventures before the battle at Duranbro, and fought a thousand fights, tis strange to be sure, but holds me in good stead when I have need of a clear head”
“We will find him you know?” he said softly
“But what will he have suffered before we do Bryn? What are they doing to him? I felt his pain, here” And she touched her chest where the heart lay “Will he still be our Wraith when they are done with him? “ Her eyes clouded and she looked out to sea
“He will always be our Wraith, or more precisely your Wraith, you are bound together, as you and I are, as he and I are by the Magic of a Unicorn and the drop of a dragon tear, why else do you think he stayed? He is no longer a mere white Wolf, I don’t believe he ever was, from the beginning it was meant that he would be with us, that he is special. What we saw at Duranbro is only a part of what/who he is, I believe that Wraith was chosen by powers even I don’t comprehend”
“I believe you are right Bryn, he is special, not just because of what he did at Duranbro, but because he has this quietness, this strength about him, that makes those around him gather strength and courage, but also peace, I for one had never seen a Wolf his size with eyes of that colour, before”
“Then let it be, Keelagh, for you need to concentrate on the journey ahead and the land you are coming to needs to be learnt about” he said gently
Keelagh turned and looked at him for a long moment, then sighing, she nodded her head “Start teaching Bryn, I am listening”
Kal and his companions had reached the City that lay before the sea, it was not a large city, not like Duranbro or the Port of Pertune. It was however the first city that he had ever seen and to him it was enormous. The sea on his first sight of it had taken his breath away, huge and endless it seemed, with long flat yellow land at its beginning, Gilbert told him this was sand, and the flat parts were called Beaches, he didn’t understand the foreign words but the golden sand looked nice. All they had by the lake was pebbles and gritty grey stuff, though he had seen the same golden stuff in the bottom of the lake and the stream that ran through the village. Sand, he would be able to tell them all that when he got back, his euphoria suddenly waned as the thought unbidden arose ‘If he got home’
Gilbert and Kearth were seasoned travellers and the city didn’t phase them at all. “This is Port Bail” Gilbert informed him “It was not always called that, it used to be Port Zargon, but it was renamed after a mighty wizard that helped to save it some years back”
“I have heard of the legend of a Wizard that saved a city from destruction, I thought it was some far off land” Kal answered him
“This is far off to you, country boy” Kearth said laughing
Kal went a mighty shade of red, he didn’t seem able to please Kearth and he was always making fun of him. He didn’t think that Kearth liked him much, and was wary of what he said.
“Stop teasing the boy, Kearth” Gilbert admonished gently. Kearth looked at him with a glower, and then he smiled “Tis but fun Gilbert, he will face much worse when Paidrech gets here” and he chuckled “It will be fun to be together again though”
“Aye, that it will” Gilbert agreed, he turned towards Kal “We may have some time to wait before they get here, will be a long journey by sea, meantime, we are going to teach you about city life but whatever you do, you stay close by us, you hear?”
“I hear you Gilbert, I shall not wander off” Kal answered his eyes huge as they trotted through the city streets to look for a place to stay.
“I have the feeling he is going to get into more trouble than we two put together” Kearth said watching him
Gilbert laughed “Well that’s not something new to us now is it?”
