Chapter 2 – Unexpected news
“What was that?! I demand to know!” Tarole shouted through his empty corridors. “Does no one listen to me?” he asked.
“Your Majesty , I’m not sure what that was but we can find out,” one of his elves appeared through a rotten door. Tarole stroked his cob-webby beard. His hands were half fingers and half claws. His nails were two inches long and his eyes were cold and translucent.
“Yes Garion, I would like that,” he said with a cruel laugh. What little animal had fallen victim to the Evil Spirit now?
“I’ll get your carrier ready now,” Garion replied.
“Hurry! We haven’t got much time.” The wind was cold as it blew through his long hair. The whip continued to beat the poor animals that pulled the carrier. The trees were bowed low and their ancient eyes followed Tarole through the long narrow hall of them. They pulled up at a clearing in the woods. There was blood splattered on the ground in front of them.
“What is this?” Tarole asked. He got off and put his head down and smelled it. “It’s wolf blood! Who dared to kill one of my wolves! Why didn’t they kill that someone?” Garion fidgeted with his hat. “We will find out who did this and have them pay for it,” growled Tarole.
“I have a bad feeling about this whole thing Tarole, your majesty,” he added.
“You’ve got a bad feeling aye? You want to back down do you? I knew you were a traitor from the beginning!”
“No! I mean, your majesty, I was saying that perhaps we should get help. After all if something happened to me, who would protect you?”
“I think I could manage fine without the likes of you” he frowned. “Yes, well, I’m sure you could sire,” Garion said, hurt. They heard a whispering in the trees. “What is it?” Tarole asked.
“I don’t know, sire!”
“I’m so sorry to bring you this news your majesty,” a wolf emerged from the thicket. “Your highest, respected wolf died by the sword of the hated human, Calmar IV.”
“And you let him get away!? Surely after all the battles you’ve fought, you could at least bring down one human!! Just one human!?” He looked the wolf in the eyes. His eyes were bleeding like they do when the wolves have been in the presence of a human. Tarole clawed him in the belly. He winced as his innards shattered to bits.
“Please sire, it wasn’t all my fault. I just happen to be the only one loyal enough to come back to you. The others fled afraid of what you would do to them.”
“ Just as well.” Tarole let out a sly smile. “I’m going to kill that human if it’s the last thing I do! I will splatter his blood all over the forest and spread his innards on the ground… do you hear me?”
“Yes! Yes sire, I do!” came a short reply.
“Good.”
“Perhaps we should head back now?” Garion suggested.
“Head back? Are you crazy? We’ve come this far and I’m going to go the rest. All the way to the Southern Falls if I have to!” He shivered from the excitement. “Let’s just hope that he’s prepared to die tonight!” He wobbled over to the carrier. He had feathers for his skin and bird legs for his legs, except his head was that of a human. He would have been enough to scare anyone except those ones that obeyed him because they had no leader.
“Your Majesty , I’m not sure what that was but we can find out,” one of his elves appeared through a rotten door. Tarole stroked his cob-webby beard. His hands were half fingers and half claws. His nails were two inches long and his eyes were cold and translucent.
“Yes Garion, I would like that,” he said with a cruel laugh. What little animal had fallen victim to the Evil Spirit now?
“I’ll get your carrier ready now,” Garion replied.
“Hurry! We haven’t got much time.” The wind was cold as it blew through his long hair. The whip continued to beat the poor animals that pulled the carrier. The trees were bowed low and their ancient eyes followed Tarole through the long narrow hall of them. They pulled up at a clearing in the woods. There was blood splattered on the ground in front of them.
“What is this?” Tarole asked. He got off and put his head down and smelled it. “It’s wolf blood! Who dared to kill one of my wolves! Why didn’t they kill that someone?” Garion fidgeted with his hat. “We will find out who did this and have them pay for it,” growled Tarole.
“I have a bad feeling about this whole thing Tarole, your majesty,” he added.
“You’ve got a bad feeling aye? You want to back down do you? I knew you were a traitor from the beginning!”
“No! I mean, your majesty, I was saying that perhaps we should get help. After all if something happened to me, who would protect you?”
“I think I could manage fine without the likes of you” he frowned. “Yes, well, I’m sure you could sire,” Garion said, hurt. They heard a whispering in the trees. “What is it?” Tarole asked.
“I don’t know, sire!”
“I’m so sorry to bring you this news your majesty,” a wolf emerged from the thicket. “Your highest, respected wolf died by the sword of the hated human, Calmar IV.”
“And you let him get away!? Surely after all the battles you’ve fought, you could at least bring down one human!! Just one human!?” He looked the wolf in the eyes. His eyes were bleeding like they do when the wolves have been in the presence of a human. Tarole clawed him in the belly. He winced as his innards shattered to bits.
“Please sire, it wasn’t all my fault. I just happen to be the only one loyal enough to come back to you. The others fled afraid of what you would do to them.”
“ Just as well.” Tarole let out a sly smile. “I’m going to kill that human if it’s the last thing I do! I will splatter his blood all over the forest and spread his innards on the ground… do you hear me?”
“Yes! Yes sire, I do!” came a short reply.
“Good.”
“Perhaps we should head back now?” Garion suggested.
“Head back? Are you crazy? We’ve come this far and I’m going to go the rest. All the way to the Southern Falls if I have to!” He shivered from the excitement. “Let’s just hope that he’s prepared to die tonight!” He wobbled over to the carrier. He had feathers for his skin and bird legs for his legs, except his head was that of a human. He would have been enough to scare anyone except those ones that obeyed him because they had no leader.
That night at the camp-fire the wolf and Garion were laying side-by-side. They silently listened to Tarole snore.
“Sometimes I wonder why we stay here. What is the point? He doesn’t even want us or like us!” the wolf said.
“Are you saying that you want to leave? I thought you trusted Tarole?”
“Well, it just seems to me that if he wants to catch that dratted human, than he can.” He winced from the pain in his stomach. “It just seems like there is something more than this. I thought having a leader was good, but don’t you think it’s time for us to try things out on our own?” There was silence all around.
“Do you realize what that human has done to you? He’s making you doubt your leader! Just seeing him made you question everything!? Your eyes were bleeding when you came back. That means that it did something to you. You must have stared right into his eyes. Which, logically, it affected you.” Garion ended.
“Enough of the logic, okay? I’m just saying that I think we’ve followed him long enough. It’s been so long since I’ve seen light. Ever since he put that spell on us to make us like him, I’ve never seen the stars. I miss seeing the color.” Garion looked over at the wolf. Something was happening and it wasn’t good. The wolf looked up out of the trees. “Do you see something in the sky?” Garion looked. “No.” The wolf looked again… its stars, he thought. It’s really stars! The spell must be breaking on me! The darkness is being overcome! Just imagine, light again.
It was the middle of the night… complete darkness. Garion stirred gently. Silence. He looked over at the Wolf sleeping soundly. He looked down at the sword buried in his sheath. One stab… just one. That’s all it would take and then there would be no one for Tarole to like better. He would have to keep me live since I’m the only one that knows these woods well. One stab. His hand slowly inched its way down his leg. It hit the hilt of the sword. One stab… he thought. He slowly and quietly pulled it out. It took less than a minute and there he lay… dead and still as the darkness around them. Garion lay down and cleaned his sword. I’ll just blame the humans for it. They sneaked into the camp at night and killed him. Yes, that would be just right. All was going just as planned.
“Sometimes I wonder why we stay here. What is the point? He doesn’t even want us or like us!” the wolf said.
“Are you saying that you want to leave? I thought you trusted Tarole?”
“Well, it just seems to me that if he wants to catch that dratted human, than he can.” He winced from the pain in his stomach. “It just seems like there is something more than this. I thought having a leader was good, but don’t you think it’s time for us to try things out on our own?” There was silence all around.
“Do you realize what that human has done to you? He’s making you doubt your leader! Just seeing him made you question everything!? Your eyes were bleeding when you came back. That means that it did something to you. You must have stared right into his eyes. Which, logically, it affected you.” Garion ended.
“Enough of the logic, okay? I’m just saying that I think we’ve followed him long enough. It’s been so long since I’ve seen light. Ever since he put that spell on us to make us like him, I’ve never seen the stars. I miss seeing the color.” Garion looked over at the wolf. Something was happening and it wasn’t good. The wolf looked up out of the trees. “Do you see something in the sky?” Garion looked. “No.” The wolf looked again… its stars, he thought. It’s really stars! The spell must be breaking on me! The darkness is being overcome! Just imagine, light again.
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