Jeremy Laszlo - The Choosing

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.”