Brian Anderson - The Sword of Truth

Lee walked straight up to Gewey and pressed a letter into his hand.

“Wait until you get home to read it,” said Lee. “No questions, boy.”

Gewey stared at the man, his mouth gaping. Lee spun around and strode off, leaving Gewey baffled. He stared at the letter. It was old and yellow, but the seal was unbroken.

“Great,” muttered Gewey. “A long trip made even longer.”

Gewey continued on his way home, trying to think about anything other than what the letter might reveal.

The ride home seemed to take forever. Gewey had put the letter in his pocket, but could hardly resist the urge to open it. He tried to push his horse to move faster, but it did no good; she was a workhorse, not a racehorse. By the time he reached his farm, he could barely sit still. He put the wagon and horse away in record time, and almost pulled the front door off the hinges on his way inside. The house was dark and cold. Gewey frowned, realizing the letter would have to wait until he tended to the fire and lit the lanterns. Once these tasks were completed, Gewey finally sat down in his father’s chair next to the hearth and retrieved the letter from his pocket. He stared at the seal for a moment, and then carefully he opened it.

My son,

If you are reading this, my time on this world has passed. As I write, you are but two years old. Should I die before you are old enough to hear what I need to tell you, I will entrust this letter to Lord Starfinder. I have known him for many years, and he has said he plans to move here soon to retire. What I will tell you will not be easy for you to understand, but you must try.

I am not your real father.

Gewey nearly dropped the letter. He felt like a hammer had struck him between the eyes. He read the line again in disbelief, and then continued.

Believe me when I say that I could not love you more even if I were. You were given to me to care for when you were an infant. A merchant who happened by our farm as he traveled south to Millhaven Springs had found you. He told us that he had run across a small caravan that had been attacked by a band of marauders, and he had found you in the rubble. He told us he could not care for you and asked that we take you in. Your mother and I had no children of our own and did not question such a blessing from the gods. The moment I looked at you, I knew you were my son. I even managed to deceive the village elders as to your identity, but I suspect they wanted to be deceived.

Six months had passed when Lord Starfinder came to visit me. I knew him in my younger and more adventurous days. He told me he was here to purchase horses, but I believe he had other motives. We may have fine horses here, but the weeks of travel would have made such a journey unprofitable and at the very least, uncomfortable. I told him the truth about how you came to us, and he didn’t look surprised when he heard my story. The fact is, I believe you are the reason he came in the first place, and I believe you are the reason he moved here. He stayed for two weeks, buying up nearly every horse in the village-most of which he turned right around and sold again-and each night before sundown, he came to visit. He claimed that it was to enjoy simple hospitality and tell old tales, and at first his visits didn’t seem odd. Lee was always one for a good story and decent wine, but I began to suspect different reasons when he insisted on holding you every night until you went to sleep. He had never really cared for children, but when he held you, he smiled and ignored everything else until you were in your crib.

On his last visit, after he had rocked you to sleep and your mother left the room to put you down, he told me that you were special, and that the gods had blessed you with a great destiny. At first, I thought he was playing a joke, but the look in his eyes told me otherwise. When I asked him how he knew this, he waved me off and said that eventually it would be revealed. The man has always been somewhat of a mystery, but I believe he’s right. Even as a baby, I can see that you are special.

Son, you are destined for great things. Go see Lord Starfinder. He has knowledge of the world that you will one day need. He can be a little strange sometimes, but men like him always are.

Remember, son, I love you with all my heart, no matter what destiny has in store. Frankly, I hope Lee’s wrong, and that you stay with your mother and me until we’re old and gray. I would love nothing more than to look at my grandchildren as I look at you now.

All My Love,

Father

Gewey sat in silence. He felt as if his whole world had been stripped away. Why had his father never told him? This had been written when he was a baby, so surely there had been time. He felt confused and angry. None of it made sense. Why wait so long? Why the deception in the first place?

Gewey read the letter repeatedly, as if the words might change and his life would make sense again, but each time he found new unanswered questions. Finally, he stood up and ran out into the brisk night air. He felt dizzy and leaned against the porch. After a few minutes, he staggered back inside and went to bed. It would be several hours before sleep took him.

He went over his life in his mind, trying to remember some clue, some insight that might help him to understand, but came up with nothing. As far back as he could recall, his father had never been anything but that-his father. He tried to slow his mind and rid himself of his anger, remembering the love his father had always shown him, and the love Gewey felt for him in return.

Gewey fell asleep with one thought in his head: ‘Lee Starfinder,’ he thought. ‘Tomorrow I’ll go see Lee Starfinder. Maybe he has answers.’

That night, Gewey’s dreams were filled with horror. Visions of death and destruction swirled around him like a storm. Vast armies slaughtered each other, spilling oceans of blood. The sick and dying screamed out in agony. He tried not to look but could not turn away. Trying to force himself awake only took him deeper and into more terrifying visions. Just when he thought he could no longer take it, the world exploded into a great ball of flame. Slowly it burned away until there was nothing but utter darkness, so complete that he could feel it. It wrapped around him, pressing in until he wanted to cry out in despair. It penetrated his mind and soul as if it sought to possess him completely. He fought desperately to get out, but there was nothing to fight against. The darkness yielded and contracted with every move he made. Just when he felt as if he would be overcome, a voice boomed out.

“Child,” it said. The sheer volume of the voice nearly split Gewey’s head in two. “Why do you resist?”

“Who are you?” asked Gewey. His own voice seemed weak and small.

“Who am I?” the voice shot back, almost mocking. “I am he who knows the answers to your questions. I am he who can give you what you seek.”

“I don’t understand,” said Gewey. “What questions?”

“I can tell you who you are, young one,” it replied. “The lies that surround you, the reason for your existence can be made clear. I can show you how to use your power to gain all you desire.”

Gewey’s mind reeled. He felt the malice and hatred in the voice, but was compelled to listen. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help himself.

“You’re not real,” said Gewey finally. “You’re in my mind. I’m dreaming.”

“Of course you’re dreaming,” scoffed the voice. “But I am real. In your heart, you know it to be true. You’ve always known it. Didn’t you feel me watching you, protecting you?”