Brian Anderson - The Sword of Truth

“’Do you like dogs?’ she asked me. ‘Personally, I think they’re better than people. More loyal. Certainly smarter.’

“I just stood there, staring like an idiot. Here before me was the great Oracle of Manisalia. People spoke of her wisdom all over the world. Kings and lords bowed to her will. In fact, she was the very reason I was now a lord instead of wasting away back at the Temple of Saraf. The woman had the ear of the entire known world, and here she was, barefoot on the floor, playing with a mongrel puppy. It wasn’t exactly inspiring.”

Gewey grinned, trying to imagine the scene.

“She looked at me and smiled. Her skin was flawless, as if age could not touch her; but if the stories about her were true, then she must have been very old. Her jet-black hair was tied back in a loose braid, showing no hint of gray. Her eyes were sky blue and twinkled in the dim light. When she met my gaze, I felt small and insignificant- as though she had turned me into a child.

“’I take it I’m not what you expected,’ she said. ‘Would you feel better if I have my assistant come in and chant in an ancient language? She knows one. She’s a very bright young girl.’ Clearly, the Oracle was having fun with me. ‘I guess you want to know what I told poor Dauvis about you.’

“I sat in front of her on one of the pillows and told her my story. She listened patiently, but I had the feeling that she knew what I was going to say before I said it. Still, it felt good to tell someone. When I finished, she stood up and got a bowl of figs from the corner and we sat in silence and ate. When we finished eating, she reached over and put her hand on my cheek.

“’So young, yet so strong,’ she said, her voice soft and melodic. ‘You’ve been through a lot, but there is much more to come. First it’s time you knew who you are, and why I told Dauvis to care for you.’

“I remember how nervous I was, but I thought I was ready to hear it.

“’You are the son of Saraf, God of the Sea,’ she told me.

“I was speechless. I couldn’t believe what she was saying. I refused to. I wanted to leave, but the Oracle leaned forward and grabbed my wrist. Her strength was surprising.

“’I know it’s hard to understand,’ she said, ‘but it’s true. Saraf seduced your mother eighteen years ago. How it happened and why he did it, I don’t know. Perhaps one day, if you see your mother again, she can tell you. But that part of the story hasn’t been revealed to me.’

“She released me and picked up the puppy that had been lying quietly beside her. ‘One day you will be given a great treasure, and you will have to leave your whole life behind to protect this treasure. If you refuse, or if you fail, darkness will consume the world. You have been chosen because of who and what you are. Your courage and wisdom will be put to the test, but if you face the challenge, you can save us all. What the treasure is, I do not know; but once you touch it for the first time, you will have no doubts, and you will know what to do. The only question will be if you’re willing to do it. The cost will be great, and once paid, your life will never be the same. Until then, you must train your mind and body. As the son of Saraf, you can achieve things far beyond the abilities of normal men. You have power you’ve never dreamed of, and the time is coming when you’ll need it.’

“She lowered her eyes and stroked the sleeping puppy. I expected her to say something else, but she just sat there silently.

“‘Is that it?’ I asked, but she just continued petting that bloody puppy. Finally, I got up and left the pavilion, not sure what to believe. None of it made sense to me.

“For the next few years I tried to forget about what she told me, and lived the life of a Hazrahinian lord. But the more I tried to forget, the more miserable I became. I renewed the search for my mother, but once again came up empty-handed. I thought if I found her, she could tell me it was all lies, and I could feel normal again. Eventually I decided it was time to begin training for what was to come, even though I had no idea what exactly that was.

“It turned out that the Oracle was right. As I trained, I discovered that I was stronger and faster than other men. It took me mere weeks to learn new sword techniques that took other people years to master. My eyesight was sharper and my hearing keener. The more I trained, the more I came to believe the Oracle; but it wasn’t until I first saw you that I knew for a fact she had told me the truth.”

Lee stood up and stretched his legs. He walked over to where he had tied his horse, and stroked its mane.

“My father said you first saw me when I was a baby,” said Gewey. “He said you came down to buy horses, though he really didn’t believe that. He also said he thought I was the reason you moved to Sharpstone.”

Lee laughed softly. “Harman always was a bright one,” he said. “And he was right. Looking back, I wish I had confided in him more. But at the time, it seemed safer to keep him in the dark.” He walked back to the blanket and knelt down. “The truth is it was I that had Millet bring you to your father. I knew I couldn’t keep you safe. A lord showing up out of nowhere with a child…it would draw too much attention. Millet disguised himself as a merchant, and told your father he had found you in the wreckage of a raided caravan. I knew your father’s heart, and was sure he’d take you in.”

“If all this is true, then how did you end up with me in the first place?” asked Gewey. “How did my father come into this? And why has it all been such a secret?”

“I was just getting to that,” he replied. “Be patient and I’ll tell you.”

Gewey sighed and motioned for Lee to continue.

“I trained for years, preparing myself,” said Lee. “But for what, I still didn’t know. By the time I was twenty-eight I had learned everything the local masters had to teach, so I ventured out in search of anyone who could train me. It was on one of those trips that I met your father.

“He had left Sharpstone in search of his fortune. He was courting your mother at the time. Your grandfather had left him little in the way of a living, so he left home hoping to find work as a man at arms. With what he saved, he hoped to buy a farm and earn the right to marry your mother. I think she would have married him regardless, but Harman was a proud man, and he couldn’t imagine taking a wife without the means to support her.

“When I first encountered your father, I was making my way around the eastern end of the Razor Edge Mountains, on my way back to Hazrah. I had just finished studying under a sword master in Vallhavin, and had stopped for the night in a small village. What I didn’t know was that this particular village was home to a band of raiders and cutthroats that had been wreaking havoc in every town and village for a hundred miles. I was sitting in the common room of the inn, sharing a bottle of wine with Millet. He always came with me on these trips-he’s convinced that I can’t take care of myself-and to tell the truth, there were times I would have gone mad but for his company. Earlier I had heard talk of a sword-master and battle strategist somewhere in the northwest near the steppes; I was trying to decide whether to cancel my trip home and seek him out, when I noticed two men huddled in the corner staring at me.

“At once I knew their intentions. One of the abilities I had discovered was that I can sense when someone means harm. Sometimes, I can almost hear their thoughts. I immediately told Millet to go to our room and wait for me there.

“I didn’t have to wait long. As soon as Millet headed for the room, one of the men got up and followed him. I wasn’t wearing my sword and, for all his accomplishments, Millet is no warrior. I stood up and pretended not to notice that the other man still watched me as I walked towards the bar. As fast as I could, I grabbed a mug off a table and flung it at the man in the corner. It hit him squarely in the throat and he fell over gasping. I ran upstairs and saw the other man drawing a knife as he knocked at my door. I charged in, trying to get to him before Millet could answer, but the man saw me coming and ran down the hall to the back steps. Foolishly, I chased after him.