Tom Liberman - The Staff of Sakatha

“Titia,” said Mikus.

“The one who’s married to that Openpalm boy?” said Thorius and sat up in his chair.

“No, no,” said Mikus. “Her younger sister. She’s not married but she was engaged.”

“Almost as good,” said Thorius and rubbed his hands together. “Almost as good. I was worried about this Jon Gray fellow for quite a bit but it turns out it was all for nothing. All right, Mikus, go with the boy up into the mountains and look for your glory. The worst that can happen is you don’t find anything. If you do, then outshine that gray knight, show him what a knight of Elekargul can do.”

“I’ll do my best, father,” said Mikus. “I’m going to be a knight!”

“Yes, yes,” said Thorius with a look to his young son as he nodded his head. “You’re only fifteen so that will be a feather in my cap. Have you thought about what name you’ll be taking?”

“Brokenhand of course,” said Mikus as his face broke into a huge smile. “Just like you!”

“That’s the boy,” said Thorius his own face a mirror of his son’s. “Now what are you going to take with you up to the mountains?”

“I’ll need some cold weather gear because it can get chilly up there at night. I’ll need my sword and armor of course and I’ve already got that polished and ready,” said Mikus with a smile that ran from ear to ear.

“What else?” asked his father as he nodded his head in approval.

The next morning the four stood at the little northern gates of Black Dale with both their horses and a small crowd of well-wishers. Germanius had a beautiful gray mount that was long in the flanks and had the narrow head of a runner. He stood next to the massive Odellius who helped him onto the horse and gave him some final words of advice, “Now then Germanius, don’t get yourself killed in the first run, take down a few of them first will you?”

The old man smiled down at Odellius and said, “You’re not my son, but it’s kind of you to say so.”

Odellius looked up at the old knight and laughed aloud. He then turned to the others gathered nearby and shouted out, “He’s so deaf he wouldn’t hear a halfling whore faking an orgasm for her half-giant paramour!”

Several of the women gathered nearby shook their heads but laughed, and young Shia and Rhia, who stood near Jon Gray with wool blankets and boxes of food, giggled into their shoulders as they couldn’t cover their mouths.

“Be careful, Jon,” said Shia and stepped up to the boy. He looked down at her and smiled although the tall blonde woman nearby kept a close watch on the two. “Take these blankets to keep you warm in the mountains and I made you cookies,” she said and held the blanket and the box towards him.

Jon leaned down, kissed her on the forehead, took the offered items, and stowed them in the bags on his trotter. The horse was freshly scrubbed and looked spry with its tail high in the air.

Rhia’s lower lip trembled and her eyes showed just a tinge of wetness as she held up a small package for Jon, “I knitted you some socks,” she said, “but I’m not very good at knitting, I’m gonna be a knight like you when I grow up!”

“Girls can’t be knights,” said Shia and gave her little sister a small shove.

“Sure they can,” said Jon. “In Tanelorn anyone can be a knight if they want. They just have to be brave.”

“Not here,” said Shia.

“I can too if I get the purple face disease!” said Rhia and defiantly stuck her chin out towards her sister.

“You can die if you get that, stupid,” said Shia with a shake of her head.

“I don’t care,” said Rhia. “I’m going to be a knight just like Jon.” With that she turned to the tall young knight, grabbed him by one massive leg, and gave him a hug. “Will I ever see you again?”

Jon patted the young girl on the head and smiled, “Of course you will, I’m just going up in the mountains for a few days. I’ll be back soon enough and we’ll start you learning about swords, how does that sound?”

Rhia stepped back with a huge smile on her face, “You promise?”

“I promise,” said Jon, bent down, put his huge hands around her tiny little waist and lifted her high in the air.

“Wheeee,” said Rhia.

“Come on, Jon, the morning is passing,” said Sorus, his own little horse carefully brushed and spry, although not nearly the beast that Germanius rode nor even equal to the black charger of Mikus Swift.

Mikus stood next to his father and discussed something quietly, with an occasional look at Jon and the others, but at this word from Sorus stuck his hand out to his father, “Well, father, wish me luck!”

“Good hunting Mikus,” said Thorius and took the proffered hand in a firm grip. “Make me proud.”

“I will,” said the boy with a smile, turned to his own horse, mounted it with ease, and then waved to the two dozen or so people gathered at the gate. “Tally ho!”

With that the four rode out of Black Dale to the cheers of the spectators although in the background many other people went about their business with barely even a look up at the commotion.

“How far is it to the mountains?” said Sorus as he rode next to Jon while Germanius went ahead with Mikus.

“Not more than two days of easy riding,” said the tall knight with a heartfelt smile for the young brewer. “Getting nervous already?”

“No, not at all,” said Sorus and sat up taller in the saddle although Jon still towered over him.

“It’s all right to be scared,” said Jon. “My father says that everyone is a coward before the battle but that once the fighting starts you find your inner strength.”

“Really,” said Sorus. “Are you afraid?”

“Well, I’m not all that sure there is anything to be afraid of up in the mountains. It was near the peak when I spotted the strange markings on the rock. They sort of looked like a crocodile and that’s something I’m here to talk to the First Rider about.”

“A crocodile?” said Mikus his faze screwed up in puzzlement, “In the mountains? That doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

“It might make a great deal of sense,” said Jon quietly and looked ahead to Mikus and Germanius who cantered a few hundred yards ahead. “The old man rides well.”

“What do you mean it might make sense,” said Sorus. “You came here for a reason, but then the mayor wouldn’t listen to you, and now you haven’t said anything to anyone in the rest of the time you’ve been here. Why did you come to Elakargul?”

Jon looked at Sorus for a moment and then nodded his square jawed head, “I trust you, Sorus, but I don’t feel the same way about Mikus.”

“I understand,” said the young brewer, “But Mikus is ok, his dad is a bit of an ass, but Mikus just wants to be a knight. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

“If you say so,” said Jon. “I also don’t really trust Germanius,” he went on.

“What?” said Sorus. “He’s a fine knight and as trustworthy as they come. His generation, they take being a knight very seriously although there aren’t many left his age. Most die in battle, that’s the way of our people.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust his integrity but he’s old. If I say something to him about my real mission and he lets it slip to Thorius or one of his allies that might hurt my chances of doing what needs to be done,” said Jon his face somber as his eyes looked ahead to the old man.

“What is it that needs to get done?” said Sorus and pulled his little horse next to Jon’s. “You can tell me, I’m on your side.”

Jon nodded his head, “I know, I know. My father is a stubborn man and he thinks things must be a certain way.”