Richard Parker - The Black Horseman

Over the next three weeks Gwaynn showed no sign of improving, in fact his performance actually grew worse as the first week wore on. But, gradually during the next two, his stamina improved, though the results were not plainly visible. Tar Kostek, who had trained a great number of students over the years, had expected this, since the adrenaline of the first day could not be sustained over time. He also expected Gwaynn to show signs of frustration and discouragement. The boy, however, kept his feelings well hidden and continued to rise early every day and run behind the other students. Kostek let him continue without a word and as if it had happened very suddenly, Gwaynn’s speed began to increase. One morning Kostek was surprised when he made the turn at the point and could see Gwaynn in the distance, trailing Hotch and Stephen, but plainly visible for the first time. Kostek smiled to himself and unconsciously picked up his own speed. He was still second, and still well behind Vio, who it seemed, was born to run. Ever since her dash to rescue Gwaynn, she had dominated his group. Kostek was looking forward to the year-end Competitions. Vio would surprise them all. He was still second behind her followed closely by Krys. At the moment they were well ahead of B’dall, who carried far too much hereditary bulk to excel at long distance running. B’dall’s pride and determination however, seemed to be enough to nearly always keep him close behind his Master. But it was in Vio that Kostek was most proud, though unfortunately she was such a fast runner that she no longer even pushed the other students to higher levels.

Kostek was careful to show no sign of emotion as he passed Gwaynn on his return run but inside he was urging his new student on. It would be an incredible feat if Gwaynn could match even his slowest students after less than a month, though oddly Kostek was sure the boy could be among his fastest. Gwaynn had an inner fire that could not be stoked by any soul other than the one within. It burned bright in the young prince, who was just on the verge of becoming aware of his power and control over himself. Plus, he, like Vio and William, had a runner’s physique, long limbs and a light core. Kostek ran on and at the finish found Vio, still dripping from her dip in the sea, patiently waiting for him. Kostek raised an eyebrow as he passed her and dropped to a walk, breathing hard. Krys finished just behind him and almost immediately stripped and waded out into the warm water. Kostek continued to walk about, cooling down slowly before stripping and wading out into the sea. He was walking out of the water, balanced against the gentle waves and moving tides of sand, when B’dall finished and walked on past him. Kostek turned to give Vio a look.

“You think he has a chance then?” Kostek asked coming up to Vio after he’d dressed.

“I think one day he might push me,” she replied as some of the other students came into view. They were still at a far distance, perhaps half a mile away.

Kostek raised his brows once more as Krys joined them.

“High praise,” he said.

“Running, he reminds me of me,” she answered with a shrug. “Yesterday I told him about the day we found him on the beach, and the run I had to make in order to save his life. Before that run I thought I was giving my all in every race.”

Kostek looked down at her once more as she shrugged again. “I wasn’t giving anything even close,” she added.

They stood together and waited; though Kostek noticed that B’dall after cooling in the ocean did not, and instead moved up the path to the dorms. William and Tam soon appeared in the distance pushing each other hard. Tam was Mele’s first year, but like Vio she was a natural runner and pushed William almost every day, though he was four years her senior. Kostek knew there was a small measure of infatuation on her part, but it was a natural byproduct of their training. Young love blossomed very easily and with very little effort. For his part William seemed to indulge the young initiate, and even appeared to enjoy her company. They streaked by, William a step ahead of Tam today, but he did not gloat. Tam was beating him two times out of three these days, and soon he would have trouble keeping up. Tad and Hotch finished next and in the distance Kostek could make out another pair of runners. They were running single file, in the jerky motion of the over-tired, pushing each other beyond what each alone could achieve.

“That’s Gwaynn in front,” Vio said her voice betraying her excitement. Master Kostek looked down at her curiously. In all her three years, Vio had shown not the slightest interest in any boy on the islands and instead devoted herself entirely to study and practice. He said nothing however, just turned back to watch the runners as they approached. At this distance, he could not tell if Gwaynn was in the lead, but he trusted the eyes of his student and just as they got close enough that he could tell them apart, Stephen moved out from behind Gwaynn and began to pass. Gwaynn increased his speed, and soon they were approaching side by side, each determined, each giving everything they had, until finally at the last moment Stephen surged ahead and past his Master just ahead of his new rival. Both boys almost immediately fell to the sand, panting hard, completely exhausted.

Kostek turned and watched each of them, pride for both filling him up. Gwaynn, because he was improving faster than he thought possible, and Stephen because his squat muscular frame was made for power and not speed, only his heart allowed him to hold off the new comer in the end.

“Excellent, both of you. Truly excellent,” he said and with Vio in tow, moved up the beach.

The next day Gwaynn beat Stephen, by fifty paces and was closing in on Hotch.

ǂ

It took nearly a week for Navarra and a hand picked group of men to find the secret passageway that led from the upstairs study to the kitchens below. And it took another two days to find the secret way into the caves, then the long, dark tunnel, which led, away from the castle grounds. Navarra insisted on following the tunnel the entire way, knowing that where the tunnel would finally emerge would tell much about the direction the old Weapons Master might have taken. Navarra believed he already knew, but this exercise would allow him to delve deeper into the mind of the man he was chasing.

The peninsula of Massi was like a broken finger sticking out into the Inland Sea with the Zani Empire on one side and the Toranado and the Scar Mountains on the other. The Capital of Solarii was placed, in Navarra’s opinion, in the worst possible position, approximately on the first knuckle of the extended finger. For a preeminent naval power it may have worked, but the Massi were anything but, and it was a simple matter to attack the finger at the second knuckle and pinch off Solarii from the rest of the country. Very similar in fact with the art of interrogation, chop a finger at the knuckle and everything falls in line. The Massi were no different.

If he was on the run in this odd peninsula of a country, Navarra would head south, to the base of the Scar mountains and if need be into the mountains themselves; there it would take several armies to root out a single man.

Navarra spoke little on the long trip through the tunnel, and when he and his men finally broke out into fresh air he was surprised to find that they had only come five miles. It had seemed like much more.

“From here he could’ve moved to Heron,” the young Sergeant to Navarra’s left suggested. “Following behind the pup he helped save.”

Navarra grunted. Lindsay was the Sergeant’s name, and he was the only one of the group that had the courage to offer an opinion, at least in the Executioner’s presence. Navarra was beginning to respect that, and the young Sergeant’s mind, which was proving to be sharp and insightful. But that did not keep him from disagreeing with him.