Chapter 19

Honor for a Warrior Chief

Kirsten and Maija watched as Anders and Ivan climbed onto Zahara’s back and took off into the afternoon sky. Nadir, the elf prince, ran beneath them at an alarmingly fast pace.

“Are all elves that fast?” Kirsten asked Max while he sat sipping a mug of hot water.

“Yeah,” he said. “It took us three days to walk from the elf city to the Eastland Mountains and we were moving at a steady rate. The entire elf army made the whole trek in one day.” He held up his index finger emphasizing his point.

“That’s incredible,” Kirsten said in astonishment.

“If I had that ability, I would’ve seen the entire world by now,” Bo added, prodding the fire with a stick. “Imagine the places you could go with that kind of speed.”

Max bobbed his head as his gaze drifted to the fire’s embers, “That would be something else, wouldn’t it?”

“It’s Bo, right?” Maija asked, leaning forward over her crossed legs and gesturing toward Max’s brother.

“Yep, my full name is Beauregard, but it’s too much of a mouthful to say. Also, I got teased a bit when I was younger,” he added.

“You were with us on the ship and in the fortress?” Maija asked.

Bo nodded, “I was locked up on that stinking ship, and then they put me to work in the mines.”

Maija frowned, “It’s crazy to think we went through such a horrible experience together, yet we never met. I’m sure there are lots of others who went through the same thing with us who I wouldn’t recognize unless they told me.”

“I remember seeing you down in the pit,” Thomas said from across the fire.

“I saw you as well,” he replied. “You had that guard that all the others didn’t like.”

“That’s why he was such a grouch,” Kirsten commented, more to herself than the group.

“He sure was. Nobody seemed to like him much, so he took his frustrations out on all of us,” Bo said smiling slightly.

“The way he addressed me when he showed us to the chambermaid’s room made my blood boil,” Kirsten said, clenching her fists. “Maija had to hold me back from hitting him for his snide remark.”

Laughing, Bo said, “He wouldn’t have like that. I would’ve paid money to see anyone hit that grump.”

“She did get him in the end though,” Thomas added.

“That’s right,” Maija said, straightening up where she sat and smiling. “When Merglan left before the battle, all of the chambermaids were sent out to work in the pit with you guys. Come morning when the guard came back, Kirsten grabbed his whip and used it on him.”

Maija’s recounting of the incident drew a hearty laugh mixed with relief from the group and Thomas added between gasps, “You should’ve seen the look on his face.” He tried to mimic the man’s facial expressions as Kirsten pretended to chase Thomas with an imaginary whip in her hands around the fire.

“Now that’s got to be the funniest thing I’ve heard in weeks,” Bo said, wiping away his tears of laughter. “When we get back somewhere that has a pub, I’m buying you a drink for that.”

Kirsten felt her cheeks flush scarlet and she looked bashfully down at the ground. She’d never been offered a drink before, especially from a boy her age; she’d never even been in a pub before. Theodor let them have a single glass of wine with their dinner after they’d turned fifteen, but he didn’t allow them to go to town and have drinks. ‘Nothing good ever came from having drinks in a pub,’ he would warn them, but they all knew he was known to stop in for a drink or two on his way home from the Grandwood market.

Sensing an awkwardness building, Max broke the silence, “So, what will you do now that this is all over?”

Kirsten looked to her brother and shrugged, “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll go back to Grandwood? I haven’t really thought about it yet. I think I’m still getting over the fact that we’re really out of that evil fortress,” she thumbed over her shoulder.

“Yeah,” Thomas said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m not too sure, our home is back in Grandwood. If it survived the attack, we could go back and try to pick up where we left off,” he paused for a moment, recalling what it was like. “Our father was the heart and soul of that place. With him gone, I’m not sure we could run the farm by ourselves. We could probably manage it alright with Anders’ help, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be headed that way any time soon.”

“Why not?” Bo asked, not really knowing much about Anders or the others.

“I bet Anders will have his hands full in trying to fight Merglan,” Thomas responded. “Now that he’s been gifted magical abilities and has bonded with Zahara, it could be a long while until his role in this whole thing is over. The last war against Merglan and his evil forces lasted for years. I don’t know what Anders’ fate will be, but I doubt he’ll have the option to return to Grandwood with us.”

“You’re right, the elves are probably going to want Anders to do some kind of magic training before they face Merglan again,” Max said. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, Bo and I don’t really know what we’re going to do either. Our foster parents don’t really care to have me around anymore, now that I’m old enough to fend for myself.”

“I don’t know what’s coming next, but I do know that I’ll stick by your side big brother,” Bo said slinging his arm around Max’s shoulders.

“Thanks, Bo,” Max replied with a bashful smile.

Kirsten caught Bo’s eye; she thought they did share some resemblance. They both had slightly narrowed eyes, firm jawlines and dark straight hair, but if she hadn’t known they were brothers, she wouldn’t have guessed they were related. For a moment Kirsten found herself being sucked into Bo’s dark eyes. Before it became too apparent to the others, she looked away slightly embarrassed.

“What’s happening over there?” Maija asked pointing past their heads toward a gathering crowd of Rolloan warriors.

Max shrugged, “I don’t know? We better find out.”

Together they walked away from the smoldering embers of their cooking fire. They pushed their way through the crowd until the mass of bodies was so thick that nobody could squeeze any farther.

“I can’t see anything,” Kirsten said frustrated.

“Here, climb on,” Bo said turning so his back was facing her and squatting down.

Kirsten hesitated, she didn’t really know Bo; they had only just met recently. Despite her self-consciousness, she did have a good feeling about him and decided to go with her gut.

Placing her hands on his shoulders, Bo squatted lower and Kirsten straddled his head.

He grasped her shins firmly and said, “Ready,” then lifted her up off the ground.

Instantly Kirsten was the tallest person in the group. Bo was slightly above average height, so when she sat on his shoulders, she towered over everyone. “What can you see?” he asked.

Kirsten peered across the ocean of dark islander hair swarming around them. In the center of the group, she saw several tall warriors carrying a body. “Some warriors are carrying someone on a board,” she said. Bo, Maija and Thomas seemed confused, but Max nodded with a sorrowful expression.

“You know who it is?” Bo asked his brother.

Max pursed his lips and nodded, “It’s Jorgen, the lead chief of the Rollo people. He was one of our companion’s father.”

“Red?” Thomas asked.

Max bobbed his head slowly, “I was there when it happened. Ivan had just faced Thargon in single combat on the battlefield. Thargon had the upper hand and was about to end Ivan’s life when Jorgen came rushing at him from his blind side. He tackled Thargon to the ground. In a short-lived effort to distract Thargon, Jorgen was taken by the kurr’s axe. I could hear Red’s screams from a distance. He was blocked from them by a large group of orcs. That’s when Anders faced Thargon head on.”

“Wow, that’s really how it all happened?” Thomas asked.

“Yeah, shortly after that Zahara and the elves showed up and cleaned house,” Max said. “Now I would imagine that the Rollo people will have a funeral for their dead leader and then choose someone to replace him.”

“Red won’t succeed his father?” Maija asked.