Chapter 7- Assassins on the Road

  Ethan lay awake that night. Sleep wouldn’t come. His mind raced at the thought of having two gifts! What would Corbyn think now? Too bad he hadn’t realized his gifts earlier. Then again, maybe it was good that he didn’t. If he hadn’t struggled to find his gifts, then he never would have gotten to know Arvid. And he never would have developed a friendship with Meli. He wondered where she was tonight.

  She should be traveling for her apprenticeship right now. She could be anywhere. Maybe he’d meet her on the road one day. He’d come around the corner and there she’d be. He imagined what it would be like seeing her again. He wondered at what he would say to her. He would love to see her face when she found out he was Gifted. His thoughts of friends and enemies continued long into the night.

  Morning came early, and Ethan struggled to get up and help break camp. His mind was still slow when James began talking to him.

  “We’re going to make a detour.”

  “Where are we going?” asked Ethan as he mounted his horse.

  “I was planning on heading to the capital city, at least before what happened yesterday. I was going to teach you as I made my journey. But now that you’ve displayed your newest gift, we need to make a detour. We’re going to see my old teacher Barden.”

  “Did he teach you how to use your gift of arms? Did he teach you how to fight?” asked Ethan as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

  “No. I was taught arms at the meridian school,” replied James.

  “What’s the meridian school?”

  “It’s the northernmost school in Esterria. It’s closer to the border with Drumania than any other school.”

  “Why don’t they just call it the northern school then? Ours was called the southern school.”

  “There is another school called the northern school. It’s about a hundred miles north of the capital. Meridian means the highpoint. It was the first school and just called ‘the school’ when it was established. Before the War of Drumanian Succession people from all over the continent came to the school to learn. After the war, Esterria wanted to maximize the use of the Gifted and began establishing other schools. They hoped to use the strength of the Gifted to take back Drumania. The southern school was built next, then the Galvaic school on the coast of Galvaia in the west, and then the valley school in the east. Four schools for the four points of the compass. But when tensions with Drumania began to rise again not everyone was comfortable sending their children to a school so close to the border. So they established a new northern school further south and planned to close the original school. Then they decided it was the perfect place to train those gifted in arms, close to where any fighting might erupt. They renamed it Meridian. The militaristic philosophy of the day tried to convince people that the gift of arms was the highest gift and they wanted a school name to match the thought.”

  “Which gift is the highest?” asked Ethan as he began to be drawn into the history of the schools.

  "Today we don’t acknowledge any gift as being higher than the others. Arms may seem greater than healing in a fight, but what if your wounded? In times of peace, the gift of hands is far superior. For a messenger, breath is more important. Today we try to teach the balanced importance of all the gifts, but truthfully, whichever gift you have always feels more important,” explained James.

  “So, your teacher Barden taught you the gift of knowing?”

  “Well, he tried to. I wasn’t very far along in my apprenticeship before I was recruited to be a Watcher. Barden tried to convince me to wait and learn some more, but I was too enamored with he idea of being a Watcher and left. I did promise him that I’d be back someday to continue my studies.”

  “You sound a little like me. You have a gift that you don’t know how to use,” laughed Ethan.

  “You’re almost right,” agreed James. “I can use the gift a bit, but mostly it’s like having good intuition. I get feelings about people and situations, but it’s not always correct. When I first heard about you, I felt like you must be gifted. When you displayed no gift at the school, I thought I had made a mistake. It’s good to know that I was right about you.”

  Ethan was glad too. Even though he had no control over whether or not he was gifted, he was proud to know that he was. He could now understand why people like Corbyn could feel superior to the ungifted. Even Ethan looked down on himself as he was before the gifts made themselves known.

  “So what would it be like if you were fully trained in the gift of knowing?” Ethan asked when he realized James didn’t explain what it should be like.

  “Barden can read people. He can look at you and know things about you that you don’t even realize yourself. Barden is an unusual fellow. He was born blind, but you wouldn’t know it when meeting him except for the discoloration of his eyes. He was also given two gifts by the Giver. He is the only know case of a person being given the gifts of knowing and seeing. Once he uses his gift of knowing on a person, he can see that person whenever he wants to just by thinking of them. If he’s thinking of me right now, he can see us riding on horseback having this conversation. Distance seems to have no bearing on his gift. I look forward to seeing him again. I’m hoping he will understand why it is so difficult for you to access or control your gifts,” said James hopefully.

  Ethan didn’t agree. It felt creepy. For someone to be able to know him better than he knew himself, to see within him. No thanks. He wanted no part of someone divining out his secret self. Not that he had anything to hide, but to know that Barden would be able to watch him whenever he wanted to just felt wrong somehow. Ethan didn’t say any of this to James. James obviously held Barden in great respect and Ethan didn’t want to say anything negative about his former teacher.

  “So, we’ll detour to see Barden,” continued James, “and will let him look inside you and find out what’s wrong.”

  Ethan groaned inside.

  The detour to see Barden was significant. They were originally headed northwest to the capital. Now they headed almost due east. James said that although it wasn’t too far, it would still take a few weeks travel since they had to pass through a range of low but rocky mountains.

  They travelled and talked for the better part of each day. James explained what he knew of the gift of arms, but there was little new information for Ethan. His problem wasn’t knowledge of the gift, but the use of it. After only a couple of days, they stopped trying to figure out what was wrong. Then they stopped talking about the various gifts altogether. Instead they talked of other things- history, the schools, James’s own adventures and the political situation with the Drumania to the north.

  In the evenings they trained with swords. Both James and Ethan hoped that one day soon the use of the gift of arms would just start happening while they trained. It didn’t. It was very frustrating for them both and Ethan wanted to quit sparring each night, but James insisted. He said that even if they couldn’t unlock his gift, Ethan still needed to know how to carry himself in a fight.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Many nights Ethan was too tired to do little else than fall into his bedroll and sleep, but not every night. He found himself thinking of the few friends he had, Arvid, Jarrod and Meli. Especially Meli. He knew the chance of encountering her on the road was slim, but he still held out hope. Without random chance bringing them together he wasn’t sure he would ever see her again.

  Midway through their third week on the road after New Dallia they began to descend out of the mountain range. Just one last narrow pass to travel and then the eastern plains would open up before them. As they approached the end of the pass Ethan became very uneasy and pulled up his horse.

  “What is it?” asked James as he reined in his horse as well.

  “Something’s not right. I feel, well, I don’t know, but I feel like something is wrong,” responded Ethan as he looked forward towards the end of the pass.

  James turned his attention towards the exit to the pass as well. After a moment, he spoke quietly.

  “I feel it too. It feels like a trap. Maybe those other two assassins from the Sandpiper.”

  “But how could they get ahead of us?” questioned Ethan.

  “There’s a road south of New Dallia that runs south and east of these mountains. It’s a longer journey, but an easier one. If they could find fresh mounts, they could have easily beaten us to the end of the pass.

  “We have a choice to make,” continued James. “Ride hard and quick through the pass and get away before any possible trap can be sprung, or approach cautiously and investigate. I’m not certain they are there, and we may be anxious over nothing.”

  “They are there,” responded Ethan. “I can feel them.”

  James looked curiously at Ethan for a moment before he spoke.

  “I vote we approach cautiously and take away their element of surprise. What do you think?”

  “Will we have to fight?” asked Ethan worriedly.

  “We’ll have to fight either way most likely, but I’d rather have them out in front of me rather than chasing from behind.”

  “If we must fight, then I agree. We approach cautiously.”

  “Not ‘we,’” said James. “Me. You stay here with the horses. I should be able to take both if I’m prepared for them. But have your sword ready. If I get in trouble, you’ll be my only help.”

  They dismounted, and James passed his reins to Ethan. Ethan took both sets of reins and looped them around an outcropping of rock and drew his sword. James took out his sword, paused a moment, then strode forward with a determined step. He slowed slightly as he approached the narrowest point in the pass.

  From around the boulder in front of him stepped the two assassins. Realizing their ambush was foiled they had come forward to face their prey.

  James stopped and raised his sword in guard position. The two men stepped apart and approached. From where Ethan was standing he could see their strategy. One would face James while the other worked his way to the flank. There was little chance James could face them both fighting in two directions.

  The first man lunged, and James countered. Ethan could see the skill in both men. They traded blows but opened no gaps in their defense. As they fought the second man continued out of reach towards the back of James. Ethan was worried and started to step forward.

  As he began to move the second man made his attack. James didn’t even turn towards him, he simply held up his off hand in the man’s direction. As the assassin swung down his sword rang off of an invisible shield that James had called up. Ethan had never seen anything like it. He did not know the gift of arms could be used so powerfully.

  The first assassin continued his attack while the second one rained blows on James’s shield. James fought well and had even opened a small gash on the first opponent’s forearm. But as Ethan watched he could see the fight was beginning to take its toll. With each swing of the second man, Ethan could see James’s off hand drop a bit on impact. If the enemy were less skilled James would have already taken the first man and engaged the second, but they were too good. Ethan was confident that James could win against either man individually, but against both, they would win. Once the second man destroyed the shield, it would be over quickly. Ethan could not let that happen.

  He was scared. He didn’t pretend to be otherwise, but he couldn’t let them kill James. He gripped his sword firmly and turned towards the second man. He couldn’t win. He knew that, but maybe he could give James space to deal with his opponent. He just needed to distract the second man.

  As he closed to within ten feet, the second man stopped swinging at James and turned to face him. He was a large man with a fresh scar running across his cheek. Apparently he hadn’t escaped New Dallia unscathed.

  “Hello boy,” the man sneered. “Come to feed my sword?”

  The scarred man relaxed his stance and let his sword tip drop. His casual manner towards Ethan was an insult. He didn’t consider Ethan worthy of his full effort. It made Ethan angry. All he had to do was be a distraction, and he was doing that, but now, he wanted to win. He wanted to make his enemy cry in pain. He wanted to cut off his sword arm and watch his red blood flow.

  Later, once all was calm again, Ethan wouldn’t be able to explain his sudden fury, but it flowed hot through his veins at this moment. With a roar Ethan chopped down with his sword at the scarred man’s head. His opponent blocked quickly and easily and laughed. Ethan burned. Again and again he chopped down with all his strength. He knew he was leaving himself open to counter attack, but he didn’t care. He wanted to break his enemy.

  The swords clanged together loudly at each blow and the scarred man stopped laughing. He brought his second hand up to brace his sword at Ethan’s blows. Ethan could see the man’s arms shake with each jarring impact. He paused just long enough to give the man an icy smile then he swung again with everything he had.

  His opponent’s sword shattered with a bang and his enemy was thrown back and to the ground. The man looked up from the ground at Ethan. There were fresh cuts on his face from pieces of his sword that had acted as shrapnel. Blood wasn’t all that was on his face. There was fear.

  Ethan raised his sword and stepped forward. The scarred, bleeding man scrambled to his feet, turned and ran. Ethan watched him disappear behind a small rise a short distance away. Ethan then turned to see how James was faring against his opponent. His enemy had several cuts along his arms and one leg, while James had none. It would just be a matter of time before James prevailed.

  James suddenly hesitated and almost missed blocking an incoming thrust. His eyes went wide as he yelled.

  “Ethan!”

  Ethan followed his eyes and turned just in time to see the scarred man at the top of the rise release an arrow aimed for his chest. He had no time to even flinch. He just closed his eyes and waited for the impact. It did not come. The man missed.

  Ethan opened his eyes to prepare for the next arrow when he saw an impossible sight. The arrow had stopped in the air six inches from his chest. The man had not missed. James must have somehow raised a shield in front of Ethan.

  “Thanks,” gasped Ethan.

  “I didn’t do it,” responded James breathlessly as he blocked another attack.

  Who stopped the arrow? If James didn’t stop it, and the two assassins certainly wouldn’t have stopped it, then that meant Ethan had somehow stopped the arrow. How? And why didn’t it fall to the ground. It was just hanging in the air in front of him. Was he somehow holding it up?

  Ethan focused on the arrow in front of him. In his mind he imagined an invisible hand holding the arrow. He turned the hand and watched in amazement as the arrow in front of him began to turn. The fighting near him stopped. Both James and the assassin were watching in awe of what they were seeing. Ethan continued to turn the arrow when he had a sudden, devious idea. He imagined the hand carrying the arrow directly into the face of the man opposite James. The arrow began to slowly move towards the assassin’s face.

  As the arrow closed the distance, the man let out a strangled yelp, turned and ran towards his companion on the rise. Together they disappeared down the slope on the other side. Ethan couldn’t help himself. He laughed out loud.

  “Run cowards! Come back and you’ll get more of the same,” he yelled after them. As he heard the two men running their horses away in the opposite direction he could feel the tension, fear and anger of the fight leaving him. He felt tired. He leaned up against the nearest rock face and looked to James.

  “I did it!” he said excitedly. “I used my gift. I don’t know how, but I did it. And that was incredible. I didn’t know the gift of arms could catch and hold arrows.”

  “I don’t think it can,” responded James. “At least, I can’t do it and I’ve never seen anyone else that could. I can raise a shield and block them, but they just fall to the ground when they bounce off. I’ve never seen what you just did.”

  “If that wasn’t the gift of arms, then was it my other gift? Maybe the gifted of holding?”

  Ethan looked questioningly but excitedly towards James.

  “I don’t know,” said James, “but when we let Barden examine you, we’ll find out.”

  The thought of Barden looking inside of Ethan robbed him of any happiness he felt at the end of the battle. He felt cold. He didn’t want Barden examining him, but he didn’t seem to have any choice.