The Dragons Egg : XIII : The Bargain : Aed : Draft

XIII

The Bargain

Aed

A gentle breeze teased Aed’s skin as he felt the tips of his fingers bury themselves deep into the warm sand upon which he lay. His body, lean and long felt heavy as he cautiously opened his deep brown eyes against the blazing rays of the high sun. Beads of sweat rolled down the side of his head, falling abruptly into the dense sand below. Close to him he heard the gentle stir of a river, above him the sweet sound of the summer birds which soothed his beating heart and to the distance, a soft, youthful laugh filled the atmosphere, forcing him to sit up from where he lay. Brushing away the sand filled strands of hair from his face, he spotted two figures by the river, a river he knew to be the one in which ran along the edges of Dulgar, the village in which he had been born and raised. With hazy eyes, he waited patiently for his vision to purify itself. A young woman, with her back to him stood by the river, her long brown hair flowing down the small of her back, nestling just above the curve of her hips. Close to the woman played a young girl, no more than three or four moons; her hair also brown and long like her mothers. Feeling an instinctive bond to the woman and child, Aed clambered to his feet and wiped away the remnants of the sand from his clothes. Looking down at himself, he observed with a thud of surprise that he was in his everyday work clothes that included a thin linen shirt, leather pants and boots. With the heat of the sun upon his back, he stepped closer to the woman and child and was caught unawares when the young woman turned to him and smiled.

“Branna?”

Her radiant eyes glowed against the sun as his young, petite wife- wearing a light blue dress, her feet bare began to walk away from the river and to him, with a gentle and understanding smile upon her soft face. Aed felt confused as his wife came to him and wrapped her arms about his body tightly, lifting her feet up so that she could nestled her head under his chin. Briefly he allowed his eyes to close, his hands finding the curve of her back and thick locks of her wavy hair. God how he had missed the smell of her and the feeling of her body against his own.

“Branna….” He groaned as he bathed her small face with kisses before simply letting his forehead rest upon her own.

“Aed open your eyes,” Branna whispered warmly.

“I’m afraid that if I do, I will find you gone from my arms.”

“Do not be afraid my love…”

Aed, against his better judgement opened his eyes and found them drowning in the depths of his wife’s brown eyes, gentle flecks of yellow bordered her black pupils.

“The child?”

“Our daughter Leaah,” Branna said with another smile as she turned around and called Leaah. Aed followed his wife’s gaze and found it settling upon the young girl, who was sitting upon the sand, her hands shifting through the grains of sand. With a pause she turned and Aed felt a deep and instant growl of protection arise from within. Breaking away from Branna, he made for the child, who was looking at him with raised brows. With gentleness, Aed bent down before the young girl, her cheeks full and red. She was in the image of her mother, her large eyes brown, her lips thin and beautifully curved, and her nose small and straight, her tiny hands scrunched up into fists, her hair brilliantly brown and her delicate feet and toes covered with sand. Leaah’s face tilted slightly as she took in the form of Aed, her cautious gaze changing in exchange for a wife smile.

“Papa?” she said with glee as she forced herself up onto her small feet and ran into his arms. Aed clung to his daughter tightly and buried his face in her hair, feeling his eyes prickle with tears. He heard his wife come to their side and gently lifted Leaah into his arms as he stood up and turned to Branna, his right arm open and awaiting her. With altered eyes, now filled with sadness, Branna wrapped herself in him and the small family hung to one another for several moments. A change in wind aroused Aed, causing him to lift his head away from his wife and child. His brown eyes fixed themselves on the changing sky above, the rays of warm sunlight now fading away as great grey clouds claimed the limitless sky for themselves.

“Aed look at me,” Branna said quickly, her hands cupping his face tightly. Forcing his eyes downwards, Aed felt his thick brows furrow.

“What is it?”

“You must awaken now!” Branna said with urgency. “Go to the tree and place the seed within the earth, there you shall find us.”

“What tree?” Aed asked as he spotted a dozen hooded figures, now making their way down from the village to where they stood. A great force separated Aed from Branna and Leaah, dragging him away from them and towards the rushing river. “Branna run!” he cried out as the cloaked figures drew out their swords. “Run!” he cried out again as he was forced into the raging currents of the river. Branna turned from him and stepped back from the faceless figures, her free hand stretched out to Aed in desperation. “Branna! Branna turn to me!” Aed screamed as he was brought under the water, his lungs filling with a rush of wild heat that burned his body. “Branna!” he coughed violently as he forced his head above the water, his eyes capturing the bodies of his wife and child as they fell to the sand lifeless. “No! No God please no, not my wife! Not my child!” he cried pathetically as he was dragged under the merciless currents once more, this time unable to swim to the surface. A darkness took him as he felt his lungs collapse and his heartbeat fade away into a distant thud, his body pulsating and stretching as though in search for air. With one last violent tremor he felt himself fall into a bottomless void of darkness, the last flickers of light now fading from his eyes as his body hit the bottom of the river.

*

“Aed! Aed wake up!” a rough voice called out. Aed felt himself rolling about upon a cold surface, his body aching and his face stained with tears as he cried out for his wife.

“Branna! Branna!”

“What is happening to him?”

“It must be a fever from the wounds,” another familiar voice said in return.

“It’s been three days,” the voice of his brother replied. “He needs medicine or he will die.”

Aed felt the hands of his brother upon his bruised and beaten body, but refused to open his eyes as he searched his memory for his wife and child, trying desperately to hold onto them.

“Aed wake up!” Gil said with a forced kindness.

“Dead!” Aed spat as he turned away from Gil and opened his eyes, the wall of the cave before him.

“Yes he is dead,” Gil said with ease, his hands turning limp upon Aed’s shoulder.

“Branna…Leaah…dead…”

“No, no Branna is alive Aed, she is alive,” Gil argued as he crept around Aed’s body until from the corners of his eyes, Aed found his face, badly beaten and bruised, with a deep cut upon his forehead. “You must have had a nightmare.”

“Where am I?” Aed asked as he wiped his face with the back of his hand.

“We are in the caves, don’t you remember?” Gil replied with a concerned gaze. “You have been unconscious for three days.” Aed, a stringent pain forming in his head, closed his eyes and struggled to find any memories concerning the last week.

“With the force of the hit to your head, it is perfectly understandable that you cannot remember the fight,” came the familiar sound of Cadr, who sat close to Aed, feeding a sickly Welsam, who lay flat upon the ground unmoving. Aed turned his body slightly, so that his eyes could find the tired and unusually aloof Cadr.

“Where is Quill?” Aed asked as he struggled to lift himself up, his anxious body beginning to settle as his eyes re acquainted themselves with his friends. The ground beneath him was cold and wet, the group being situated close to the pool, its waters sparkling against the minute diamonds that filled the rocks. Noticing the silence, Aed looked from one companion to the next, his eyes burning with pain and his legs numb.

“Aed, you don’t remember anything about the fight do you?” Gil said as he clutched his hands together tensely.

“What fight?” Aed said with a spark of annoyance. Cadr looked up from Welsam.

“Do you remember how we got here?”

“Yes, we were taken hostage by wolves.”

“It would seem that we are the prisoners of the wolf King, Ulfr,” Gil said with a bitter sweet laugh.

“Were are they?”

“They left the caves last night,” Cadr said as he finished attending to the quiet Welsam and got to his feet, walking over to the edge of the pool, his back bent and his hands upon his hips.

“Why?”

“To bury their dead beneath the tree of Meer,” Cadr replied without a glance in Aed’s way.

“Who died?”

“We were given only two options upon arrival,” Gil interceded kindly as he shrugged off a blanket and placed his head within the palms of his hands. “To die by the sword or to fight a group of wolves with the promise of life.”

“That is why we are all so badly wounded?” Aed said quietly as he tried to rack his mind for any memories of such a fight.

“We are lucky to be alive,” Cadr said loudly. “Although the likelihood of us returning home is non-existent now.”

It didn’t feel right, Aed thought as he got up onto his feet, the ground beneath him swaying. He had no memory of a fight and yet the wolves were now burying their dead and Quill, the strongest of the group was missing.

“How, how did we survive? We have no weapons, nothing?”

“And we didn’t until someone mysteriously threw you a sword,” Cadr said sharply as he turned abruptly to Aed, his eyes dark and troubled. “And then the tide changed.”

“What happened?” Aed asked further, seeing the displeasure in his friends face.

“You killed the mate of the Wolf Kings daughter and in return, Quill was executed two nights ago,” Cadr said, his words laced with emotion.

“But that was not the deal surely?” Aed said with desperation, his eyes pleading and his hands trembling. “There are rules to such games?”

“Not when you kill a member of the royal family there isn’t,” Gil said with a groan. “I don’t know what came over you brother, but something switched and you….you…”

“I what?” Aed said angrily, for he could not understand how Quill had been so helplessly killed without a fair trial or reason.

“You went mad,” Gil said, turning his blue eyes up to his brother. “You killed every wolf involved in the fight and when it came to the King’s son in law, he pleaded with you to spare his life but you refused.”

“It doesn’t make sense, I would never be so ruthless!” Aed said, turning away from his brother and friend, a deep veil of shame covering him.

“I don’t blame you for losing control, you were pushed beyond your limits, we all were,” Gil said as he tried to defend his brother. “God knows they wouldn’t have cared about killing us. And it wasn’t as if we knew that he was mated to the Kings daughter, so why should we have to pay the price?”

“I understand, however it doesn’t justify Aed’s need to disobey the King’s pleas and kill the wolf instead,” Cadr said as he threw a small pebble into the pool. Close to them a soft groan came from Welsam, causing the companions to turn to the young man.

“I don’t know what to say…or how to defend my actions,” Aed said with a disillusioned stare of confusion. “I don’t know why I would have put Quill’s or your lives in danger.”

“It doesn’t matter now, what matters is that we get out of these caves and return home!” Gil argued as he laid a blanket across Welsam. “Obviously we cannot leave until Welsam has recovered.”

“We need to move now before they return and kill us,” Cadr said as he began to inspect the caves with hope filled eyes. “We can carry Welsam.”

“I can barely carry my own body,” Gil moaned.

“Where is Quills body?” Aed asked as he came to the pool and bent down, taking water into his cupped hands and sipping from it.

“They threw it into the river,” Cadr said with disgust, his left hand pointing over towards the outlet. Aed dropped his soaking hands and walked over to the great gap in between the rocks, where a wide and raging river rushed downwards like a waterfall. With his body barely clothed, blood still clinging to his skin and the stench so vile that it induced a nauseous sensation within, Aed looked down through the rushing water to the great fall below. “I thought that maybe we could have used the river as a means for escape, but that would be futile.”

“Indeed,” Aed said as he struggled to come to terms with the news of Quills execution. “Listen, I agree we need to move before they return, I am in fear for our village.”

“Even if we do manage to escape from these caves, we have no idea in which direction we should be going,” Cadr replied, his eyes a little kinder.

“We follow the river north, it will take us to the edge of the forest,” Aed returned firmly. “If we can manage to somehow enable Welsam to walk, then we should leave this night.”

“He can walk alright, but he is not in his right mind,” Gil interceded from behind. “The trauma has altered him significantly.”

“How do you mean?” Aed asked Gil, turning his brown gaze to his brother.

“He keeps mumbling sentences about a tree,” Gil said with a shrug. “Cadr believes that he had lost his mind.”

“Although now I think about it, you too were mumbling something about a tree,” Cadr said with a raised brow.

“I had a dream about Branna and our daughter Leaah,” Aed said with a serious voice.

“But Branna hasn’t given birth yet,” Gil said with a confused glare.

“Well then I must have had a vision,” Aed said with defiance. “In the dream she told me to find the tree of life and plant a seed within the earth, that there I should find her.”

“But that makes absolutely no sense,” Cadr said as he plunged his right hand into the waterfall.

“No it doesn’t, but you said that both myself and Welsam have been mumbling about a tree, so maybe there is some strange truth attached to my vision,” Aed returned as he paced to a fro, stopping instantly as his words sunk in. Behind him he could see the concerned looks on his companion’s faces.

“What happened in the vision?” Gil asked, his body leaning back against the wall of the cave. Aed stumbled as a flash memory of the dream returned.

“I awoke and she was by the river with our daughter,” he began, a soft smile upon his face. “The sun of the summer upon her. When I awoke she came to me and bade me to turn and seek our child. I did so and went to her and brought her into my embrace. Then the rays of the sun began to fade and the blue piercing sky above turned to grey and Branna came to me with desperate eyes as though she ….she knew…”

“Knew what?” Gil interrupted kindly.

“Knew that she was about to be killed,” Aed said as he opened his eyes wide and met his brothers horrified gaze. “She told me to find the tree of life and place the seed upon my necklace into the earth and there I should find her.”

“What happened?” Gil asked as he forced himself away from the wall and stepped closer to his brother.

“Figures came forth from the village and I was forced back into the river to watch my wife and child be murdered by their swords,” Aed almost cried as he tried to fight the wave of anger and grief that swept over him like a rushing wave. His head lowered, Aed felt the strong hands of his younger brother upon his arms.

“Aed, she is alive,” he whispered with certainty. “It was a dream.”

“Yet it holds significance if Welsam also knows of this tree,” Aed said as he raised his eyes to Gil.

“But where and what is this tree and what is the significance of it?” Cadr asked as he pulled his hand free of the waterfall. “And how are we meant to find it?”

“Aed your necklace!” Gil said with raised voice as he pulled free his brothers necklace and held it within the palm of his hand. “The seed!” Aed found Cadr instantly by his side, his eyes upon the seed.

“This complicates matters greatly,” Cadr said under his breathe.

“What do you mean?” Gil asked in return as he ran his free hand through his hair.

“We cannot seek this witch if we are to seek a tree instead,” Cadr said with raised brows.

“How can we possibly find a path that will bring us to the cave?” Gil said as he stepped back and turned his gaze away. “It has been three days since we arrived, for all we know she has been to the cave and taken the bones of Belnun.”

“If she has then dark times are upon us,” Aed said with a dangerous look. He rolled the small seed around in his palm. What did it mean?

“This tree, maybe it holds a key to something bigger than this forest,” Cadr said with a thoughtful expression, his eyes now upon Aed, bright and intense.

“You have never been a man of superstition, why change now?” Aed asked quietly. Cadr took Aed by the shoulder and forced him to move closer to him, almost nose to nose.

“This last week has opened my eyes…significantly,” Cadr said with a severe tone. “You cannot fight a current, and I am afraid that we have been taken by a current friend. If this tree can provide some answers or help us then we owe to Quill to find it, don’t you think?”

“But what of the witch?”

“Do you think that we have the power to stop her from raising Belnun from the dead?”

“No, but we must try, the fate of the north lies in our hands.”

“It is as Gil has already mentioned, been three days,” Cadr stressed, the tips of his fingers edging into Aed’s skin. “It would death to climb the mountains now that white rains have come. We need to find this tree and find a way home before war comes to our people and we are unable to protect them.”

“There is no way out from here,” Aed returned, seeing the determination and distress in his friend’s eyes. “I too want to go home to my family, but if we leave now, we will be hunted down by the wolves. Only one man in all my years has ever returned from the forest alive and he returned without his tongue.”

“Then let us take advantage of the time that we have now, when they are gone from the caves,” Cadr said with urgency. Gil stood close by silently listening on, his nose twitching with curiosity.

“How far down do you think it is to the bottom?” Gil asked aloud, now standing before the waterfall, glancing down cautiously. Aed felt Cadr’s fingers fall from his arms and sighed in a deep breath of relief, he had never seen such anger before and new without a doubt that it was aimed at him. With his spirits broken, he followed Cadr over to the waterfall and stood beside his brother looking down.

“I should say about a thousand or so feet,” Aed said as he assessed the area. The sun was rising in the distance, the rays streaming through the gaps of the water. “We would be fortunate indeed if we landed alive. The wind is rough and the water strong, and there is no material of which would hold our weight, especially Welsam.”

“Then we shall find material and weapons,” Cadr said with a straight back. “We must take a chance.”

“Cadr, Welsam will never agree, he is despite his great mind, terrible when it comes to practical matters,” Gil said with a frown. “How do you propose we encourage him to climb down the side of a waterfall?”

“We don’t,” Cadr interceded quickly. Aed turned to his friend.

“What do you mean?”

“We knock him out and simply carry him down.”

“That’s impossible Cadr!” Gil said with a forced laugh. “I mean how could you do such a thing?”

“We lower him down first, until he meets the ground and then we use the material as a ladder,” Cadr said with optimism.

“We would never be able to hold him,” Aed returned with wide eyes.

“Do you have any other ideas?” Cadr said with a sarcastic tone.

“We could just speak with our captors and hope they see sense?”

“Maybe before you killed one of the most prized wolves yes, but unfortunately any hopes of co-operation died alongside him,” Cadr said with spite. Aed felt a stab of pain as he took in the words of his friend, who was quite clearly unable to forgive him.

“How long would it take us to climb down?” Aed asked, unable to argue with Cadr.

“Half an hour, maybe more?” Gil said, his hands upon his hips.

“And how long do you suppose we have until our captors return?”

“We have until sunset,” Cadr said as he turned from Aed and Gil and made his way back to the Welsam. “I say we split up and find weapons, rope and enough resources to get us by for the next few days. I will prepare Welsam.”

“Are you sure about this?” Gil asked Aed seriously. “I would understand if we simply bade our time here. It’s clear that neither you nor Welsam are strong enough for this.”

“I don’t see any other option at this point, we have to leave these caves as soon as possible,” Aed returned with a faint smile that betrayed his anxious demeanour. Gil stood a moment and observed his brother with keen eyes before walking away. Aed could see before him the flaws of their plan, but he knew and understood that there was no other way, and so with strained shoulders and an aching head, he began to search the caves for any resources, weapons and materials that they could use. The caves were poorly lit and as he searched, he found himself wandering deeper into the mountains. The entrance cave divided itself out into dozens of smaller caves that were connected by narrow corridors. Knowing he was against time, he made his way through the corridors with swiftness, but found his feet stopping before an entrance to an oddly shaped cave. Curiosity spiking despite his anxious predisposion, Aed entered the cave, light only by one small beacon. The air was still and the cool as he entered the cave. Lifting the torch high above him, he observed strange markings upon the walls and walked over until he stood before what looked to be a depiction of war. Intrigued he slowly allowed his eyes to travel from one image to the next. “A story…” he muttered aloud. The images were off wolves and men, fighting before a great mountain, its peak narrow and curved. With a flicker of surprise he smiled. “Sun Peak.” It was perhaps the most famous of mountain peaks in the north and was attached in particular to the great battle of Gethsom, known to many as the last great battle of the tribes. With awe, Aed allowed his fingers to trace the intricate details of the pictures and felt his mouth slowly contort into an ‘o’. The images that filled the walls of this particular cave were a documented history of the last wolf tribe of the north, and with each image that he skimmed he felt a terrible pain deep inside, as he witnessed the horrific story of the wolf tribe and the oppression and violence they had faced. Once they had been the great rulers of the North and now they were tucked away within the folds of a great forest, struggling to survive and in fear for their future. With an ache he suddenly understood why the wolf King had been so consumed with anger upon their arrival. It wasn’t that he was without understanding towards their situation it was that he had no choice but to ensure that he and his company never returned to the open world. Ulf could not risk their discovery and so was himself cornered. Letting his fingers slip away from the paintings, Aed felt his anxiety peak. No they could not remain here, they would surely as Cadr had said, die. But, he knew that he would placing this small and ancient tribe into an impossible position if he and the others were to find their way out of the forest. The wolves would not simply allow them to escape, not without a fight. His eyes heavy and his head sore, Aed turned from the cave, the beautiful and tragic images now burned within his memory and made his way back to his companions, with only a handful of useful weapons.

Quiet, deep in thought and tired, Aed made his way back to the main cave and found his brother and friends preparing. Welsam was oddly positioned, with what looked to be a thick length of rope attached to his great body. Putting down the few daggers and knives that he had scavenged, Aed looked to Gil.

“He’s unconscious yes?”

“It was quick, but I cannot say that it was painless,” Gil returned with a shrug and he rummaged through the daggers. “Good find.”

“Will the rope hold?” Aed asked Cadr who was preparing bags.

“It should hold,” he returned, keeping his eyes upon his current activity. “I found some old bags that we can use.”

“There isn’t much in terms of food, but I found some items of clothing and two swords,” Gil interceded. “But just to be safe, I think myself and Cadr will keep a hold of the swords.”

“If you think it best,” Aed said as he bite down on his lip. Gil smiled with discomfort.

“We will have to hunt for food and water, other than that we are prepared.”

“Good.”

When Cadr had finished filling the bags with leather pouches of water and clothes he handed Aed the largest.

“It’s light,” he said without meeting his eyes. “There is enough ointment and bandages for the next few days.”

“Thank you,” Aed said as he took his bag and draped it over his back, scowling with pain. In silence the duo pulled Welsam’s unconscious form over to the side of the waterfall. Finding a secure rock, Gil tied the end of the rope about it tightly and together the duo heftily began to lower the heavy body of Welsam down, each straining to hold onto the thick rope. Aed felt the burning pain sore through him as he stood to the front, carefully guiding Welsam down by the side of the waterfall. He could see the ground below through a gap in the forest roof. It did not take as long as previously thought for Welsam to make contact with the ground below and when he did, Aed and his fellow companions fell to the ground for a few moments in need of a breather. Outside it began to rain heavily as they prepared themselves. Refusing to go ahead of his brother and friend, Aed waited patiently until he was the last to leave the caves. His body still barely covered, he placed two daggers into the sides of his leather pants and then place a small knife into his mouth as he climbed down over the edge of the cave, holding onto the thick rope tightly. The cold waters sprayed his face, arms, hands and upper body as he carefully abseiled his way down the slippery edge of the mountain. Above him, he could see the tops of the mountains now covered in a thick blanket of snow, with great swirling clouds touching the peaks. His feet bare, he could feel the beat of his heart within his ears as he slowly descended, the top of his brothers head not too far away from him.  About him he heard the loud squawks of birds as they flew over and under the forest ceiling. Stopping for a moment in which to catch his breath, Aed looked down and found his companions out of sight beneath a cloud.

“Gil can you hear me?” he cried out, beads of water falling into his eyes.

“Aed? Aed I can hear you!” cried back Gil, his voice reverberating loudly.

“Has Cadr reached the ground yet?”

“No, he has just reached the top of the forest!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, you?”

“I’m freezing and drenched, but yes I am alright.”

“Can you hear the thunder from above?” Gil asked his brother. Aed looked up from his position as a great rumble of thunder cascaded through the sky, a great spike of white light reaching down.

“Yes, I can see lightening as well!”

“We better hurry and hope that we are not struck!” Gil answered as Aed quickly began to scale down the side of the mountain, afraid of the great streaks of lightening that now hit the side of the mountain, splaying great rocks of ice and snow downwards.

“Watch out Gil!” Aed cried aloud as he slammed his body against the rock, feeling the great sweeping force of the rocks as they fell. Terrified and unknowing of his companions position, Aed began once more to clamber down as fast as his feet could take him. “Gil? Are you there?” he cried out once more, now that he had reached the cloud that swirled across the ceiling of the forest. Closing his eyes tightly, Aed felt the stifling atmosphere change as he descended down through the thick cloud, his skin soaked and covered in goose bumps. As he descended he felt his feet hit something hard and opened his eyes, scanning the heavy fog below. “Gil?” he coughed abruptly. He needed no answer, for he knew that it was his brother below and so with careful guidance, he scrambled down until he came to his brothers side, the knife in his mouth now within his right hand. “Gil are you awake?” he said with haste as he tried to lift his brothers heavy head, now covered in a flow of running warm blood, that travelled down the side of his temples, staining his throat heavily and absorbing into his dirty shirt. Prodding Gil, Aed tried to awaken him. Below him he heard Cadr calling out.

“Gil?”

“Cadr he’s been hit!” Aed returned as he tried to unwrap the rope from his brother’s waist, manovering his body so that now attached itself to Aed. Swaying haphazardly, Aed clung to Gil and forced both of them downwards, another great rumble of thunder shaking the mountain. As he came to the ceiling of the forest, Cadr clambered up through the tops of the trees, his eyes wide and anxious.

“That’s it, bring him down gently!” he ordered as he clung to the thick branches. Aed felt his lungs burn with heaviness as he guided himself and Gil downwards.

“Welsam, is he alright?” Aed called out as he now reached Cadr, who took Gil from his grasp and held onto him tightly.

“He is fine,” Cadr returned as he heaved Gil to his side.

“How will we get him through the trees?” Aed asked as he found his footing upon a branch. Above he heard another great lashing of lightening and trembled. “We need to hurry before another avalanche of snow falls upon us!”

“Quickly!” Cadr said as he tried to bring Gil’s body down through the trees. Now under the cover of the forest, Aed looked about him franticly.

“God we hardly have room in which to move!”

“Follow me, there is a way down to the river,” Cadr said loudly as he struggled to bring Gil down. “Here take the rope and tie it to your waist, in case he falls.” Taking the newly cut rope from Cadr, Aed tied it about his waist and painstakingly followed his companions down through the thick and merciless branches. After what seemed to be an eternity, the floor of the forest came into view and close by, the sound of the flowing river filled Aed’s senses. Holding Gil to him, Aed watched as Cadr jumped down onto the leaf covered ground below, where great roots stuck out. “Gently lower him down, that’s it…” Cadr called out as Aed helped to lower his brother downwards, until Cadr caught his lifeless figure and laid it down upon the bumpy ground below. Again another great cry of thunder shook the forest as Aed carefully jumped down, his feet aching as they touch the hard ground below, forcing him to fall and roll onto his side, his teeth gnawing down hard upon his bottom lip.

“God!” he cried out as he rolled onto his side and searched for his feet with trembling hands. Opening his eyes painfully, he saw Cadr close to him lifting Gil over his shoulders.

“Quick follow me!” he said hesitantly as he staggered away from Aed. Rolling onto his back, Aed felt a dozen or so great buds of water fall upon his face and body, now covered in muddied leaves. Closing his eyes briefly he forced himself to his feet and untied the rope from his waist. Upon his feet once more, Aed turned and followed Cadr through the dense trees until finally he came to an opening beside the wide and rushing river. Close by amongst large rocks, he spotted Cadr, Welsam and Gil and made for them. Welsam was awake and sitting quietly, his eyes on Aed.

“You’re awake,” Aed muttered as he wiped his brow with his arm.

“Well it is impossible not to be when you hit these rocks with quiet some bang,” Welsam said, his eyes brighter than before.

“Are you feeling better?” Aed asked as he bent over his brother’s body.

“I’m alive, “Welsam returned with a roll of his eyes. “You look awful.”

“I feel it,” Aed said with a small smile. Beneath him Gil’s eyes opened slightly and groan came from his mouth. “Just stay still.”

“What happened?” Gil asked as he drew a hand to the side of his head.

“You were hit by an avalanche of snow and rocks,” Aed returned as Cadr examined his friend’s body.

“I see,” Gil said with a smile. “All in all it has been an interesting day yes?”

“Now is not the time for sarcasm brother,” Aed said with a serious frown. “We need to make some distance before nightfall.”

“Can we not rest a while?” Welsam said quickly as he stood upon his feet and assessed the environment. Cadr looked to Aed and Aed shrugged.

“I suppose a half hour wouldn’t kill,” Cadr said as he helped Gil up into a sitting position.

“I’m starving!” Welsam said as a loud rumble came from his stomach.

“There is some food in the bags but not much,” Cadr returned as he opened his own bag and rummaged through it for the several rolls of bread that he had found. Taking a roll out, he handed it to Welsam before returning to his bag and handing another roll to Gil. Aed lifted his hand in protest.

“I don’t think I can stomach it after the last hour.”

“Me too.”

The group spread out and sat for a while in silence. Aed stood close to Gil and took some time to take in his environment. Above him the great thick, grey clouds were too thick in which to see the great and vast mountain range. About him a thick and dense forest stood, the loud noises coming from within. A few birds flew close by, but as he ran his fingers through his hair he realised that they were quite lost, but for the great river. He could see nothing over the tops of the forest in either direction and groaned inwardly.

“How will we ever find a tree?” came the voice of Cadr from behind.

“I have no idea, it seemed so much simpler from the caves, but down here it seems impossible,” Aed returned, keeping his eyes on the raging waters.

“I was speaking with Welsam before I came to your rescue and he said something about a path,” Cadr said, his hands upon his hips.

“A path?”

“Actually there are four paths that lead to this tree,” Cadr said with a shrug as he came to stand beside Aed.

“How are we to find a path in this forest?” Aed returned with furrowed brows.

“He said that this river divides into two and that to find one of the paths, we are to follow the vein of water that runs eastward,” Cadr replied calmly.

“What can this tree possibly offer us in terms of help?” Aed asked his friend.

“Honestly, I don’t know.”

Aed turned to Cadr and looked at him with a serious expression.

“Cadr…” he began.

“There is no need to explain, I understand,” Cadr said with a raised hand.

“What I did…”

“Was understandable, you were trying to survive what seemed to be an impossible situation, no one can blame you for that,” Cadr returned with a small smile.

“I cannot explain my reasons or actions, why I would ever put the lives of my brother and friends in danger is beyond me,” Aed said with a shake of his hand.

“You saw no other way out,” Cadr said as he laid a hand upon his friends shoulder. “Quill understood.”

“I would never have thought that Quill out of all of us would have been the one to die,” Aed said as a wave of emotion curled within his stomach. “His family will never forgive me.”

“They don’t need to know about the events of this forest,” Cadr said sympathetically.

“They do.”

Cadr and Aed stood quietly, their eyes upon one another. Standing still, Aed heard a light sound that flew within the air. Turning his eyes away from Cadr he caught sight of an arrow piercing the sky.

“Get down!” Cadr said loudly as he dragged Aed down upon the face of rock roughly. Falling to his already swollen legs, Aed heard the sound of several arrows rushing through the air atop of many voices. To Aed it seemed to happen swiftly. One moment he was upon the ground and the next he was being dragged across the rocks, his head now covered in a thick dark bag. With a thud he was thrown to the floor of the forest and beside him he heard the cries of his friends as well as smelt the terrible odour of what seemed to be wolves.

“You didn’t think us that deprived of intelligence, did you?” came a familiar and sharp voice. “Did you think that we would leave the foot of the mountain unarmed and neglected? That the possibility of you escaping down the waterfall wouldn’t penetrate our imaginations?”

“Please, we mean no harm to your people!” Aed begged as he tried to search the ground with his fingers, looking for Gil.

“Fortunately for you, I believe that you mean us no harm, unfortunately my brother is not so lenient,” the familiar voice of Uff returned. “Where did you think you could run too? Home?”

“We are looking for a tree!” Aed said desperately. About him he heard the laughs of his captors.

“A tree?” Uff returned seriously.

“It is called the tree of Meer, do you know it?” Aed asked as he kept himself still, feeling the presence of Gil close to his body.

“How do you know of the tree?” Uff asked, his body now bent and low, close to Aed.

“My friend and I have had a vision of the tree,” Aed said quietly. Feeling Uff before him, he lifted his head. “We must seek the tree, it calls us to it.”

“Why would the tree of Meer call you to it?”

“I wish I knew,” Aed said with honesty. “All I know is that my wife gave to me a seed, here look…” he searched for his necklace and upon finding it, brought it forth to Uff. Silence fell over the hostages and captors as Uff observed the seed.

“Your wife gave this to you?”

“It is an heirloom.”

“She must be one of them,” Uff said, his voice changing direction as though he were looking to his companions.

“One of them?” Aed re iterated.

“A tribe of humans used to live among the forest until they were driven out by my brother, your wife must have been one of them.”

“But surely she would have told us?”

“Would you have accepted her if you knew the truth?” Uff asked softly.

“Yes.”

Aed felt Uff rise from his position.

“The seeds of the tree of Meer are known to provide powerful knowledge from our ancestors, if this seed is indeed from the tree, then I shall help you to find it,” Uff said aloud. “However, my brother will not simply allow myself and my men to take you from him without leverage.”

“Leverage?” Aed called out.

“If you wish to find this tree and be saved from my brother’s wrath, I must take one of your friends and offer them to him as leverage.”

“But he will kill whoever you send back!” Cadr said with outrage.

“No, my brother will not cross me, not when so much is at stake,” Uff said seriously, his feet pacing to and fro. “If we find the tree of Meer and find the knowledge of use, then whomever we have taken as leverage will be given back to you without harm.”

“You can promise me this?” Aed asked bitterly. “You executed our friend but two days ago.”

“And you killed my nieces mate.”

Silence fell upon the group once more as Aed bent his head in shame.

“For that I am truly sorry.”

“It is too late now for apologies. A choice now lies before you. You may choose to find this tree and in return one of your company shall be escorted back to my brother or you can all of you be escorted back to the caves in which you will have to grapple with your future.”

“Brother you must find this tree, if it can aid us in stopping this witch then it is worth the risk,” Gil said with authority, his hand falling upon Aed’s.

“He is right Aed, there is no other way,” Cadr intervened. Aed let out a sigh, his body and mind tired.

“Who shall you take as leverage?” he asked Uff.

“You brother shall do.”

Aed felt his brother’s hand tighten upon his own and turned to him.

“I would do the same,” Gil replied with an anxious laugh. “Find the tree and then find me, do you understand?”

“You promise not to harm my brother?” Aed asked Uff.

“You have my promise,” Uff returned steadfast and certain.

“And if you don’t?”

“Then my life is yours.”

“That is as good as any promise a man can make, don’t you think brother?”

“If they hurt you…”

“They won’t, they have too much to lose,” Gil said with warmth. “Just find the tree and stop the witch.”

“Do we have a deal?” Uff asked aloud.

“Cadr, Welsam I won’t agree without your approval,” Aed asked his friends.

“I approve,” came Welsam’s shaky response.

“We better find the fucking tree!” Cadr said angrily. Aed smiled before turning to his captor.

“Agreed.”



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