The Dragons Egg: XIII : Tree of Meer : Aed : Draft

XIII

Tree of Meer

Aed

“Here give me your hand,” Aed called down to Welsam. The group had paused for a few hours in which to rest, with Uff and the rest of his wolf pack taking to the trees for safety.

“I’m not sure I can climb up,” Welsam said with embarrassment as the rest of the group watched on with curious gazes. Aed could feel the strain and frustration radiating from the young man and felt great sorrow for him. Welsam was out of his comfort zone and his friend had been ruthlessly murdered but a few days ago.

“I’ll help you up,” Cadr announced with a friendly smile. It had dawned upon Aed as the group had ventured through the forest, the close link between the two unlikely friends, both being the polar opposite of one another, it surprised Aed to see Cadr so protective. Welsam exhaling, his face covered in mud and his clothes sharply torn by branches turned to his friend and shook his head.

“Really, I’d prefer it if we just camped upon the ground,” Welsam said with a hefty sigh, his legs shaking with exhaustion.

“No, we take shelter in the trees, dark creatures from the mountains have ventured down into the forest this past week, they are sure to pass beneath us when the moon rises,” Uff said with a regal voice. He sat close to Aed, both of them taking refuge under the leaves of a great and ancient tree which seemed to go on forever. Aed looked across at the wolf prince, wishing to find understanding, instead he found a warrior of steal, his eyes filled with past experiences and a great deal of wisdom.

“Come I will help you up,” Aed said as he reached down to Welsam. “Cadr give him a foot and I will help him up.”

“I will only shame myself and prove a laughing stock to our captors,” Welsam said with red cheeks, the features of the faces of the rest of the group changing abruptly.

“We are not your captors, as I recall we are aiding you in your quest,” Uff said with stiffness.

“Guthad states that the a man or force that has us bound not just by hand and foot but my spirit and mind, serves the purpose of an objective aim, the aim being to take away the freedom and liberties that we gifted upon beings from their first breathe,” Welsam said resolutely.  The young wolf men quite their teasing and seemed to quieten as Welsam spoke with his chin up and his chest out. “You have taken my friend captive and thus we too are your captives. For you would only allow us access to this tree if it serves some ill intent or aim.”

“Who is this Guthad?” Uff said sharply, turning his silver eyes to Aed fiercely.

“He is long dead now, but was once a great advocate of the free people in the north,” Aed replied as he raised his brows. “My friend here is truly a well-read scholar, but whose fate was unfortunate enough to place him within an illiterate village, where books are rare and intelligent thinking rarer.”

“I heard that,” Cadr said with a sarcastic smile.

“I have a great many books young scholar,” Uff said as he climbed down to a branch beside Aed. “This man you speak off, I wish to read his book.”

“I have it here in my satchel,” Welsam said as he took the hand of Aed and placed his foot within the palm of an under spoken Cadr.

“It has been some time since I sat with an illiterate man, but I can assure you that I have no objective in aiding you and your friends, I am merely curious and in aiming to not only serve my curiosity but to also keep you safe, I had to offer my brother leverage,” Uff said with feeling as Cadr pushed Welsam upwards and Aed pulled him up onto the nearest branch.

“And so in theory you are our captors, yes?” Welsam argued as he pushed himself into a comfortable position, his heavy weight causing him to sway from one side to the other, his cheeks still stained red with embarrassment.

“Here catch your satchel!” Cadr declared from below. Welsam turned away from Uff and caught his satchel. With a clean jump, Cadr soon followed Welsam.

“You must climb higher,” Uff ordered as he eyes Welsam seriously. “Come follow me.”

Aed lifted himself up from his branch and upon checking that his companions were alight, he followed Uff up through the thick branches, sure to keep his eyes looking upwards, as the distance put between the ground and himself was extensive. After a hefty hike, Aed felt the air thin and cool and soon he found his head popping out of the tree. His eyes wide and astounded, he realised that he had climbed to the roof of the forest. The sun was still setting behind the great mountain range to the south, and all about him the great forest roof bustled and swayed rhythmically. Below him, Cadr and Welsam had found positions upon the wide and thick branches and were hunched together in conversation whilst Uff appeared beside him, his eyes brighter and more alert than ever.

“The forest goes on as far as the horizon,” Aed said aloud as he scanned the area and felt his lungs soften as the pure air filled them.

“That is a good sign, it means we are near the tree for it lies in the centre of this great place,” Uff said as he took looked about, his eyes lifting to the mountains.

“Your brother will not be pleased with your decision,” Aed said with a knowing glance as he ran his fingers through the leaves.

“My brother and I rarely see eye to eye on matters, I doubt his frustration is a new feeling for him,” Uff said with a growl.

“I too seem to have a strained relationship with my brother,” Aed acknowledged for the first time. Uff stopped moving and glanced his way.

“So I observed,” he said with a smile. “He is young and rebellious, he is nothing like my brother, who is a great deal older. Your brother is as he should be at that age, arrogant, cocky and outspoken when he should practice shutting up.”

“It may seem surprising if I were to tell you that he once was very much like Welsam, engrossed in books especially the tales of old,” Aed said with a regretful sigh. “I’m afraid I haven’t spent much time getting to know him, and so his anger towards me is fair and just.”

“He showed great courage when my brother ordered you and your friends to fight,” Uff said with raised brows, his great locks of hair blowing about in the subtle wind.

“He is courageous, I don’t believe I have ever given him enough encouragement,” Aed replied. “He was a twin, until she passed away a few years ago and since then he has been rebelling against all those who face him. He is a great warrior and makes it his mission to break as many hearts as possible in my small village, but he has lost himself along the way. His feelings are not what they should be.”

“Grief plays many games with our soul and mind,” Uff said with kindness in his fierce eyes. “He will soon grow out of it, if not by now I would expect.”

“I have seen change in him these last few days,” Aed admitted as he lifted his nose to the sky. “Which is to be expected of course.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Uff said as he waved away a strand of hair from his severe face, which didn’t seem to soften even when attempting to be kind.

“And I for yours,” Aed returned with a nod.

“I believe it was my niece that gave you the sword.”

“She did?”

“Indeed, as it was I that gave it to her,” Uff admitted much to Aed’s surprise.

“Why?” Aed asked in a state of confusion. “I killed her mate.”

“He was going to face his imminent death soon, so his loss isn’t really surprising,” ff said plainly without emotion.

“He was?”

“He and some of his young friends have been plotting a coup these last few months,” Uff said as he brought out his dagger and turned it about in his hands lazily. “My brother wouldn’t hear of him doing such a thing, but I had my spies and if truth be told I wasn’t very happy at the prospect of him mating with Kya. She is too young and her eyes wonder away from this forest, she wishes to be free from the burdens of my people and her father and I wish it for her. She is no match for a wolf man, only a man who is worldly will ever satisfy her needs.”

“I don’t know whether I should applaud you or fear you,” Aed said with mixed emotions.

“Both will do,” Uff smiled deeply as he looked up from his blade. “I have been trying to tell my brother of the risk our tribe now faces, but he refuses to listen to the messengers who come to me from far and wide bearing news from the outside world.”

“I thought you were not allowed outside of the forest?”

“In theory yes, but you don’t really think that we all abide by the rules, do you?” Uff said with a mischievous gaze.

“Well I had you down as a traditional kind of leader…”

“What kind of a leader would I be if I didn’t enquire about the events of Meer?” Uff said with a raised hand.

“Well a poor one,” Aed said truthfully.

“Exactly! Oh I know about the goings on of our Kings, and I have had my eyes on Beon’s black guards who are wreaking havoc along the edge of the forest!”

“They are rounding up troops and food for the war to come,” Aed said with downturned eyes. “My village will soon be next if I do not return quickly.”

“Do not fear, I have sent my wolfs to the edge, they will keep an eye out for your village,” Uff said, his again looking up at the mountains. “I can feel her presence everywhere and so can the trees and all living things within this forest. She has brought the plague of darkness upon us and will likely leave her trace.”

“Leave her trace?”

“She knows you are here, she knows that we know what she looking for, she will not leave this forest without seeking us out,” Uff said with a groan. “I’ll wager she will soon find the caves and retrieve the bones of Belnun and destroy anything that lies in her way. She is a wicked and vile woman, and her eyes…I have never seen the like.”

“You have gazed upon the witch?”

“I led a group of my men up the mountain two days ago, we followed her tracks and those of the guards protecting her,” Uff said. “Do you see the four peaks to the right?” Uff outstretched his blade in the direction of the mountains. Aed turned about, careful of his footing and sought out the peek.

“Yes.”

“There lie the caves of Belnun, we got as far as the caves but were forced to turn back due to the drop in temperatures and erratic avalanches which are now a daily occurrence since she entered the forest,” Uff said with disgust. “I pleaded with my brother to evacuate the caves but he is stubborn and will not be moved by Ethla.”

Aed suddenly felt afraid for his brother’s safety and looked again at the mountains.

“Kya is smart and intelligent, she will keep your brother safe.”

“I hope so, he is all the family I have and I made my sister a promise,” Aed said quietly.

“I think my niece is fond of your brother,” Uff said with a smile. “So I wouldn’t worry about his safety, when my niece fixes her gaze on something that takes her fancy, she is not likely to look elsewhere.”

“I don’t know why I am not comforted by that statement,” Aed said with surprise.

“I am not either, it is forbidden to mate with a being,” Uff said quiet plainly and without discomfort, much to Aed’s shock for he felt great discomfort. “If they are caught…well he will be executed and she will be banished.”

“Just another problem to add to the on-going list of problems,” Aed said as he lowered himself down into the tree once more and sat upon a branch with his back to the trunk. Uff joined him and from his bag, brought out an apple and handed it to Aed.

“Do you believe in visions?” he asked as he cut apart his own apple and ate it.

“You refer to the vision of my wife and child?” Aed returned as he found his own knife within its sheath.

“Yes, among my people we are great believers in vision’s, our ancestors told us that they were sent from the elders,” Uff said as he munched down on his apple and gazed out across the darkening forest.

“I am not superstitious, but this vision felt real,” Aed admitted. “Despite the ending.”

“You say she was killed?”

“Yes by black guards,” Aed said as he closed his eyes, the image unfolding before him as it had done many times since that day.

“But your daughter was walking yes?”

“Yes, why do you ask?” Aed said as he turned to Uff, a flash of hope streaking through him.

“Well it means that there is hope, your wife has not yet given birth and so there is time in which for you to change the course of the future,” Uff said simply, his eyes upon Welsam and Cadr who were now flicking through books, despite the lack of light.

“You think so?” Aed asked with a desperate plea in his voice.

“I do, and if events take a turn for the worst, I will be at your side if you seek vengeance,” Uff said with a growl.

“But you hate me?”

“No, no I do not hate you, I respect you,” Uff said with a mystified glare. “I must act as though I am a villain in this strange and interweaving story we are entwined in, but I do not hate you. I have to keep the respect of my men, if I lose their favour well…”

“I understand,” Aed said with a raised hand. “My father is the leader of our village and he too rules with an iron hand and for that reason the men respect him, they may inwardly despise him but on a professional level they would never dare be disloyal. I suppose I have tried and in some ways failed to mimic his ways, and if I am being honest, I suppose this is why I have lost the favour of my brother. I am too stern, too judgemental and I do not abide his ways, but in truth I am jealous and envious of the freedom he has, even if he suffers inwardly. The men of my village look to my father first and myself second and it is a hard task to keep yourself favourable when you are in competition with your own father.”

“Then I would counsel you to stop trying to mimic your father, you are your own man and I have seen first-hand the great skills you have as a leader,” Uff said with feeling as he shuffled about upon his branch. “The way that you fought, the way in which you tried to be diplomatic with my brother only earned you my respect, which is why I will not see any harm come to you, your brother or your friends.”

“I thank you,” Aed said with a smile as he threw away the remains of his apple.

“Your young friend is very smart, I think I should enjoy spending time with him in conversation,” Uff said as he looked downwards at a quiet and retreating Welsam, who sat wrapped in his cloak with a thick book between his hands. “He is a bit of a baby and would greatly benefit from a night of pleasure with one of your women, but he is useful in ways that a sword and arrow are not.”

“How many of his friends have tried and failed to connect Welsam with his cock,” Aed laughed quietly. “I think he may be a little flat.”

“Or maybe he seeks the gaze of his own sex?” Uff said with a smile. Below, hearing their voices, Welsam looked upwards at them. “Put away your book boy and rest, we have a long day ahead of us and you’ll find that it won’t be books that keep you safe but rest!”

Welsam looked across at Aed.

“Do as he says Welsam, leave your books for another time,” Aed said with a wave of his hand before working with his cloak and bringing it about his body.

“Maybe you can pass me your book by this Guthad?” Uff asked aloud.

“Only if you promise to give it back?” Welsam returned as he rummaged through his satchel.

“I never make promises,” Uff said seriously.

“Then what leverage can you offer me?” Welsam said with a slight grin upon his face, which coaxed Uff into a fit of laughter.

“Not to cut your cock off when your sleeping!” he laughed, the other members of his group laughing alongside him. “Book, now! I am after all your captor and so you must submit to my rules.”

Welsam’s grin disappeared as he got up onto his feet, swaying slightly. Aed a little unsure of how to react, jumped down through the branches and took the book from his friend.

“He only jests, now sleep I will keep watch for you,” Aed said with kindness as he took the book from Welsam and returned to his place upon the branch, handing the book across to Uff.

“I was teasing,” he smiled as he took the book and turned away from Aed. “I will keep watch, you sleep.”

“I thought so,” smiled Aed as he rustled himself into a sleeping position and closed his eyes, his fingers clasping onto the seed upon his chain.

*

“Wake up!” Uff groaned as he shook the soft body of the sleeping Aed. His head heavy and his eyes swollen from having only just fallen to sleep, Aed shuffled about, his legs and back aching against the tree.

“What time is it?” he mumbled as he opened his eyes, a great beam of morning light streaming down through the branches from above.

“It is dawn and we must be on our way, a manticore was spotted wandering through the forest last night,” Uff said as he prepared himself.

“A manticore?” Aed returned with a confused expression.

“You have not heard of a manticore?”

“No I have not,” Aed said as he brought himself to his feet and began to ready himself, the rest of the company and group already upon the ground talking amongst each other.

“It is said that the manticore of Dulga protects and shields the hidden passage through the mountains,” Uff said as he flung his sword over his back. “Only a few have ever seen it and only one person ever made it back in one piece. They are deadly and when tested can cause a lot of trouble within the forest. It is strange that the manticore has left the mountains and sought refuge within the forest.”

“Do you think Ethla has anything to do with it?” Aed asked as he began to make his way down through the tree, swiftly followed by Uff.

“I do,” Uff growled from behind. “It is hard to scare off a manticore.”

“What kind of beast are they?” Aed said as he jumped down onto the floor of the forest which was covered in a thick blanket of falling leaves. Uff jumped down after him and looked into his face with a serious expression, his silver eyes deep and his brows thick.

“They have the body of a lion and the head of a human,” he said under his breath as the rest of the group began to move.

“And he is close by?” Aed returned with wide eyes.

“He passed this way a few hours ago, so I am not sure if he is close by or he has put some distance between here and wherever he is now,” Uff said with a groan as they came to walk alongside Cadr and Welsam.

“Did you see it too?” Cadr asked his friend as he took a gulp of laman from his drink bag.

“The manticore?” Aed returned as Welsam and Uff fell into a heated debate.

“Yes, I awoke this morning before dawn and saw it with my own eyes, a great beast indeed and one I hope to never encounter,” Cadr said as he tightened the lid of his drinking bag. “How did you sleep?”

“In the end I had to tie a length of rope about myself and tree to keep me from falling,” Aed said as he yawned.

“It’s a bit perilous sleeping upon a branch, how easy it would be to simply fall off and hit the ground!”

“Indeed.”

“So what were you both talking about last night?” Cadr pushed as he fixed his cloak.

“Nothing that important, mainly we spoke of our roles as brothers,” Aed said with a shrug.

“I see…”

“He and his brother do not see eye to eye on many matters, including ourselves,” Aed said, his face warming with the morning sun. “And he told me that it himself who gave Kya the sword in order to help us.”

“No…why?” Cadr said with surprise.

“Apparently her mate was intending of getting rid of Ulf by planning a coup,” Aed said plainly. “Uff saw a way of fixing the matter.”

“At the price of Quill’s life,” Cadr said angrily. “I do not trust him and neither should you.”

“He is honourable and wishes us no harm,” Aed said with kind eyes. “You should not fear him, he has sent scouts to watch over our village until we return.”

“Can they keep their teeth to themselves though?” Cadr said with knowing eyes.

“They will not disobey their commander, his men would never be disloyal.”

“I hope so,” Cadr returned. For a long while the company passed under the trees in silence, their eyes keen and their ears alert. Aed spent the time passing thoughts and thinking of Branna who would be in a state of despair. As they moved through the forest the sounds of high pitched crying rang out amongst the trees, forcing the group to stop in their tracks. Uff with his nose in the air stood quietly, his eyes closed.

“Death,” he said aloud, taking out his sword. The company and group of wolf men soon followed suite, with Welsam standing close by to Cadr, his dagger unsheathed. “Follow me and be careful!” Uff ordered as he turned away from the path and began to run through the heavy foliage. Aed, his sword within his hand ran after Uff, the crying deepening as he ran. They were not cries of humans, they sounded like the cries of an animal and soon the group found themselves facing a small gathering of dier, their fur as pure and as white as the white rain which fell over the mountains. The gathering seemed to be circled about another dier. “All of you stay where you are, Aed you and Cadr come with me!”

Welsam looked to Cadr with fear.

“You will be safe,” he said with assurance as he followed his friend and captor. Uff had one hand raised to caution Aed and Cadr as they neared the gathering. Upon sensing their presence, the dier’s began to move away, their noses in the air and their eyes filled with tears. Aed had for many a year watched the precious dier tribes throughout the winter months as they migrated south and into the great forest, they were beautiful to behold and gentle in nature. To see them mourning the loss of one of their pack struck Aed deep in the heart. As he made his way into the gathering he noticed a large golden dier with great horns.

“It is their King,” Uff said as he knelt down beside the beautiful creature who lay dying upon his side, blood dripping from his nose. Aed scanned his body and noticed a great gaping hole at his side, with great teeth marks around the edge.

“Who would do this?” Aed said as he came about to the other side and knelt down opposite Uff and Cadr. Gently he lifted the stags head and placed it upon his lap. His large amber eyes gazed up into his own and for the briefest of moments, Aed felt something strange occur within himself.

“The manticore,” Uff said with disgust. “To kill the king of the dier is a terrible crime, the blood of a dier is sacred and they live very long lives, longer than our own. They are filled with wisdom and kindness and are now so rare due to hunting.”

“The manticore must be near then?” Cadr enquired as he lay a large hand down upon the stag’s thick neck.

“Yes,” Uff said as he stood up and lifted his nose once more into the air. “He is near.”

“What do we do? These dier need to be protected from the beast,” Aed said, his eyes still upon the stag.

“I had hoped that it wouldn’t come to this,” Uff said with a distasteful wave of his hand. “We have a duty to the forest, to shield it from harm. We must seek out this manticore and kill it before it kills any more of our rare animals.”

“Excuse me did I just hear you say that we are going to seek out a manticore and kill it?” Cadr said with a surprised look, his eyes darting from Aed to Uff rather quickly.

“My tribe protects this forest, our duty must come first,” Uff said roughly, his sword in the air.

“How will we find the manticore?” Aed enquired calmly.

“Easy, we lure him to us,” Uff replied. “He has an insatiable thirst for wolves.”

“And your plan of attack is…?” Cadr asked as the face of young doe peered over his shoulder causing him to jump.

“There is no plan, we pray to the Gods for favour,” Uff said with a shrug.

“The worlds gone mad!” Cadr said with a cry. “Mad!”

“Calm friend, there is a dozen of us, we should mathematically speaking destroy this manticore,” Aed said kindly.

“Great that makes me feel better…anything that includes maths is doomed! Have you actually seen the size of this manticore? It is bigger than two wolves thrown together!” Cadr moaned as he stroked the face of the young doe. “And what of the tree? What if you are killed…how are we meant to make sense of the tree then?”

“Your friend will not die,” Uff said with reassurance.

“And you know this how?”

“His destiny lies elsewhere, I have felt it,” Uff said with a roll of his eyes.

“Really? How through the changing of the wind? You may believe in your superstitious lu la tales, I however believe in reality and place no faith in any God,” Cadr said as he stepped closer to Uff, the pair of them rounding each other as though they were about to descend into an almighty fight.

“Enough!” Aed declared loudly, causing the stag to twitch beneath his touch. “This stag is dying! Honour his last moments and quit your arguing. If the manticore needs to be killed then so be it!”

Uff and Cadr stopped moving and turned their slightly surprised gazes to Aed.

“And put down your weapons! You’re scaring the does!” Aed said with a furrowed brow. “Uff, go and find your men and try to come up with some kind of plan along the way. Cadr come sit with the stag and be quiet!”

Uff looked shocked as Aed commanded the two men, his eyes serious and unmoving. For a moment Aed though the wolf man would kill him there and then, but after several seconds of eye contact he turned on his feet and began to depart away from the gathering, leaving behind only Cadr and himself.

“Do you want us to end up being killed?” Aed said to his now abnormally quiet friend.

“We may very well end up dead anyway,” Cadr replied as he stroked the neck of the stag, whose breathes began to fade away.

“This manticore is in our way and so we must deal with it as soldiers, there is no arguing over the matter, we cannot have precious animals who are nigh on extinct in the north being killed in this manner, look and feel the pain of this group of dier, it is cruel and deep,” Aed said as the stag’s eyes began to close. The dier cried out again as the stag died in Aed’s arms.

“He is so magnificent,” Cadr whispered with saddened eyes. “His death only makes real the state of our world friend.”

“Indeed,” Aed replied as his eyes filled with tears. “That is why it is important that we try to stay alive, so that we can aid those in need.”

“I understand, it’s just that Uff and myself do not exactly see eye to eye on many issues,” Cadr said with a raised hand.

“Well you will both just have to get along with each other, what is happening around us is much bigger than you both,” Aed said as he moved away from the stag and got up onto his feet. Behind them Uff, Welsam and the rest of the wolf men came into sight, Welsam’s eyes filled with terror.

“You boy will never be a man if you do not summon up some courage!” Uff said to the young scholar. Welsam stammered as he locked his eyes to his boots.

“Leave him be!” Cadr said with rage. “He may not wield a sword like you or I, but just because we wield a sword and can play with our cock doesn’t make us men either!”

“I...” Welsam went crimson red.

“Uff have you come up with a plan?” Aed interfered, sending Cadr a warning look.

“Simple really we just cry out and he shall come bounding through the forest in our direction,” Uff said as the wolf men began to growl.

“Okay, but I would really like to highlight the fact that we are surrounded by dier, so maybe we should venture away from them in order to keep them alive,” Aed said seriously.

“Well of course, what do you take me for?” Uff said with strong eyes. “Come follow us, we must be quick.”

Aed waited for his friends and when by their side heard Welsam whispered to Cadr.

“I can play with my cock,” he said with trembling lips.

“You don’t know how glad that makes me feel inside,” Cadr said with a laugh. “Come we cannot let these wolves have all the pleasure and glory now can we?”

“No!” Aed said with a comforting smile. Together the group ran through the forest until they came to a small opening. Uff looked about.

“This should do?” he said in Aed’s direction.

“Yes, this should do,” Aed said before turning to Welsam. “Go and hide yourself and do not come out until the manticore is dead, do you understand?”

“Yes,” Welsam said before hurrying off behind a tree.

“As much as I believe my own words, Uff is right, the boy needs to find courage or his life will be short lived,” Cadr said as the men began to space themselves about the circular opening. Aed laid a hand upon Cadr’s shoulder.

“He is more of a man than we, his intelligence and knowledge far outshines our own, do not underestimate the force of a book.”

“You mean in terms of using it a physical object?” Cadr smiled.

“You know what I mean!” Aed said as Uff let out a great wolf cry, so loud that the tree shook. The men separated and made themselves ready for an attack. The air was still but for the noise of the rustling leaves, but as minutes passed, the sound of a thunderous beast in the near distance. Aed turned to Uff and nodded before turning to Cadr and nodding.

“May the gods be with you!” Cadr said sarcastically before a great beast burst forth from the trees and leapt over one of the wolf men, taking down Uff along the way.

“Shit!” Aed declared as the men ran towards Uff, who was now fighting the great beast, its body that of an animal and its head that of a human. The manticore looked up from Uff and growled.

“Does it speak?” Cadr asked aloud as the manticore once again battled with Uff.

“I don’t know?” Aed replied as he tapped the hind leg of the beast, causing it to deflect its attention away from the rather scarred Uff, whose face was covered in blood. The manticore turned upon Aed and swiped its sharp clawed feet across his chest, causing him to fall upon the ground in pain.

“Oh god!” Cadr cried out as the wolf men came down upon the beast enabling Cadr to drag Aed away by his arms. “Oh god you’re bleeding!”

“Go! Go and help the men!” Aed cried out as he placed a hand upon his chest and closed his eyes in pain.

“I can’t leave you like this!”

“It’s a scratch, now go and help Uff!” Aed returned with a fierce rebuff as he practically threw Cadr away from him. Cadr stumbled for a moment before turning on his feet and running back to the rest of the warriors. Aed watched as Uff, bleeding quite badly fought the beast, who was now crying out in agony. As he crawled to a nearby tree and planted himself against the trunk, breathing in and out deeply he saw from the corner of his eye the figure of Welsam, who came into view. “What are you doing!” he cried out to the young man.

“I’m being courageous!” Welsam called back.

“I doubt now is the best of times in which to test the strength of your courage boy!” Aed replied sternly. “Go back to your hiding place!”

“No one will ever respect me unless I prove myself!” Welsam returned as he brought forth from his bag what looked to be a sling. At that precise moment Uff turned to Welsam.

“Oh god not a sling…” he cried out as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. Welsam lifted a stone from the ground and placed it within the sling and directed it towards the manticore. With swiftness he let it go and Aed watched it fly through the cool air until it met with the head of a wolf man and floored him.

“Shit!” Aed cried out. “Welsam no I forbid you!”

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” Welsam returned with a nervous glare. “I’ll try again!”

“No! No!” the men started to whine as Welsam once more lifted a rather hefty stone and place it within the sling. Aed, closing his eyes in pain, opened them and found to his utter surprise that the manticore had been knocked unconscious, the wolf men and Cadr standing about him with sheer shock upon their bloodied faces.

“He did it…” Aed whispered to himself with sheer astonishment as he placed a hand over his mouth. Welsam also seemed to be suffering from shock as he stood rooted to the ground, his eyes wide and his sling upon the grass. “The world has indeed gone mad.”

“My god Welsam you did it!” Cadr cried out as he ran to the scholar and embraced him warmly. “You’re a man!”

“I’ve always been a man,” Welsam said into his friends shoulder. “I have the cock to prove it!”

“By god you do!” Cadr cried out with mirth. Aed now upon his feet rushed over to his friend whilst the wolf men slaughtered the manticore.

“I can’t believe it!” he said loudly. “I really, honestly cannot believe what I just saw…excluding the fact that you have probably killed one of our company.”

“Forgot about that,” Cadr said with a shrug. “You need to clean that wound before we go anywhere.”

“I’m fine,” Aed said despite the burning pain that soared through him. Beside him, Uff stood, soaked in blood.

“Rarely am I proved wrong,” he said through bated breathes, his hands upon his knees. “You killed a manticore! And maimed one of my men, but I think we can safely let you off this once!”

“I’m sorry,” Welsam said with shaking hands.

“Never say sorry when defending your life and the lives of others!” Uff said as he slapped Welsam upon the back. Turning to Aed, he rolled his eyes. “Bit of a shameful moment for us huh?”

“Well…” Aed smiled. “Probably.”

“There is something I wish to show you, if you’ll follow me,” Uff said, motioning the light headed Aed to follow him. Aed followed Uff across the plain and through the trees. “When I was fighting the manticore, I saw something peculiar through the trees, which of course led to my defeat.”

“Okay…” Aed said as he clutched at his chest. Uff stopped in his tracks and turned to Aed.

“Look.”

Aed followed Uff’s shaking hand and found his eyes falling upon a great tree, which stood out among the rest, a great space of grass surrounding it. It was taller than any other tree and wider. Upon its branches where not just leaves but ornaments which had obviously been placed upon the branches.

“The tree of Meer…”

“Yes,” Uff said with a smile. “The manticore led us to the tree of Meer.”


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