Everything Begins

Chapter 18

“In that you are wrong, Ga’briyel,” Dinton said. “They are everyone’s problem.”

“Not in the same way.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“For you to deal with the Asabya, it would be justice. For me, it is revenge, and I guarantee that your justice and my revenge could not be more different.” Frank did not want to elaborate, so he kicked Kumar into a trot and tried to put some space between himself and the other men. They were not about to let him, though, and they quickly closed the distance between them.

“You cannot leave it there, Ga’briyel,” Dinton said with a frown as he guided Shala next to Kumar. “What is going on?”

When Frank stayed silent, Tero said, “We have a right to know, Captain Mistri. A right to know what we are getting ourselves into.”

Frank reined Kumar in to a stop, and the others turned their horses to face him. “Does a captain question his general, Tero? No. Although we do not wear the uniform of the Guard right now, think of me as your general. This is my responsibility, and you are here to follow me and do as I say. If you cannot do that, you can turn around, go back to Torkeln, and inform General Mistri that you cannot continue under those orders. Do I make myself clear?”

The older man frowned deeply for a moment, and then he bowed his head respectfully. “Perfectly clear, Ga’briyel. I will do as you say.”

“Good.” Frank heeled Kumar forward, and as he passed his friend, he said, “That goes for you, too, Dinton.”

“Understood.”

Tero and Dinton glanced at each other behind Ga’briyel’s back, and he saw it clearly, but he chose to ignore it. Instead, he looked back at them. “Coming?”

“Absolutely,” Dinton said quickly, and he kicked Shala into motion. Tero followed a heartbeat later, but Frank did not miss the slight hesitation before he did so.

Silence prevailed for about half an hour, but then, slowly, the three men began to talk, Frank and Dinton more than Tero, but even the latter relaxed a bit and entered into the conversation.

They rode until about an hour before last light, eating their midday meal in the saddle, and then Frank turned them into the trees surrounding the road. He unerringly led them through the forest for about fifteen minutes before stopping in a clearing crossed by a small stream. Halting Kumar, he slid from his back and began to remove the tack. Setting it aside, he pulled a curry comb and brush from his saddlebag and proceeded to brush down the horse. Dinton and Tero followed his example.

“How did you know this place was here?” Dinton asked as he groomed Shala. He had been born and raised in Torkeln, and, except for patrols around the city, he had never left it. The Palace Guard rarely went far away; they were needed to protect the king. It was only because of Jarda’s friendship with Tomas that the three of them had been allowed to leave.

“I passed through here on my way to Torkeln,” Frank said.

“Oh.” Dinton said nothing else, but he glanced at Tero when Ga’briyel’s back was turned.

Frank sighed. “Just ask it, Dinton.”

“Ask what?”

Frank looked at him as he began rubbing Kumar dry with some grass. “The question that is running around your brain right now.”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

With a frown, Frank turned to Tero. “What about you? Why do you not ask it?”

“How should I know what he wants to ask you?”

“Because I saw the look he gave you. You obviously have the same question.” He finished with Kumar and let him graze and water himself. The horse was well-trained and would not wander very far. After putting away the comb and brush, he folded his arms across his chest and stared at the two men with him. He let his eyes flash brightly, and, sure enough, Dinton looked away uncomfortably, and even Tero looked uneasy. Neither said anything, however. “Fine, keep wondering about my trip across the mountains, then.” He turned from them with a smile on his lips.

He had immediately known what Dinton’s question was. He did not know how, but when he was emotionally close to someone, they could only rarely keep their thoughts to themselves if he wanted to know what they were.

“How did you know?” Tero asked suddenly.

Frank grabbed his flint and steel from his bag before turning back to them. He cocked his head and studied the stunned looks on his companions’ faces, the smile still on his own.“You, Tero, I cannot read; at least not very well unless I focus. Him?” He gestured to Dinton. “He is an open book to me. Same as my mother and my father.” He looked at Dinton and shook his head. “You should know that by now, my friend.”

Dinton chuckled. “You are right; I should. You have always seemed to know what I was thinking.”

Frank shrugged and started to collect wood for a fire. “That is because I did.”

Eyebrows went up, and Dinton asked, “Care to explain that?”

“Let us get last meal started first. Then I will answer any questions you have. All right?”

Dinton just nodded.

Shala and Klynn were now grazing along with Kumar, and the three men set about getting the things they would need for last meal. Frank started the fire, and the other two worked together to make a stew. As they worked, Dinton kept glancing at Ga’briyel, and the latter had to shut off his mind to keep the flood of pictures at bay. Tero simply worked silently and efficiently until the iron pot was hanging over the flames. Then the three settled down around the fire.

“So, this reading minds thing,” Dinton said, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back against his saddlebags.

“I do not read minds; well, not exactly,” Frank said, imitating his friend’s position. “When I know someone well, it is more like their thoughts project themselves into my mind in pictures. I cannot hear anything, but I have yet to fail in my interpretation of the images. My parents cannot keep anything from me if I chose to use my ability, and neither can you, Dinton. Tero’s thoughts are a little murkier, but every once in a while, I see something clearly.” He smiled and looked at the older man. “Like right now; you do not believe me.”

“You did not have to read my mind to know that, Ga’briyel. One look at my face probably told you.” Tero scoffed before picking up a stick and starting to whittle it.

“All right, then, proof. Is that what you want, Tero?”

“Proof would be good.”

Frank went silent for a moment, fixed his violet gaze on the older man, and concentrated. He had known Tero for a long time, but he had not gotten to know him very well. The man was twenty years older than Frank and was not exactly known for his openness. The young Anmah opened his mind and let Dinton’s thoughts fade to the background as he focused on Tero. It did not take long before he smiled again.

“A new sword, your dog, and…iced berries? Really, Tero? You like them that much? I will have to get you some for your next naming-day.”

Tero gasped and shifted away from Ga’briyel.

“How did you do that?”

Frank just shrugged. “I honestly do not know. I have been able to do it since I was six. I have never figured out how.”

“How well do you need to know someone for it to work?”

“I can see some things after only a few days with a person, but it takes moons to really get much from them. Which is good for me. I cannot imagine what it would be like to see everything that everyone around me was thinking. Besides, I can turn it off when I want to. I really do not need to know what you two are thinking about all the time.”

“That is good to know,” Tero said with a frown. “I would hate to have to curb my thoughts around you.”

Frank laughed. “Do not worry. I have learned only to use the ability when necessary. For instance, my father has asked me to help him a few times when he thought someone was not being truthful with him. Although I do not need to see thoughts to know when someone is lying. I can feel it.”

“As well he should have,” Tero said, returning to his whittling. “A general should use every resource available to him.”

Dinton had listened to this exchange in silence, stirring the stew occasionally, but now he said, “So, Ga’briyel, tell us about when you found this place.”

Frank frowned, and Dinton was about to tell him to forget it when the Anmah spoke, his eyes flaring brightly.

“How much do you know of where I came from?”

Dinton glanced at Tero and answered, “Not much. I know that you came from a village in the Kedara Plains and when you were six, you somehow made it to Torkeln where General Mistri found you and took you in as his son. That is about it.”

“And you, Tero, do you know anything else?”

“No. I have heard rumors, but that is all.”

“What kind of rumors?”

The man cocked his head and studied Frank for a moment. “I have heard that you discovered you were Anmah when you woke from the slaughter of your village by the Asabya, although it took a few more deaths for you to fully understand what had happened to you; that you died several times on your journey, and that there are only a few more ways left that you can die.”

Frank looked at him in surprise. “All of that is true, although I would say there are more than a few ways I have not died yet.”

“How many times have you died?” Dinton asked.

“Twelve.”

Dinton gulped. “You have not died in the last fifteen years, so you are telling us that you died twelve times between your village and Torkeln?”

Frank nodded as he watched his friend. He did not need to see his thoughts to know what he was thinking now. The emotions that flitted across his face said it all. Shock, disbelief, sadness, and awe were among the strongest.

“How long did the journey take you?”

“About four moons.”

“Three deaths per moon? How did you handle that? You were only six, for Yisu’s sake.”

“The first three happened in my village after the attack by the Asabya. The rest happened during my trip across the mountains.” Frank spent the next half hour or so telling the men of his deaths. By the time he finished, the stew was ready, and the three men ate in silence for a while. Then Tero spoke.