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  Chapter 4

  VOICES

  “I don’t believe this!” Michael exclaimed as the robocameras recorded the Batar storming the castle. “This can’t be happening! How did we miss this?”

  “Well, at least Conor made it out of the castle,” Kristi stated. “As long as he lives, they have a chance.”

  “The robocameras are focused on the castle,” Alex pointed out. “Maybe we can use that to our advantage.”

  Ulric led the way, with Baer and Marle-Marja, who was taking his turn carrying Conor, following close behind. As they neared the top of a grassy hill a soft, feminine voice announced in their minds, “Hello.”

  The three men circled up, back-to-back.

  “Show yourself!” Baer called out.

  “I cannot do that,” the voice announced. “I am far away. Beyond the eastern mountains.”

  “That’s impossible!” Ulric shouted. “Show yourself!”

  “I am a friend,” the voice continued. “There is no need to fear me.”

  “Then show yourself,” Baer demanded. “I warn you, we are armed.”

  “You have no weapons,” the voice continued.

  “There is no way for you to know that,” Baer answered.

  “Listen,” the voice announced in a more commanding tone. “The castle is under surveillance. That is why we could not help you this morning. But we have a plan. It will work if you give us your full and complete cooperation.”

  “Why should we trust you?” Baer asked.

  “Who else can you trust?” the voice continued. “You are alone. You have no weapons.”

  “We have many friends,” Baer answered. “We are on our way to them right now.”

  “Yes,” the voice replied. “Heading for the northern plains was wise. The Tolls have no love for the Batar. They will assist you, but they cannot protect you forever. We can. We need you to keep heading north, all the way to the Toll River. We can take you to a place where the Batar will never find you. But there is no time to waste. The Batar have not discovered your trail yet, but it is only a matter of time before they do.”

  Baer looked over to Ulric and Marle-Marja. They couldn’t believe their ears.

  “Who are you?” Marle-Marja asked. “Why do you want to help us?”

  “Let’s just say that we are your friends,” the voice answered.

  “How do we know that this isn’t a trick?” Baer asked.

  “Wait a moment,” the voice answered.

  The three men waited nervously.

  “There is now a satchel, with a bright blue star on its side, located within walking distance to your north,” the voice announced. “You will find some special berries in it. We took a calculated risk in sending them to you, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Remember. Get to the river as fast as you can.”

  The three men stood still and said nothing, waiting to see if the voice was going to say anything else.

  “What do you make of that?” Ulric asked, breaking the awkward silence.

  “Let’s see if there is a satchel up ahead,” Marle-Marja stated. “We don’t have anything to lose by looking for it. We’re headed in that direction anyway.”

  “Then what?” Ulric asked.

  “I don’t know,” Baer answered, taking charge once again. “Let’s find that satchel first.”

  The three men fanned out, each about three steps apart, and headed north, carefully searching the underbrush as they moved forward. After about 20 steps, Marle-Marja found it.

  “Here it is!” Marle-Marja shouted. “Blue star on the side, just like she said.”

  He handed the satchel to Baer who looked inside. It was filled to the brim with red berries. Marle-Marja reached into the satchel, pulled out a single berry, and carefully inspected it.

  “I have never seen anything like this before,” he announced. “Now what?”

  “I guess that one of us should eat one,” Baer answered. “Any volunteers?”

  Marle-Marja popped the berry into his mouth, took a bite, and swallowed.

  “Delicious!” he announced happily. “And the pain in my legs is nearly gone. I don’t believe it! I feel much better! You have to try one.”

  Baer and Ulric reached into the satchel, each of them grabbed a berry, and ate it.

  The grins on their faces said it all as they reached into the bag and took several more.

  “Wow!” Baer announced, stretching his legs. “That feels much better. Those berries are amazing!”

  “Does this mean that we are headed for the Toll River?” Marle-Marja asked.

  “I suppose so,” Baer answered. “I don’t know who she is or if she really is trying to help us, but there is only one way to find out. Besides, we’re headed north anyway. If she can’t help, maybe the Tolls can.”

  They walked through the night, stopping only to feed Conor some milk they had taken from a goat they found tethered in a barn.

  “I suppose that it could be worse,” Baer thought to himself as the rising sun chased away the darkness. “We didn’t find any horses, but we did find some milk, the berries have kept us refreshed, and Marle-Marja’s wound has miraculously healed itself. Plus, there’s still no sign of the Batar.”

  Baer paused to brush some dirt from his pants, creating a small cloud of dust in the process.

  “What I wouldn’t do for a nice, warm bath,” he thought.

  Waist-high grass stretched out in all directions, swaying gently in the early morning breeze. The farms they had passed under the cover of darkness were now mere dots in the distance. To his right, black smoke formed ominous circles in the distant skyline. Just then, Baer felt a sudden, sharp pain in his lower right leg. Looking down, he spotted a large black-eyed insect chewing through his pants. Baer smacked it with his right hand, sending it flying through the air. It landed on a clump of grass just beyond his reach. Inspecting the damage, he found a large, red welt spreading across his right leg, just below his calf. Just then, the insect reared back, as if preparing for another attack. Baer lunged at the insect, hoping to smash it, but it leapt high into the air and disappeared into the surrounding grass. Baer chased after it, shoving tall tufts of grass first to the left and then to the right. After several frustratingly unsuccessful attempts to find it, he gave up.

  “Are you okay?” Ulric asked.

  “I think so,” Baer answered, inspecting his clothing to make certain that there were no more insects present. “I just wish that we had come across some horses last night. We searched three barns and none of them had any horses.”

  “The farmers probably used them to get their families to safety,” Marle-Marja chipped in.

  “Don’t worry,” Ulric stated. “I know where we are. There is a Tolls village just a short walk from here. We should be able to find some horses there.”

  Ulric took the lead, carrying Conor in his arms. Marle-Marja and Baer followed close behind, doing their best to cover their tracks through the tall grass. As they approached the village, Baer noticed something moving off to his right. At first, he couldn’t make out what it was. And then, he saw them. Thousands of giant, long-tailed golden butterflies were stretching their wings in the warmth of the sun. Baer stood up and moved toward them, hoping to get a better look. Startled by his presence, the butterflies leapt into the air simultaneously, forming a huge radiant cloud of golden wings undulating softly in the breeze. As the butterflies flew off into the distance, a smile grew larger and larger across Baer’s face.

  “Beautiful,” he announced to no one in particular.

  “Absolutely incredible,” Marle-Marja added. “Like a living golden rainbow.”

  No one noticed as Conor pointed his tiny hands in the direction of the departing butterflies, as if he was trying to reach out and grab them.

  “Finally a good omen,” Baer stated with a smile.

  Turning their attention back to the village, they joined Ulric who was kneeling in the grass, surveying the village. He had a worried look
on his face.

  “What is wrong?” Baer asked.

  “It is too quiet,” Ulric whispered back. “There is no movement. There are no children running around. I don’t see any horses or campfires. Nothing. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.”

  “Well, we just can’t stand here,” Baer stated. “Let’s sneak down there and see what is going on.”

  Leaving Marle-Marja and Conor behind, Ulric and Baer headed for the village, doing their best to conceal themselves in the waist-high grass. Baer counted 20 wooden cabins and 16 tents, all facing a very large, communal fire pit. A tall pile of wood and several very large logs were sitting next to the fire pit, and there was a mound of glowing white ash in the pit, suggesting that it had been used recently. Yet, there was no one in sight. It looked as if the village was deserted, but as they circled around a tent an older man jumped out at them, waving a large knife in the air. Ulric raised his fists, but the man stopped in his tracks, a startled look on his face.

  “You’re Royal Counselors!” he exclaimed.

  “Yes,” Ulric answered quickly. “And we need your help.”

  The man lowered his knife and announced with great pride, “I am Naad-ja-ray, member of the Elexi clan, the oldest and the most honored clan in the history of the great Tolls people. I am at your service.”

  “Where is everyone?” Baer asked.

  “The warriors left to do battle with the Batar,” he explained. “My chief ordered the women and children to the north to spread the news of the war and to seek safety. He ordered me to go with the women and children. He said that I was too old to fight. But he is wrong. After he left, I decided to stay here, to protect the village from scavengers. There is honor in that. There is no honor in running away from a battle. I have been waiting here, hoping that the Batar would show up so I can show everyone that I am still a great warrior.”

  “Are there any horses here?” Baer asked anxiously. “We are in a hurry and we are on foot.”

  “No,” Naad-ja-ray answered. “I am afraid not. There is only me.”

  “Can you tell us the quickest way to get to the Toll River?” Baer asked. “It is important that we get there as quickly as possible.”

  “I have been to the river many times,” Naad-ja-ray informed them. “It would be an honor to guide you. You must let me do this! This is my chance to show everyone that I am still of value. I am very skilled with a knife and you may be in need of a knife along the way.”

  “We welcome your service as a guide,” Baer answered. “But only if you understand that our first and only priority is to reach the Toll River, not to fight the Batar. We have a companion with us and a baby. Getting that baby to safety is our first and only priority.”

  “The Prince?” Naad-ja-ray asked. “Do you have the Prince with you?”

  “Yes,” Baer answered, convinced that he could trust Naad-ja-ray.

  “This is glorious news!” Naad-ja-ray shouted. “We all thought that he was killed.”

  “He is very much alive,” Baer answered. “But time is of the essence. We need to get moving. Are you ready to go?”

  “This is fate,” Naad-ja-ray answered, grabbing a pouch of water, two hunting knives, and a satchel of bread, corn, and dried fish. “I now know why I was left behind. Fate wanted me to be here when you arrived, to help you. It was predestined.”

  Baer didn’t believe in fate, but he welcomed Naad-ja-ray’s assistance. After signally for Marle-Marja to join them, they left the village with Naad-ja-ray and Ulric leading the way. Baer and Marle-Marja, taking turns carrying Conor, followed close behind. For the first time in a very long time, Baer relaxed. Naad-ja-ray seemed to know exactly where he was going and Ulric trusted him. That meant a lot. Winning Ulric’s trust was not easy. They walked on at a brisk pace throughout the afternoon. As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Marle-Marja nudged Baer, letting him know that he wanted to slow down a little, to put some distance between them and Naad-ja-ray.

  “What?” Baer asked, wondering why they were purposively falling behind.

  “I want to show you something,” Marle-Marja stated. “Something odd.”

  “Odd?” Baer asked. “What do you mean?”

  “Here,” Marle-Marja said, handing Conor to Baer. “I noticed this while the two of you were exploring the village. Check inside his mouth.”

  Baer took Conor into his arms, placed his right index finger into the baby’s mouth, and gently pried it open.

  “What?” Baer asked. “His teeth look fine to me.”

  “Teeth,” Marle-Marja replied. “Don’t you see? He has a full set of teeth and he is less than two weeks old.”

  Baer was dumbfounded.

  “Well, would you look at that,” he said in amazement.

  Baer ran his right index finger over Conor’s bottom row of teeth. Conor giggled and bit down on Baer’s finger, but not too hard.

  “Remarkable,” Baer stated. “Absolutely remarkable.”

  Just then, Naad-ja-ray let out a quiet whistle to get their attention. Baer and Marle-Marja crouched down, concealing themselves within the grass.

  “Listen,” Baer whispered. “Over there, to your right. It sounds like someone is banging something against a rock.”

  Marle-Marja held very still, listening intently. In the distance, he heard a metallic clanging noise.

  “It has to be the Batar,” Baer whispered. “They are the only ones foolish enough to bang their plates clean in such a manner. No Tolls warrior would ever make that much noise. Come on, we better catch up to Ulric and Naad-ja-ray.”

  As soon as they arrived, Naad-ja-ray whispered, “I will go and see what they are up to.”

  Before anyone had a chance to stop him, Naad-ja-ray disappeared into the tall grass.

  “Now what do we do?” Marle-Marja asked.

  “We wait,” Baer answered.

  Before long, Naad-ja-ray reappeared from behind a tall clump of grass.

  “It is a Batar campsite,” he explained. “I counted 16 of them. They have six Tolls warriors tied back-to-back and aligned in a circle. They are going to kill them. We have got to do something. We have to rescue them.”

  “Our first and only priority is Conor’s safety,” Baer stated as Marle-Marja, Ulric, and Naad-ja-ray huddled around him. “That means putting as much distance between him and the Batar as possible.”

  “You can’t abandon those Tolls warriors,” Naad-ja-ray interrupted. “It is not honorable. We have to rescue them.”

  Baer remained silent for a moment, trying to decide what to do. He wanted to help, but his duty was clear. Conor’s safety was their highest priority.

  Turning toward Naad-ja-ray, Baer asked, “Can you lead me to the campsite without us being seen?”

  “Yes,” he answered, his hope for a rescue growing. “It will be dark soon and there is a small gully leading up to their campsite. It is surrounded by very tall grass.”

  “Okay,” Baer announced, having made up his mind on what to do.

  Chapter 5

  THE CAMPSITE

  Naad-ja-ray signaled his displeasure with Baer’s slow progress.

  “Unbelievable,” Baer thought, trying his best to keep up. “He must be half-snake.”

  Just then, a multi-legged insect the size of his fist jumped on his left arm. Turning its green, oblong head toward Baer’s face, it reared back on its hind legs in obvious attack mode. Baer smacked it with his right hand, knocking it to the ground. Falling awkwardly onto its side, it quickly righted itself, extended two small claws, and jumped straight at Baer’s face. Baer smacked it again, hitting it in mid-air. The insect hit the ground hard and lay motionless for a moment before regaining its feet. It thought about continuing the battle, but then hopped off into the tall grass. Baer quickly inspected his clothing for the presence of any more insects. Finding none, he let out a long, deep sigh of relief. He then noticed how very quiet it had become. Normally, at dusk, the relentless chirping of long-legged crickets filled the n
ight air.

  “It’s too quiet,” he thought. “Much too quiet.”

  A soft whistle, meant to mimic the call of a nighthawk, stirred Baer from his thoughts.

  “Alright,” Baer thought, recognizing Naad-ja-ray’s signal. “I’m coming.”

  As he continued crawling through the tall grass, Baer wondered how Marle-Marja and Ulric were doing.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Marle-Marja thought, looking up into the night sky. Baer had assured him that it was impossible for them to get lost. All they had to do was keep the cluster of red stars to their left. But he didn’t say anything about it being a cloudy night.

  “Maybe we made a mistake,” Marle-Marja thought to himself, searching for the cluster of red stars.

  “Everything okay?” Ulric asked.

  “Yes,” Marle-Marja lied. “I just needed to catch my breath.”

  Marle-Marja stopped and sniffed the air.

  “What is that horrible smell?” Marle-Marja asked, taking a quick look around.

  Ulric held Conor out at arm’s length and grimaced.

  “It’s Conor,” Ulric stated.

  “It is your turn,” Marle-Marja stated firmly.

  “Since when do we take turns?” Ulric asked.

  Marle-Marja took a step back, looked at Ulric, and repeated, “I cleaned him this morning. It is your turn.”

  Ulric sighed, placed Conor on the grass, unraveled the blanket, and peeked inside the now very soiled cloth diaper.

  “It’s a mess!” he exclaimed.

  Conor shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that he had no choice in the matter. Ulric sighed again, removed the diaper, shook it out, and, using some blades of grass and water from a pouch, cleaned Conor and the diaper as best he could. Having only one diaper, he put the still moist diaper back onto Conor and swaddled him tightly into the blanket.

  “Don’t do that ever again,” Ulric instructed Conor sternly after he had finished. “Do you understand? Never again.”

  Conor pulled his arms free from the blanket, reached up, and grabbed Ulric’s hand, squeezing it as hard as he could.