The Dark Ages of the Synakoy; The Past Forgotten, Wolfheart [top ebook reader .txt] 📗

wood she’d cut down and Bell had towed.
Why is she calling all the shots? Why can’t we just go home and tell that bitch Riviera to piss off?

The entire time she loaded the wood, grain, oats and then bags of food she steamed over the situation. She watched Riviera approach Kiyoshi alone and swore.
What the hell is Ky doing? I’m going over there and telling her off! She can’t make all the decisions alone! I’m tired of being treated like a child!

She began to stomp over and slowed down when she saw the look on Ky’s face. It was a cross between joy and confusion. Then she came over, perplexed, at a different pace.
“What’s going on?”
Riviera looked over at Ivory with surprise. She stopped mid-sentence and just looked at her.
“What?”
“Oh. Go get Levin and Kai. I’ll tell you guys in a minute. I need to figure something out…” Kiyoshi began.
The only thing missing is the ‘shoo-shoo child…let the adults talk’. This leader thing is going to her head!

“What’s wrong with saying it right now?”
Kiyoshi looked at her a moment, a look of disbelief mixing with her confusion - and a tinge of irritation. “Would you give us a minute, Ivory? Everybody has a right to know.”
“But-“
Riviera interrupted. “Just remember your sister is only looking out for you four, Ivory. She hasn’t made any decisions that will harm you or slight you in the least.” She turned to Ky, ignoring Ivory again. “The king’s orders are his orders, Ky. He will not help you unless he is sure. Just make sure all four of you are ready for this.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Riviera turned and left.
“What is going on?”
“As soon as Levin and Kai are around, I will tell you. Since you wouldn’t get them, we’ll both need to go to them without Riviera.”
It was a gentle rebuke, but it infuriated Ivory.
She’s treating me like a baby!

But she followed her older “sister” to the small fire, where Kai and Levin ate. Viper greeted them from her own food bowl, which was already empty. Ivory petted the dog on the head. The pooch gave her hand a lick and went to lean against Ky’s leg.
The dog is definitely hers. Viper is most affectionate toward her no matter how many treats me and Kai give her, and no matter how often Levin hands her food.

“Here you are.” Levin handed them their food. Ivory ate it without tasting it, completely engulfed in her indignation.
“Riviera has brought news.” Ky began. “It’s news I was hoping we wouldn’t hear. She sent a letter a few days ago, when we arrived. It’s been so busy, I forgot all about it.”
Sure you did. You probably didn’t tell us on purpose.

“But it’s taken this long for them to answer. Apparently, news travels slowly – probably completely by letters, arriving in the form of messengers. Anyway, the answer had good and bad news.” She took a deep breathe. “The good news is that he will help us get home.”
Ivory’s anger evaporated. She felt like jumping up and down, screaming her joy. Then she remembered there was bad news.
“What’s the bad news?” Levin asked before she manage to say anything.
She frowned. “There’s a cache. This king of Riviera’s will only help us get home if we help him fight his war. He has given the order that if we don’t help in his war, there’s no way he’ll help. He won’t even hear us out. In fact, we won’t be welcome in his palace. Riviera says she will make sure we’re able to support ourselves if we don’t join them, but there would be no way for us to return home. We’d have to live here the remainder of our lives.”
Ivory stared at her sister, her mind paralyzed. There was a chance…they would never go home…?
We…have to fight…somebody else’s war…or never go home?
“I know I’ve made a lot of choices for all of us lately, but as Riviera told Ivory, all of them have been for what’s best for us. I highly doubt anybody wants to stay here – we have to fight to go home. So we need to discuss something.”
Please don’t say its weapons…

“We will select a weapon. Then we will be pitted against a scout or two. If we beat them, there will be a couple more – until we can’t beat them. We won’t be killed. We won’t be seriously injured. Any scout that harms you two at all will be severely punished.” She looked at Ivory and Kai fondly as she spoke “This is a test of where our skills stand. We will be tested together and alone, against people who understand the weapons we choose. Then, after we are defeated, we will be assigned the master of the chosen weapon. We will train to fight with that weapon.”
If she tells us what we’re to use, I’m going to make her regret ever breathing!

“There are different weapons there. I don’t care what you choose, girls, Levin, just remember to choose a weapon you know something about. Choose the one you are most likely to go places with. I think there are spears, axes, bows, swords and staves. She didn’t mention them, but those would be the most likely choices for these people. They’ve heard Ivory talk about swords, and they know now that Kai can use knives and bows. So they should be there for you two. Levin and I haven’t given them a clue, but Riviera seems to have a grasp on what she believes we will be comfortable with.”
Ivory was actually surprised she had so much information. Where had she gotten this stuff? Didn’t she just take care of the animals and talk to Riviera all day while everybody else worked hard?
Then again…I’m never here to see what she does…and she always look exhausted.

“When is this going to happen?” Levin’s voice shook. His eyes were wide and had very little color left in them.
“During noon break; we’ll stop on a plateau. There, the ground will be as even as a valley but a lot closer than one. It will make things easier on us, and give them time to plan and gather or make the weapons.”
“So…” Ivory was getting excited. “We’re just being tested? Then, if we promise to fight for their king, they’ll send us home?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Ivory.” Ky turned to face her. “I know it’s unfair that I’m approached without you three. It’s very unfair that I’m the one who took charge, and now make so many of your decisions. There are several reasons; one, nobody else reacts fast enough when a situation arises. Two, I’m the eldest female, and a child your age wouldn’t be taken seriously. And three…” She looked at her lovingly. “Why should you carry this burden at your age? Don’t worry about getting home; I can take care of it. Just try your hardest to do two things.”
She listened, unsure now.
“Stay alive and have fun.”
“Have…fun?” Ivory was livid for a second.
“Of course. Think of the bragging rights you’ll get at school when we get back! You will know all sorts of new things! For example, you’ll be a master of a deadly weapon and have so much experience riding a horse you could outride a cowboy at a rodeo!”
They all laughed. Nothing was really funny, but they all laughed.
“Now…let’s mount up. Pack that food. We need to head out now. We take place right behind Riviera.”
Yuki appeared out of nowhere, making everybody but Ky jump ten feet. “Father wants to know if I can ride with you.” She hung her head sadly “He won’t let me handle the horses.”
“Of course you can, Yuki.” Ky smiled. “You can ride on the wagon and help us with the horses whenever we need it.”
How does Kiyoshi do that? She couldn’t have seen Yuki coming from behind her!

“Thanks, Lady Kiyoshi.” He climbed onto the wagon. Kai and Viper followed him as Ivory helped Levin pack the food Then he climbed in after them, and Ivory mounted Bell. Ky was already on Zenic, Viper on his heel.
“We’re to walk our horses beside the wagon.” Ky told them. “Don’t stray from it, alright? Walk on the left, and I’ll walk on the right. Zenic and I will walk right in front of you guys – for protection, mostly.”
“Alright.” Ivory took her place; Kai was on her side, making Ivory far more comfortable. Levin took the reins and pulled up behind Riviera’s wagon, Zenic and Bell right beside them.
Ivory gasped when she saw the pass they were going through. The path to get to the pass from the valley they nestled in was steep. The actual pass was rugged, with blind spots from sharp curves and sudden drops or rises. In the far distance, she spotted a large area of level high ground. In the wagons, unlike with horses and feet, they would be lucky to reach that summit by dusk So how were they going to fight on a plateau on noon break, when they would need to speed to be halfway there?
This is going to be a long day. And I have a feeling the night will be longer…

They began the climb slowly. It wasn’t long before scouts had hold of their team horses’ bridals and were helping them up. Ky got off Zenic to grab hold of the Garix and help them, and Ivory followed her example with Bell. The Garix gave an angry sound, but soon calmed down when Ky made a strange sound similar to theirs.
She’s talking to it…man she’s weird sometimes!

The sun shone over everything by the time they made it to the pass, making snow and ice glisten and blinding Ivory. She avoided looking at anything directly and was still forced to squint. But she remained close to the wagon. Yuki and Levin traded reins according to what was going on. Kai played with her bone dagger, sharpened arrows and examined her bow string. She looked bored as hell. Her frustration was starting to scare Ivory. What if she lost control or something? Would she become that wolf again?
“Hey…Kai…” Ivory thought of something quickly. “See that boy over there?”
She pointed to a scout she’d seen Kai talking to earlier.
“Yeah. He’s some boy training to be a scout or whatever.”
“So you know him?”
She shrugged. “We talked. He likes my bow.”
“Why don’t you make him one then?”
She gave her a cross look. “Taunt me, why don’t you? I don’t have anything to make that with!”
“There are plenty of sticks in the wagon. I know; I chopped the stuff, hulled it and stacked it twice. Grab the best piece of wood you see in there to make a bow and make him one. You can make the arrows later, when you find the right stuff for them that aren’t from the firewood. Kiyoshi won’t be upset if a piece of wood is missing, but she might if four do.”
Kai smiled. “Thanks, Ivory. That’s a good idea.”
“No problem.”
Seeing her sister in better spirits, she smiled and felt a little better herself. Ivory watched as she climbed into the wagon through the cubby and came back out around ten minutes later with a fine, pliable piece of wood. It was thick and strong pine. Ivory