A Picture of the Heart

Once outside the tent, Nasovey sprinted across the enemy camp, determined not to slow until he was out of sight around the bend in the path. Despite what the man in the tent had said, Nasovey didn’t trust him. The man probably had someone following him from the shadows. The thought occurred to return to the tunnels, but he quickly dismissed it. After all, the enemy had already discovered the precious truth that the Swiftfoot had survived. He refused to supply them with more information, even if it cost him his life. Thankfully, it didn’t come down to that, and he reached the dashu tree on the western side of the city without incident.

Moving into the shadows beside the massive tree, he watched the path, the sky, and the woods. If any Wiggletwigs had followed him, surely he’d spot their beady yellow eyes. The Weurgen didn’t exactly strike him as the subtle type, and he doubted they could stay hidden from a Watcher even if they tried. Not that Nasovey was a Watcher or would ever have a chance to become one once the King found out about the broken rules. Still, all Swiftfoot had keen eyes, especially at night, and even Nasovey could probably spot a Weurgen. Confident he was in the clear, he moved out from the shadows and stared at the massive oak that loomed over the western wall. Thankfully, the tunnels weren’t the only way into the city.

Leaping upwards, he sunk his claws into the soft bark and scampered up the side of the tree. At the top, he hopped onto the western wall and crossed over onto a building whose roof was flush with the wall. Even with his keen eyes, it was too dark to risk jumping, so he climbed down the left side of the structure and entered a narrow gap behind a row of buildings running parallel to the wall.

Twenty feet in, he spotted a familiar opening in the back of one of the buildings. Inside, the Watcher tunnel descended steeply for ten feet before reaching its lowest depth and leveling out. On both sides of the tunnel were frequent openings leading to other parts of the city. Suddenly, he found himself thankful for all the boring drills during his Tunnel Exploration class, where Watcher hopefuls spent countless hours memorizing the subterranean layout. At first, the explorations were exciting, but soon they became a monotonous chore. Now, however, the benefits of that training were paying off.

Soon, the tunnel passed the entrance to the Swiftfoot City. Almost more than anything, he wanted to turn left, run home, and see his mom and dad. Still, he had to deliver the crucial information. Maybe what he really wanted was to avoid seeing the King. What would the King say about the choices—mistakes—Nasovey had made? He was about to find out. Turning right into the Throne Room tunnel, he sprinted to the end, burst out of the lion’s mouth, spun one-hundred and eighty degrees, and landed on the warm marble floor before the King.

“I’ve failed you,” Nasovey said and bowed.

“Stand up, my friend, and tell me,” the King said.

“You were right. There was a man in the village. When I found him, he was asleep in a dashu tree. Two men...two defenders attempted to capture him, but he escaped. I think the reports about frozen giants were correct. I never saw any of the Bergsteiger, and since the Wiggletwigs are in their village, it stands to reason that something has happened to them. As you undoubtedly know by now, there’s an army camped outside the southern wall. To top it off, one of the Wiggletwigs has the Gift of the Bergsteigers. I found another one tucked away in a secret compartment in the dashu tree outside the western wall. Before I could secure it, a thief stole it; however, I did recover this,” Nasovey said, pulling a silver whistle from under his tunic and extending it.

“You keep it safe,” the King said with a smile. “Is there anything else you would like to tell me?”

No, there was nothing Nasovey wanted to tell the King, but there were plenty of things that he needed to tell him. Taking a deep breath, Nasovey rattled off a list of his mistakes. “I’ve endangered my people by breaking the three rules. I was spotted by a Wiggletwig...twice. Well, that’s not exactly accurate; I was captured by a Wiggletwig twice. The first time, I managed to escape and retrieve the whistle from a guard I believe was a White Oak defender. However, I could never get a good look at him or another man there with him. After completing my mission in the village, I returned to White Oak via the western tunnel system. That’s when I discovered the secret Swiftfoot entrance into the dashu. After the thief stole the Gift, which I may have been partly to blame for, I decided to follow them. They went to the enemy encampment and that’s when I was captured the second time. This time, instead of the Wiggletwig attempting to eat me, it brought me to a tent where a man in a dark robe with the hood pulled was sitting on a black chair. From the looks of things, he was in charge. Even the Wiggletwig seemed to fear him. I thought my first mission would be my last, but he allowed me to leave the camp untouched.” Nasovey breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. In the excitement of the past several days, he hadn’t taken the time to think about his near-death encounters or mistakes. Regardless of the King’s punishment, having the burden off his shoulders felt good.

“Are you ready for your next assignment?”

“My Lord?” Nasovey said, astonished.

“My friend,” the King said. “You made mistakes, but you didn’t fail. You made choices, some better than others. Still, I sent word to your Elders shortly before you arrived, suggesting your promotion to Watcher. They will, of course, have the final say—as is your custom—however, I fully expect they’ll agree with my suggestion. That is unless you don’t think you deserve another assignment?”

How could the King be so casual about Nasovey’s failure? Especially after he’d betrayed him and the Swiftfoot by breaking the rules. The King had went through great lengths to keep the Swiftfoot a secret. He’d even built their underground city and invited them to live underneath White Oak. Nasovey cringed. He’d not only failed, but he’d done so in a magnificent fashion. In fact, he couldn’t even think of a more significant way to fail the King and his people. Yet, the King had offered him another assignment and had suggested his promotion to Watcher! What would the Elders say if they knew he’d broken the rules? Should he tell them? What would his parents say? Oh, he cringed as he thought about his parents. They worshipped the King. His father had retold the Battle of Black Oak so many times that Nasovey could recite it by memory. Would his behavior reflect negatively on his parent’s reputation with the King? Elder Pin’roe may hate his family, especially his father, but they had the King’s favor, which meant more than anything. Failure or not, he had to try to make it right. Forcing himself to stand upright and look at the King, he said, “I’m ready.”