The sun sank slowly over the mountains to the west, taking with it warmth and leaving behind a streak of crimson. The air was cool, cooler now without the direct sunlight to warm the forest below. Winter was coming sooner than most hoped it would, and apparently it was coming with a vengeance. The atmosphere of the treed canopy changed almost subconsciously as insects began to buzz and nocturnal predators began to stir. The wind blew cold, wistfully down the mountain slopes as breath turned to crystals and day turned to night.
Seth tracked the beast stealthily through the forest, carefully deciding each footfall. The rains had begun a week earlier, softening the loam and fallen leaves cushioning each step. Occasionally he would lose sight of the crafty creature behind brush or a large tree, though tracking it thus far had been easy enough. Several times he believed he had a shot but, unwilling to take it and miss, had not yet drawn his bow.
Thus he crept silently stalking the beast, arrow knocked, waiting for the perfect shot that he feared would never come. Though it was late in the fall and leaves carpeted the forest floor, the canopy above him was vast and still blocked out much of the light. The scent of rain was heavy in the air and from time to time he could see a glimpse of the cloud-covered sky above. Darkness was nearing and with it yet another storm.
The beast sprang from the brush ahead and darted to a small clearing only twenty yards from Seth’s own cover. This might be the last opportunity for a clear shot that he would get, and thus far it was the best vantage Seth had received to take the beast down cleanly.
Taking a deep breath Seth drew his bow to the full, tightening his abdominal muscles as he did to assure himself a steady shot. He drew down on the beast aiming just behind the head, hoping to sever the spinal cord and spare himself from following yet another blood trail. He exhaled, and just before releasing the arrow, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
Seth couldn’t bring himself to actually witness the death blow to his prey. Instead he listened for the fraction of the second that it took for his arrow to reach its mark. Within an instant, Seth heard the familiar shink of metal meeting bone, followed by the thud of his arrow driving through the beast into the soft earth beneath it. Seth opened his eyes and surveyed the carnage. Approaching the beast, Seth realized that he had made a clean kill as he had hoped, and the hare didn't even bother to twitch, let alone breathe or squeal.
Grabbing the tail end of his arrow, he gave a single tug dislodging it and the hare impaled upon it from the soil below. Careful not to shower himself in blood, he pulled the arrow from his catch and placed it back in his quiver. Seth dropped the beast into the leather sack tied to his belt. Pulling his head and one arm through his short bow, he slung it on his back. He had spent the entire day in the woods and had only bagged four small hares, but he knew his brother would easily make up for it with his own catch.
Turning, he strode back the way he had come, no longer bothering to be quiet. After nearly a mile he approached the trail where he hoped to meet his brother. At least, he was pretty sure this was the trail. In the forest with the light beginning to fail, Seth wasn't certain, even though he had hunted these trails nearly his whole life.
Walking alone in the lush forest had given him ample time to think throughout the day, yet no matter how hard he tried to avoid them, the same thoughts assailed him time and time again. Tomorrow he would leave home, and even though he wouldn't be going alone, the thought of leaving his life behind terrified him.
The uncertainty of the future weighed upon his heart and he feared the days ahead. He had no idea what the future held, but felt certain that it would not be easy. He not only feared for himself but also for his family. His father would be alone, forced to handle all the chores that he and his brother now did on top of his normal daily routine, and he worried that it would be too much for his father.
Sure, when Seth and his brother were small, their father managed it all on his own. However, his father wasn't getting any younger, and things that were easy in his youth proved more difficult now. He was afraid that all the extra responsibilities might take a toll on his father. He tried to reason that the neighbors would chip in to fill the void the boys left when they were gone, but rationalizing the situation didn't make him feel any better for he had so many worries; his father was just one of the many.
Seth also feared for himself and his brother. Though his brother had designs for his future, he didn't share his ambitions. In fact, he didn't aspire to a grand future at all. All he wanted, was to spend the rest of his days in Vineleaf, eventually take over for his father, and live a long quiet life. Seth had imagined himself many times simply shirking his duties to the realm and just staying home to do just that, but he didn't want to disappoint his father, and neither did he want his brother to face the world alone. Thus were his thoughts as he heard the snap of a twig up ahead. Better safe than sorry, he altered his course into the deepening shadows of the trees, and crept ahead silently as death.
Only an hour of light remained in the forest valley, and being stuck in the forest in the cold dark was not what Garret would consider an enjoyable last night at home. His decision to head back made, he rose from the fallen tree he rested on, picked up his bow and the rabbits he had bagged and slung them across his shoulder. He tramped through the underbrush to the familiar trail he had walked many times in his years of living in Vineleaf and hunting in these forests. He continued down the path, always downhill, listening to the small mountain river that ran parallel to the trail deeper within the trees. It was not long before he came to the fork in the path where he and Seth had separated. Looking around for any sign of his brother, Garret couldn’t help but hope that Seth had been watching the time. Unsure how far his brother had followed the trail to hunt, he decided to see if Seth was close.
“Seth, you coming?” Garret shouted in no particular direction.
“Of course.” The nearly whispered response from directly behind him startled him. “Wouldn’t want to keep Dad waiting!” Seth said with a mocking smile forming on his lips, pleased he was able to catch his brother unaware.
Garret stared at his brother, so much like himself, and wondered silently how he hadn’t heard him coming. It was true, Seth was more agile than he, being leaner, but what gave him the advantage? They were both tall. Both were muscled from hard work, though Garret was obviously the stronger, bulkier. Both had chestnut hair and brown eyes. So very much the same, but in their entire lives together, Garret could not remember a single time he had ever caught Seth off guard. It was irritating.
Being twins, it was somehow hard to surprise each other as if their minds, like their bodies, were so much alike they could anticipate each other’s thoughts. It was kind of creepy to think about, yet familiar and comfortable. Seth couldn’t help but wonder how strained their bond might be if they were separated in the days to come. He could only hope that fate would keep them together, as they had been from birth. Being so much alike, he could not imagine them being chosen for different paths. They turned together and walked down the winding trail towards home.
“Still worried, huh?” Garret stated more than asked with feigned nonchalance.
“I wish I could be as sure as you are that everything will magically fall into place and our lives won’t change,” replied Seth. “It’s just all the possibilities, all the change, all so quickly. It’s like it’s utterly out of our control. What if something goes wrong?”
“Stop being such a pessimist, Seth,” Garret said. “It's not like the world is coming to an abrupt halt, it’s just another chapter in our lives.”
“Yeah, a chapter someone else is writing for us.”
“Oh, cut it out. Everyone has to go to The Choosing. It’s not like we’re the first ones.” Garret couldn’t help but be optimistic, even excited.
The thought of being a soldier, maybe even fighting in the wars to the south, together with the romanticized glory of won battles, all the tales told to him over the fires at the inn, had struck a chord in his soul. He longed for adventure. He had been told once by a retired soldier that nearly two thirds of the people who had gathered for The Choosing went to the vast armies of Valdadore to train as soldiers. Two thirds was damn good odds.
Seth, himself, had no notions of glory. He knew all too well the stories of the great wars and battles won by the immense armies of Valdadore. Always the pessimist, or perhaps just a realist, he remembered the fallen and often forgotten comrades that the story tellers mentioned with misty eyes, but never dwelt upon in their tales of adventure. Blood, death, destruction, families broken, and love destroyed, hope shattered, soul wrenching loss. These were the parts of the stories left untold, hidden between the lines of the tales. Those were what Seth feared, the stories he had never been told but still heard beneath the surface; the stories of those lost that each began their final chapters at The Choosing.
The trees began to clear as the path led through the dense brush and over growth that would soon take them to the small farms of their village; to Vineleaf. All but the last traces of daylight had faded from the sky, carrying with it the last of the day’s warmth. Both brothers shared a sigh of relief, or was it a sigh of anticipation? Probably both. This was the last night they would see their home for a while, and both slowed their walk to take it all in one last time. The farmhouses ahead were already alight from lanterns in the windows. Past them a few small houses stretched down the narrow road that ended at the inn.
Vineleaf was a small community, self-sufficient, and everyone got along well. There were only nine homes in the valley and everyone had a role to play in order to sustain the village. They pictured the faces as they passed, wondering how long it would be before they might see them again.
There were three farmhouses along the northern edge of the forest. The three families, the Briars all with red hair and freckles, the dark-haired and dark-eyed Stones, and the Golts with their brown hair and pale skin, shared seeds, feed and tools to keep their fields and herds growing. As things were, the food was given freely to everyone who lived in Vineleaf, and any excess food was taken to the inn for storage to be sold to travelers or hunters.
The first of the five remaining houses belonged to Julia and John Riser, who had a small mill and bakery. The second belonged to Max the butcher and his wife Ellen and their two young daughters, Tina and Samantha. The third house belonged to Jack. He was the village blacksmith and handyman. The fourth house belonged to Emily and Rose, two middle-aged sisters who had a loom and were excellent tailors. The fifth and final house belonged to Samuel Cobbler who could make anything out of leather, but specialized in shoes.
The last building on the road was the Vineleaf Inn. It was the only source of revenue for the village and so paid everyone’s taxes to the kingdom, and provided the funds to purchase anything that the villagers couldn’t make for themselves. The inn was Garret’s and Seth’s home. They lived here with their father James, who, had he been twenty years younger, could have been the twins’ triplet. Their mother had lived here once as well. The twins hardly remembered her face any longer, but many in the village held fond memories of her. Those that lived here in Vineleaf weren’t just neighbors, they were family.
Both Garret and Seth stopped at the bottom of the steps to the inn and shared a look of remembrance. This was their home. It was all they had ever known, yet tomorrow they would be leaving, not knowing when or if they might return. Light streamed through the front windows of the inn. Smoke rose lazily from the chimneys that jutted from the roof either side of the common room. The large oak door was closed to hold at bay the chill of the night-time air. From somewhere inside voices trailed mutely to their ears.
“It seems we have guests,” Garret thought out loud.
“Yeah, we better go see if Dad needs any help,” Seth replied, shaking the thoughts of dismay from his skull.
They climbed the three steps to the door and Garret, grasping the large iron handle, heaved it open. Blazing yellow light swallowed them through the door, and a rush of warm air greeted them with the scent of stew enticing their nostrils. Both brothers paused a moment inside the door to let their eyes adjust to the light.
“Boys!” their dad thundered from the back of the room, standing behind the long oak bar. “Come hang your catch in the kitchen and get cleaned up. There are some folks here to see you.”
“All right,” Seth replied, glancing to the seating area to see who had come, vaguely aware his brother was looking to see the guests as well.
The visitors were gathered around the fireplace at the far right wall of the room, their backs to the twins. Both brothers recognized them even from behind, and headed off to the kitchen. Walking around the bar towards the kitchen door, Garret leaned towards his father with a smirk and said, “I beat him.”
“I heard that,” remarked Seth, and continued with a slightly annoyed tone. “You always beat me but you'll never outsmart me.”
Garret growled in response and shoved Seth through the door to the kitchen, flashing a smile towards their father as he passed. They walked to the back of the kitchen past the twin cooking fires to the back door. Both brothers unslung their hares and hung them on the pegs above the door, and placed their bows and quivers in the corner behind the crates of preserved foods.
Garret’s forehead creased, and his eyebrows came together, obviously in deep thought about something. Seth knew the look; this was something his brother and himself did not have in common. For some reason Garret was unable to concentrate without mangling his features. It was not a habit he shared with his father so it must have been inherited from their mother.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Seth asked after staring at his brother’s grimace for a moment.
“Dad is cooking,” Garret replied, his face still entangled in thought.
“And...?” Seth questioned, hoping for a more enlightening answer.
“Well, its kind of late…and only Jack, Samuel and Emily are here. I’m sure they would have already eaten. Dad doesn’t usually cook a large pot of stew for just the three of us.”
“Well, it’s our last night at home. He probably wants to make sure we’re good and stuffed before we head out in the morning. Besides, there are four of us that need to eat.”
“Four?” Garret’s face scrunched back up in thought. “Who else needs to eat?”
“So you didn’t notice the man at the dining table near the window?” Seth waited for his brother’s response, though he already knew the answer.
“No, I hadn’t noticed. Who is he?” Garret’s was still pondering, his eyebrows trying desperately to touch one another.
“He looks our age, so I would guess he is headed to The Choosing too. Dad probably figures there might be a few more kids coming this way, hence all the food.”
“That makes sense.” Garret’s face finally smoothed out before he continued. “Why do you think Jack, Emily and Samuel are here?”
“I suppose they came to say goodbye, but there is only one way we are going to find out.”
Seth shrugged his shoulders, smiling at his brother, and slugged him in the arm before making a wild run back to the common room with Garret on his heels. Seth raced in with Garret wheeling right behind him and dancing nimbly around the bar, trotted across the room towards the fireplace where James had joined their neighbors around the fire. Seth stopped abruptly as he approached the gathering and noticed the dark swelling around their eyes. Garret, right behind him, nearly barreled him over, not expecting the sudden stop. Walking around his brother, Garret too noticed the ashen faces of the people whom he considered family. He and his brother, thinking much the same, both gave a half nervous smile to the small group.
“We’re only leaving for a while,” Seth said. “We’re not dead.”
Garret nodded in agreement.
This proclamation brought out smiles from the sullen faces of those loved ones who had gathered to wish them farewell. James waved the boys nearer the fire and it was then the twins noticed the bundles at their visitors’ feet. It was no surprise that they had brought the twins some going-away gifts. They had done the same in the past for others who had made their eighteenth birthday and had left for The Choosing.
The brothers looked at each other with a knowing glance and each gave Emily a hug and Jack and Samuel a stiff handshake and thump on the back. Jack being, as always, straight to the point, reached down and picked up the large leather bundle beside him. It was nearly four feet long, appeared quite heavy and clanked as he picked it up.
“I’ve made you each something that I hope will come in handy along the way, boys. They say that beasts from the south have been found venturing even this far north," Jack said knowingly in his thick, low voice.
He raised the bundle into one arm. Cradling it like a baby he reached over the top with one enormous calloused hand and gave a tug to the small leather strap that kept the bundle wrapped up tight. The strap gave way and Jack quickly laid the bundle across both his arms, allowing it to unroll down their length. It clanked like steel on steel as it unraveled and came to a stop as it reached his palms. Upon the leather lay two exquisite swords and a pair of twin daggers.
The first sword was long and broad. Made from the finest steel, it gleamed in the light of the fire as if it too were ablaze. Its surfaces were so polished it reflected everyone’s faces back at them. To balance the enormous blade was a huge two-handed hilt, at the butt of which a large ball of gleaming steel was held in place by a dragon’s claws, with each of the talons facing down away from the blade, making even the hilt end of the sword deadly.
The second sword lay beside the first. It was nearly as long but it was narrower, much narrower. The blade tapered starting at the hilt and working ever narrower all the way to the tip. Made of polished blackened steel, the blade looked menacing, as if it were forged out of darkness itself. The hilt was a hand and a half allowing the wielder to use one or two hands. Slithering down and around the handle was a serpent in polished silver. At the butt of the handle the serpent was coiled around and around itself with its tail sticking straight out at the end and sharpened to a point. At the other end of the handle, the serpent split into two long necks ending with wide-toothed grins, these making up the hand guards.
The daggers, lying end to end just above the swords, looked as if they were a mirror image of each other. Both had blades polished to a mirror surface like the larger sword, and both had blackened steel handles wrapped in leather dyed black to match the steel. All four of the weapons were both beautiful and threatening.
Seth and Garret smiled at Jack. These were by far the most amazing pieces they had ever seen, above and beyond anything else they had seen him craft over the years. It was obvious whose sword was whose. Garret would be more easily able to wield the broadsword as he was the bulkier, more massively built of the twins. Seth, being leaner, perhaps even a bit lanky, instinctively picked up the black blade. The brothers each held and appraised their new weapons.
“These are amazing Jack. You have really outdone yourself,” Seth said, eyeing the intricately detailed serpent.
“They’re made of dwarven steel,” Jack proclaimed, obviously proud of his creations. “They should hold an edge for a long time and shouldn’t rust if I've tempered them correctly. I hope you like them.”
The twins nodded in response, unable to speak and still in awe of their spectacular gifts.
“Well, I should guess that makes us next,” Samuel said gesturing to Emily. “We have been working together on these projects so everything will fit and look just right.”
He reached down beneath his chair and slid from under it a large wooden case. He undid the clasp holding the lid in place, and grasping either side of the lid flipped it effortlessly over the box where it rested on its hinges against the back of the case.
Laying in the case was a jumble of objects, the topmost of which was a long, slender, black leather scabbard. Dyed black to match the blade it was created to fit, and stitched with leather dyed silver, it was an amazing piece.
As he stood to give the scabbard to Seth, Samuel flipped it over to reveal a silver serpent embroidered down the side. Recognizing the work, Seth flashed a smile at Emily, and as was her custom she nodded in response. Samuel held the scabbard out to Seth who readily accepted it and slid his new blade into it to admire the two together. The blade slipped effortlessly, silently in. A perfect fit.
Garret shifted his weight impatiently eyeing the next item in Samuel's case on the floor. It too was a scabbard, wide and long, dyed a midnight blue and trimmed in the same silver as Seth’s. On its face was embroidered a sky blue dragon, jaws opened wide to the top where the sword would enter, as if it would swallow it. Garret remained speechless as he accepted the scabbard and slid his enormous blade into it.
Samuel was already leaning over to the case at his feet. He removed a sheath for each of the twins' daggers and a leather cloak for both boys, one black and trimmed in silver, the other midnight blue and also trimmed in silver.
"There are a couple of new outfits here in the trunk for each of you, compliments of Emily and Rose, and some new boots as well. I’ve also made each of you a good sturdy pack for the trip south.” Samuel brimmed with pride. “I’ve given them to James so he can pack you some supplies for your trip.”
"Thank you so much!" Seth said.
“How could we resist for you boys?” Emily asked. “We can’t have you out traveling the world looking like beggars. As I always say, first impressions are the most important.”
This indeed was something they had heard her say several times and so they both returned her smile.
“Rose and I have made you each two sets of new clothes, a heavy set for the journey that should keep you warm and should not tear so easily, and a dress outfit for The Choosing ceremony," Emily continued with tears rimming her eyes. “Rose will see you off in the morning with the others. She didn’t want to have to say goodbye twice.”
The twins nodded their understanding, each now with moisture clouding their vision. Rose and Emily had sort of taken on the mothering role for the boys after their mom had passed away. Both boys knew they would miss their foster mothers when they left.
“Well boys,” their father began, “I guess that just leaves me. I was gonna wait until morning, but what with all the gifts, I sort of feel left out.”
James walked out of the seating area and behind the bar with all five sets of eyes following him. He bent his large body below the surface of the bar where no one could see him and rummaged around on one of the shelves concealed there. He stood up bearing two packs and two coin purses. Walking swiftly back with his giant strides, he stopped when he reached his twins and set the packs down at their feet. Both were made from black leather, one trimmed in blue, the other in silver.
“I got you all packed up with food,” he said to both of them at once. “And you each have a blanket and towel.” He then held out the coin purses to them, but before releasing them into his sons’ hands he added, “You each get ten silver from the community fund, as with all the kids who leave for The Choosing. In addition to that, I’ve added five silver each out of our savings.” This last part he said quite boisterously as he swelled with pride at himself. “I expect that should be enough to get yourselves a room at a few inns along the way, and keep you fed. And if there is enough left over…” he trailed off for a moment, holding back the tears that a man of his age and size shouldn’t show, “use it if you can to send message back that you made it safely.”
James ended quickly, trying not to lose his composure. The only time that he had ever cried in front of his boys was when their mother had passed away, and that he was sure neither of them could remember. He didn’t want to think that this might be the last memory his sons would have of him. Quickly he thrust out his hands, giving one coin purse to each of his sons.
“Boys, tell everyone ‘thank you’ again since they have all worked very hard to make you these gifts. You need to be getting to bed as you have a long journey ahead of you. I have to go attend to our customer.” James turned and strode across the room.
Everyone else had forgotten the young man at the opposite end of the common room seated quietly against the window. He was now reading a book, aimlessly tracing absent symbols on the table with his free hand. Trying his best not to eavesdrop, he looked up suddenly when James came between the lamp on the wall and his book. They spoke in hushed tones and James picked up the man’s mug and returned to the bar to refill it. Returning it, again they spoke quietly and James turned and walked back across the room to his friends and sons. As James came up, the twins were just finishing bidding everyone goodnight and thanking them all again several times for the gifts.
“The boy’s name is Ashton,” James stated. “He’s from Glenvale. He says if you guys don’t mind, he would like to hit the road with you in the morning. He too is going to The Choosing.”
Both boys nodded to their father, and then to Ashton across the room, who was watching them patiently. Almost simultaneously they then said, “Goodnight dad.”
“You go ahead, Garret. I need to speak to your brother for a moment,” James said.
"Sure thing, Dad," Garret replied.
James, Emily, Samuel, and Jack watched as Garret turned to walk down the hall towards his room, carrying with him all his new belongings. They smiled at his retreating steps, knowing they would be missed, but knowing too they had given the boy all they could to prepare him for whatever might lay ahead.
"Seth, why don't you take a seat," suggested James, pointing to the chair he himself had sat in moments before.
Seth looked around at the faces of his friends and neighbors before sitting. His father's tone frightened him and the fact that none of them would meet his gaze troubled him deeply. Preparing himself for the worst, he sat down as his father had instructed and waited for whatever it was that his father intended to say.
"I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel I had to, Seth." James said taking a moment to get his emotions in check and focus his thoughts. "You know that everyone here loves you like their own child. We are all your family and any one of us, including your brother, would lay down their life rather than see you in pain."
Now Seth began to become afraid in earnest. He was not sure where this conversation was leading, but nothing about his father's tone nor the grim faces in the room bode anything positive. Seth began to shake from nervousness but tried to hold on to some semblance of control to hear what it was that his father was trying to tell him.
"Starting tomorrow it’s just going to be you and your brother looking out for one another, and the gods know your brother is going to need some looking out for with his grand dreams of battle and all," James said.
Seth let out a sigh of relief and even managed to smile a little at his father's comment. This wasn't anything new. In fact, he had been thinking the same thing earlier in the evening. He nodded his understanding to his father and sat silently letting James continue. James stood for a second, seeming to steady himself and gather his thoughts. He was a large man, both tall and muscular, so he found it odd that he looked so worn. Where he usually stood tall, his broad shoulders held back as if daring the world to face him, now he stood slumped, eyes downcast, ashamed.
"You're a wonderful young man and we are all very proud of you. I know if your mother were here she wouldn't be able to let either of you go tomorrow." With his last statement James nearly lost his resolve and his voice faltered slightly. He could barely keep his emotions at bay. "What I'm meaning to tell you Seth..." James paused, looking to his friends for support. All of them had tears in their eyes, and Emily was openly weeping by this point. Taking a deep breath James continued. "Seth, Garret isn't your brother, I'm not your father and your mother wasn't your mother." James barely finished before he lost control of his emotions.
Seth sat open mouthed, tears streaming down his face now too and he shook his head in disbelief. All eyes were on him, every look a mask of pain and sorrow. Seth could hardly breathe and it felt as if in a single moment his entire life was stripped away, if it had even been his life to begin with. He could find no reasoning to his father's words. They echoed over and over again in his head but simply did not ring true.
"What do you mean, Dad? That's not possible! We're twins, how could we possibly not be brothers?" He cried.
James tried to settle his own nerves and took several deep breaths before responding to his son's questions. "You have the same birthday it is true, Seth, and the two of you do nearly look identical, but the reality is that you are not brothers. I only tell you this now because your mother...I mean, Cassandra and I swore to each other that when you were ready we would tell you. But she is gone now, so it is up to me to tell you the truth like we agreed when we decided to raise you as our own."
Seth spent several minutes just sitting with his eyes closed, not wanting to believe what he was hearing, and not wanting to see all the faces around him—the faces of the people who had lied to him his entire life. Feeling deceived and betrayed he gritted his teeth to try and gain control of his emotions. Without bothering to open his eyes, he growled more than spoke, "Then who are my parents?"
Desperately Seth hoped that soon he would wake up to realize that this was some twisted nightmare, or at the very least some kind of cruel joke, but he knew deep down it was true. Something about it made sense. He had never been treated any different than Garret. In fact, everything besides the loss of their mother had been damned near perfect until now. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the rest but his father began talking before Seth could rescind his question.
"The night your mother was in labor with Garret I was at my wits’ end. There was water to boil, your mother was bleeding and screaming, Emily and Rose were taking care of her, but I was a nervous wreck," James said with a glazed look of remembrance in his eyes. "I was running back and forth from our room to the kitchens with towels and water, unsure if I was doing anything right. There was a terrible blizzard outside and it was all I could do to keep a cooking fire lit in the kitchen to boil the water. As I rushed from the kitchen back towards your mother, there was a faint knock at the door. Worried about your mother, I took whatever it was I was carrying to the room first then returned to open the door. The wind had been howling so violently outside I had had to bar the door just to keep it closed. It burst open as soon as I had it unbarred and outside, in the storm, stood this woman. She was just a tiny little thing, and to this day I can’t say for sure, but it appeared that the only thing she was wearing was a bear skin pulled over her shoulders. She was shivering terribly and it was obvious she had no money, so I invited her in, barred the door behind her, gave my apologies and simply ushered her into a room on my way back to your mother. Very soon after your brother was born and I spent the next few hours with your mother and Garret cleaning up, happy that everything had gone well. I had completely forgotten the young woman in the other room."
James paused as if thinking a moment before continuing. “It was an hour or two past midnight when your mother awoke, believing she heard Garret crying, but upon checking him she found he was still sound asleep. Yet the sounds of a crying babe remained. She was too exhausted from giving birth to go and find the source of the sound so she woke me up. And I found you in the room I had allowed the young woman to stay in. You were in the middle of the cot wrapped in the bear hide that she had arrived in. You had only been born in the previous hours as your skull was still elongated to permit birthing, yet the young woman was nowhere to be found. Jack and I looked all over for any signs of tracks or blood in the snow outside but found nothing. The woman had vanished without a trace. Your mother was already nursing Garret and so put you to the breast as well, thinking that the woman would soon return to claim you. Days passed and then weeks. She never came nor did we ever see any sign of her so we decided to raise you as our own. We swore to one another that someday, when you were ready, we would tell you the truth of it. So in keeping a promise to your mother, bless her soul, I am breaking my own heart," James admitted tearfully. But then, after a further moment of thought, he declared, "You’re my son, damn it, no less than Garret, no matter what." Seth sat, choking back sobs, barely able to take a breath. His entire life had been a lie. Or had it? Just because he hadn't been born to James and Cassandra didn't make them any less his parents. Truth be told, they had saved his life by taking him in. Seth decided than that it didn't matter. His family was still his family. The only problem Seth had with the sudden admission from his father was that, for the first time in his whole life, he didn't really know who he was. Seth’s family was James and Garret, and even all their neighbors who apparently knew the real truth of the situation. But it was now also possible that Seth had another family entirely out there somewhere. Seth still felt a little betrayed that everyone had seemingly kept this secret from him, and by doing so may have stolen from him a whole other life and family entirely. It just didn't fit though. Seth knew his father, he knew his neighbors and he loved them all. He knew that they had only done what they thought was best for him.
"Does Garret know?" Seth asked eventually.
James shook his head, just beginning to recover and reign in his emotions.
"I hope you can forgive us and understand that we only wanted you to have a normal life, the best life we could give you, and that we all love you very much,” James pleaded.
"I love you all too." Seth looked at everyone in the room. "But, do we have to tell Garret? I don't think I am ready for him to know yet, if that's OK."
"I had already decided to leave that up to you, son. I've never seen a pair of siblings as close as you two," James said.
"So what do we do now?" Seth asked. He took a deep breath, finally able to breathe again as the knots in his stomach began to subside.
"That too is up to you. None of us knew how you would take the news, but we all hoped...” James trailed off.
"I think that you and Mom and everyone else did what you thought was best," He announced. "Though I do wish you had either been honest with me all along or perhaps never told me at all. In any case, you are all the only family I have ever known, and just because I’m adopted, that doesn’t make us any less family."
James grinned from ear to ear with a sigh of relief. The whole room seemed to feel lighter all of a sudden and James stood tall and grabbed his son in a monstrous hug. Before long Seth had hugged each of his neighbors, and with lots of apologies and words of encouragement, Seth was finally ready to join his brother in their bedroom and get some rest for the journey tomorrow. Thus he said his goodbyes and left the alcove and quietly went to his room, hoping not to wake his brother if he was already asleep.
He crept into the room he shared with his brother and was pleased to find Garret snoring lightly. A small candle burned on his bedside table. Garret had apparently lit it before going to sleep so Seth could see when he finally came to bed. He quickly and quietly undressed and crawled into bed, reassured by his brother’s actions that he had made the right choice not to tell him about his being adopted. He didn't want anything to change the relationship they shared.
Seth lay in his bed thinking a long time about his past and his family, but soon realized that what was done was done, so he instead focused on what lay ahead. Though his life was already irrevocably changed, he was aware that, starting tomorrow, their lives would never be the same again.
Their journey would only take two weeks, first winding south through the foothills of the mountains, then across the plains following the Rapagalon River ever south to their destination, the capital city of Valdadore. They would pass through, or at least near to, a few villages and towns along the way. It would be their first venture away from home without their father.
At least they would be together. Seth imagined their journey south, imagining the many things they would see, people they might meet. Seth slowly drifted away from consciousness, drifting as he did into dreams of his own making, his subconscious mind bringing unconscious acceptance to whatever might lay ahead.
Seth found himself in the kitchen of the inn. The cooking fires were ablaze, warming the room to an almost uncomfortable level. His father could be heard in the common room speaking with guests. The wind blew outside and rain hammered on the roof. These were all normal memories to Seth, since often when the weather got bad, their neighbors would come and visit with one another in the common rooms at the inn. But still something was out of place that Seth could not put his finger on.
The door separating the common room to the kitchen swung open just then, and the crackle of the cooking fires was drowned out beneath the sound of several boisterous conversations. A young woman entered the kitchen, smiling at him. She was beautiful with long brown hair falling around her shoulders in loose curls. Her skin was fair, the color of fresh milk. Her eyes too seemed to be smiling at him, enchanting him with their green depths. It was then that Seth realized what it was before that he couldn’t find.
Nothing was missing, nothing even out of place. What was wrong about this room was its size. Everything here seemed overly large, and it only took a second for it to dawn on him. The room wasn’t large. He was small. He was a child, barely four years old, and the beautiful woman who stood before him smiling was his mother. He concentrated as hard as was possible to commit her face, her smile, even her scent to memory. Her expression changed then to a look of concern. She must be wondering why Seth was staring at her. Then her expression altered once more as she pulled her eyebrows together, her lips into a straight line and scrunched up her eyes in thought. I knew it! Seth thought. Garret got that from Mom. Seeming to come to a conclusion, she knelt, bringing herself down until their eyes were level. She again smiled at him knowingly.
“Seth, honey, don’t worry about what is coming. Everything is going to be just fine.” She still smiled though her eyes took on a look of concern. “Why don’t you go get in bed and get some sleep? Garret is already resting.”
He nodded once and headed for the door. Pausing as he opened it, he turned around and met her gaze again.
“I love you Mom.” Seth barely managed to whisper the words.
“I love you too,” she replied, a look of deeper meaning and understanding on her face. “Now, run along to bed.”
Again Seth nodded and turned. Walking through the door he was greeted with familiar faces in the bright room. Then everything seemed to swirl, sucking the light from the room, encasing everyone in shadow. The light continued to drain until Seth was lost in darkness. He knew it was just a dream, yet he wished it to continue, knowing all the while that it would not. The dream, perhaps the only memory he would ever have of his mother, was over. He let the darkness consume him then, his subconscious mind taking over, and fell into a deep, restful sleep.
Garret too found himself dreaming, an all too real dream. He stood upon a plain wearing brightly polished armor. In his hand was the sword Jack had made him, only now it was different. Now he held it familiarly, like he had been carrying it for years. Ahead of him lay bodies, heaped into piles, burning.
The ground around him was stained with blood; gore lay across the land. Dismembered body parts, people’s entrails, a scalp here and an ear there, it was a vision of death. Yet behind him, the plains teemed with life, hundreds of lives, maybe thousands. A force to be reckoned with was gathered of the bravest, most courageous men the world had ever seen. They were some of the most powerful fighters ever to be amassed. They stood for a purpose. They stood for him, with him, awaiting his command.
Facing them stood another great force. A mass of black armor, crimson pennants, hulking trolls, twisted orcs, massive ogres and unnaturally strong humans waited to oppose them. Their blades dripping with blood, they stood in no formation, each creature edging up to the invisible line that held them at bay. At their head, central to this inhuman army, stood a man. He was a ghastly sight. His gore-covered armor seemed to be made of blood. Spikes jutted from it at every joint, and his helm was fashioned in the likeness of a ravenous wolf.
In one hand he held a blackened evil sword consumed in unnatural power, in the other a staff of bleached bone, stained red from human blood. His eyes, even from this distance, could be clearly seen. Two crimson orbs danced behind his skull mask, taking in the army across the plain, moving from one extreme end to the other. The eyes darted from foe to foe until they came to rest on Garret.
They met gazes, both refusing to blink, both refusing to give anything that the other might take for weakness. Looking into those eyes, even at this distance, made Garret feel sick to his stomach. Something had to be done about this aberration. Something would be done. Garret raised his sword above his head, looking over his shoulder to his comrades. He let the sword swing down in front of him to point at his enemy, and with this unspoken command he yelled at the top of his lungs. “For Valdadore!”
The plains echoed his battle cry as a thousand voices joined his own and rumbled the very earth beneath them. “For Valdadore!”
The image shifted then as both armies charged one another. First the grass went from blood-smeared green to black, and then the sky went black as well. All traces of light were lost, and with it, all sound. The image faded from Garret’s mind leaving him in darkness. Leaving him to ponder the horrible sights he had witnessed. Leaving him alone in his mind, in the dark comfort that was his subconscious, to get some needed rest.
Both brothers slept restfully within their own beds, within their own minds. Neither would again dream this night. Both would remember their dreams though, all too well would they remember them. Perhaps one day they would understand the meaning, if the dreams held any meaning at all.