Although Dack stayed several days, he was able to ride home quickly to Theterm’s keep. A fine chestnut brown horse, full of life and energy, was making the miles melt away into mere memories. Having time to reflect as he rode, Dack recalled all that he was able to learn from his forest brothers. Even with all of their information he found it difficult to know just where he belonged. After he had fulfilled his obligation to the Scarlet Brotherhood, Dack made a promise to himself to return for a longer stay, possibly a permanent move.
He remembered the long walk to the forest, over and through woods that now took little effort to travel. The Scarlet Brotherhood said they couldn’t spare a horse for fear that it might wander off while Dack was talking to the king, but he began to think that they were just concerned that he would not have returned at all. What did he really owe the Brotherhood or Theterm anyway? To Theterm, my life, and to the Brotherhood, my future, Dack quickly reminded himself.
Human or otherworldly, or both, it confused Dack to no end. Life was so simple just days ago; now it called him to be responsible and loyal, but to which group, or did he even need to choose? He began to grow weary from the ride and the reflection, so he decided to stop by a slow-moving stream. After walking and cooling his new horse, Dack took time to stoop for a refreshing drink. As he drank he could hear footsteps moving quickly and saw faint shadows moving in his range of vision.
The weight of Dack’s dagger was something he had long gotten used to, but he was well aware of where it was when he had need of it. Slowly he moved inside his cloak to lift the blade cautiously into his well-trained hand. As he continued to drink, he listened for any other clues as to what or who was watching him. Dack knew that running away from a superior foe was wiser than dying unnecessarily, so he began to approach his horse.
From the shadows of the forest he could hear many more things moving. The noise was quiet, almost unheard, but Dack learned to listen when the forest grew silent. He mounted his horse but remained motionless. Many tales had been told about the strange creatures that inhabited the Central Territory’s forests, but Dack considered them stories to frighten children.
“Show yourself,” demanded Dack, pointing his dagger toward the forest. After several seconds of waiting, Dack decided that he had made it all up with his overactive imagination and nudged his horse forward. Above him the forest came alive momentarily but was still by the time Dack looked up. A solitary leaf peacefully floating downward, almost unnoticeably, was the only evidence that the event had occurred at all.
Dack turned his horse in a full circle while trying to detect any other movement. Nothing. Was it just the wind, his imagination? Hardly, Dack thought.
“You have my attention. Use it if you wish, or I will depart now,” Dack said to the air.
“I wish to congratulate you, human,” said a raspy voice.
“Well, thank you,” Dack said as he bowed slightly in his saddle. “May I go now, or do you wish to keep up this game?”
“Game?” snorted another.
“That’s right. It is a game to him,” said a third voice.
“Show yourselves and I will know this is serious,” retorted Dack as his anger began to grow.
“For now this is enough. Just know this, the king is impressed with you. Go now, human,” said the raspy voice in a haughty, dismissive tone.
“Which king do you serve, creature?” asked Dack condescendingly.
Sharp pain shot through Dack’s left shoulder as something heavy dropped on him from above. “That was for the insult,” said a voice from behind him. A new voice, a fourth maybe? Dack knew he was being played with, so he decided to allow himself to be treated badly; hopefully, he would get new information from those surrounding him. “I apologize for the insult. I would still like to know which king you serve. Is it the king of the Northern Territory?” Dack asked sincerely.
Again he felt a sharp pain from above, this time in his right shoulder. Losing his grip momentarily, Dack dropped his dagger loudly on a rock in the road. “What was that for?” demanded Dack.
“You insult us again by thinking we serve that human. We serve the king of the Central Territory,” returned the raspy voice.
Dack wanted to laugh but knew it would be painful to do so. There had not been a king of the Central Territory since before he was born, when Lucan declared war and had all the kings assassinated.
“What is your king’s name, good fellow?” asked Dack, expecting the name of a long-dead king who still managed to inspire this band of fools.
“That is enough for now, human. Just know that he is impressed that you still carry your head on your shoulders. Enjoy your travels through his forest with his well wishes,” concluded the raspy-voiced one as Dack heard the forest echo with laughter and fleeing feet.
After several moments, Dack dismounted his horse, rubbed his sore shoulders, and picked up his dagger. He was sure they were gone so he finished refreshing at the stream before continuing to find Theterm. Not sure of what to make of his encounter, Dack remounted his horse, straightened himself to gain composure, and encouraged his horse forward.
As he rode, Dack tried to convince himself that Theterm had raised him the best way he saw fit, but something seemed to be missing. Orex and Valay filled in his parentage, yet his childhood had been mostly a blur. Memories of lessons and people long forgotten began to surface as he approached the fork in the road close to his home. Two paths, two ways to go. He recalled that Theterm always encouraged him to stay on the right path, and now it took on a new meaning.
Theterm has been steering me all my life, thought Dack as he stared blankly at the signpost. Did Dack mind that his life was not his own when he really considered all that Theterm controlled? Structure, it is what we all need, recalled Dack. Again, a lesson Theterm had taught him.
“Which way to go?” asked Dack aloud, wondering where Theterm would be today. Always on the move, always hard to find until Dack learned to stop and consider the most logical place he would be at any given time. Sometimes Dack would find Theterm in the oddest places, as if a picture formed in Dack’s mind, showing him exactly where Theterm was if he would just be calm and think.
The keep, thought Dack. Theterm would be there by the time he arrived. He urged his horse forward and continued his ride through the forest. Dack was drawn to the old keep that Theterm claimed as his own. Something about its run-down nature filled Dack’s head with memories from his youth. Recalling wonderful thoughts of the many hours spent playing in and around the keep made him smirk.
A fire had caused the damage that made most of the keep uninhabitable. Theterm had lost many valuable things that he said were irreplaceable, but Dack never pushed the matter because he knew that topic saddened Theterm. The more Dack considered his relationship with Theterm, the more he realized how little he knew about him. Why had he not seen that fact sooner? Was it because he wanted it that way, or because Theterm did?
As the sun began to set and the forest was darkened by long shadows, Dack arrived at Theterm’s keep. Vines and other growth made the keep appear to be abandoned, but Dack knew better than to judge the place by outward appearance. Dack thought, since he was a child, that Theterm liked coming here because it was bypassed by others. Without stopping and walking through the buildings, one missed so much, and Dack was still discovering new things about the mysterious area.
Glowing colors flickered through holes in the walls, dancing on the surrounding leaves as Dack smelled smoke before he saw where it originated. Theterm must be cooking again, thought Dack. Stopping to pinpoint the delicacy, Dack knew Theterm would have enough for at least two. The evening meal with Theterm reminded Dack of many good times spent listening to his stories about something he found or someplace he traveled to during his many wanderings.
Dack dismounted and freed his horse to graze. The area was rich with grass and there was a stream running by, so Dack was sure his horse would be adequately taken care of while he ate and relaxed with Theterm. He watched as the horse walked to the stream to drink. Looking at his hands, Dack realized he should wash before eating.
Bending low to draw water from the stream made Dack recall his incident in the forest. King of the Central Territory? Dack doubted those ruffians were anything more than imaginative adolescents. But he never saw any of them, how was that possible? Dack finished washing and decided to stop thinking about those things he couldn’t resolve. If answers were to come, he would know, but he determined to let the matter solve itself in time.
Dack approached the fire only to find it unattended.
“Theterm?” called Dack loudly. “I’m back from my trip.” When no answer returned, Dack sat down to wait.
The food on the spit was almost done, so Dack knew Theterm was close. From within the keep the slow shuffle of feet could be heard approaching. Dack stood to greet Theterm, who would arrive momentarily. Shadows cloaked Theterm as he walked toward the fire’s light carrying a bundle of wood. Dack knew Theterm was planning to stay for a while because of the size of the bundle.
“Sleeping under the stars tonight, Father?” asked Dack as Theterm gently deposited his load next to the fire.
Dack could tell that Theterm was not himself. His mood was quiet and reserved, not at all like his usual friendly manner. Theterm looked at Dack and then lowered his head. “Greetings, son,” he said as he motioned for Dack to sit. “Please sit down and we can talk.”
Dack refused to sit, but stood there looking down at Theterm as he looked up from his seat. “Did I do something wrong that you must rush our reunion after such an important journey?” Dack asked, truly hurt that Theterm seemed so distant.
Theterm’s face looked so aged in the dim light. Lines and wrinkles that Dack had never seen in the daytime became apparent. Theterm wore his troubles on his face through his downcast expression. Taking pity on him, Dack sat down to find out what he had to say.
“You still call me Father,” Theterm started, “but you know differently. I am sorry I never told you.”
Dack shifted nervously as he watched Theterm’s eyes well up with tears. Never before, even in joyous times, had Theterm ever cried. Tears of sadness or joy were not something Dack thought Theterm was capable of shedding. While Theterm was sensitive to other people’s emotions, he tried very hard not to show what he felt.
“You have begun your time, and there is nothing more I can do to stop it. I only hope you choose wisely and remember all the lessons I taught you in your youth,” Theterm said as he looked at the fire distantly. Dack’s emotions swirled within him at this exchange, but it was anger that allowed itself to emerge.
Standing, Dack pointed accusingly at Theterm as he said, “Through my entire life you have been so unclear about my future. You teach me things, they seem important, but not to me. What do you expect of me?” Theterm sat motionless, so Dack continued. “I want to know what you think I should do or what I should become. Stop the subtle hints and tell me. I want to do what you have planned. If it is not what I want, then we can compromise. Is that not fair?”
“Sit and we will begin,” Theterm said, knowing he had to appease Dack. Dack sat slowly and looked at Theterm to continue. Theterm nodded and said, “I will now tell you whatever you need to know.”
Dack smiled and asked, “Who is to say what I need to know, you or I?”
Theterm grew deadly serious and responded angrily, “If you need to know something to help you aid the Scarlet Brotherhood, I will tell you if I want to, is that clear?” Theterm watched Dack sit back and listen like a child who was afraid of something more than just a verbal rebuke. “Good. Then what is it you want to know now that I am in the telling mood?” Theterm grinned, knowing Dack was pacified enough to continue.
“Why did you not tell me who my parents were?” asked Dack casually.
“For more reasons than are important, but I will tell you this: It was for your safety,” said Theterm as he reached for the spit to check the progress of the cooking.
“I understand that you were concerned for my safety, but how does not telling me keep me safer than telling me?”
Theterm took pieces of the animal from the spit and ate them. Motioning to Dack to do likewise, Theterm answered, “As a child you would have told someone. You might not believe that, but you would have, so I never allowed that information to come to you.”
“Orex told me though, and now I know, so you can stop pretending it is still important,” said Dack flippantly.
“You are arrogant as well as ignorant, are you not, Dack?” Dack was caught off guard by such a frank comment; Theterm was able to continue uninterrupted. “Now that you know, you will act; it is your nature. When the others know you still live, they will act; that is their way. Everyone thought that the ‘illegitimate’ son of the former queen of the North had died long ago. You are the product of man and ‘monster’ that most would kill instantly.” Theterm paused to tear more meat from the spit.
“So what am I supposed to do?” asked Dack.
“Your mother loved your father. That love brought two groups together. She was willing to do whatever it took to stop a war that was well on its way to tearing this island apart. That was her motive for seeking out your father’s help. You are the result of their mission and cause, so continue the healing process.” Theterm gave Dack a chance to understand that he was in a position to make a difference.
“Should I continue, Dack?” Dack nodded. “Most humans hated the fact that they needed ‘creatures’ unlike themselves to do something they could not do alone. That feeling is still present today, and you will be killed just to settle old business. Others will rally around you because you represent the chance for a return to the old ways. That is for you to decide. Avenge your parents or change the situation for the better. It is your decision, your path.”
“Path? There is no one way for me to go!” Dack exclaimed. He always hated that Theterm made it sound like he had no choices, or that his choices were so obvious. “I will do what I want,” Dack said matter-of-factly.
“You are right, Dack. No one will choose for you unless you let them; however, if you had known earlier, you might have tried to rally others around yourself to avenge your parents’ deaths. There would have been no sense in leading lots of others to a slaughter at the hands of the king of the Northern Territory. There are others who are loyal to him and will do whatever it takes to kill you.” Theterm made sure Dack was paying attention by offering him more food.
“I want to help the Brotherhood,” Dack said as he ate, “and I will not use them to gain any kind of vengeance.” Theterm realized that Dack wished that to be true but was not sure if it was an option.
“Good, Dack, it is good not to use others. I hope others have learned that lesson too. I know of many who have given in to using others to get what they want,” Theterm said, thinking of his own past.
“Is that what Lucan did with his power?” Dack noticed an immediate change in Theterm’s expression: He wore the face of sadness once again.
“Lucan was very intelligent and gifted in many areas,” Theterm started, “and his charisma swayed many to follow him without question—”
“Like my father’s people, right?” Dack interjected.
“They were no different than the many others Lucan persuaded to leave their lands, only to find themselves in the middle of a game where only Lucan knew the rules. He was the favorite to win the King’s Tournament when he was eligible.” Dack looked shocked that Lucan would want to be involved in properly competing for the power.
“You look surprised that Lucan would be good at anything like the King’s Tournament. Well, do not be. He had use for the games, but not what they stood for to everyone else on this island. Lucan knew that everyone gathered there, and the kings would be easy to reach if he wanted. Many rallied behind him in the weeks before the tournament. Lucan boasted that he would usher in a new era when he won the King’s Tournament, and most believed he would once he had the power. Do you know who his only real competitor was?” asked Theterm.
“I have no idea. You know I was not born yet,” offered Dack as an excuse.
“You never did like to read, did you? I never withheld the information; you just never looked in the right place. His rival was the son of the king of the North, your half brother,” Theterm said, observing Dack’s reaction.
“I have only been thinking about my father’s side and haven’t given a thought to my mother’s. I am related to him through my mother and I never even knew.” Dack slumped slightly as he allowed the idea to have its impact.
“You have no claim to the throne in the Northern Territory because the laws state that the king must be determined by means of the King’s Tournament, but under our current situation you might get popular support. The Brotherhood knows this, and you must remember that,” Theterm said warningly. “Lucan had no plans to truly compete; he had his own army awaiting the signal to assassinate the kings and as much of their armies as it took to scatter the rest.”
“So Lucan wanted to rule the entire island?” asked Dack, wondering if that was his true motivation.
“It would seem that he wanted to rule at least this island, but it might not have been anything more than a stepping stone to other worlds,” Theterm said as he smirked sadly.
“Orex said Lucan was a Whisperer of Lore. Is that something you knew about too?” Dack asked casually.
Theterm shuffled uncomfortably and looked around nervously. “Orex told you Lucan was a Whisperer of Lore?”
Dack nodded.
“Lucan was able to open passages between worlds, but that is not something someone should pursue. That knowledge disappeared with Lucan. You need to focus on what can really help you instead of following stories told by those who only know and speak half truths and lies. Fear and misunderstanding is all that can come from looking into that topic.”
Dack knew that Theterm was holding back something, but also knew he would never talk about it until he was ready. Just in case, Dack asked, “What is a Whisperer of Lore, and where do they get the ability to do what Lucan did?”
“Lucan is gone and with him that knowledge, so do not concern yourself with the notion. Help the Brotherhood,” Theterm said conclusively.
“Then Lucan is dead, and there is no hope for those stranded here?” demanded Dack.
“If you aid the Brotherhood, maybe those who are here unwillingly will also be helped. Lucan is as good as dead when it comes to sending those people home,” Theterm said emphatically.
“Then Lucan isn’t dead? Is that what you are saying?” Dack stood up and began pacing. “Answer me clearly, Father. Is Lucan dead?”
“Lucan is dead. Now help the Brotherhood,” said Theterm weakly.
“Why are you willing to help the Brotherhood now after sending them away for twenty years? I need to know that if I am going to help them,” Dack said as he sat down and looked straight into Theterm’s eyes.
“It is the right time now. The people of Storality are ready for the change; they demand it increasingly from the kings, but they do not listen. The Brotherhood may be able to avert a civil war, and I support that, sending you out with my favor,” Theterm said as he began to clean up the spit and excess food.
Dack noticed that Theterm wanted to be finished with all of the questioning, but Dack still needed to talk about the situation. “I did my part over the last twenty years. I trained you to defend yourself and to think wisely. Although there is still so much more to teach you, you need to go on what you have learned so far,” Theterm said, knowing Dack thought he was too old to be taught lessons like a child.
“I am a man. I can enter the King’s Tournament if the Scarlet Brotherhood gets their way. I am done with my lessons, Father. We both know that, right?” said Dack, expecting nothing other than a resounding positive to that question.
“Helping the Brotherhood is going to cost you everything. You cannot turn back once you start on that path. A generation of apathy after a devastating war is not a situation solved by a child. Stay true to the goal of putting things back the way they were and then I’ll say you are finished hearing my lessons,” Theterm said seriously.
Dack stood up and stretched his legs, eager to put some distance between himself and Theterm.
“Remember, there will be consequences for whatever you do, so do not take the easy path when you have to choose. Stay true to the goal the Brotherhood needs you to fulfill,” said Theterm, knowing that Dack wasn’t listening.
Dack called his horse, mounted, and said, “Thank you, Father. You have taught me well, but I have to go now. I am heading for the Northern Territory to meet with the Brotherhood. As always, your cooking was excellent.” Dack smiled and held out his hand for Theterm to shake.
Theterm shook his hand and stepped back, giving Dack plenty of room to turn his horse in the direction of the northern path. “Farewell, Dack,” was all he could say before Dack disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Riding at night through the Central Territory, even by starlight, was not advised. Too many things could happen, even on the safest of roads.
Theterm sat by the fire and put another log on the pile. Sparks and embers flew gently outward and upward as the new log began to burn. Looking up, Theterm took a few moments to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. It was a bright night once he allowed himself a chance to look skyward.
They are too much alike, thought Theterm. That is because they both have me in common, concluded Theterm, frowning disappointingly. The student cannot be expected to rise above the teacher, Theterm remembered hearing. Dack’s failure will surely bring them, Theterm thought, but hoped otherwise. Two extremes, one knowing all, the other none, both will fail in the end.
Looking again at the stars, Theterm vowed that he would reveal everything to Dack the next time he saw him. I could go now and maybe catch him, thought Theterm, but decided it would be better to let him try. Theterm spent the rest of the night trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing.