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Battle Master

Chapter 9

The trip to the border took three days and, despite being promised more time with his brother, Baedyn only saw Talvin for supper each day and then, on two days, their meals were interrupted by 'word from the men'. The younger Wolf would invariably excuse himself and head off at the behest of whomever brought him a message; neither time did he return for the rest of the night. Regardless, Baedyn resolved to focus on the positive.

Although Izlegaol was less than a week behind them, the Wolf was already starting to feel in better health. In addition to getting full means and restful sleep, the boon of having Sarvestinian lover did wonders on restoring his vitality and improved his constitution. By the time the wagon train stopped at the border crossing, Baedyn was even able to descend the carriage steps without assistance, which he did freely so he could stretch his legs and get some air during the stop.

There were four parties ahead of them in line and, even though Talvin's followers and begun to split off to be less conspicuous crossing the border, their caravan still numbered a half dozen wagons. Aside from having little interaction with Gralz the leather worker after that initial day out of Izlegaol, Baedyn could still somehow feel an absence of the Porcupine's presence; he had separated from the party two days before they had reached the border.

Letting out a sigh, the Wolf stepped off the road to admire a collection of flowers; since the border guards didn't need to know about Ian, he did so alone while his Saglahasan waited in the carriage. In addition to getting some fresh air and a few minutes alone to clear his thoughts, Baedyn also used the opportunity to watch the goings-on as the border guards approached the lead wagon in their convoy; Choel and Willis stepped forward to meet them.

The Tiger produced some papers while the ocelot addressed the guards in flawless Vensiian. The total discussion took less than a minute-- far shorter than the prior travelers and, before Baedyn knew it, Willis was making his way back toward the wolf, gesturing to the carriage. "We are on the move again shortly, Lord Baedyn. Please return to your ride and prepare to continue onward."

With little more to be said, the Ocelot passed by him and proceeded to the end of the wagon train. Choel, who followed shortly thereafter, offered a paw to assist Baedyn back into the carriage. The Wolf declined. "I can manage on my own, thank you."

The Tiger nodded, closing the door once Baedyn had taken a seat. The striped feline's green eyes peered in and he made a statement in halting Vensiian. "Close window. No show Lizard to outside."

Baedyn didn't need any clarification; nodding, he pulled the blind down to hide the inside from the road sentries as they passed the checkpoint. Despite being protected from prying eyes the Wolf still couldn't help but hold his breath as they crossed over into Vensii; he had never been outside the country of his birth and, despite being at least somewhat familiar with their northern neighbor's culture and language, Baedyn's introduction to the people of Vensii came at the cruel whims of his Coyote jailer, which gave him discomfort by association.

Ian caught onto his concerns immediately. The Sarvestinian reached out a talon and rested it on the Wolf's thigh, reminding him that the Coyote wouldn't be able to hurt him ever again. Baedyn appreciated the sentiment and, much more comfortable with the old sensations of communicating with thought alone, thanked Ian for being there with him. The Lizard smiled as well as his scaled lips would allow and reaffirmed that there was nowhere else he would rather be than with his Saglahasan.

Their quiet, intimate connection was disrupted when the door to the carriage opened and Talvin hopped up into the bench seat across from the two. Baedyn's younger brother wore a pleasant smile, ears up as he regarded them both. "Well... you'll be happy to note that we've just passed west of Jaryngaol, and we're now crossing over into Vensii."

The name of the city caused every last thought in Baedyn's mind to freeze and when it thawed, numerous considerations and memories from the prior few days on the road flooded back in. The two brothers had grown up in Jaryngaol; it was practically their home town! Thoughts of growing up, nostalgia of a simpler and happier time took hold of him and it took intervention from Ian to snap him back to the present; the Sarvestinian did so gently by inserting the thought that he would love to reminisce with the Wolf when time allowed. Baedyn gave his Saglahasan's talon a gentle squeeze in silent thanks.

Turning to his brother, who had remained silent for the duration of his deluge of memories, Baedyn asked "Have you been back there since?"

The 'since' needed no further explanation; the two Vune brothers had left the city after losing their parents and neither would require further clarification. True to form, Talvin didn't ask for one. Instead, the younger brother simply nodded, offering a casual smile. "Oh yes... I've been there several times and, in fact, that will be our next stop after we finish our business in Vensii."

Baedyn cocked his head. "So we're traveling north across the border only to turn around and come back south?"

Talvin's smile never faltered. "Precisely."

"Were you recognized? When you were in Jaryngaol, I mean. Why would you even go there? Why are we going there?"

Chuckling, his brother held up a paw, chuckling jovially. "One question at a time, Baedyn-- I may have two ears but I only have one muzzle."

Baedyn took a deep breath; he suddenly had so many questions, but he selected the first one he'd rattled off. "Were you recognized?"

Talvin nodded to the affirmative. "I was, yes. Jaryngaol is one of my preferred stops when I come through to conduct business. In fact, the last two times I visited I handled some affairs with the Lord of the Field."

The elder brother was struck dumb by the announcement. When the Vune family lived in Jaryngaol they had served the Lord's household and, in fact, their father had been a part of the Lord of the Field's court. Of course, the Lord was ancient back then, which meant two decades later time would have made him decrepit. The statement left Baedyn's muzzle before he could think to stop it. "He was so old back then I'm surprised he's still alive."

"He isn't. He died several years ago, but he was survived by his wife."

The matter-of-fact tone his brother had used only half-surprised Baedyn. The fact that Talvin had mentioned the court's Lady, however, was unexpected. "So... SHE remembered who you were then?"

Talvin smiled freely. "She certainly did-- in fact, many of the troops that assisted in liberating Izlegaol were provided to me on her orders... she favors the Vunes, in case you'd forgotten."

He was right, Baedyn realized. Not only did the Lady of the Court think favorably on the lupine family, but, having no children of her own, she often demanded that their father bring both brothers to court so she could enjoy their presence. Like her husband, the Lady of Jaryngaol had been on in her years back when the Vune were members of the court but her husband had at least a decade on him so it stood to reason that she would have outlived him. Letting out a breath, Baedyn sighed "I can't even imagine what it would be like seeing her again after all these years."

His younger brother leaned back in his seat, kicking his boots up on the bench next to Ian's thigh. "You won't have to imagine it much longer; as I said, we'll be heading there once we're done in Vensii."

Baedyn scowled. "So you said... but why go into Vensii first when we could just go straight to Jaryngaol-- it IS on the way, after all, isn't it?"

Talvin let out a content sigh as he smiled. "Because that would be doing things out of order, Brother."

Despite wanting to know more, Baedyn realized that his sibling would probably continue talking circles around him without providing any real answer; he resolved to ask Ian more about it later. The Sarvestinian offered an apologetic understanding that he knew little more than Baedyn. Snorting derisively, the Wolf went for a different tactic instead. "So what IS the plan then? You mentioned we're looking for Lord Desanti, but there was something else taking us to Vensii anyway, right? What are we looking for?"

If he'd expected a straight-forward answer, Baedyn was let down. Still smiling, his brother answered "Our battle master. Lord Desanti is our first step toward getting what we need to help win the war in Pross."

Baedyn sighed; Talvin was still providing him with responses that didn't actually answer his questions. Rather than providing any more opportunities for questions, however, the younger Wolf hopped back out of the wagon, promising to return once he'd had the opportunity to check up on all of his followers.

* * * * *

Unlike previous evenings the small wagon train didn't stop to make camp when it started getting dark. The drivers continued onward well past dusk and, when they finally did stop, Baedyn wondered just how hard it would be to set up tents in the dark. Even as he was peering out the window, however, the Wolf saw that they had only paused, only to continue after the lamps that hung from the posts on either side of the coachmen were lit. The bullseye lanters cast strong beams of light ahead of them on the road, making travel easier.

Talvin, returned a short time later; since the wagons were traveling slowly due to the darkness it was easy for him to hop up into the door. "Well... it sounds like we should be reaching our stop within the hour."

"And what stop is that?"

The words were out of Baedyn's muzzle before he even had a chance to realize that his brother probably wouldn't provide a direct answer. He was surprised when Talvin actually did offer one. "We'll be staying in Arveras. It's less than a league distant so I anticipate arriving within the hour."

Baedyn had never been very good with geography. "How far are we into Vensii? Is Arveras near Sarvis?"

His younger brother chuckled, shaking his head. "No, dear brother... Arveras is one of the southernmost cities in Vensii, and it's also one of the most western. Although we're only an afternoon's ride from the Tenvierian border we're actually only a few hours from Pross' as well. It's the perfect middle ground in that regard."

Scowling, the elder Wolf let out a long sigh before stating "I still can't believe we're mixed up in the affairs of another country-- I'd think Tenvier would be more than enough."

Talvin offered a wink in response. "You had best grow accustomed to it, Baedyn... there is a side in every confrontation, and choosing not to take sides is to maintain the status quo. What exists now in Pross is unacceptable."

Baedyn still didn't quite understand his brother's obsession with the foreign kingdom. "What does that even matter?"

The younger Wolf sat up a little straighter, smoothing out the long sleeves of his overcoat as if preparing for some kind of event. "It matters, Brother, because Pross is one of the few nations where Slavery still prospers... and as long as slavery exists anywhere freedom is threatened everywhere."

The emphatic tone Talvin took almost unnerved Baedyn, and not just because he had only recently been rescued from indentured servitude. He put voice to his concern. "Ian said that you were enslaved."

Talvin raised an eyebrow, and, still looking at Baedyn, one of his ears folded back while the other honed in on the lizard. "Did he now?"

In truth, Ian hadn't, and Baedyn admitted as much. "He said that the two of you were separated when you ran afoul of some slavers... and he spent some time trying to rescue you."

The Sarvestinian finally interjected, noting that he'd indicated that he spent time trying to 'reclaim' Talvin from slavers and that there was a difference. The younger Wolf was all smiles. "You see? There is a vast difference."

Baedyn could only scowl in response. "I get indentured for almost twenty years and when I get free I come to learn that neither of you can give straight answers anymore."

Talvin shrugged, scooting over on the bench so he could look out the window. "Life is a complicated thing, Brother, and straight answers are in the realm of pups and the simple minded, Baedyn-- we are neither any longer. But we can save that discourse for another time... it appears we have arrived."

No sooner had Talvin spoken than the carriage came to a stop. Baedyn made to stand but Ian stretched an arm in front of him, suggesting that he remain where he was since lodging and a place to store the wagons would still need to be obtained before they had any reason to disembark. There was more to it than the simple statement of fact; the Sarvestinian wouldn't be able to leave the wagon until the coast was clear and he would rather wait with company than without. The Wolf couldn't' deny is Saglahasan. "Alright... I'll wait with you, but I want to know more about what happened in Pross with you and Talvin."

Even as he stepped out into the chill night air, Talvin spoke over his shoulder. "I'll be a short while transacting business. Feel free to ask him anything; our time there is yours to digest and I suppose now is as good a time as any. When I have some lodgings secured I'll send for you."

Baedyn resolved to make good on that offer and, with that, he bade Ian start from the beginning; the Sarvestinian did just that.

* * * * *

Shortly after Baedyn had been taken by the Lord of Stone Ian and Talvin traveled west, fleeing Tenvier as quickly as they could lest they endanger the exchange. Not only was the going difficult due to Talvin insisting they travel at night so the Sarvestinian wouldn't be noticed but the poor Wolf was still learning to control his new powers. Although Baedyn had grown up with the Right Paw Fildoma that allowed him to make small changes to fate, it was a foreign thing for Talvin and there were some unfortunate side effects-- ones Ian thought would be better explained by Talvin himself.

It took weeks for them to cross over into Pross and, even then, they succeeded only because Talvin was able to pluck a strand of fate and engineer their safe passage past two sentry patrols. Neither of them knew at the time but that little shift in events would have some lasting effects on their future but, at that moment, survival was the top priority. Once they got into Pross, however, things didn't get easier-- they got more complicated.

They managed to live off the land for a time until eventually the winter weather made that difficult, especially for Ian. The fact that Sarvestinians did not do well with the cold wasn't lost to either of them and ultimately Talvin decided that they had to do something to make sure that they could have the kind of lodgings that could accommodate a Sarvestinian so, by necessity, they drew closer to civilization. By that point there weren't a lot of available people seeking a laborer, and definitely not one who couldn't speak the kingdom's language. Talvin had been trying to learn, but he only knew a few phrases.

Ian helped facilitate however he could. Since he was able to understand Prossian he and Talvin set up meetings and talks in locations where the Sarvestinian could hide and provide understanding to the Wolf. With several more days of no luck, Talvin started getting desperate and came up with the conclusion that the best way to get an income would be to convince a prospective employer that he would be a good addition. At that point the plan changed and Ian was going to use his hypnotism and get Talvin something-- anything that would help him make a living. It worked, of course.

The village they were in was part of a larger holding governed by a south western noble of Pross, Lord Nebronal Manier, a Lion, Ian later learned, of no small amount of importance in the Prossian court. He was known to be a fair but harsh man, providing his people what they needed to survive but he made them work for it. While that limited the amount of poverty in his towns it greatly reduced the overall prosperity so most of the people there were able to survive but not much more than that. Eventually the job Talvin had found came to an end but, on the upside, he'd made a name for himself as a hard worker and was able to get something else before too long.

AT that rate they survived their first winter but, to Ian's shame, he was able to do little but hide as Talvin did everything he could to keep them both alive. It hurt the Sarvestinian horribly to see his charge struggling so hard and barely surviving so, when the weather finally started to warm up he suggested that they each go their separate ways. Talvin wouldn't allow it, of course-- he was never very good at going it alone and needed the extra support. Plus, Ian remembered fondly, Talvin had a good heart and refused to benefit from another's loss. That trait, sadly, would eventually be compromised by necessity and desperation.

Talvin's first crime was theft from a food stall; the merchant had been swindling customers and as far as victims went he was hardly innocent. From there, the wrong-doing became more common and less selective. By the end of the next winter Talvin had graduated to robbery and, on occasion, mugging. Ian successfully kept the Wolf from anything more violent but the appeal of having something resembling wealth and the ability to maintain a half-way decent home was too great for it to be put off forever. For better or for worse, however, fate intervened and the guards became involved.

Ian, as usual, had remained in the safe house and didn't know there was trouble until Talvin rushed in, explaining that he'd evaded a patrol. There were only two sets of guards walking the streets in the poorer part of town but what neither he nor Talvin knew at the time, a third company was relocated there as part of a restructuring at the border; apparently the little tweak Talvin had made to get them into Pross had created a compounding effect as fate's strings vibrated enough that an entire squad of the lord's guards were redeployed, only to catch Talvin almost two years after he and Ian had evaded them.

Sadly, that was not the end of the troubles. The guards had not only spotted Talvin but they'd managed to track him back to the hideout, an that meant that they were both in danger. Ian was ready to fight the men to see to Talvin's protection but the Wolf would have none of it. According to Talvin he'd only broken a minor law and that he would draw them away from the hideout so Ian could escape; the Sarvestinian would be killed on sight and evading the guardsmen for 'a little slip-up' wouldn't be worth Ian's death. Ian was able to discern the lie at the time; whatever they'd seen Talvin doing was anything but minor, but he also knew there wasn't time to argue.

Talvin ran out and led the guards away, allowing Ian to escape but, in the process, the Wolf was captured. The Sarvestinian never learned what it was that they'd accused Talvin of but it was severe enough that the Justice-Major of the town placed him into slavery and sold him to the Slaver's Union. Ian was powerless to help and, despite catching sight of Talvin one final time as the Wolf was transferred into the 'care' of the Hyena clan, they were each on their own, and things only got worse.

Living in the shadows, Ian spent a lot of time in the wild during the warmer seasons and then managed to sneak into various towns, living in sewers, burial tombs, or abandoned houses-- whatever he could find. During those times he could occasionally catch a lone individual on the street and charm them into providing him food or running errands he couldn't handle himself but any time he showed himself there was a risk he could be discovered, and so he resigned himself to the shadows.

That continued for almost two years until, during one such outreach when he was hypnotizing a Nutria woman and he stumbled upon one of her errant thoughts. A Wolf slave with pure white fur had left an impression on the woman. Seizing that thought, Ian had explored it further, at which point he was sure he recognized Talvin from her memories. She had just traveled from further west-- the heartland of Pross. Dozens of months after they had been separated, Ian finally discovered a lead. At that moment he made it his mission to track down Talvin and to free him.

Ian had learned that Talvin had been purchased and sold a number of times and only in the past few days had he changed hands again after some 'incident'. It took nearly a week for Ian to make it to the Prossian heartland, traveling at night and following alongside the road at a distance rather than on it. He slept sparingly during the day and barely took the time to eat or drink and so he was exhausted by the time he arrived at his destination: a small estate which made up the entirety of the meager holdings of a young Cervid Lordling by the name of Hector Desanti.

The Sarvestinian kept watch over the estate for a number days that he hadn't bothered counting but, ultimately, he felt that he knew the schedule enough to risk making contact with Talvin. The Lord kept most of his slaves in a variety of long buildings on his property away from the main manor but, for some reason, Talvin was housed in the house itself. Ian had a path picked out that would allow him to avoid the field slaves, bypass the landscaping slaves, and get access to the kitchen. From there, if need be, he would hypnotize if need be, pacify if it was called for and, if all else failed, he would kill. None of that came to pass however as something else happened first.

The morning of the planned infiltration Ian arrived at his usual overlook spot only to find Talvin waiting for him. Time hadn't been kind to the Wolf but he was in surprisingly high spirits and he seemed to be in good health. Talvin's mind was his own and met Ian's immediately; the Sarvestinian felt a little less empty. Over the course of five minutes they exchanged thoughts and Talvin provided words as well. Ian was surprised to find out that, while Talvin was a slave, he was actually happy.

It was a strange realization but, the longer he spent with Talvin the more certain he was that the Wolf wasn't crazy. For some inexplicable reason, the life of a Slave was not as bad as Ian had feared for his young charge. Things came into focus for him, however, when Talvin convinced him to come down to the estate that night after the lights went out; the Wolf wanted to introduce him to Lord Desanti. Although the Sarvestinian was hesitant at first, constant reassurance from Talvin finally convinced him to accept the invitation.

* * * * *

Ian's flowing empathic telling of the story came to an end at that point as the Sarvestinian let out a long sigh and the soft, droning hiss that accompanied it carried far more than the usual hypnotic tone; it told a story all of its own in such an entrancing way that Baedyn was almost convinced that his Saglahasan was using empathy to describe encountering a divine being of some kind. The Wolf blinked, flicking an ear as he regarded Ian. "He was that amazing, huh?"

The Sarvestinian nodded, taking Baedyn's paw in his talon and giving it a little squeeze. Ian didn't want Baedyn to be jealous, but something about Lord Desanti put him at ease immediately. The Elk was the kind of gentleman that came out of Tenvierian stories and, most of all, he was benevolent and kind, not just to his slaves, but to everyone-- Sarvestinians included. Baedyn balked at that. "Sounds almost too good to be true... are you sure you weren't hypnotizing yourself somehow?"

Ian snorted, giving his knee a light smack with the tip of his tail. They shared a smile at that even as the Sarvestinian explained that it was simple truth. He also willingly admitted that he was completely jealous of the way that Talvin regarded the stag, but the effort he made to push that aside in the empathic sending was an indication that it wasn't an important part of the story. What he followed up with was enough for Baedyn to completely forget about following up on that reveal.

Muzzle agape, Baedyn put to words what his Saglahasan had sent mentally. "He gave Talvin an entire estate?!?"

The lizard confirmed that Baedyn had indeed understood and that Lord Desanti had set up a second estate under another lord's name. Within a year, Ian and Talvin had moved there, providing them both the kind of lifestyle Talvin had often tried to tweak out of fate-- apparently he ended up getting it indirectly. Two years later, Lord Desanti revealed 'Lord Talvin' to the rest of the nobility and, from there, things only accelerated as a plan the two had concocted was put into motion.

Stunned by everything he'd heard, Baedyn was having trouble trying to digest it all, but still he asked "What kind of plan?"

Ian took hold of Baedyn's other paw and turned the Wolf to face him. The Sarvestinian licked his scaled lips with a forked tongue and actually spoke the next words aloud. "Hector wanted to improve Pross... and Talvin took up the cause."

The words echoed around the Wolf's skill, threatening to lull him into a torpor, but he powered through it, taking into consideration his Saglahasan's spoken words. They clung to his mind, remaining at the forefront. Ian did it on purpose most likely and, even as he considered that thought the lizard smiled, confirming the theory. Giving Ian's talons a squeeze, Baedyn followed up the question with another. "So you're saying that Lord Desanti ended up elevating Talvin so he could use him?"

The Sarvestinian stared at him while delivering the next thought: apparently Talvin didn't completely agree with the way Hector's plans were coming together and, in actuality, it was the Wolf who ended up using the Stag. That realization didn't sit well with Baedyn, especially since what he remembered of his awkward, socially-inept, introverted little brother was diametrically opposed to the picture that Ian was painting. The lizard scowled, reminding him that, just because he spent 17 years with his brother didn't mean he knew everything.

The discussion came to an end with the polite rap of knuckles against the wagon door. Baedyn recognized Willis' voice. "Lord Baedyn, Choel will bring the carriage into the wagon house, at which point you and the other passenger may disembark... I've also brought a cloak."

A large, thick, brown furred cloak was passed through the window past the curtain and Ian reached across to take hold of it. The Sarvestinian bundled himself up in it even as the carriage began moving again. Baedyn felt a certain sense of expectancy from his Saglahasan, who offered warm greetings and a welcome to their first official stop of many.

Talvin's voice called from outside the carriage a moment later, adding words to the mental welcome. "Come on out, Lord Baedyn... I am overeager, and can't wait to introduce you to a dear friend of mine."

Baedyn opened the door and stepped out. "You mean an elk friend of yours."

His brother's expression didn't change with the word-play, but his gaze drifted over to where Ian was disembarking. "You put him up to that, didn't you?"

Ian's only response was a general sense of warm happiness.