Even Gods Must Fall - Christian Warren Freed Page 0,69
or so. Live or die, he was at the end of the journey. At last.
There was no anticipation of what was to come. He wasn’t the sort prone to worrying over life or death. Everyone ended up in the same place. Whether by fire or earth, darkness returned to claim them all. Bahr felt the irresistible pull of Lord Death growing as his days waned. The autumn of his life was quickly changing to winter and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. His time was nearly up, forcing him to stark conclusions a younger person wouldn’t associate with. Bahr knew he was going to die. Perhaps not in the coming battle, but in the immediate years ahead. Already sixty, he was tired and ready to move on. After all, there was only so much one could accomplish in six decades.
“I do, but not without reason. He is enigmatic, making it difficult to relate to. We’ve all had our doubts about him over the course of the quest. He speaks in riddles and often holds back pertinent information, though for what purpose we don’t know. I don’t trust him, but I’ve come to respect him. Anienam may not be like other men, but he is most useful in tight situations.”
Ingrid glanced over to him. The soft curve of her face reminded him of simpler times. “You have the oddest assortment of traveling companions I have ever heard of. These must truly be foul times for a company of misfits to hold a Dwarf, Giant, wizard, and Gaimosian.” She paused. “I must admit I find that woman, Rekka Jel, intriguing.”
Bahr nodded. “She is at that. I don’t know what made me take her aboard when we left port, but she’s got the fighting spirit of a berserker. I wouldn’t cross swords with her if my life depended on it.”
They rode on in silence for a while, each enjoying the illusion of solitude while in the company of several hundred others. The column of rebels stretched out behind them like a lazy snake crawling across the face of the world. Old legends spoke of a giant wyrm that would come at the end of the world to devour all unsuspecting souls. Only the bravest would band together and defeat the great wyrm but at terrible cost. Bahr wondered if the wyrm had been loosed upon the world and was slowly heading for him.
Far from superstitious, Bahr quickly dismissed the ancient folklore for what it was. Myths were often forgotten over time while legends tended to live on. Bahr was living in an age of rising legends but the future was no place for the living. He turned his thoughts inward. It had been too many years since he had time, or the effort, to think of himself.
The rebellion finished what he never had the courage to start. He harbored no love for the rest of Delranan but struggled with the pain of so much heartbreak and devastation visited upon his people. Ingrid presented him with another side he’d seldom considered. The people were strong. Even after so much, they remained a force to be reckoned with. Bahr felt pride knowing he came from such stock but wasn’t comfortable with the idea of belonging. Delranan wasn’t his home anymore.
He’d lost everything but had gained a brand new world, a new life, to explore. The son of a king had gone on to visit Venheim and Trennaron. He’d drunk mead with a Dwarf king and battled impossible demon figures halfway across Malweir. How many others could claim such without falsifying their deeds? Yet of all the places he’d seen during his travels he could think of none suitable to call home. Perhaps he was becoming more like Boen than he wished to admit. Or perhaps, just perhaps, he already was exactly like the wandering Gaimosian.
Sudden commotion ahead of the column broke his train of thought. Bahr squinted into the midday sun. A handful of riders approached. Most were Ingrid’s outriders. Two weren’t. Bahr frowned the closer they came. The two strangers were haggard looking. Their clothes were torn and covered with old blood. He could see their eyes now and the sight chilled his blood. They were scared to death. Both shook uncontrollably, threatening to topple from the saddle.
Ingrid spurred her horse forward to meet them, forcing Bahr to catch up. She glanced at the newcomers over once and tried to keep the dismay from her face. “Gentlemen, welcome.”