ALTDORF (The Forest Knights: Book 1) by J. K. Swift

Author:J. K. Swift [Swift, J. K.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Science Fiction, Historical, Fantasy
Publisher: UE Publishing Co.
Published: 2011-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

THOMAS SADDLED UP Anid and they rode out of Schwyz an hour past midnight. The stars hid beneath fast-moving clouds, but enough moonlight reflected through the billowing forms that they did not need a lantern.

Thomas could tell Seraina was an inexperienced rider, but once mounted behind him, she settled into Anid’s rhythm like she had been born a horse nomad of the desert steppes. Anid walked as though she was not even there.

But Thomas knew Seraina was there. Her hands rested lightly on his hips, and every so often when she leaned forward to say something, she would press against his back and he would feel the warmth of her breath on his neck.

For most of the trip they spoke of herbs and healing remedies. Quizzing each other on the different names of frequently used concoctions and compresses. They compared the medicine of the Greeks and Arabs to that of the druids, marveling at the similarities and laughed at some of history’s more ridiculous treatments.

As the night wore on and they closed in on Thomas’s cabin, their conversation slowed until it died off altogether, leaving only the creaks of Anid’s saddle carrying on the night air. They rode in a silence that neither of them seemed to find uncomfortable and Thomas found himself wishing he lived further from town.

“Why do you dislike Noll so much?” Seraina said after clearing her throat.

Thomas stiffened.

“I do not dislike the man. I only worry what will happen to those closest to him,” he said. “The fairer question might be, why is it that you have so much faith in him?” He felt her hands tighten on his hips. She was silent for some time before she spoke.

“I do not expect you to understand, but Noll is special. Every so often in history a person comes along with the potential to make a great difference in the lives of his people. The old religion would call him a Catalyst.”

“And how exactly is Noll so different?”

“The Catalyst is a thread of the Great Weave, like every one of us. But most people’s lives have very little effect on the Weave. Whether we live or die makes little difference. A few will mourn our passing, perhaps some will be relieved, but life goes on. The Catalyst, however, is the rarest of threads. If pulled in the right manner, it is capable of completely unraveling the Great Weave, and reworking it into something entirely different.”

“Your talk hovers on the edge of blasphemy, Seraina. No man can change the world as you speak of it.”

Seraina sighed. “I apologize. I did not wish to put you in such a foul mood on one of the last nights of summer. Let us talk of something else.” She leaned in close as she spoke, and Thomas felt his anger towards Noll dissipate with the warmth of her pressed against his back.

Then he felt Seraina tense and she pulled away from him, snatching away that wonderful heat. Anid threw back his head and skitted one step sideways.

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