Riders of Tethra Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
"So, what happens when a rider is trained and leaves Pandor's Fen?" Hunter asked as Doyen Parfell was about to launch into another difficult blocking lesson on masked attempts.
On the pretense of Hunter needing specialized instruction because he was not from Tethra, the free half days each week were given over to meeting with the Doyen in One. Initially the four boys were upset that they lost time they could enjoy in Lorenwood privately but as the weeks passed, they began to appreciate their close relationship with the headmaster of the place. Formalities gradually disintegrated and the conversations seemed more like ones between the boys and a trusted older friend.
"You know the answer to that," the elder replied. "They are sent out to our towns to protect our people from infiltrators. These days, with so much travel going on, so many rumors, there are frequently strangers. Trained riders, graduates from here, can monitor those they do not recognize."
"I thought all Maginar males could ride?" Hunter said.
Parfell ran his hand through his grey hair and sighed. "Let's say they could. Those without an extraordinary ability and desire eventually see the trait disappear. They become ordinary like anyone else on Tethra. They might have a flash here and there but they can no longer focus. So, we need Pandorian riders strategically placed throughout our holding. Sort of the forward guard."
"So, you'll be assigning Bandor and his two puppets when they graduate this year?" Talen interjected.
Rory, Hunter and Sayer looked at each other, then at the Doyen, obviously worried that Talen had overstepped his bounds.
"No, I won't!" Parfell said firmly. "I have no idea where they will go and..."
"I have a suggestion on where they could go," Talen pressed.
"Enough Talen! I know there is no love lost between you and those boys but they will have a job to do. And for your own sakes and all of ours, you'd better hope that they and all of us here are successful at our assignments. They have trained and they will serve. Because you four are unique doesn't make them any less useful."
"Unique?" Sayer repeated.
"I'm afraid I have not been fully revealing to you, Sayer and Hunter. And because of your relationship with Rory and Talen, they too are now part of this."
"What are you talking about?" Rory asked.
Doyen Parfell stood up and began to pace the room. It was a few moments before he spoke again.
"We don't have time gentlemen. We don't have time for you four to train for the next three or four years. We know that two of the alliances that border us are attacking our towns, doing everything they can to capture a boy with riding abilities. Last week Ildinar rampaged through Oars Rest. Our rider there was in danger of being captured. He put himself in the line of fire as is the directive. A trained rider must never be captured so he placed himself where he was sure to be killed. He was only nineteen and one of the finest students Pandor's Fen has ever seen. Other than this very lodge where you are sitting, Pandor's Fen has not existed all that long. We cannot lose trained graduates and it is sure we will if we cannot stop the advancement."
"What are you telling us?" Hunter asked nervously. "About us, what are you telling us about us!"
"Our hopes are on you and Sayer. On two talented but only partially trained riders. Plus, Rory and Talen. So, this band of four sitting here has the hopes and prayers of Maginar resting on them. Hoping that you are more than Riders, hoping you might be a return of Pandor and Farin. We have to train you now, quickly. You must all be masters at blocking. You must earn bolts in every martial skill you can with a month or two -- not over a period of years. And we must know of any talents that separate you from the rest. You four will not be assigned as normal."
The silence in the room was overwhelming. The fire crackled and a fairly strong breeze whistled at the windows. All the others were on their free day in Lorenwood, innocently going on as usual. Finally, Talen spoke. "Where will you assign us then Doyen?"
Parfell sighed again. "I don't do assignments. I receive them and distribute the orders but I am not the Overlord."
Without asking for a definition, the boys realizing now that there was someone more powerful than the Doyen, asked almost in unison, "Who is the Overlord?"
"I don't know," Parfell said wearily. "Plans and assignments have been arriving by packet from Lorenwood ever since the Fen was built. Up to now, those orders have served us well. But we don't know where they come from."
"So, what are we supposed to do?" Talen asked.
"I have been instructed to have you four trained like no one has ever been trained. You two thirteens and two fourteens must become masters. I don't even know if it is possible but I do know it will be impossible if you all don't agree to accept the responsibility and the burden that you have been asked to bear."
The Doyen stopped his pacing and went to the door. "You four are the hope of survival for Maginar. I leave you to talk amongst yourselves and gather your thoughts. I will be calling a meeting of all trainees and masters here in the morning. I will tell them what I have told you about the gravity of our situation. I will share that everyone will be trained as individually as possible in line with their skills and strengths. In this way, the special training I provide for you will seem at least relatively reasonable. Tomorrow our future hastens, may we be prepared." The door closed quickly behind him.
The four boys sat wide-eyed, still staring at the door that had shut so firmly. Total silence, except for the fire, their minds at first stunned then whirling.
Sayer moved close to Hunter and held him softly. Hunter motioned to the other two to join them in the embrace. Four early teen boys, wrapped together in respect, love and now, apparently in destiny.
Tears welled up in Sayer's eyes and trailed down his cheeks. "You need to go back, Hunter. You don't belong here. You are not of Tethra or Maginar. I love you more than life itself and your life needs to go on where it started. Back in that little town with your place of solitude when you need it. This is not your sacrifice and I can't even think about something happening to you here."
Rory and Talen looked at one another and then at Hunter. "He's really right you know Hunter? You have another life in another parallel."
Hunter broke the embrace and stood facing the other three. "Did you assholes miss what the Doyen said?" he said forcefully, breaking the solemnity of the last few moments. "Your destiny, my destiny, Maginar's and Tethra's destiny is with us FOUR! Not three, FOUR! I don't know what the fuck was so strong that it brought Sayer to me or me to you guys, but never, never ever, tell me I don't belong here again! Back there, I had an existence, here I have a life, short or long, this is where I belong!" He looked solidly at Talen, then Rory. In an instant, Rory and Talen were embracing and kissing one another. When they broke apart, the looked at each other in shock and then at Hunter. There was fear in their eyes.
"Never let fear control you," Hunter said. "Fear protects to a certain point and then it paralyzes. I will always love you guys and I will do whatever it takes to keep all of us together."
"What did you just do?" Sayer demanded.
"I asked them to kiss," Hunter answered then realized what had just happened.
"You didn't ask them, you made them!" Sayer screamed.
Hunter sat down in one of the chairs, his eyes focused on the floor. Had he really made them kiss?
"You didn't just ride them, you forced them to do what you wanted!"
"I don't know," Hunter said softly. "I just wanted them to feel love, I guess. To know how I feel about you Sayer. I don't know. I didn't really mean to ...."
Talen and Rory were still obviously nervous about what had just happened. "Make us do it again," Talen ordered.
"No," Hunter said, the fear now in his eyes.
"Do it!" Rory screamed. "Do it again! I'm blocking you. Talen should too. Make us do it again!"
In less than two seconds, Rory and Talen found their lips locked to each other's, arms wrapped in a loving embrace.
"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Hunter screamed.
"What!?" Talen exclaimed as they released each other.
"I didn't do it!" Hunter said again.
"Well as much as I liked it," Rory said, "It wasn't our doing I don't think." He was looking at Talen. The other boy nodded in agreement.
"I did it," Sayer said softly.
Everyone looked at Sayer. "I thought that usually whatever Hunter can do, I can do. He's scared of what he just did. And he should be. So, I tried it. Now I'm scared."
"We have just gone beyond anything, Hunter. What made you do that? How can we do this? This is dangerous and I can't sit here in silence and think at you while Rory and Talen are frightened. We have to calm them down and then have time alone! Like now!"
"You guys can control," Talen said. "You are Pandor and Farin. Oh God! I couldn't block either of you!"
"We are not Pandor and Farin!" Sayer said forcefully. "But we seem to have found a skill they had that we do too. But it's funny now that I think about it. I've tried to think all sorts of things at Bandor and nothing happened."
"I think we should pledge not to make anyone do anything right now," Sayer said. "We don't know why or how this worked. I think Hunter and I need to have some time alone to talk about it. We can go for a walk for a while and I'm really sorry guys. I'm scared."
"No, Sayer," Hunter interrupted. "We just made our two closest friends do something they did not plan on doing. Doyen said it's us four. We do need to talk but if we are supposed to save the world, we should even avoid telepathically communicating anything that affects Rory and Talen. We are us."
"Um, could we go back to where we were right after the Doyen left?" Rory said looking more relaxed.
Finally, a muffled laugh erupted from all of them as they once again cuddled together on the couch, lost in their own and no one else's thoughts.