Scepter

Daniel’s journey took more out of him than he’d anticipated. After running for three straight hours, he was forced to stop and find food. His body had consumed its entire energy supply, and he had to replenish it. Taking a break at a creek that fed the main river far downstream, he drank deeply and then spent an hour or so fishing. He built a small fire to cook the fish that he’d caught, and he lay down for a quick rest while his food cooked. The smell of the trout filled his nostrils, and his stomach ached in anticipation of the nourishment he so desperately needed. He watched the smoke drift lazily into the afternoon sky before dissipating in the calm air. When it was done, he sat up and ate the fish directly off of the stick he’d cooked it on, barely giving it time to cool. He almost choked when he missed a bone and swallowed it. After coughing and hacking for what seemed an eternity, it finally dislodged. Gasping for breath and wiping the tears from his eyes, he placed the fish down on a rock and returned to the creek for another drink and to refill his water pouch.

  He dipped his cupped hands into the cold water and was bringing them to his lips when he spied a wolf across the river from him. It stood completely still but was staring directly at him. His eyes immediately scanned the rest of the tree line, searching for the pack he was sure would be there. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of four more prowling among the saplings. They were moving toward him, pacing this way and that, their gray coats blending in with surrounding brush, only their movements giving away their positions. They slowly closed the distance that separated them from him. Having left his bow back by the campfire, he was unarmed except for his knife. He didn’t want them getting close enough to use it. The food he’d consumed was digesting, replenishing his dangerously low energy levels, but it wouldn’t be enough for him to travel very far before he used it up. At that point the pack would catch him and take him down more easily than the prey they normally hunted. Whatever he did, it would have to be soon and it would have to be close. He racked his brain for a plan, anything that would buy him some time for his body to refuel itself.

  In the blink of an eye, he dashed back the way he had come, returning to his fire. His bow and quiver lay next to the smoldering sticks and half-eaten trout. Snatching his weapons from the ground, he darted to a nearby tree and quickly ascended. He could hear the pack closing the distance behind him. As he scaled the sturdy pine, he looked down to see the first of the wolves arrive at the base. Leaping into the air, it lunged for his right foot as he pulled it up to a higher branch, but in his haste, his quiver slipped from his hand and dropped harmlessly to the ground. Daniel heard the snap of the fangs as the wolf’s jaws closed on thin air. Soon, the rest of the pack arrived, circling the base of the tree. He climbed to a safe height and sat down to rest. Although he wasn’t breathing hard, he could feel the toll the brief sprint had taken on his body. He hadn’t eaten nearly enough earlier and would need more food, and soon.

  As the wolves continued pacing beneath the tree, growling and yipping, Daniel began to feel impatient. He was losing valuable time. He should be back on the path by now. The men were coming and a few hungry wolves wouldn’t slow them down. Yet here he was, stuck in a tree with no apparent way to escape. His best weapon, his speed, had been taken from him by his lack of nourishment. There were still three more fish, not counting the half-eaten one still sitting by the fire he’d passed just moments before, but they did him no good. His bow was at this point useless, as his arrows sat twenty feet below him tucked neatly into his quiver. Daniel slammed the branch he was sitting on in frustration.

  Below him, he heard a clunking sound in the brush surrounding the tree. Startled, he looked around, trying to identify the source of it for he was sure it hadn’t been one of the wolves. He was embarrassed when he realized it was from a few pinecones he’d dislodged when he’d struck the limb on which he sat. Looking around him, he saw many similar cones open and waiting to do their part to continue the cycle of life. Great, he thought to himself. Here I am, trying to save Lilly and my best defense is a pinecone. He slumped back against the trunk of the tree. The wolves continued to pace, stopping occasionally to look up at him. A few had wandered off the way they had come. Daniel presumed they were going back to retrieve his unfinished dinner. Grabbing a nearby cone, Daniel began plucking absentmindedly at the scales. Then a seed dropped out and onto the leg of his pants. A small groan escaped him.

  “Of course,” he mumbled to himself. Quickly he began pulling the scales off of the cone and collected the seeds in a small pile on his leg. Then he grabbed another and another. He ate the protein-filled nuts as fast as he could pull the cones apart and gather them. Within twenty minutes time, he’d filled his stomach with the nutrient-rich seeds that had surrounded him the entire time. Then he sat and digested, using the spare time to fill a small pouch in his shirt with extra seeds.

  Now for the hard part, Daniel thought to himself. Watching the wolves below him, Daniel waited for his opportunity. When they’d moved what he thought to be a sufficient distance from the base of the tree, Daniel dropped. When he hit the ground, his right food landed on the edge of a root that branched out from the base of the tree. He heard a loud pop as his ankle rotated out, his foot folding under as the weight of his body hit the ground. A loud cry escaped his lips before he could stop it. The wolves turned. Daniel grabbed his quiver and ran. His ankle screamed at him with every step, a lightning bolt of pain shooting up his leg, almost to his knee. He knew he had to push through or a lot more than his ankle would be hurting when the pack caught up with him. Although he didn’t cover as much distance as he would have liked before again growing tired and being overcome by the pain, Daniel was well out of range of the pack by the time he slowed to a hobble.

  The sun had begun to set over the peaks to the west, but Daniel needed to keep moving for a while longer. If he kept going for a few more hours, he’d be able to rest, get some more food, and get to Olivia’s sister early the next morning. The journey seemed much more lonesome now that he was reduced to less than a normal walking speed. Without Olivia and Aidan with him, the darkness was descending like a thick woolen blanket, and he felt the steady throb of pain in his ankle. With Aidan and Olivia, he could distract himself by talking to them or just watching their movements. Without them around, his mind drifted back to the night of his fourteenth birthday, and darkness settled upon him, as did the night.

  A tree branch snapped nearby and Daniel looked up, startled by the sudden noise. Pulled from his thoughts, it took him a moment to spot the fox darting away into the cover of the forest. He wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been walking, oblivious to his surroundings as he relived the events of that night. Not knowing exactly where he was, Daniel decided to make camp for the evening and regroup. He needed to rest, and he needed food if he was going to get to Olivia’s house by the next morning. Leaving the deer path he’d been following, Daniel collected berries and nuts in the small amount of moonlight that wandered its way through the canopy overhead. As he began, he ate most of what he found, but as he grew full, he pulled his shirt out of his pants and began dropping them in the makeshift basket. After filling it, Daniel dug a small hole in the loose ground, and dropped his collection into it. Lying down next to it, Daniel fell swiftly off to sleep.

  The next morning came entirely too quickly in his opinion. Groggy and exhausted, Daniel tried to ignore the sunlight dancing across his eyelids, but his body was insistent that it was time to get up, even if his mind revolted. It didn’t help that his ankle had become very swollen since last night, and his shoe was now uncomfortably tight. Pulling himself into a sitting position, Daniel grabbed a handful of berries and shoved them into his mouth. Juice squirted out the left side and dribbled slowly down his chin. Daniel wiped it away with the back of his hand as he looked around and tried to get his bearings. After pulling himself up into a standing position to get a better view, he decided he’d have to find a hill that would allow him a better grasp of his surroundings. He knew he was getting close, but couldn’t afford t
o get lost. He’d wasted enough time already dealing with the wolves. He quickly shoveled the rest of the berries and nuts into his mouth, hardly chewing before swallowing them. He then shook out his shirt and pulled in on over his head. Knowing he’d need more nutrients than his meager breakfast had provided, Daniel took an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, and began his hunt. Without many humans around, the options were plentiful. He initially sought a deer, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to eat even a half of it, so he put his arrow away and caught a couple of rabbits by hand. Normally it wouldn’t have been much of a contest, but with his sprained ankle, he’d lost much of his speed and agility. Despite the pain, Daniel had finally chased down two of the slower ones. After cooking and eating them, he felt at least partially alive and began the rest of his trip.

  Daniel continued north, following the deer path he’d left the night before, when he came to a rise in the terrain. At the peak of the hill, he was able to verify his suspicions. He was still a few hours from where the path split off to the east toward Olivia and Lilly’s house. He would leave the forest soon and would be on the plains. Hopefully, there would be a nice cool breeze coming down off the mountains and he’d be able to make the rest of the journey without having to stop for water. He ran. Pumping his arms, he pushed himself as fast as he could. Occasionally a branch or twig would lash out at his arms or legs as he passed, but he ignored the resulting scrapes and scratches. They were nothing compared to the agony in his right ankle. When the forest ended, he ran through the open fields. The grasses churned lazily as he flew through them. The fork in the path was as Olivia had described, and he took it without hesitation. He pushed himself harder, using every ounce of strength and speed he had left in him. He’d be there soon.

  Just keep going. Just to that hill. Just to that stump. Just to that old burnt out barn. His mind picked out objectives and his body obeyed until finally there it was. Olivia’s house stood at the top of the next rise. Daniel saw the faint wisps of smoke curling up from the brick chimney on the back side of the house. In an instant, he was standing at the front door. Not wanting to look threatening, he took off his bow and quiver and leaned them gently against the house. Taking one last hissing breath through his clenched teeth to catch his breath and settle himself, Daniel tried to slowly rotate his foot. Not a good idea. He gingerly set his foot back down and turned to face the door. As he raised his hand to knock, he caught a whiff of the cornbread and bacon that was cooking inside. The ache in his legs and torment of his foot were immediately forgotten as his nostrils flared and his eyes closed. He took another breath, savoring the scents. Then he opened his eyes, squared his shoulders, and knocked.

  Chapter 9

  Hurry