Untamed Gift (Book One of the Items Trilogy)

Chapter 3

  When Alex finally managed to make it back to his uncle, Gambit remained in the same shocked position, but the only change was that the butt of his item was planted like a walking staff in the ground. It supported him before his legs gave out from surprise. When they were close enough to talk in a civilized tone Alex raised the pail of water and said “Uncle, I think you could use this right about now.”

  His hanging jaw turned into a grin. “Aye, that I do.” Alex handed over the pail and Gambit easily held it with one large hand. Holding the underside, he put his mouth to the lip of the pail and tilted it up. Once he downed over half of the water he eventually took a needed breath. With his breath captured he said “Alex, that was exactly what I needed. Do you want any?”

  He shook his head and said “Nay, but thank you, Uncle. I had enough when I drew it for you.”

  Alex gratefully shifted the rake from his painful left hand and transferred it over to the right. As he started walking to the destroyed rocks his uncle couldn’t help but watch in astonishment. He needed to make sure what he was seeing was truly there. Gambit took a piece of cloth from his pocket, dipped it in the water and then used the cloth to wipe his face and neck. When he looked again he wasn’t dreaming. Alex was actually going to do physical labor in the middle of summer. He had to rest before he collapsed from the remarkable transformation that occurred overnight. He sat down as he used the remaining water to cool himself off. He laid his item across his lap and Alex could feel his uncle’s eyes locked on his back. “I’m not sure you should work with injuries like those. Maybe start with something less taxing and recover first.”

  Ignoring him, Alex studied from how the dark earth looked to be freshly tilled, that his uncle had been working since the light first touched the sky. Alex started work at the edge of the dark tilled soil and would work his way in. He quickly found out that his left arm was too damaged to be of any aid in this task. Alex put his hand in his pocket and did his best to not move it. It was difficult to use a rake with one arm, but he still managed to do so. Seeing Alex’s silent resolve, his uncle kept any more concerns to himself.

  Confidently he pushed the rake, with only his right hand, far out in front of himself and pulled back on the handle with much effort, but the work demanded that he force down his wrist to get the rake to work the soil properly. What he was doing was pulling out the larger volcanic rock chunks that were difficult to see because they blended in so well with the soil. Every now and then he’d come across a large one that couldn’t be raked and he’d dig them up with his toes to kick them in a forming pile.

  During the difficult hour, his body sweat profusely and encased in dirt that soon turned into slick mud, but he managed to keep it mostly on his right side so that his wounds wouldn’t get any foreign matter that would become infected. The piles of chipped and cut stones were raked into six larger piles that came up to the height of his knee and were each lined up in a five foot long straight row. Gambit still didn’t say a single word as he watched his newfound nephew work alone. If all else he was a patient man and watching Alex work became highly welcome entertainment. Alex’s right hand and entire arm was now as sore and tender as his left.

  Seeing how his struggle became labored Gambit broke the silence while standing up. “Alex, that’s enough for today. Don’t overwork yourself. You don’t want to faint like you did as a child.” Alex planted the rake in the cleared soil and looked at him while breathing heavy. Gambit peered at him oddly while leaning against his item for support and he continued speaking “Come over here and sit down. You’ve saved me a lot of work today with all you did. Now rest.”

  Alex didn’t need to be told again as his grasp on the handle weakened. He walked over to his uncle as he calmly waited for him to sit in the dark and soft soil. It was surprising that it was still actually cool in this heat. When Alex finally released the rake he looked at his aching hand, noticing it was covered in seven blisters from the work he did and two had busted, leaving a piece of hanging and bloody skin. Uncle Gambit looked at Alex’s hand from where he stood. He finally said “What happened and where did my nephew go?” Alex looked at him and they both started to laugh like two crazed old men. Then his Uncle Gambit twirled his item strangely as he sat beside Alex. With his item in his lap once again he asked “What caused this sudden change in you, m’ boy?”

  Alex looked at him and said “Last night was an eye opener for me and I decided to take the advice you gave before we ate supper.” Gambit smiled, but waited for him to continue. “If I wasn’t this weak, I wouldn’t have been hurt as badly as I was. I can read and complain all I want, but I can only imagine so much. The rest I need to do with hard work.” He nodded with a positive smile. Gambit thought; He is learning. “From now on I’m going to start doing more around here and not have to rely on you so much. I’m going to do my best to make your life as easy as it can be. Let’s face it you’re not getting any younger.”

  “Cheeky little brat.” He grinned and he carefully bumped Alex’s shoulder with his, so as to not intensify the agony. A few minutes later he said “You’re right about me getting on in age and I’m glad to hear this new side of you. I will enjoy having a little more help around here. Did anything else happen last night?”

  Alex knew he wasn’t entirely fooled by the story and wasn’t as ignorant as he sometimes pretended to be. Then it hit him on how to change the flow of this slippery conversation. “Actually I made my first friend and she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

  Gambit’s pale blue eyes widened until they were surrounded by white. “You met a woman? Who was she?”

  Alex smiled and his uncle did as well. “Her name is Lily. When I fell I dislocated my shoulder, but she found me and put it back in place.” His uncle’s smile faded because he didn’t tell him this part of the story, but he went on before getting berated. “She is as tall as I am and she is a foreigner. She said once I’m healed and put on a few pounds of manliness to come look for her.”

  His grin spread. “Sounds like a fine woman.”

  Alex then had a sudden thought. “Uncle, you said we needed to talk about Rakkel. What did you mean by that?”

  Gambit’s playful side vanished and was replaced by complete and total seriousness. He grabbed his item and stood, hoping not to be overheard because Rakkel could be far away and still able to hear their conversation. He looked at the mounds of rocks and changed the subject. “We will have that discussion over supper. For now, go tend to your normal duties and clean yourself up. You can’t afford to get those wounds of yours infected, else we will need to find you a healer. I’ll finish up working with these piles you made and we’ll discuss matters then.”

  He walked forward and started slicing through the rocks with the blade of his item like they were nothing. Lingering hostility could be felt from his uncle and instead of pushing for more information he took the advice and made his way to the house to return the rake and fill the bucket for supper.

  When Alex went to the chicken coop again he decided to try something out. When he entered their cage he didn’t guard against the strange voices he’s heard ever since he was a small child. Many voices began ringing in his ears while clucking simultaneously. And he focused to hear just one. “Look out! Let’s get out of here. The giant is going to eat us. Get away from it! Get away!” Then the hens scattered to the other corner, as one group. As the chickens tried running and flapping away they said the same things over and over. It was like they forgot what they were saying and doing every few seconds.

  Alex felt a slight tickle in his throat again as he shouted “Stop!” Suddenly every fowl in the pin became motionless. In the silence they were all looking at him, almost incredulously. All of their beaks were completely agape. He said “I’m not going to hurt any of you.”

  “You’re not?” one of the chicken’s twisted their head and its beak opened to say “Why won’t you hurt us?” Then suddenly the voices screeched “Look out!” Let’s…”
They kept on repeating about him being a fiend or giant and moving away from him all over again.

  It was then he knew that they weren’t very smart nor did they have a memory of more than a few brief seconds. Alex smiled once again, finally understanding that he was hearing the voices of animals and fiends growing up as a child and not off in the head. Relief of this realization washed away years of worry.

  He collected the eggs and made his escape. After that odd encounter he collected more than the usual amount of food for supper. He hadn’t eaten all day and he needed the nourishment.

  By the time it was close to eating together he had already bathed and shaved. His wounds began to heal and scab agonizingly slowly, but this was the only first day and he knew it would take awhile to heal completely. He was also glad that his uncle put the bread in the oven to bake for breakfast.

  As Alex began setting out larger portions on the table his uncle came into the room with one of the wrapped packages he brought home yesterday. “Alex, those were your only pair of clothes you had left and now they are ruined beyond all reason. I want you to have these if you’re going to work with me.”

  He took the package reluctantly saying “Uncle, these will be too big.”

  Shaking his head slowly he informed “Listen to me. If you are serious about becoming stronger, these clothes will fit perfectly soon enough. You will be a large man before either of us know it. Now go put those on and then we can start eating all this mouthwatering food.”

  Alex smiled, grateful for the gift, and walked off to try them on. He made it to his dark room and stripped off his old and well worn clothes for the final time. He sat the package in the hammock and opened the paper wrapping. Inside the bag lay a large black tunic with long sleeves. The black pants were accompanied by a brown leather belt. He recognized the belt as it was actually one of his uncle’s. Gambit had enough forethought to know it would be needed to keep Alex’s pants up. Everything easily slid on. He truly was a great man who has always taken exceptional care of Alex. It was past time to return the favor.

  Grateful for his uncle’s belt, because it was indeed loose and barely hung from the hips if he remained still, he smiled. He had to tuck the tunic into his pants just so the belt could hold everything together. Alex tested them by taking a few steps and the new clothes felt odd because he wasn’t used to such loose attire.

  Finally reentering the main room, his uncle was still patiently waiting at the table. He looked up as Alex came closer and he smiled. “Those clothes look good on you. Now, come over so that we may eat together.”

  He sat down and they began eating. Alex filled his plate with as much food as his uncle did and it didn’t escape those critical blue eyes. Every now and then he would look down or away and Alex would take the opportunity to slip food in his pockets. He had some egg and berries wrapped in a piece of cloth, hidden in one pocket, and bread rolls in the other. Even with the hidden food he still ate more than he ever had before. Alex was hungry since he didn’t eat since last night, but was soon too full. Gambit already finished and waited until he took his last bite.

  Once Alex put his spoon down Gambit’s face became cool and serious. “Alex, there are some things you need to know.”

  He leaned forward slightly and asked warily “What is going on?”

  Gambit sighed and his eyes said that he didn’t want to say anything, but he must be the one say it. “Last night, you know that my son joined the despicable Royal Guard.” He also said a few well said curses about them. Alex nodded, remembering the dispute that made him want to leave the property to begin with. “Well, for his unpardonable actions I’ve disowned him as my heir and he well knows it.” Alex’s eyes went wide at this startling development. “That being said, I have left this land and all its assets to you, in the event should anything happen to me.” Alex opened his mouth to understand, but Gambit’s unfinished stare made it close to allow him finish what needed to be said. “Last night, I was so angry with him that I made a small slip of the tongue about my past and can only hope that Rakkel won’t understand what I said. Only my late wife knows of what I did as a young man, Alex. You don’t need to know about my past either; so please don’t ask me about it. But let me say, I could get in serious trouble if accounts of my life were to be reveled publicly.” Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing, it was like a strange dream. What could be so frightening that it would make him act this way? Alex thought wildly. “Alex, in the event should something happen to befall me I have buried a box behind the back wall of the coop. It is buried three feet down and off to the left side.”

  He leaned forward and intertwined his fingers together. His eyes were serious as he said “You are forbidden to retrieve it unless something happens.”

  The tension in the room could have been cut with a dull knife. He waited patiently for Alex to say something. When he found his voice he said “I don’t understand what this is all about, but I promise to do as you said. You have my word.” He smiled brightly and said “Thank you. Even if I’m only your uncle, I’ve always considered you a son of mine. I’m glad to know you have values like my own.”

  They stood and gave each other a quick hug, hating to bring up the topic should either of them die. Alex grew worried for his uncle’s safety, but knew this to be only a contingency plan should the worst actually come to pass. When they separated from the embrace Alex was glad that the pants were loose because the stuffed pockets didn’t reveal his deception.

  After cleaning the plates his uncle went back to carving in his chair again. Alex on the other hand said “Oh I forgot I left the book when I fell last night!” Gambit looked at Alex as he explained “I need to hurry and find it before it gets ruined, should it rain.” He nodded and told Alex to bring a torch while going out.

  Not in the mood to argue he grabbed a torch from the wall outside and Alex heard his uncle close the latch, after he departed in the darkness. He walked around and quenched the burning torch in the pond, then placed it beside the small stand where he shaves and cleans the food.

  With full pockets of food, Alex walked through the field and in the direction he last left Shade. It took him several minutes to make it past all the crops and bramble and entered the confines of the surrounding forest. He searched through the darkness until he came across the hollowed tree that Alex left Shade in earlier today.

  He spoke in a whisper to the hole. “Shade? Are you still in there?”

  “Nope, I’m behind you.” Alex whirled around to see him standing behind and Shade stared up at his new bother with playful eyes and alert ears. “Did you miss me, Alex?” Then he broke into a wolfish grin.

  He was confused to Shade’s excitement for a moment so he had to ask “How long have you been behind me?”

  He grinned and all of his white teeth glistened in the moonlight. “I have been following you ever since you put out that burning stick. Father always said I was an excellent stalker.”

  “I don’t doubt his words since no one has been able to stalk up on me before tonight. I’ve always had sharp senses, but you will be a good hunter one day. I can see that much already.”

  “Thanks… Do I smell berries?” He sniffed the air. Alex smiled and first pulled out the five chunks of bread. At the sight Shade grinned hungrily. He also withdrew the wrapped food from his other pocket.

  Alex sat down and crossed his legs. Shade walked closer and stared at the food in his hand. Alex put one of the chunks of bread in the palm of his hand and held it out in offering. Shade looked at him with gleeful eyes and then down to the food. His whiskers flared as he smelled the morsels. He opened his jaw wide and took in the whole thing. He laid down on his belly and put his paws on the bread to rip it in half. He chewed the soft, fresh bread a few times and swallowed. He let out a small rumble from his throat in grateful pleasure. He then did the same for the other piece of bread. He looked at Alex and said “That was pretty good I must say, but is there any way to sweeten it up?”

  Alex
smiled and said “Aye, there is.” He opened the cloth and pulled out a sweet red raspberry. He squeezed it between his fingers and dripped the juices onto the bread. He then pushed the remaining berry pulp into the bread.

  When Shade ate it this time he rumbled even more and he asked if Alex would do it with the remaining bread. Alex didn’t mind and Shade was sorely grateful. He ate everything that was brought and his favorite, he said, were the cooked eggs. He starting licking to clean his teeth and would make a smacking sound which made Alex smile. His golden eyes twinkled as he said “That was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.” He smiled and rolled on his side. He sighed in contentment saying “It feels good to have a full belly again.”

  “I know what you mean.” He rubbed his own and was happy that it wasn’t hurting any more.

  In the back of Alex’s mind he remembering being told that all fiends were killers who would kill humans without a second thought, but after learning that he could speak to them he knew that the teachings were wrong and biased. Shade wasn’t a mindless beast intent on Alex becoming his next meal. In fact having his company filled a missing void in Alex’s life. No matter what happens in their life they were sure to stick together despite how ridiculous the partnership is.

  About fifteen minutes later Alex asked “Shade, do you like to learn?”

  He quickly rolled back onto his belly and his tail started wagging in a blurring motion. He looked like the playful pup he ought to be. “Of course; I love learning about different things. I also love hearing stories.”

  Alex grinned and said “Well I have something you must see.” He stood and stretched his cramped legs. “Come for a walk with me.” Shade immediately stood and stretched himself. Then he shook from snout to tail to knock off all the loose dirt and debris from his fur.

  They turned and started walking through the woods. Later, Shade said “I’ve seen that humans wrap up their paws for some reason. Why don’t you?”

  It took Alex a moment to figure out what he meant. “Oh you mean shoes?” Shade looked up and tilted his head. “The wrappings on the feet are called shoes. They are used to protect the foot from getting hurt.” He then looked down at his feet and said “I’ve tried wearing shoes as a child, but I never liked them for some reason. I like the feeling of the ground under my feet. The feeling of the different textures beneath ones feet offers information that allows you to feel your surroundings. It also slows me down so that I pay more attention to my environment.” Alex was actually giving his first lecture to someone and Shade listened intently. “Just like everything in life has a drawback and advantage, so too do shoes. They might protect my feet, but then I won’t get to experience what I walk on.”

  He looked forward and said “I like to feel the ground below my paws too.”

  They then walked in silence together, the rest of the way to the grassy hills. Shade had to jump over a few roots, but he didn’t mind the small excursion. Alex looked around and finally spotted the tree from last night. They made their way to the windy tree and Shade watched him carefully as Alex reached down into the hole. Once the leather binding could be felt he used a firm grip on it to pull it out. He needed to knock off some loose dirt, but other than that, it appeared remarkably unscathed. They were lucky it didn’t rain or else the pages would have been irreparably ruined. He tapped the leather and said “Shade, this is a book. It holds written knowledge that can be read, as long as one can understand the letters.”

  “Really?” His tail began wagging from side to side in a blur. “Can you teach me to how to read?”

  Alex’s brow furrowed because he didn’t know if it was even possible, but he said “I can try to teach you, but for right now how about I read and you relax and listen?”

  “That will be alright by me.”

  Again Alex sat down against the tree again and straightened his sore legs out. He sat the book down on his thighs and opened it. Just as it opened Shade lifted Alex’s elbow with his snout. He then walked up and sat down directly on his lap. He looked back with questioning eyes and Alex smiled. He knew the pup wanted to view what he did. He turned his head to look back at the book. He was just short enough for Alex to read over his head.

  He began showing him the map and pointing out the different places. Shade was fascinated to know how small their island was compared to the map. Then on the next page he began recounting the story of the Ancients, and what they did to the humans and animals of old. Shade asked reasonable questions and Alex answered what he could, but some questions escaped his knowledge of history. It was the next chapter that really grabbed their attentions because it was about most of the recorded fiends and what they used to be in the past. They even had detailed illustrations of what they used to look like. And the very first page of chapter two was titled ‘The Big Three.’

  He continued reading to his little companion. “…The Big Three are the most powerful of all fiends ever to be recorded. And as such, they are the most dangerous of all. Each of The Big Three are distinguishable because of their saber-like fangs. They are highly intelligent and fierce opponents should one be unlucky to cross their path. Their large brains help them adapt to different environments and situations. And the biggest threat they pose is that they have multiple traits that are each unique to their species. If you come upon one and manage to escape, count yourself one of the lucky few to live and recount the tale.” And then Alex had to turn to the next page and the top of it was the first of the Big Three and it was a Shadow Fang.

  Shade’s ears perked once he recognized the illustration. He said in awe “Alex, that’s me. Am I one of the Big Three?” He turned his gold eyes and asked “What does it say?”

  “Aye, Shade, you are.” He turned his head as Alex began reading again. “The Shadow Fang is the first of the three and they are the swiftest of all land creatures. When humans gained their items a branch happened amongst wolves. Some wolves remained unchanged, but others became the Shadow Fang. The Shadow Fang usually grow up to five feet, and some lords have been reported to be taller than men. Their average adult’s weight is about nineteen hundred pounds. Their canine teeth, of their wolf cousins, are just over an inch, but the new species canines grew into saber’s reaching a recorded sixteen inches. Their fur coats are impenetrable by cutting or penetrating weapons and it is their greatest defense. They still remained omnivores…” He had to stop reading for a moment and explained to Shade what an omnivore was. “Their claws are always laced with a powerful neurotoxin that paralyzes its victim. The person dies of suffocation because the signals that contract the diaphragm cease to respond. And no one has ever been recorded to have survived being scratched by a Shadow fang. Their most remarkable ability is to travel through the shadows as easily as they run on land. Though they love playing in water they cannot, for some reason, travel via their shadow on it. They usually have one to two pups in a litter and can breed again every eight months though the maturity for breeding is roughly two years. The parent’s are also highly aggressive, especially when protecting their young…” Alex shut the book because he couldn’t read the rest aloud. Unfortunately he did read it and it said ‘if the parents die, the remaining adults will eat the unguarded young if game is low.’ He had seen firsthand, the truth of that very detail.

  Alex rubbed his head and he looked back at him. He made sure his tone didn’t betray how disgusted he felt and asked casually “Did the author get any of those facts wrong?”

  He nodded and Alex took his hand off his head so he could speak unhindered. “They made three errors about us. First our claws aren’t always laced with our toxin. We push the toxin through the tips of our claws. Here let me show you.” He raised his left paw so Alex could clearly see what he was talking about. His little black claws glistened in the moonlight and then he noticed what Shade meant. At first the claws were dry since he stayed on Alex’s lap. Then at the very tips of his claws grew very tiny beads of a clear liquid. Once Alex told him how impressive it was he wiped his claw
in the damp grass in the attempt he wouldn’t accidently nick his brother. Shade smiled and felt grateful for the praise he was given. “We don’t always kill when we claw at someone. We pups like to play and we don’t want to hurt our playing partners.” He then continued saying “Next they said no one survived, but you did. Finally they only got our shadow ability half right. Yes, we do travel through the shadows, but we can’t until we are adults.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because we aren’t strong enough; we are kind of like… well… you humans I suppose. You told me from the book that human items don’t become deadly until they become adults themselves. During this similar time, we pups are easy targets for other fiends. That is why our parents are so protective.”

  “Speaking of being a target, I know your fur is like armor, but how did your uncle… you know?”

  Pain passed behind his eyes at remembering the parents that were ripped away from him. He took a deep breath, opening his mouth; wide. When they came together again he spoke in a detached tone because the pain of their death was still fresh to him. “Your weapons can’t normally wound us on the outside, but our teeth and fangs are more than capable of piercing our fur. Anything else you need to know?”

  Alex drew him to his chest and Shade didn’t fight the embrace. With his head over Alex’s heart he said “Not tonight, Shade. Let’s just rest here together; for a while at least. We both need to.”

  He sniffed sadly, but quietly admitted “I understand.”

  Soon Alex’s eyes became heavy and he was fast asleep.

  Alex awoke just as the sun began to rise. He looked down and saw that Shade was curled contently in his lap. He was still asleep. He saw the book laying off to the side and Shade had taken its place. Alex looked up again and knew that they had to hurry.

  He rubbed his little brother’s head and said “Shade, wake up. We overslept. I need to hurry back to the farm.”

  He awoke quickly and said “I’ll follow you.”

  He jumped off the warm platform and stretched like Alex. Alex picked up his book and started running back. Shade easily kept up running with him and he looked better since he had a filling meal last night. Neither of them barely made a single sound, running through the pine trees. And when the sun reached about midmorning was when they finally made it back to the farm. As Shade was about to hide in his hole again Alex said “Nay, you need to stay in my room. I’ll show you how to get in, but you’ll need to be quiet.” Shade grinned because he was going to see the inside of Alex’s den, as he calls it, for the first time.

  Noticing his uncle wasn’t outside yet, Alex made his way to the stand by the pond. He grabbed the torch stick and walked to his bedroom escape latch. Shade was on his heels the whole time. He found the panels of his room and pushed them in. He stuck his head in and saw it was clear. Alex then held a finger over his lips and Shade knew what the silent gesture meant. He moved aside to give room.

  Shade stuck his head through the opening and then he made a small leap inside the room. He noted it smelled much like Alex in the den which made him already feel comfortable. Pointing to a large stack of books gave the next silent instruction. In a whisper Alex said “Hide in there until I get back. You’ll be safe until then.” As he trotted off to the mound of books Alex put the panels back in place, sealing Shade the room. With the wall secure Alex silently walked back around to the front of the house.

  When he made it to the front door Alex slid the handle of the torch back in the door frame. He then grabbed the metal latch and pulled the door out so he could walk in. Alex made his way into the meal room again to find his uncle eating breakfast. He turned in his chair and had small flakes of bread clinging to his beard when he noticed the door being closed by his tardy nephew. Gambit raised an eyebrow in question and annoyance.

  Alex sighed and said “I know, I know. You were worried when I didn’t come home during the night.” he held up the book and said “It was harder to find this than I thought. I was tired so I slept in a tree for safety, just incase.”

  These words eased Gambit’s worry. “Alright then… Go make yourself some breakfast. We need to get some work done before we can even think about harvesting the crops next week.”

  He sat the book down on the table as he walked over and scraped some eggs onto his plate. He grabbed a few rolls of bread and sat down in front of the table. “So what needs to be done?” Gambit then spent several minutes explaining what they needed to work on today.

  Alex held a roll of bread in one hand and another in his mouth as he picked up his book. Gambit’s blue eyes questioned what was going on so Alex lifted the book and tilted his head towards the rooms. He nodded in understanding as Alex pushed the door open with his shoulder and closed it with a heel. He did the same for his bedroom door.

  Once the door closed Shade walked out from behind the stack of books in the corner of Alex’s room and smiled. He went down to his knees and placed the two rolls on the ground. With his mouth free Alex whispered “You will need to stay in here. I know it will get hot, but if you dig down a little bit, the dirt will keep you cool.” He nodded in appreciation of the advice. “And if you’re thirsty or need to relieve yourself, take one of those panels down with your teeth or whatever you need to use. And you do need a dip in the pond because you do smell a little ripe.” Alex looked him directly in the eyes and said “Be sure no one can see you if you do need to go out.” Shade now silently looked at the bread. “I’m sorry, but there weren’t any berries to give it flavor this morning. Go ahead and eat.”

  He didn’t need to be told twice as he started ripping the rolls into small, edible chunks. While he ate Alex buried the book once again. After that they looked at each other meaningfully one last time before Alex left the room.

  Gambit stood waiting in the front room and the first thing they had to do was fix the boards and the wheels on the wagon before all else. Still sore from yesterday’s events, he still managed to pull his weight. Next they sat down and sharpened and repaired some of the harvesting equipment. After those chores took up most of the day Alex fed and gave fresh water to the chickens. When he filled their water container he saw one panel missing from the wall of his room and knew Shade did as he said because he didn’t get spotted. Alex’s pride in him grew from recognizing such stealth and silence.

  That night Alex was sorely tired, but the two of them escaped again to the solitude of the woods. They remained near the furthest corner of the farm and hidden in the thickness of the trees so as to not worry about being late again. Shade still stayed on Alex’s lap while reading and he noticed that Shade was not as bony as he had been two nights ago. Maybe he gained weight quickly; he surmised. Alex continued reading to him, after pushing those thoughts aside.

  Together they did the same tasks for the next week and Shade never outwardly seemed to get bored with the routine. They relished their time of closeness and the developing bond that blossomed between them.

  The morning Alex woke up was the day he and his uncle would begin harvesting their crops for the market. Shade stayed in the book filled room and slept while Alex was out working under the cloudy day. Together Gambit and Alex pulled the wagon out of the front door and dragged it over to the small road that led to their home and put it under the shady trees. They pulled only the large harvestable crops for the vendors only bought the best. They pulled out carrots that were almost as long as Alex’s forearm and left the green stems on to show the freshness; wilted leaves showed how long they’ve been unearthed. Alex had to borrow his uncle’s gloves so the job could be done with relative swiftness. Uncle Gambit used his item to cut through the bases of the purple cabbages and selected only the best heads. Lastly they picked the tomatoes and crated them.

  Once the wagon was full they called it a night.

  When Shade exited through the wall Alex noticed Shade had grown only slightly this past week. He was slightly larger in the middle and could barely make it through just the one panel anymore. Wh
en they snuck outside this time Alex also had a harder time getting through his holed wall. His chest seemed to have grown larger. After finally escaping, Alex’s hands felt his chest and he actually had put on only a fraction of muscle, but it showed how much work he’s been putting in each day. He rotated his still healing shoulder and it remained only a dull throb rather than a sharp pain. The wounds on his arm were almost completely healed and Lily was right about them leaving excellent scars, he assumed. And even his hands had finally begun to callous after bleeding and busting the accumulated blisters repeatedly.

  During the reading Shade asked out of nowhere “Where are you going tomorrow? I saw the fully loaded wagon tonight.”

  Alex sat the book down and met his eyes. “We are going to sell those crops over there.” He pointed to the wagon. “We will exchange all that food we grew for money. We will use that money to buy what we might need for the time to come.”

  His gold eyes looked like they were glowing as he asked “May I come?”

  Alex knew he put on a good front, but Shade was becoming bored out of his mind. He considered the pros and cons of him going on the trip to the market and carefully said “Aye, you may, but there are conditions you need to abide by.” He waited impatiently so Alex continued speaking carefully. “If you are to follow us you need to stay out of sight and remain quiet. When we get to the market you will hide in the trees and wait for me. I will come to you at night and I’ll wait by the road until there isn’t anyone watching. I don’t even want to think about the possibility of anything happening if you’re seen by someone.”

  “I’ll do my best.” And for the first time he licked Alex’s cheek. It was hot and rough. When he pulled back Alex started laughing and the little pup rumbled in his own way. Before they went inside the house, through the wall again, Shade said he would hide in the trees and close to the wagon tonight. Alex waved and Shade gave off a slightly deeper bark than when they first met a week ago.

  Early the next morning Uncle Gambit knocked on the bedroom door and looked pleasantly surprised to see Alex swinging in his hammock, a book folded upon his stomach. He said “Alex, we need to get started.”

  Alex twisted himself out of his hammock and followed Gambit into the main room. They ate a larger breakfast than usual because they might not get a chance to eat again all day. Alex stuffed a small loaf of bread in his pocket just before he stood with him. He cleaned the plates and helped his uncle close up the house.

  As they walked out the sun hadn’t risen yet. Gambit grabbed a burning torch for himself while Alex grabbed the pail and filled it with water. They then walked out to the wagon together. When they made it Alex waited until his uncle’s back was turned. He grabbed the bread loaf and threw it blindly into the woods. While it flew in midair he saw a black object jump out of a bush and catch it in flashing white teeth. Shade landed and disappeared again before being spotted. Alex could faintly hear him eating the bread in privacy.

  Uncle Gambit put the flaming torch in a hole on the wagon. They had modified the front of the four wheeled wagon with a metal bar. Instead of having ropes for a horse to pull the load they made a metal bar that they could push on.

  Alex bent down under a wooden bar to get inside. Uncle Gambit soon met him inside. He tied a rope around his hoe-like item and slung it over his back. Each of them grabbed the bar and pushed. Alex used all of his strength as did his uncle to get the wagon started down the path. Once its momentum picked up it became reasonably easier to push.

  Around noon they took a short break and had a much needed drink. Alex casually looked for any sign of Shade during the entire trip, when Gambit wasn’t paying attention, and was glad he didn’t let himself be seen. The thick pine trees they’ve seen all day had finally began to disperse slightly and Alex knew they were about halfway there. Another sign of the imminent destination was when they found the main road to town and pulled into it.

  When they rested enough they began pushing again. The pinecone rich trees began to change into palms, but they still had enough cover to keep Shade hidden in the shadows. Shade knew he wasn’t seen, but he didn’t dare let the wagon from his sight. The rocky black soil began to change into whiter and finer sand. Alex knew that the ocean was getting closer. Suddenly his Uncle Gambit said “Alex, we need to go faster else the wheels will sink down in this loose sand and we’ll never make it on our own.”

  Great, I’m exhausted as it is, but he didn’t voice his thoughts.

  Alex knew what he meant and dug his feet in to redouble his efforts, the wagon jerked ahead from the immediate increase of force. He caught his uncle by surprise because he had pushed so strongly. Gambit grinned and joined Alex.

  It was late in the afternoon when they finally managed to pull into the market. Their market is the second largest of all the Waget islands. The buildings were all clustered together and people were walking everywhere, even in the winding daylight. The white sand they’ve practically ran on had turned into dark mud. Only not all of it was mud. The market’s buildings were all made of wood and there were still many venders open. A jeweler’s stand was easily heard selling fancy stones and necklaces. There was a fishing net seller across on the other side of the road. Delectable scents wafted through the air as were expected from the many butchers selling red meats and fish. A nearby bakery gave all the indication of fresh baked pastries. There were so many lingering scents and about half of those were on the revolting side. Alex spotted three taverns and an inn that were filling with customers for their evening meal. He rolled up his good black pants and made sure they wouldn’t unravel by putting a small stick inside the rolled fabric. It worked. The last thing he needed was for the mud and defecation residue from the oxen and horses to seep into the cloth.

  As they pushed through some mud a man riding a young mare ran right past them rudely. His horse almost kicked their wagon in his hurry. Alex’s uncle shot him a glance to keep him from shouting insults to the rider for his careless incompetence. He was right, it was unbecoming to pick a fight without a good reason.

  It took another half of an hour to find Gambit’s usual vegetable buyer. He was a strangely fit gentleman a few years younger than Gambit. The men seemed to have a secret history, but they’ve never discussed it. His long time friend waved his hand and yelled “Good afternoon, Gambit!”

  They pulled the cart next to his stand as Alex’s uncle and he let go of the push bar. His uncle said “Aye, it is Jakz.” Uncle Gambit jumped up on the ledge of the wagon while making sure not to get his dirty boots near the food. “Come around here and see what I have for you today.”

  Jakz held a special wire, with a thumb sized ring tied to either end, in his hand and Alex knew it to be a level one utility item. He walked around and grabbed one of the carrots Gambit offered. He took his wire, wrapped it around the girth of the vegetable and let it do its job. The wire moved the carrot by itself and peeled off only the outer layer of the orange tuber and cut off the green stems within only a few short seconds. He looked at Gambit and smiled. “Best quality yet, my old friend.” He wiggled the peeled carrot and said “Will you be happy if I made the same offer as last time?”

  They knew they needed more than the usual, but Jakz has always been fairer than any other vendor.

  “Aye, that will be alright. I know how hard it is buying and selling these days.” Gambit shook his head discouragingly.

  “It is hard living with so many senseless taxes. Who knows where it’s all going these days exactly? I’d sure like to see some proof of our charity.” Jakz took a bite of the carrot and walked behind his stand. He pulled out a metal box and handed his old friend fifteen silver coins and five copper.

  With the money in his uncle’s hand Alex had a wild thought and asked “Uncle Gambit?” He turned around. “May I have two copper pieces? I’d like to go get a piece of freshly cooked meat.”

  “I don’t see why not.” He handed Alex two of the coins from the exchange and he waved goodbye while saying “I’ll
meet you back here in the morning.”

  As Alex was leaving he easily overheard his uncle and Jakz astonished conversation. “Was that… Alex?” And then he heard his uncle’s booming laugh. “Aye, that was him. He’s finally putting on some weight and he helped me pick most of the food I’m selling you today. He’s finally changing into a fine man.”

  Making it over to the main street again Alex paid two copper coins for a large piece of cooked red meat from a butcher that had also been salted and seasoned to perfection. It smelled delicious and he already knew Shade would love it even more. He wrapped it up and slid the meat deep in his pocket and it barely managed to fit. He left the stand and looked up and down the street.

  Alex knew there was still too much daylight left to reunite with Shade for the night so he decided to do something he’s been trying to do for the past week. He began to search for any information on Lily. He needed to find her.

  Just about every person on the island knew his name because of his unique circumstances, but few remembered his face since he rarely left the farm. Using that to his advantage he began searching for any traces of his very first friend.

  He spoke to each person and open vendor up and down the bustling street. He asked if they saw a woman who was part of the Royal Guard. She had pure white hair and carried two short swords in white sheathes. Most everyone seemed pleasant and said they’ve never seen any woman who looked like that. There were a few people who wanted payment for what they knew, but he knew those shady characters and walked away because they wouldn’t know anything and his coins were already well spent. During his search the crowds began to slowly disappear to wherever they stayed for the night.

  Rounding a corner of a gray painted building Alex saw Rakkel off in the distance. Only he wasn’t alone. He was still wearing the red tunic, brown pants and boots of his new life. His caterpillar-like ear piece flashed a subtle pink as he turned his head back and forth. He was sweeping for something to eavesdrop on, but also talking with his companions. He walked with three weapon’s class Guards and one healer. Alex’s uncle always called a group like that, a squad. Each squad consisted of three warriors, one support specialist and one healer. The healer was a local school bully and his item were ten needles with different effects. The three warriors Alex didn’t recognize, definitely foreigners. One was a woman who had two metal daggers and she stuck one in each boot. One of the men carried a sickle with a blade as long as Alex was and the other carried a claymore strapped to his back. They all walked around like nothing bothered them and their voices carried.

  Rakkel kept leading the squad and he didn’t see his cousin, luckily for Alex’s sake. He stepped back around the corner and watched as all five of them went into a tavern. Knowing that Lily was a Royal Guard as well Alex thought that he might as well follow them and listen to what they have to say. They might know something about her, it was better than the local leads.

  Once they were all inside as Alex rounded the corner of the building again and walked up to the tavern. He made his way up the steps, but couldn’t go inside or else his cousin would surely spot him and make his life even more uncomfortable with his new friends. There was a wooden bench outside the open door tavern so he took it and finally rested from the hard day’s work. He looked into the sky and saw that there remained about an hour to kill before it would be dark enough.

  The five Royal Guards inside the tavern soon became the loudest voices in the room and Alex didn’t have a hard time listening in; nor did anyone else inside for that matter. The liquors they were drinking seemed to inhibit them more than he thought possible. They talked openly about their superiors and ranted on the most annoying of subjects they sought fit to voice. The woman in their group was rather ruder than the others. She loved throwing curses in every sentence and no one seemed to be bothered. Rakkel ranted on how his father needs to learn his place as a citizen or how Alex needed to disappear so he wouldn’t disappoint him further. Alex smiled because Rakkel was the real disappointment in life. His cousin just didn’t recognize that to be a possibility. If anything, the world would be better off without someone like his cousin.

  Come on, give me something to work with. Lily is hard to miss. She stands out among everyone on the island. Maybe a few more ale’s will bring her up. She was stunningly beautiful and strong, who could miss that? She even towers over every other woman on the isle. Alex’s thoughts only became more annoyed from then on.

  During their chatter Alex saw how the streets were slowly being lit with torches so people could move safely during the night and most of the people leaving the tavern began staggering out of the establishment to go home. It had become plenty dark and he hadn’t found any viable clues after two hours of waiting patiently.

  Alex stretched when he thought they didn’t know anything and he stood from the bench, and then he suddenly heard the wild woman of their group say “Aren’t you glad that Lily got shipped out today.”