After roughly snapping Kyel back to his senses, I lent him a shoulder, and we climbed the hill after the knights who had saved us. We met them at the summit.
“Oh, if it isn’t Sir Kyel!” The man in the lead who called out was past his prime with a tanned, scarred face.
“Galeom!” Kyel replied.
“To think we would meet here! Is Rigel in good health?”
“Yes! The same as ever!”
“Splendid! Now then, I’m sure we have much to talk about, but let’s head somewhere nicer. Come, get on my horse.”
One of the knights got down to help Kyel onto Galeom’s horse. Once he was back in his saddle, he pulled me up to sit behind him.
“Now, let’s go!” Galeom ordered, and the knights started back toward the forest.
Galeom’s camp was set up in the forest’s depths. It was rudimentary but had canvas stretched between the trees to ward off the elements. He had forty-seven knights, thirty-eight horses, eighteen foot soldiers, three priests, and three wagons.
We dismounted, and he introduced himself with a bow. “I’m Galeom, son of Armus, and lord of Chezarith Castle.” His speech was a bit rough, but his manner was welcoming. “We were charmed by the courage you showed in such dire straits! Such bravery to never abandon your comrade! I would love to get to know you. Please, won’t you tell us your name?”
I didn’t really mind introducing myself, but would it really be all right to refer to myself here as “the hero summoned to save the world”? That had to sound implausible. He was probably a survivor of the subjugation forces who hadn’t answered Liana’s summons, so he wouldn’t know of me. On the other side of the mountains, I could get the king, or the temple, or Rigel to vouch for me, but without their support, I couldn’t introduce myself that way to a complete stranger. At best, I’d be treated like a basket case; at worst, I’d make an enemy of him.
As I hesitated, Kyel stepped up to help.
“Hero, won’t you give me the honor of introducing you?”
Good idea. Galeom knew the lad, so there was a much better chance he’d believe the wild story coming from him.
“Please do.”
“It would be my honor.” He turned back to Galeom. “Are you ready for this, Lord Galeom?”
“Go ahead.” Galeom nodded calmly.
“This gentleman is our messiah, the hero whom our priest summoned upon receiving a divine revelation from God!”
His words were met with just the blank stare I had feared. Understandably, of course.
After a moment, Galeom broke the silence. “Hmm. That’s hard to believe, but after seeing him cut through a pack of bear-dogs and withstand three volleys of orc fire, I’m forced to believe it.”
What, you were watching? You could have helped sooner.
Galeom got down on one knee. “Hero, we must have been brought together by God. I offer my thanks for this meeting.” The other knights kneeled as well. For now, at least, it seemed I had their trust.
Lunch was prepared, and as we ate, we began exchanging information.
“When we returned to Dragonjaw after we’d finished our mission, there was an army of orcs blocking the valley. We were left with no choice but to retreat to orc territory and continue our subjugation,” Galeom explained. Meaning that they ran around plundering food and supplies. Those unfamiliar burn marks I saw must’ve been his work.
“Why are you here, Hero?”
I swallowed a mouthful of hard salted meat. “We were burning down orc villages in an attempt to cut off the army in the valley from its supplies and force their retreat. But the orcs were waiting for us, and we were shot down.”
I washed the remaining salty grease down with a mouthful of ale. The food was nothing special, but it was flavored with the joy of being alive, and nothing could have tasted better.
“I see,” he said. “No wonder I’ve spotted so many dragons flying around lately. So that was your plan.”
He told us that his party generally traveled at night, lurking in the forest during the daylight hours. So that’s why we’d never caught sight of him.
“What happened to the orcs in the valley?” he asked me.
“They’re still sticking around.”
The mood took a turn for the worse. “But if you join us, Hero, it would be as if we gained the strength of a hundred men! The orcs will eventually yield! Until then, we’ll have to get by no matter what!”
Galeom’s cheerful tone sounded forced—an obvious attempt to dispel the sudden gloom. Kyel and I exchanged a rather awkward look.
“The thing is, one of our riders headed back to inform the others of our survival,” I told him. “I presume Rigel will send out a search party tomorrow. We hope to return with their help.”
“I see. I know that man, and there is no way he will abandon you. The search party will come without fail. Your safety is assured. No need to look so downcast, Hero.”
He let out a grand laugh at my obvious discomfort, but it wasn’t my own safety I was thinking of. The envy in the eyes of those around me made me feel ill with guilt. Unfortunately, those without the talent couldn’t ride dragons. No matter how they struggled, they weren’t all going to make it back.
Once night came, Galeom’s men packed up camp without a sound and got ready to move on.
“We can’t stay in one place for long,” he said. “What are you going to do, Hero?”
I thought for a moment. “I think I’ll stay in the area until tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll lend you a horse.” He chose one and held the reins out to me.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t.” Relinquishing a horse would be akin to casting aside one of their precious few lifelines. I couldn’t take it from them.
Galeom shook his head. “It is not difficult for us to hide for another few days on our own. You need it more. Of course, it’s going to cost you, Hero.” He handed me a scroll. “Once you return alive, present that letter to my foolish son at Chezarith Castle.”
“What is it?”
“There is a coast west of here. Once upon a time, we would use ships to attack the orc fishing villages. These days, it has become difficult to approach them without a horse, so this practice has been lost,” he said, looking weary. “In any case, the letter calls for a ship at a designated place on a designated date. It includes a simple sea chart. The point is, if you deliver that, we will be able to return home safely.” A grin crept onto his face. “The horse will cost you a fortune, but worry not. The delivery fees are just as hefty in these parts, so it will come out even.”
“In that case, I’ll gladly borrow it.”
We parted with a firm handshake. Under the pale moonlight, a flock of people and horses left in single file.