Chapter 1
November 9th 635, Armenia Province, Byzantium
Athos took a deep breath and tried to remain perfectly still. He was crouched in some underbrush he had piled up to conceal his position on top of a small cliff overlooking a deer path. His eyes took in the colorful leaves of the forest canopy. They were a breathtaking sight to behold. Varying shades of red, yellow, green, and gold blended into a natural masterpiece.
He loved this time of year. The beauty of the woods took one’s breath away. Below him, the deer path wound its way between two cliffs. The spot he had chosen was perfect to cast a spear down upon anything using it. Hemmed in by the two cliffs an animal could only go forwards or backward to escape.
Athos made eye contact with his brother. Kristophor had climbed a birch on the opposite cliff and was concealed by the golden canopy. He was laying on his chest upon a large branch, and his legs straddled the branch for stability. In his hands, he held a bow. He had stuck three arrows into the branch in front of him. This setup would enable him to fire off four shots in quick succession.
Kristophor returned Athos’ intense gaze with a nervous smile. At ten years of age, this was the first time he had been allowed to join Athos on a hunt. There had been no choice. Lazar, their father, and Athos’ normal hunting partner had fallen ill. With their families’ stomachs protesting from a lack of food, Athos was forced to bring Kristophor.
It was folly to hunt alone in these mountains. There were all sorts of threats that two people could deal with much easier than one, such as wolf packs and bears. Scratching a living out of the side of a mountain was difficult at best, but the harvest this year had been particularly bad yielding barely enough grain to plant seeds in the coming spring. That meant that they had to hunt for their meals in the mountain forests that towered over their farm.
A deer kill could supply enough food to feed the family for a month. Athos and Kristophor’s mother, Anna, and younger sister, Elizabeth, waited with their father back at the farm for the result of their hunt. At seventeen years of age, Athos had a very lean and muscled body. His gray eyes showed a keen intelligence, but just as often betrayed a lack of confidence.
He was dress in a threadbare and weather-stained pair of trousers and a simple tunic. For warmth, he wore a deerskin his mother had fashioned as a coat for him. Kristophor was similarly attired. His piercing blue eyes contrasted sharply with the dull browns of their clothing.
A slight breeze blew causing the branches of the trees to sway and creak. Leaves fell to the ground around Athos further concealing him. Sudden movement to his left jerked him from his thoughts. The movement was slight and was picked up by his left eye’s peripheral vision. The animal came down the path causing the leaves on the path to crinkle with each step.
Athos very slowly turned his head to peer at the spot he saw the movement. Minutes ticked by and he cursed himself for allowing his thoughts to take over, dulling his senses.
After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was maybe five minutes, a shape appeared on the section of path Athos could see. It was a huge buck! The antlers of the large deer must have had eight points. The well-muscled body weighed 15 stone, possibly more. A deer such as this would feed his family for a nearly two months after they smoked most of it.
Athos made eye contact with Kristophor and held up one finger. One finger meant deer on the path. Kristophor nodded in response and slowly looked to his right. A little gasp left his mouth as he saw the deer for the first time. The deer froze at the unexpected noise. The buck pointed his nose up in the air at a seventy-degree angle and sniffed several times.
Athos held his breath praying the deer wouldn’t detect them. A gentle breeze touched the left side of his face. Thank God, he thought. They were downwind. Satisfied that his nose revealed no predators, the buck walked slowly up the path. Athos tried to breathe slowly, but his nervousness made his breath come out in rasps. His warm breath caused little puffs of steam to emerge from his mouth.
The buck slowly approached the spot on the path below Athos. Come on. His body tensed with anticipation of his attack. His heart quickened in response and adrenaline flooded his body. The buck took the last few steps forward until he was directly below Athos.
Athos leaped up his spear held in his right hand. The buck saw Athos move and froze. Athos pulled back and cast the spear at the animal’s neck. At that moment the deer leaped forward racing down the path. The spear struck the fleeing beast on the right hind quarter sinking in. Blood burst from the wound, but the buck didn’t stop. I’m going to lose my spear!
Dull thuds began to erupt as arrow after arrow struck the buck’s neck. Three arrows pierced the left side of the buck’s neck. A fourth arrow hit it on top of its mid back. The animal kept running for about half a minute. It then toppled snout first into the hard ground.
Athos and Kristophor ran for the buck. It's labored breath caused puffs of steam to emerge from its mouth. The beast had come to rest on its right side. Wisps of steam puffed from the buck’s life blood as it oozed from the multiple wounds in its body. As the deer lay dying a cascade of golden leaves rained down upon it. The awareness in the buck’s eyes faded away as the two boys reached him.
Athos swept Kristophor up into his arms, “Amazing shooting little brother!” Kristophor smiled at the praise, but he was visibly shaking. “Be at ease little brother; I was the same way when I got my first kill. You get so excited you shake.”
Kristophor looked up at Athos, “Thanks, Athos.”
“No one will hear about this back at the farm, only of your amazing shooting skills.”
Athos set about the work of getting the corpse of the buck ready to travel. He took the opportunity to instruct Kristophor. As he worked, Athos gave Kristophor a general overview of what he was doing. “First you have to open it up from just under the rib cage to the lower belly near the tail. Once you do that, you have to take out all of the guts inside. Leave those behind. It will keep the wolves off of you, as you carry your kill back to the farm.” Athos continued taking the time to instruct Kristophor as the sun got lower and lower on the horizon. Finally, he completed the task just as the bottom of the sun touched the western horizon.
Athos attempted to heft the buck onto his shoulders, but the weight of the animal was too great, and he failed, “Whew! This fellow is so big I can barely lift him.” Athos tried to take a few steps, but very quickly stumbled to his knees under the immense weight of the buck. Kristophor grabbed his left arm as he fell stopping Athos from losing his balance.
“This is too heavy for you to carry brother. How do we get him home Athos?”
Athos, with a perturbed look on his face, replied, “We will have to build a sled and drag him back to the farm.”
Athos looked around for the materials he needed. He spotted a couple of branches on a nearby tree that would work, “Kristophor see if you can find a tree with a thin vine growing on it while I work on breaking three of these branches off. Hurry, we don’t have much daylight left.”
“Ok,” Kristophor immediately started looking through the forest to find a tree with a vine on it as instructed.
Athos walked over to the tree he had spotted. There were two branches about seven feet off the ground and a third one out of reach. He jumped up, grabbed the lower branch and pulled himself up onto it. Once he had his entire body on the branch, he stood and grabbed the first branch he needed. It was about three inches around.
Athos pulled back and forth on it like he was rowing a boat until he heard it starting to crack. With more care, he placed his left hand on a different branch for balance and continued pulling on the branch with his right arm. He was rewarded with a loud crack, and the branch came off of the tree. As it struck the ground, it caused several leaves to fly up into the air.
Next, Athos lowered himself
until he was hanging from the branch that his feet had been standing on, and began pulling on it as hard as he could. As he built up momentum, the branch began to crack under his weight and effort. After about two minutes the branch made a loud snapping noise, and Athos fell two feet to the ground, easily landing on his feet with perfect balance. Athos repeated this process for the third branch. His efforts were soon rewarded, and it too snapped off the tree.
The teenager looked around for his little brother, “Kristophor?” The sun had sunk below the western horizon, and it was very quickly growing dark. Off in the distance, a wolf howled. We need to get this done and moving. Athos called out again a little louder this time, “Kristophor?” From behind him came a loud scream that turned his blood to ice, “What horrible manner of creature is behind me?” Athos leaped three feet forward ripping the hunting knife he used on the buck out of his belt. He frantically looked around for his spear, but couldn’t see it in the dim light. The next thing he heard was giggling.
“You should have seen the look on your face big brother!”
Athos smiled in response, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment. “You got me, good little brother. Did you find a tree with vines growing on it as I asked you to do?”
Kristophor turned around and pointed to the northeast, “The tree is about eighty paces in that direction. Just like you told me to find, it had a vine growing on it.”
“Thanks, little brother,” Athos set off in the direction his little brother had indicated. He looked around once again, spotted the spear and picked it up, “I heard a wolf a little while ago, but it sounded like it was a ways off. There was no reply to its howl, so I think it may be the only one in the area. Stay here and guard the buck.”
Athos took little care in his movements, wanting to get to the tree with the vines as quickly as possible. It was becoming difficult to see, and Athos almost missed the tree entirely. Good job, little brother. The tree Kristophor had found was perfect. Several vines curled their way up the trunk. Athos pulled out his hunting knife from his belt and set to work. He needed three sections of vines to tie the three branches together into a triangle. Then he would be able to drag the buck through the mountainous forest.
Athos’ work was interrupted by a loud snarl, followed quickly by a pained yelp. Kristophor yelled, “Athos wolves have come to eat the buck!” Athos slipped the hunting knife back into his belt and broke into a run toward Kristophor. As he ran heedlessly through the forest, branches snagged at his clothing and scratched his face.
The worried teen heard more snarling, and another anguished yelp. This one almost immediately fell silent. Athos charged back onto the path his spear at the ready. What he saw horrified him. At least ten wolves surrounded Kristophor and the corpse of the buck. One wolf had an arrow through its neck and laid on its side whimpering softly. Another had an arrow protruding through its left eye, the beast’s other eye stared up at the sky lifeless.
Just then two wolves launched themselves towards Kristophor at the same time! Kristophor saw the one to his right. He turned and shot an arrow right into its gaping maw! Kristophor did not see the other animal leaping at his back. Athos heaved back and cast his spear at the snarling beast. The spear struck the wolf on the right side changing its trajectory. It landed just behind Kristophor instead of on him.
Eight more wolves remained. The two snarling beasts now aware of Athos turned to face him. The other six closed in on Kristophor. Athos mind raced, frantic for a solution to save Kristophor. There was nothing else he could do! “Kristophor climb the tree behind you.”
Kristophor dropped his bow and leaped onto the tree, but not nearly high enough. A wolf lunged at his unprotected back and knocked him off the tree. Athos lunged forward trying to get to Kristophor, but the two fiends facing him blocked the way. The wolf on his right snarled and leaped at him. As it sailed through the air, the maw opened in anticipation of sinking into the soft meat of his throat.
Athos ducked under the animal. As he did so, his right hand hit the ground and clutched a rock. Picking up the rock, he turned just in time to see the other beast on his left side leap for his throat. The teenager brought the rock down onto the wolf’s head just as it crashed into his chest. Athos swept the stunned wolf off of him and jumped to his feet. The scene he beheld made his blood run cold. Kristophor had failed to get back up. His throat had been ripped open, and his lifeblood pumped into the forest floor.
The remaining wolves were dragging the corpse of the buck away from Athos and Kristophor’s dying form. Athos took three steps forward and yanked his spear out of the dying wolf. The animal yelped loudly. A moment later its last breath rattled through its throat. He felt the presence of an uninjured wolf behind him.
Athos turned and saw the beast sailing through the air. He brought the spear up, and the wolf’s momentum carried it onto the spear. Blood spurted from the wound in the animal’s chest and covered Athos. He let the weight of the corpse carry the embedded spear tip to the ground. Placing his foot on the wolf, he yanked his spear out of the dead body.
The stunned wolf had just stood up and shook its head to clear its vision. Athos turned and cast the spear at the defenseless animal. The spear sank deep into its side, and the beast cried out in pain. Next, Athos laid Kristophor on his back and held his hand. Athos’ eyes filled with tears and he couldn’t contain the emotions welling up inside him, “I’m so sorry little brother.”
Kristophor coughed and then tried to smile, “I killed a buck today Athos.”
“Yes, you did! I’m so proud of you.” He kissed Kristophor on the forehead. As he pulled back from the kiss, the light faded from Kristophor’s eyes.
Athos screamed in rage. He scooped up Kristophor’s bow and gently removed the quiver from his back. He yanked his spear out of the dying wolf’s side. The animal yelped in response, and blood leaked more freely from the hole left by the spear. Athos ran down the path in the direction the wolves had dragged the buck out of sight. On his back, he had slung Kristophor’s quiver, in his left hand, he held the bow, and in his right hand, the spear dripping with wolf blood.
Athos charged after the wolves as they retreated slowly with the corpse of the buck. His mind was overwhelmed by the emotions swirling around inside. Just like when cold air meets hot air and a thunderstorm forms. His grief met his rage, and the resulting storm inside his mind exploded into being and tore at the very fabric of his sanity.
The teen paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and used the willpower in his mind to put down the grief. This left the rage. It took him only a minute to catch up to the wolves. Oblivious to the threat the animals worked together to slowly dragged their prize toward safety.
The wolves became aware of Athos’ presence staring at them. They dropped their prize and snarled at Athos. Athos, filled with rage screamed back at them. He sounded like a crazed wild animal. The lead wolf, a huge bitch, was less frightened by this crazed apparition in front of her than the rest of the pack and moved to attack him.
The bitch bared her teeth at Athos and snarled. The teen grabbed an arrow from Kristophor’s quiver, nocked an arrow on the bow, and pulled the bowstring back with all his strength, and took aim at the charging bitch’s right eye. It was as if time itself came to a stop and there was only the bow, the arrow, and the yellowish gleam of the eye as the moonlight reflected off of it. He released the arrow and an instant later it slammed into the eye destroying it. The wolf collapsed in a heap as its momentum came to a halt.
The death of their pack mate spurred the surviving members into a charge. Athos pulled another arrow from the quiver and fired on the five remaining wolves. He once again targeted the lead animal. As he released the arrow, he knew immediately that it would not fly true. The arrow went high. It nicked the top of the wolf’s head as it went by
and slammed into the back of the animal. The beast yelped in pain but continued to advance.
Athos pulled another arrow from the quiver. The wolves were in a dead run and only twenty feet from him now. Their eyes glowed in the pale moonlight of the clear autumn evening. He nocked the arrow and pulled back on the bowstring. Once again he targeted the lead wolf’s left eye. He released the arrow and cursed his bad aim. The arrow missed wide right this time.
The arrow continued to fly along the path it had been fired upon. To the right of the lead wolf and a little behind was another animal running toward Athos. The tongue lulled out of its mouth as the arrow pierced that beasts' nose and continued into the brain. The stricken animal never felt the impact as its brain immediately shut down. The momentum of this wolf took it a few steps before it pitched forward and collapsed. The dead had briefly walked the earth. . .
Athos again pulled another arrow from the quiver. The lead wolf, with the arrow stuck in the middle of its back bouncing up and down as it ran, was a mere ten feet away. Desperate, Athos nocked another arrow and aimed for the gaping maw. The animal’s glistening white teeth shown clearly in the silvery moonlight against its gray fur. The mouth of the wolf salivated as it anticipated biting into the soft flesh of Athos’ throat.
Athos loosed the arrow, and it leaped from the bow. The shaft covered the distance to that gaping maw in the merest instant and sailed into it. The arrowhead buried itself in the back of the wolf’s throat with a yelp that pierced through the thin mountain air. The lead wolf went tumbling end over end twice before it came to a halt and lay still.
Athos dropped the bow and picked up his spear. He had dropped it at his feet when the wolves charged. The three remaining wolves closed in a line abreast of each other. As one they leaped at Athos. He turned the spear horizontally and grasped it with both hands like it was a quarterstaff. His timing would have to be perfect for this to work. As one the animals crashed into his upheld spear. As they did so, he pushed the spear up. Two of the wolves went sailing over him.
The third wolf bit down on the spear and landed on Athos’ chest as his back struck the ground. He grabbed his hunting knife from his belt. At the same time, the wolf released its grip on the spear and lunged for his face. Athos smelled the fetid breath of the wolf mere inches from him. The gaping maw closed in on the soft flesh of his face. A fraction of a moment before the sharp teeth could sink into his nose; he brought the hunting knife up through the bottom of the wolf’s jaw forcing it shut. Blood poured over him from the wound.
Athos sensing the wolves behind him recovering, pushed the body and spear off and rolled to his right. As soon as he was on his stomach, he stopped and began to rise. A wolf landed in the spot where he had just had been, prompting him to look up. What he saw made his blood run cold once again. In mid leap, the last animal was two feet from landing on top of him.
The gaping maw opened in anticipation of the delicious treat it would enjoy at the downward end of its arc. Desperate, Athos grabbed an arrow from the quiver and brought it over his shoulder. In one fluid motion, he jammed the arrowhead into the right eye of the beast as the wolf’s open maw reached for his neck! The now dead animal crashed into him and once again knocked him over.
Athos pushed the corpse off of him, but it was too late. Sharp teeth sank into the flesh of his right arm. The wounded arm exploded in agony. He brought his left fist down onto the wolf’s head. The blow turned his hand numb, but the animal didn’t seem to notice. In a panic, he patted around with his left hand feeling for something, anything to get the beast off.
Athos’ hand found the thin shaft of an arrow he had buried in the other wolf. He yanked it out and brought it down into the wolf’s back. The sudden pain caused the wolf to release his forearm. Blood ran freely from the puncture wounds in his right arm, but there was no time to worry about that. He rolled away and jumped to his feet. The wolf took a step back as Athos towered over it. He kicked the beast as hard as he could with his left foot. The enraged animal snarled, but the impact pushed the beast back a foot.
While the wolf back up to get enough room to leap at him, Athos reached down and grabbed the spear. The surviving beast leaped at him. The teen brought the spear up just in time, and the animal crashed into the shaft and bounced off. The wolf landed on its side stunned for a moment and then stood up. Athos took a step forward and brought the spear down in front of him. The spear pierced the animal’s back pinning it to the ground. The wolf yelped in agony and twitched as its life blood ran out onto the hard earth.
Athos sat down on the ground and took a deep breath. He looked up into the sky and spoke, “Rest easy now little brother. One day we will be reunited in God’s Kingdom. Until that day keep a seat warm for me.” Athos let out a sigh and began trembling. He closed his eyes and let the blackness take him.