“Every man is occasionally blessed with luck,” Lupo said, lifting his sword in salute once more.
“And some men prefer not to wait for the blessing,” Alex said, once again returning the salute.
The attacks came quicker now, and Lupo was a bit more careful. Alex continued to block the attacks, and after another few minutes he countered again, striking Lupo gently on his right side. Once more Lupo stepped back in surprise, and a small cheer went up from the crowd that had gathered.
“It seems you have much to teach,” Lupo said, his smile still in place.
“And you my friend, have much to learn,” Alex answered.
Lupo laughed happily and attacked once more. Alex was glad that Lupo was not becoming angry, because he didn’t want to make enemies in the caravan that he and Whalen hoped to join. He also thought he should try to end the duel as soon as possible. The crowd was quickly growing around the two of them, and Lupo’s father was sure to notice. He didn’t want Lupo getting into trouble.
“How much trouble will you be in if we are caught?” Alex asked as he circled and deflected yet another attack.
“If you are winning, not much,” Lupo said with a laugh.
“Then I will try to win,” Alex answered.
Several more minutes passed, and Alex deflected all of Lupo’s attacks. Three more times he gently touched Lupo with the blunted sword, and each time Lupo laughed as if nothing could make him happier. It was clear to Alex why Lupo had a reputation as one of the best swordsman in Midland. Alex wondered if Lupo wished to learn more about swordplay. There were probably few men willing to practice against him—even with blunted swords.
“You know a great deal, tailor,” Lupo commented as Alex tapped him yet again. “Yet all your points have all been won by counters. Do you ever attack?”
“I thought I would test your attack before trying your defense,” Alex said with a laugh. “If you would prefer to defend for a while, well . . .” Alex saluted Lupo with his sword, and then attacked.
He moved quickly, as he’d been taught to do, watching everything that Lupo did. To attack was to put everything in and force your opponent to expose his own weaknesses. Alex soon landed three more blows, though none of them were very hard, and Lupo stepped back as if stunned.
“Enough,” Lupo said, breathing hard and raising his sword. “I see now that I am the fool and that I am far from being one of the greatest swordsmen in Midland.”
“You fight well,” Alex said, raising his own sword. “I think a little practice and advice would make the match more even.”
“And I think I told you not to do any more dueling,” a large man with dark hair and a full beard and mustache said, stepping into the open area between Alex and Lupo.
“Father, I . . .” Lupo began, a nervous look on his face.
“You don’t need to say anything,” the large man said, his stern face changing to a smile. “It’s not often that a man gets to see such a duel, and I’m glad you were wise enough to use blunt swords. If this had been a real duel, I would no longer have a son to yell at.”
“Father, we must have this man in our company,” Lupo said, his worried look disappearing into a smile. “He is the greatest swordsman I have ever encountered.”
“So I see,” the man said, glancing first at Alex, and then addressing Whalen, who stepped up beside him. “Master Kessler, you did not tell me that your nephew was so great a swordsman.”
“He has many talents,” Whalen said. “I haven’t seen him in several years, and this is our first trip together. I neglected to mention his training with the sword because I didn’t know he had learned as much as it appears he has.”
“I see,” the man said, glancing once more at Alex. “I think I have made a good agreement then, as your nephew’s sword may be of great service to us all. We often face bandits in the far north, and every sword is needed.”
“I’m sure my nephew will do all he can to defend the company,” Whalen replied with a smile.
“Very well. I am Lycan, master of this caravan.” He held his hand out to greet Alex. “You will take orders from me as long as you are part of this group.”
“As you wish,” Alex said, taking Lycan’s hand after glancing at Whalen for his approval.
“You’ve already met my son, Lupo,” Lycan said. “And his sister, Jinar, though we call her Jin. You’ll meet my wife, Janet, when time allows. Welcome to the caravan and to our company.”
There was a general cheer from the crowd at Lycan’s words. Alex knew that most of them cheered because he had defeated Lupo and not made him look a fool. Lupo had taken the defeat well, so the cheers didn’t trouble Alex.
“And it looks as if you’ve met some of Lupo’s friends,” Lycan continued as the crowd broke apart. “Eric is a distant cousin, and my apprentice.”
Alex glanced at Eric, the largest of the young men who had approached with Lupo. He had a friendly look about him, though he seemed a little shy. Alex smiled and tossed Eric the blunted sword. Eric caught it easily and returned the smile. He seemed more than a little pleased that Alex had bested Lupo with the blunted swords, and Alex guessed that Eric had often lost to his cousin with the same swords.
“You are part of our company now, so let us eat together,” Lycan said, leading them away from the wagons and toward the center of the caravan’s camp.
Alex paused for a moment to retrieve his sword from its hook and then he hurried after Lycan and Whalen. He saw that Lupo and Jin had both waited for him, and he was glad to see that they both looked happy about his and Whalen’s acceptance into the group.
“You fight very well,” Lupo said, holding out his hand to Alex.
“As do you,” Alex replied, shaking Lupo’s hand.
“You defeated me easily,” Lupo laughed. “I felt like an untrained child.”
“You have skill, but you need more training,” Alex said.
“Where did you learn to fight like that?” Jin asked.
“I’ve had many good teachers,” Alex answered, hoping to avoid any more questions.
“I’ve been hoping to find someone who could help me train,” Lupo said, pointing Alex to one of several long tables at the center of the camp. “I have great hopes of becoming an adventurer someday.”
“Don’t start talking like that,” Jin said, a mix of anger and worry in her voice.
“Father promised he would send me to the oracle next year,” Lupo replied. “Adventurers do not choose themselves,” he explained to Alex as the three of them sat down at a table, “but must be chosen by an oracle or by some other magical means.”
“Yes, I’ve heard the stories,” Alex said.
“There is an oracle in the south of Midland, and I’ve wanted to go there for some time,” Lupo continued. “My father doesn’t think I should become an adventurer, as it can be a dangerous life. I told him that traveling in a caravan can also be a dangerous life, and I still want to try.”
“So he’s made a bargain with you so you won’t run off on your own,” Alex said with a knowing smile.
“My father told me if I stayed with the caravan for a year and then still wanted to go looking for adventures, he would send me to the oracle,” Lupo said, excited about the idea. “I’ve traveled with the caravan for seven months now, but I’ve seen little that I would call adventure.”
“Your family hasn’t always traveled with the caravan?” Alex asked.
“We used to live in Teslor, on the western coast of Midland,” Jin said before Lupo could answer. “When Father made his deal with Lupo, Mother and I insisted on coming along.”
“It didn’t make much sense for them to remain in Teslor,” Lupo added. “My older brothers both travel with other caravans. In fact, one of them leads a caravan of his own now.”
“But you must still have family and friends in Teslor,” Alex said, wondering why an entire family would leave their home and travel with a caravan.
“A large family and many friends,” L
upo said with a laugh. “But Mother was tired of staying home while Father traveled, and Jin was old enough to come along.”
“The caravans all have rules about bringing children along,” Jin said seriously. “Most caravans won’t allow anyone younger than fifteen to travel with them.”
“That makes sense,” Alex commented. A large pot of stew was being passed along the table and Alex filled up his bowl. “Young children could be a problem while traveling.”
“And there’s always the chance of being attacked by bandits,” Lupo added, helping himself to the stew.
“Are caravans often attacked?” Alex asked.
“Only in the far north,” Lupo said as he began to eat. “We’ve only traveled north once in the last seven months, and we were attacked by a small band.”
“They were only trying to steal horses,” Jin said, passing Alex a basket of bread. “Father says a real attack would have been much worse.”
“I’m sure your father is right,” Alex said, remembering his own encounters with bandits. “I hope we don’t run into a real attack.”
“With you along, the bandits would be the ones in trouble,” Lupo laughed.
“One sword could do little against a large group of bandits,” Alex said before he began to eat.
Lupo and Jin both seemed unconcerned about bandit attacks, but Alex knew too much not to worry. Bandits, he knew, would seldom attack a large company, but they would try to steal horses if they could. To attack a company as large as this, the bandits would need to be almost an army, and Alex had never heard of a bandit army.
“I’ve just had a wonderful idea,” Lupo said, his spoon halfway to his mouth. “You should ask your uncle to let you come to the oracle with me. Then we could become adventurers together, riding off to distant lands and bringing back bags of treasure.”
“I’ve heard many stories of adventurers,” Alex said, smiling at Lupo’s suggestion. “It seems that many adventurers are often in great danger and find little reward.”
“But when they do find success the rewards can be huge,” Lupo said, his eyes alive with excitement.
“And if you don’t find success? If you never make it back to Midland?” Jin asked.
“Each must find his own path, and live the life he was made for,” Alex said softly, not remembering where he had heard the words before.
“Exactly,” Lupo said. “Each must find his own path, and I hope mine is to become an adventurer.”
“Then I will hope for you,” Alex said. “Though I think my path will lead me further west. My uncle has had thoughts of going to Westland.”
“Father will talk him out of it,” Jin said confidently. “Westland is full of trouble, and there is little profit for merchants there.”
“Trouble?” Alex asked.
Lupo nodded. “Worse than bandits, I hear. A few members of our company came from Westland, and we’ve heard some stories about what’s happening there.”
“I’m sure my uncle will want to talk with anyone who has news before making his final decision,” Alex said.
They finished their meal, talking of more general things. Alex liked both Lupo and Jin, and he felt uncomfortable not being able to tell them about himself and the fact that he was already an adventurer. He knew he couldn’t tell them who or what he was, but it bothered him just the same. He had kept his identity a secret before, but it had never been like this. When he had not told others who or what he was in the past, it was to protect them, not to protect himself. Now it was different, and the more he talked with Lupo and Jin, the more his words felt like lies.
“I don’t know if I can keep this up,” Alex said to Whalen that night as they prepared to sleep next to their wagons. “I don’t like making things up about myself, things that aren’t true. I don’t like not telling people the truth.”
“You don’t like living a lie,” Whalen said.
“Yes, I suppose that’s it.”
“It is never easy, even for an old man like me,” Whalen said, watching Alex as he spoke. “What you need to remember is the reason behind the lie. We are working for a greater good.”
Alex’s head snapped up. He had heard those words before. He didn’t like the meaning behind those words—either then or now.
“Yes, the same words the Brotherhood uses to make their cause seem noble—the greater good. You don’t like what you think those words mean.”
“I do not.”
“That is because you only see one side. What the Brotherhood means when they say those words is power for the Brotherhood and slavery for everyone else.”
“That is exactly what they mean.”
“But that is not what I mean. When I say ‘the greater good,’ I mean freedom. Freedom for the people of the known lands. Freedom to do what they want, and to become what they want.”
“Even if they become evil?”
“Yes, even freedom to become evil. This battle between good and evil, between the Brotherhood and the true wizards, is a battle between freedom and slavery. It is a battle we must win.”
“I never thought about it like that.”
“Now you have something new to think about.”
“Yes, I do. But I still don’t like hiding who I am.”
“I understand. New friends share their hopes and dreams, and you naturally want to help them. You want to give them advice and tell them where you’ve been and what you’ve seen. It is a difficult thing to find ourselves trapped between what we want to do and what we have to do.”
“It seems foolish, all this sneaking around,” Alex said, looking into the night sky. “Jabez will know when we are close to him, so why bother trying to sneak up on him?”
“He will only know when I get close,” Whalen said. “He won’t know you for what you are until he sees you, possibly not even then. We’ve talked about that.”
“Yes,” Alex said, unsure if Whalen was right or not. “If we remain together, however, he will know when we approach.”
Whalen didn’t reply, and soon it sounded like he had gone to sleep.
Alex remained gazing up at the sky. His thoughts weren’t on the stars, or on the lie that he had to live. His thoughts were far away on a hidden island, where Salinor, the oldest of all dragons, maybe the oldest of all living things, made his home. Was it the fact that Alex was part dragon that was making it hard for Whalen and perhaps impossible for Jabez to see him for what he was? Was the magic of dragons so different than the magic of wizards? Alex wasn’t sure, even though he’d used both wizard and dragon magic. Perhaps Salinor would be able to tell him.
It happened slowly, but eventually Alex’s mind seemed to leave the circle of wagons behind, drifting back across the sea to Eastland. He let his thoughts go, knowing where they would lead him, and hoping for an easy answer. His thoughts moved quickly over the water, but not any water in Jarro.
After a time, Alex found himself standing near the secret cave on the Isle of Bones, calling out in his dragon voice to his friend.
“You have traveled far in thought,” Salinor said, his giant silver head lifting as he looked at Alex.
“I have questions,” Alex said, unsure if he dared ask them.
“Yes, I can see that. I see your mind more clearly than your wizard friend, and I understand it better.”
“Then you already know what I would ask.”
“Yes,” Salinor answered, his voice deep and thoughtful as always. “Dragon magic and wizard magic are both the same and different, though not in the ways you might think.”
“Then is there a way? Is there a way I can hide myself and my power from another wizard?”
“You already know the answer is yes,” Salinor said, his giant head tilting to one side as he spoke. “You still think with the mind of a man, so you do not see things as clearly as a dragon would. If you thought like a dragon, you would already know the answers to your questions.”
“But I don’t know how to think like a dragon. All my life I’ve thought li
ke a human.”
“There have been times when you acted without thinking. You knew what to do by instinct alone, and at those times you were very close to thinking as a dragon.”
“Yes, I remember. Can you help me? Help me to think like a dragon but remain a man?”
“I can help you, though it will be difficult, as I have never thought like a man,” Salinor replied with a booming laugh. “Let us begin.”
The next morning Alex woke early. He had learned a great deal from Salinor, but he still had a long way to go in his learning. He knew now that there was a way for him to hide himself from another wizard, but it wouldn’t be easy. He had to practice thinking like a dragon, letting go the ifs and whens of human thought, and living more in the moment. Living in the moment was how Alex thought of dragons, but there was more. Dragons lived each moment as if that moment was all that mattered. At the same time, however, dragons looked at the future and the past as they were also part of the moment. Alex had a difficult time thinking of the future and the past as part of the present moment. It became harder still when thinking about what might happen in the future seemed more important to him than what had happened in the past.
There was little time for Alex to practice his dragon thinking. The caravan was preparing to move. He and Whalen ate breakfast with the rest of the company, and then organized their wagons. Alex had been assigned to ride north with Lupo and half a dozen others. They were to scout the road ahead to make sure the path was clear and that there were no bandits that might attack the caravan. This far south, bandits were not a large concern, but Alex kept his eyes open just the same.
By midday they had ridden several miles north of the caravan. There was little to report. The road was good and there were no signs of bandits. Alex and the others stopped to eat in the early afternoon and Lupo asked Alex to tell them one of the stories he’d heard about adventurers. Alex wasn’t sure what to say and would have preferred not to tell any story at all. The other members of the scouting group joined Lupo in calling for a story, however, so Alex told them the first part of his own first adventure. He was careful to make sure it sounded like a story he had heard and not something he had actually done.