Chapter Forty-Two

  BACK TO BASICS

  Garrick tugged at the ring that hung around his neck by a leather cord. Onyx was out there somewhere. He could feel him. The almost magical bond created between a mystic wolf and the one that raised it from birth was strong. Strongest, of course, if it had been its own mother or kin, but strong all the same.

  The weight of the leather cord and his wife’s ring felt good. Familiar. Garrick then smiled as he scanned the Sheridan Forest for game, remembering Deelah’s face when he took off the Holy Amulet and gave it to her. Yes, it had been for her to give to Anya once she was done with her morning prayers, so the thief would not have it for long, but he'd known the exchange would be welcomed, especially when he could have given it to Elias.

  He trusted Deelah, and now she knew it. Whether because of how she acted during the wyvern attack... Garrick grinned... Or because of how she'd “borrowed” the dragonbiter arrows from the Knights of Aubrelon. Either way, the Holy Amulet was safer in camp. Safety in numbers. He would not be surprised out here and the Holy Stone taken. Not while he led the group.

  As Garrick scanned the Sheridan Forest before him in the early dawning light, his mind brought back memories of previous camps. Camps while on a job. He could just see it. He could hear it now. Sitting around a cracking fire, a stone's throw away from King Brock’s soldiers, or perhaps that time behind the walls of Parnigal.

  Garrick could hear Mogooch exaggerating about his exploits in battle, while Nathan sang softly to himself, thinking no one could hear him. He could see Jace. The big man, drunk, taking bets on what he could or could not break or tear apart with his bare hands.

  Garrick wiped his brow and then smiled. Not just because of those men, but always off to the side was Maldrin. His nose in a spellbook, ignoring the rest of them until they quieted down.

  Isabelle, if you could see me now. If you could see us now, thought Garrick as he caressed the ring lovingly. This group he led in the quest for the Scepter Sword was not like the ones he had camped with in his past, but they were interesting, indeed, and they were still to add one more companion. Hearing the crack of a twig, the mercenary’s hand quickly grabbed an arrow from his quiver, but scanning the brush ahead he saw nothing.

  Garrick knelt down and looked for tracks. Seeing none, he stood back up. He noticed the missing weight of his chainmail and sword and scabbard immediately. Then he tapped the large knife that he had switched them out for, which was tucked in between his pants and belt, at his side.

  "When we hunt, Garrick, we must be silent. We must blend in. But we also must be as light as possible," thought the mercenary, remembering his uncle Levain’s words to him when he was boy. By now his uncle or Gustine would probably have been walking back to camp with a kill in tow. Then Garrick laughed to himself again. Not once had he ever spotted any game before Gustine on their hunts outside The Crossroads, and the hunter always let him know it.

  Suddenly, Garrick caught a fleeting glimpse of black fur in the tall grass off in the distance. As quickly as he saw it, it was gone. It was Onyx. There was a startled cry and then silence. Garrick thought back to the last time he had seen Gustine at The Crossroads. He was right. Onyx was a better hunter than them both. There was probably a large rabbit between his jaws right now.

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  Up ahead, Garrick noticed he was coming to the end of the grove of trees that surrounded him. Not knowing what would be on the other side, he nocked an arrow. Slowly, he came to the edge of the grove. Then he tapped his finger a few times against the shaft of the arrow.

  Before him, the tall grass that he had seen Onyx in had curved around the trees to meet him. But there was no rabbit. Garrick quickly released the arrow. Then another. A moan erupted out in the tall grass and a few seconds later a big deer hit the ground with a thud. Instantly, the mercenary pulled his knife out, in case he needed to finish off the animal. Then Garrick saw Onyx was upon deer, but he only sniffed it. As Garrick watched the mystic wolf sit down next to it, he slid his knife back under his belt and jogged over to the dead deer. When he got there, Onyx growled lowly and barked.

  “Oh, that was going to be your kill?” replied Garrick. Then he looked down at the mystic wolf’s feet where a plump dead rabbit laid. “You have your kill. I have mine.” A second later, Garrick smiled as he ruffled the hair on Onyx’s head. “I am sorry my arrows are faster than your feet.”

  After grabbing the deer by one of its back legs, Garrick turned and started to drag it back to camp. Then Onyx was by his side, the rabbit resting lightly between the mystic wolf’s jaws.

  As he passed back through the trees, Garrick’s mind started to wander. He could hear his wife’s voice. Not audibly, but from a past memory. “The great hunter has returned!” Her voice was teasing, but loving. She said it every time.

  When Garrick was just outside the camp, he sat down. To take a break for a few minutes, yes, but also not wanting the memories to fade away quite yet. He knew once he stepped into the firelight, it was back to the task at hand. Back to the quest.

  Garrick took a drink from his water skin and stood up. As he walked, he visualized one last time walking up the stairs of his old home. Feeling an embrace from his wife. Her lips on his. The smell of her hair. Watching her walk back into the house to start the vegetables. The last dress his mother made falling beautifully around her figure. Then he and Onyx walked into camp.

  Cerelene nudged Elias and pointed at Garrick. The big Knight of Providence and elf maiden stood and began walking toward the mercenary.

  “The great hunter has returned,” announced Elias, opening his arms wide.

  Garrick laughed to himself. As Cerelene grabbed his bow and quiver from him, Elias hoisted the deer up onto his shoulder.

  The mercenary saw Deelah and Anya sitting next to each other, talking. Arguing probably. Then seeing that he had returned, the cleric stood, took off the Holy Amulet and walked toward him. Once Deelah followed her sister’s lead it revealed, under a tree a little farther off, Maldrin, the old wizard's nose in a spell book.

  When Elias moved to leave, Garrick stopped him. Then the mercenary pulled off the leather cord with his wife’s ring attached.

  “Elias. Remember when you asked about this ring?” said Garrick, looking down at the only thing he had left from his dead wife.

  Cerelene, who was welcoming back Onyx with a good scratch behind the ears, stood up, recalling the moment.

  “Of course I do. This one scolded me,”accused Elias, pointing at the elf maiden, none too happy.

  “Because you were acting like a big oaf!” replied Cerelene, slapping the big man across his stomach.

  Garrick smiled and grabbed Cerelene’s arm, placing it back down at her side.

  “The ring is your wife’s,” acknowledged Elias. His voice respectful and quiet.

  Cerelene looked at Garrick with caring and concern. Then the mercenary looked at both Elias and Cerelene as Onyx trotted over to Maldrin, seeing Tal creep up to his shoulder only a few feet away from where Azure sat perched above.

  “Her name was Isabelle, my friends. And I think of her everyday,” revealed Garrick.

  Elias put his arm around Garrick’s shoulder, while Cerelene grabbed his hand. The knight looked up at the sky to where the final stars were vanishing as the sun crept over The Cloud Shroud Mountain far off in the distance.

  When Garrick looked up with him, he spoke. “You will see her again, Garrick Landow.” Then Elias smiled. “But not yet.”

  Not to be undone, Cerelene let go of Garrick’s hand and moved her arm around his waist. Then with her other hand she softly patted the mercenary’s chest. When he finally looked down, she added...

  “And when you do. Oh, the stories you will tell her.”