Broken Ability Part 1-2

The next morning when I awoke father was gone. It was first light. The hut felt empty and cold without his safe presence.

My stomach growled just as my eyes scanned the table, finding a cold plate of skooka and eggs waiting for me. A small note lay next to the plate. I held it up to the window, squinting at the cramped charcoal that scraped across the rough paper.

“Son, remember my words. Keep working hard. Remember to clean the stalls out so chickens continue nesting.”

“I will father,” I said. That day passed like any other, except for the lack of father’s presence. The silence was something I was familiar with from time to time when father would make longer trips into the city for supplies or schoolbooks, but oftentimes smaller trips to the village would do. Nights alone were rare, only coming when monsters attacked the village and Father left to assist.
The first day seemed to fly by, as all the chores normally split fell to me alone. I didn’t make it to training time until mid afternoon and then felt more tired than normal.

I remembered fathers’ words however and pushed myself hard until night fell again. As darkness gathered, I began to notice the sounds of bugs nearby and the deep croaking of tree toads that surrounded our little plot of land. I stayed outside, peering through the trees and catching a small glimpse of torch light from the village, far off down a slope and through the trees.

An itching curiosity came over me just then to visit the village and the inn there, just to see if anyone had news of the expedition. Foolishly I realized there would be no news the same day it had begun. Instead, I stood, staring at the sky which was a bit cloudy tonight.

While I was staring, I imagined I saw strange flashes of different colored lights in the sky away to the north. I blinked hard, figuring I was simply too tired.

As I watched uneasily a definite flash of red lit up the clouds from beneath, fading to burnt orange and then nothing at all. For a moment, the very air seemed to stiffen, as though recoiling in fright before it sighed and relaxed again.
“Please be safe, Father.”

…

 

The next seven days passed in the same way, but I gradually quickened my pace during the chores and finished just afternoon on the seventh day.

I trained with my sword until night softened my senses, then rested on the grass, lying, and thinking as I had grown to do.

“Maybe,” I said, drawing myself up, legs crossed with palms on my knees. I closed my eyes and looked deep, deep inside while focusing my energy.

I concentrated on my ears, just like I imagined father did when he drew on his power. I felt my ears began to burn slightly, then change to a different feeling, like a strange hum.

Instantly, the nighttime creatures sounds were amplified tremendously, causing me to jerk with fright.

I grit my teeth against the ringing in my ears and focused. I honed in on a single toads throaty echo, then guessed how far away it sat. I gradually let it go, and blocked the other sounds too, only letting them bleed through the background of my own thundering heartbeat.

Next I set my jaw, then let all the sounds in. The forest became a deafening roar at first, then calmed as my ears grew warmer. I began to fix each sounds location, building a mental map. After ten minutes, I painstakingly identified thirty-six toads and forty five crickets in a quarter mile radius around the hut, though some were only moving and not chirping of their own accord.

As soon as I’d counted the last toad I noticed a new, strange noise. I blocked the other sounds out and counted, realizing they were footsteps. Two people coming in the direction of the hut.

“There’s a glow out front, you see? That’ll be him,” a woman’s voice said.

“Really?” A young girl responded, “I heard all he and his father do is train, but they’re not very strong.”

“Rose, don’t say such things. They may not be as gifted with magiks, but all my days Sartor has been the best swordsmen in the village. Besides, Letum can hear you.”
“How?” Rose squealed loudly, causing me to clap my ears over my head.

“Ah!” I said aloud, standing as the pair came near.

“Is that you, Letum?” Elder Reffics called out.

“Yes, elder, it’s Letum. I’m sorry, but my father is not here.”

Elder Reffics came out of the forests edge holding a lantern aloft and spreading light all around the dusty earth outside the cabin. A bright blue cloak draped around her slender shoulders, falling over her tall, lean figure. Her pretty daughter Rose, her spitting image walked beside, clad in red. Elder Reffics stopped when the light landed on me.
“Hello, Elder Reffics, Miss Rose,” I said with a stiff bow.

“Hello,” Rose echoed returning a shallow bow.

Elder Reffics smiled, “I see your father is teaching you proper manners. But I already know he isn’t here. His absence is the reason why we’ve come. You see, he asked me to look in on you a bit while he was gone. I apologize for coming so late, I have been somewhat unwell this week.”

I took notice of the basket she held in her arms for the first time, already noticing a rich smell coming from inside. Elder Reffics followed my eyes.

“Well, may we sit with you for a while Letum? I see you’ve noticed I’ve brought along some food we might enjoy together. That is, if you have finished training.”
“Yes, elder, right away,” I said, hastening to the door. I lit a few candles under Elder Reffics light as it spilled into the hut.

I heard Rose sniff heavily as she stepped inside, but Elder Reffics only smiled, “It seems you’re getting along ok-” she broke off coughing. The fit took hold of her, and her shoulders began to shake. Rose took the basket as Elder Reffics pulled a dark handkerchief from her pocket, coughing into it heavily. Her eyes seemed to bulge out of her head before she regained her composure. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a faint streak of blood streaking the cloth.

“Elder, are you alright?” I asked, offering her a chair. There were only two and Rose sat next to her, taking her mother’s hand.

Elder Reffics nodded, breathing through pursed lips to calm her quaking shoulders.

“Just a bit of sickness,” she answered, “I’m hoping that I’ll be feeling better soon.”

Rose kept a sharp eye on her mother, remaining silent.

“Alright, now that’s settled,” Elder Reffics said, opening the basket.

Inside was fresh bread, cured skooka meat, stewed beets, and warm potatoes.
“Elder,” I said, watching her pull the food out and set it between the two plates father and I had. “I am grateful, truly, but I can’t accept any of your food. It must’ve taken all your gold to get the flour for bread.”
Elder Reffics only smiled, “Child, eat. You’ll need your strength if you wish to match your father one day.”

Rose ate sparingly as I ravenously dug into the food, finishing my portion within minutes. Elder Reffics divided her own amongst us, despite our protest.

“You two need to grow into your strength. And do not argue with your elder!”

As usual, I felt tired just after the meal was finished, but I was filled by a nervous energy. It wasn’t often that other people came to the farm, and then it was only tradesmen buying crop or selling grain. A silence fell over the table that I felt must be filled.

“It’s strange not having father here,” I said.

“Is it?” Elder Reffics asked.

“I’ve been able to take care of all the chores,” I said proudly, “But I miss having him. Elder, if I may ask, what do you know about the unclaimed territories?”

Elder Reffics frowned, “It’s not a topic I like to discuss dear.”

Rose frowned deeply to imitate her mother, but her eyes shone brightly as though with tears.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” I said, looking down.

Elder Reffics sighed, “No, child, it’s nothing to be sorry about. We do not speak of it often for that is how we lost Rose’s father, long ago. I used to participate in the raids, but in those days, the monsters were… differently organized. It was… difficult to say the least, but things are better now. Since Igner has sent their men alongside Cypress’s parties, we have been more successful. With the skills your father has, I can’t believe he waited so long to try out again.”

My head shot up, “But Elder, Father didn’t wait. He’s tried out for years and not made the cut.”

Elder Reffics looked at me strangely, then a knowing smile graced her serene features, “Ah, so he didn’t tell you. I’m sorry, Letum, I didn’t know.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. Rose’s eyes darted between the two of us.

Elder Reffics heaved another heavy sigh.

“I suppose I must tell you now and suffer your father’s disdain upon his return.” Elder Reffics leaned back in her chair, a smile of remembrance gracing her serene features. “Your father was a great reconnaissance soldier when he was younger… in fact, not much older than you are now. He grew in his skills and became valuable to parties on expeditions with the same ears you are graced with by Mirtha. He never made much coin in those days though since he never played a big role in direct conflicts.”

I sat numbly, a god crumbling in my mind. “He’s been into the unclaimed territories before? But… why didn’t he tell me? Why would he lie?” I asked, head spinning.

“No, Letum, don’t misunderstand me,” Elder Reffics said, “Your father stopped participating when your mother passed. Not long after you were born if I remember it correctly. Those were… awful times for us all. For a time, he had to do what work he could to care for you and keep himself safe. We all did. That was mostly farming and working around the village for what little gold there was to be had.”
My heart sank, “So you’re saying, I held my father back from becoming a powerful expeditionary? That’s why he never told me?”

Elder Reffics laughed, a light metal tinkling, “No, not at all. I’ve never known a man to train more diligently. Why, nearly everyone in the village recognizes even his swordsmanship now. But the tryouts, that’s all true. They don’t accept just anyone into expedition parties these days. Despite the advances made into the unclaimed territories, monsters, either our of desperation or… something else, they’re stronger than they used to be. If a undertrained individual were to join an expeditionary force… well, they would certainly die.”

I shivered. “This…” I said, laying my head down on the table, “This is a lot to think about,” I said.

Rose spoke up, frightening me out of my thoughts. I had almost forgotten she was there as well.

“Your father will be okay, Letum. Mother already said so before we came.”
“Is that true?” I asked, looking from one to the other.

Elder Reffics reached out for a wooden mug of water, swirling it long before answering. “I believe so. If your father made it through the tryouts that they run these days, the Cypress City officials would think he’ll handle himself.”

“That’s-  that’s good then,” I said, letting a pinched breath out. “That’s good because, well, he’ll have even more experience and probably be just fine, right?”
This time even Rose smiled, nodding encouragingly, “All we can do is wait for news and his return,” the elder said.