Chapter 9

Too, too soon the pleasant breakfast and their first parting were over. An unpleasant chill of foreboding came over Linden as soon as Vandar and his escort rode out of sight. The loving arms of Wildar, Camden, and Klaron attempted to reassure her as she tried desperately to be brave!

For the next several days Linden threw herself into her physical training, she ran long distances each day and drilled with her heavy swords for hand spans of time. She was striving to quell the feelings of unease that unceasingly urged her to saddle a steed and race headlong after Vandar to protect him! She tried everything she knew to convince that possessive little voice inside of her that his love had not been given to her by the Fates only to be snatched away!

The one true relief Linden felt was when, at the end of the long days of strenuous exercise and training, she would lie literally exhausted on her couch and feel him thinking of her across the miles. She knew he was sending her messages of reassurance and of an ever growing love.

A HOMESICK VANDAR

Vandar tried to busy himself with thoughts of the trip to take his mind off the pain of the leave taking and the homesickness he already felt. Though he was outwardly tough and sometimes even coarse, Gannon intuitively sensed what his sensitive charge was going through and tried to engage him in conversation as a diversion.

The people of the surrounding villages had learned of their departure and had turned out to see them ride. Some of them gaily shouted and waved banners to show their support of the Prince and his men.

The girls of the sporting houses yelled and waved when they saw Sir Gannon. He stopped and leaned off his mount to kiss and fondle several of them. One of the girls who was really fond of him pulled herself up into his arms to kiss him and they gave the onlookers quite a show until Gannon finally put her down. None of this rowdy activity was enough to take Vandar's mind completely off of the gaping void he felt in his young life.

By the time the sun was straight overhead the formation had gotten clear of the villages and they began watching for game. The large trees they rode under were wet with the unseasonable rain. As they traveled their mounts splashed mud from the many leaf-strewn puddles underfoot.

The troops had brought only a limited amount of provisions and would rely on game they hunted to provide the bulk of their stores. They were traveling through a heavily wooded region with plenty of game. Vandar gave a hand signal to Demon that sent him ahead to scout.

Vandar had raised the wolves from suckling cubs his Father had gifted him with. Sir Gannon had instructed him in how to imprint the cubs on him, and then in how the pack communicated with yips, yaps, and howls and Vandar had trained them accordingly. He had, in effect, become the leader of their pack and could direct the intelligent wolves by whistles, hand signals, or verbally. Demon gave a short howl from far ahead of them. Vandar raised an arm to stop the men, then he cupped his hands around his mouth and howled back to Demon. "It sounds like they've sighted a herd of elk." Vandar told the men. "If he had only scented them his howl would have been longer. Get your arrows ready, he'll circle them back through here soon."

Gannon had hunted with Vandar and the wolves many times. He could sometimes grasp their communications and tactics but Vandar had become uncannily accurate at understanding them.

The men were still exchanging looks of disbelief. "How do you know that they're on elk, Prince Vandar?" One of the younger Knights, Sir Dalton, asked inquisitively.

"Devil told me." Vandar remarked as he notched a hunting arrow. The men exchanged more amazed glances, but he was soon shown to be correct. A member of the pack yapped to warn them of their approach a moment before they ran a herd of elk right through the clearing.

"Get the bull in front." Vandar yelled, as he let fly an arrow that flew unerringly to his target's chest. The young bull elk stumbled and fell as several other shafts struck to ensure a clean kill.

"I see everything Sir Gannon has been telling us about you is true, Your Majesty!" One of the men who had apparently doubted his hunting methods paid him a compliment.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to be the one to tell you to believe everything Gannon said." Vandar laughingly told the man as he dismounted.

The men fell in and made short work of field dressing the large elk, they gave the innards to the wolves except for the heart and liver. Then Vandar asked them to stand back as he tied two ropes to the elk's antlers and threw them over a stout limb in the big tree overhead.

The men moved back and watched him work as he tied one rope to Zad's saddle then ordered him forward, this raised the elk into the tree where Vandar tied it with the loose rope, then he untied the other. He quickly cut off the elk's forelegs and threw one to each hungry wolf; they ate all but the hooves in an instant.

The Prince then slit the elk hide around the neck and down to the incision in its chest. He inserted a rock under the hide at the nape of the neck and tied the free rope to it then tied it back to his saddle. He led the big Unicorn away and left the elk hanging hideless in the tree. "He's ready to butcher now." Vandar told the men.

"I've been skinning game for thirty years and I've never seen the like of that." One man said incredulously.

"I thought this trip was going to be nothing but babysitting and here I've already learned something!" Sir Dalton readily admitted.

"I perfected this method of skinning because I'm really very lazy." Vandar told the men. He saw he was quickly earning the mens respect. This was one of the aims he had set for himself during this trip.

They quickly quartered the elk and shared the load around. That evening when they found a place to stop by a clear stream of water they built a big fire to roast some of the meat. Gannon saw to it the Prince got his share of the savory roast liver, after all, it was his arrow that had pierced the heart.

The men saw that Vandar did his share of the work and more. He had helped to gather wood for the fire and he helped water and tie out the Unicorns to graze. The Prince even put up with some ribbing from Sir Gannon.

"Don't worry about having to tie the Unicorns out too securely." Gannon grinned and slyly told the men. "Prince Vandar's a Virgin so he can always catch them again." The men looked at each other; they were wondering just how the Prince would take the ribbing. He literally had the power to have someone's head off if he wanted it.

The Prince's ears had reddened in embarrassment at Sir Gannon's remark. He actually was a little hurt that Gannon would betray his confidence like this. After thinking about it for a moment he gave as good as he'd gotten. He stood straight; he grinned at Gannon and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. "I'd prefer the Curse of eternal Virginity to having to chase after the Wizard for a cure for root-rot like someone I know had to last year."

"I see our young Prince's words fly as true as his arrows!" One of the older men said. It was Gannon's turn to blush as the men all laughed and congratulated the Prince on his well-placed retaliatory shot.

"Well, at least she was a rather lovely lass and almost worth all the trouble." Sir Gannon said lamely, trying to gain back some ground.

"A toothless crone as old as your Grandmother, made lovely by too much wine in your bellif my Lord the King's word is any good." Vandar shot back. The men laughed uproariously at that remark.

It was a sight to see, the notorious Sir Gannon bested by a mere stripling, and after he had taken the first shot, too. These were hard and rough men. They had to take their amusement where they could find it. Every one of them enjoyed the bantering and the surprise of seeing the game Virgin Prince not only hold his own but give a sound drubbing to his worldly man-at-arms.

Sir Gannon was more than glad to concede the victory and hear the subject changed when one the men, who had now become more at ease around the Prince, asked him about Xandar.

"We know that we are escorting you to see Xandar the All Knowing, Your Highness. Is it permitted that we know what the errand is for?" The soldier dared to ask.

Vandar looked around at the men and saw by the sudden interest in their eyes that they really wished to know more about the occurences in the Kingdom. In a flash of inspiration he understood something of the boring lives that such men lived. They were ordered to go here, go there, do this, do that, never knowing the reason why, or the ultimate result of most of their own actions.