Chương 32: The Starboy And The Spirits

"I welcome you to my home." Duncan still did not turn around. His hand went back to the little grave, and the white flower with the blue center rested against the stone. From the withered petals beneath it, Enel could tell the graves had never been left lonely for long. Enel stood at the edge of the graveyard, not quite knowing whether to approach or remain where he was. Tiny, however, looked around. Rows of stones covered the hill, and most of them were old enough that the names had begun to fade.

But the graves around Duncan were newer than the others, and the names carved upon them had not yet been taken by weather. Tiny squinted.

"Harrow," he whispered. Guinevere glanced at him, then at Duncan. Tiny looked from one stone to another, counting under his breath.

"One, two... six." Duncan finally lowered his hand from the little grave.

"My mother," he said.

"My father. My sister. My wife. My son. My daughter." Tiny's mouth opened, but no words came out. Enel was the same. He could only look at the six graves, settling at the smallest one.

"All of them?" Guinevere asked softly.

"Yes," Duncan answered. The wind moved through the graveyard, brushing the grass around the stones. Duncan remained kneeling for a moment longer before pushing himself to his feet. He did not look like the Lord Commander then, not truly. His cloak was still dark, his back still straight, but the way his hand lingered on the stones was not that of a warrior—no. All Enel could see was a grieving man.

"I was once among the youngest men ever named Crown's Knight," Duncan said, returning Enel's gaze.

"You can imagine what that did to a boy who actually knew nothing of how the world works." Enel lowered his eyes.

"I thought I was the strongest man in every room I entered," Duncan continued.

"And because of that, I thought I could decide which command mattered and which oath was worth keeping. I decided for the realm." Duncan went quiet for a moment, only opening his mouth again when Enel once again looked at him.

"I fought a rebellion once, one that earned me my moniker. I saw the signs before it began. I saw them... but I did not think my son was truly capable of what they said he was. I made an oath to protect my family, and so, no. I said no. I protected my son." Duncan looked into Enel's eyes.

"He raised a banner against the Crown right after. Then he occupied a small barony, very much like yours, and killed... killed every man, woman, and child within it."

"The rebellion..."

"My son did not die because of my orders, he died because I ordered it. I could not even do it myself. A few days after, I returned home... and I found out the surviving people of the barony my son occupied came to our village. They retaliated."

"Lord Commander..." Enel's eyes turned wide, his eyes moving at all the graves surrounding them. Duncan scoffed.

"Sword of the First Hour... what a mockery. My son's body is not even underneath this rock."

"I am—""I did not tell you all of this as a lecture, young lord. You have your own journey." He turned back to the graves, his jaw tightening.

"I merely wished for you to see this... because I truly believe you are Aldwyn's future, young lord."

"I am n—""Do you know what His Grace told me people are calling you back at the capital?"

"... No."

"Hm. I suppose it matters not. You will find out soon." Duncan smiled wryly.

"A man can run toward his oath so fiercely that he does not see what he leaves behind. He may even convince himself he is noble for doing so. But there is always someone else—someone else to pay the price." Enel did not answer. For a while, no one really spoke. Then Enel walked forward and sat beside the little grave. Duncan watched him, but said nothing as Enel folded his hands and lowered his head.

"May the Sovereign keep your names," Enel whispered.

"May the Urtmother hold your rest. May the gods forgive those who failed you, and may they remember those who loved you." Guinevere stepped forward after that, lifting the edges of her skirt before kneeling beside another grave. Tiny hesitated, then copied them, though he clearly did not know what prayer to say. Duncan stared at them for a while, then he closed his eyes. They stayed until the old woman returned and placed a small bundle of dried herbs near one of the stones.

She did not speak to Duncan, and Duncan did not speak to her, but the way she touched his arm as she passed told Enel this was not the first time they had stood beside these graves together. When they finally left the hill, Enel walked beside Duncan while the others followed a few steps behind.

"I still do not know what to think of you, Lord Commander," Enel said.

"That is fair," Duncan answered.

"I have had the same trouble with myself. But I will make this clear, young lord. As long as you are not the enemy of the Crown, then you are not my enemy." Enel looked at him. Duncan did not smile, but something in his eyes changed. They reached the road where the horses waited. One of the riders quickly straightened as Duncan approached, but the Lord Commander only waved him down. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"We should travel together," Enel said. Duncan paused.

"... Why?"

"You were ordered to follow us, were you not?" Duncan stared at Enel for a moment before his brows lowered.

"No...?"

"Oh," Enel said.

"I was ordered by Duke Gawen to return to First Crown," Duncan said.

"His Majesty has summoned me. I am to answer for the crimes of my men to yours and to the people of Aldwyn. I was also asked to request reinforcements and supplies by His Grace."

"Oh." Duncan let out a breath through his nose, a laugh... almost escaping him. But then looked back at Enel.

"Our roads separate here, young lord." Enel lowered his head.

"Then may the Sovereign guide your road."

"And yours," Duncan said.

"I hope the next time we meet, you and I are both better men." Enel lifted his eyes.

"But... if I am not?" Duncan placed one hand on the saddle of his horse.

"Then we will meet in disaster." Duncan mounted his horse, turned toward the north road, and rode away without another word. Enel watched him until the dark cloak became small against the green fields, then smaller still, until even his hearing could no longer separate Duncan's horse from the wind. Tiny also stared at him, then glanced at Enel.

"Are you sure he is not your father, M'lord?"

"What? What nonsense do you speak?" And so, with that, they continued south with the two riders trailing behind them, both quieter than before. The land after Duncan's town seemed softer at first. The fields grew greener and wider, but as the afternoon slowly gave way to evening, the trees thickened again. Not like the Dark Forest, of course. Still, the air changed.

"Hm...?" Enel tilted his head.

"What is it?"

"I... hear something." He slowed his horse, and the others slowed with him.

"Something... small. A lot of them." One of the riders approached.

"Enemies, M'lord?"

"Ssh!" Tiny quickly shushed him.

"He's using his god ears, quiet."

"Uh..." The rider widened his eyes, but he wasn't looking at any of them, but at the side of the road.

"I think I know what you are hearing, M'lord. Spirits."

"Spirits?!" The word caused Tiny to sit straighter in his saddle.

"Where?" The grass to the side of the road moved. At first, Enel thought it was only the wind, but then small lights slipped between the blades. One was shaped like a pale moth with a tail of smoke. Another looked like a little deer made of wet leaves. A third was no larger than Tiny's fist, with a face like a seed and limbs too thin for its body. More followed. Dozens of small spirits crossed the road in a wavering line, all moving in the same direction. Some flickered and disappeared as they moved.

Some passed partly through stones, then became solid again when they reached the grass. One tripped over nothing and rolled several times before scrambling back onto its tiny feet. Guinevere stared.

"That one is you, Tiny."

"I take offense at that, M'lady."

"What... are they doing?" Enel asked.

"Are they running away from something?"

"Migrating, perhaps," Guinevere replied, retrieving her book.

"Spirits move for reasons we rarely understand. Maybe you could use your god ears to listen?"

"It... is not called god ears. But... I will try." Enel closed his eyes, stilling his horse beneath him and tilting his head toward the direction they were coming from. He could hear every leaf at first, causing him to wince. But soon, a single sound came from the trees. It sounded like a laugh, but not quite. And Enel did not really need to use his hearing at all, as the culprits soon showed themselves. The spirits all froze, then melted and disappeared down where they stood.

A shadow stepped out from between the trunks. It was taller than a man, hunched forward on long arms, with patchy fur and a mouth that split too far toward its ears. Two more crawled out behind it. Then another dropped from a branch and landed on all fours, sniffing the air. One of the riders drew his sword.

"Feralfolk." The small spirits scattered, but not quickly enough. The leaf-deer spirit stumbled near Enel's horse, and one of the feralfolk lunged toward it without even caring for him at all. Enel dismounted, and before his feet could even land on the ground, the feralfolk stopped. Guinevere's hand tightened around her reins.

"Lord Enel. Stop."

"They are hunting them," Enel said.

"Yes," Guinevere answered.

"And we are taught not to meddle in the affairs of spirits. Feralfolk, spirits, old woods, old waters—these things follow cycles older than our laws." Tiny looked at her.

"I decided I do not like the cycle much." The feralfolk bared its teeth at Enel, drool slipping from its jaw. Behind him, the little leaf-deer spirit trembled so violently that its legs blurred.

"Lord Enel," Guinevere said again.

"I am not saying we should do nothing. I am saying there may be consequences we do not understand." Enel looked at the spirit hiding near his boot, then at the feralfolk.

"But, My Lady... we are part of that cycle," he said, "and we are here." The alpha feralfolk took one step forward, and Enel took one step of his own. And for a breath, the woods held still. The feralfolk stared at Enel's face, then at his hand, then at the bloodstains still darkening the edge of his sleeve from Dalerly. Its nostrils flared... and slowly, its growl died, and the creature started stepping back. Another feralfolk hissed, but the alpha snapped its head toward it and made a low whining noise.

One by one, the others saw what it had seen. Their bodies lowered, and their ears flattened. Tiny's knife stopped halfway out of its sheath.

"Are they… bowing?"

"No," Guinevere whispered.

"They are afraid." The alpha feralfolk trembled once, then turned and bolted into the trees. The others scattered after it, crashing through brush and roots until the only thing left of them was the smell of wet fur and panic. No one moved for a while. Then Tiny slowly pushed his knife back down.

"Good. I was about to handle them." The little leaf-deer spirit behind Enel jumped away as soon as he turned toward it. Its tiny hooves did not make a sound when they touched the dirt. It stared at him with bright black eyes, trembling almost as badly as the feralfolk had.

"I will not hurt you," Enel said. The spirit remained where it was. Then, very slowly, it moved closer. It reached toward Enel's hem with a small leafy hand that emerged from its head, but its fingers passed through the cloth. The spirit looked at its own hand, shook itself, and reached again. This time, the fingers caught the edge of his hem, tugging once before slipping through again. The spirit tugged harder, managing to pull the cloth before its hand disappeared again.

"You want us to follow?" Enel finally asked. The spirit turned and ran a few steps, then looked back.

"I... believe it wants us to follow." The two riders looked at each other, and one of them cleared his throat.

"My Lady, Sir Joric told us to avoid delays." Guinevere looked toward the spirit, then toward Enel.

"Yes. He did." But Enel, once again, was already walking. Tiny sighed and slid down from his horse, and the others soon followed. Guinevere was also about to step down, but Enel moved beside her horse and held the reins. Guinevere looked down at his golden hair as he gently started pulling her horse, not making her dismount. She... didn't really say anything. They followed the spirit into the trees.

The forest became thicker, but it was as if the land opened up a path for them, as they had no trouble traversing the sea of roots. Enel used his hearing to follow the tiny deer spirit ahead. But there were more spirits now, not just the ones they had seen crossing the road. Some hid inside knots of wood. There were others who watched from stones. Some flew above them like embers. And after a while, the trees completely opened.

A lake rested beyond them, hidden so completely that the road might have passed it for centuries without knowing. The water was still, dark, and wide enough that the opposite shore was softened by mist. Small spirits gathered along the edge in numbers Enel could not count. Leaf spirits. Stone spirits. Little smoke-winged things. Pale shapes beneath the water. All of them were silent. The leaf-deer spirit ran to the shore and stopped there, lowering its head.

Guinevere dismounted and stepped beside Enel, her eyes widening as she stared at the lake.

"What... is this?" Tiny whispered. The water moved, not from the wind or from the other spirits. Ripples spread across the lake, slow and wide. The spirits lowered themselves even further. Enel stared at the center of the lake. Something was there, just beneath the surface. And its shadow was... large. They could see it swimming, its scales glimmering even deep beneath the lake. It had tendrils where its fins should have been, long enough to circle almost the entire lake.

Guinevere stepped forward despite the two soldiers wanting to stop her.

"A... Great Spirit." And soon, the thing beneath the lake looked at them.