Journey of the Horn

Chapter 5

I held my hand over the wound pressing down to try to stop the bleeding and ease the pain. It stung like a thousand hornets stinging me in one spot, like I had stepped on their nest or something and threatened their kin. I was used to such pain, I had been in battle before and got stabbed in the side with a spear, cut in the arm with a sword, and punctured in the leg by an arrow. All in one battle against the troll kingdom Tribe. I grabbed a ball of snow and placed it over the wound as a icepack. The Ursa lay dead on the ground, I took a small gourd from my side pouch full of water. I poured some on its wounds and in its mouth as I said. "Thank you dear brother for your sacrifice, in your debt I shall live. As well as in your death I shall live another day. May the Great Griffon welcome you among his court of spirits. And may you guide many more in their game of life." I then hefted the Ursa up onto my shoulder and started back for home.

I came back to the ravine, its wall was now shorter on the other side which I was thankful for. If there was any other way I would have taken it but there wasn't. So I through the Ursa over the ravine. Many wouldn't believe me, but us satyrs are stronger than we appear. It barely made it across but it did plowing up a mound of snow as it slid. I backed up again about 20-30 feet and jumped again. Just barely missing the Ursa, I hefted it up again and started back on my way.

When I returned I came through the back door after placing the Ursa in the snow outside. " Levimore, I do believe you will be able to create a fine feast out of this." I say to the head chef, who is stirring a vat of soup for my parents and little siblings. "I can make a fine feast out of the most rotten ingredients you can find. What have you got?" She snaps back at me in her usual sassy way. I reply a bit proud of myself as I cover the wound still "Ursa Major." The whole kitchen stops and looks at me. Levimore replies while still stirring and laughing. "HAH! You killed a Ursa Major? I highly doubt, you couldn't kill anything bigger than a Elk. You're just trying to impress the lasses." I snort at her response. "No really, go outside and have a see for yourself." She gives me a look as she heads for the door to go have a look outside. I follow her just wanting to see her reaction, but before I even get through the door she comes running back through kicking her skirt up behind her as she says almost shrilled from happiness. "Ready your knives we have a Ursa to clean!" She says to the rest of the kicks all excited. All of the cooks run out except her, she comes up to my side and places her hand on my other pectoral. "As for you young man, you go and have Nanny have a look at that wound of yours. Also thank you." Then runs out to the rest of the cooks to lead cleaning the Ursa. Nanny was my, well just that nanny. I couldn't pronounce her real name when I was young so I just called her Nanny and it stuck. Now that I am older I know that her name is actually Evermore. But she has and always will be Nanny to us.

Nanny is the only truly immortal creature I have ever met. No matter what she does, she can not die. She is a good type of Changeling. There are two types, the bad type that looks like a pitch black spirit with no whites in its eyes. Only Blue and a darker shade of Blue for the pupil. They are the type that will try and absorb a person's soul to gain their power or energy if you will. They will change into any creature to draw you closer to them so they can attack. Typically they turn into small young girls with almost white skin, a pitch black and tattered dress, and pitch black hair that the hung over their faces as not to reveal their eyes. When in this form they float just like they do in their spirit form. But not Nanny. Nanny is the good type of Changeling, she has long black hair and her skin has a very slight green tint. She can also turn into any creature she desires but she does so to help people. She once turned into a Bear to save me from a Cougar attack when we were in the world of the humans. She is the only of her kind, she always says she does what she does because we are the kids of her heart. For she can't have her own children. But other than her abilities and her few differences she looks almost exactly like a human.

I walked into a room to find Nanny sitting in a rocking chair weaving a tapestry. She wore a dress that made her look like a Scottish queen. She smiled up at me as she got up putting her weaving away. "Why hello there little spike. To what do you come to me for?" She asks all proper though usually she doesn't speak or act as such. "I went hunting and may or may not have been attacked by a Ursa Major." She gives me a look of both shock and concern as she grabbed cleaning supplies and bandages. "You hold still young man.." She sat me down on a stool as she looked at the wound. "You got lucky, any deeper and that Ursa would have severed your artery. Next time you want to go out and be a fool at least take Himi with you. If it did and you were out there alone, that Ursa would have had a little supper tonight." I wince when she puts the rag full of soapy water on my wound. She swats my arm. "Oh quit being such a baby, I have seen you almost lose a hoof and not even flinch." She states giving me sass. "Well my hoof isn't right over my heart now is it." I reply returning the sass she dished out. Nanny was more than my nurse made, she is also my friend or maybe even more of a big sister. She just rolls her eyes and scoffs at me but also kind of laughs as she bandages my wound. "There, keep it clean and please for the love of the Great Griffon don't make it worse." I look at her bandage work. "I'm not guaranteeing anything. Especially with the ring being existent." She kinda goes rigid, Nanny has been around even longer than satyrs have. She was around when the Great Griffon chose the first Lord and remembers when they gave the legend for the first time. Now when ever a slight mention of the ring is spoken she goes rigid. Fore she remembers the very first Roshfire. She turns back placing her hands on my shoulders. "Promise me something, promise me that you will be careful. That you won't kill without reason, without it being justified?" I knew what she was saying really. She thought of us as her own children. She didn't want me to kill my brothers without good reason to do so. She didn't want me to turn blood thirsty like many do when Roshfire occurs.

"I won't." I say moving her hand over my heart "You have my word, and my honor." She smiles just a little "good, but be safe yourself as well." She tells me before walking out of the room. I went back up to my chambers grabbing the sharpening block I have to sharpen my arrow tips. I sit on the chest at the foot of my bed and start to sharpen. I do this when I need to think. I'm not sure if I can do this, what if I have to kill one of my brothers. The ones I've known since they were in diapers, some that I helped raise. I don't to shed the blood of my kin.

I stayed there sharpening my arrows, not knowing what was to come. I remember when I was young. When I didn't even know about Roshfire. I was so free and innocent back then, I didn't know what my fate would be. Now I only can go down one of three paths, one leading to Lordship, another leading to nobility, and the last leading to death. I didn't even know if I would make a good Lord, I tend to go with my gut and my heart over my brain. People always tell me it will lead me down the right path. But what if that path leads to war, destruction, and pain. I didn't want that for my people. They deserved better than that. But I knew none of my brothers were ready to rule, even with the best advisers by their sides, and the last one...I don't even want to think about it. I stayed there for awhile sharpening my arrows to the point they could cut through Iron. But then a bell rung through the castle. It was one I never heard before. It rang through the castle with a ear splitting shrill. I covered my ears as I stumbled down the stairs along with the rest of my siblings.

We found my father standing in the middle of the throne room ringing the bell as he looked at it with a slight disdain. He stopped once he knew we were all within ear shot. He stood with the bell in his hands as he held them at his back and spoke as if announcing battle plans to the army. "Girls you may go, but boys...it is time." We all knew what he spoke of, and all of our reactions were different. Some were shocked, some were ecstatic and preparing, while others like me are completely terrified.