Chapter 24

As a family they enjoy the rest of The Gathering, but all things must come to an end. They pack up and say their fond farewells and head for home.

“I think our little Miss Dakota has some squire admirers.”

“Not uh. Shut up.” Dakota says, unable to hide her smile.

“Oh yeah. I think I’m going to have to get a bigger sword. Oh wow, look at that, I’ve never seen Dakota’s pale skin with so much pink color in her cheeks before.”

“Sorbo!”

“Alright, alright, but I just can’t believe my little princess is twelve-years-old already.”

“Well, you are forty-seven already.”

“Hey, I won’t be forty-seven until September. Don’t be making me any older than I already am.”

“I think you look pretty good for forty-six,” says Cathy.

“Me too.” adds Dakota.

“You do, huh!” They both nod their heads yes. “Well, what do you expect, look who I have keeping me young.”

And then the powerful family of three falls into talking about anything and everything and the stretches start passing under hoof and foot.

They make their first camp and Sorbo is flanked on the left by a beautiful amazing girl and flanked on the right by a beautiful amazing girl. Nothing makes a man feel like a man more than that. With the fire crackling and the shadows dancing, laughter perforates the night and two sweet girls curl into him and they fall asleep. As Dakota and Sorbo had done naturally in automatically helping set up and take down their camps the three of them find that they work well together.

After breakfast is finished and they have not gotten a league down the trail Cathy turns to Sorbo and says, “Riders are approaching from the east.”

Sorbo looks behind them and then stops. He positions himself between the riders and Dakota and Cathy. Both Cathy and Dakota pull out their wands. “How many?”

“Three, I think.”

Just then three non-descript brown cloak wearing men come riding out of the underbrush of the Dakota Woodlands. “Halt!” says Sorbo, raising his sword high enough for them to see that he is serious.

“Now, father, is that any way to greet your long lost son?” Dakota and Cathy look at each other.

“I don’t have a son and you should be moving along ... now!”

“You mean you don’t have a son that you know of. Of course since you abandoned my mother it is easy to see how you wouldn’t know.”

“I’m tired of playing games with you three. Leave now!” says Sorbo, as he starts riding towards the three fully prepared to do battle.

From behind him he hears Dakota’s sweet voice, “Who is your mother?”

The man, who looks similar to Sorbo and is nearly as big, turns towards Dakota, nods his head, and says, “Ginger Panabaker.”

Sorbo stops his advance and lets his sword rest more comfortable across his saddle. Sorbo is looking at him. He guesses him to be in his mid twenties, which would make him the correct age. “And what makes you think I am your father?”

“My mother told me just before she died some fifteen years ago that my father was a great Knight of Andromeda, and then when the tales started going around about the White Sorceress and her Great Protector Sorbo Pralene I knew I had to find you.”

“Why?”

“Sorbo!”

“Dakota, hush. If you know of my mission then you know I have no time for this now and I can trust no one. If you truly are my son I will do what I can and will gladly meet up with you at a later date.”

“Come now, father, we can at least share a lunch together.”

“Yes we can.” It is Dakota speaking for them again.

The three riders dismount and sit down on the ground cross-legged. Dakota and Cathy dismount and sit down in a similar fashion facing them from ten feet apart. Sorbo dismounts and goes to a crouching position, placing Dakota between him and Cathy. Sorbo is constantly looking around and listening, but his supposed son won’t shut up.

“What is your name?” asks Dakota.

“My name is Sorbo Pralene, Junior and if not for my new family I would have been homeless in the streets from ten-years-old on.”

“I am sorry if you have suffered, but I did not know about you. If you are my son, we will meet at a later time and discuss whatever you want.”

“Well, that is most gracious, father, but my new family is quite enough. Maybe you have heard of us. We are the Children of Method, Prophecy and Design.”

Right then everybody breaks. Sorbo already crouching is on them before they can get to their feet. He kicks his supposed son hard in the head and he goes down. He runs the man on the left through and then he spins and decapitates the other. Just then he hears Dakota scream as they see another ten men coming out of the forest after them with weapons raised. As they have been practicing since Dakota was eight and since Cathy has come into their lives, they form up.

While Sorbo stands between them, Dakota and Cathy are firing their wands into the ranks of the attackers. As more and more men come out of the woods, Sorbo is finding it increasingly hard to stay between Dakota and the enemy. Just as the enemy is grouped and ready to attack a great roar comes from the west and five seconds later a dozen minotaurs led by Braylard come charging out.

The Children of Method, Prophecy and Design fall, as very few can stand up to the onslaught that true Knights of Andromeda can bring. Once Sorbo can see that things are under control he turns to his supposed son, who is just now coming to, and he walks up on him and puts the point of his sword to his throat.

“You wouldn’t kill me, would you, father? I am your son.”

“No son of mine would be involved in the slaughter of innocents and the oppression of gentles. Son or not you have earned your fate.”

Sorbo moves to kill him. “Sorbo, don’t!”

“Dakota, these are the people who killed your family.”

“He is your son, please don’t.”

“Dakota, even if he is my son it is my sworn duty as a Knight of Andromeda to battle darkness in all its forms.”

“Please, for me.”

Sorbo can see his son smiling up at him. He swipes his sword across his cheek leaving a four-mark cut on his face. Sorbo’s supposed son slaps his sword away from him and gets up and runs off into the woods heading east.

“Brother, do you want me to kill him?” asks Braylard.

Sorbo looks down into Dakota’s pleading blue eyes and sighs. “No, let him go.”

“Thank you.” says Dakota.

Sorbo kneels down in front of her and says, “I admire your beautiful heart, babygirl, but a time will come that you will learn the mistake of this. I just hope it isn’t too hard of a lesson.” Dakota is looking at him with big eyes.

“Do you really think he was your son? He certainly looked like you,” asks Cathy, curious.

“No, he was not my son.”

“But, Sorbo.”

“NO! Cathy, even if I sired him, he is not my son.”

“Okay.” Sorbo softens his anger and walks over and hugs the pretty and petite lady with long brunette hair.

Then Sorbo looks over and sees Dakota looking at a dead body with billowing white smoke coming off a wound where she killed him with her wand. He walks over and turns her away from the scene. Sorbo picks her up and hugs her. Even though she is twelve-years-old now, she is still very petite for her age. As Cathy and Sorbo are comforting Dakota, Braylard and the other minotaurs drag the dead bodies off into the deep thick underbrush.

In a shaky crying voice Dakota says, “I killed someone.”

“That is right, White Sorceress, and it won’t be the last time. I am sorry it has happened this early, but I see now it was a necessary lesson to be learned. Yes taking another’s life will change you, but you did not ask for this. You are destined to be the sword wielded against the darkness and from that blood will flow. I am sorry, but know that I am always at your side and there is nothing you can do in this world that will change my love for you.” Dakota nods her teary-eyed pretty head.