Chapter 34

At last comes Dakota’s sixteenth birthday. The next level of the prophecy is within reach.

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

The Nalla Mountains are very beautiful. The part of the Nalla Mountains that are in the Free Lands of Andromeda are more like rolling, plunging and expanding ever higher foothills. The trees are sporadic and usually in clusters. At the elevation between fifteen hundred and three thousand feet the foothills roll on ever deeper towards the Kingdom of Nalla. Here the trees are more like the woodland trees of the Dakota Woodlands, but like many forests as the elevation gets higher and the temperatures remain cooler the trees will turn more to pine trees and the few other hardier breeds that flourish in such snow regions.

By the time they make it to the Nalla Kingdom border they are at the elevation of three thousand feet and the transition is easy to notice. There are no more rolling hills. Peaks stick up out of the ground of Kara like jagged teeth on the skyline. It is worth it to take the extra time to go around an individual mountain rather than trying to traverse its rocky steep terrain.

As they are riding along one thing comes to Dakota and she speaks her beautiful mind. “Sorbo, do you notice now that we got rid of the spy within our midst that there are no friendly soldiers here to escort us. It kind of makes you wonder who the spy was really working for, or more to the point it certainly makes it seem like what one god knows, they all know.”

“Sounds a little too coincidental, does it not, my bright beautiful young woman?”

“Yes it does, my love.”

It is early March and snow still lingers on the ground. Not just that but black clouds are rolling in overhead and thunder is echoing about. Ever since Loki, or somebody, they’re not sure anymore, sent assassins to attack them by way of storms and lightning, they trust to nothing but themselves. As the temperature drops, and as they wind their way through the mountains, they take a tighter grip on their weapons. For the most part Dakota chooses to use her sword in combat. Sorbo has never seen somebody as quick and accurate as Dakota is, and Sorbo has had the honor to be around some truly great knights in his younger days.

Though they are far from the Nalla and Abara border, Sorbo didn’t really expect to go unnoticed for long. “Riders!”

Like the Pralene and Canton Knights of Andromeda, and also their own personal Royal Guards and regular soldiers, the uniforms of the Nalla knights have royal blue in them. They are highlighted by small pieces of armor at the most sensitive areas. However, since Nalla is entirely mountainous, their armor does not shine brilliantly. They have found a way to make their armor reflect brown, gray and green to blend in with the natural mountains. And even though they do wear helms they are stuffed with warm lining so the weather will not dictate when and how they can defend their kingdom.

“Halt! Speak thy name and be considered friend.”

“Bolo?”

“I am Bolo. Who knows my name and speaks as a familiar before friendship is recognized?”

“It’s Sorbo Pralene, you old scoundrel.”

“Can it be?”

Sorbo and Bolo ride forward and clasp arms. “It has been a long time, old friend.”

Bolo looks at him closely and says, “Son of the abyss, I should have known.”

“What’s that old friend?”

“A few more wrinkles, but not a gray hair on your head.” Sorbo smiles.

Bolo then reaches up and pulls off his helmet and his head is peppered with gray hair. “I see the same is not true for you.”

“I should have known the greatest knight in all the realms would be too stubborn to die or even age ungracefully.”

Dakota giggles and they turn her direction. “Bolo, this is Dakota Star, princess of Pralene and destined White Sorceress.”

He raises his eyebrows and looks back to Sorbo for a second before bowing to Dakota while atop his black stallion. “It is indeed the greatest of honors, mistress. You are all recognized as friend.”

Just then his eyes go big as he sees the herd of centaurs and minotaurs riding up behind them. “You think I still look good. Braylard, front and center.”

“It can’t be.”

As Braylard and Bolo are sharing a brother’s welcome, Dakota leans in and asks, “An old friend of your and Braylard’s?”

“Aye, darling girl. In our youth Bolo and I traveled several times to the Canton Mountains and fought with the minotaurs, as the wolveris have tried on several occasions to break free of their bonds of the Accursed Land of Loki. It was where I met, where Bolo and I met, Braylard for the first time. We were all young Knights of Andromeda and had much to prove.

Just then the darkening skies fill with Sorbo and Dakota’s dragons spiraling overhead. “I see you once and again travel in the midst of power.”

“Aye, old friend. I am once and again back in the world. I had hoped to see you at The Gathering.”

“Since you disappeared without a word all those many years ago I saw no point in going anymore. If the strongest knight was no longer going to be there to prove my skills against, it would not be the same. Besides normally I patrol the Abara border, but time is catching up to me, old friend. My days on this world are numbered.” Sorbo looks at his old friend concerned, but Bolo goes on. “Do not fret for me, old friend. I have seen much. All our times are numbered, mine is just a little more known. It is too cold to talk of such things for now and plus we are about to be snowed upon. Come, the village I am now stationed out of is but a league away, and I know Kara will be glad to see you again.”

“Kara is there?”

“Aye!”

“Who is Kara?” asks Dakota.

It is Bolo who answers. “She is my baby sister and man did she have a crush on Sorbo when she was younger.”

“Did she?” says Dakota, while making eye contact with Sorbo with fire in her eyes.

Ignoring Dakota Sorbo says, “Did she never marry?”

“Aye, she did! He was a great warrior in his own right, but was killed by some religious zealots known as the Children of Harmony, or some shit like that. They tried to overthrow our royalty. Mistress, I heard what happened to your family and I am truly sorry.”

“Thank you.” says Dakota, still not getting past this woman named Kara.

As they are riding along through a canyon, on a well-traveled trail, Bolo turns to Sorbo and says, “I also heard about Hannah and I understood when you disappeared from the world. I am sorry.”

“It was long ago and now I have another princess who saved me from obscurity and loneliness.”

“Glad to hear it. Glad to hear it. Come, we are almost there.”

They ride around another mountain and right in front of them opens up a little valley with a town of at least one thousand people in it. Just as they pass the first buildings snow starts to fall.

“Sorbo, I’m cold and tired and when we are out in the wild it does not bother me, but now that a see a town, and the thought of a real bed, it makes me yearn for such comforts.”

“Trust me, babygirl. I know exactly what you mean.”

“We will put the horses away. We have plenty of room since this is a stop over town for patrols coming and going, and then we will go to the inn and you can see Kara.”

Without turning to see Dakota’s new reaction Sorbo says, “It will be good to see Kara again, but to avoid any misunderstandings, I belong to Dakota.”

Bolo doesn’t say anything at first he just raises his eyebrows and then says, “I see you still give yourself fully to any task you take on.”

“It is far beyond that, my old friend.” When he turns around Dakota is beaming. Her blue eyes are so beautiful in the light coming from the hanging lanterns. Her face has an angelic glow.

After they take care of their horses they head to the inn. It is called the Hanging Lantern Inn and it is huge with two stories. The first floor is the dining area and tavern and the upstairs are the sleeping quarters. Tables are spaced randomly about and the counter takes up most of the far side of the room and behind that is the kitchen and supply rooms.