Heart of Stone by Geordi Riker (beach read TXT) 📕

Small lodges crudely carved from stone dotted the clearing. Their shape reminded Serene of the igloos she had seen in the far reaches of the north, where summer never visited. The lodges were primitive in form, but to the Lutrans, they were home; a place to return after the toils of everyday life on the plateau. The plateau itself served the people well as a military base, equipped to repel any unwelcome visitors; this capability would certainly come in handy now as the Grimlinks (half bear/half wolf creatures) were mere days away.
As Serene leaned against a wall, sharpening the already keen blade of Rüün, she realized that every member of the Lutran clan, down to the smallest child that could walk, had a designated task to do that helped with the war preparations. The men were manning the listening posts that surrounded their home, sharpening their weapons, or honing their weaponry skills. The women were seen outside their homes beside large cauldrons of boiling water, making arrows that would be distributed amongst the archers. Children were scattered amongst the trees and hills, gathering wood for the fires and large pebbles for the slingers. All were determined to keep the Grimlinks from destroying their homeland.
Serene returned Rüün to its sheath as she noticed a youth making his way towards her, his face showing his excitement and naïveté. Obviously, he had never witnessed the tolls of war, had never lost a comrade to an enemy’s treachery, had never felt agony of any enemy’s weapon digging into his skin, and had never experienced defeat.
Realizing what dangerous path of thinking she was on, Serene tried to forget the terrible things she had witnessed throughout her past, masking her emotions as the youth drew near. “Firebreather,” the boy called out.
Serene dipped her head in acknowledgement of her Lutran title. Her abilities were no secret to the Lutrans. After all, they had cared for her when, in her inexperience, she had almost been killed by the very same Grimlinks that were now advancing on the Lutrans.
“Shrenlik requests your presence at the council.”
Giving a slight nod of her head, Serene glided past the youth smoothly, headed back in the direction that the boy had come. Her fiery red hair whipped about her shoulders despite the strip of black leather that was bound about her head to keep it at bay. Her green eyes, normally unreadable, now had a look of concern in them. A quiver of arrows peeked out from underneath her gray and green dappled cloak. The huge longbow she constantly bore was slung over her left shoulder. Twin blades hung at her sides, within easy access of her skilled hands; she twisted the hilt of one as she approached the group.
The council consisted simply of the elders of the clan who gathered around a massive stump of an ancient oak tree. Smaller stumps surrounded the table so that two dozen men could lounge around it with ease. Half a dozen men sat at the table as Serene joined them. Nodding to Shrenlik, the leader of the Lutrans, Serene took a seat across from him. She hid her surprised reaction as the youth took a seat beside Shrenlik; left and right of Shrenlik were the positions of honor.
Shrenlik himself was nothing special to look at what with his snowy white beard and ancient frame.
Borsa, Shrenlik’s hilfmann, got straight to the point, “The Guardians of the Western Side have sighted the Grimlinks approaching the Pass.”
Serene made no comment on the news; the Pass was the only path large enough to accommodate an army of any size. All other paths were steep, narrow, and filled with nasty surprises. “How far out?” she asked, breaking the somber mood that had settled over the council.
A Lutran with a tanned complexion answered, “A day and a half at the most before they reach the top.”
Serene nodded once as she took in the information. “How many?”
He shrugged, “Scouts say there may be a few more than five hundred.”
Serene did some swift calculations. Yes, that would give her enough time to get a head start. “I’ll leave within the hour then.”
Shrenlik shook his head, “You will do no such thing. We’ve been through this before. We agreed that here would be the ideal place to stop the Grimlinks.”
“You agreed to your own argument,” Serene pointed out, “I mean no disrespect to you or your people, Shrenlik, but this is not your fight. I will not put your people in unnecessary danger.” That was true enough. “I thank you for your hospitality and for granting me a brief respite from my pursuers. Now I must leave before my presence causes you grief. If I am to lead them away from here, I must leave immediately.”
She rose to leave, but Shrenlik’s voice stopped her. “At least consider my nomination for an accompaniment.”
Serene sat slowly back down, eyebrows raised as she studied Shrenlik’s carefully guarded expression. She sighed quietly then asked, “Who do you have in mind? I’m not saying I’ll take him,” she added quickly, noting the smug look that flitted over Shrenlik’s face.
Shrenlik dipped his head in acknowledgement, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, “I’ll certainly bear that in mind. I wish to send Temuj here with you.” He indicated the youth who had summoned her.
Serene studied the boy again. He was of slight build that was apparently hereditary in the Lutran bloodline. He had long dark brown hair that came down to his shoulders. A look of intelligence burned in those deep blue eyes of his. An air of eagerness exuded from him as he anticipated her answer. He looked like he could hold his own in a fight; and heaven knew she’d be getting into one of those soon enough. But he was too young; his training probably never included fighting an enemy who had his mind set on killing him. Besides, she moved far quieter on her own, he would just slow her down.
Quietly, she negated the idea. Temuj looked disappointed and Shrenlik immediately leapt to the boy’s defense. “You may find him useful. He is a skilled tracker,” he protested.
Serene snorted with derision and sneered, “What do I need a tracker for if I am the prey? I’ve been fighting all my life and have never needed someone to watch my back. He’s never fought a battle in his life.”
Shrenlik slowly bowed his aging head, admitting defeat, “Very well, if that is what you wish. But these Grimlinks-are you sure that they will notice your trail and know that it is you? Are you sure that they will follow it and leave us in peace?”
All the Lutrans within listening distance turned to better hear her answer. Serene glanced around her, knowing she was now treading on dangerous soil. “No,” she said at last, “I am not sure. I can only hope that they will recognize my trail and follow, and chances are they will; but I would still be on the alert if I were you. Now, if you will excuse me, I must leave in order to put some distance between your home and myself before nightfall.”
Shrenlik drew breath to reply, then apparently thought better of it and nodded. Serene wheeled about and strode to the dwelling where she had been staying for the past few weeks. Deftly, she unfastened her cloak and let it drop to the sleeping couch. Grabbing her pack from the floor, Serene hastily stuffed it with her few personal effects and slung it over her shoulder in such a way that it would not hinder her access to her crossed blades or her arrows.
Serene wrapped her cloak about her slim body again. Flicking up the hood to leave her face in shadow, she felt a wave of euphoria wash over her as she remembered the last time she had done this. The circumstances had allowed her not to act in such deception then, but hardly ever did circumstances, the good ones at least, repeat
themselves, and one could only hope that one made the right decision at the given moment.
Picking up her Wanderer staff as she went out the door, Serene felt a pang of guilt. She shrugged it off and started to slink towards the Eastern Pass. Her progress was slowed as the boy Temuj appeared, obviously looking for her. She waited with bated breath as he walked close to wear she stood stock still, Serene knew if she moved even a muscle he would be on to her, commendations from Shrenlik were rare. As he moved on, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Softly, she slid smoothly past the sentry, careful to blend in with the shadows. As she walked calmly down the steep pass, she hesitated. Something wasn’t right. Turning around slowly, she came face to face with a young child of no more than five years with arms full of sticks. Giving a quiet sigh of frustration, Serene knelt in the dust beside the girl. Looking straight into the girl’s eyes, she murmured, “You better go back. Your mother might be looking for you.” She carved one of the girl's twig as an arrow, it would serve as a suitable distraction; as well as a silent message that only Shrenlik could interpret if he received it.
The girl took the crude arrow with an air of importance, wheeled about and charged back towards the village. In her haste, the girl dropped the majority of her sticks. Oblivious to her mistake, the girl took off, nearly bumping into an older boy loaded down with rocks.
Serene widened her range of vision, taking in the village bound for destruction with a sweeping gaze. In the distance, she heard a shriek of helpless laughter and immediately felt guilt. Even in the face of a terrible battle, the Lutrans still found something to laugh about. Of course, they didn’t know that they were going to die right then and there, all of them, at the hand of Grimlinks, but that was their own fault for being so ignorant of the world that dwelt below them.
The Lutran home was peaceful, despite the dangerous situation they were presently in. A situation she herself had created by holding back the truth. The Grimlinks weren’t hunting her because she was a firebreather; they were approaching the village to kill every Lutran man, woman, and child wherever they stood just to keep some prophecy from coming true. A prophecy that spelled a painful death for Grimlinks. Normally, this would be greeted with great anticipation by surrounding peoples. After all, there was little love lost between the Grimlinks and the humans. But, the prophecy contradicted itself: if the Grimlinks defeated the Lutrans and left none alive to fulfill the prophecy, certain disaster with enemy nations would be avoided. To Serene, it was all just a bunch of mumbo jumbo that old hags made up to get attention, but others were getting desperate, tiny feuds were popping up every where. It had been a hotly debated topic amongst her fellow Wanderers

and Strangers

, but in the end, the Lutrans were sentenced to die. The Grimlinks were sent and the matter dropped.
Serene watched as two children no older than ten laughed and chased each other in a game of tag with such carefree innocence that it tore at even Serene’s heart of stone. Then she turned her back