Shadows - S Robinson (classic reads TXT) 📗

brave enough to step foot into the pens unarmed. Whilst he stood there debating his next move something rustled to his right and he turned to see Ericou. He looked straight at Anan and put his finger to his lips and waved him back. Anan didn't need telling twice and ever so slowly he crept away from the pen. Ericou leapt the fence and somehow landed silently, how a man of his size was so light on his feet was surprising. Ericou silently manoeuvred forward towards the cattle with his hammer held high above his head. He was hard to see from this distance now with the light from the sun virtually distinguished. Then came a roar and it wasn't Ericou. Without thinking Anan and Dago shot forward and hurdled the fence, they pelted forward and couldn't believe what they saw. Ericou was flat on his back and a huge cat was snarling over his body it turned to face them and in the instant of catching Anan's gaze the cat's eyes drooped and it lowered it's head, turned and bounded off into the dark.
“Ericou” and Anan shook the big man, nothing. “Ericou” again nothing and Anan rocked back on his heels. This couldn't be true, Ericou couldn't be dead, not now. Then the big man began to laugh and the tears in Anan's eyes dried up immediately “your not......”
“no I am not dead Anan, I was caught off balance and fell, Kelvor was actually trying to help me up”
“Kelvor” Anan was puzzled and his initial shock at the man's apparent death was subsiding slightly
“Kelvor is an old friend Anan, he watches the forest for us and helps with the animals” Ericou was getting back to his feet and slapping the dust off his pants
“I heard a roar and thought” Ericou laughed again “Kelvor was laughing at me falling over Anan, he was in here looking after her” he pointed to the corner where an adult Folip was lay and she was nuzzling a baby.
“she went into labour and Kelvor helped deliver her, but you scared him off”
“how could a cat help deliver a baby Folip Ericou? you must have banged your head if you think that I could have scared something its size away” Anan had to stifle a grin, the old man had surely lost his mind “there are a lot of things you don't understand yet Anan and even more that you will never understand, anyone can help anything with the aid of magic”
“are you trying to tell me that was a magic cat Ericou” Ericou just sighed
“I am telling you that anything is possible with the aid of magic Anan. Start to appreciate that and you may last longer than your first day when you leave Bockley”


           


Striding through the bar door he noticed Hann sat in the corner alone, smoking a small pipe both of the young men’s eyes met. Hann’s sneer seemed to have left his face recently and he gave Anan a curt nod of acknowledgement. Since Anan had fought back, not once had these bullies come after him and he loved it. He went behind the bar and started to pour himself a drink. Then from across the bar, Ericou shouted “you taking orders squire? If so…. then could you ….maybe…pour me another pleases ms” Ericou was drunk and Anan found it highly amusing. The older man was wobbling on his stool which he had fallen off a couple of times already. Anan decided he was going to have a little fun with the old man “Ericou, what are you drinking?”
“WWhisskey” 
“pardon”
“w…w…wwhissskey boy”
One thing Anan hated was manners, or in this case the lack of them, he didn’t care Ericou was drunk, there was never an excuse for poor manners. Anan took a short stubby looking glass from behind and instead of whiskey Anan poured neat vinegar into his glass and offered it to the burly man. He coughed, spluttered, swore and stamped his feet in temper and everyone laughed. In a blind rage he upturned a table and searched for something else to clear the taste of that awful vinegar, drinking anything he laid eyes on. Hann was positively beaming in the corner, and there were roars of laughter from the rest of the tavern. This was how Bockley was supposed to be, not fighting between themselves and preparing for battle it seemed like a dog’s age since they had all laughed and joked and now; at this moment; everyone saw the funny side, well everyone except for Ericou. Tears were running down his cheeks and his eyes had gone bloodshot and his face had gone red, he told everyone he was going home and then left the tavern for the evening. Anan poured himself his ale for a second time as he had spilt it when he was laughing. He stood at the bar and took a large mouthful of his own chaser and it warmed his throat and belly instantly, then just held his ale with thoughts racing through his mind of travelling away from Bockley, fighting unknown beasts and magic….magic something he had never really believed was real and now his whole life depended on it. Then there was a short tap on his shoulder and he turned to see a toothy grin staring at him
“Anan, can I have a word” Hann looked wary of his reply “I don’t want no trouble Hann, I just want to finish my drink, take a bath and go to bed” Anan had squared his shoulders, this boy didn’t scare him anymore and Hann knew it “no trouble Anan, I just want to talk” so Anan followed him to the nearest table and sat down, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife and people must have realised this as well as the laughter had died away and several people got up to leave. Hann was biting his lip and looked nervous and Anan found it very strange as this boy had bullied him for the last ten years or so. “when you leave………..I want to go with you” Anan nearly choked on his ale and tried to regain his composure, Hann sensed the opportunity to continue, and spoke fast “ I know you don’t trust me and I have never been anything like a friend to you, but I am sorry and I want to help you” these last few words seemed to instantly register with Anan and his initial reaction was a lot calmer than it was going to be “why do you want to help me, if that is your plan” Anan was not going to make this easy for him, if he wanted to help he was going to have to work at it “Mags is my mother Anan and I had to give up living in my own home, to live with my family just for her to be able to look after you…….I hated you” that stood to reason as Anan had been beaten most days for just being alive “ I wanted you dead Anan, then I look at how upset my mother and Sofi have been and I realise that my anger towards you was wrong ………its Jangaar I should be fighting, so I want to help you” Hann looked sincere but Anan was still cautious “why didn’t you kill me Hann?” this puzzled Hann “you could have killed me and got your family back” this really threw him off guard “I couldn’t Anan, yes I could get away with the other stuff but people would have noticed if you had died, you know what we are now and how easy it would have been for them to work things out, that has kept you alive for seventeen years, now it is my job to keep you alive long enough to destroy Jangaar to repay my mother’s faith in you” determination etched on Hann’s face, this boy had never had a purpose before and he was putting his all into this idea. Why when people gave him information did Anan think his head was going to explode “okay Hann, well you keep me alive that long and I promise I will destroy that bastard” they touched their glasses  and drank their drinks in one “do you want another” Hann said getting up and shaking his glass at him “aye” replied Anan. Whilst Hann was pouring more drinks Anan just sat contemplating his next move, did he really have Hann on side, and was he really an ally? Would Mags going to let them travel together after finding out Hann’s plan? He was unsure of all of this and who was actually going to travel with him. Smyt and Cain had both been told they couldn’t go as their skills in combat were needed, however Hann and his two friends had been left, forgotten about. After the village found out about there behaviour they had been disgraced, Bockley may insist on all three of them accompanying Anan to his destination with a view of proving their worth before the end. “Anan, close your mouth your starting to drool” Hann laughed at his own joke “you look like a fish with your mouth open” the he began to chuckle, but then something clicked “fishing” Hann looked up confused “no, I said you look like a fish, how many have you had” Anan was not listening he was processing his thoughts formulating something other than what he was going to be drinking next. “I mean fishing boats” Hann was not following his trail of thought and made a “eh” sort of reply. “I have to leave and everyone assumes I am going to leave through the forest, even Jangaar. But we can get down the mountain far enough to fish so why cant we leave by the sea and take our chances that way” Hann looked sceptical “how are you going to get a boat big enough to carry me and you and supplies but be light enough for us to somehow get it to the water and have it sturdy enough to stand up to the sea?” Anan didn’t know the answer to that, but in his eyes it was definitely worth a shot. “don’t bother with the other drink Hann I am going to need to be fresh tomorrow……..I’ve got a boat to build” Hann smirked to himself and shook his head in disbelief then poured both mugs away and said “we Anan…….we’ve got a boat to build” Anan nodded his agreement and then unexpectedly Hann put out his hand, Anan was a little taken aback but he took Hann’s hand and shook it, Anan pondered over the gesture and smirked. This was life changing in itself. His life's tormentor was conceding to him and he could not believe it, then quietly they left the tavern together.
            The morning couldn’t come quick enough for Anan, the ideas seemed to be buzzing around his already crammed mind. He knew this was something that no one would be expecting and certain this was going to work and he wanted to get started straight away. When the sun started to rise Anan was already throwing his shirt on to leave. He patted his leg and Dago followed him out of his room but as soon as he opened his door Dago shot past his leg and started growling, Anan burst into the kitchen quickly “you decided on having a lie in did ya” Hann was sat at the kitchen table with his mother, Mags was stroking Dago which seemed to have calmed him down almost instantly. He was smiling and he looked completely different for it, gone was the constant sneer and the evil looks Anan had grown accustomed to. In front of him sat a