Aurix the Bold
Chapter 7: Shapebreaker

Aurix’s decision had been made for him. With Nyx dead, he had no choice but to walk back to Midian. He doubted he’d arrive before nightfall, but maybe one of the guards could be persuaded to let him in. If not, he’d wait until morning and try to determine what to do next.

He ran one of his new leather gauntlets across a wet cheek and stood. Aurix walked to the rucksack that Shlee had left behind and wondered again what kind of game the old skane had been playing at. None of it made any sense. He was angry and frustrated and confused. The contents of the ruck only muddied things further. Loose, raw oats littered the bottom of the bag. Also inside: his remaining hunk of wister meat, a half loaf of bread, a skin of mint water, and the map. And a saddle.

Aurix narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “What in Amezduleq…?”

From behind him came a huff and a whicker.

Startled, Aurix reached for his sword and turned quickly on his heel. He was so shocked by what he saw that he fell backward onto his ass.

The braka was gone. In her place stood a black caple, hoofing at the ground. Thick clumps of black braka fur lay in the dirt around her. From knee to hoof, the mare had thick, ebony fetlocks and a long matching mane and tail. She looked at Aurix, snorted and tossed her head into the air a number of times.

Aurix was dumbstruck. His mouth hung open like a foon’s. After a moment the shock started to wear off. He took his hand from the hilt of his blade. “Nyx?”

The caple reared up on its hind legs and kicked at the air. When she neighed, Aurix thought it sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

Suddenly the saddle in the ruck made all the sense in the world. “You’ve got to be kidding,” he muttered. He pushed himself up and walked to the mare, extending a handful of oats from the bag in front of her nose. She took them gently, and looked at Aurix with bright, gleaming eyes.

“I can’t believe it. A Shapebreaker?” He shook his head.

Nyx nodded her head up and down and whickered again, as if in answer.

Aurix laughed. “Wow.” He hadn’t saddled or ridden a caple since before his parents had died, but Nyx was patient while he fiddled with the straps.

Up close, Aurix noted that she had hundreds of tiny white flecks like stars on her silky black hide. If she’d had them in braka form, they’d been hidden by her thick pelt, and Aurix had never noticed them. Her new coat now looked remarkably like a cloudless Valerian night.

And if he had any lingering doubts that she was the same beast, they were erased when he noticed the scab on the back of her hind leg in precisely the same place that he’d salved it two days prior.

For the first few miles, Nyx refused to go much faster than a loping trot, no matter how much Aurix spurred her on with feet and curses. But right about the same time that he started to settle in to the ride and relaxed in the saddle, she picked up speed. After about an arc, Aurix noticed that the landscape was flying by, and Nyx had eased him into a full gallop.

With Shlee’s head start, Aurix figured he wouldn’t catch up until after darkfall. He reached into his rucksack and grabbed the map and a hunk of jerky. By then, they’d probably be less than a day’s ride from the Oose Desert—Nulla territory. Aurix knew little of the world beyond the northwestern territories of Dren, Terra and Fennoril, but he knew that the Nulla were not known for their hospitality. If the stories of his youth could be believed, they would as soon eat you as let you pass if you were caught. And of course, they were sworn to Xu’ul. But if Aurix had learned anything in the course of the previous week, it was that there was often more to things than met the eye.

Nyx suddenly dug her front hooves into the dirt, bringing her gallop to an immediate stop, nearly tossing Aurix over her neck in the process. She became skittish, dancing from one side of the road to the other with small, delicate steps.

Aurix hopped down. “What is it, Nyx? What’s wrong girl?” He figured it was as good a time as any to stretch his legs.

The black mare snorted, her eyes wild and rolling like she was trying to locate the source of her distress. Aurix put his hand on her flank and tried to stroke it, but she pranced away from him sideways, then started turning in circles.

A black sea of birds—thousands of them—burst from the trees at once, cawing and screeching. They moved as one massive wave, blotting out the bits of sky Aurix could see through the canopy of trees above. It became eerily dark and quiet.

Aurix scanned the distance along the path and the woods around them, but couldn’t see anything of concern. He strained to hear above Nyx’s loud, panicked panting. Still nothing. “I don’t know wha—“

Nyx screamed and reared, flinging her front hooves at the sky as if to ward off an invisible attacker. She neighed again, her shriek cutting into the gloom.

Aurix drew his sword and held it out in front of him, ready to attack…what? Nothing? The air? He wanted to protect Nyx, but he had no idea how to help her.

The caple dropped down to all fours again and tossed her head in terror. Then Aurix felt it. The ground shuddered beneath his feet. Nyx pranced, lifting her hooves in quick succession off of the dirt, like the vibrations were shocking her. Aurix knelt and put his palm on the ground. It was subtle but he could feel the quake. He guessed it was very distant but incredibly powerful. After a few seconds, he could hear it—a rolling growl like thunder beneath the roiling surface of the earth. After a minute more, the shaking stopped and the rumble faded into the distance.

Aurix sheathed his sword and released a long, relieved breath. “It’s okay, Nyx. It’s over. It was just a tremor.” He held out a hand toward her and took a few cautious steps her way. “Nothing to worry about, girl.”

She continued lifting her hooves from the ground one at a time but was starting to calm, the hysteria dissipating from her eyes and manner. She let Aurix approach and put a hand on her side, this time without dancing away. Her muscles trembled under his touch much like the earth had a moment earlier.

The two walked together for a time until Nyx’s nerves settled, then Aurix remounted and brought Nyx to a steady, comfortable trot. Above, as if shattered by the earthquake, the churning clouds finally started to break away from the overcast sky, and Shura peeked through the leaves spilling dappled light onto the path.

Aurix pulled Nyx up a bit as they approached a small group of travelers heading the opposite direction. A small family, by the looks of it, weary and thin. The father led a filthy braka carrying a frail but pretty woman with dark hair and two silent children with heavy-lidded eyes.

“Hail,” the man said in a weak voice, though not unkindly. He eyed Nyx and then Aurix a bit nervously though, as if unsure how to address him.

“Hail. Good day to you, sir,” Aurix said in reply.

“Thank ye, sire.” He raised his right fist to his left shoulder in salute.

Aurix might have laughed if the man hadn’t seemed so sincere in his greeting.

The woman on the braka smiled and dipped her head in deference to him. “Sire,” she said. The children remained oblivious, as children do.

“Oh, I’m no sire. No need for formalities. Are you folks alright?”

“Aye. We’re makin’ fer Midyin. Do ye know ’ow far ’tis?

The man’s accent reminded Aurix a bit of his uncle’s, and he felt a pang of guilt and a longing for home when he heard it. “Straight on and rightmost at the fork in the road will get you there. But not before darkfall I’m afraid, and they close the gates not long after Shura sets.”

The man looked crestfallen.

“Not more than eight arcs ride, though, I shouldn’t think,” Aurix said, trying to soften the blow.

“Eight arcs?” one of the children whined. “Ugh.”

Aurix couldn’t help but grin, remembering his long, tedious ride from Fennoril to Dren many revolutions before. He’d have been about the same age as the boy.

“Shush, Fane,” his mother said sharply.

“Ah. We ’ad ’oped to make it today, but ‘ere’s nothin’ can be done ’bout it.”

“But what’re we s’posed ta eat?” the smaller of the two boys said.

His mother reached over and gave him a gentle cuff on his hip. “Ye just ate. Quiet now.”

“That was like forever arcs ago!” Fane whined and rolled his eyes.

This time Aurix couldn’t help but chuckle.

His father turned and looked back, pointing a finger at his kids. “Both o’ ya’s best ‘ush, or ye’ll be eatin’ yer tongues,” the father said and turned back to Aurix. “Thankee lad. Ye’ve been most ’elpful.” He smiled and made to continue his journey.

“Wait—uh,” Aurix wasn’t sure how best to ask. He knew that charity sometimes wounded a person’s pride. “Would you mind if I gave your boys a little gift?”

The man looked genuinely shocked. “Well, I—”

Aurix sidled Nyx up to the braka. He pulled the loaf of bread from his sack and gave it to Fane. The remaining hunk of meat he gave to his little brother. Both of their eyes widened. It wasn’t much, but Aurix figured it would tide them all over until they made it to Midian.

“Oh, nay. We couldn’t,” the mother said, but she looked famished and more than a little hopeful.

“Please,” Aurix said. “I’ve eaten, and I’ll be rejoining my friend soon. We have more than enough.” He wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but Shlee always seemed prepared for just about anything. “These fine young lads look like they need it more than I do.”

“Um…” The father’s voice had grown thick, and Aurix tried not to notice the shine in his eyes that hadn’t been there a minute before.

“Will you boys share that with your ma and da?”

Fane looked at Aurix and nodded earnestly. “Aye.” He seemed a little stunned but elbowed his little brother.

“Sure! Thanks!” the younger said.

“Well, thank you. ’Tis most kind,” the woman said.

Aurix smiled at her. “I only wish I had more to give you. When you get to Midian, go to the inn at the east side of town. There’s a place to board your braka. Tell Regulus that Aurix sent you. He’ll treat you fairly, I think.”

The father cleared his throat. “Yer a fine young lad, Aurix. Yer folks must be proud ’o ye.”

“I hope that’s true, sir. You boys take care of your parents, aye?”

The brothers nodded in unison.

Aurix gave Nyx a light nudge to the side, and she moved away from the braka. He had another thought. “Keep an eye out about ten miles hence. You should replace a pelt that we couldn’t carry. It may fetch you a few dyne in Midian.” It would probably fetch far more than a few, Aurix knew, but they didn’t need to know that yet. “Farewell to ye.”

“And to ye,” said the mother and father. Aurix pretended not to see the look of relief they gave one another. It would probably be the first time in days that they wouldn’t have to go without a meal so their kids could eat.

Aurix rode throughout the remainder of the afternoon and into the early evening without incident. The stars were piercing a darkening sky when he saw a small campfire flickering on the west side of the dirt road. He slowed Nyx, dismounted and led her toward the fire. There was never any doubt in his mind that it was Shlee and his mare. As crazy as the old man appeared, Aurix had come to realize he wasn’t so much crazy as cunning. He seemed to know everything, and that he’d have set up camp at a point where he and Nyx would arrive right before full dark just made sense.

As they approached, Aoni whinnied nervously and pranced around the tree to which she was secured. With his back to them, Shlee sat near the fire tearing hunks of bread from a loaf.

“Took you long enough,” he said without turning around. “I was beginning to think that maybe I’d have to go back to retrieve you.”

Aurix grabbed the ruck draped over Nyx’s back. He took the map and waterskin out of it and set the bag in front of her. She eagerly began to munch on the oats scattered on the bottom. After a minute, Aoni decided to help out.

Aurix dropped the map next to Shlee, took a swig of his remaining mint water and sat next to the fire. Shlee tossed him the loaf of bread and turned to look at Nyx.

“She’s a pretty one,” Shlee said.

“How did you know?” Aurix asked. He tore off a large chunk from the loaf and handed it back to Shlee.

“I didn’t at first. It was a guess.”

“Right. Some guess.”

“I’ve lived a long time, whelp, and been many places. Never once have I seen a solid black braka. I suppose she could have been a fluke of nature, but the odds that a one in a million beast would also have ended up with your uncle Brill seemed unlikely.”

“Why? What’s so special about my uncle?”

“You, I presume.”

“Me? What do you mean? Why me?” Aurix thought maybe Shlee would finally start answering some of his questions. His hope was short lived.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, Aurix. Let’s just say the odds that both you and an impossibly rare creature were found in the same place didn’t seem terribly likely.”

“I’m hardly rare. I’m just a boy.”

“That is very much incorrect,” Shlee said. “I would venture a guess that you are the only boy in Valeria that is on his way to challenge the Ra. In fact, you are very likely the only person in all the world that has the courage to face him.”

Aurix was glad for the darkness and shadows cast by the fire that hid the flush that he felt creeping onto his face. It was as near as a compliment as Shlee had ever paid him.

“I don’t feel courageous. I’m plenty scared.”

“Bravery in the face of one’s fears is the very definition of courage. Then again, it’s also the definition of stupidity, if the outcome is ruinous.”

Well that didn’t last long, Aurix thought, munching on the bread. “What about the saddle? How did you know she’d break into a caple?”

“Logic, whelp. There were only a few possibilities. Only a stag or caple mount has the land speed to catch another caple at gallop. In either case, you’d have needed a saddle.”

Aurix was quiet for a minute, following Shlee’s reasoning. He realized the old man was more than cunning. He might actually be brilliant. He decided to keep that to himself.

“Quite an appetite on you,” Shlee said, holding the loaf of bread out to Aurix so that he could tear off another hunk. “You finished all the meat and bread I left you, heh?”

“No. I passed a family on the way. They needed it more than I did.”

Shlee stopped chewing for a second and gave Aurix a long, contemplative look.

Aurix was afraid Shlee was angry and mentally prepared a defense, but the old man just turned back to the fire and nodded once. If anything Aurix thought he looked a little bit sad.

“There’s more in the other rucks if you’re hungry.”

“I’m good. What happened with Nyx the other night? And don’t just tell me to trust you this time.”

Shlee shrugged his bony shoulders. “As you said, the wolves were close. I suppose she went to fend them off.”

“As a braka? They’d have torn her apart if they could get past her reek.”

“No. She broke.”

“Into what?”

“A bear.”

“Are you serious? A bear?”

“I may not tell you everything, whelp, but I haven’t once lied to you. Yes, a bear. An enormous, shaggy black bear. When I found her in the woods, she was breaking back to a braka. It’s not a pretty thing to watch, as I suppose you now know.”

Aurix nodded.

“It must hurt like the fires of Amezduleq. It looks like it must anyway. Once she’d switched back, I called you to help me get her back onto her damned feet. Other than that, you know as much as I do.”

Aurix looked over at Nyx, whose muzzle was still buried in the bag of oats. Aoni was dozing, still on her hooves.

“So she heard the wolves, wandered away from camp, broke into a bear and chased them off, getting bitten in the leg in the process? Why? To protect us?”

“To protect you, I’d imagine.”

Aurix thought about the violent storm and narrowed his eyes. “Why would she be protecting me?”

“A better question would be where you got a Shapebreaker in the first place, whelp. They’re so rare most people think they’re a myth.”

“She’s not mine,” Aurix said, lifting his shoulders. “My aunt and uncle found her before I first came to Dren before the war.”

Shlee stared into the fire, a smile playing at his lips. “A curious twist of fortune.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Just that I rarely believe in curious twists of fortune.” He shrugged again, then pushed himself awkwardly to his feet, a firelit twinkle in his eye. “Come!” He hobbled with a hunched back over to the tree where Aoni was tied and grabbed his sword, which was leaning against the trunk. He turned back to Aurix with the gleaming blade pointed steadily in his direction. “I’m a bit worse for wear after today’s ride, but let’s see what your da taught you.”

Aurix laughed at him. “You can hardly move!”

“Nor will I need to. Rise.”

“I’m nearly four hundred revolutions younger than you, old man.”

“Oh, you think that an advantage? Ha! You do realize it also means I’ve had nearly four hundred more revolutions practice?”

Despite Shlee’s show of prowess against the dummy in Midian earlier that morning, Aurix had no doubt he could outmaneuver the ancient stooped man before him in his current pitiful state. He unsheathed his sword. It was small and drear and didn’t shine like Shlee’s did in the flicker of the firelight. “Why did you bother getting me all this finery, but not do the same with the sword?” Aurix asked him.

“Because, though it is sometimes necessary, killing is dark and dirty work, Aurix. I’d rather you not forget that when you draw something bright and pretty. And a gleaming edge is no more deadly than a dull one. Plus, an opponent is more likely to underestimate you with that blade. Now get up, whelp.”

Aurix stood. “Fine. But when I best you, you have to stop calling me that.”