The Dark Tide (part 1)

The small settlement in which they lived was set in a valley between two spurs of the great Pelargic mountain range, this stretched for many hundreds of miles down the continent until it split at its Southern most point with two great ridges that curved away to the east and west. The village was only made up of a small number of crude huts surrounding an ancient standing stone of unknown origin. This place and these simple people were all that Jorek had known for his entire life, his mentor had told him little about how he came to be there. All he knew was that he had been placed in the old man's care and ever since then had been living a happy existence in the valley.

Despite the old man's utmost care in trying to keep Jorek's fate secret from himself Jorek did know that all was not what it seemed. ?Why does he spend so much time training me in combat if I am to do nothing but live here? It cannot be for protection of the village, in all my years I have never seen or heard any rumour of enemies'. Jorek often had thoughts like these, and recently they had become ever more pressing in his mind until he felt that his heart was going to explode with questions if he did not receive some answers.

Chief among his questions was about the old man himself, he had been a tutor and steward to him for many years and yet Jorek knew nothing of him or his past, he did not even know his name even that had been kept secret from him for reasons he could not fathom. The one thing he knew was that he was right when he did not want to accept the old man's offers to engage him in combat, there was something in that small and stunted figure that did not hide entirely an inner strength that almost appeared to glow from within him. And no matter how hard he tried answers could not be gleaned from the other villagers.

Little did Jorek know that soon answers would be coming to him, and it would be of no comfort to him that they would stop his heart from exploding in a shower of questions and mysteries.

2.

Jorek woke up with a start and as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness he could make out the shape of the old man standing over him.

"What's the matter old man? Do you need an extra blanket" asked Jorek with a teasing tone in his voice. Usually a jibe like this would result in his teacher giving him a sharp reply, but now there was nothing from the old man. He raised his hand and beckoned Jorek to follow him with his finger. At this he was puzzled, the old man never normally wanted to leave the warmth of the hut at night.

As they left the village at a fast pace Jorek looked about him and was surprised to see that there were no signs of life in the village or in the surrounding woods. Even at this time of night, and by the position of the moon Jorek judged it to be a few hours from dawn, there were some signals of life. But now there was nothing, his sharp eyes could not spy a single bat or owl wheeling through the night sky, even the reassuring sound of the crickets in the long grass was suspicious in its absence.