Warden by Kevin Hardman Page A

astonished him that he would be bothered (and disappointed) by this, especially after her boneheaded antics in the field.
    That being the case, he was quite surprised when, as he climbed up on his horse, she came out of the barn with her own steed saddled and ready to go.
    “I’m coming with you,” she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.  He was about to protest when she continued.  “If Tom’s injured, you may need help getting him back.  I can assist with that, as well as with other things.”
    He opened his mouth to say something - to tell her “No” - but the words wouldn’t come out.  He knew that this was, at least in part, an attempt to make up for the debacle with the revenant.  He also remembered times when he himself had sought opportunities with Tom to make up for stupid mistakes.
    “Suit yourself,” he said, and then urged his horse on. He ignored the slight smile on Gale’s face as her horse fell into step beside his.
     
    **********
     
    The first part of their trip was fairly uneventful.  Errol pushed the pace, but not to the extent that it would wear the horses out.  He was concerned about his brother, but after this much time he knew that Tom would either be okay, or…
    Gale, like most of the farmers, had never really gone any great distance into the Badlands.  It would be an eye-opening trip for her, Errol knew - and hopefully one she’d live to tell about. Even experienced people like Wardens weren’t assured of coming back unscathed from any trip into the Badlands - or even coming back at all.
    They stopped for lunch around midday. Gale’s mother had packed an ample supply of food, for which they were both grateful, since the length of this excursion was currently indefinite.
    Reflecting on Gale’s mother, Errol suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to retrieve the revenant’s bracelet from her. Therefore, he was rather shocked to find it in his pack as he was putting things away after lunch.
    “Holy…” he said, startled.
    “What is it?” Gale asked with concern.
    Errol held up the bracelet. “I could have sworn that I’d left this with your mother.”
    “Maybe she packed it up for you.”
    Errol shook his head. “No, I’ve had my pack with me constantly since we left. I think…” His voice trailed off and he stared into the distance, thinking furiously.
    “What?” Gale asked after a few moments.
    “I think we’re tagged,” he said. “The revenant’s marked us. This bracelet…we can’t lose it. I think it’s a soulgate, with the essence of the revenant inside. It’s bonded to us, marks us like familiars. It’ll be with us wherever we go - until we find the revenant’s killer, or it kills us .”
    As Gale took a moment to absorb this, Errol angrily shoved the bracelet into his pack. Unfortunately, one of its silver links caught on the pack’s buckle and with the force of the push from his hand the links parted, falling onto the ground. Errol was left holding only the gemstone that was the centerpiece of the bracelet.  Groaning in frustration, he thrust the gemstone into his pack, then methodically picked up the links and put them in his pocket. He didn’t know what this meant with respect to the revenant, but he was sure they would find out.  They finished packing and resumed their journey.
     
    **********
     
    Towards the end of the first day, the dense undergrowth of the forest gave way to lush grass as Errol and Gale found themselves at the top of a hill.  From that vantage point, they could see miles in almost all directions.
    “It’s beautiful,” Gale said, watching the wind whip the tall grass back and forth.
    “Dangerous is a better description,” Errol corrected. “Remember, we’re deep into the Badlands here.  Anything can happen.”
    He looked off into the direction where they were headed, and saw small dots circling in the sky, like gnats buzzing around a discarded piece of fruit. The sight made Errol’s stomach flip.
    “That’s