Battle Mage: Winter's Edge (15 page)

             
The falcon noted that the ambassador apparently had chosen to eat in his bedroom, which led to a harried looking inn keeper’s wife carefully navigating the wooden stairs to get to his room with her platter in hand. Sebastian was slightly surprised that the lord would associate so little with his guard detail. After all, he was an ambassador and one would think the man would be more social, but he was the one paying the bills so Sebastian guessed the man could do as he wanted. His daughter, Helena, however, did come down with Ashleen in tow and spent the morning meal talking with the mages and wizards as they ate. Her cheery personality seemed to be trying to make up for her father’s absence and the girl appeared ready to at least befriend her magical protectors.

             
When the meal ended, the gray of the early morning sky still failed to reveal any of the sun’s nearly forgotten warmth. The travelers remounted grudgingly and followed the lord’s carriage onto the snow covered path once more.

             
The falcon looked to the gray sky and sighed. The air held only cold, but he set his air shield letting his own body slowly heat the containment of his magic. It was a meager help for a day best spent inside and warm, however. At least it didn’t look likely to snow too soon, he thought.

             
Another day slowly passed as the travelers made their way east. The foothills continued to rise as they progressed along the meager road and the need to climb the many hills mixed with the fresh snows made for even slower going. Trees began to grow closer together around the road with uncut brush filling the gaps creating thick barriers to movement and sight. The path wound up and through the hills, but all around them now was wilderness. Man’s presence was much less known in the hills and mountains between the keeps despite the hills being south of the great wall. The distance between Falcon’s Keep and Windmeer was just too great and no towns would dare put themselves too far north without the protection of a castle keep. So the wilderness and all its assorted creatures were left to rule this land.

             
The paw prints of wolves were often spotted in the snow. Even the mizard with his limited knowledge of the woods could figure out the tracks this time. Evidence of deer could be discerned where they pawed up the snow for whatever sustenance they could get from the grasses and brush underneath. There were also nibbled bushes brushed clean of snow where they had eaten. An occasional bird could be seen in the air far above them or off in the distance when the wilderness allowed the sight. Most of the winged creatures would have migrated farther to the south to Marianis or Sileoth or perhaps one of the lesser island nations where the weather would be milder and food more plentiful, but there were still some hardy souls willing to survive the winter until the spring thaws would come once more.

             
The travelers passed the time as best they could as they rode. Wizards and mages practiced minor magic or chatted with each other while their horses continued to push through the snow. Then there were the soldiers and mages who would practice with their weapons to help create more warmth in their limbs or a pair of them would move to scout ahead of the main party.

             
Only Sebastian had the ability to scout significant distances ahead with his magic and that was only a recent development thanks to his break through in air magic. Twice during the day, Sebastian handed over his reins to Rilena and let his mind ride the winds. He could cover dozens of miles quickly and climb through the hills unencumbered by the obstacles they faced on the snow covered earth. Horse legs and carriage wheels were forced to fight through snow a foot or more high, while his mind could ride the winds freely. Unfortunately the higher they climbed, the travelers only seemed to find more snow on the ground and the way slowed even more. That was the reason few Southwallers would travel in the winter away from the cities and towns.

             
Returning his mind to his body, Sebastian would see Rilena start with his returned consciousness. A slight bit of jealousy intermingled with surprise in the eyes of his fellow battle mages as well, he thought. It was like that with most of the spells that he found hard to pass along. His flexibility and knowledge seemed to isolate him from the others more and more, even as his people demanded more spells from him. His wind riding soon became just a simple diversion from life on the ground since there was little more to see than the snow covered scenery of the wintry hills. Despite his attempts, Sebastian had no news to truly report as he scouted the road ahead. Such a thing was good news, of course. There were no packs of wolves or dark things from north of the wall in the area, so all was well with their path other than the snow.

             
The evening found them setting up tents and using a small way station cabin designed to help travelers on their trip between the keeps. This one hadn’t been visited in quite awhile but there was still wood stacked beside the building for a fire. The mizard himself started the fire in the fireplace which was quickly enjoyed by Lord Romonus as he shoved his way inside and the rest of his party quickly joined him from the carriage. Even thick log walls and covered windows could not keep the riders very warm in the heart of winter, however. As cold as they were inside, the falcon knew the soldiers and guardsmen were probably even more so in their tents.

             
“Well at least the ambassador didn’t try kicking us all out into the snow,” Rilena had said in a wry whisper into Sebastian’s ear as she watched the Kardorians huddled closely to the fire.

             
They did have to set up dividers inside the cabin using fabric stretched across wooden frames kept along the walls for such things. The lord had his own bed and was partitioned from the rest on the far side of the cabin. Divided between the three remaining beds, the wizards, mages and Helena had to double or triple up or simply use the floor in their bedrolls.

             
After a small shared meal, the travelers quickly found their places in the light cast by the fire. Rilena and Markun lay in their sleeping bags on either side of Sebastian. The floor didn’t really bother him too much, though it was a bit cooler than lying on top of a bed.

             
As Sebastian lay trying to calm his mind for sleep, he couldn’t help remembering a similar trip and another girl lying by his side. Yara was a wizard’s apprentice. A petite, little blond with green eyes, she was also warm hearted which might be expected from someone in a healer’s guild. They had ridden along together most of their trip to the wall and even before the first day was half over they were already close friends. The first night they had been driven inside a cabin because of rain, and they had found that they had too many travelers for too few beds that night as well. Nearly sharing their bed rolls as they lay down, she had quickly found her way into his blankets to snuggle up to him for warmth. Nothing had happened then and even well after they could never take their relationship to the next level so long as Yara was an apprentice, but they had come to be in love.

             
Then winter approached and Sebastian was called to Falcon’s Keep while Yara returned to White Hall for more training. Southwall’s defenders often found themselves being separated from the various keeps and the friends they had made. White Hall had been his home for nearly a third of his life, but once he began his movement from cadet to falcon, then Sebastian was officially in the main forces and could be called on at any time and anywhere.

             
He breathed out in a quiet sigh.

             
Listening for the noises in the darkened cabin, the young man could hear the deep breathing and the occasional light snores from around him. Rilena next to him shifted closer seeking warmth, he guessed, since she was definitely sleeping. It wasn’t the same as it had been with Yara. The female battle mage, though attractive, was more like a sister to him. With thoughts of Yara still tickling the back of his mind and the warmth of Rilena beside him, Sebastian finally surrendered to sleep.

             
The next two days saw much of the same. They would travel up and down the hilly path, even as they steadily climbed ever higher. Snow fell lightly on the second day both adding to the barrier along the ground as well as muffling their senses to the world around them.

             
It fell to Sebastian and his magic to check the hills and nearby mountains for hazards that they could not easily see. Using his mind to ride the winds, which was becoming more natural with each trip, the mizard was on one such reconnaissance mission when he felt a disturbance in the higher foothills to the south of them. The feeling of magic being used in great strength called to him like a beacon.

             
Moving steadily towards the source of the disturbance, the mage witnessed a dark form flit past his eddy of wind. Climbing upwards, he could have sworn that he had just witnessed a gargoyle of the legendary mar’goyn’lya, except that it defied the descriptions that all the texts had said of them. The previous summer he had even fought a pair of the Fallen, gargoyles born with no wings, and their skin had been gray as granite. This creature was covered in a black fur. Nearly bat like in coloring; it also seemed less like a gargoyle in form. A lighter frame than that of the Fallen, it was similar to a man in that it had legs that were designed for standing when on land. Arms that could be used for tools or weapons shot from the shoulders which had the variation of a pair of wings jutting from the shoulder blades.

             
Choosing to ignore the creature for the moment, the mage searched for the source of the magic that had disturbed him. It took several minutes even in his mind form to find it, but when he did, Sebastian wanted to gasp. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the power led him to a strange gathering. Several hooded figures gathered around a large stone, squared and shaped with runes, chanting. Bound to the stone was the struggling form of an orc, it’s bark like skin a deep brown with yellow eyes bulging distinctively on his face. Even as Sebastian watched, one of the figures stepped closer to the struggling creature. The orc’s yellow eyes seemed to widen even more and it began to thrash hard against its confining ropes. Shouting defiance or perhaps for mercy, the orc could only watch as the figure raised a hand over his head. A copper dagger seemed to flash despite the gray light of the snowy day. Runes shimmering unnaturally along its edge, the dagger plunged into the beast’s stomach and slowly cut its way upward towards the orc’s chest. Screaming in unintelligible pain, the creature’s belly gushed with blood and guts even as the runes of the dagger and altar began to glow.

             
The chanting grew louder even as the creature’s screams rose to a feverous pitch. In its pain, the orc didn’t see the sudden flash on the hill a mere ten feet away, but the mizard saw it. A shimmering doorway eight feet across and nearly as high formed touching the ground but remained otherwise unsupported in the clear air. Like a golden rectangle it stood there, unframed, with no depth to it, and yet Sebastian knew it was a doorway.

             
Even as he watched, the golden light began to ripple with varying sizes of dark shapes that quickly coalesced into nearly human in appearance. The shadows suddenly had hands or feet, though of green and brown, which were followed by the rest of the bodies of orcs and their smaller, green cousins, the goblins, all armed for battle. Many were carrying packs in addition to their armor. As Sebastian watched, more and more poured out of the gateway to begin to form a loose unit filling the cleared area and spreading down the hill.

             
Mules loaded with supplies or at least creatures that appeared to be scaled or furred versions of pack animals were soon led from the golden light. He even spotted tools stuck out where they had been secured in the large packs thrown over the beasts.

             
This was more than just a rogue army. If the mage’s hunch was correct, this force was here to stay and build. Build what he could not be sure, but if the Dark One’s minions were here then that could only mean more trouble for Southwall.

              Sebastian’s eyes came open and alert as his mind returned in a rush. Looking quickly for Markun, the mage spied the man nearby and quickly stated, “Trouble.”

             
He beckoned for the wizards to come closer as well. They had noted his return and the single word had been said loud enough for them all to hear.

             
“What is it?” Markun asked as his eyes began searching for trouble in the gray curtain of snow that surrounded them. The snow had become even heavier while he was gone.

             
“There are at least a hundred goblins and orcs along with the sorcerers that summoned them less than a mile south of us. We need to try and get word back to Falcon’s Keep. They look like they’ve sent workers along with the soldiers. I think they plan to build something,” Sebastian answered worriedly.

             
Frowning, Markun glanced back in the direction they had come and the far off Falcon’s Keep that he knew to lie there. “We could try sending a rider or two back, though at best speed, and barring no injuries to the horse, it would take at least two days and, unless you have more, our information is sketchy except for their presence. Were you able to figure out where they were heading?”