Darkness Falls (Tales of the Wolf) (18 page)

“There are only one or two reasons I could come up with for a bunch of kids to toil day after day with those three challenges.”

“And they are?”

“Gladiators or assassins.”

“Very good. I think I’m going to like you Isengrim.”
Darnac’s grin was huge and genuine as he stood up. “Come, let us wake the others. We have much to do before the first full moon.” The Blademaster handed him a brown crystal. “Place this on each of their foreheads until it blinks red three times.”

Gray held it up and looked at it.

Darnac explained as he demonstrated the techniques used to activate the device. “It is a
murena lapis
…a lamprey stone and it will absorb any and all poisons.”

Once Gray understood the process, he helped his Döcent revive the others.

*    *    *   *    *

Just before dawn, Darnac lead his Cöterie back to the fortress and down into the Scar. They traveled miles and miles along ledges and through tunnels, always in the dark with only the occasional torch to light the way. It was times like this when Gray realized how much he took his half-elven nightvision for granted. He could tell that they had doubled back several times but kept that knowledge to himself. He might be friends with the rest of the kids but if his suspicions were correct about Kralm’s ultimate goal, and judging from Darnac’s reactions they were, he needed to start separating himself from them. It would be easier in the long run.

Darnac paused when he reached a bas-relief sculpture of a scorpion. Turning back to his Cöterie, the Blademaster lifted up his medallion. “This is the only entrance into our lair. From this moment forward this is your only safe ground.” He pointed at a dark skinned young man to Gray’s left. “Slave, what is your name?”

The young man looked around for a second before replying, “Nergüi…Döcent.”

“Place your hand on the sculpture.”

Nergüi did as he was ordered and nothing happened.

Darnac shook his head. “The other hand. The one with your signüm on it.”

Bowing his head sheepishly, Nergüi switched hands and watched in amazement as the sculpture slid into the floor revealing a dark portal behind it.

Darnac did not look back as he stepped through. Seconds later, everyone followed him into the common room of the Wolf’s Den where a young dark-elf was waiting. He seemed to be about Gray’s age and size with ebony skin and raven hair. He was wearing black leather armor and had a strange black stick strapped across his back. The Blademaster gestured to the young man. “This is Galvorn, my onus. He’ll be training with you. By his mother’s decree, he will become a Sicárii or die in the attempt.”

Gray could not stop himself from asking, “Sicárii?”

Darnac rewarded his curiosity with a little smile. “It’s plural for Sicárius or dagger-men. Think of them as part gladiators and part assassins. You will train from sun down to sun up every day. Although you will actually train with each of the Döcent, that will not start until after the full moon. Between now and then, you will begin to walk my path.”

Darnac reached over to the side, pulled out an iron bound chest and set it on the table. When opened it revealed dozens of straight bladed daggers with ebony handles in black sheaths. As the blademaster passed them out, he kept talking. “This is a sicáe, the ritual dagger of the Sicárii. From this moment forward you are to never be without it, on pain of death.”

Gray pulled clear the blade and noticed that there was black etching on the silver blade. “Saguinem et Mortem?”

Judging from the looks that the other kids were giving him, none of the others could tell what it said. It was then that he realized how rare it was that he could read but then, Rjurik and Anasazi had been adamant about giving him a well-rounded education.

Once again, Darnac graced him with a smile. “Blood and Death, the code of the Sicárii, the promise of what your future holds.”

The Blademaster began the process of pairing off children and pointing them to their sleeping areas. It was obvious that he purposely paired Galvorn and Gray together.

“Tomorrow, everyone will be down in this common room one hour before dusk and I shouldn’t have to mention it but I will…do not wander outside the den. You are the Shadow Wolves…the night hunters. Now, off you go. Get cleaned up and plenty of rest. You will find bathing areas near your rooms and clothing on your bunks. Do not return to this common room naked again.”

As everyone departed, the Blademaster held back Galvorn and Graytael. Once they were alone, Darnac turned on his onus and his face became filled with rage. “What in the name of Hecate are you doing carrying your falinnsverõ? Was I not clear earlier in the day that the only weapon you are allowed until you graduate is the sicáe?”

Galvorn lowered his head. “Yes Kënnári, you were. It’s just…”

The Blademaster held up his hand to forestall anything else the young dark elf had to say. “You know that I don’t like excuses.” He held out his hand. “Give it here.”

Galvorn did as he was told and pulled off his harness and swords. 

Darnac pointed at nearby door. “Ten laps around the Lüdüs, including the stairs.” As the young dark elf moved toward the door, the Blademaster pointed at Gray. “You too Isengrim. You and Ga
lvorn are now an Aciês, a battle-edge unit. Where one goes, the other must. You two will share glories and failures together from now until you graduate or one of you dies.” Darnac reached over to the side and threw a leather harness his way. “Get dressed and catch up to him.”

Gray nodded his head and slipped on the outfit.

It did not cover much, just his privates but it did have a wide leather belt that covered his midsection, studded leather shoulder pads and a harness that crossed over his chest in an ‘X’ pattern. He had to admit that it felt good to have clothes again but after a year of constantly being naked, it also felt strange.

He tucked his dagger into the harness and silently followed the young dark elf. It seemed that he and Galvorn would be spending a lot of time together. The dark elf was grumbling under his breath as he stomped through the doorway. Gray did not understand a single word since he was speaking in his native tongue. 

“Wait up!” he called and the dark elf paused.

Galvorn looked back over his shoulder. “Sorry about this Grim, I’m used to carrying all my weapons. It was how I was raised, to be ready for an attack at any time.”

Gray nodded. “I understand. I too have found it strange over the last year to be weaponless.”

The dark elf just nodded as they stepped onto the sand. “This is the Lüdüs Lupus, the training arena of the wolf.”

Gray paused and looked around. The Lüdüs was basically a large round room filled with many devices and instruments that he didn’t recognize. Although he did notice that there were racks upon racks of weapons ranging from swords of all sizes to staves and polearms.

Galvorn tapped him on the shoulder. “Come on…let’s get started.”

“Lead on.”

The two young warriors began running laps. The deep sand made the run more challenging than Gray would have thought but still they ran. At one point in each lap, they ducked through a doorway and dashed up the stairs. Reaching the top, Galvorn touched the brass gong hanging there and ran back down. Gray was only a few steps behind him and copied his actions.

*    *    *   *    *

Hecate, the ebony skinned goddess of the night, looked down at the two young warriors and smiled. “It is good that these two should meet this way.”

Luna the moon goddess nodded. “So true, I must admit that I feared they would first meet on the field of battle.”

Her remark caught the attention of Minos the horned god of war. His oxen hooves clicked on the marble stones as he crossed over to the enchanted pool of scrying. “And what’s wrong with the field of battle?”

Luna placed a gentle hand on the huge and volatile minotaur. “Nothing dear brother and I didn’t mean it that way. I had just feared that given who Galvorn’s mother is that he would be cruel and malicious.”

Hecate grinned. “And if she had actually raised him that would be how he was but since she shunted that burden over to the Blademaster, he is more of a free-thinker. Not that I’m complaining, at least Darnac is a follower. Not as devoted as I would like but at least he still pays me lip service.”

Minos gazed down on the puny mortals. It truly galled him to think that their fate lie in their hands. But it did and the problem was how to best help them.

It was a problem the Dhyana discussed daily.

Chapter 20

Gray and Galvorn finished their run in silence each lost in their own thoughts. They were sweaty and tired but not exhausted. Returning to the Wolf’s Den, Galvorn gestured to the east doorway and ducked into the first room.

Gray paused at the door and took in the layout of the room.

It was small, just barely big enough for two bunks, and on the walls were pegs to hang their weapons and clothing. Before he stepped in, Gray glanced down the hallway. There were five doors on each side and one at the end of the hall.

Galvorn nodded to the distant door. “That’s our bath house.”

“Are all the rooms the same?”

“Aye, the same down the west corridor also.”

Gray quickly did the math. They had bunks enough for forty but only twenty-three had been chosen to be part of the Shadow Wolves. Well, twenty-four counting his bunk mate.

“We full on this side or the other?”

“West side. I’m not sure why we got the least number of members.”

Gray shrugged. “Does it really matter?”

“It will during the Cërtatüs.”

“The what?”

“The Cërtatüs, it means contest. Once a year each Lüdüs will be pitted against another school. From what Darnac has let slip, it could be a straight up fight between prize Aciês or the entire Lüdüs against a rival school.” Galvorn shrugged, “All I know is that I do not want to let my Kënnári down…not now, not ever.”

Gray cocked his head to the side. “That’s the second time you’ve used the elvish term for Master when referring to the Blademaster. Have you served him long?

“I thought I’d been careful about using that term. It just comes so natural.” Galvorn shrugged. “It seems like he’s been by my side as long as I can remember. My parents really didn’t have time for me, so Darnac both raised and trained me.”

“I can see why you wouldn’t want to let him down.” Gray tried to suppress a yawn but failed “We’ll make him proud. After all, we are the Shadow Wolves.”

That remark brought a smile to his partner’s face and the two new friends lay down to get some much-needed sleep.

*    *    *   *    *

The next week was strange to the young slaves in several ways. First off, they were used to working from sun up to sun down. Now they were expected to train from dusk to dawn. It sounded so simple but they quickly discovered that some sleep patterns are hard to change. However, there were four students that seemed to thrive at night; Gray, Galvorn, Nergüi and a big brute named Dovan. Unfortunately for the last two, since they were not an Aciês together, they suffered due to their partners’ lack of adaptability. That was until Darnac made them partners. 

Then, there was Lüdüs. They climbed, ran, tumbled, jumped and anything else that Darnac could imagine for them to do in the training hall, always with their sicáe in hand. Anyone that dropped their weapon or left their partner behind suffered the Blademaster’s wrath.

Darnac was fair, firm and understanding. He took the time to fully explain every facet of whatever skill or technique they were working on. He would even answer any question, no matter how
trivial but he would not tolerate laziness or cockiness. Whenever a student would get too comfortable with a technique, he would have them try it on him. If they were lazy or overconfident, he would quickly counter and deliver a gentle whack to back of their heads; a simple reminder that he could have killed them easily.

They focused almost entirely on use of the sicáe, as both an offensive and defensive weapon. The Blademaster hinted at more intensive training to come but left it at that. Gray had been training as a warrior since he could walk or, as Rjurik would say it, ‘knee-high to a grasshopper’ but it was no where near as extensive as what he was going through. Each morning, the entire Cöterie would stumble back to the den and collapse.

Once again, Gray found himself looking out for those around him. If someone fell asleep in the common room, he would carry them back to their room. Of course, he would also give their partner a gentle reminder about leaving him behind. Rarely did he have to remind anyone more than once.

Galvorn found this practice odd. “Grim…why do you look after them? You do realize that one day we may have to fight them to survive, right?”

Gray shrugged. “Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been looking after them for the past year and it’s become a habit.” He stopped what he was doing and turned to face his partner. “Actually its more the fact that I believe a team is stronger than an individual. Besides, we are the Shadow Wolves.”

Galvorn cocked his head to the side. “And what does that have to do with anything?”

Gray sat down on the couch and steepled his hands together as he collected his thoughts. He wanted to open up to his dark elf partner but something in his soul still urged caution. “I had a teacher once that spent much of his time in the wilderness. He taught me that wolves are apex predators or alpha hunters. Not because of their ferocity but because they work together as a pack. No one wolf can take down a buffalo or a large elk but the pack working in unison can bring down prey three or four times larger and stronger than a wolf.”

Before Galvorn could say anything, the voice of their Döcent echoed through the nearly empty common room. “Very good Isengrim, I was hoping someone would realize that.”

Both young warriors jumped up and snapped to attention with their feet together, hands by their sides and back straight. Only their heads were lowered, out of respect and self-preservation. No slave was supposed to look his or her master in the eyes; it would be seen as disrespectful.

“At ease,” replied Darnac. Climbing into one of the padded chairs, he waved his hands in a silent invitation. “Sit. I insist.”

Once the pair of warriors joined him, the Blademaster began talking. “I had numerous choices to use as our Lüdüs Signüm. I choose the wolf for several reasons.”

Now that Darnac was sitting and chatting with them, Galvorn seemed more relaxed and chatty. “I wondered why you just didn’t use your personal symbol of crossed swords and flame.”

“That is the reason.”

“Huh?”

Darnac grinned. “It’s personal. It’s mine and mine alone. It represents a very tumultuous event in my past. I chose it as a symbol to remind me that every decision has consequences, for good or ill.”

Gray sat quietly. The Blademaster had let something personal slip and he filed his remark away.

The deadly dark elf warrior faced his onus, his burden. “But back to the reasons I chose the wolf as our symbol. Like Isengrim, I admire how the wolf hunts and works as a pack. There is a hierarchy in the wolfpack, ranging from the alpha male or leader all the way down to the omega or jokester of the pack. Every member of the pack knows its place and works together for the betterment of the pack, not the individual wolf.”

Gray nodded. “You want us to work together.”

“Yes. Although it may make some missions we undertake in the future seem more difficult, I believe in the long run we will be stronger for it.”

Galvorn rubbed his chin. “You didn’t choose it to piss off my father?”

That remark caught Gray’s attention. “Your father?”

“Blackfang, he’s a Highland warrior of great renown.”

Gray felt the room spin as he realized that Galvorn’s father was one of the two people responsible for his parents’ death. If Blackfang was his father and Galvorn looked like a dark elf that meant that Lalith the Dark Lady was his mother. That was when another realization hit him. According to what Rjurik and Anasazi had told him, Blackfang was his father’s brother. From all the stories, Blackfang had also raped his mother and had been the actual seed of her pregnancy. Only by the intervention of the Dhyana had his father’s soul been grafted to his unborn fetus. Which meant that Galvorn was both his half-brother and cousin.

Luckily, the two dark elves were not paying close attention to him at the moment. Gray swallowed hard and tried to focus on their conversation.

Darnac leaned back and placed both hands behind his head. “I’ll admit that his discomfort was a bonus to my choice.”

Galvorn grinned. “I figured that. You know, I’ve never understood why he doesn’t like you.”

“Gal…I’ll be honest with you. I don’t like your father. He’s a simple brute. Yes, he has a certain craftiness about him that’s admirable. Other than that, he is a bully and I don’t have respect for any warrior that uses their strength or skill at arms on the weak and defenseless. And he knows it.”

“But you answer to him.”

Darnac shook his head. “No, I answer to your mother and not by choice.”

Gray noticed that the blademaster fingered a silver necklace of beads as he made that remark. Once again, he figured there was more to the story than the dark elf was telling but it was not his place to ask…at least not yet. However, he did have a suspicion concerning his visit and chose to vocalize that.

“Sir, I’m doubtful your visit here is only a social call but concerns tonight’s challenge?”

“I’m starting to like you more and more Isengrim.”
Darnac grinned.

Neither the Blademaster nor the half-elf witnessed the flash of jealousy in Galvorn’s eye at that remark.

“But you’re right. Tonight is the first Cërtatüs. The challenge starts at midnight but I want everyone clean shaven, well-rested and on the sands an hour after dusk.”

The Blademaster stood and the two warrior-slaves copied his actions.

“Do we know who’s competing tonight?” asked Galvorn.

“Yes,” Darnac nodded but did not volunteer any other information.

Gray read the answer in his eyes and body language. “All of us.”

Darnac gave a solemn nod. “Listen closely. Tonight’s contest is the only one that is not supposed to be to the death but honestly, I don’t trust the other Döcents, especially that damned gnome.”

Galvorn seemed to wave off his Kënnári’s concerns. “Espen wouldn’t dare defy my mother.”

Darnac slapped him on the back of the head. “Wake up! There is no love lost between your mother and any of the Döcents, except maybe that elf lord Mortharona. The rest, including myself, are here under duress. Both Chikk and Espen would enjoy seeing your mother suffer. Although Chikk has too much personal honor to act against her through you but I can’t say that about Espen.”

As Galvorn pondered his words, Gray leaned in and asked, “I assume that there is a point you are trying to make with all this?”

“Yes, survive at all cost…both of you. Somehow, you two are the key to the future of the Dark Alliance. I don’t know how or why but I feel it.” With that last statement, the Blademaster departed and left the two young warriors with plenty to think about.

*    *    *   *    *

Galvorn and Gray had the whole Cöterie on the sand early. Everyone was somber and serious, even the normally feisty few. They could sense that something was different about tonight’s training session even if the two unofficial leaders would not tell them anything. They were all sitting cross-legged in the sands in a semi-circle around their Döcent who was seated in the center in the lotus position with hands on his knees and eyes closed; seemingly oblivious to the world around him. Even before the Blademaster opened his eyes, he began talking.

“Tonight is your first Cërtatüs. These contests are very important. Not only will your victories bring honor to your Cöterie, you will bring honor to your Aciês and to yourselves. Every year on the night of the first dark moon, there will be a Cërtatüs. Count this as a fact. Some of you will not live to graduate from the Lüdüs, this is also a fact. Each Cërtatüs will be your chance to prove you have what it takes to be Sicárii.”

Dovan asked the question many were thinking. “What happens to those who fail?”

Darnac opened his eyes and smiled. It was not a warm smile. “If you are still alive, you will be transferred to other units in the Dark Alliance.” He shrugged. “Some of you might even thrive in those units but then, you won’t be Sicárii.” He paused and absentmindedly fingered the silver beaded necklace he wore. “Right now that doesn’t mean much to you. It is just a title, an unfamiliar term. But trust me, even a slave can live a life of honor and purpose.”

Darnac stood up. “From tonight on, your life and training will change. You will be ranked by the Dôminus on your performance tonight. This ranking will influence your privileges. The higher the ranking, the more liberties you will have. Additionally, after tonight you will begin interacting with the other students and learning from the other Döcent. My advice, listen and learn from everyone but beware of who you trust. Even someone you call a friend can and will betray you for the right price.”

The young slaves pondered his words. Some like Galvorn and Graytael actually understood the depth of what he said and more importantly, what he did not say. When Gray looked around, he realized that most did not truly understand but they would soon learn, one way or the other.

Darnac pulled out a chest full of dark grey hoods. “These are your Tergum.” As he began to pass them out, he spied Gray’s upraised eyebrows and realized the question he wanted to ask. “It means to hide. From this day forward, you are not to be seen outside the common area uncovered. Your rivals will also be covered but each Cöterie has chosen a different style. I will leave it to you to figure out which one is which.”