Daughter of Hauk (The Raven Chronicles Book 1) (30 page)

              “What do you think that was all about?”  Arwenna’s whispered voice cut through the silence.

              Barek pulled a chair nearer to the door and sat down. “No clue, but there’s something going on around here that’s not good. I guess we’ll have to wait for him to come back up to find out more.”

              A small knock on the door made everyone jump. Barek carefully cracked the door, peering out before opening it to admit the stable boys with their packs. “Master Bren said to let you know he’d be up here within an hour at most,” one of the boys told Barek quietly.

              Nodding his head, Barek waited for them to leave and relocked the door. Y’Dürkie finished with the fire and sat back on one of the beds. “Vhatever is goink on, I do not think it is goink to be good. Ve need to be ready to run if necessary.”  

              A short rap on the door broke through the silence that had descended on the room. Barek unlocked the door to admit the innkeeper, his arms weighed down with a tray full of food and drink. Locking the door behind him, Barek helped the man place the tray on the table.

              “Please, all of you, eat. I cannot be gone long, so we must talk while we can. Too many eyes looking out for suspicious activity.”  Bren motioned them to partake of the tray while he slumped in a chair.

              Arwenna spoke up first, “What’s going on, Master Bren?  Why hurry us up here and hide us like this?  What was the business about refugees?”

              Bren rubbed at his eyes wearily, “The city’s been gradually flooded with refugees from a war in the south, not far from Tanisal. They say that Tanisal has been overtaken by a demon lord and his minions. There are wild tales of families escaping in the night after the graveyards started erupting with undead. Others say there’s a massive killing field a few days out of the woods that surround the city, with bodies strewn about or crucified. Tales of undead creatures that are attacking farms in the daylight. The land itself is becoming dead. Crops have been failing, withering away to brown, insect-ridden fields almost overnight. That much I can believe, as there’s a shortage of food in the city. Everything’s starting to be in short supply here. Inns are filling up, and the Duke expects us to house everyone for pennies. Food, wood, everything is scarce. He’s trying to keep things in order, but hoarding and looting are starting to run rampant. People are turning against each other, hoping to gain a little more food for their children if they turn someone in for hoarding.”

              Barek looked at Arwenna, the horror in her face evident. “That explains a lot, Bren, but not why you had to hurry us up here like you did. What else is going on?”

              “When I got word from Capt. Wolfgang that you all were back, I took precautions. That’s one of the wilder stories that is circulating. That the bunch of you stole something of great importance, a gem of some kind. The reward to find the three of you and bring you to Tanisal in chains is quite high. Just about anyone in the city would be willing to give it a try.”

              “They want three of us in chains?”  Arwenna asked quietly. “Dare I ask which three?”

              Bren looked at her, a great sadness crossing his face. “Actually, rumor has it that those two,” he pointed at Barek and Y’Dürkie, “can be brought back as nothing but a head or two. It’s you they want alive, Milady. They don’t say anything about that other gentleman you have with you. But the descriptions given out are quite good. It’s going to be difficult for the bunch of you to make it out of town without a fight.”

              “You’re taking a big risk, Bren, by hiding us here. Or do you want the reward for yourself?”  Barek didn’t try to hide the movement of his hand towards his sword.

              “Wolfgang and I go way back. If he says you’re good folk, I do what I can to help. But we need to get you out and heading north to safety tonight if we can.”

              “Ve are not heading north. Our business is to the south.” Y’Dürkie spoke softly, but her voice was iron.

              Bren looked at Barek in amazement. “You can’t be serious!  You can’t be taking a lady like that,” he waved a hand towards Arwenna, “into a war zone!  Not when she’s being hunted! Use your head, man!”

              “As my companion says, our business is to the south. Arwenna’s stronger than she looks. A good deal of whether or not we win this war rests on her being able to finish her task in it. She’s fairly stubborn, too. If she wants to go south, we go south. There won’t be any talking her out of it.”  Barek looked at Bren. The seriousness of his words slowly washed over the innkeeper.

              Visibly giving up the fight, the innkeeper rose. “Very well. I’ve got some friends with the local thieves’ guild. It’s going to cost you, but they’ll be able to get you all out of the city. Just be ready to go. Once they get the plan together, they’ll move you very quickly. I’d stay in this room until then. You didn’t talk to anyone on the way in, did you?”  Concern laced his voice again.

              Arwenna blinked a little, “I gave some coins to a few families in the streets.”

              “You did wha???  Okay, we definitely need to get you out once it’s dark. Word will spread like mad that someone’s being charitable, and they’ll make sure your description is circulated along with it. Stay here; I’ll be back when it’s time to move.”  He grabbed the remnants of their meal and scurried out the door as Barek held it open for him.

              Letting out an explosive breath, Barek leaned against the locked door. “That was interesting to say the least.”

              He turned his attention to Arwenna as she spoke. “Corse must be afraid of the Gem for some reason. Or he wants it for his own.” 

              “It vill not submit to him, but he does not know that.”  Y’Dürkie absently rubbed a finger over the Gem embedded in the pommel of her sword. “I do not think Corse understands exactly vhat the Gem can do. It is never goink to vork the vay he vants it to.”

              “Well, that’s something at least. We won’t have to worry about the thing flying out of your sword in the middle of battle and embedding itself into Corse’s forehead or anything.”  Joss’ calm voice grated in Barek’s ear.

              “What now, Barek?  Do we stay here and wait for a way out, or do you have something else in mind?”  Arwenna stifled a yawn. “I think getting out of here is fairly high priority.”

              “I’m not sure we have much choice but to wait for the thieves’ guild to get us out of here. I don’t have any better ideas, and we’re not going to be able to fight our way out. Rest if you can, it may be some hard riding for the next few days.”  He settled back into the chair by the door while Y’Dürkie found a spot near the windows. He watched Arwenna as she slept, snuggled up to Joss. His thoughts were his own.

Chapter Thirty-Three

             
“
A
rwenna, wake up. We need to leave now.”  Joss’ voice roused her enough that she opened her eyes. Everyone was wearing the grey cloaks Master Bren had loaned them. She quickly grabbed her cloak, her mind willing her body to wake up. She followed Barek out the door and down the hallway.

              Moving quickly and quietly, they skirted the edges of the common room. Most of the tables had been moved aside, sleeping forms on the floor where the tables should be. The fire had burned low, making it difficult for anyone watching to see who was leaving at such an hour.

              Their horses waited out in the courtyard, but their guide motioned for them to lead them instead of riding. He gestured for them to follow him to a back part of the stables. There, behind a carriage that had been pushed aside, was a tunnel leading downwards. He handed Barek a torch, signaling him to descend into the tunnel. Another swift motion with his hand prompted Arwenna to follow.

              She kept pace with Barek as he maneuvered through the narrow passageway. He stopped in a large cavern, with five different tunnels leading out from it, and waited. Arwenna heard the sounds of the carriage being moved and a door being shut and latched. What meager light had filtered down to them through the entrance disappeared. Their guide reappeared, taking the torch from Barek. “My name is Thadeous, and I’ll be your tour guide tonight. You can leave the cloaks here; we’ll make sure they get back to Bren. Please keep pace. This is going to be difficult enough without my having to find one or more of you if you get lost.”  With that, he turned and headed into one of the tunnels to the right.

              The wet stone reflected the torchlight, making it easy to keep up with Thadeous. He kept a steady pace, never hesitating about which tunnel to lead them down next. After what seemed like hours, he motioned for them to stop. “We’re almost out. When you come out, you’ll be in some brush about a mile out of town. Dawn’s fast approaching, so I’d recommend getting mounted quickly and ride hard once you reach the road or the guard might come after you. They’re a little more motivated these days to chase people, and rumor has it that you’re all fairly popular. If the Guild wasn’t indebted to Bran and Wolfgang, we would’ve turned you in ourselves.”  He carefully extinguished the torch and waited for the smoke to subside before moving toward the exit and unbarring it.

              The glow of the predawn sky filtered down to them as Thadeous quickly motioned for them to head out. Arwenna handed him a ruby the size of a small rock as she passed him in silent thanks. She had left a sapphire of the same approximate size in the room for Bren. Without a word, she led her horse out into the growing light.

              Barek was already mounted and scanning the area for trouble when Arwenna emerged. Their guide’s warning fresh in their minds, all of them mounted quickly. Arwenna briefly looked towards Joss and Y’Dürkie, making sure they were ready, before giving Barek the go ahead to lead the way.

              The path ahead was narrow, the overgrowth above giving them a good deal of cover. It was slow going, adding to Arwenna’s nervousness. With all the rumors flying about the city, she wanted to be as far away from there as possible.

              Arwenna caught the sound of whispered conversation between Joss and Y’Dürkie. Looking back, she saw Joss watching her and then nodding in response to something Y’Dürkie told him. Puzzled, she watched as Y’Dürkie rode past her in silence, only to start speaking very quietly to Barek. Turning back to Joss, she watched him dart silently into the woods. She snapped her head towards the front to see Barek waiting for her and Y’Dürkie slinking off in a different direction from the one Joss had taken. She rode up alongside Barek. Before she could get a word out, however, he held up a hand to silence her.

              “When I say ride, start riding hard. Stay with me. If you so much as look back, I’ll throw you over my saddle and you can ride that way. I’ll explain when it’s safe.”  She saw his jaw clench like it normally did before a battle.

              They moved ahead at a slow walk, keeping their horses side by side. Arwenna’s eyes darted everywhere, unsure of what might come leaping out at her. When the road came into sight, Barek barked               “Now, Arwenna!”  She gave her horse a mighty kick and it took off at a full gallop. Barek followed right beside her.

              She heard the sounds of people caught by surprise as she sped through the last section of brush. Y’Dürkie’s battle cry sounded, punctuated by the screams of the dying. Arrows flew just behind her head, but she kept Barek’s warning firmly in mind as she watched the ground fly under her.

              After a mile at a hard gallop, Barek signaled for her to slow down. They dropped to a walk to give their horses time to recover from the run.               Barek took a drink from a water flask and offered it to Arwenna. “We keep going. They’ll catch up tonight. When we find someplace safe to camp, I’ll explain. Not a minute before then. So don’t even ask.” 

              “Damn it, Barek!  I’m not a child!”  Arwenna snapped at him.

              “No, you’re not a child. But right now you’re our best, and only, hope to defeat Corse. You’re going to be protected whether you like it or not. I’m not about to lose you to some lucky bowman!  Now, quiet down and follow me. We’re still close enough to Almair that it’s dangerous.”  He put the flask away and increased to a trot.               Frustrated, she stewed in silence as her horse kept pace with his.

              They rode for the rest of the day in silence. About an hour before nightfall, Barek led her off the road and into a small grove. The icy silence continued as they took care of the horses and started a small fire.

              Barek finally broke the silence. “That Gem Y’Dürkie’s got told her there was a group ahead waiting to ambush us. She thought that she and Joss could overpower them, so she told me to keep you safe and they’d catch up to us tonight.”  Arwenna gave him a stony look from across the fire, not trusting herself to speak. “Look, we know you can take care of yourself. We’re not doing this to keep you out of battle. We’re doing this because you’re the only one of the four of us who has the ability to fight Corse. I don’t care if you like it or not. But my job right now is to get you close enough to that demon so you can do your job. And I can’t do that if you get an arrow between your shoulders.”

              Arwenna hurled a stone into the woods out of frustration. “Why all the secrecy, though?  You could’ve told me this before. I
do
listen to the three of you, even if you don’t believe it.”

              “There wasn’t any time. If they were going to surprise our enemies, they had to move very fast.”  He let out a heavy sigh. “And we knew you’d argue with us. You’re incredibly stubborn. We didn’t have the time to convince you, so we took away any chance of your arguing with us.”

              “I am
not
stubborn!  Just tenacious.”  She let out a small laugh, leaning back against one of several logs Barek had circled the camp with. “You’ve got a point, Barek. And I really will try to stay out of the way of any fights we might have from here on out. It’s just so frustrating!”  She paused, staring at her hands. “There’s so much I can do now, though. I’m going to have to use it to learn how to handle it. I don’t want to be surprised by my own abilities when Corse is standing in front of me.”  She watched Barek give a distracted nod of agreement. “Are the voices back?”

              “Yes, but I can’t make out much of what they’re saying beyond my name. It’s almost like two different voices sometimes. I’m not feeling any compulsions to do something out of character, so I’m not worried about it too much right now.”  He started, motioning Arwenna to be silent.

              Listening carefully, she heard horses coming from the road towards them. Arwenna rose slowly from the ground and began to edge out of the firelight. Catching Barek’s eye, she saw him motion for her to move behind him. He slowly started to draw his great sword out of its scabbard with the other hand.

              “Barek, it is us. You can stand down.”  Y’Dürkie’s voice shattered the tense silence. Arwenna and Barek both relaxed as Y’Dürkie and Joss walked into the firelight. Arwenna quickly embraced both of them in greeting, then began to check them for wounds.

              “We’re both fine, Arwenna.”  Joss laughed at the serious look on her face. “In case you’ve forgotten, I can do some healing as well. I’m just not as good about it as you are.”

              “Yeah, but you are gettink mighty good vith that bow,” Y’Dürkie interjected as she finished tying up her horse. “He had four down before any of the others could even react to hearink the first one drop.” 

              Arwenna and Barek helped them get settled before demanding more details of the fight. “It vas pretty fast, really.”  Y’Dürkie informed them. “Like I said, Joss had four of them down before any of them could react. Those who tried to run from his arrows ran right into me. It did not take long.”

              “We took some time to hide the bodies, though. Wouldn’t do for their employer to find out they didn’t do so well before we put some distance between us and them. There weren’t any clues about who sent them, so we left them under some heavy brush and started off to find the two of you.”  Joss finished up as a brick of cheese was passed around.

              Barek coughed. “How’d you find us so easily?  I was trying not to leave a trail just in case.”

              “Arwenna’s still got that comb of hers. I could find her halfway around the world with that thing on her.”  Joss broke off a piece of cheese and passed it over to Y’Dürkie.

              Arwenna reached back into her braid and pulled out the comb. She slowly turned it over in her hands, a puzzled expression on her face. “But you’re not a cleric of Hauk any more, Joss. How is it you can still hear the beacon?”

              Joss blinked, the puzzlement on his face mirrored her own. “I don’t know. It could be that I’ll always feel it because I did before. It could be something Lexi wanted me to be able to use to find you. Either way, the pull towards you is still very much there.”

              “I don’t like that.”  Barek’s eyes darted to each of them in turn. “If Senyan or Corse got a hold of any of the other clerics that showed up to fight because of that beacon, they could be using it to hone in on you. They’d know we were coming.”

              Sighing, Arwenna nodded her agreement. “You’re right.”  Her mind drifted back to Irini standing near Senyan in the dreams. Before she could stop herself, she tossed the comb into the fire. “It won’t burn. It’s already been through a fire that was much hotter. But it can stay right there until someone else finds it or this is over.”

              “Now we will need to keep an even closer eye on you. You realize that, don’t you?”  Arwenna reluctantly nodded her head, agreeing with Barek’s question.

              “How did you get her settled down after the two of you ran off, Barek?  I thought she vould still be fairly peeved vith us.”  Y’Dürkie grinned at Arwenna.

              “Oh, she was pretty mad. Damn near needed my cloak the entire ride because of the chill she was putting out. We set up camp here and I managed to explain in such a way that she thawed out for the most part.”  Arwenna playfully tossed a chunk of bread at Barek in mock indignation.

              The banter engulfed her like a warm blanket. A sense of happiness came over Arwenna as she drifted off to sleep.

              The warm sunlight emerging over the horizon woke her the next morning. It didn’t take long for them to break camp and reach the road once again. As they traveled south, Arwenna became increasingly alarmed as the landscape changed. Fields that once were fertile and full of grain and corn lay dead, shriveled brown plants reaching up as if desperate for rain. The bodies of cattle, rotting and fly-ridden, waited for the carnivores to come and devour their corpses. An almost overwhelming feeling of despair accompanied the refugees they encountered on the road.

              Arwenna waited on the side of the road with Joss and Y’Dürkie on each side of her while Barek spoke with someone. They had been avoiding most of the refugees, but Barek began to get concerned enough that he wanted some news of what was ahead. She watched him anxiously as he slowly walked his horse back towards them.

              “Master Bren wasn’t lying. It’s even worse than he told us. That man was from Salsburg. The entire town’s been overrun with undead, most of which are able to move in the daylight. Game is scarce, too. The crops and herds have been killed off and most of the wild game has moved up into the mountains. Whatever Senyan’s sending out has them scared more than the dragons in the hills.”  Barek’s face was grim.

              “Any word on D’Mitta and the rest of the army?”  Arwenna asked quietly, fearing the news.

              “Something happened in that field where we fought after we left, but he didn’t know exactly what. He’s heard tales of mass impalements and ghosts that keep fighting each night but never win. The field is haunted by something, that’s for certain. He said most of the local folk will walk for weeks just to go around it.”

              Arwenna drew in a resolute breath. “Haunted I can deal with. If we’re lucky, maybe one or two will even be willing to talk so we can find out what happened.”  She glanced over at Y’Dürkie. “We’ll find out where the clan is, Sister. One way or another, we’ll find them and give them peace if we can.”