Fifthwind (50 page)

Farther
up on the hillside to the west of the tower, Mason and Gordo did
their part chasing down those that broke from the main groups, and
made the mistake of trying to head for the woods without the
protection of numbers. The two veteran soldiers were an impenetrable
barrier of cold, sharp steel. Ben had not seen Mason fight since the
war, but he felt sorry for any that met the business end of the old
soldier's blade. Mason and Gordo complemented each other's moves and
scored a half dozen kills in the first few moments of the assault.

Ben
waited for Kyla's second strike, wondering what energy she could
possibly have left after the expenditure of the first blast. He did
not leave her side but was acting as the groups eyes, watching for
the Man in Gray or other worse, The Core. If any of the Murg were to
make a move for Kyla, he would be her only protection.

Ben
again turned his attention to Mason and Gordo and was pleased to see
that they had not allowed a single Murg to flee past them into the
forest. The once bare hillside was now speckled with the stains of
battle. The two men had counted nearly as many dead as Cobalius, who
was still moving his way through the crowd of unorganized Murg with
surgical precision.

A
slight shimmer in the air was the only warning of the sudden
appearance of the Man in Gray and Ben was unable to move quickly
enough to get to Kyla's side. The cloaked man appeared directly
before Kyla and struck her with a savage backhand that sent her
flying several feet into an unconscious heap in the snow.

Ben
had his weapon drawn and was between Kyla and her attacker in a flash
so sudden, he was certain he had inadvertently used his skill to
Shift the several yards to the new position. Beneath the shadow of
the hooded cloak, Ben saw what was clearly a man wearing a dark veil
to conceal his face. The realization that the once ominous figure was
only a man hiding behind a mask, empowered Ben's courage.

Ben
tilted his head toward the tower and destruction below, but did not
take his eyes off of his opponent. "It's not as fun being on the
receiving end, is it?"

The
Man in Gray turned to the limp body of Kyla in the snow, but said
nothing. Then, he cocked his head to one side and laughed. He cut the
laugh unemotionally short and turned back to Ben. Even without words,
his arrogant sarcasm stung.

Ben
held his ground. "The Fahd are strong. This valley will not meet
its end at your hands."

The
cloaked figure threw back his head and laughed again. It was an
unearthly cackle followed by hissed words. "The Fahd are
meaningless, charlatans romanticizing nobility and virtue. Their
pathetic traditions make them weak!"

Ben
pushed forward and attacked with as much speed as he could gather,
but his strike met only empty space where the cloaked man had been,
and he was rewarded for his ineffectual surprise attack with a
powerful blow to the back of his head that made his vision swim. He
fought to maintain consciousness, but his knees buckled and he fell
forward in the snow. The last thing he remembered seeing were the
black boots of the Man in Gray approaching him. The last thing he
remembered thinking was how he had failed Kyla...

Then
all was dark.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Something
damp and cold moved over Ben's face, like the clammy hands of the
death goddess Merra pulling the shroud of eternity over him. He
drifted in a pool of swirling memories, unable to apply any semblance
of time or meaning to the visions. He saw himself patrolling the high
ridges of Farhaven, followed by a wispy image of his commissioning
ceremony with the Royal Kreggorian Guard. Faces passed him by in the
dark void, some that he recognized from points in his life, and
others that appeared as inquisitive strangers.

Then
he saw a young woman. She seemed somehow familiar, as if he should
know her. She was dressed in yellow and had the most beautiful green
eyes. She held out her hands to welcome him, but then there was a
ripple in the void and another figure appeared. A faceless man in a
gray robe grabbed her from behind and pulled her away into the
darkness. Her screams echoed in Ben's ears as he struggled to reach
out for her.

"Kyla!"
burst from his throat as he lurched upright.

A
pair of meaty hands gripped his shoulders and steadied him where he
lay on two tables in the common room of the Masked Pig. "She's here
Ben," Mason said. "She's going to be alright, just a nasty
bruise, and a headache. You've been out for a couple of hours. The
danger has passed."

Cobalius
was also at his side. "The Man in Gray could have easily killed you
both, but didn't. I don't understand why, but you're one lucky young
man today."

Ben's
head was swimming, but at the mention of the Man in Gray, his memory
instantly returned. His ears still rang with the Man in Gray's
twisted laugh, but it was his voice that he had recognized.
"Babbitt!"

Vincent
moved to Ben's side. "We aren't sure where he is. We think that he
may have been killed when the Murg and the Man in Gray took up
residence in his tower."

Ben
push Vincent away and swung his feet off the table and to the floor.
He grabbed Cobalius by the folds of the Fahd's sleeve and said, "It's
Babbitt! The Man in Gray is Babbitt."

Cobalius
nodded, as if he already knew, but there was a collective awkward
silence from the others. The holy man, while strange and even
sometimes annoying, was an unusual fit for the more sinister persona
of the keeper of the Murg.

Ben
reached for his sword. "I saw him. He knows."

Vincent
said, "Not William. He can't be—"

Ben
was harsh with anger and poked a stern finger into Vincent's chest to
emphasize his words, "It's Babbitt! He's behind all of this. He
controls the Murg, and he has killed innocent people."

Cobalius
interrupted, "And he has shown significant ability in the ways of
the Fahd. His skills are strong, but probably limited. This may be
good news for us."

"Good?
How so?" Mason asked. "Why would his skills be limited?"

"If
we're lucky, the problems here in Kishell Springs might just be the
deeds of a single man. The reckless actions of a dissident Fahd; one
who managed to go unnoticed and escape the judgment that befalls
those who do not follow our covenant. The penalty for such treachery
is death."

Vincent
rolled his eyes. "The penalty for killing a town of innocent people
is death! The Fahd don't own the concept of general morality, so tell
us something that we don't already know. What we need is a solution.
How are we going to defend ourselves against him?"

Fahd
Cobalius cupped his hands patiently and remained calm against
Vincent's rant. When the old scholar finished, Cobalius answered
soberly, "He is not of The Core. He can be beaten."

Mason
said, "So, you're saying he's just a man with a few useful skills
and an army of Murg at his calling?"

Cobalius
grinned, "You seem pleased to hear that, Sergeant."

"No
Sorcery?"

"Probably
not. If The Core was here, they would not have allowed Kyla to deal
such a massive blow unanswered. They are spiteful and arrogant men.
They'd be knocking down our doors by now. I think we're dealing with
just one man and his thrall of beasts."

Mason
pumped out his chest and years seemed to melt off of his tired face.
"This is the kind of fight I've been waiting for. Just a couple of
hundred Murg and a single leader. I've faced worse odds."

Ben
said, "But he's still not just an ordinary man. He has significant
talent in the Fahd ways. We will need to know his strengths and
weaknesses, and what he plans to do. This isn't a man to be
underestimated, and we're running out of time. He and his minions
could move on us at any moment."

Vincent
swept his hand over his balding head, as if to push back hair that
wasn't there, a reflexive habit from days when it might have served a
purpose. He sighed, "So, it comes down to this. I never would have
thought that the good brother was capable of such horrible deeds."

Cobalius
said, "All men can be corrupted by greed and desire. The prospect
of power can be very influential. I'm sorry it had to be a friend."

Vincent
frowned and shook his head angrily. "It doesn't matter anymore. He
betrayed me. He betrayed all of us. When will you face him?"

Cobalius
said, "He'll come to us, now that we've exposed him. All we have to
do is wait. Get word to Belfrey and Hodge that it'll probably be
tonight. He could have devastated the town hours ago, but he's
waiting for nightfall and giving us a few hours to rest."

Vincent
squinted his eyes and looked at Cobalius like he was crazy. "Let us
rest? Why would he do that?"

Ben
said, "The same reason he let me and Kyla live... because he can.
He's arrogant and proud and thinks he cannot lose. He wants the
satisfaction of beating us at our best. He wants us to taste fear."

Kyla,
Megan, and James came out from the kitchen with trays of food and
drink. The old proprietor of the Masked Pig had outdone himself, and
presented a feast fit for royalty. There was so much food, the meal
required a second trip to get it all in place. Eating was the last
thing on Ben's mind and he and the others looked at James with
surprised stares.

"Thank
you, James... but..." Ben stopped because he couldn't think of any
reason why they shouldn't eat. Old Jimmy had always treated food as
the solution to any problem, but this time it wasn't going to be
enough.

Seeing
the unusual looks he was receiving, James shrugged his shoulders and
chuckled, "It might be our last. We should share a meal and a laugh
or two while we still can."

Of
course, Jimmy was right as usual. The old man had lived too long to
fail to understand the value of friendships and the power of a warm
meal. They would eat together, then fight together. With luck, they
would not have to die together. Guards were rotated at the door and
watchmen kept an eye open from windows above, but inside the tavern a
feast was being enjoyed and the rough edges of fear and worry were
softened.

The
day came to an end and the weight of night settled over the valley.
Kishell Springs was silent and seemingly abandoned, though a trained
eye would have noticed the signs of a village prepared for battle.
Several watch fires burned throughout the town, casting an orange
glow against the buildings in contrast to the cold, blue night and
the white blanket of snow on the ground. Only one structure showed
signs of activity, and that was The Masked Pig.

Inside,
several tables had been pushed together, and on them was an
assortment of items representing the town and surrounding area. Troop
positions were not marked on the model, to prevent any potential
spying from skilled eyes. Babbitt obviously possessed Mindsight
talents and would surely try to glean an advantage by looking in on
the preparations of his intended victims.

A
scout came in through the door and hurried up to the men gathered at
a table in the corner of the Masked Pig. Ben raised a hand to
interrupt Captain Hodge, who was outlining a proposed way to seal off
certain avenues of access to the town, and turned to the young
soldier. "Report."

"There
are more of the Murg massing at the tower. There must be three or
four hundred by now."

Captain
Belfrey asked, "Any sign of imminent movement?"

"Sergeant
Gordo says that it looks like they'll march on us before morning.
They've all been armed, and are dividing into units."

Ben
nodded, "That doesn't leave us much time. How's the weather
holding?"

"It's
cold, Sir," the young soldier answered, "but it's a clear night;
the moon has waxed to near full and there's no wind."

"Warm
yourself by the fire," Captain Hodge said, "then go tell Gordo to
send word if anything changes. Make sure that he understands that
we're letting the enemy make the first move. We'll sit tight and wait
all night if we have to."

Vincent
nervously rubbed his hands. "Do you think it's wise to just wait
for him to come. After all, Brother Babbitt knows our numbers, and
our weaknesses; he knows where we'll be positioned and waiting. He
even knows about the sub-levels and the civilians who will be hiding
there."

Cobalius
pushed away from the table and stood. "I'm changing the plan! These
Captains have good men at their disposal and they have the experience
to know how to best utilize them to face the Murg. Finish your
preparations and take your positions, there are only a few more hours
until morning, but make no mistake about it, the attack will come. As
for Babbitt, Ben and I are going to pay him a visit... right now."

Ben
wordlessly left the table and followed Cobalius outside and across
the street to the burnt-out remains of the Gray Goat. When they
entered the tavern on the ground floor, Ben could still feel death
around him. Dozens of innocent townsfolk had suffered and died at the
hands of the Murg and this was the first time since that horrible day
that anyone had ventured back into the building.

The
upper levels had been nearly destroyed by fire, but a long hallway
off the common room had several intact rooms. They came to a door
guarded on either side by two armed men who both snapped to attention
when Ben came into view. One turned to Fahd Cobalius and said,
"Kyla's already inside, and we'll not let anyone else through this
door."

Ben
grabbed Cobalius' arm. "What does Kyla have to do with this?"

Cobalius
passed through the door and entered the room, closing and locking the
door behind them. The shutters of the single window were closed, and
only a small candle burned in the corner. They were in near total
darkness.