From Across the Clouded Range (61 page)

Teth had stopped. Dasen did the same,
standing ten paces behind her on the other side of a thicket she
had just skirted. She watched the ground, knelt, then studied the
trees, low to high and back again. Dasen bounded around the spindly
bushes that separated them until he was at her side. She barely
acknowledged him, so he waited, breaths suddenly faster, hands sore
from the grip he maintained on the one-tined pitchfork he had kept
as a walking stick.

“
We’re near another
freehold,” Teth finally whispered. “A tree has been taken from that
hill over there, and there’s a snare here, recently set. Maybe
today. I can see footprints as well. They must be recent because
they were made in the mud.” She adjusted her damp shirt – adding to
their misery, it had been raining off and on throughout the day –
seemed to study it, looked up into the gray sky, then breathed
deep. “I think . . . .”

The whiz and thwack of an arrow
hitting the tree in front of them cut off her words. Teth dropped
so fast that, for a second, Dasen thought she’d been hit. But he
could only stand, stunned, watching the arrow quiver in the tree a
foot from his chest.

"What are you doing?” Teth hissed.
“Get down, you idiot!”

The words brought Dasen from his
shock, and he fell to a crouch behind the birch, close enough to be
touching Teth. He held the pitchfork out like a pikesman receiving
a cavalry charge, prepared himself to use it on whatever emerged
from the forest before them.

"I was wondering why you were carrying
that thing.” Teth rolled her eyes. “Just try not to stab me while
you're swinging it around, alright?"

Dasen opened his mouth to expound the
usefulness of his weapon, but Teth shook her head, held a finger to
her lips, and turned back to the trees. She sighted along the
quivering arrow to a pair of cedars growing from a common root.
Dasen could only see the barest outline of a man standing behind
one of the trunks as he brought another arrow carefully to his bow.
Teth matched his movement, stringing her bow in a single fluid
motion and selecting an arrow to grace its string.

"Who‘re ya?” a voice yelled from the
cedars. “If I’d wan’d ta, I coulda’ dropped ya befir ya knew I’s
‘ere, so jest lay down yir weapons, an’ we’ll talk."

Dasen looked at Teth. She
wore a thoughtful, if slightly dumbfounded, look as if running
through their options without much success. The voice had spoken in
the Imperial tongue with a heavy western Kingdoms accent. He was no
invader.
The freeholder
, Dasen realized,
or even better a
forest master
. In either case, exactly
what they needed.

Dasen stood up and threw
his pitchfork to the side. "Don’t shoot!” he yelled and realized
only then that that was a real possibility. His breath caught as he
waited to see an arrow strike his chest. When it didn’t come, he
drew another and continued, “My name is Dasen
Ronigan
.” He emphasized his last
name, knowing the power it held. “And this is my . . . my wife . .
. Tethina." It felt strange to refer to Teth as his wife. He looked
reflexively at her, but she just scowled, looking like she wanted
nothing more than to shoot him with the arrow she held. "We are on
the run from the invaders. We did not know we were on your land and
have no desire for a fight. If you can . . . .“

“
Ronigan, ya say?” the
voice interrupted Dasen. Its owner stepped from behind the trees
and lowered his bow. “I heard ya was back fir yir joinin’ ceremony.
How’d ya end up out ‘ere?”

“
It’s a long story. I
think we’d both rather it was told while we’re sitting.”

“
Right sensible that,” the
man agreed. He walked toward them through the brush. He was a tall,
sturdy man in his later years. Wisps of white hair peeked from
below the band of his broad-brimmed hat. His growing smile showed
more than a few gaps. He had a sallow face with its beak of a nose
and deep-set, cold-blue eyes. And his face was impossibly weathered
– tanned skin hung on his thin head like a damp leather sack. But
his eyes were those of a young man, sharp blue, alive, and
welcoming. “An’ ya joined Tethina Galbridge, that
right?”

“
That’s correct.” Dasen
looked for Teth, motioned her to stand. He expected her to be
relieved, but her look could have killed him.

“
. . . . her father right
well. We’s in the forest master tagether long time back before
either ya’s born.” Dasen was so set back by Teth’s baleful
expression that he had missed part of what the old may had said.
“My name’s Jer Muldon. This is my land, but yir welcome. It’s
mighty nice ta meet ya.”

Jer covered the final few steps
between them with his hand outstretched. Dasen accepted it with his
own. Jer’s rough paw encompassed his and smashed it effortlessly.
Dasen tried to keep the grimace from his face as he pumped the old
man’s hand. “Very nice to meet you, Mr. Muldon,” he said. “We’re
sorry to have trespassed. As I said. . . .”

“
Nonsense!” Jer released
Dasen’s hand and slapped him on the arm hard enough to nearly upend
him. “I’s jist glad ya made it ‘ere.” He turned to Teth, who was
slowly rising. “An’ this mus’ be Tethina,” he nearly hollered. He
wrapped her in an embrace that brought her fully from her feet, but
not before her thumb found Dasen’s ribs. He yelped, but no one
seemed to notice.

“
I ain’ seen ya since ya’s
this big,” Jer announce when he set Teth down. “By the Order, ya
look just like yir ma.” He paused seeming to choke on his words,
then caught himself. “May she find peace in the Order and yir pa
too. He’s as good a man as they come, let me tell ya. I wept like a
bee-stung babe when I heard. One of the worst day of my life that
one.” He shook his head so that Dasen thought the loose skin that
encompassed it might come detached. “But this is a great thing
‘ere. Joined ta the Ronigan heir. That’s somethin’ ain’ it? But
why’s ya dressed there like a boy? And yir hair? I thought that
ya’s a couple a fellas, and ragged lookin’ ones at
that.”

Teth opened her mouth to answer, but
Dasen beat her to it. “Do you know about the invasion? Have you had
any trouble with outsiders?” He hoped that Jer’s jocularity meant
he had been untouched, that they were ahead of the
invaders.

But the old man’s expression darkened
at the question. His eyes glazed, head hung, smile fell. Dasen’s
hopes fell just as fast. “That what’s goin’ on?” Jer spit on the
ground, seemed momentarily overcome. “By the Order that ‘splains a
lot, but who’s doin’ the invadin? Liandria? The Morgs? Can’t say it
makes much sense.”

“
From across the
mountains,” Dasen interjected to keep Teth from interrupting. She
jabbed him again. He yelped and swatted at her.

“
What’s matter?” Jer
asked, looking around with concern.

“
Mosquitos,” Dasen
answered with a glare at Teth. She met it with one of her own, only
far more fearsome. “The invaders came from across the mountains.
They’ve captured Randor’s Pass and Potter’ Place at least. We’ve
been on the run and thought it best that Tethina look like this in
case they found us.”

“
Right smart that is.” Jer
patted Dasen on the back then turned to Teth. “Ya scared me fir a
moment, Tethina. We’s heard the worst rumors ‘bout ya. Silly stuff
‘bout the district games an’ such. I din’ believe a word of it. I
know ya’s had a tough ol’ life, but I knew yir pa’d raised ya ta
stick close ta the Order.” He held her arms in his big hands as if
he’d found a long lost daughter. Teth’s smile was painfully forced,
but Jer seemed not to notice.

“
Well, we don’t need ta
talk ‘ere in the middle the forest like savages. Ya kids‘re prob’ly
wantin’ a wash an’ get some rest after yir ordeal. An’ Tethina I’m
sure we can find ya some proper clothes. I’m sure them pants is
killin’ ya. Seri and the girls’ll take care of ya when we get back
ta the house while Dasen and I figure out what’s been happenin’. I
even managed ta snare a couple of rabbits, so we’ll ‘ave some meat
ta fill our mouths an’ keep us from talkin’ too fast.”

Jer walked back into the trees,
retrieved a string with three rabbits hanging from it – furry head
askew, blood staining their long buck teeth – and led them back
through the woods. They did not go far before stumps began to mark
the landscape with regularity. “The Chancler granted me this land
when I retired from the forest masters,” Jer explained as they
walked. He kept Dasen at his side. Teth walked a few steps behind,
puffing angrily with each stride. “Fir my years of service, an’
such. We’s in the middle of nowhere. Takes somethin’ ta haul the
trees out, but we’s a good batch a hardwoods. Not that soft stuff
yir pa uses in his mills. These’re ancients, tall an’ straight with
beautiful grain. Woodworkers’ll pay a price fir ‘em, so makes it
worth our while. Besides, ya never ‘ave ta worry ‘bout runnin’ out
of wood fir the fire." He laughed heartily.

By the time it had faded, they were
stepping into a huge clearing that looked remarkably like the one
they had visited the previous night. The buildings were newer,
stood straighter, had not faded wholly to grey, but they were just
as empty. The few animal pens were deserted. The doors of the barn
and shed had been torn from their hinges. The garden they
surrounded was ravaged. But unlike the previous compound, there
were people here. Three women in long dresses and bonnets looked up
from the garden when Jer emerged from the trees. A boy, not more
than five ran from the shed to meet them. A dog followed the boy
then overtook him to bound onto Jer before extending a similar
greeting to Dasen and Teth.

“
All well, Danny?” Jer
asked the boy when he pulled up a few feet from them. The boy eyed
Dasen and Teth suspiciously – a rabbit eying a fox – before Jer
remembered himself. “I almost firgot. Danny, this ‘ere’s Dasen and
Tethina. I found ‘em in the forest. They’s good people, lookin’ fir
some help.”

“
Nice to meet you, Danny,”
Dasen held out his hand, but the boy just backed away.

“
Sorry ‘bout that,” Jer
apologized. “The attack shook ‘im up somethin’ awful. Prob’ly be
some time ‘fore he’s good ‘round strangers, ya know.”

“
I understand,” Dasen
assured.

Jer held the rabbits out to the boy.
“Take these ta yir ma, Danny. Ask ‘er ta add ‘em ta the pot.” With
another sidelong glance at the new arrivals, he accepted the
rabbits, and with some effort, carried them to one of the women who
were now approaching.

The first to arrive was a short, plump
woman in her middle years. In appearance, she was as much the
opposite of Jer as was possible, but her eyes had the same sparkle,
and her round cheeks were split by the same smile. “I see ya’
brought back more than rabbits,” she said as she approached. “Who
are these fellas then?”

“
This ‘ere is Dasen
Ronigan,” Jer said. Seri looked at him twice then gasped slightly
when she saw that it was not a joke. “An’ his wife,
Tethina.”

“
By the Order,” Seri
gasped then stared at Teth with wide eyes. “I never would have
guessed. I’m sorry, dear. Ya must have had a terrible trial. By the
Order, those clothes. And yir hair. Oh my, it makes me just want ta
cry.” She rushed to Teth, held her in her hands, and inspected
her.

“
What did you expect?” a
younger woman said under her breath. She was a few years older than
Teth and plain. Her round face was framed by the trim of lace on
the bonnet that hid all but a few locks of brown hair. She stood
only slightly taller than Seri but was not nearly so stout. One of
her hands held the rabbits. The other was wrapped around Danny’s
small shoulders.

“
Hold yir tongue, Lu,”
Seri snapped. Her face turned fierce as she scolded the girl then
softened for Teth. “We don’t believe the rumors ‘ere. Jer knew yir
pa. He assured us it’s all rubbish. Louisa’s just upset on account
of . . . . Well, we don’t need ta talk about that now.” Seri
cleared her throat and turned to Dasen. “It’s so nice ta meet ya
Lord Ronigan.” She did an awkward curtsy and signaled the other
girls to do the same. They complied, leaving Dasen feeling more
than a little embarrassed.

“
Please,” he said, “I am
your guest. If anyone should bow it’s me.” He looked at each of the
women in turn ending on a girl slightly younger than him. She was
small in height and build. Her head was turned down concealing her
features, and she stood several paces back from the others, but the
swell of her belly still clear. The baby was probably due any
time.

“
The last one there’s
Summer,” Jer said. “Sorry, but she’s mighty shy. She’s joined ta my
second boy, Kal. An’ ya met Louisa. She’s joined ta my first boy,
Wil.”

“
And where are your sons?”
Dasen asked then was horrified to see the cloud that formed over
every face. “I’m . . . I’m sorry,” he started.

“
No,” Jer cleared his
throat. “There’s no way fir ya ta know. Let’s jist not discuss it
now, if that’s alright.”

“
Of course, please it was
not my intent to . . .”

“
Seri, could ya take
Tethina inta the house an’ find ‘er some clothes? Maybe Lu has
somethin’ she could wear.” Jer cast Dasen a look that left no doubt
about the change of subject.

With that prompting, Seri snapped out
of a seeming trance and took charge. “Of course, come along dear.
We’ll find ya somethin’.” She herded Teth off toward the house, but
not before she managed to jab Dasen’s kidney and hit him with a
glare that promised far more abuse to come. “Lu, get some water on
fir our guests then clean those rabbits and get ‘em inta the pot.
Summer, you an’ Danny finish up in the garden.”