Halfstone: A Tale of the Narathlands (15 page)

“What do you mean?” Aldrick asked.

Jon patted him on the shoulder. “Think on it.”

“Time to go again.” Télia thrust Aldrick’s sword back into his
weary hands.

Standing again, he felt a sudden burst of determination. This time
had to be different. He needed advantage over Télia’s skill. What exactly had Jon
mean? Wield his storm while he fought? Yes, he would give that a try.

“I know exactly what I’m doing,” he told himself. He gripped his
sword firmly and took stance, planning to fuel the blade’s motion with gravity.

“One!” Télia lunged at him.

Aldrick swung his blade at hers. There was an air-splitting clang before
it flew from her hands and disappeared into the darkness above. She let out a
startled cry and shook her hands.

“Cheater!” she yelled, half in anger, half in humour.

He dropped his sword, grabbed her hands and frantically began caressing
them. “I’m sorry!”

Jon stood and raised one hand to the skies. “I think you have
forgotten something, Aldrick.”

They heard the spinning sound of Télia’s airborne blade before it
hurtled back into view, stopping a short distance above Jon’s hand.

“Whoops,” said Aldrick.

“That was most impressive!” Jon returned the sword to Télia. “That
is how you fight—by using what advantages you have! Maybe next time also try
igniting the blade.”

“No, do that when you fight an actual enemy,” said Télia. “I’m all
done, at least for now, anyway.”

“Truly, I am sorry,” restated Aldrick, feeling terribly guilty.

She knocked him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll have
my revenge.”

They joined Sinin, Kaal and Aru by the fire, all of whom had been
avid spectators.

“Violence is not the answer, you two,” Kaal remarked. He was
grinning. What was bothering him earlier seemed to have passed. Aldrick sat
down beside him.

While the fire’s embers drifted peacefully into the night sky, the
six of them sat in a half-circle around its flickering heart, talking
cheerfully, laughing; avoiding talk of the journey ahead of them. Inevitably it
would resume at the break of dawn. Until then, all was well.

Unlike the previous night they slept early, worn out from the
lengthy day of travel. Sinin agreed to stay on guard as a precaution and Kaal
begrudgingly agreed to take his place in the early hours of the morning after
losing a game of stone, blade and parchment to Télia. She was delighted with
her win and skipped off happily to arrange a place to sleep. To Aldrick’s
delight, this proved to be right beside him.

“You don’t mind if I stay close, do you?” she asked as she lay
down. We’ve slept on the same bed before so it shouldn’t bother you too much… it’s
so I can protect you,” she quickly added.

“It doesn’t bother me,” he said calmly.

After a short time in which only the cracking of heated wood and Jon’s
snoring was to be heard, Télia turned on her side so her waterfalls of ebony
hair faced him.

“Goodnight,” she whispered, already half taken by sleep. “Be at
peace in your dreams.”

“And you. Goodnight.”

10

PIRATES

Someone was yelling. Aldrick leapt up in alarm. The others were
rummaging around the campsite. It was so early stars still lingered in the
pallid sky.

“Curse them!” Sinin kicked the charred remains of a log from the
fire bed.

Télia was looking beyond the campsite. “Where is Kaal?”

Aru snorted. “Supposedly still on guard duty. Jolly good job he
did.”

“What’s going on?” Aldrick asked.

“We’ve been robbed.”

“Robbed?” He looked around. “What’s been taken?”

“My staff,” Jon said angrily.

“Only that?”

“Yes, it is all anyone would need to make a fair sum of money.”

“We are fortunate that whoever took it was not an assassin,” Aru
said heatedly. “Otherwise we would all have woken in the Life Afterwards!”

At that moment Kaal came bolting into view, his bow in hand.

“What’s… happened? What’s going on?” he asked between heavy
breaths.

Aru stormed up to him. “We have been robbed, that is what. Jon’s
staff is missing and it is all thanks to you and your lack of observation
skills. What have you been doing? Having a wee snooze?”

Kaal looked awkward. “I didn’t think there was anyone nearby. I’ve
been on the hillside keeping watch over the entire ruins.”

“But not over us,” Aru snapped.

“Calm down, Aru,” Télia demanded, walking to them. “Obviously
someone with some skill in thievery has taken Jon’s staff. We couldn’t expect
Kaal to have been prepared for that, especially out here in this deserted
land.”

Aru glared at Kaal. “Be thankful that the culprit did not decide
you were an obstacle in their way.”

Sinin had been examining the ground a short way downstream.

“Kaal, did you walk here last night?” he asked.

Kaal shook his head.

Jon went to Sinin. “What is it?”

Sinin pointed to the edge of the stream. “They followed the streambed
up to reach our camp. This is where they got out and back in.”

“Clever—treading water to conceal their path.”

Sinin nodded. “They might even be a professional.”

Jon shook his head. “No, a professional is hired by somebody and I
doubt anybody with the money to do so has knowledge of my staff, nor of my
location. This was an opportune theft—the work of a relic hunter or perhaps a
lone marauder.”

“A thief all the same,” said Télia.

“We should track them down and end them,” Sinin proposed.

Jon strode back to the campsite. “Yes, we must find them at once. Without
that staff I will have little defence against our foes in Galdrem.” He hurriedly
began packing his gear.

Aldrick and the others followed suit. In short time they were on
horseback, setting off downstream. Sinin led, followed by Jon, both of whom
hung low to one side of their horse, scouting for further tracks left by the
thief. There were none to be found.

“What if they were clever about this and came from the other
direction?” suggested Télia.

Sinin clicked his finger and pointed at her. “Good point.”

“We must split up,” said Jon.

Aru sighed. “There is no time for this,” she muttered.

Jon ignored her. “Sinin, Télia, Aldrick, you go upstream. Kaal,
Aru, we will continue down. Keep your eyes peeled, all of you.”

They parted ways. Aldrick and Télia followed Sinin steadily
upstream, back past the campsite toward the western outskirts of the ruins. It
wasn’t long before they had left the last stray stone behind them and found
themselves at the foot of one of the inclosing hills. Here, the stream trickled
from a small pond that hid beneath lily pads.

“Look!” Télia pointed to a clump of grass at the edge of the pond.
It showed clear signs of disturbance. “The thief was here.”

“No,” said Sinin. “More than one.” He pointed further on to where
the grass had been heavily trodden. “There was a company on horseback.” He
turned and whistled the same shrill whistle Aldrick had heard the aeras use
yesterday when summoning their horses. A few moments later the others appeared,
galloping toward them.

“They came this way. There were many,” informed Sinin.

Jon tugged on his reins and his mare reared. “Well, let’s pursue!”
He assumed the lead.

Their pace was hurried. The sun was rising and rays of golden
light spilt over the Midland Ranges, flooding their path as they wove between
the hills.

Suddenly, and very unexpectedly, Jon halted. His mare neighed and
reared back once more. The others abruptly followed suit. Aldrick looked ahead
to see what had compelled Jon to stop. His eyes fell upon a group of mounted
travellers. There were about twenty of them heading their way. They did not
travel lightly. With them were a number of horses which carried only gear.

About fifty paces ahead of them, the travellers halted and silence
ensued. Each company surveyed the other.

“Watch for concealed movements. There is no doubt they carry
weapons,” said Sinin in a half whisper, one hand falling to his side.

“And there is little doubt one of those is my staff,” added Jon.

“They aren’t able to use it though, right?” asked Kaal.

“Thankfully not.”

“Let us offer them a simple deal,” began Sinin. “They part with
the staff, or, we part their heads from their bodies.”

Télia shot him a glance. “How very poetic.”

There was no need to press the riders to confess their
culpability. One of them, a portly man, slipped off his horse and held up Jon’s
staff in one hand, flaunting his possession of it.

“Have ya come lookin’ for this?!” he yelled out to them. “It’s a
mighty fine piece. I oughta tell you off for not keepin’ it under more watchful
eyes.” His slovenly accent was one Aldrick had never heard before.

Jon trotted forward a short way.

“You are quite correct—we are looking for that,” he said as
civilly as was able in a raised voice. “We would have had more watchful eyes
upon it, only we thought we were far from the hands of any thieves.”

“Thieves?!” the man exclaimed. “Oh no, we ain’t no thieves. In
fact, we think you are. We saw ya layin’ in our home, takin’ th’ benefits of
our trees ‘nd their wood. We just thought we’d take somethin’ back is all.” He
turned to his companions. “Ain’t that right, fellas? We’re just keepin’ some
kinda order out ‘ere.”

There were some ‘Ayes’ of agreement.

Jon crossed his hands. “So you think Alimare is your home, do
you?”

“Yes, ‘nd rightfully so,” the man said bluntly. “We b’n comin’ ‘ere
for th’ cold months since years I c’n ‘ardly remember. There be plenty of
underground shelter ‘nd we are the few who know how ta find it.”

“I see. And where do you call home when you are away from here?”

The man laughed. “Well th’ ocean, course!”

Télia stirred. “Pirates.”

Sinin snorted. “What a lousy bunch.”

Jon turned back to them, uncrossing his hands. “Have your weapons
ready, friends. This will likely get messy.”

The pirate begged their attention once more. “Now, I hope you
ain’t thinkin’ of doin’ nothin’ rash.” He stowed the staff away on his horse.
“We been only kind to ya thus far. We were hopin’ to avoid trouble.”

Télia trotted forward. “You were hoping to avoid trouble? You’ve
stolen something from us! How is that avoiding trouble?!” There were deathly
notes in her voice.

The pirate chuckled. “Like we said, lass, we were just intendin’ on
maintainin’ some kinda order. You take from us, we take from you.”

“But the ruins aren’t yours!” she cried. “They belong to nobody!”

“Nothin’ is nobodies, lass.” He mounted his horse. “Now, you ‘nd
ya friends oughta hurry along before we change our minds ‘bout bein’ friendly
‘bout all this.” His tone was more sinister now.

“I’m afraid we won’t be hurrying along,” said Jon firmly. “The
staff shall be returned to me now.”

The pirate glanced round at his crew. “Oh, will it? Well come ‘nd
get it, then. But I ‘ope you realise you be well outnumbered, ‘nd you ain’t got
no good power in ya without ya staff in ya hand, so just what ya gonna do? Come
any closer and we’ll end all of ya!”

The pirates raised armed bows. Immediately, the aera’s crossbows
were in hand, aiming straight back at them. Aldrick and Kaal hurried to ready
their own.

“Now might be a good time to wish we had shields,” Sinin muttered grimly.

Jon raised a hand, signalling for them to hold.

The pirate sniggered. “Ya not seriously considerin’ fightin’, are
ya? What can one single magic maker ‘nd ‘is band of misfits do ‘gainst us ‘nd
all our arrows?”

“We’ll see,” Jon said quietly. Without turning his head he
addressed Aldrick. “Aldrick, my boy, if you see him signal to fire, help me
create a warding wall in front of us.”

Aldrick was confused. “A warding wall?”

“Yes, as I have taught you, by manipulating gravity. Help me
shield us from their arrows.”

“I’ll try.”

“Try hard,” muttered Sinin.

“Just remember your training,” Jon said calmly. He remained composed.

Aldrick was anything but. This was some serious responsibility he
had been given.

Télia glanced at Jon. “Perhaps we should retreat. This is
dangerous and unnecessary.”

Jon shook his head. “They will not have the staff.”

Télia grumbled. Aldrick approved of her bid for a passive
resolution.

The pirate rested his arms across the neck of his horse.

“Ya know—” He paused to yawn. “I’ve suddenly found m’self growin’
tired of you lot. I’m thinkin’ we oughta just clear ya out of our path ‘nd see
what else valuable ‘nd usable ya have on ya. If that young lass happens to
survive, ‘nd even if she don’t for that matt’r, I’ll put her to some fine use.”

Aldrick could make out a smirk ripe across the pirate’s filthy
face. He was enraged. It was almost worse than that night at Jon’s—overpowering.
He would end the loathsome brute! No one the likes of him would come within an
arm’s reach of Télia! In a flash Aldrick drew his arrow and without a thought
it became fire. He released it for the pirate. With fatal speed it struck his
chest and sent him somersaulting backwards into his crew. For a moment they
were in shock, and then they retaliated. A flurry of arrows were returned. Aldrick
waved his hand and they were deflected into the grass.

“Fire!” yelled Jon.

Arrows now flew from Kaal’s and the aera’s bows. A number of the
pirates fell from their horses. More arrows came at them. Aldrick deflected
them again. More pirates fell. A remaining few turned and fled. Victory was
theirs!

Jon trotted to where the pirate captain’s horse reared wildly amid
the fallen bodies. He came alongside it and retrieved his staff from a saddle
bag. Aldrick and the others approached.

Looking down at the bodies, Aldrick felt strangely hollow. He
didn’t feel for any of these men. They had all gotten what was coming to them,
especially the captain. They were worthless pirates. Their lives held little
importance to him. They had stood in the way of more pressing concerns. He
looked at his brother. Kaal appeared much more distraught. His face was white.
His bow was still clenched in his fist. Aldrick realised that this was the
first time Kaal had witnessed death, let alone shared in the dealing of it.
Seeing him this way made Aldrick guilty of his own seemingly untroubled
conscience. Maybe it was nerves that had stolen his emotion, for now a
sickening feeling began to seep through him. These people lay dead! They were
gone from this world, never to return. Had they all embodied black souls, or
had they simply sought to avenge their leader?

Sinin had been examining the bodies. He stood and sighed. “Well,
looks like that’s the end of them.”

“Not quite.” Aru was standing over one that lay a little way from
the rest. She stooped and ran a blade into the man’s chest. There was a stifled
grunt and then silence.

For a while no one spoke. Aldrick trotted back a short distance to
where Télia sat on her mare, staring away across the hills. Kaal followed.

She looked across at him. Her face was tender.

“There are times when I see death as the end of hope,” she said
solemnly. A tear fell from one of her eyes. “It is always so unnecessary.” She
turned her face away.

Aldrick understood now that she had been equally as affected by
the deaths of the men in the coastal inn, but had hidden it in an attempt to
comfort him. This time it was too much. Suddenly he felt more deeply for her
than ever before. He wanted to console her—see her tears gone and her heart
warmed. He had no idea how to achieve this so he simply rested a hand on her
shoulder.