Hunter's War (Legend of the Wild Hunter Book 4) (49 page)

Once known for its hop gardens, Treesand was now abandoned. There wasn’t much left of the town after the war ran over it. Stone foundations marked where buildings once stood and fallow fields where barley grew. They continued on in silence, since silence was the only thing in Treesand now. Only the wind was brave enough to make any noise, blowing over the fields and through the empty buildings. It sounded like a child weeping.

Marcus slowed the column when they reached the center of town. “This place has seen better days,” he said before dismounting.

“You’ve been here before?” Tullner asked.

“Oh yeah, I use to come every year when they had their beer festivals. It was a lot livelier then,” he replied.

“It doesn’t look as if anyone been here for quite some time.” Anurr remarked. He dismounted and led Fiv to one of the watering troughs.

“Shouldn’t there be a garrison here or at least a few soldiers?” Daniel asked. “I mean, we’re so close to the border.”

“There should be,” Tullner replied.

“There was.” Sandson said, pointing to a standard, which was still waving in the center of town. It was leaning ominously to one side.

“Well, that’s never a good sign.” Marcus added, approaching the flag. “I don’t recognize the colors.”

“I do.” Browne replied. “It’s the second Fennel Arms. They were posted to the front lines just before we were sent into Denal.”

“Are you sure?” Tullner asked him.

“I knew the standard bearer. We had drinks the night before he left,” he said. Browne dismounted and led Nina to the water trough before joining Marcus beside the standard.

“Why would they leave their flag?” Alex asked.

“They wouldn’t.” Sandson replied. “If the standard is here, then so are the soldiers.”

Larks looked around the town nervously. “Then why hasn’t anyone come to greet us?” he asked.

“That’s a good question.”

Kile said nothing as she rode past them to the center of town. Closing her eyes, she fell into her Edge. She reached out with her consciousness, feeling her way through the vacant buildings, searching out ever dark corner, every small opening, and every roof top. The town may have appeared empty, but it wasn’t. There were still rats in the basements, birds in the eaves, and even a few groundhogs in the fields. But there was something more, something larger. She didn’t have to touch their minds to know what they were; she remembered the darkness. Turning, she looked at Tullner. She didn’t have to say anything, her eyes said it all.

The sergeant quickly drew his weapon. “We have company guys. Fall back and regroup,” he shouted.

“This place is dead, there isn’t anything here,” Marcus said, looking around the town. “I’ve seen more life in a graveyard.”

Anurr strung his bow and Browne retrieved his sword from his saddle.

“Which direction?” Sandson asked, turning to look the way they came. They were out in the open. An attack could come from any side.

“Anurr, Browne, keep the Hunters safe.” Tullner ordered.

As Browne grabbed Daniel and pulled him back to the horses, he shouted for Kile to get back.

“She can take care of herself, boy.” Anurr said, pulling an arrow from his quiver. He nocked it, but there was nothing to aim at.

Marcus never moved, he just watched them as they prepared to fight something that wasn’t there. “What’s got you all spooked?” he asked. “I’m telling you, there isn’t anything here.”

Kile suddenly urged Grim forward and the two of them made for the far side of the clearing.

Browne moved to stop her, but there was no way he would reach her in time. “Does she know where she’s going?” he asked Tullner.

The Sergeant shook his head. “I find it easier not to ask,” he replied. “Sandson, you better go with her, see that our Commander stays out of trouble.”

No sooner did Sandon mount up, when something barreled its way out of the dry good store. Shattering the door and sending splinters of wood into the street, it stumbled forward, turned toward the rider and made an unnatural sound. He barely managed to stay on Fort’s back when the horse reared up.

“What the hell is that?” Marcus shouted as he stumbled backwards.

“Reptilian Wolf,” Tullner said as he urged Twen forward.

Anurr shot an arrow into the beast’s head, but it did little to slow it down.

Two more answered the Valgar’s call. One emerged from the remains of the tavern, while the other came out from behind the blacksmith’s shop.

Kile never saw them. She had already passed through the center of town, and was heading toward the mill on the far side.

The mill was a large, three story building with massive sails to catch the winds which blew off the wastelands. Now it was more like a story and a half, since the top of the structure was sheared off. The sails lay across the street and the vertical shaft protruded from the side of the building, having torn through the second floor.

Grim headed for the grain doors, which had been ripped off its hinges. Kile leapt from his back before he stopped. She stumbled across the ground, quickly regaining her feet before running into the building. She already knew what she would find, since she had already seen the vision through their eyes. Two large, and mangy looking dogs were trapped. They were not as big as the Callor hounds, but were stockier. One of them was gravely injured and could barely stand. She was backed into a corner. The second one, slightly larger than the first, stood between his companion and two Valgar.

Kile didn’t hesitate, since the reasonable part of her mind was temporarily on shutdown. She was acting on pure instinct. Drawing her Lann, she raced forward, attracting the attention of both Valgar. The dog, seizing his opportunity, leapt onto the back of the closest one. Kile slid over the millstone, which blocked her path, and struck at the other. She caught him by surprise and her blade sliced easily across his muzzle. The saladog reared back, howling in pain, the sound piercing Kile’s skull, and for a moment, she lost focus. She could feel the darkness descending on her. As she struggled to regain her identity, her feet were knocked out from under her when the saladog whipped its tail around. She always forgot about the tail. Hitting the ground hard she grabbed for her weapon. The creature lunged and she drove the blade through the soft spot under its jaw. It struggled a bit before finally collapsing on top of her, pinning her to the floor. She had to push the dead thing off with her feet, before she could crawl out from under it. Pulling her blade free, she turned to face the remaining threat, but the dog had already dealt with it. He was injured, but alive. Returning to his companion’s side, he turned and looked up at her.

-I thank you, pup,-

He said.

The dog was old and tired, but there was a calming tone to his voice Kile was able to hold onto. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be a part of the pack.

“Are you the only ones here?” she asked, looking around the ruins of the mill house.

-There is no one left.-

The old dog replied.

“Are you all right?”

- I will survive, but her injuries are bad. I fear her cycle may be at an end.-

He said, looking toward his companion. There was no sorrow in his voice or in his words. They accepted death in whatever form it came, far better than the vir ever could.

She knelt down beside the dog, whose breathing was shallow. She was in a lot of pain, and there was nothing Kile could do.

“I know someone who can help her,” she said, getting to her feet. “But they may be in trouble, are you safe here?”

The large dog looked around his surroundings.

-We are safe, for now. There are at least four more of those abominations in the town. Be careful-

He warned her.

“I will be. I’ll come back,” she promised.

Kile quickly climbed over the millstone. She had to get back to the others, warn them about the Valgar, but when she got outside, Grim wasn’t there. She knew the pony wasn’t really keen on coming along on this little mission, but she never thought he would bolt the first chance he got.

“Grim!” she called out, but there was no reply. She was about to use her Edge when she spotted him running toward her. He slowed down to a steady gait when he got closer.

“Where did you run off to?” She demanded.

-You missed one. Or did you intend to let it escape. Couldn’t have it alerting the others now, could we?-

Alert the others? They already knew. The Valgar were connected in ways the vir could never understand. By now, every Valgar in the area was aware of them.

“Did you get it?” she asked.

Grim laughed.

-Let’s just say it won’t be talking with its head imbedded in the road-

He replied, and with those words she saw what he had done.

“Thanks, but I didn’t really need to see that,” she said, pulling herself onto his back. “You all right Vesper?”

The yarrow was clinging tightly to the mountain pony’s head.

-Alright now-

He replied.

“Come on Grim, we’re not finished yet.”

-What, you mean we have more of those things to stomp?-

“Try not to sound like you’re having so much fun.”

Kile arrived in time to see Marcus plant his sword into the head of the last Valgar.

“So our leader decides to return,” he said, placing his foot on the creature’s head and pulling his sword free. “We could have used you.”

“I wouldn’t have been much help to you,” she replied.

“What happened? Where did you go?” Tullner asked.

“There were survivors,” she explained. “They were in danger.”

“And they’re not anymore?”

“Not at the moment, but they need medical help,” she said, looking for Daniel. He was tending to Browne’s leg. The soldier had a laceration along his upper thigh, but Daniel healed it quickly. She remembered him telling her that cuts were the easiest wounds to treat with his Edge.

Collecting his supplies, he stuffed them into his bag. “Lead the way,” he said, as he climbed onto the back of his horse.

Kile turned Grim around and headed back to the old mill house with Daniel and Alex close behind her.

“Are you all right?” Daniel asked when he came up alongside her.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she replied without looking at him.

“You had one of your episodes back there, didn’t you?”

Episode? Is that what they were calling them? It made it sound almost cute, but it wasn’t. She didn’t have an episode, she had a full on feral meltdown in a matter of seconds. It was happening more and more. She used to have some kind of warning, a feeling as if she was slipping, or losing control. Now she was just flipping, without even realizing it. She abandoned her friends without a second thought, and that bothered her.

“I’m fine,” she lied.

Daniel decided not to push the matter, and they rode the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the old mill house, Kile dismounted and went inside.

“You better stay here with the horses,” Daniel told Alex, before following her.

The place didn’t look very safe. It was one good breeze away from coming down around their ears. He chose his path carefully across the floor until he reached the millstone. Climbing over it, he stopped when he saw Kile with the two dogs.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“I just thought… never mind,” he replied, shaking his head.

She knew what he was expecting to see. When she said survivors, he thought soldiers or civilians. It never dawned on him the survivors wouldn’t be people.

The old dog approached Daniel cautiously.

“It’s okay, he’s a friend, and he can help,” she explained. “I’m afraid I never got your names. Mine is Kile and this is Daniel.”

Daniel awkwardly waved to the dog.

-He doesn’t seem too bright.-

The dog replied, eyeing Daniel suspiciously.

“He’s okay. He’s a typical vir,” she replied.

-This, I believe.-

The old dog said. But he still wouldn’t take his eyes off Daniel.

-They call me Lore, and she is known as Nova.-

There was a strong connection in his words, especially when he spoke Nova’s name.

“Will you let my friend help her?” Kile asked.

Lore reluctantly stepped aside and allowed Daniel to pass. Kile led the old dog to the other side of the small room, so Daniel could work without him watching.

“Can you tell me what happened here?” she asked him.

-There is nothing much which I can say. Nova and I were protecting our master and his spinning house. We did not see what happened in the town, but we felt it. It was unnatural, a darkness which overcame us. We heard whispers and voices calling to us, and we were afraid. We failed our master.-

Lore’s words were filled with guilt and sadness. Kile didn’t need him to explain what he meant about the darkness. It was the same thing she was feeling, the shadow on the very edge of her sanity, calling to her, whispering to her. She couldn’t understand what it was saying or what it wanted. The only thing she knew for certain, is that if she ever did truly hear it, it would drive her insane.

“It’s alright Lore, it couldn’t be helped,” she said, comforting the old dog.

Daniel got to his feet and wiped the mill dust from his knees. “That should do it. It wasn’t as bad as it looked, well, at least not to a trained healer,” he bragged.

“She’ll be alright?” Kile asked.

“Oh sure,” he replied. “She just needs a little rest and probably some food and water, but she should be fine.”

Nova slowly got to her feet and looked between Daniel and Kile. She did not appear to be very comfortable with them staring at her. She took a few steps, and then a few more, until she felt safe enough to walk. She approached Lore, who genuinely seemed happy she was back on her feet.

-Thank you.-

She told Daniel, although Daniel couldn’t understand her.

“She’s thanking you.” Kile interpreted.

“Well, she’s very welcome,” he replied, “now, how about the other one?”

-No-

Lore said, backing away from him.

“He only wants to help you,” Kile assure him.

-I do not deserve help. I failed my master and now he is dead. I should be with him.-