Hunter's War (Legend of the Wild Hunter Book 4) (8 page)

“You don’t really want to know, do you?” she asked with a grin.

Hesitating, he looked at her, but he couldn’t make eye contact for fear of what he might see. Tullner was a simple country boy who lived a simple country life. His knowledge of the world pretty much ended at the borders of Sprigtree. She knew, because she lived the same life back in Riverport. He didn’t want to know anything which might shake his foundation or question his belief system. She was sure, if he had his way, he would go back to his fields in Sprigtree as ignorant as when he was forced to leave them.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, I don’t really think I do,” he finally replied.

“Ma’am.”

Turning, she saw two more riders joined them at the end of the line. The one who spoke was a slim young man with short blonde hair and a long narrow face. He had a red splotch on the side of his neck, whether it was some rash or an unfortunate birthmark, she didn’t know. The other young soldier was pale with black hair and dark drooping eyes, giving him the appearance of a man half asleep.

“Is there a problem?” she asked

“No, ma’am,” the blonde haired soldier quickly replied. He appeared a little nervous, and seemed to be looking everywhere but at her. “It’s just that… well… we heard what Corporal Tullner told the Sergeant and, well, we were wondering if it was true.”

“I’m not sure,” she said, turning to look over at Tullner. “I didn’t hear what Corporal Tullner told the Sergeant.”

“I didn’t say anything which wasn’t true,” Tullner replied a little too quickly.

She turned back to the blonde haired boy.

“What exactly did you want to know, Private…?”

“Sandson, ma’am. Private William Sandson, and this is Private Dion Essoris, and over there, that’s Private Rayan Nasom.” He said, pointing to a third soldier who she hadn’t noticed before. He was a lot shorter than the others with shocking red hair and green eyes which were hidden behind a pair of ill-fitting glasses.

“What exactly did you want to know about, Private Sandson?” she asked.

He didn’t immediately answer her, and instead he looked over at the other two young men. There was a non-verbal exchange between them before Sandson would say anything. It appeared they elected him as their spokesman.

“It’s about the… gulrik… ma’am. Did you really kill all three of them?”

Did she kill all three of them? There were three dead gulrik in the end, but everything happened so quickly, she wasn’t sure. She remembered seeing Tullner run toward the lone gulrik, but gulrik never travel alone. That’s when the others appeared. They rose up out of the grass all around him. She remembered drawing her Lann, and felt the presence of the wolves in the area who she called out to, but beyond that, the rest was a blur.

“She sure did,” Tullner answered for her. “I only saw the one. I didn’t see any of the others. Before I knew it, I’m being attacked by two of them. If she hadn’t stepped in, I wouldn’t be here now.”

He said nothing about the wolves. Did he tell Sergeant Wargner about them, or did he conveniently leave them out of that story as well?

The three young soldiers spoke quietly together, although it was a rather animated discussion. She didn’t really like the direction this was going in. She didn’t want to be known for how many kills she racked up, that was not her way. She would have been quite happy to let the gulrik leave in peace and report back to Sergeant Wargner, but Tullner was right. Without the proof, he would never have believed her, not that it had much of an impact on his plans.

“Is it true you’ve actually seen the valrik?” Essoris asked.

“Yes. I’ve seen them,” she replied.

How could she not, she was captured by them and taken into the wastelands, although it seemed so long ago now.

“I heard they are… well… quite vicious,” Nasom added.

Vicious seemed to be an over exaggeration. They weren’t exactly friendly, if that’s what he meant, but she wouldn’t go as far as to label them vicious.

“Haven’t any of you encountered the valrik?” she asked.

She knew they weren’t battle hardened veterans, or at least, not all of them. Even Corporal Tullner hinted at that, but she figured they must have had a few skirmishes. Why else would they have been selected to walk into enemy territory if they didn’t have the proper training?

The three soldiers looked at each other sheepishly and she already knew the answer before Sandson said it.

“No, ma’am.”

“It’s as I said before,” Tullner added, “most of these boys, myself included, didn’t even know about the war until we were told to report to Carhay.”

“I was working with my father, when Lord Coroona’s men arrived,” Sandson replied. “I can remember it clearly. I was taking Miss Belford’s measurements when the shop doors opened and three soldiers entered. My father seemed to know what they were there for and spoke to them in the back room. They left without saying a word to me. My father just kept staring at me for the rest of the afternoon and I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t until closing time that he finally told me I had three days to report to Carhay for basic training.”

“I was making deliveries when they came for me,” Essoris said with a laugh. “I had just dropped off my last order and was on my way back when I saw the soldiers leaving. I thought it was my father they came for. Image my surprise when I was told to report to Carhay. I guess I should have been more worried about it at the time, but my only concern was, how my father was going to continue without me. He’s not a young man anymore.”

“My father was forced to choose which of his sons to send,” Nasom said, pushing up his glasses and looking at the others. “I have six brothers and two sisters. My father is ill, so Danny, my oldest brother, takes care of the farm. Ricky and Timothy help Danny, Todd and Ritchie are too young so I was the most expendable.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Kile replied. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy for your father to make the choice.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Nasom sighed as he stared off into the distance.

“I didn’t have a father to make the decision,” another soldier said, falling back to join the conversation. He was a round, heavy set, young man, with short red hair and a large red nose. She remembered him as the soldier who couldn’t get on his horse, back at base camp. He seemed happy enough when he joined the group.

“Yeah, I was working at my shop, I own a small bakery on the east side of Torran, when the goons showed up. They gave me five days to close up my business and report to Carhay for training.”

“This is Private Halgar Haland,” Sandson said, introducing the round young man. “He’s our resident cook.”

“So, it’s true, you actually did trounce the gulrik?” Haland asked with a laugh.

“That’s what they’re saying,” Kile replied.

“Yeah, you should have seen it. She snuck right up on them. They didn’t even know she was there,” Tullner added.

“I don’t know why they didn’t send you out in the first place, like you asked.” Sandson said. “I’m beginning to wonder whose side Sergeant Wargner’s on.”

“Don’t say things like that,” Tullner snapped. “Sergeant Wargner is doing his best. If anybody can get us back home safely, it’s him.”

Kile had the distinct feeling Tullner didn’t really believe what he was saying.

The column suddenly came to a stop, and the men in the back were stretching their necks to see what was happening in the front, but Kile was sure she already knew. They reached the lowlands and a quick sniff of the air told her the lands were rather damp.

Within moments, Corporal Duffy came riding down the line. He was a little surprised to see Kile surrounded by other soldiers, especially when the other soldiers were not in formation.

“Sergeant Wargner wants you up front,” he said.

“Does he now?” she replied.

“What’s up, Duffy?” Tullner asked.

Duffy gave Tullner a look which clearly stated it was none of his business. It was clear to Kile the power struggle between the two of them finally reached a conclusion, and it wasn’t in Tullner’s favor.

“The Sergeant wants you up front… now,” Duffy demanded.

“What? No please.” she said, urging Grim forward.

Tullner followed her as she made her way up the column, past the other riders, to reach Sergeant Wargner who was standing on the edge of a very large lake. He seemed a little put out, but then, he expected to see an open field. The field was always flooded this time of year, what with the melting snow in the mountains. The water, finding its way down through the crags, filled the lower lands, resulting in a lake which usually remained until midsummer. It was a nesting place for many of the water fowls and Kile was happy to see at least one family of geese who didn’t let the presence of the valrik keep them from their home.

Sergeant Wargner turned to look at her.

“So?” he asked.

Kile dismounted and walked to the edge of the lake. She looked both left and right, and then dipped the toe of her boot into the water.

“It’s a lake all right,” she replied.

“I know it’s a… a lake.” Wargner said, grinding his teeth. “What I need to know is, how do I get around it?”

It would have been so easy, at this moment, to point out she warned him about the presence of the lake, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. The man was having a bad day as it was and she didn’t want to add to it.

“There may be a place west of here,” she said, “where the water isn’t as deep. We may be able to ford it there.”

“And you know where this place is?” Wargner asked.

“I’ve used it, once or twice.” She replied.

“Then lead the way.”

Mounting up, she turned Grim west, along the lake’s edge.

“I did warn you,” she whispered when she passed Sergeant Wargner. She could almost hear his teeth grinding.

It didn’t take Kile long to find that section of the lake which was shallow enough to cross, but if she didn’t know it was there, she would never have found it. The water was dark and muddy. The deepest parts of the lake looked no different than the shallow parts. She came this way, once, during a routine delivery to Shrop. Back then, she was unaware of the lake effect, and it was the black-hoofed mountain deer who came to her aide. They showed her the way to cross, and what to look for in the future. It was shortly after that mission when the Guild put a hold on all class E assignments. Her next mission was a class D delivery to a Mr. David Draw. It marked a turning point in her career.

Motioning Grim forward, he stepped into the lake. The water came up as high as the furry tufts of hair which covered his hoofs. She was grateful to see the land bridge was still intact. Grim cautiously moved out into the middle lake and the rest of the squad followed. The column moved slowly, in a single line, across the surface of the water and, eventually, to dry ground on the opposite side.

“I guess you’re useful for something after all,” Sergeant Wargner said when he came up the bank, but Kile didn’t hear him. She was reaching out with her Edge, stretching it across the wild, but all she could feel was the emptiness. There was nothing there, or at least, nothing natural. Whatever they were, they were high in the crags and they were waiting.

***~~~***

7

Quickly spurring Grim forward, she cut Sergeant Wargner off.

“Stop, you can’t go any further,” she told him.

“What is the meaning of this?” Wargner shouted.

“They’re waiting for us. It’s an ambush,” she replied.

“What are you on about? Who are waiting for us?”

That was actually a good question. Who were they? It wasn’t the valrik, or the gulrik this time, that much she was certain of, but there was something else out there, something which didn’t quite fit. The last time she had these feelings, was when she encountered the Minotaur of Calder falls. The Minotaur existed in two worlds, the natural world, and the world of the vir, but this was different. Whatever was out there waiting for them, whatever was stalking them, was something she had never encountered before. They were creatures torn between the world of nature, and someplace entirely different.

“We have to go back. I don’t know what’s out there, but whatever it is… it’s not right,” she told the Sergeant.

“If you are scared then go back to the end of the column,” Corporal Duffy shouted, Wargner held up his hand to silence him.

“Ready the men,” wall all he said.

“Yes, sir,” Duffy replied, although, he didn’t seem too happy about it.

Across a field of wild flowers and tall grass, the walls of the mountain rose sharply, blocking their way, save for a single entrance. This was the opening to the crags, a natural maze of high hills and low valleys, created by rivers of water cascading down the mountain for countless years. A network of paths which meandered their way through the lowlands, where a careless traveler could easily find himself returning to the place he started from, if he was lucky.

It took less than an hour for the men to ready themselves. Riding wear was put away for something more durable, and they donned helmets. Lances were handed out and every man bore a shield adorn with the Fennel crest.

Sergeant Wargner stared at the crags.

Kile only ventured into the crags on one occasion, and that was out of sheer boredom. Of course, back then, she wasn’t being stalked by some unseen, unknown creatures. She had to wonder, was Wargner’s decision to ready the men based on her fears or his?

The column advanced slowly across the field, Wargner led the way with Duffy by his side. Kile had to give the sergeant credit. He never flinched or hesitated when he came within the shadows of the valley. Was it ignorance, bravery or stubborn pride which pushed him on? He either knew the path to take, or he was just heading east, keeping the setting sun to his back. Before they knew it, Perha Squad was deep in the crags.

Kile followed up the rear with Tullner on one side and Sandson on the other. The two men were now armed and were keeping an eye on the cliffs. Although no one could see anything, there was a general feeling of uneasiness.