The Troven (Kingdom of Denall Book 1) (28 page)

Chapter 28

Dune and Trae rode through the drizzling rain on the road to Lexingar. The larger man, in full plate armor, hunched against the cold wind that magnified the chill of the rain. He shivered briefly and tried again to retain his heat by hugging himself. He turned to his right and saw, with frustration, that his tall companion rode, back straight, seemingly unaffected by the weather. The rain had left a sheet of water over the hard packed road that completely erased tracks. After several hours of plodding slowly north, they dismounted and pulled some fruit leather and hard tack from their saddlebags.

“How much farther will we be going today?” Trae asked as he pulled a bite off.

“Given the way our seeker left Norwell in such a hurry, and the fact that we haven’t caught up to him, he must be in quite a hurry to get to Lexingar. If something significant is happening among the seeker population of Denall, I want to make sure we don’t miss it. We’ll travel all day and slow down if we happen to catch up to him tomorrow.”

“What if he stops today to take shelter from this weather? Won’t we pass him?”

Dune considered the possibility for a moment before responding. “You might be right, but arriving before he does wouldn’t be so bad.  It would provide an opportunity to look around, see what other seekers we can find. I’ll wager good money, though, that he is still pushing forward.”

“I guess that makes sense, but I can’t imagine anyone crazy enough to travel hours on end in such depressing weather.” Trae made eye contact with Dune to be sure he didn’t miss the implication. Then he rubbed his arms to lessen the chill on his soaked body.

Finished with his meal, Dune replaced his things in the saddle bag, grabbed the pommel of the saddle, and easily swung up onto his horse.

“Looks like the rain will be stopping soon.” Dune pointed to a clear blue patch through the clouds.

“That is something to be happy about,” Trae replied as he climbed up into the saddle. He kicked his horse into action and they continued down the road, chasing the clear sky. They rode for another hour in the drizzling rain before they were at last bathed in sunlight.

When the sun came through the clouds, Trae marveled at how beautiful the countryside was. On the horizon, a rainbow extended across the sky, arcing over the rolling landscape. There were some houses and small villages peppered along this well-traveled road, but mostly it was hills and open space.

From time to time a patch of trees gave variety to the otherwise cleared land. As they came out of a small forest, Trae motioned for Dune’s attention.

“Do you see that pheasant?” He pointed at the bird.

Without any reply Dune pulled his bow from off his shoulder and nocked an arrow. “Looks like dinner to me.”

Trae raised an eyebrow, then pulled on the reins, bringing his horse to a stop. “We must be seventy five paces from that bird. Are you sure you can make that shot?”

Dune released the pressure on his bow and turned to look at Trae. “Where would you like me to hit it?” he asked, voice filled with confidence.

Trae began to laugh lightly, “I think if you can hit the bird at all it will be a miracle.”

Dune pulled his long bow to a full draw and released the bowstring, sending the arrow sailing at the plump bird. The sound of the bowstring and the arrow startled the bird. When alerted, the bird raised its head a few inches to listen for danger, not knowing that this small movement had saved its life. The arrow sailed through the air where the bird’s head had been. The bird took flight far across the field and Trae’s laughter filled the air.

“Do you think you can do better?” Dune asked, challenging his friend.

“I think we both know I could have hit that pheasant,” Trae said with slight amusement as he urged his horse into motion. “I’m just impressed at how close you came to hitting it.”

“Anyone could have hit the pheasant,” Dune said, “I was aiming for its eye.”

“Why would you ever need to hit something so small at this distance?” Trae asked, furrowing his brow.

“You might be surprised,” Dune answered cryptically.

“I doubt it. It sounds to me like a pretty lame excuse for missing the bird.” Trae looked ahead and urged his horse back into a walk.

“Could you hit a bird’s head at seventy five paces?” Dune asked from two steps behind.

Trae looked over his shoulder at his friend. “I already told you, there’s no need. I’d just make sure I hit the bird.”

“So, are you saying it is too much of a challenge for you?”

Trae pulled his bow from the case and stopped his horse. “Pick a target.”

Searching for just the right target, Dune carefully looked in the trees and bushes.

“The knot on the maple tree,” Dune pointed, “right there, where the road begins to dip.”

Trae pulled an arrow back, released his breath, and then shot the arrow at the tree. He had never used the bow before and he overestimated the pull weight. The arrow thudded into the tree an entire hand span lower than he anticipated.

“That would need to be one large pheasant.” Dune commented.

“That tree is easily one hundred paces,” Trae complained, “and it was my first time ever using your bow.”

“Take another shot then,” Dune encouraged, “Two if you need them.”

Trae pulled a second arrow, drew it, and released. The second arrow struck just one hair to the left of the knot.

“That is too bad,” Dune said. “Good thing I packed food for our trip or we would definitely go hungry.”

“Why don’t you make the shot,” Trae retorted. “You can even have two shots if you need them.”

Dune shook his head. “I will certainly not need a second shot.” Pulling back his bowstring he released, and the arrow struck the tree right next to Trae’s. After the first missed shot, he pulled a second arrow from his quiver, drew, and released, hitting the exact center of the knot. Not wanting to be outdone, Trae took a third shot at the tree and was able to get an arrow inside the knot. They kicked their horses into a canter and retrieved their arrows. Their friendly archery challenge continued through the afternoon, and by the time they were ready to stop for dinner, they had a fat pheasant that had been shot through the eye.

“This is delicious!” Trae commented as he took another bite of the succulent bird.

“That was a great shot.” Then tapping his temple as though he had forgotten something Dune finished, “Remind me who shot that bird in the eye.”

“You did,” Trae conceded between bites, “but if it came to a real archery tournament, I’d definitely come out on top.”

“Well, it’s too bad we’re not going to Lexingar to enter an archery tournament. I guess we’ll never find out.” Dune then wiped his mouth clean. “Are you ready for sleep?”

“Who’s going to take the first watch?”

Shaking his head Dune turned around, “Well, you can take watch if you like, but I’m just going to sleep.” Dune turned around and placed his hands in front of himself palms together. When he extended his hands downward a small movement happened in the soil directly in front of him. Then as he spread his hands, an opening appeared in the ground, just big enough for a person. “Do you want one?”

“Absolutely!” Trae said excitedly.

Dune created a small shelter for Trae, then motioned for Trae to enter. “I’ll seal off and conceal the top so you’ll be safe. I’ll also set up something for the horses. Get some rest. You’ll need it tomorrow.”

* * * * *

“Here we are.” Dune declared abruptly as he reigned in his horse. 

“Here we are where?” Trae asked, confused as he looked around at the empty crossroads. 

“You remember our little planning meeting at my stash house?  I told you that I would need to take a detour to make sure I am prepared in case my theory about the seekers’ meeting is correct.”

“What about needing to get to Lexingar as soon as possible? Remember riding all day in the freezing rain?”

“It’s true, we do need to make sure that we have eyes in Lexingar to make sure we don’t miss any developments regarding the seekers’ plans…”

Trae stopped his horse, “So, we need to split up.”

“Are you sure?” Dune asked.

Trae nodded confidently. “I’ll keep moving forward, slowly. If I pass the seeker, or if he passes me, we’ll know where he is, I’ll keep an eye on him until you get back. How long is your detour going to take you?”

“It’s entirely possible I could catch up to you before you reach Lexingar, but I can’t guarantee it.  I need to gather some items, and it may take longer than anticipated.”

“You can teleport! How long can it possibly take for you to grab what you need and meet back up with me? You’ll definitely catch up to me before I reach Lexingar.”

Dune shook his head with a chuckle, “You know I can’t just vanish and appear at the crossroads, right? Teleporting has its limits. If I don’t get back in time, report to Sir Theodore that I am on the trail of a mid-level seeker who may lead us to the head of the organization.”

“Wait a minute!” Trae held up his hand to stop Dune from saying anything further. “You work for Sir Theodore?”

He shook his head and pressed his lips into a line. “No, I work
with
Sir Theodore.” Dune said. “I just doubt you’d be able to get an audience with my direct superior.”

“Are you serious? The King?” Trae asked in amazement.

“Please stay focused with me for a minute,” Dune scolded, then continued. “If you beat me to Lexingar, go to Goldsmyth Lane and stay in the magic shop. If I haven’t come in a day or two, report my progress to Sir Theodore. You can find him at the barracks beneath the stadium. I’ll meet you there as soon as I possibly can.”

“Wait, Goldsmyth Lane? What should I tell the owner?”

“Well I imagine Uncle Morgin will be happy to have company.”

“Your Uncle Morgin? I doubt he will be very happy to see me.” Trae was beginning to feel like the challenges of this little expedition were getting out of control.

“I’ll get something worked out. If he gives you any trouble, tell him that I’ll be arriving shortly.”

“This sounds more and more like you’d better meet me before we get to Lexingar,” Trae concluded, not liking the contingency plan.

“Then I’d best be off,” Dune responded.

“Safe travels.”

Dune inclined his head. “To you as well, my friend. Be cautious, the seekers can be anywhere. Probably best to travel as we did in Egtharnton.” He then waved his hands in small circles in the air while looking directly at Trae. He then made a slight nod, “That will do.”

“What was that?” Trae asked, but without saying another word, Dune handed the reins of his horse to Trae and vanished.

Walking slowly down the road waiting for Dune to gather some materials for a mysterious contingency didn’t seem like a very dangerous part of the plan, but he would still follow Dune’s advice to use caution. When he had first met Dune, and helped him escape from a magician work camp, they had gone by fake names, dressed in farmer’s clothing, and pretended to have nose marks. He guessed that nobody would recognize him as a blacksmith while he was in a full suit of armor, especially if he called himself by his made up name from that summer several years ago, Trevor.

Trae continued north through that day and into the early afternoon. The rolling hills that he once considered so pretty were becoming so similar he wondered if he was making any headway. Although he had no idea what he was searching for, he continued to look at the ground from time to time for some kind of track, but all he saw were some wheel ruts from a horse-drawn cart. Throughout the day, Trae saw no sign of the seeker, but he did shoot a medium sized rabbit that he slung to his saddle.

As the sun set, Trae realized that there was no village or farmhouse in sight, and he searched for a small patch of trees or other safe place to rest his head for the night. In the distance he saw the orange glow of a fire and urged his horse toward it.

Years ago, when traveling with his father as an apprentice blacksmith, he had been taught how to travel safely. Fires in the woods at night were sometimes used as decoys to lure people into a trap, so they always needed to be approached with caution. Although Trae knew he needed to exercise caution, he also knew that there would be many travelers on this road, and most people making camp would welcome the company to share the night watches.

When closing in on the fire, Trae could see that it was small, not big enough to give heat to more than five or six people. He dismounted and made sure to make sufficient noise while approaching that it was no surprise when he emerged into the cleared camp site. As a measure of caution, his mace hung loosely by his side in case he needed to make a hasty escape. When he reached the light of the fire, he showed his empty hands clearly and addressed the group.

“Hello, gentlemen.”

His greeting was not entirely accurate as there was a woman in the group, but with her size and her back being turned, it was an honest mistake. In addition to the woman, there were three men in this group. One man had an arrow nocked and ready to be drawn, and the other two nervously held their weapons. “What is your business here, warrior?”