Tides of Blood and Steel (32 page)

“Nor me, but the threat is no less real.”

“If what you say is true, we are all doomed.”

Anienam quickly said, “Not if we manage to get the hammer and stop them.”

“The hammer is not in Venheim,” Joden said.

The wizard’s world crumbled around him. “What do you mean?”

“After the dragon was killed a delegation from the Order returned to explain a great many truths. They warned that the enemies of light had been defeated, but not destroyed. Agents of doom were dealt a blow, but they would not stop in their quest to destroy all life on Malweir. This sparked much debate amongst my people. We finally relented and allowed the Order to take the Blud Hamr to a more central location to be protected and held in waiting. The hammer has been safe in their temple for the past thousand years. It rests, waiting for the time when it will be called again.”

Joden leveled his gaze on his guest and continued. “I never dreamed that such would happen in my lifetime. It is a sad day for all races that you have come to Venheim.”

Anienam was speechless. He felt as if his heart had been savagely ripped out and crushed beneath a boot heel. All of their plans revolved around retrieving the hammer from the Giants and heading west to Rogscroft to battle the Dae’shan. Now he discovered it was all a lie. The hammer was no closer than it had been at the beginning. Hope began to fade.

“Who was this Order you mention? I’ve found nothing at all concerning them,” Anienam asked in confusion.

Joden sipped noisily from his mug. “The Order doesn’t exist anymore, or so I believe. They were hand selected among each of the races for exceptional attributes the rest of the world lacked. They served the gods of light infallibly. I vaguely recall mention of the Dae’shan succeeding in hunting them down to extinction. A shame really. Malweir needs more good souls willing to step forward in dark times.”

Anienam felt his strength sage. “And their temple?”

“You wear a look of cold dread,” Joden remarked. “Calm yourself. We know where the temple is located.”

“Where?” was all he could manage.

“The jungles of Brodein. The temple is in the city of Trennaron. You will find the hammer inside.”

More mysteries sprang to life, ones Anienam couldn’t possibly hope to unravel. Too many questions were dancing in his head, giving him a fierce headache.

“Stay your mind, my friend,” Joden cautioned sympathetically. “I do not have the answers you desire. Be content knowing the hammer is secured in Brodein.”

“We go to the jungle then,” came a new voice from the shadows.

Giant and wizard spun. Anienam scowled as Bahr edged into the light, a triumphant smile on his face.

“Bahr?”

Joden rose to his full menacing height. “You should not be here!”

The Sea Wolf ignored the Giant. “The others are with Groge. I am here because I’m tired of being kept in the dark. I want answers.”

“Where is Groge? Does he know you are here?” Joden pressed.

Anienam felt matters disintegrate. “Go back before someone realizes you are missing. We are being watched, you fool!”

“No. I am tired of being pushed around and told what to do. It ends tonight. I am the son of kings and refuse to be treated like a serf.”

Joden snarled, unimpressed with the outburst. “It does not matter who you are if Blekling discovers you disobeyed his wishes. Go back to Groge, I will not keep your friend much longer and none of us needs trouble this night.”

A booming knock trembled the door. Joden closed his eyes in mild anguish. It was already too late. Groge burst in.

“Forgive my intrusion, forge master, but one of the…” He went silent as his gaze fell on Bahr. Fury shook his massive frame. “You will return with me at once. Blekling already knows you have escaped me. He will not be long.”

The silence lasted hardly as long as a single breath.

“Joden! Bring out the Humans!” Blekling’s voice growled across Venheim.

* * * * *

Slivers of moonlight turned Venheim into a haunted place. Light winds ripped over the mountaintops, forcing sheets of powdery snow across the higher altitudes. The Hags huddled in the sparse warmth of their feathery wings and watched the sleeping village below. Dark eyes focused on the cathedral’s steeple.

“Should we warn the Dae’shan?” Brom asked.

Freina gave it barely a thought. “We do not know why the humans have come to see the Giants yet. We wait.”

The Harpies sat and watched.

Trial

The six Giants surrounding Bahr glared down contemptuously. There was no mistaking the malice Blekling and his supporters shared. Groge was off in the corner, head hung low in shame. Only Joden remained nonplussed by the event. He knew Blekling’s games and refused to play them.

The elder was furious at the subtle betrayal. “You spit on the trust I have given you. Why?”

Bahr flexed his fists. “Trust? Ha! You all but locked us away in a house and expected us to obey blindly. My reasons for what I did are my own. All you need to know is that there was no harm intended, for anyone.”

“You expect that to stay your execution?” another Giant scoffed.

Anienam edged closer to Bahr. “There is no call for executions. We have come to stop the Dae’shan, not banter with witless malcontents. Are any of you strong enough to defy the will of the gods?”

The Giants predictably began muttering amongst themselves. Anienam chose his words carefully, knowing the mention of the ancient menace combined with the gods would be enough to spook the Giants into action.

“How dare you invoke the gods?” Blekling raged. Violent thoughts danced in his eyes.

Anienam calmly folded his arms across his chest. “I dare say that we all stand to lose unless you let us go about our business. We need the Blud Hamr to stop evil from reclaiming the world. Do not act so innocent as to not understand. We are not the first Humans to have come here recently.”

“The hammer! No Human could handle the Blud Hamr! It is impossible. Perhaps your scrolls have failed you,” Blekling wailed.

Joden nodded, silently confirming the initial statement. “It is true. The Blud Hamr is too large for a Human. Only a Giant may wield it.”

“That,” Anienam said, “changes things.”

The elder wore a smug look. The outcome had never been in doubt for him. Blekling decided it was time to make his final argument. “Anienam Keiss, your position as son of Dakeb does not entitle you to misuse our hospitality.”

“Is that what you call it?” Bahr fumed. “We’ve been treated like criminals since we arrived. Have you no courtesy? Or has the roof of the world dulled your personalities?”

“Your life hangs by a threat, little man. I suggest you choose your words carefully,” Blekling warned. “Another such outburst will find you sailing to the bottom of the mountain.”

Boen beat him in drawing his sword. Several Giants began to laugh.

“Swords can do us no harm,” the elder blustered.

Groge suddenly leapt between them. His hands were held out in a desperate gesture. His face twisted in concern. “This is my fault! I allowed the Human to go unescorted to forge master Joden’s home. He would not have gone against your wishes otherwise.”

Blekling paused. “You?”

Groge swallowed hard, but still managed the courage to nod. It was much too late to go back now.

“The boy acted on my summons,” Joden finally said to those assembled. “Bahr is the son of a king and the leader of their expedition. I thought it prudent he knows what the wizard and I were discussing.”

With Joden’s words Blekling lost the wind from his attack and his focus. The situation slowly spiraled beyond his control. Joden continued.

“The Dae’shan have returned. Only the hammer has the power to stop them. Anienam and Bahr need the Blud Hamr. They need our help.”

“Help?” Blekling asked. “Their bumbling will bring darkness to our forge fires.”

“Give them a chance.”

“That is not our job. Why have they not come forward to present their pleas in person?”

Rekka Jel slipped to the front of the group. “We have.”

All eyes turned sharply on the diminutive brown-skinned woman. She suddenly did not appear meek or humble. Instead she held her ground, staring back proudly in unspoken challenge. Bahr turned, eyes narrowed.

Blekling was unimpressed. “What trickery is this? You expect us to believe that you are their emissary? You, who have remained silent until now?”

“I was so instructed.”

Bahr felt like he’d just been kicked in the stomach. “I trusted you.”

“I have never betrayed your trust, Captain. The entire time I have been among you, I have remained loyal and served your best interests. Did you think it was an accident that I found your ship right before it was to sail?”

He shook his head. “I don’t understand. Why now? This Giant bastard has the right of it. Why wait until he is ready to kill us to declare yourself?”

“Forgive me, but my orders were very specific. I had no choice.”

Her tone was apologetic, as if she bore a great shame in her heart. These people were complete strangers the day she rode into Chadra. She had been given only a name:
Bahr
. Rekka had been sent as a guardian. It was no accident that the Dae’shan came to her back in the Rogscroft forest. The game was an old one. Good against evil. She was merely another pawn.

The part of her mission that did not go according to her plan was that she had become friends with them all, save perhaps Ionascu. Rekka had genuine feelings for them, Dorl most of all. Emotional attachment was new to her. It went against the Order’s teachings. She was meant to be a warrior, not a compassionate lover. Somewhere along the way Rekka discovered what it meant to be human.

“We trusted you,” Bahr repeated.

A tear formed in the corner of her eye. “You still can. I have pledged my life to the success of this quest. You have all become like family to me. Please believe me.”

The words were hard to speak, but her pride demanded she go on. “The Order had many secrets. The location of the Blud Hamr is the greatest. Even I have no knowledge of where it rests. There has been a real threat that I might be forced to give away the location if captured. That is why I was not told. My task was to escort you safely to Venheim where the Giants would tell the rest. My master was most adamant about security.”

“What happens to us?” Dorl suddenly blurted out.

“Enough!” Blekling roared.

Silence edged back into the valley. Not even the occasional tink-tink of an apprentice hammer could be heard. “I am tired of your chatter. You must all leave here at dawn. You will not be allowed to return, for any reason. I have no doubts that Joden has told you all you need to carry on. Take his knowledge and make good use of it. You will never be welcome in Venheim again.”

“But you can’t!” Groge protested.

Blekling spun on him. “Mind your tongue, apprentice.”

“Like it or not, the boy is right, Blekling,” Joden interrupted. “They know what I had to tell, but none of them is capable of wielding the hammer. They will need one of us.”

With a malicious expression, the elder abruptly answered. “Very well. Groge will go. He was given the responsibility to watch them, now he can do so on their quest. Be gone at dawn.”

He left before any further conversation could begin.

Joden placed a warm hand on Groge’s shoulder. “I have a feeling that this task was destined for you, lad. Go with all of the good wishes of the gods. Use the hammer and return to us a hero.”

“If I return at all.”

The forge master smiled darkly. “When, not if. You must have confidence if you expect to enact the will of the gods and defeat the Dae’shan.”

Groge had too many doubts to be confident. The Blud Hamr. A weapon used only twice in all of creation. Now it was his turn. The third time. The thought staggered him, practically dropping him to his knees. He suddenly felt very small, a minnow lost in the vast ocean.

“I am not worthy of such honor,” he stammered.

“That is not for you to decide. These matters are often beyond the gauge of our reasoning. Trust in yourself.”

“Look at me, Joden! I am not even a smith yet. How can I be chosen for such a great task?”

Joden tried to sympathize with him, but had no words to give him. The forge master certainly never had to undergo such an ordeal. Still, he envied the lad. Joden had never been chosen for the great honor. “You ask questions neither of us can answer. Come, let us go to the cathedral. Perhaps the gods will answer our prayers.”

The Giants ambled off in search of answers to replace the growing pile of questions.

“This is wonderful,” Dorl said. “How exactly did we manage to piss off an entire tribe of Giants?”

Boen shrugged. “Life is funny that way.”

He knew what the sell sword really wanted to ask. It was painfully obvious. Why couldn’t Bahr just have stayed put? Boen’s silent intimidation successfully prevented any of them from actually asking. Or so he hoped.