by R C Gray
“What? Why aren’t you with Renna? Do you want me to follow you or something?”
Letting out a low howl, the wolf turned and started running in the direction of Banrielle, stopping to look back at Skara, waiting for him to follow. Gritting his teeth, Skara reluctantly began following behind. “This better be worth it.”
For nearly two miles, Skara jogged behind the wolf, stopping to walk when his legs became too tired to run. Holding his fingers up to the horizon under the sun, he could see that only a few hours were left before nightfall. The air was crisp, and the scent of fallen leaves and cedar filled the air around him. A slight breeze rustled the leaves, and his eyes darted to any shape he thought he saw moving in the forest. The last thing he needed was to run into another spider and have to deal with that again. Even with Undriel with him, he doubted he had much of a chance. Although, the wolf was already dead so he might be able to make an escape.
A soft bark up ahead of him brought him out of his thoughts, and he instinctively crouched, his hand going to his dagger. Up ahead, he could see two figures sitting behind a bush, whispering to each other. Pushing himself close to a tree, he strained his eyes and could see Faine and Renna talking and glancing up as Undriel approached them. Turning their eyes out towards the forest, Skara could hear them quietly calling his name. Stepping out from behind the tree, he ran over to the pair, keeping low as he went.
“You made it,” Faine said, clapping him on the shoulder.
“What was I supposed to do? Your wolf nearly tore through my door trying to get my attention. You could have just come yourselves if you wanted to talk.”
“We didn’t know the way, and Undriel could follow your sent and doesn’t get tired,” Renna said, glancing over her shoulder at Skara. “There’s something you need to see.”
Motioning for Skara to follow, Faine and Renna crept towards the edge of the forest, looking around to make sure no one was nearby before standing and pointing down towards Banrielle.
As Skara moved up beside them and looked towards town, he could see large plumes of smoke billowing up from one of the buildings, black smoke against the grey sky. His eyes widened as he saw specks of orange flicking upwards, climbing higher as the flames spread. Banrielle, it appeared, was burning.
WALKING SILENTLY THROUGH the tall grass just outside of town, Skara kept low against the outer wall that surrounded Banrielle, moving towards a collapsed section that had crumbled to the ground years ago. The air was heavy with the smell of burning oak and cedar, and tendrils of smoke curled their way around the broken stones of the old wall. Following behind, Renna and Faine crouched low and peered into the square beyond. The Bramble Thorn Inn was nearly burned to ash, leaving only sections of charred timbers that reached like skeletal fingers towards the darkening sky.
Men, women, and children cried in the streets, their voices low as they looked around nervously, or held each other for comfort. Above the low murmur of frightened voices, they could hear a man begin to speak, silencing the crowd.
Stepping through the gap in the wall, Skara scurried behind the buildings, darting from shop to shop until he reached a barn near the back gate and stables. Opening the back door, Skara ran inside, leaving it open for Faine and Renna to follow. Sneaking inside, he stopped to listen for any sounds, but the building seemed empty, aside from several horses in their stalls on the lower level. Dashing up the stairs, the three made their way through the hayloft and over to a dirty window that faced out towards the crowds. Peering out, Skara could see the buildings around the square stretched out in front of him.
To the left of the square was the burned inn, the Greencap Apothecary almost directly across the square on the right. Several of the buildings had their doors and windows closed, but Skara noticed that the balcony door to the apothecary shop was open, and a light flickered inside. On the banister of the balcony, between the purple and red flags, a length of rope trailed inside the shop, but he couldn’t see anything inside.
Turning his attention to the crowds below, he could see nearly ten men in black cloaks gathered around the inner circle, with two men dressed in faded brown armor over white tunics with silver trim and dark green cloaks. He couldn’t tell if they were merchants, or with the guards, but they didn’t look as if they were afraid like the onlookers gathered in the square. Leaning forward, Skara listened as the man spoke to the crowd.
“And for those that protect criminals or seek to hinder justice or the light, there can be little mercy. There are those in this town that have been found guilty of treason against the righteousness of the Reverent and have committed the act of murder. Upon questioning, the woman named Mary was turned over, and a search of the Greencap apothecary was conducted. Hidden inside a back room, we have found poisonous herbs, illegal goods, and forged documents. Under the authority granted to me by the High temple of Sonosa, all goods and assets of the guilty are now the property of the Brothers of the Flame,” Gregor said, turning in a circle for all to see, his palms raised in the air. His face was grim as he looked over the crowd, their voices rising in concern over the mention of treason and murder.
“Gregor!” Skara said, his body trembling with rage as he gritted his teeth and looked out over the crowd, keeping his eyes fixed on the man.
His hands gripped the handles of his daggers as his body shook, ready to spring out the window to the ground below. His mind raced as he thought about all the years that had passed since he had seen Gregor in Sonosa and had made a blood-oath that he would find him again one day, and finish what he was too young to do before leaving the city and heading south for Banrielle.
Renna and Faine watched Skara as he squeezed the handles of his daggers. The leather wrapping creaked under his twisting hand as he stared out the window. His lips were pulled back into a sneer, his sharp teeth clenched as a low growl rumbled up from his throat. Just as he was about to climb out the window and leap down to the ground, Gregor began to speak.
“Silence,” Gregor said, lowering his hands and waiting for the murmur of voices to die down. “Know this, the brothers are here on holy orders, and any who stand in our way or seek to thwart our efforts will be dealt with accordingly. The woman you know as Mary has been judged and sentenced to death. Let this be a lesson to you all—and may the Lords of Light have mercy on her soul.
Waving his hand towards the Greencap, two guards, each wearing a black cloak with the emblem of a flame, forced a struggling woman out onto the balcony. A noose hung tightly around her neck, and her hands were tied behind her back. Her long braid was untwisted and disheveled, and a dark bruise could be seen over her left eye. Her mouth was gagged, and her body trembled with sobs as she tried to pull herself free from the men’s grasp. As they pushed her body forward, she planted her feet and tried to fight the men holding her, but they only gripped her arms tighter, lifting her up as they carried her towards the balcony and awaited the order.
At Gregor’s nod, the two men gave Mary a sharp push, her body flipping head over heels over the railing to come to a hard stop at the bottom of the rope. Her head twisted unnaturally to the right as her neck snapped, her tongue falling out of her mouth to hang limply over her parted lips. The crowd stared in silence as her body swung lightly in the wind, her bright red bodice swaying like a banner against the deepening shadows of the evening.
Skara stood and began to unlatch the window, trying spring out onto the crowd of people below. Faine’s arm struck out and roughly grabbed him, pulling him back inside.
“Let me go,” Skara said, struggling to break free of Faine’s grasp. “I’m going to gut him where he stands like I should have done before I left Sonosa.”
Faine tightened his grip over Skara’s chest, keeping his arms away from his sharp, biting teeth. “Not now! If you go down there, you’ll die before you ever get close. He has at least twelve men that we can see, maybe more.”
“He just killed Mary, and he burned down the inn. He leaves a trail of death wherever he goes,” Skar
a said, writhing and cursing under his breath.
“And you’ll get to kill him, but if you want to get the job done, it has to be done right.”
“He’s right, Skara,” Renna said, placing her hand on the goblin to try to calm him. “I know you want blood, and you’ll get it. But don’t rush in and get yourself killed.”
“And what should I do then, let him walk away?” Skara said, a slight tranquil feeling spreading over his body.
“For now. His camp is a short distance from town, and they’ll be setting up their tents before nightfall. Strike in the dark when they least expect it. We can go into the camp while they sleep and take them out one by one.”
“We...What does this have to do with you two?” Skara said, the anger slowly fading from his voice.
Faine rubbed his hand over his face and looked out towards the ashes of the Bramble Thorn. “Because he burned the inn and most likely killed the barkeep. If he died, it’s my fault. I paid him to hold that bottle for me in case I ever needed it. I didn’t expect them to burn the inn. But I should have known something bad would happen after I left. I can’t sit back and do nothing while his family grieves and their livelihood smolders just outside.”
“And besides,” Renna said, “a wolf always hunts better in a pack.”
Skara nodded his head and shook himself free of Faine’s grasp. By the time he stood and looked out the window, Gregor and his men had untied their horses and had started up the trail back to their camp. Looking towards the balcony of the Greencap, he watched as several of the townsfolk hoisted Mary’s body up and over the railing and slipped the noose off of her neck, letting it fall to the balcony as they set her body down. Mary’s apprentice stood over her body, her face beaten and bloody as she wiped tears out of the corner of her eyes with a blood-stained rag. Leaning down, she covered Mary’s body with a piece of bright yellow fabric and helped carry her inside the darkened room, gently closing the door behind them.
Yellow had always been Mary’s favorite. But now the bright, vibrant fabric seemed dull and cold.
“Fine,” Skara said, clenching his fists into tight balls, “we go after nightfall. But Gregor is mine. He’ll die by my hand.”
“He’ll die by your hand,” Faine said, nodding his head. “Now, we should go while everyone’s still distracted. We have plans to make and need to scout the area.”
Taking one last look out the window, the three moved down the stairs and into the cooling air outside. Staying close to the wall, they made their way back out of the gap, through the fields, and to the woodline above Banrielle.
“I have a few things back at the cottage that I think we can use,” Renna said. “It’s best if we head back, gather some supplies, and prepare. I have food waiting for us.”
The woods seemed hollow to Skara as he thought about Gregor and what he had just seen. It had been over twenty years since he left Sonosa and traveled down to the outskirts of Banrielle to make a new home. Over the years since he’d been gone, he had thought about what happened less and less, but his hatred towards the Brothers of the Flame was still as potent as it had been the day he left; and seeing Gregor brought it all back.
Faine walked beside Skara, glancing down occasionally to see the grim look on his face. “You had this same look when you saw the banner at Javadi’s place. Before we go barging into their camp tonight, is there anything you can tell us about ‘em since you’re from Sonosa.”
“They’re murderers that use the light as an excuse to do what they want,” Skara said, kicking a small stone out of his way. “You saw what they can do. They go anywhere they want and use the power of the temple to make people afraid.”
“What can we expect tonight? They look like they’re organized and follow the man that was speaking today. What did you say his name was?” Faine said, trying to get Skara to talk about how he knew of the brothers.
“His name is Gregor. He was young when I last saw him, but still had command of a small group of Keepers.”
“What’s a Keeper?” Renna said, moving up from behind Skara to his walk at his side.
“A Keeper of the Flame. It’s what they call themselves before they become brothers.”
Faine stepped around a stump in the path, taking a few quick steps to catch back up to the pair, his eyes focused on Skara. “And you knew Gregor before he was a brother?”
“I knew Gregor when he killed my family!” Skara said, growling in frustration. “He would lead raiding parties in the lower city to try to run us out of town. If you weren’t human, they thought you were part of the rot in the city. Most of the time, they would just throw some punches and make some threats, but sometimes...”
Renna stopped and put her hand on Skara’s shoulder. “Remember what they did, Skara. Bring it back to the front of your memory and let it burn inside you. I know it’s hard to think about but use that anger to do what you need to do tonight...let us feel the anger with you.”
Skara shook his head as if trying to clear the roar of thoughts that flooded into his mind. “I lived with my family outside of the main town down by the water. It wasn’t anything more than a shack, but it was home. We always knew that the Keepers were dangerous, so we had a way out that led under the house and down to the underside of the docks below. They came late that night. They were stumbling around and laughing, throwing bottles at the houses, and stirring up trouble. There were several other broods and goblin clans on the docks that started opening their doors or looking out their windows to see what was going on, and that’s when it happened.
“The keepers saw a woman, a goblin, walking back to her house on the far side of the dock. She was keeping her head down and just trying to pass, but they couldn’t let her go. They taunted her and pushed her, made threats, and yelled. And that’s when the doors opened, and the other clans came out to help. The Keepers saw that some were armed with small metal rods and pots or knives, that was all it took. There was yelling in the street as they started to cut down any goblin with a weapon. They shouted about how the light was going to wash all this filth from the city, and that they were the cleansing hand of flame here to purify it. My family put me through the door in the floor and under the dock.
“My father went out to try to stop the fighting, but it wasn’t long before the Keepers were kicking in the door. I heard screaming, and I covered my ears...and then it was over. I could hear the thud of boots on the wooden floor and then the splashes in the water as they threw the bodies in, letting them wash down the river. I sat there and watched the bodies of my mother and father float down until they were out of sight. I stayed there the rest of the night, not knowing what to do. I was angry and alone and had nowhere to go.
“I tried begging, but out of fear, none of the other clans wanted to help; or even could. Eventually, I was forced out of my house by another brood storming their way in. So I took what little I had and left for Banrielle. I knew I would have to go back someday to finish what had been started that night, and now, it’ll end here.” Skara’s hand twisted on the handle of his daggers as he stared at Renna.
He had relived that night over and over in his head, but he had never told anyone about it. Mostly because he had no one to tell, but also because he thought that if he kept it buried inside him that the pain and anger of what happened would fade away; but it was always there, just on the edge of his thoughts, waiting to creep back in and rip at him from the inside. But why had it all happened now? Why had he met Faine and Renna so soon before Gregor came to Banrielle? It had to mean something that everything was happening now. Or maybe it didn’t mean anything at all. But whatever the meaning, he knew that he was going to kill Gregor.
Faine was sitting on a rock nearby and stood as Skara began to walk again. He put his hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. “Don’t worry. One way or another, it’ll end tonight. You find Gregor and let us deal with the camp.”
Walking the rest of the way in silence, they stepped into the cottage and sat togeth
er around the table. Beside them, a blackened pot hung from the swing arm over the faintly glowing embers in the firepit. Using a stick to hook the handle, Renna set it on the table and opened the lid. Steam poured from inside, and Skara could see large chunks of meat and several vegetables resting in a dark liquid. A wild, spicy scent filled the room.
“Smells good,” Faine said, pulling out a chunk of meat and some vegetables with his knife. “What is it?”
“Braised venison with carrots, potatoes, and leeks,” Renna said, spooning out a hearty portion for herself.
Skara eyed the food but didn’t move to put any in his bowl.
“Not eating?” Faine said, shoving a cube of meat into his mouth, letting the juice drain down his chin.
“I don’t feel like it,” Skara said, pushing his bowl away.
“It’s your choice. But I think you should have something. It’s delicious. And besides, this may be your last meal,” Faine said, smiling and looking over to Skara.
Skara shook his head and reached for the pot, pulling out a thick piece of carrot and several chunks of venison.
He wasn’t sure if Faine was serious, but the thought had crossed his mind. “So, how does this work?”
“Well,” Faine said, a stern look crossing his face, “you use your fork and stab the meat. The knife is used for cutting. Then-”
“We wait until midnight,” Renna said, eyeing Faine. “Then we move into the camp.”
Faine cleared his throat and pointed his knife towards Renna, then over to Skara. “That’s right. We go tent by tent and take out as many as we can while they sleep. But it has to be quick and quiet. If you miss the kill and someone wakes up, they’ll yell, and we’ll have to fight our way out. You aim for the heart or throat.”
Skara took a small bite of his food as he listened to Faine’s instructions. “And if they wake up?”
“If there’s too many to handle, we run to the forest and hide. It’s easier to take them on one at a time in the darkness than if they fall into a formation. If that happens, they’re going to have armor and shields, so watch your strikes and don’t waste your energy. We don’t know how many there are at the camp, so we don’t move until we scout it out.”
