The Wildcat of Braeton
Page 6
* * *
The next morning, Corin rode out with ten men on a patrol. Midmorning they halted.
“Sir, do you smell that?” a man named Dylan asked.
The unmistakable smell of wood smoke lingered on the air. Corin signaled, and they dismounted. With the hoods of their dark cloaks drawn well over their heads and masks bound about their lower faces, Corin and his men crept forward silently. They spread out to encircle the clearing where the fire burned.
A man crouched by the fire accompanied by a dog. They were the strangest pair Corin had ever seen. The man was short and stocky with dark hair pulled back in a braid. His eyes slanted curiously in a browned face covered in a scruffy beard. A fearsome double-bladed axe was strapped to his back. He was clearly alone except for the dog, so Corin gave a low bird call to signal his men and stepped into the clearing.
The man rose alertly at his appearance. A scar cut across his cheek, startlingly white against his skin. The dog also rose with a soft growl. Its thick grey and white fur made it look larger than it was, and its blue eyes watched Corin cautiously.
“Who are you, and what do you want in Aredor?” Corin asked.
“My name is Skive. I am only travelling through to find a new home.” The man’s accent made him hard to understand.
“You travel alone?” Corin asked.
The man nodded. “Except for Illyria.” He gestured to the dog, “She is my only companion. Who are you?”
Corin pulled down his mask and pushed back the hood. “My name is Corin. My men and I watch these borders.”
Skive spread his hands wide in a placating gesture. “Corin, I mean no harm here.”
Corin studied him for a moment. “We will let you continue on. But tell me, where are you from?”
“I once lived in a far land beyond the country called Gelion. My wife and daughter were killed one day by evil men. My quest for vengeance took me far and wide. When I finished my search and destroyed my enemies, I could not return home so I traveled again. I have been searching since then for a place to live,” Skive said.
“Where will you travel?” Corin asked.
“My heart tells me to go north.” Skive tilted his head that direction as if the trees would part to show him the way.
“As I said, we will not stop you. If you continue north, you will cross over into the country of Braeton within two days. Maybe that is where your journey ends,” Corin said. “I wish you luck, Skive.”
“I thank you. May the stars always shine on and guide you.” Skive inclined his head in a short bow.
Corin raised a hand in farewell and left the clearing. Moments later, bird calls and slight rustles in the under-growth marked their departure, and the forest was silent again.
“Do you think he’s telling the truth, sir?” Llewellyn asked.
“I think so. Dylan and Bran, follow him just to make sure,” Corin ordered.
Dylan and Bran saluted and remained behind without their horses as the patrol moved on.
Corin went back to Kingscastle a few days later to report and check on the newest recruits and to face an office filled with paperwork. He arrived around noon and went to the training grounds where he met with a Captain Pedr.
“What’s the verdict?” Corin asked him.
“Well, sir, the King’s warband is back to its old form. I only wish we had the same numbers as we did before the war. The recruits are almost fully trained. I should expect to let them join the army in a matter of weeks. Those men you wanted for the Hawk Flight are progressing quickly. They will be able to take the oath soon,” Pedr reported.
“And our two newest members?” Corin asked.
“Evan is coming along well despite the fact that he holds back so as not to pass Andras.”
“Dare I ask how that terror is doing?”
“He is actually quite talented. Discipline has improved him slightly. Of course, I also encourage him strongly not to open his mouth in my presence,” Captain Pedr replied, and Corin chuckled.
“Are they out here? I should watch for a few minutes,” Corin said.
Captain Pedr led him across the field past other groups of soldiers. When they arrived where the prospective members of the Hawk Flight trained, the men broke off training to greet the captain. Corin returned their greeting and drilled them in a series of maneuvers. After they finished, Corin chose two men.
“You are to report to Lieutenant Llewellyn tomorrow. You’ll get uniforms and join him when they leave for patrol,” Corin told the two warriors. They were congratulated by their companions. As he dismissed all the men, Corin gestured to the young man who stood slightly off to the side.
“Evan, I want you to try again, this time against me,” he ordered.
Evan obeyed, hesitantly unsheathing his sword. Corin drew his scimitar, and they closed on each other. A few seconds later, Evan’s sword flew from his grasp.
“Pick it up. Again.”
Evan did and again Corin disarmed him.
“Don’t hold back, Evan. Again.”
This time the fight lasted longer before Corin disabled him.
“Better, but I want to see you again tomorrow,” Corin said.
“Yes, sir.” Evan returned his sword to the sheath.
“Evan, tell me something. What brought you here?” Corin asked.
“Andras’s father thought it would be good for me to come, and so here I am,” Evan said.
“Do you even want to be in the warband? Tell me truthfully.”
“Yes, sir. My father fought in the Martel warband. I’ve always dreamed of being like him.”
“I can send you back there if you want, or you can become part of the Hawk Flight,” Corin said.
“What about Andras?” Evan sent him a look of slight concern.
“Let me worry about Andras. You don’t answer to him. Where would you rather be?”
“Well, sir, we’ve all heard stories about the Hawk Flight. My father died in the invasion, and I figure I can best honor his memory by serving under you,” Evan said.
Corin watched him thoughtfully. “You’re proving to me that you belong there.”
Evan only nodded. “I won’t let you down, sir.”
Corin followed his glance back to where a figure stood waiting.
“Like I said, let me worry about Andras. Keep working hard, and you might be taking the oath sooner than you think.”
Evan saluted and left as another captain came up to speak with Corin.
“What did he say to you?” Andras caught up with him.
“Nothing much,” Evan said.
“Tell me!” Andras commanded.
“I don’t have to.”
Andras fairly spluttered in shock. “I’m the reason you are here! And I don’t see why you think he’s so impressive.”
“Maybe because he saved us from the Calorins,” Evan suggested.
“We would have eventually freed ourselves,” Andras huffed.
“I think you’re the only one who believes that,” Evan said.
“I am not! And don’t speak to me like that. You forget your place!”
Evan shrugged and quickened his pace, outdistancing Andras. The captain’s words had significantly boosted his confidence.
* * *
Corin left the grounds and went back to the castle. He went to the room by the barracks that acted as his office. Sitting down at the desk he began to sort through the mess of papers that were heaped the table. This was one of the reasons he didn’t want to be General: the never-ending stream of reports and papers on the country’s garrisons and armies. He’d rather face an Argusian berserker than the cluttered desk.
An hour later, Corin’s sister Amaura entered.
“I heard you were back, so I went to the kitchens, and Jenny sent your favorite.” She set a tray on the table.
Corin looked up from a report and smiled at her. “Thanks, Amaura.”
“Come on, Cor, take a break!” She snatched the paper from his hand.
“Maurie, it has to get done!” he protested, but she withheld the paper.
“It won’t go anywhere.”
Corin relented, and Amaura sat down opposite him. “Are you staying very long this time?”
“Depends.” Corin took a sip from the mug of brown ale.
“You work too much,” Amaura complained. “You’re always gone to the forest or to some garrison I’ve never heard of. I feel like I’ve hardly seen you, not since you were hurt.” She referred to the injuries sustained by Corin in one of the final battles against the Calorins the year before.
“I know. Believe me, I thank our genius brother every day for giving me this post,” Corin said.
Amaura giggled. “You should be glad to know that I’m making you and Darrin take the day off tomorrow. We’re going for a ride, just the three of us, down to the river like we used to.”
“I’ll be at the training grounds in the morning,” Corin warned.
“Well, you have to be done by lunch,” Amaura said. “You can’t get out of this. Father said it was a good idea.”
Corin shook his head in mock despair. “All right, I’ll come.”
“Good, and you will change out of your uniform before,” she said.
Corin laughed and managed a tug at her hair before she left the room.
* * *
The next morning, Corin directed the training session for the men. He noted with satisfaction that Evan performed better than the day before and seemed more sure of himself. Some of the younger men stared in barely disguised awe as Karif came to land on Corin’s shoulder, as if they still couldn’t believe that Corin was the Hawk.
“Captain, the men from Cadan will be arriving this afternoon. Will you be there?” Llewellyn asked.
“No, you can get their report. Leave it on my desk somewhere I can find it. I’ll speak with them later,” Corin said. “My own sister is kidnapping me this afternoon.”
“Good, it’s about time you and Prince Darrin took a break,” Llewellyn said.
“Does everyone think this?” Corin raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Aye, sir, and the princess asked me personally to escort you if you tried to get out of it.”
“Why don’t we make her commander then?” Corin complained good-naturedly.
Llewellyn laughed. “I asked her that myself.”
As the noon hour approached, Corin hurried back to the castle where he changed into fresh clothes and went to meet Amaura. She was waiting in the courtyard with Darrin. Their horses had been saddled and brought out for them.
“You, brother, were almost late,” Amaura said to Corin.
“Well, dearest sister, you can thank Llewellyn. He performed his job admirably,” Corin said.
“Good, I wasn’t the only one threatened,” Darrin said. “Huw took entirely too much pleasure out of this whole thing.”
Amaura laughed. “Oh, come on, you two! You know you want to go.” She swung easily into the saddle.
Her brothers followed her lead and mounted their Calorin stallions. They rode from the south gate and turned east toward the mountains. Darrin turned his stallion in a small circle.
“I bet I can still beat both of you to the fir tree.” He grinned.
Amaura and Corin exchanged smiles.
“If I win, you give me your dessert.” Amaura enacted their old bargain.
“Deal,” Corin replied.
With that, all three spurred their horses into a gallop. It was half a mile to the fir tree which had been riven by lightning many years before. As they neared it, Corin and Darrin exchanged a wink and eased up slightly on their mounts allowing Amaura to pull ahead.
“You didn’t lose on purpose, did you?” Amaura asked suspiciously as they settled down to a walk.
“Do you think we would ever lose willingly to a girl?” Darrin asked with an offended expression. Amaura glared at Corin.
“I try never to lose when dessert is on the line,” Corin replied.
“You two are hopeless.” Amaura rolled her eyes.
A few minutes later they came to the river. It wound its way slowly down from the mountains and foothills until it came to the wide lands surrounding Kingscastle. Trees grew along the grassy banks providing many a sheltered spot. They picketed the horses nearby and brought out lunch from the haversacks.
They talked and laughed over many a childhood memory at that place as they ate. Amaura relented and shared out the sweet cake in three equal parts even after Corin caught and tossed a frog at her. After lunch, Darrin had to return to the castle, but Corin and Amaura stayed a while longer at the water’s edge.
“Corin, did anything happen to Trey during the war?” Amaura asked tentatively as she dangled her feet in the water.
“What do you mean?” Corin asked.
“Well, he is more reserved than he used to be.”
“It was hard on everyone, and it changed a lot of men.”
“Like you changed?” She glanced up at him.
“It was more than the war that changed me,” Corin said gently. “But when I first came back, Martin, Trey, and Liam were the only ones who were still free. Trey had been the first to make it to the forest after Darrin was captured. He blamed himself for that.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“He also thought he had lost Tristan until, almost by chance, we found out Tristan was alive. Living in the forest was not as adventurous as it sounds. Imagine being hunted every moment of every day. We lost many good men, our friends and brothers.”
“That helps a little,” Amaura said. “At first I thought it was me. After you disappeared and we got older, Darrin became busier. When Tristan and Trey visited, Trey would always find some time to talk to me. I thought at first he was only being polite, but we struck up quite a friendship. I admit, I think I was in love with him.” A faint blush tinged her cheeks.
Corin wasn’t at all surprised by the admission. Trey had remained at Kingscastle for several months after the final battle as he recovered from his own wounds, and Corin had seen the bond between them.
“What about now?”
Amaura shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s busy, and when we do get to see each other, he’s always so frustratingly polite and distant.”
“Well, he’ll kill me for saying this, but I think he still likes you, Maurie,” Corin said.
“Really?” Amaura’s eyes brightened in hope.
“Aye, you can tell. I’m sure you can find some way to tell him that you feel the same way.”
Amaura stared at the flowing waters for a few minutes, not hearing the teasing tone in Corin’s voice.
“Have you ever been in love?” she asked.
Corin looked up from the apple he had begun to cut. “Yes.”
“What was she like?” Amaura was instantly curious.
“She was a beautiful chestnut mare,” Corin began, his face serious, but Amaura saw the twinkle in his eyes.
“Corin, I’m serious!” she cried, splashing water at him.
Corin laughed. “Truthfully, no.” He handed her an apple slice.
“Would you ever get married?” she asked as she bit into the fruit.
Corin shrugged. It was another question he’d been avoiding. “I don’t know. Who’d want to marry someone like me? Like you said, I’m gone all the time, and I’ve got a rather frightening past. They wouldn’t be happy.”
“There are lots of young women who would die to marry you.” Amaura giggled.
Corin smiled. “A fact Mother likes to remind me of rather frequently. I’m still trying to get used to castle life again, and now I’m trying to learn how to direct warbands and guard against a potential invasion. I don’t have the time or inclination for that right now.”
Amaura took another apple slice and sighed. “Do you ever think about what would have happened if you had grown up here or if the Calorins had never invaded?”
“Sometimes,” Corin replied. “Life would be very different.”
Chapter 7
As soon as his bags were packed and he was dressed and fully armed, Aiden went to the kitchen to pack provisions. He had barely stepped outside before Torsten confronted him.
“Leaving so soon?” The Durnian eyed Aiden’s bags with suspicion.
“Aye, but don’t worry, I’ll be back before you can miss me.” Aiden gave a perfect imitation of Torsten’s accent.
The Durnian’s eyes flashed. “I’ve had enough of your insolence, boy!” he snarled. “You’ll leave only if I let you!”
“Last time you tried stopping me didn’t end so well, did it?” Aiden asked with a dangerous smile.
“You’ll pay for that!” Torsten choked with anger.
The tension was broken by the arrival of Adalwulf.
“What is going on here?” His voice rang sharp and suspicious.
“Torsten was just saying good-bye. I’m off tae visit my friend,” Aiden said smoothly, earning an angry glare from Torsten.
“How long will you be away?” Adalwulf asked.
“A week at most. Jamey has some of the finest hunting hounds in the Clan so we’ll be spending most of our time out on the hunting runs.”
“Ah, I am an avid hunter myself. I wish you luck,” Adalwulf said.
“I thank you.” Aiden gave a small bow. “But if you’ll excuse me, I am anxious tae be on my way.”
As Aiden continued to the stables, he resisted the urge to look back at Adalwulf and the scowling Torsten. He was betting Adalwulf did not yet see him as a threat, but he didn’t doubt the man was type who could get rid of his enemies with a few well-placed words.
Once inside, he hurried to the stall and flung the saddle over Narak’s broad back.
“All right, boy, you’ve spent the week in a stall. You ready to run?” Aiden asked softly in Calorin as he tightened the girth.
The stallion nickered in reply.
“That’s good enough.” Aiden arranged his packs on the saddle. He tensed as footsteps approached the stall door.
“You’re not running again, are you?” Ranulf asked.