by Thomas Adams
Another thought came to his mind suddenly, what if Yfiria and Aravin tried to find him at Reave Hall and he was not here? He quickly relaxed though. He suspected they would have no trouble finding him no matter where he might be. He suddenly realized Yfiria’s coming to him in a dream about Castle Brod was the sign he’d been waiting for. He’d subconsciously known that for days. He felt better now that he had made a decision and was doing something. What would happen at Brod though? He had no idea. They would plan and take advantage of the opportunities that presented, use his training, scout Brod and find some way to stop the Trolls. That was all they could try to do.
From the town they turned north and followed the dusty dirt road up into the hills. They passed ripe fields of barley, wheat and vegetables and busy farmsteads making ready for the harvest. Eventually they rose above the cleared farmlands and passed into dark evergreen forests on the upper slopes of the hills north of the valley. They passed very few other travelers. Those they passed were all were headed towards Tanic and the fortress. They saw the occasional woodsman or farmer on an errand and solitary small carts and wagons loaded with produce or grain bound for town. Greetings were exchanged but they did not stop.
The moved at a steady clip and after a few hours they crossed a high pass notched into a ridge and were out of the valley completely. As they moved down into the next valley they came to a large high field that was remarkably flat. It must have been about five hundred arms long and three hundred wide. In the middle was a large mound. It was uncultivated though. Wild grasses and flowers grew in scattered clumps in the rocky field.
“What is that?” Fridya asked. She was pointing at the large mound, weeds and vines covered the mound for the most part, but there were patches of white here and there. It was a strange looking feature. Not like a real hill or rock. It was too small to be a hill and its’ shape too uniform. It appeared to be manmade. The patches of white that were visible were tinged with a greyish color in some places. Blotches of black also showed as well. The entire mound gave her a feeling of dread. She shivered as they neared it.
Bax replied in a hushed tone, “It is a Fell Hoarda.”
She nodded her head and said no more. Brandt however, chimed in, “A fell what? What is that?”
Bax turned to Brandt, “Fell Hoarda, from the War of Twenty. It is a pile of Erhand dead, now reduced to bone and dust. This is how they were buried hundreds of years ago, as a monument to our victory and a warning to all invaders.”
All Brandt said was, “Oh.” His eyes were big as he peered at the pile that was easily one hundred feet tall. It was easily three hundred feet wide at the base. It was a massive pile. The dead invaders must have numbered in the thousands to make such a big heap.
Horace added, “The Fell Hoardas are avoided by all. They are said to be haunted. No one will live near one of farm near one. It was once estimated there were over twenty such mounds made after the war.”
Brandt was surprised that the taciturn Horace had spoken, “Twenty mounds! That is a lot of Erhand. I can certainly understand not wanting to live near this.” He gestured at the mound, “I wouldn’t want to live near one either.” It gave him the creeps.
In another five minutes the Fell Hoarda was out of sight and everyone seemed to be much happier. They rode hard the rest of the day. A couple stops were made over the course of the day to eat and to water and rest the horses. That evening they camped in a small clearing just off the road. There was a large fire pit in the clearing and it looked like it was frequently used by travelers. The group took care of their chores and after a hot last meal, everyone settled near the fire. A watch was set.
Brandt did not sleep well that night. The Fell Hoarda frequently rose to the forefront of his mind. The enemy must be as numerous as the stars to be able to send so many soldiers. He never really understood the gravity of the situation until seeing the huge moldering stack of ancient bones. It would be a life or death struggle for his people. The Erhand were truly relentless.
Brotnjar seemed to be extra active near the Fell Hoarda but did not speak to him. Brandt wondered if his father had been at the battle and had helped create that pile of Erhand bones. If so Brotnjar had been there as well. Brandt wondered if the sword remembered the battle. And, Brotnjar was ancient. Did it remember every battle from when he was cursed to now? He shuddered. That was a lot of death and misery. He could not comprehend hundreds of years, even thousands of years of memories like that.
***
It was a cold blustery day when the Druid arrived. Fall had arrived and was pushing down out of the mountains from the north, its arrival seemed early this year. The tall youngish Druid wore the traditional robes and dark cloak of his order. A cold rain fell on the students training in the yard. He stood, leaning on his staff, just under the High Fort gatehouse, out of the rain. A guard went to find Master Ivar. Guessing the real age of a Druid, based on their physical appearance, was always a gamble. They did not age the same as normal men and women. The young Druid was met by Master Ivar after a few minutes. He introduced himself as Endhame and he asked to be shown to the Gallery of the Dead, immediately.
Ivar nodded and set off, trailed by the Druid, to the entrance to the underground halls. The tunnels and halls under the High Fort were filled with men now. Torches and lanterns lit the way. It was much different than previously. While still gloomy and a bit damp, the halls now rang with talk and the sounds of training and living. They were clean and the stale air purged. Ivar personally escorted Endhame to the Gallery although the Druid seemed to know the way.
After they arrived Endhame pulled a large glass globe from his pack and spoke a word of command. The Gallery filled with bright strong white light. He spoke another word that Ivar was unfamiliar with and the Druid’s staff split into a tripod looking thing. The Druid set it up and slotted the glowing globe on the top of the contraption. Handy that, thought Ivar. Endhame walked away, towards the wall with all the engravings.
Ivar watched curiously. The room was as it was afore. No one slept in the chambers near this room and those few brave enough to enter never stayed for long. The Druid gazed over the ancient metal carvings for a few moments and then turned to Ivar and said, “I study the Dokköndi and much of this is already familiar to me. I think I can do two classes a day once ready, one in the morning and one after mid-meal. Each class will last a sennight. I leave it up to you to determine the rotation of classes. Give me a sennight to study these in detail and prepare a set of lessons. After that I should be ready to begin.”
“Understood, what will they learn?”
“We will focus on three things, one, how to identify the types of Dokköndi, two, a little about their history and their fighting capabilities and finally, how to fight and destroy them. They are already dead so they canna be killed,” Endhame concluded darkly.
Ivar just looked at the Druid. What kind of man studied these monsters? The Druids were well known for their bizarre and unusual practices. The Druid raised a questioning eyebrow and Ivar shrugged off his wandering thoughts, nodded again and said, “Anything else? Do you need food or supplies?”
“No, thank you Master Ivar, I can manage from here. You can have a pallet delivered to me here. I will sleep here and eat in the mess with everyone else. Send your first class down in a sennight, after first meal. We will get your soldiers ready for what will come.”
Ivar nodded and said he would have a servant deliver the bedding. Ivar was unsettled by the strange Druid. But, maybe it was the Druid’s studies and the implications of them that rattled him. And, any advantage they found and could teach their krigers about fighting this new inexplicable enemy was a good thing, right? With a slight shiver Ivar quickly departed the Gallery of the Dead and its strange new resident.
***
Yfiria burst into the solar at Talfur that evening, out of breath, her face was etched with weariness and grave concern. She was calm and collected but frantic energy was bubbling just beneath the surface. �
�Aravin, it is time. Brandt has left Reave Hall. He travels with a small party north towards Fortress Brod. I have seen it. We must depart soon and join them.”
“I know. I have seen it daughter.”
“They will need our help. I know something is coming, something dark and evil. I can sense it.” she worriedly told Aravin.
“I also sense it. A powerful Illr-hrae is pursuing them. They will need our help.”
“How are they crossing over?” her face lost all color as she contemplated the news. It was grim indeed.
“The Magi of Imperia are helping them, somehow. Some of the sigil wards and containments the gods erected long ago must have been weakened or destroyed, and the Void breached.”
She frowned and twisted a lock of her hair in apprehension. She concluded “This is bad is it not? It was sent to go after Brandt wasn’t it?”
“I am sure and such evil has not roamed these lands in a thousand years. The dark days are upon us I fear. It is as the Prophecy foretold.”
“So, we will go? We can help?”
“Aye. Go and finish your preparations. I must summon one of our best healers. We will need one. Make ready to return to Ellorhim. We have a few days still as I must meet with the council before we depart.”
She nodded and turned to depart but Aravin said, “Yfiria, It will not be easy. They are watching us. The Dokköndi are waiting just outside the Shadow Lands now.”
She paused at his revelation. She knew the crossing was always perilous but with the Illr-hrae guarding the borders of the Shadow Lands it would be even more dangerous now
“What can we do?” she asked.
Aravin said grimly, “Be prepared to fight. That is all you can do.”
She whirled and headed for the door. She was all business now that their course was set. Danger was ahead of them but haste was needed to help Brandt and his friends. She could not imagine him fighting an Illr-hrae without powerful archania. It was truly frightful. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest with dread at the thought of what was coming for him. She feared he was in grave danger.
Aravin called after her, “Remember girl, we will be in the Wilds and far from cities and towns. You will need to pack light and we canna take your ladies. It will be just you, Gunnr, Cori and I. And, it will be cold. You will need warm clothes and gear. No frivolous court gowns and silly cloth slippers!”
“Aravin, I know. Do not worry. I have seen and prepared for this day!”
***
The small band was only a few days out from Fortress Reave and autumn had arrived with a vengeance. The overnight temperatures had plummeted and the trees were quickly changing their colors, shedding their warm greens for brilliant reds, golds and yellows. And, overnight a light snow storm blew in and dumped an inch of snow on the travelers. It was very early in the season for snow but not unheard of. Shortly after they broke camp a fine drizzle started up. They rode from their camp, through the mist, the dark trees gleaming wetly and steadily dripping on them. The snow settled and shrunk as the temperature climbed above freezing. Everyone tried to stay warm and dry but the light rain eventually soaked through their cloaks.
It was still as they rode north and there was little noise, other than the water dripping from the evergreens and the limbs of the oak and maple trees. Even the footfalls of the horses were muffled by the slushy snow and wet leaves underfoot. Their path turned to the northwest as they rode through gently rolling hills and forests. Erika and Bax knew these lands well so their route was quick and direct.
They stayed off the main trails and roads and cut cross country whenever possible. There were few villages on the edge of the Wilds, the largest was a small regional town called Kӧlc. They would bypass it though. Occasionally, they passed a remote farm or small village. They didn’t try to hide their trail and they avoided the settlements unless they needed provisions, in which case Erika would ride in and buy what was needed. The rest of the group stayed hidden on the outskirts.
There were scattered quarries in this area of Vesfalruk and they passed one north of Kӧlc. A major trade road ran out of Kӧlc to Kimera. But at this time of year there was little commerce. Everyone one would be preparing for winter. It was peaceful and tranquil and the few people they encountered were friendly enough. Large herds of sheep or goats could be seen on many of the hillsides.
It was a rural area but soon they would pass into the Wilds of the northern White Mountains. In the Wilds, human habitation would grow even sparser. Once they entered the Wilds and were well away from the Vesfal villages and citizens they would take a more direct and quicker route.
***
The next day, after a miserable wet night, Brandt’s band travelled generally due northwest all day. It was a long day, over ten hours in the saddle. They took a short break for a meal around noon. They also periodically dismounted and walked the horses a skot or so to rest them. Whenever they crossed a stream they would also water the beasts and top off their water skins. Erika said it was common scout practice to never pass up an opportunity to replenish food, water and rest for their beasts. An unprepared scout was a dead scout she frequently espoused. Erika and Alfaar took turns returning to their back trail to scout for pursuit, hide their tracks or obliterate signs of their passage. While pursuit was not expected they wanted anyone following them to have to work to keep on their trail.
That night, after they halted and settled into their normal camp routine, Erika and Alfaar went out scouting and hunting. Shortly after they departed, Fridya walked over to Brandt and sat next to him by the fire. She struck up a conversation. At first he was not sure where she was taking the conversation but as she worked deeper into the topic, he felt awkward; he knew where it was headed. She eventually asked him how one would know if they were in love and what he thought constituted such a relationship. He was speechless and way out of his depth and sat there looking at her as if she had grown two heads before his very eyes.
“You will know the one by a kiss. I heard that afore and I believe it.” she finally remarked.
He scoffed with an uncomfortable chuckle, “A kiss? You believe that is all it takes?”
“Aye, let us see,” she exclaimed and ere he could protest she leaned in close to him. Real close, only inches from him. He could feel her body heat and the smell of her. She smelled of horse and leather and a hint of lavender. She smelled good he thought.
Her lips touched his and it was not a little girl’s chaste kiss. It was right on his lips, warm, deep and searching all at once. His breathing sped up. He was excited and intrigued all at the same time. He tentatively returned the kiss but something held him back. He stopped and went wooden. His kiss with Yfiria in the catacombs under reave Hall came unbidden to his mind. Something did not seem quite right. He knew he should not be kissing Fridya. It was a betrayal of his feelings for Yfiria. It lasted a few seconds then she pulled back and released him. She had an inquisitive look in her eye.
“That was very nice but I am not so sure.” She said breathlessly, “What did you feel?”
He paused, somewhat self-consciously, and then sputtered, “Well excited of course.” He blushed and mumbled, clearly embarrassed at the way the entire conversation, no, the entire situation was turning out, “And warm and dizzy.”
She sighed with frustration, “Maybe we should try again?”
He quickly shook his head.
“Well I guess that is that. You are clearly a flesh and blood boy I suppose. Not a stone golem after all and I can say I was beginning to wonder. Boys and girls our age in Vesfalruk are usually courting or even married. You know that right?”
Her meaning was clear, “I know that. I have to admit,” he said truthfully, “It was nice but I am not sure if that is love. I am not obvious to your charms Fridya. You are a well formed woman and very beautiful.”
Now it was her turn to blush. For all her straightforwardness she was still a young lady and such obvious appraisal and compliment of her appearance was welcome. Tha
t he had made that effort and assessment left her hopeful. His frank words endeared him to her all the more.
“Well then, I agree. I felt all those things as well but I expected more. We will have to try again in a while and see what happens I guess.”
He would never tell anyone he kissed Yfiria. He would not tell anyone of tonight’s kiss either. It seemed it could compromise either girl and he had strong feelings for both of them. But, he wanted to make sure she did not do it again. “No, I just don’t feel comfortable kissing you Fridya. You are like a sister to me, like a best friend.”
His remarks surprised her and dashed her hopes but she acquiesced. She peered into his eyes. She didn’t see what she thought she should see. There was surprise and shock and maybe some relief? But there was also something else. Could it be guilt? Maybe it really was not meant to be. “It concerns Yfiria doesn’t it?” she probed.
“Aye, it does. I can’t say more now because I do not know still.”
“I knew it,” she whispered. “Why else would you carry her wallet and a lock of her hair? And that flower! What is that about? Are you promised to her?”
“I wish I knew. I feel strongly for her as you know. We grew up together and were very close and until I know the whole truth I can’t go forward.”
She frowned and stood and then turned and walked away into the twilight. He hated it. She was hurt now. What could he do though? Being torn between two women was very hard to deal with and to understand. He was just as confused as ever.
Chapter 28
Fridya Speaks Her Mind
Dreams and Memories
“Ridynar says the games you two play are important for our future. I disagree. I think they are just silly. How can such things be so important? You should play fewer games and read a book or study history.”
