Soldiers of Winter

by Stephen L. Nowland

  The interior was mostly dark, lit only by a faint flicker from a lantern at the far end of the cavernous space. It was easily ten yards across and twice that in length, with partitions in place along one side allowing the building to be used as a stable if needed. The barn was mostly used for storing feed and equipment, and even now its stalls were filled to overflowing with piles of hay, ready to deliver to the merchant's horses in the stable next door. Stairs to one side of the space ascended to a loft several yards above the ground.

  Easing the door closed behind him, Pacian made sure it stayed open a crack by shoving a stone the size of his head into the gap. The wind was more subdued inside the barn but there was always a risk it would blow the door shut, waking its inhabitants and making Pacian's job much more difficult.

  Now that he was inside, he could make out the faint sound of someone snoring on the far side of the barn, and a faint smile found its way onto Pacian's face. Everything was going his way. With practiced quiet he made his way across the ground, being careful to avoid any obstacles along the way. His heart beat at a steady rhythm, his excitement tempered by a sort of professional calm that allowed him to keep his head in these situations.

  Pacian passed the half-way point, a shadow amongst shadows, practically invisible in his dark cloak and with the wind outside covering his steps, nobody would know he was here. Ahead, he could make out more of the scene as he approached and saw a man lying on top of a pile of hay, with a lantern burning low perched on a small table next to him.

  Moving closer, Pacian could see it was Creese, already fast asleep after a long, hard day of being an awful person. Only a few yards away, on his own pile of hay was Beddoe, silent and barely moving. Both men were still dressed in their leathers, but their weapon belts were leaning against a wooden box within hand's reach. It wasn't entirely clear if Beddoe was asleep yet, but if Pacian did this just right, it wouldn't matter anyway.

  Taking a breath to steady himself, Pacian made his way around a wooden pillar holding up the roof and moved in, taking extra care to make sure each footfall was utterly quiet. He was only three yards away from Creese, and the faint sparkle of the pendant around his neck was visible even in the dim conditions ahead.

  It would be far too dangerous to try and pull the pendant's string over Creese's head, so Pacian placed one hand on the hilt of his knife and drew it silently. Only a few feet from his goal, he suddenly saw a glint of metal on the table right next to him, the shining of a silver coin that had emerged from the top of a coin pouch sitting next to the lantern.

  Pacian paused and stared at it with longing, wondering if he could somehow grab it on his way out without jingling the coins within. Shaking his head, Pacian refocused on his mission, which was now within arm's reach. The patter of rain on the barn roof could be heard as Pacian crouched over Creese's slumbering form, wrinkling his nose at the ale-soaked breath coming from the unkempt man's mouth with each rumbling snore.

  With hands that did not shake, Pacian brought his knife underneath the string keeping the pendant around Creese's neck, barely an inch from his skin. Although it was only a common carving knife, Pacian kept it sharp to make slicing meat or bread easier, and that sharpness came in handy for cutting string too. With his other hand holding the pendant above the rise and fall of Creese's barrel chest, Pacian severed the string with three back-and-forth motions of his knife.

  Barely breathing while he performed the delicate operation, he gently pulled the string to free it from the folds of Creese's neck and once it was clear, Pacian stepped backward and popped the pendant into his belt pouch. He quietly took a deep breath and started backing away, once again passing right by the coin pouch sitting on the table.

  Not content with his prize, Pacian decided that Creese needed to learn a more important lesson. Reaching out, Pacian carefully and very slowly scooped the pouch from the table, using his other hand to keep the coins from hitting each other. Unfortunately, Pacian's luck ran out and a tiny clink could be heard over the dull rush of the wind and rain outside.

  “Wha?” Beddoe muttered in surprise, apparently only half asleep. Pacian, with his heart suddenly racing, darted behind the wooden pillar and put his back to it, just in time to avoid being seen by Beddoe as the big man glanced around in alarm. Creese snorted loudly as he also woke, though Pacian didn't dare peek around the corner in case he was seen.

  “What's up?” Creese blurted.

  “Thought I heard somethin,” Beddoe grunted.

  “We're in a bloody barn,” Creese groaned, his voice sounding more relaxed by the moment. “There's probably a chain or somethin' clangin' around in the wind.”

  “I suppose,” Beddoe muttered, accompanied by the sounds of both men settling back into their makeshift beds again. Pacian breathed a silent sigh of relief, then crouched low and started inching his way across the floor towards the barn doors.

  “All of this just because I played a joke on some kid,” Creese lamented. “Some people around here are lacking a sense of humor.”

  “Hey, did that dark haired kid remind you of someone?' Beddoe asked, grabbing Pacian's attention.

  “You noticed that too, eh? Yeah, he looked like that young bloke who we was guarding caravans with a few years back. Didn't last too long as I recall, got himself killed on his second raid. Brogan, I think his name was. Had a brother named... Keith? Kieran? Something like that. Seemed decent enough, but not cut out for that sort of work.”

  “Not that they really had a chance, mind you,” Beddoe pointed out with a hint of dark humor in his voice.

  “Yeah, bad timing on their part, joining up just after we made an accord with those bandits,” Creese chuckled. “Do you think anyone noticed how strange it was that in all the caravans we've guarded, and all of those that got hit, you and I were the only survivors over and over?”

  “I never heard nothin' about it from no one. Made some nice coin over the years ain't we? Pity it's all gone now,” Beddoe answered as an incredulous Pacian listened in. He'd stopped moving altogether now, appearing only as a blot of darkness in a dark room.

  “Well, I was thinkin' about that earlier,” Creese said, his voice taking on an eager tone. “You heard of all them soldiers that've been recruited from local towns right? All those brave soldiers headin' off to fight a war in the middle of winter...”

  “Leavin' the highways free for the picking?” Beddoe replied, finishing the thought, drawing a chuckle from Creese.

  “It might be time to reach out and talk to a few of our contacts out there,” he suggested. “I've got a feelin' this is a good time to make a bit of money. We just needs to be careful, is all.”

  “Always mate, always,” came the reply. The conversation ended and they seemed to be trying to get back to sleep. Pacian had the pendant and Creese's money, and he could walk out on them right now and they'd be none the wiser. If everything went well, they wouldn't notice until first light when the caravan was leaving. Outside, the pelting rain grew heavier, giving Pacian ample cover for his escape, yet he did not move.

  These two were responsible for the deaths of several people, including Aiden's own brothers. A darkness came over Pacian as a memory flashed through his mind, an image of a seedy looking man holding a knife to the throat of his mother in their very own home. Like then, Pacian had a choice to quiver and bow his head in fear, or step up and do what had to be done. The authorities were useless, never around when needed, leaving it up to those with the talent and the conviction to deal with scum like this on their own terms.

  Slowly, silently, with his knife held steady in one hand, Pacian turned around with grim intent and crept across the barn's wide floor towards the two men once more.

  4

  Justice

  As silent as death, Pacian moved to the unsuspecting guards, his quiet footfalls unheard as rain and wind rumbled on the roof above. Creese had his eyes closed, but Pacian was wary that he probably wasn't asleep so soon after waking. This had to be a quick, clean st
rike or there was a real chance of being overwhelmed by the guards who were both bigger than him and better armed. As soon as he was close enough, Pacian raised his arm and drove his knife into Creese's chest.

  While sharp, Pacian's carving knife was meant for slicing up a roast and certainly wasn't designed for stabbing. It struck the heavy leather coat Creese wore and barely penetrated, but the blow was enough to startle both men, and within a heartbeat they were both staring at Pacian in abject terror. Cursing to himself for his blunder, Pacian flipped the knife around and slashed at Creese.

  The sharped edge slashed a line of blood along the side of Creese's throat, though not deeply enough to be a mortal wound. He roared in alarm and clutched the wound with one hand as blood streamed out, then rolled over to get some distance between himself and his assailant. With clenched teeth, Pacian slashed back and forth, cutting Creese's back and leaving more bloodied lacerations in his wake. All of Pacian's pent-up rage and frustrations at the injustices in his life spilled over as he took it out on Creese, a vile man who was the manifestation of corruption and evil in the world as Pacian saw it.

  A few yards distant, Beddoe scrambled to reach for a short sword nearby, but once he drew it and got to his feet, a professional calm came over him as he faced off against Pacian.

  “You picked the wrong people to steal from,” Beddoe rumbled, right before lunging with his blade extended. Pacian had expected this and rolled to his right, landing cat-like on his feet and slashing Beddoe's over-extended arm. He recoiled in pain but quickly recovered, stabbing at Pacian again and again yet hitting nothing but air.

  Although lazy in his everyday life, Pacian could really move when he needed to, and this was one of those times. He darted about so fast that Beddoe simply couldn't get close enough to hit him. Pacian was fully committed, his pulse pounding in his ears and reveling in the chaos of the moment.

  Looking for an advantage, he reached down and grabbed a hand full of dirt and threw it into Beddoe's eyes. The big man roared in rage as he staggered backward, trying to clear his vision while swinging his short sword back and forth to keep Pacian at bay. Although it would have been nice to finish him off, Pacian noticed Creese finally getting to his feet nearby and headed in that direction instead.

  Before Creese could properly stand, Pacian shoulder-rushed him from several yards away, toppling the man back to the ground where Pacian's knife slashed him twice more. He followed through with a solid kick to Creese's stomach, blasting the wind out of his lungs and buying Pacian more time.

  He suddenly felt a powerful shove in his back and slammed into the side of the barn, momentarily dazed from the impact. Beddoe, already recovered, grabbed Pacian's shoulder and tossed him several yards, where he crashed into the wooden table. Pain surged through the side of his body, but his instincts kicked in just in time to avoid Beddoe's sword which narrowly missed Pacian as he stumbled away.

  The lantern that had been providing light in the secluded barn smashed when it hit the ground, sending oil and fire streaming into a pile of hay. Pacian took a moment to gather his bearings, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand while Beddoe struggled to catch his breath. The brief reprieve ended as the big man lunged at Pacian again, forcing him to roll to one side to avoid the attack.

  Unfortunately, he rolled right over a rock hidden beneath the hay and came to his feet in blinding pain. Beddoe followed through with a solid backhand to the chest, forcing Pacian back once more. He almost tripped over Creese, who was just recovering from the kick, and had the presence of mind to stab downward with his knife. This time, Pacian's weapon penetrated the leather and dropped the wounded thug to the ground again, roaring in pain from the accumulation of small cuts.

  That move cost him. Pacian was in agony and barely able to respond as Beddoe moved in and slashed across Pacian's chest, a hit that would have finished him off but for the fact that he stumbled over Creese and landed on his backside.

  “I'd suggest not giving up your day job kid,” Beddoe snarled as he loomed over Pacian's prone form with the growing fire behind him lighting up the place, “but you're not gonna live long enough anyway.” It seemed he was about to say more, when the big man took a hit to the back of his head and staggered forward, revealing Millie standing there, wailing away on Beddoe with her club.

  The big man raised an arm to try and shield his face from the ferocity of her attacks, with limited success. With Beddoe's back to Pacian, he saw the opportunity to bring him down and struggled to his feet, but before he could bring his carving knife to bear, Beddoe seemed to anticipate his presence and struck first, driving his elbow to Pacian's stomach.

  He doubled over, gasping for breath as Beddoe's focus stayed on Millie. He deflected her simple attacks one after the other as he moved closer, towering over the girl as if daring her to try and hurt him. He was clearly amused by her attempts and while Pacian wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground and breathe, he wasn't going to let her come to harm.

  Summoning his remaining strength, Pacian hurled himself at Beddoe with the intention of knocking him to the ground, but he was a solid bloke and only lurched forward a few inches upon impact. Beddoe shoved Millie to the ground and turned to take a stab at Pacian, but fortunately, he'd already fallen to the ground after running into him.

  Pacian lashed out with his knife and cut him deeply on his leg, which drew a response from Beddoe in the form of a solid boot to Pacian's chest. He cringed on the floor expecting a follow-through blow, but it didn't happen. Beddoe turned back to face Millie, who was still on the ground with the flames spreading quickly behind her.

  “I thought you was a nice girl, but looks like you've fallen in with bad company,” Beddoe rumbled, moving closer to stand over her. Millie looked up at him with fear in her eyes, but instead of replying, her answer can in the form of her club forcefully smacking into Beddoe's groin. He howled in pain and fell to the ground, clutching at his shattered manhood while Millie stood, her expression of clearly a ruse.

  Seizing her opportunity, she brought her club down on the back of Beddoe's head with a resounding crack, knocking him out cold. Pacian struggled to his feet, each breath a painful chore and with his knife held firmly in one hand, stumbled back over to Creese.

  “This is for Brogan, Kieran and all the others who died by your treachery,” he rasped, watching with a measure of satisfaction as Creese, too badly wounded to respond, looked at Pacian in horror as he drove his knife into the man's neck. He gurgled and gasped for a few seconds before finally succumbing to his injuries, while Pacian observed his last moments with cold detachment.

  He stood and took in the scene of their handiwork, and was instantly reminded of the outcome of another fight, years ago. Then as now, the bodies were strewn around the floor of his home, bloodied and cut almost beyond recognition after Pacian's rage took over, surprising the thugs who had been caught off-guard by the young boy's response. In spite of surviving, that fight had resulted in the loss of his mother and in some small way, Pacian hoped that this win would help assuage his guilt over his choice to fight.

  “What have you done?” Millie cried, bringing Pacian back to their present predicament. She had a fit of coughing as smoke from the spreading flames started to build up. Pacian held up a hand to shield his face from the intensity of the heat as he looked around in alarm at how fast the flames were moving, effectively cutting off their escape and growing higher by the moment. Thinking quickly, he searched for any other way out and spotted closed window shutters on the wall opposite the fire.

  Taking Millie by the hand, he stumbled through the clutter of the barn until they reached the window, which was a little too high to climb out of. Millie saw a wooden crate nearby and brought it over, lining it up with the window to allow them to climb out.

  “Ladies first,” Pacian offered, helping her onto the crate so she could unlock the shutters and pull herself through the window. He followed right after, gritting his teeth against the aches and pains in
his bruised body as he went through the window to the fresh air outside and dropped to the sodden ground. Upon landing, he almost fell over but Millie caught him and they stood there in the heavy, cold rain, taking a moment to catch their breath. Distant thunder rumbled through the sky, perhaps a sign of things to come.

  “That didn't go so well,” Millie said, speaking closely so she could be heard in the wild conditions.

  “It went better than you think,” Pacian responded.

  “We'd better get the word out about this fire before the barn burns to the ground.”

  “Give it a few minutes,” Pacian suggested grimly, giving her a look that suggested it would be better if there were no survivors. “Come on, let's get under cover before we catch our death out here.” They made their way between two buildings and entered the stable next door, where the smell of smoke in the air was making the horses within nervous.

  “What happened? No wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know,” Millie said with noticeable disgust in her voice. “I shouldn't have gone inside.”

  “I'm glad you did, you saved my bacon back there,” Pacian responded, wincing in pain as he pulled off his sodden cloak. Millie noticed and helped him out, easing him out of the torn garment.

  “You're badly hurt, are you bleeding?”

  “He never cut me, but I'm going to be black and blue for a week,” Pacian answered.

  “Was it worth it?” she asked pointedly.

  “Definitely,” Pacian replied without hesitation.

  “Okay, well, I'm done here,” Millie said, clearly upset by the events of the evening. “I'm going to warn everyone of the fire so if you want to be somewhere else, now's the time.” Although the stable was lit only by the glow coming from the barn next door, it was bright enough for Pacian to see that Millie wasn't looking him in the eye.