The Wolf On The Run (The Wolf of Corwick Castle Book 3)

by Terry Cloutier

  “You are the town’s gardener, then?” I asked. Alvar grunted in surprise before he slowly nodded. “I thought as much,” I said. “An important position to be sure.” Beside me, I could feel Odiman becoming impatient. I hurried on, “Do you hear those bells?” I asked, pointing vaguely over the man’s shoulder.

  “I hear them,” Alvar said grimly. “Those are for you.”

  I grinned. “Are you certain?”

  “Hadrack,” Odiman said, turning to me in exasperation. “What is this all about? We’re wasting time talking to these fools.”

  I ignored him. “Where are the soldiers, Alvar?” I asked.

  The gardener tried to keep his face neutral, but I’d just seen a brief flicker in his eyes. I realized my hunch was correct.

  “We don’t need them to crush the likes of you,” Alvar said, trying to bluster.

  “That could be why the soldiers aren’t here,” I said agreeably. I smiled and took another step forward. “But I think the truth is many of them died in that granary back there, and now the rest can’t leave the walls, because those bells aren’t really for us.”

  Odiman glanced at me in surprise. “Malo?” he asked.

  “I think so,” I said. “He must believe Rorian is still inside the town.”

  “Rorian?” the gardener said with a frown. “What does that scholar have to do with anything?”

  “He’s why we are here, you halfwit!” Odiman shouted. “Do you really think we give a priest’s withered ball-sack about this cursed place?”

  I could hear the townsmen muttering among themselves uncertainly. These men weren’t fighters, and I knew all they wanted was to live their lives and be left alone. I decided to offer them that, along with a healthy dose of fear to wash it all down.

  “Our men are going to be coming over those walls anytime now,” I said. “You know, and we know that there aren’t enough soldiers left to stop them.” I shook my head sadly. “These are savage, brutal men who have spent the last few days being slaughtered and humiliated by you people. What do you think those men will do once they take the town?” No one answered me, but I could see frightened glances being exchanged. “They are going to burn this place to the ground,” I said harshly. I pointed at Odiman. “Men, just like this, are going to come over those walls hungry for blood. They are going to kill every last one of you in ways that you can’t even imagine.” I paused, letting that thought sink in. “And when they are done with you, they will use and enslave your women and slaughter your children.” I snorted and shook my head. “And for what? To protect some murderous scholar that cares nothing for any of you?”

  “Lord Branton granted him sanctuary,” Alvar said. “We have no choice in the matter.”

  I could see the gleam of worry in his eyes now. “Do you think those men out there will care?” I asked. “Even if they fail today by some miracle, more are on the way here.” I glanced meaningfully at the townsmen. “A thousand more, with siege engines as well that will smash your walls to pieces. Think of what your lives will be like as burning pitch, stones the size of carts, and diseased animal carcasses are rained down on your heads. Is that what you want?”

  “What choice is there for us?” Avar asked bitterly. “We must obey our lord.”

  “Why?” I said bluntly.

  Alvar blinked at me, looking startled. “Why?” he repeated in confusion.

  “Exactly,” I said. “Why must you obey him? Lord Branton will likely not be lord of this town after today. My guess is the man will be lucky to salvage his life, let alone his property. Springlight and all your fates will soon be in the hands of Prince Tyden, the true heir to the throne. If you are smart, you will recognize that and bend a knee to him now before it’s too late.” I leaned forward, giving them my best wolfish grin. “Our prince can be a most kind and generous ruler,” I said. “But he can also be cruel and unforgiving to those he believes has wronged him. You might consider that before you choose your next move.”

  The townspeople were all gaping at me in astonishment. Even Odiman was looking at me with an expression of wonder on his savaged face.

  “You want us to betray our lord?” Alvar asked in disbelief. “Renounce The Father and Prince Tyrale in favor of the Sun and the heretic prince?”

  “Yes,” I said firmly. “Though I suggest you don’t use that term again to describe the True King.” I swept a hand behind me. “Join us, and I swear that your lives and the town will be spared.”

  “I don’t…I don’t know,” Alvar said uncertainly. He turned to the fat man and several others as they conferred, while behind me, I could hear the townspeople there engaged in heated exchanges as they debated my offer. Finally, Alvar turned back to us. “Do you swear that what you say will hold true?”

  “Bend your knee and pledge to serve the True King, and you have my word that no harm will come to any of you or this place,” I said.

  Odiman cleared his throat beside me. I could see just a hint of amusement twisting his peeled lips. “I am a House Agent,” he added. “As such, I have the authority to act in the name of both the House and the True King. Kneel and say your words, and you have both of our solemn vows that no harm will come to you or your town.”

  The townspeople hesitated for a moment longer, then one by one, they slowly knelt.

  5: The Pursuit

  As it turned out, Lord Branton was a mean-spirited, arrogant man in his fifties that I disliked from the very moment that I set eyes on him. Even after we’d taken the town with the help of Alvar and the others, he had acted as though it were he who was still in charge and not us. The man never stopped barking orders, and his sharp tongue continuously spat vitriol and hatred in all directions like the cornered rat he was. I had expected a more gracious lord by what Sabina had said about him, but now I understood where his son, Bastin, had gotten his arrogance and spitefulness.

  It was a great relief when Odiman and Malo finally lost patience with them both and banished the bastards from our walls, not letting them take any of their possessions along with them. Not even their clothing. Townspeople lined the ramparts facing south, laughing and jeering at the lord and his son as they were prodded naked through the gates and out onto the road. The House Agents had allowed the pair to use a partially lame, wretched-looking old mule with enough food stacked across its bowed back to last for several days. Niko had joked that he’d never seen three uglier asses in all his life as man, boy, and beast trudged down the hill together in dejection. Lord Branton loudly berated his wounded and limping son the entire time, and we could hear his shrill voice echoing through the surrounding forest long after they were finally lost from view.

  Malo’s search for Rorian in the forest had proved fruitless in the end, and though he’d sent out patrols with trackers in all directions, no evidence was found that the man had gotten out through the tunnel. The only conclusion left was that for some reason, he had changed his mind and returned, and was even now hiding inside the town. An exhaustive search began as Odiman’s men—with the townspeople's help—went from building to building looking for the scholar. But, after turning up nothing except a basement full of chained whores, and a corpse that had been rotting for several days, even the stubborn House Agent had to eventually admit failure.

  “This entire thing has turned out to be a complete waste of time,” Jebido said in disgust once the search had ended.

  My men and I were waiting in the market square, standing around a stone fountain filled with surprisingly clear water as Malo and Odiman talked nearby. Odiman’s face was swathed in bandages, but as far as I could tell, the House Agent seemed oblivious to any pain. A weathered statue of the First Pair holding hands stood in the center of the fountain, with a thin stream cascading down from somewhere in between their clasped hands. I’d seen the same pose before depicted in a mural painted across the Holy House ceiling in Corwick when I was a boy.

  I sat on the edge of the fountain and shrugged. “At least we are alive,” I said to Jebido.
“I wouldn’t have laid odds on that happening this morning.”

  “I’ve been wondering something,” Jebido said, looking down at me. “How did you know the bells were for Malo and not us?”

  “I didn’t,” I replied with a tired grin. “Not until I said it, anyway.”

  I yawned and took off my helmet as I dipped my hand into the cool water behind me, cupping some and rubbing it over my face and the back of my burned neck. My palm came back covered in dried blood and pasted soot. I took several more handfuls of water and scrubbed the best that I could, then swirled my soiled hand in the fountain, staining the water red and black. I felt overwhelmingly exhausted and I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face. A shadow broke the rays warming me and I cracked an eye open to see Malo standing over me. I sighed at the look on his face.

  “They didn’t find him,” the House Agent said bitterly.

  “I know,” I grunted. “You’re in my light,” I added. Malo shifted sideways, looking at me in annoyance. “So, what do we do now?” I asked, not caring. I just wanted to sit where I was, listen to the water running and not move.

  “I’m sending out patrols across the Southlands,” Malo answered. “We must have missed Rorian in the forest somehow. It’s the only explanation.” The House Agent took a deep breath. “Maybe we will get lucky and one of those patrols will catch the bastard.” He didn’t sound overly optimistic to me. “For now, you and your men can go home. If I need you, I will send for you.”

  I nodded, not minding that answer at all. It would be good to return to Witbridge Manor after the last few days. I glanced at Baine, who was joking with Niko and Tyris. Flora might have had the baby by now and I knew my friend would be happy at the news that we were leaving.

  “Someone could be hiding him in town,” Jebido said, looking thoughtful. Alvar and the other town leaders were talking twenty yards away and Jebido gestured toward them. “Maybe letting them help with the search wasn’t such a good idea. I’d trust that gardener over there, but that fat fellow and some of the others look like they would sell their own mother for a taste of gold.”

  Malo glanced at the townsmen. “You think one of them would take that chance?”

  Jebido pursed his lips and shrugged. “Maybe. Who knows what motivates a man’s heart?” He sat down beside me and looked up at the House Agent. “If I were you, Malo, I’d search again, but this time have only our men do it and be a little more ruthless. If Rorian is still here, he won’t be expecting a second search.”

  “That’s not necessarily a bad idea,” Malo said. He stroked his beard and peered up at the sun. “There is still plenty of daylight left.” I could see hope returning in his eyes as he looked at me. “Hadrack, I want you to organize this. Take as many men as you need.”

  I glanced sideways at Jebido in irritation. “Thanks a lot,” I grumbled. Jebido made an apologetic face as I turned back to Malo. “You know it’s going to be a waste of time, don’t you? Somebody got out of that tunnel, regardless of what your trackers say. It had to have been Rorian.”

  “If there is any chance that he’s still here, then I have to try,” Malo said stubbornly.

  I stood up wearily, straightening my stiff back. I knew arguing with Malo any further would be pointless. “Fine, if that’s what you want. But I’m leaving with my men if we don’t find him this time.”

  “Agreed,” Malo said.

  I put my helmet on. “So, what’s this scholar look like, anyway?”

  “Alvar told me he’s tall and built like an ox,” Malo said. He brushed his fingers along his cheek. “The bastard has three white scars right about here.” I could feel the blood in my veins turn cold at his words. “What’s wrong?” the House Agent asked at the look on my face.

  I groaned out loud, picturing the wounded men that we’d seen on the way to the ridge earlier that day. It all seemed so long ago now, as if it had been weeks, rather than hours.

  “Rorian’s not here,” I said, feeling an admiration for the man despite myself. The scholar must have had steel flowing in his veins to walk past us like he had. I’d suspected nothing amiss, and he had even greeted me like an old friend as we passed each other. I quickly told Malo and Jebido what I knew. I could see the dismay in the House Agent’s eyes turning to anger as I talked.

  “Those damn trackers swore to me that there were no signs,” Malo said, his voice shaking with fury.

  “Perhaps you need better trackers,” Jebido said sarcastically.

  I stared at my friend, thinking of Sabina and what Bastin had mentioned about her father’s ability to track even a mouse through a forest. I hadn’t sought out Sabina after we had captured Springlight, because, in truth, I was still angry at her for betraying us after we’d saved her life. She hadn’t shown herself since the town had fallen either, and I had been more than happy to just forget about her. Up until now, that is.

  “I think I know someone that can help us,” I said.

  “He’s not here!” Sabina whispered angrily, glaring at me with her arms crossed over her chest.

  The girl had changed out of her burnt clothing into a long white dress with flared sleeves and bright yellow accents along the hem. She’d also taken the time to wash herself, though the red, inflamed skin on her cheeks still retained some of the black soot from the fire.

  “Where could he have gone?” I asked, not believing her.

  We were in Lord Branton’s manor house in one of the upper bed-chambers. An older woman lay in a large, four-poster canopy bed behind us, while a silver-haired man knelt beside her. I watched him open a vein in her arm with a lancet and place a bowl underneath to catch the weak stream of blood. Some of the blood dribbled messily onto the bedclothes, but the man didn’t seem to notice.

  “Keep your voice down!” Sabina hissed. She glanced behind her at the bed before facing me. “You’re lucky that I agreed to see you at all,” she added in a low tone.

  “As if you had any choice,” Malo growled at her. He grabbed her arm aggressively, giving it a firm shake. I could see the urgency in his eyes. “Now stop playing games. Tell us where your father is!”

  “I’m telling you the truth!” Sabina snapped back, jerking her arm free. “He’s gone.” She moved to an elegant mirrored mahogany cabinet that stood along one wall and picked up a sheet of parchment. She gave Malo a cold look, then turned to me. “Can you read?” I nodded, not saying anything. “Good, then read this and maybe you will understand.”

  I took the parchment, curious despite my anger at the girl. My reading and writing had improved in the last year, but I still had some trouble now and again. What was written in this short letter, however, was relatively simple to understand. I finished reading, my anger lessening as I turned to the House Agent. “She’s telling us the truth, Malo. Her father really is gone.”

  “Where?” Malo grunted at me in disbelief.

  I sighed, thinking of the men Rorian had been with that morning in the forest. “He went with Rorian through the tunnel,” I answered. Malo just gaped at me in surprise as I continued, “Rorian offered him fifty Jorqs to guide him to the coast.”

  “What?” Malo said, looking incredulous. He turned on Sabina aggressively. “What kind of father would abandon his family during a siege?”

  “He didn’t abandon us!” Sabina snapped in irritation. “He believed your forces were too weak to take the town. He must have decided to take the risk.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Why would he go, especially with his wife being so sick?”

  “He knew we couldn’t depend on Lord Branton for much longer,” Sabina said. She glanced at the silver-haired man kneeling by her mother. “Physicians cost money. Money that we don’t have.”

  “So, he just up and left,” Malo said in disgust. He began to pace angrily. “Do you really expect us to believe that your father didn’t tell you?”

  Sabina glared at the House Agent. “I wasn’t here. How could he?” Sabina turned to me, her eyes flashing. “Why do
you want to see him, anyway? He’s done nothing wrong.”

  I sighed in frustration. “Our trackers can’t pick up Rorian’s trail. We were hoping your father could help us with that. That’s all.”

  Sabina’s face slowly relaxed and she chuckled contemptuously. “Of course they can’t,” she said. “My father is with him, which means your men aren’t nearly good enough.”

  I glanced at Malo, trying to find something positive in all this. “Well, at least we know they are heading for the coast. Now we know where to look.”

  Malo rolled his eyes. “Do you have any idea how big the coast is?” I looked at him dumbly as he pointed at the letter in my hand. “And for that matter, does it even mention which coast this man is referring to?”

  I shook my head, feeling like a fool. “No, it doesn’t.”

  Malo dropped his hand to his side in resignation. “That’s what I thought. Rorian has several hours head start on us, Hadrack, and he could be heading west, east, or even north for all we know. We’ll never find him now.”

  I could see by the look on Sabina’s face that she was debating whether or not to say something. “What is it?” I prodded her.

  “I can help find this man for you,” Sabina said, looking torn as she looked at her mother again. “But if I do, you have to promise to pay for my mother’s care, and let my father go when you catch them.”

  “How can you help us?” I asked.

  “Because she knows exactly where they are going,” Malo said. He glared at Sabina. “I knew you were lying.”

  “I’m not lying,” Sabina said. “I have no idea where they are heading, just like I told you.” She lifted her chin proudly. “My father taught me all that he knows about woodcraft, so if there is anyone other than my brother who can track them, it’s me.”