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

by Terry Cloutier

  I frowned, understanding now why Sim had looked so worried. “So, how far away from them will we be once we reach the bottom?”

  Sim stood up and shrugged. “Perhaps a hundred, maybe a hundred and fifty yards.”

  I sighed, trying to imagine crossing that distance in our heavy armor over an unstable, shale-covered beach that would be shifting and rolling beneath our boots the entire way. The enemy outnumbered us greatly as it was, and with what awaited, I knew we would be out of breath before we got halfway to the boats. If they had archers with them, we wouldn’t even make it that far.

  “Can we get the horses down there?”

  “Not a chance,” Sim said with a shake of his head.

  I nodded, not surprised. “All right then, any suggestions?” I asked, looking around at my men.

  “Why not wait until they are sleeping?” Niko suggested.

  I grimaced. “Because it looks to me like they’re getting ready to leave.”

  “At this time of day?” Putt said in surprise.

  “So it would appear,” I replied. I glanced at Malo. “What do you think?”

  “We have no choice here,” Malo grunted. His flat face looked anxious beneath his hood as his cloak rippled in the wind. “If they set sail now, we’ll never catch Rorian. We have to attack.”

  “And if they have archers?” I asked. “You know as well as I do what will happen then.”

  “There is no other way, Hadrack,” Malo growled, his eyes flashing.

  “There might be,” Sabina said as she came to stand beside me. “What about walking right up to them?”

  Niko started to snicker and I gave him an annoyed look, silencing him. “All ideas are listened to no matter what,” I said reproachfully. “You know that as well as anyone. The only reason we are here at all is because of Sabina, so give her the respect she deserves.”

  Niko looked properly chastised as he mumbled an apology to Sabina.

  I could see a glint of gratitude in the girl’s green eyes as she took a deep breath. “The way I see it, the only way you can catch them by surprise is if I go down there first to distract them.”

  “What?” I grunted in disbelief.

  Sabina held her hand up before I could say anything else. “Just listen to me, Hadrack. My idea will work. My father will make sure that nothing happens to me.”

  “You don’t know that he is even down there,” I protested.

  There had been no sign of the horses the two men had ridden on to get here. I knew they couldn’t have taken them down to the beach, so where were they? Part of me suspected Sabina’s father had already collected his money and had ridden away with the horses.

  “He’s here somewhere,” Sabina said stubbornly. “I would know it if he wasn’t.”

  I realized there was little to gain in arguing that point by the set look on her face. “Even if your father is still here,” I said, trying to dissuade her another way. “What makes you think that he can, or even will help us?”

  “You don’t know my father,” Sabina responded.

  “That’s true enough,” I said, giving her that. “So, let’s just say we all agree and you go down there alone, then what?”

  “Once it’s dark enough, I’ll start an argument with my father,” Sabina said. “I’ll make sure I’m near the boats and cry and shout a lot. Everyone should be focused on me, which means their backs will be turned away from you.”

  “That’s not a bad plan,” Jebido said thoughtfully. “If we stick to the base of the cliff, they might not see us until we are right on top of them.”

  “It’s too risky,” I said with a shake of my head. It was a good plan. Better than anything else we’d come up with so far. But even so, I was reluctant to put the girl in danger. Sabina seemed confident that her father would be able to protect her, but from everything I had seen and heard about Rorian, I wasn’t so sure.

  “Is it any riskier than marching across that beach?” Sabina challenged me.

  She had a valid point, I knew, which galled me to no end. “Why do this at all?” I asked to change the subject. “You led us to Rorian just like you promised you would. You don’t have to take this chance.”

  “Because I don’t trust him,” Sabina said, stabbing a finger at Malo. “And the only way to make sure he keeps his word is to catch that man down there. That’s why!”

  I’d told Sabina about Haverty while we traveled and I knew she had set all her hopes on the strange apothecary. I still felt bad about possibly giving her false hope, but I also knew that if anyone could cure her mother, it was Haverty.

  “Well,” Malo said dryly after a moment. “I’d say your feelings on that are pretty clear. “He glanced at me. “We’re running out of time and this idea is the best chance we have. I say we do it, but she doesn’t go alone. You and I will go with her.”

  I saw coldness rise in Sabina’s eyes at his words. She shook her head. “Not you,” she said. “I’m willing to take Hadrack and Jebido along, but nobody else.”

  The House Agent’s features turned hard and I put a hand on his arm before he could say anything else. “It’s probably better this way, Malo,” I said. “Jebido and I can handle this. We’ll need you to lead the assault anyway.” Malo looked as if he might protest, and then he seemed to change his mind. He nodded curtly and walked stiffly away as the rest of my men followed him. I turned to Sabina, who was staring at the House Agent’s back with disdain. “He’s not a bad sort once you get to know him,” I said. “He’s just focused on his task.”

  “He’s an ass!” Sabina spat under her breath.

  I grinned. “We’ll compromise, then, and just say Malo is a very focused ass.”

  Sabina’s face softened and she studied me thoughtfully. “You’re not like the rest of them, are you?”

  “I’m not?” I responded, surprised by her sudden mood shift. “How so?”

  Sabina shrugged and half-smiled. “I don’t know what it is.” She put a hand on my arm and stared up at me. “There is something different about you.”

  I glanced away for a moment, suddenly embarrassed by the look on Sabina’s face. I’d seen that look in the eyes of women before, and I wasn’t sure how to react to it coming from her. The light on the clifftop was fading fast now, the backdrop of pink and orange-streaked sky to the west broken only by the girl’s slim silhouette. The wind whistled around us, riffling our clothing as the flared end of Sabina’s thickly-braided hair twisted and flopped against her back. We were only a foot apart and I felt a sudden, almost overwhelming desire to pull this fiery, red-haired girl to my chest and kiss her. I could tell Sabina sensed it as well. She leaned forward and closed her eyes just as I angrily squashed the feeling. There was only one woman for me, and her name was Shana.

  “We better get moving,” I said gruffly, turning away. I saw sudden hurt twist Sabina’s features, but I kept going, heading for Jebido. “Are you ready?” I growled at him.

  Jebido looked up sharply, surprised by my tone. I saw his eyes flick over my shoulder to Sabina. He frowned. “Is everything all right?”

  “Fine,” I said, trying to take the edge from my voice. I didn’t want to have to explain to my friend what I’d been thinking a moment ago. I didn’t want to have to explain it to myself, either, for that matter. I glanced at the colorful sunset, knowing the beach below us would still be bathed in weak sunlight, though it wouldn’t last for much longer. “We have to go before we lose the light,” I said, motioning him to follow me.

  Sim led us to the path that he’d found, which turned out to be even steeper at the onset than the big outlaw had suggested. I gingerly made my way into the darkened gully, and once I had a firm foothold, I turned to help Sabina down as Jebido guided her from behind. Sabina seemed more aloof toward me now, or perhaps it was just my imagination. Either way, I knew I needed to thrust what had happened between us from my mind and focus on the job at hand. Malo and the others waited at the rim, watching us as we slowly picked our way downward. />
  The gully floor started to level out after about twenty feet, though there were so many jagged rock formations in our path that it was necessary to cling to the northern wall to squeeze past them. It had been almost chilly earlier on the clifftop with the strong winds, but inside the gulley, it was surprisingly hot and stifling as the rock around us released trapped heat. I could feel the sweat dripping from beneath my helmet and I shook my head, trying to whisk the moisture away from my eyes.

  The chasm began to widen just as we came to a flat landing cut into the stone, with a flight of cracked steps leading away that curved dramatically southward. I followed the stairs until we reached a dark, rounded entrance cut through solid rock that could only have been made by men. I glanced behind me at Sabina, who was sweating just as much as I was. She deliberately refused to meet my eyes, staring at her feet. I turned away with a shrug and stepped inside as pitch darkness descended on me. I focused on the window of weak light that I could see at the other end as I carefully began moving forward. I could hear small pieces of rock crackling under my boots—the sounds amplified even more as Sabina and Jebido cautiously entered the opening behind me. Finally, I reached the other side and stepped out onto a landing, where another set of crudely-cut stairs awaited.

  I paused and glanced over my shoulder into the dark, gaping hole. “Everyone all right?” I asked in a low tone.

  “Fine,” Sabina’s voice rose tightly out of the darkness.

  “Good here,” Jebido called from behind her.

  I waited for them to join me before we carefully made our way down the uneven stairs, which eventually led to a deep, rounded trench. The walls rose impossibly high on both sides of us, with shadowy ledges jutting out that I had to duck under as the gully floor began to slope downward dramatically. Bracken grew in thick patches on and around the ridges and I used their long stalks to steady me with one hand while I helped Sabina with the other. We eventually made it to ground level and I paused to give us all a chance to catch our breath.

  We were standing in a natural crevice that opened out onto the beach, and I could see the tiny stones covering it glistening in an almost hypnotic red and pink glow. The surf pounded relentlessly against the shale along the shoreline, scattering it effortlessly with each powerful surge as the sharp smell of salt, fish, and vegetation swept over me. I took my helmet off and wiped at my forehead, letting the breeze coming off the water cool me.

  “That was the easy part,” I said as I replaced my helmet. I glanced at Sabina. “There is still time to change your mind about this.”

  “Let’s just get on with it,” Sabina said sharply. She crossed her arms over her chest. “The sooner we do this, the sooner it’s over and I can get back to my mother.”

  “All right, have it your way,” I grunted in irritation. Jebido was looking at Sabina and me with a puzzled look on his face, and I did my best to ignore him. “Sabina will take the lead just like we discussed,” I said. “Jebido and I will follow.” I was about to put my hand on Sabina’s arm, then saw the warning in her eyes and changed my mind. “Just remember what I told you, Sabina,” I said instead. “If something goes wrong, run back here as fast as you can and wait for Malo. Do you hear me?”

  “Nothing will go wrong,” Sabina said, refusing to look at me. She pressed her lips tightly together as two circles of color burned hotly on her cheeks.

  I sighed and shook my head, knowing the tentative friendship that we’d been forging over the last few days appeared to be over. I took a moment to draw out my Pair Stone, kissing it first before saying a prayer aloud to The Mother. I didn’t fail to notice the black look Sabina gave me, and I’m ashamed to admit that I took a little pleasure from her obvious annoyance. I glanced at Jebido when I finished praying and he nodded that he was ready.

  “Let’s do this,” I said, tucking the Pair Stone safely beneath my armor.

  A rounded outcrop that protruded out from the face of the cliff hid us from the northern part of the beach, helping to shield us from the full force of the wind coming off the sea. Sabina took a deep breath, then stepped around me onto the beach as powerful gusts whipped at her clothing. The setting sun was halfway below the horizon now, but the glare was right in my line of sight, partially blinding me as we followed the girl. I lifted a hand to block the light as sea-spray carried on the wind quickly soaked my cloak and armor. Jebido was doing the same thing beside me, though Sabina seemed immune to the sun, wind, and spray. She walked toward the camp with her chin held high, appearing confident and at ease. Somehow she’d let her hair loose from the braid and the long wet strands danced and whirled madly around her head.

  The shale that blanketed the beach reached all the way to the base of the cliff, and the colorful stones clattered and grated musically with each step we took. My boots were sinking almost to my ankles as we slogged along and it quickly started to feel like I was trying to fight my way through waist-high water with a horse balanced on my back. Jebido was already panting beside me and I could hear my own breath rattling in my chest almost as loudly. Attacking head-on would have been a disaster, I now knew.

  We continued walking for another thirty feet before finally, a shout of discovery arose from the north. I squinted at the shadowy figures as they moved toward us, trying to see past the sun’s glare and the relentless spray. The men opposite finally halted and stood bunched together near the wind-whipped fires. I could hear their whistles and cat-calls as they got a good look at Sabina. She had been right again, I realized. Sabina was the perfect distraction.

  “Hadrack!” Jebido hissed over the wind beside me. “There is only one boat left!”

  I looked to the beach in alarm. Two deep grooves along the shoreline near the remaining boat were all that remained to show that other ships had been there. The surf was already busily at work, filling the grooves in with each surge.

  “Well, well,” a man called to us, grinning as he took two steps forward. He was tall and thin, with a clean-shaven face and red, inflamed sores along both sides of his jawline. “This isn’t what we were expecting at all.”

  I reached for my sword even as I felt a growl of hatred rise in my chest. All the men facing us were dressed in mail, wore red capes that snapped around their shoulders, and had long, black pointed boots on their feet.

  The soldiers on the beach were Cardians.

  7: Cardians

  Jebido told me once that all Cardians were just turds with legs who would sell their own mothers to make a profit. I remember I had chuckled at that description of them, not fully understanding my friend’s antagonism at the time. I had only met three Cardians back when he’d said that, and two of them had died without ever uttering a single word. Which, come to think of it, is the way I prefer Cardians. I hadn’t believed at first that the entire race could be as vile as that bastard Carbet had been, but after having met enough of them over the last few years, I knew now that they were.

  I felt Jebido’s strong hand cover mine, holding me back. “Not yet,” he grunted under his breath. “Patience.”

  The sun was rapidly sinking below the horizon of the sea now, leaving a fading pinkish-red sky in its wake that stained the water the color of blood. I slowly loosened my grip on Wolf’s Head. Jebido was right, of course. Rushing forward and getting us all killed would accomplish nothing. I counted sixteen Cardians, most of whom had begun to spread out in a line facing us. They were ignoring Jebido and me, focusing on Sabina with a mixture of wonder and lust on their weathered faces. Thankfully, none were holding the dreaded longbows that I remembered from Gasterny.

  Sabina had told me earlier that her father was tall and wide, with the same hair color as hers, along with a bushy red beard. I quickly scanned the men's faces opposing us, but Sabina’s father didn’t appear to be among them. I’d been right all along, I knew. The tracker had ridden away from this place with his money and the horses. Rorian wasn’t on the beach either, I saw, not that I was expecting him to be. Our luck just didn’t seem to run th
at way.

  I took a moment to study the remaining boat. The Cardians had driven it far up onto the shore with the bulky hull buried deep in the shale and oozing muck. The vessel was different from other boats that I had seen before, all of which had been sleek and long, with rounded hulls and sides built low to the water. This ship was ungainly-looking, with a broad, flat belly and impossibly high sides that curved upward at the stem and stern. A thick oak deck dominated the stern, with a similar, smaller platform built along the bow. A lower deck joined the two together, where a single mast with a furled sail stood at the center. The ship didn’t look as though it had been designed for beaching to me, and I guessed the Cardians were stranded here until the tide floated them free.

  A heavily-bearded man stood by the bow of the ship, leaning his arms on the gunwale as he cut slices from an apple and popped them into his mouth. He regarded us with cold, unfriendly eyes as he ate. I noticed a thick rope ladder hanging over the side of the bow near where the Cardian stood, dropping at least fifteen feet to the beach below. A single lantern, swinging wildly in the wind, hung from a hook at the boat's stern.

  I wasn’t sure how much Malo and the others could see from where they waited at the base of the cliff, despite the lantern and the bonfires blazing along the beach. Would they be able to tell that two of the ships were gone from that far away? We’d agreed that Malo would wait until darkness had entirely fallen before leading the men across the shale. But now that Sabina’s father was gone, the distraction we had planned wouldn’t work. We needed a new strategy. I was desperately trying to come up with one just as Sabina took the initiative.

  “Where is my father?” the girl demanded in an aggressive tone.

  “Your father?” the tall Cardian grunted in surprise. He studied the darkening beach behind us before focusing back on Sabina. “And who might that be?”

  “I’m right here!” a squat, wide-shouldered Cardian shouted from the line of men. He spread his arms toward Sabina, then made puckering sounds through his lips. “Come and give your old papa a big wet kiss.”