'We couldn't find the Osterlay Archer,' Murchee said, crouching beside the King. 'My men are still combing the woods but it seemed as if he has disappeared.'
'He must be found,' Daarrk hissed. 'They will not return without him.'
Murchee nodded. Glancing at the Kings pale visage, he realized that Daarrk could very well be the new King; the thought made him shiver.
It was growing dark, and a piece of oil lamp was lit by a servant to illuminate the tent. Three members of the Kings guards were placed at the entrance with strict others not to let anyone in. Ceriuz prepared a watery broth and forced the King to drink some. He then fed him some water. Jaks grew hot with a fever that made him convulse and shiver. Ceriuz and the Physician had managed to staunch the blood, but it was a minor victory; both men, feared for the worst.
'Don't leave his side,' Ceriuz said rising. 'I am going to the woods to look for a rare plant.'
The Physician nodded. As Ceriuz exited, he was stopped by Daarrk who had tailed him.
'Sorcerer, he will live won't he?'
Ceriuz gazed into the eyes of the handsome Prince, who most likely would be King in the morning, barring a miracle.
'It's no more in our hands,' he said, with a sad smile, his eyes watering.
The sun was shining fiercely but as soon as he got underneath the canopy of the woods, its light dimmed. He walked steadily into the forest, his rheumy eyes scanning the ground for the plant he sought. It was a rare plant that had immense healing power, common on the Unta Islands and some parts of the coast. He had never seen it so far inland and he muttered a prayer that he would get lucky. He searched for 5 hours until his bones grew weary. His eyes scanning the earth for the tell-tale seven leaved plant, every minute leaving him with despair. Finally he sat on a tree stump with a despairing moan. It was getting dark and he would have to return. Could the King survive the night? The wound was terrible and the King was already exhausted and wounded from the battle before.
Suddenly he heard the flutter of wings and a raven, a big black member of the specie, flew overhead with a loud caw. He rubbed his thin aching knees and muttered an oath.
Suddenly another flutter and the Raven landed on the forest floor, cocking its face so he glared at the Sorcerer directly.
'What do you want Keenoin?'
The Raven's dark glossy feathers bristled. 'Is that any way to greet an old friend ancient one?' The Raven's voice was the timbre of a young man barely past his teens.
This was no wonder, as it indeed had once been a young man.
'Hmmm...,' the Sorcerer said. 'You are looking well,' he added with a wry smile. A Raven could not scowl but Keenion tried its best.
'Can't say the same for you. Looks like you were exhumed from some long forgotten burial chamber. How old are you now...300 years?'
'I stopped counting decades ago, but you are close.'
The Raven grew silent and looked around it nervously. Suddenly it rose into the air and perched on a gnarled branch of a nearby tree.
'Can't be too careful,' he shouted down. 'All manner of vile predators in these woods...most of them human.'
'What do you want Keenoin?'
'What I've always wanted.'
'To be human? You have five more years of service.'
The Raven cawed angrily. 'You say that with the arrogance of a human, especially a sorcerer human, who lives on and on and on with death stretching far ahead of you. Do you not know that 5 years for an average man is like 20 for me? Have you no mercy?'
The Sorcerer glared at the Raven with rheumy eyes.
'Did you have mercy for the girl you raped?'
Again an angry caw. 'And have I not paid dearly for my transgressions? Forced to live as a wild beast...forced to live on seeds, roots and carrion...haaa...you start. Did you not think I would eat carrion because I once was human? Well I do, and it's the part of my diet I enjoy the most.’
'You were vile as a human so I am not surprised that trait follows you as a raven.'
It cawed again, and it took some time for Ceriuz to realize the bird was laughing.
Its glossy breasts heaved in mirth. 'I love carrion...I love carrion...i love carrion...especially that of the Pits variety.' He repeated as it hopped from foot to foot; so lost in his reverie was he, he barely had time to avoid the expertly thrown missile Ceriuz hurled at him.
'Missed me old one he said,' settling back on the branch.
'Do you have any information for me, or is this just a flying visit?'
'Well, well, the Sorcerer has a career as a jester in the King's court if magic ever tires him. Talking about Kings, how's young Jaks, by now I'd think you should be preparing his grave.'
Ceriuz perked up. 'What do you know of the King's injury?' The Raven cawed, or laughed and hopped from foot to foot. 'I know a lot but...' he raised his wings and flew, landing an arm’s length from the Wizard. 'But I will only reveal my secrets if you promise to turn me human again.'
Ceriuz pondered. Five years ago the Raven was a miscreant who lived in the capital near the market place. He had got into all sorts of mischief. At first he specialized in petty pilfering. An apple here from a fruit seller, a young lamb from a farmer was the worst crime he committed. However soon he had graduated to more heinous crimes.
Ceriuz first heard of the rapes when a tavern owner complained that one of his girls had been waylaid and assaulted on a dark moonless night on her way home from work.
She was the first of 5 and they all followed the same pattern. A man of average height and stature, his face hidden by the dark night, would surprise solitary young women, overpower them and forcefully rape them. The town was petrified and local vigilante groups were set up to find the culprit. The rapist proved as slippery as an eel and all attempts to apprehend him proved abortive. Finally the King prevailed on Ceriuz to help catch the criminal who was terrifying his people. Ceriuz had agreed. On several nights he assumed the guise of a beautiful red-head and prowled the streets late at night hoping to entrap the culprit. He was approached by several men, some in a crass and forceful manner, but none had tried to force themselves on him ununtil one night, on a lonely pathway on the outskirts, a masked boy appeared from the bushes and pounced on him.
'Aye fair maiden, I am guessing you are looking to get yah cherry popped?'
The boy had said, hot foul breath fanning his cheeks.
He grabbed her in a choke hold and dragged her into some shrubs, it was then Ceriuz saw the evil glint of the dagger the man held. He was dressed in filthy, ragged clothes, and his face was covered by a sack with two holes crudely cut so he could see.
'Now lassie; you can do this the easy way - and ye might even enjoy this, or we can do this the hard way.'
'We do this the hard way,' Ceriuz replied, and the miscreant jumped to his feet because the red haired girl had spoken in the craggy, husky voice of an old man.
'What the devil-' the boy exclaimed as right before his eyes, the girl rose to her feet and morphed into an old man with white long hair and a sliver beard.
'Mercy...mercy...by the gods, I have tried to rape the Devil.'
'I'm no devil,' Ceriuz said, glaring at the trembling man.
'Remove your mask.'
The man did as he was told.
He was a dark haired youth with ferret features and a heavily pork-marked face.
'How many?' The youth shook and whimpered. '
Answer me, and don't lie!'
'Only 3 sir...only 5. I swear it was the Devil that made me do it.'
'Silence you gutter lout. For every girl you have defiled you will spend 10 years as a raven. You will scour the lands and the seas and will report of happenings to me. If you do this diligently, I will return you to your human form - if not you will remain forever a raven.'
He stretched out his hand and the man disappeared in a puff of smoke. 'Please...please...what is this? Why do I feel so strange?'
The words cam
e from a big black raven. And that had been 13 years ago. Every so often the raven would seek out Ceriuz with news of what was happening in the land. He was his eyes and ears. He could go to places Ceriuz could not eavesdrop on conversations no man could hope to hear and even deliver messages better than the best riders. On every meeting Keenion, for that was what the youth’s name was before he became beast, would beg to return to human form and the Sorcerer would refuse the request.
'What is the news foul bird - speak now, remember our agreement.'
'Please old sorcerer; I have learned my lesson, I have not looked at any girl, even girl ravens cross-eyed. I have been celibate since the day you caught me and saved me from my evil ways. I have served diligently; please promise to return me for this piece of information I have for you.'
'I make no such promises. Speak, or I will turn you into a mole, see how burrowing underground suits you.'
The Raven eyed Ceriuz malevolently. 'Okay...okay, but you are cruel...okay don't turn me into a mole!' He screamed in alarm as Ceriuz raised his hands.
‘Speak! For my patience grows thin.'
'I know who shot the King!'
Ceriuz sighed disappointedly. 'Is that it,' he said. 'So do I, It was an Osterlay soldier.'
The raven jerked his head here and there, as those of its species were wont to do. It opened its beak.
'Nay. It wasn't an Osterlay soldier.'
'Go on,' Ceriuz said, eyes narrowing.
'I was in the woods, flying around, minding my business, looking for a snack - perhaps an insect or a wood mouse,' Keenion said. This was a lie. He was waiting for the battle and between the Pits and the Osterlays to, conclude so as to join the other ravens for a feast of human; he favored Osterlay eyeballs himself, but he didn't think Ceriuz would take too kindly to cannibalism - which it wasn't of technically, but he didn't trust Ceriuz to understand this.
'I saw this strange man skulking about between the trees. An Unta. Small, wiry and disgusting like they always are.'
'At first, I took no notice but then I saw he was doing something very odd. He removed a sack from behind his back and dressed quickly in Osterlay military garb - you know, there ghastly green uniform and leather strapping, with a helmet to boot. Struck me as odd so I watched from a safe distance on a tree. As if that wasn't curious enough, he slung Unta bows on his shoulder and held one arrow in his hands. Then, he removed long wooden poles from a bush which turned out to be stilts and started walking away on them.'
'So I say to myself- Hallo there, this is just the strange things old Ceriuz wants me to be reporting on - so I follow him. He walks a distance before he notices me. He swears and shakes his fist at me, but I take no notice. He calls me a son of a whoring slut but that doesn't bother me - the truth never does as my Mom indeed was a harlot. Anyway, he continues until he reaches the very edge of the woods and here he sits facing the open plain.'
Ceriuz by now was enthralled.
'Good stuff heh? Okay, okay, I'll continue. It's afternoon, and I'm getting bored with this Unta, and I'm starving. So I decide to catch something to eat. After a lunch of worms and mice, I remember the crazy Unta, so I fly down just in time to see him staring intently at the plain. At this time the Pits army was emerging from a fair distance. I could see them; clearly, we Ravens have excellent eyesight you see. The army were passing by a fair distance from the edge of the woods. Suddenly he emerged from the clearing showing himself, and I say to myself "here's one with a death-wish."’
‘He notches the single arrow, and I realize he wants to take a shot. Now, as this was well out of shooting range, I thought it was just another sign of the man's madness, but then I remember he is an Unta and not an Osterlay. For him the shot is easy. He lets loose and - ' The Raven paused and regarded the old man.
'I have never seen anything like it. He held only one, arrow, had only one shot but it hit the mark precisely. From a distance I saw a Pits Soldier jerk and fall of his horse, then there was uproar amongst the ranks. Meanwhile, our Unta was off. Remember he was on stilts. As soon as he was in the woods, he removed it and carried it in his arms, moving as quickly and stealthily as a mountain goat. I followed him as he ran through the woods; for a human he had incredible stamina, trampling through the bushes like a deer. Soon he came upon a clearing were an Unta horse was tethered. In a flash, he was on it and galloped off.'
'Where did he go?'
'I don't know. At that point, I decided to see who the Pits soldier was so I went back. It was then I found that it was our dear King.'
Keenion made an odd throaty sound. 'Oh, I was distraught. If only I had known what that villain was up to I would have stopped him. I would have swooped down and clawed his eyes. I would have cawed out a warning. The grief that I had never known rent, my soul. I cried and cried - well not tears as we Ravens can't tear up - but you get the picture.'
Chapter 11
Ceriuz’s mind was in turmoil. He had been told that an Osterlay had felled the King with an unbelievable lucky shot from a distance of a market place. He had found it difficult to believe. The Osterlay bow didn't have the power to propel an arrow that distance. He had thought that the soldiers had probably deliberately overcooked the story to disguise their negligence in letting the King get shot but now; now it made sense. A remarkable Unta marksman, with their specially made bows which could shoot double the distance of an Osterlay or Pits, could make that shot easily enough.
'But why? Why disguise as an Osterlay? Why kill the King? After all, we are allies.'
The Raven regarded the Sorcerer.
Oh, how I wish I could pluck his eyes out, the vile old man. How I suffer every day, forced to eat vermin to survive. I long to be human again. To eat cooked food, drink beer, dance to a good fiddler's tune and feel the warmth of a woman once again.
He spoke, 'Well, I don't know why. Human intrigues were never my forte even as a human. As a raven, I don't even know what drives you people to be honest. Take the last battle; thousands slaughtered over land that's more than enough to accommodate all the Pits, Osterlays and the Untas three times over.'
Ceriuz regarded Keenion and came to a decision. 'You have done very well Keenion. Come hither; don't be scared. If I meant you harm I would have killed you by now.'
Keenion was suspicious, but he hopped into Ceriuz' outstretched hands. Suddenly a cool breeze began to blow and leaves rustled. Keenion felt a strange force go through him from his beak to the claws of his feet.
Ceriuz let him go and said, 'It's done.'
Keenion stared at him. 'What's done?' 'You are human once again,' Ceriuz answered. Keenion glared at the sorcerer and flapped his wings. 'Since when did humans have feathers and wings? You are cruel to tease me so.'
'Hold your tongue foul one before I change my mind. Before the end of the week, you will be human - which is more than you deserve. I have decided you have suffered enough although the families of those poor girls might disagree.
'Oh..oh merciful one thank you...but...but how will I know when it will happen?'
He suddenly had a vision of himself soaring happily in the currents then transforming into a human being and crashing on to Earth breaking every bone in his body.
'I don't know. Now go, before I change my mind.' Keenion knew better than to argue, he flapped his wing and rose into the air. He'd spend the day in a tree that way there wouldn't be any accidents - it wouldn't do for him to get his wish and become human away several feet in the air.
Ceriuz remained rooted to the spot several minutes after Keenion had flown away deep in thought. He had no reason not to believe the raven. Even though he had no morals when he was a human, he had been an invaluable source of information as a Raven thus far. Indeed Keenion had been the perfect spy, flying far and wide, keeping his eyes peeled and ear to the ground, and coming back to Ceriuz with information that had served the Pits Kingdom several times, but if this was true why would the Untas want to kill the King. Was this a lone wo
lf? Immediately he dismissed that hypothesis, they were extremely disciplined people, and nothing was done without the orders of the King. Kroos - there was something strange about that one - different from his father and grandfather, both of whom Ceriuz knew.
Kroos' father was a simple man. Hunt, mate and make war (only for money) was what he did, and his father was no different. But there was something in Kroos' eyes; was it ambition or even greed, something that was more like the Inland people. The way he acts, talks, despite his looks, his actions could pass for a Pits nobleman.
The Osterlays had all the reason in the world to kill the king but not the means; the Untas had the means but not the motive. With the discipline of his kind, he yanked his mind back to the present and resumed the hunt for the plant that could save the King's life. After two fruitless hours, he gave up and left for the Pits camp.
He was met at the edge of the camp by a young soldier. 'Prince Daarkk has been looking for you. The King's awake.'
He moved as quickly as he could and soon he was in the King's tent. Daaark, Murchee and the Physician were there. The King was lying on a soft pile of goose feathers. He was pale and looked as if he had shrunk, but he was alive. 'My lord,' Ceriuz said getting on his knees. The king held out his hands, and Ceriuz grasped it, letting out a gasp at how weak his grip was.
'My old friend...' His voice was as soft as a babe's.
'How do you feel?' Ceriuz asked. He smiled weakly.
'In pain but I feel my strength returning.'
'I will make some of the broth for you; you must finish it to keep your strength up. Have your wounds been changed as instructed? Good.' he fussed over Jaks and barked some instructions at the Physicians.
Diligently he fed Jaks who brushed him aside after a while.
He turned weakly to the fat physician. 'Leave us...I want to speak to Ceriuz - alone.'
The Legend of Brigaard Page 9
