Berun felt… what? Tired. That was it. All those years of hoping had given him purpose. To have that hope crushed left him feeling lost and weary.
"But," said Sauk, his voice going quiet, scarcely more than a whisper, "here's the thing I bet you didn't know." He smiled. "Chereth is still alive."
Breath caught in Berun's throat. "Alive?"
"As you and me."
"But… the Old Man?"
Sauk smiled. "Hale as ever."
"But you said that you and your men have sworn to kill him. I don't understand."
"You want to know about your master or about the Old Man?"
Both, Berun realized, and he didn't like that.
"Truth be told," Sauk continued, "you need to hear both. That's why we came for you. Your master made the same mistake the Old Man did-he hunted prey in its own den. Nothing is more dangerous than a wild animal cornered in its home. Long tale cut short, the Old Man captured your master and has held him prisoner all these years."
"Prisoner?" said Berun. The thought of old Chereth locked in the stony cells of Sentinelspire…
"At times," said Sauk, "the Old Man spends half the day and night talking to the old leaf lover. Enjoys his company like a favorite uncle. Other times, the Old Man questions him. Questions him hard."
Sauk didn't have to explain. Berun knew all too well what an interrogation by the Old Man of the Mountain entailed.
"Sometimes," said Sauk, "the Old Man uses his… arts"- the half-orc scowled as if he'd tasted something sour — "to leech power from the leaf lover."
Berun's anger turned cold. The Old Man had once been a devoted follower of Bhaal. The death of his god had hit him hard, made him desperate in his search for a new source of power. He'd never been too particular about where the power came from.
"Other times," Sauk continued, his voice dropping low, "the Old Man hurts your master. Hurts him just for the pleasure of it."
"What?" said Berun. "Why?"
" 'Cause that's what the Old Man does."
"No," said Berun. "Not Alaodin. He's a killer, but it's… business. Even the Old Man never hurt just to hurt."
"You've been gone a long time," said Sauk. "Almost nine years. Things have changed at the Fortress. Things happen now that…" The half-orc's voice faltered and he shook his head. "Dark things. Vile."
"What kind of things?"
Sauk scowled into the fire and made the sign of the Beastlord-three fingers hooked like claws, which he dragged down his face and heart. "Not here," he said. "Not in the dark."
"You? Afraid?"
"Afraid?" said Sauk, thinking as he chewed a large hunk of bread. He swallowed. "If you mean am I made weak at the thought of dying, then no. I don't know that kind of fear. Not anymore. But there are worse things than death, and I have hunted enough prey-many stronger than me-to know when it is time to strike and kill and boast, and when it is best not to draw attention to yourself. Besting those stronger than you… that is honor. Calling down doom… that's just foolish."
Sauk chewed his lip and stared into the fire. The rest of the camp had gone quiet, caught up in Sauk's tale.
The half-orc broke the silence. "But that's not why we came for you. This is about that old druid locked in the Fortress."
"His name is Chereth," said Berun. "And why do you care?"
Sauk looked down at his bread, as if considering another bite, but he grimaced and put it away. "About the half-elf?" he said. "I don't. Old leaf lover means nothing to me. But the Old Man… he's gone mad. You know me, Kheil. I have no qualms about killing when there is profit in it, or a fair fight. But a bloodlust has seized the Old Man. He's gone beyond simple murder-for-hire to massacres. The old fool is killing for pleasure or just plain meanness. He's put our entire operation in jeopardy. Last winter, he killed three of our best clients-western nobles who paid well. But Talieth…"
"What?" Berun cursed the eager tone in his voice. Very few days had gone by over the years that her face, her scent, the feel of her skin did not come to his mind, but every time he thrust them away. Kheil had loved her. And Kheil was dead.
"Talieth suspects something darker is at work. She fears her father is on the verge of doing something… irreversible." Sauk ground his jaw and looked away. His nostrils flared and he slapped the ground. "Damn it all, we want him dead."
Berun held Sauk's gaze. The half-orc looked back, unflinching.
"We?" said Berun.
"Me, Talieth, and every man here. A few others at the Mountain."
"So kill him," said Berun, his voice hard.
Sauk snorted, but there was no humor in it. Only disgust. "We tried," he said. "Talieth sent her best blades but the Old
Man killed 'em all. The Old Man has been using your master's power to set new guardians. Things I've never seen before. Things that haunt the dark places of the mountain. Things that scare even Talieth, and I've never seen anything frighten that woman."
A smile threatened to break over Berun's face but he held it back.
"But it doesn't end there," said Sauk. "The Old Man rooted out any who had colluded with the assassins. Didn't just kill them. He tortured them. Till they begged for death. When we left the Fortress, their bodies were still on the walls. Some dead and rotting. Even the crows won't touch them. But some… some were still alive." He took a long swig from the waterskin and swallowed with a wince. "Wrapped in thorns and vines, bleeding, their skin rotting away even as they begged for someone to end their pain."
Berun shuddered. "Talieth…?"
"The Old Man suspects her. He's no fool. But she is his daughter. She's still alive-or was when we left-but she walks the razor's edge. She's all but a captive in the Fortress, and the Old Man might kill her any time the whim hits him."
"How did you get away?"
Sauk spared a glance at his men and a smile, sly and pleased, crossed his face. "Well, I said the Old Man rooted out the assassins. I should have said 'any he could find.' He found several. Too damned many. But not all."
"As far as you know," said Berun.
The grin froze on Sauk's face, faltered, then fell. "Yes, as far as we know."
"So the Old Man could just be biding his time. Playing you like a cat pawing at a mouse."
Sauk's eyes narrowed. "I'm no mouse."
"What about your men?"
The tall blond man behind Sauk bristled and scowled at this, but he held his tongue.
"You aren't half as smart as you think you are," said Sauk. "Talieth's always had a gift for magic-more than a little touch of the seer's gift."
"Don't tell me what I already know," said Berun.
"Really?" Sauk's eyebrows rose, but Berun saw the mockery in the expression. "Kheil knew Talieth well-in many senses of the word. Seems that Berun remembers. Maybe Kheil isn't so dead after all, eh?"
Berun didn't respond.
"Using her… gift, Talieth found you, whatever you choose to call yourself. She knew you were alive. But… well, it seems that leaf-loving master of yours doesn't know how to hold his tongue."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your old master talked. Sang like a damned minstrel for his supper. Mad the Old Man may be, but he's no fool. He figured out who this 'Berun' was… is… whatever. There are still blades in the Fortress loyal to the Old Man. Had it not been for Talieth's particular gifts, they might have found you first."
"Found me?" Berun's heart hammered, and he suddenly felt as if his breathing were too loud and quick. "What does the Old Man want with me?"
"You have something he wants."
"Something he wants?" said Berun. "What-?"
"Air eye lin, or something like that."
"Erael'len?"
"As you say," said Sauk. "Never could wrap my tongue around the damned elfspeak."
"It's Aglarondan. It means-" Berun stopped, cursing himself.
"Means what?"
"Three Hearts."
"Three Hearts," said Sauk. "How sweet. Damned leaf lovers. No teeth in
their jaws. When your old master talked, the Old
Man became interested. Very interested. Seems he not only misses his favorite assassin, but he's hungry for this thing you carry, the Three Hearts.
"Which is why Talieth sent me after it," said Sauk. "After you. So what do you say? Kill the Old Man and help save your old master. Are you with us?"
"No." The word slipped out before Berun could stop it. But he didn't regret it.
"No?" said Sauk, his tone equal parts shock and outrage.
"I… can't," said Berun. "Things are different now."
Lewan. That's what it all came down to. The boy wasn't everything. There was the Old Man, Talieth, Sauk, and Sentinelspire itself, all facets of Kheil's old life that Berun had hoped were dead and buried forever. Going back to them… it would be too much like stepping back into Kheil's skin. There was the thought of Chereth, his beloved master, a prisoner, possibly being tortured or worse, but every thought of the old druid only reminded Berun of his oath. I swear I will not come after you, save on your word alone. By my blood upon thorn I swear it. By blood and thorn had he been given life, a second chance. He couldn't defile that. But beyond all that was Lewan. He couldn't forsake the boy. Like Berun, Lewan was alone in the world. All they had was each other.
Sauk held his scowl a good long while, but then he smiled and shook his head. "Nothing I can say to change your mind, old friend?"
"Sauk, you must understand, I have… other responsibilities now." He took a deep breath and offered up a silent prayer. "I will help, if I can. But you must allow me to do it my way."
Sauk's smile went feral. "Now there's the Kheil I remember."
"You said it yourself," said Berun. "The Old Man has new guardians, things none of us understand. If he's somehow leeching power off Chereth, then I need to find others who understand such powers better than I do."
"You mean druids."
"Yes."
"But you-"
"I'm no druid, Sauk. Chereth was my master, and he taught me many things. Had he continued to teach me… someday, perhaps. But now I am simply a servant of the wild. I'll be no help to you. But perhaps I can find those who will be."
"There's no time for that."
"If I can find a grove, there are rites I can perform to contact help."
"I can't allow that." "Why?"
"Make no mistake here," said Sauk. "We're out to kill the Old Man. Kill him dead and put him on a pyre. But the Fortress of the Old Man, the blades-those will live on. And you know our ways. Invitation only, and only those wishing for our… services. You think I'm going to allow you to bring a flock of tree lovers into a fortress that has stood undiscovered by outsiders for generations? You know us better than that, Kheil."
"Berun."
"Berun, then! I don't care what you call yourself. We must stop him, and we need you-and what you carry-to do that." The earnestness in Sauk's eyes hit Berun. "Don't you want to help your old master?"
"I do. But rushing to my own death won't help him. If half of what you say is true, if the Old Man's powers are beyond Chereth's, then I can do nothing against him. I'll need help."
Sauk's gaze hardened again. "That the way it is, then? Despite what you call yourself now, you have to remember that we were once as brothers. I come to you asking for help and you turn me away?"
That felt like a slap. Something tingled deep in Berun's mind. Not shame, exactly. More like confusion and a niggling fear that there was some truth to the half-orc's words. Still, his mind was made up. The only sure way of getting Chereth out alive was to find help. And there was Lewan to think about.
"My mind is made up, Sauk."
The half-orc's shoulders slumped, just for a moment, then he stiffened again. "I was afraid you'd say that. Have it your way."
Sauk whistled, a harsh shriek between his bottom lip and top teeth that cut through the darkness. For several moments nothing happened, and then he heard it. Something approached through the woods. Not Taaki. The tiger would never make so much noise, even in the dark. v Two more of Sauk's men emerged from the wood, and between them walked Lewan. The boy's bow was gone, and his quiver and sheath hung empty from his belt. His left sleeve had been ripped halfway off his shirt, dirt and mud smeared him, and he had grass and twigs in his hair. He seemed unhurt, but his eyes had the look of a deer that had been outrunning a wolf pack and knew it could run no more.
Berun leaped to his feet, his unstrung bow clutched in one hand. "What is this?"
The half-orc rose and put out a placating hand. "Easy. Calm yourself. We need you-and what you carry. The boy will be safe as long as you come with us and behave yourself."
Berun stared spears at Sauk for several long breaths. It didn't seem to bother the half-orc.
"Lewan," said Berun, looking to his disciple, "are you hurt?"
The boy blinked and looked at Berun. His jaw started to quiver, but he clenched it and swallowed. "I'm fine, master."
"He just had a good long run that didn't end well," said the man to Lewan's left. "We did him no harm."
Berun returned his attention to Sauk. "Free the boy, and I'll come with you."
"You will come with us anyway," said Sauk. "And so will the boy."
Berun ground his teeth, looked off into the dark, and took a deep, controlled breath. He'd have to play this just right. He'd done this before, but never against so many, and never against a hunter like Sauk.
Closing his eyes, Berun let out the breath, nice and slow. Still standing, he relaxed his muscles and took another breath, this time through his nose, drawing in strength. Keeping his gaze set on the dark, Berun reached out with his other senses.
Scent. He smelled the wood smoke of the campfires, the thin stew bubbling in a cast iron cauldron, the damp of the streamside mud, the slight musky tang of sweat, leather, and unwashed clothes from Sauk and his men.
Sounds. The crackling of the nearby fire, loudest of all. The shuffle of men beside their fires, their low conversation, the scrape of their boots over ground. A slight breeze rattling the tops of the trees. Crickets, frogs, a night bird or two. The flutter of a moth past his ear.
Feeling. The air, tinged by smoke, passing in and out of his throat, filling his lungs. The soft scrape of his clothes against his skin. Cool air along his left cheek, warmer air on the right side that faced the fire. And deeper down, deep behind his eyes where men could only see in dreams, Berun sensed Perch, the edge of the little animal's mind touching his own. Berun knew that the treeclaw lizard crouched above them somewhere in the darkness amongst the branches, watching. Perch could sense the tiger in the area, taste her scent on the air, but he couldn't see her.
Returning his gaze to the half-orc, Berun said, "Nothing I can say to change your mind?"
Sauk stood, slowly, watching Berun, perhaps sensing something out of the ordinary. He returned Berun's stare, eye to eye. "No," he said.
"That's what I thought you'd say." Keeping his face turned to the half-orc, Berun fixed his gaze on the man on Lewan's left. That one, he told Perch. Strike. Tooth and claw. Tooth and claw!
Perch's excitement lit up. Fight-fight-fight! Strike-tooth-and-claw!
A shadow fell from the darkness overhead…
Chapter Six
And hit the man next to Lewan in the face. The man went down screaming, the lizard hanging on. Berun shouted, "Lewan, go! Go!"
The man on Lewan's left thrashed on the ground and slapped at the leathery shape clawing at his face. The other man had hold of Lewan's forearm. The boy twisted and brought his knee into the man's crotch. The man's eyes squeezed shut and he crumpled to the ground.
Lewan, eyes wide, cast one quick glance at Berun.
"Go, Lewan!" shouted Berun, just as Sauk screamed, "Get that boy!"
Seeing five men coming for him, Lewan turned and ran for the woods. Sauk's men leaped after him. Berun let his bow slide down his grasp so he held it only a foot or so from the end. The bow was only thick in the middle and wouldn't make much of a st
aff, much less a club, but it might serve to distract the half-orc if nothing else. These men, if they were from Sentinelspire, were most likely trained killers. The best at what they did, surely. But Berun was willing to bet that Sauk was the only true woodsman in the group.
Berun turned, cocked his arm, and swiped the bow outward, aiming for Sauk's face.
The half-orc sidestepped and ducked. He turned and looked at Berun, his lips curling in a snarl over his incisors. "That's how it is, then?"
Seeing their master facing off against Berun, two of Sauk's men-Val and Gerrell, if Berun remembered right-stopped just inside the reach of the firelight and turned around.
"Let him go, Sauk," said Berun. "The boy isn't in this."
"He is now," said Sauk-and lunged, aiming a jab at Berun's face.
Berun sidestepped, brought the bow up, and turned the punch aside-just as Sauk's left fist hit him in the gut. In that last instant, he thought he felt Sauk's knuckles scrape his backbone. All breath burst out of Berun in one gasp. His legs turned to water and he fell. His next thought was plain, stupid pride-he was grateful his bowels had held and he hadn't retched up his last seven meals. Then his thoughts vanished. His vision blurred and his body poured every bit of energy into getting breath back into his lungs.
+++++
Lewan used the fall. He'd been running as fast as he dared. But beyond the light of the campfires, all was pitch black, and through the trees he had to cast his arms in front of him and run more by feel than sight, each headlong sprint broken by stumbles over the uneven ground, roots, and rocks. Shouts from behind spurred him on.
Branches scratched his clothes and scraped skin off his face and hands. After a bad stumble that left his shin bloody, Lewan risked a glance back as he pushed himself to his feet. The men had stopped long enough to light torches. He could see two of them amongst the trees, and the distance from them to himself made hope flare in his heart.
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