For Whom the Bell Trolls: Hands of the Highmage, Book 1

by D. H. Aire

  She smiled, careful to keep her hands at her side.

  Gwilliam smiled back at her lowering his own, which instinctively had reached out to hers. “So, when will the supplies arrive?”

  “In several days we will have food aplenty.”

  “And?”

  “You shall find old silver and bronze cups and tableware mixed in with the grain, enough to cast, well, a good number of arrowheads. The old swords will be a bit rusty but shall sharpen clean. You will find them beneath the boards of the wagons they will leave here.”

  “That’s quite thoughtful of Gerig.”

  “He’s more thoughtful than that, Gwilliam.”

  “He is?”

  “He will write a letter and send copies to the other southern city-states. Hundreds of men are coming, though many are a bit old to wear their chain mail.”

  Gwilliam blinked. “What sigil do they wear?”

  “A falc, ascending.”

  The Seeress’s apprentice frowned, “Gwedians?”

  “Those who went into exile, rather than follow Fenn as their lord,” Gwilliam half-choked.

  “What… what did Gerig write?”

  “Sadly I’ve no idea, but it would not surprise me if it mentioned that you’re wearing that talisman.”

  The talisman began to glow a warm red, matching the color of Gwilliam’s now suffused cheeks. “Yes, that… would likely bring them.”

  He shook his head, “Truthsayer mentioned something about Goblins. Will they be following my old… friends?”

  “Hmm, dearest me, no. They’re pursuing the unicorn and…”

  #

  Gwilliam had difficulty following the Seeress’s train of thought sometimes. Unicorn, boy, hounds, and trolls along with a goblin mage sounded rather jumbled. They went into the old keep’s inner court and proceeded to the Great Hall, where he could at least try to get some sense from the woman as they both supped.

  Looking at her apprentice left him certain her Mistress had not eaten in some time, which meant she was fasting as well. As he had come to learn, neglecting to eat was something the visions did not demand, but just seemed to happen.

  Truthsayer was a man of his word. Not only were his men sitting down to eat, but he had food already being brought over, with portions for the Seeress and her apprentices, too. That Kusins was carrying their portions was no surprise to Gwilliam. That boy might not have the sight, but he made up for it with alacrity.

  Truthsayer nodded, grinning. The boy had both keen eyes and ears. He lived to make certain both the Seeress and her pretty little apprentice, generally referred to as merely her other acolyte, came to no harm.

  That the boy felt guilt for having failed in that charge in Trelor was something Gwilliam had chatted with him privately about. The boy was not at fault. He survived Fenn’s torture and just barely… That the Seeress claimed she wished he had not interfered did not mean he did. He just wished she would bloody well explain why she would have preferred dying to living.

  She frowned at him as they began to eat; doubtless being able to read his thoughts somehow through that “Sight” that could be so annoying at times. He tore off bread from the loaf, while she wagged her finger at him, “You know I’ve long given up on table etiquette.”

  “You’ll need to remember it again.”

  “But not yet, I dare say.”

  “Sooner than you think, so you should begin practicing.”

  “You’ve already foreseen this conversation and know I’m not listening.”

  “I have not. I cannot foresee everything.”

  “Remember that, young lady,” Gwilliam said to her apprentice. “You wouldn’t happen to be able to better explain this business of trolls and unicorn…”

  The girl swallowed, setting down her fork, glancing at her Mistress, who nodded. “Well, she said that the unicorn and the Hand were coming here, but they were not alone. There are his children riding the Hounds of old and… two trolls.”

  He leaned forward on his elbows, “What about these trolls?”

  “One’s a bit of a dwarf and the other’s Lord Je’orj’s blood brother.”

  “A dwarf troll and… hmm, the human mage’s name coming up, that’s interested. A troll for a blood brother. Where exactly as they coming from?”

  The Seeress replied, “The trolls have come from the Great Waste… and are heading here from the Badlands.”

  “And just how many goblins are pursuing them?” he asked, notice that Truthsayer’s eyes were glistening as he strained to overhear, while muttering what seemed a litany of “Truths.”

  “Three,” the Seeress said. “The mage was the most worrisome.”

  Gwilliam nodded, resumed eating, gesturing to the Seeress to do the same. She did, frowning. “You’ve another question.”

  “No rush, they won’t be here for weeks, right?”

  “Err, perhaps months, if we’re lucky,” she replied.

  “Why?”

  The Seeress blinked, “Why because Fenn’s army burns down the Thorns not long after.”

  He spewed what he had been eating, then turned to glare at Truthsayer, who went pale and gasped, “Truth.”

  Chapter 24 – Southern Crescent Lands

  They had truly rested only twice since leaving behind the Borderlands. It was when they had thought to stop for rest the second time that the hounds had howled.

  ‘Goblins!’ the unicorn cried, her horn flaring.

  The girls shifted the straps from one hound to the next that offered itself as a mount. Soon they fled north and west across the Crescent Lands once more. They saw a creek in the distance winding through the forested hills. Greth moved to pace the unicorn and transferred Nessa riding on his harnessed back to Yel’ane’s hand, which helped her mount behind her.

  “I’ll take the loosed hounds with me, while you run through the creek. With any luck the goblins will follow our trail alone the rockier path that way.”

  ‘It will not fool them for long!’

  Lawson cried, “Don’t you dare try to take them on alone!”

  “I am not a total fool,” Greth answered as the unicorn’s horn pulsed. The loosed hounds took up howling and bounded along with Greth.

  Once at the creek, the unicorn splashed into and raced up its center, the mounted hounds trailed as the girls sputtered as they were drenched by the kicked-up spray. Greth and the hounds raced up the other bank continuing nearly straight north, while the creek led Casber, Lawson and the girls more westerly.

  “Luck!” Nessa cried.

  “He’ll need it, if this doesn’t work,” Casber muttered. “Hey!”

  Yel’ane squeezed his ribs hard, “Don’t say such a thing.”

  Nessa nodded, “Casber, best think about what we’ll do should the goblins follow us instead!”

  Ani’ya and En’sta in the harness on Lawson’s back looked back, watching for any sign of the goblins, hearing the hounds howling in the distance. Leagues later, the unicorn splashed out of the creek with the bedraggled looking hounds; and the girls and slowed to a halt, breathing hard.

  ‘We will stop here and rest for but a little while.’

  “She said—” Casber began.

  “We heard her,” Yel’ane said, wiping her face which dripped from both sweat and the spray. “I don’t know if I liked it better before she felt the need to… I’m soaked nearly through.”

  Nessa muttered, “If we don’t get out of these wet things, we’re all going to take ill.”

  Yel’ane glanced back at her as Nessa dismounted, sliding off the unicorn’s dripping flank, “Um, I’ll be fine.”

  Frowning, Casber said, “I’ve a couple of jerkin in my pack that should still be dry.”

  Lawson walked up, gasping for breath, Ani’ya and En’sta asleep in his harness. “I think the strain of watching got to them.”

  “We’ll need to wake them,” Nessa said. “Their jerkin is dry, but their pants are soaked through.”

  “You’re soaked,” Y
el’ane said, staring at Lawson.

  “Not entirely,” he replied. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t fancy dealing with a troll with a cold,” Yel’ane admonished, dismounting as the girls started free themselves for their straps. “That bag of yours must have at least a dry jerkin and pants.”

  “Uh, jerkin, yes. I saw no need for another pair of pants when I packed.”

  “Of all the idiotic—!” Yel’ane began as the girls began to stare and Ani’ya and En’sta to wake.

  “Yel’ane, stop it, we’ve no time for this!” Nessa shouted. “Now, fish out our blankets, which are at least, I hope, partially dry. Girls, find whatever you can to wear for once you’ve dried off. Then, we’re all getting out of these wet things.”

  “Uh, Nessa,” Vi’ya asked, “um, I don’t see anywhere to change.”

  “Hmm, I don’t, either,” she answered. “Casber, Lawson, you two will kindly turn your backs when we’re undressing, understood?”

  “Um, yes, Ma’am,” both replied.

  Nessa glared at the girls, “We’ve no time to worry about modesty! Dry off, find whatever you can that’s dry, and get off those wet things!”

  #

  “Why do I think they’re watching us?”

  “Because,” Lawson said, “the dratted girls are.”

  Yel’ane blinked, turning away as she finished drying off, and despaired that she had only a damp jerkin to put on. Thri’la glanced at her, “I’ve nothing dry.”

  “You can have my jerkin,” Yel’ane offered. “It’s big enough on you to serve as a bed gown…. Uh, Lawson, you have another jerkin that’s dry?”

  “Yes,” he replied over his shoulder.

  “I’ll need it.”

  “Oh, joy,” he muttered.

  Casber glance up at him. “I’ve only these breeches.”

  “Yel’ane will ride with me,” Lawson hastily replied.

  Casber frowned. He wasn’t the only one. “Yel’ane!” Nessa cried, aghast.

  She hastily turned away as the girls giggled.

  Lawson cleared his throat, “You girls want me to turn around!”

  That shut them right up.

  Nessa frowned, realizing this meant that she was going to riding with the shirtless boy, in only her jerkin. Yel’ane gave her a look and smiled, realizing that as well.

  “Do you have any dry small clothes?”

  “Sorry, but no,” she replied Lawson tossed back over his head to her his spare jerkin. She put it on as Nessa glared, then blinked, signed, I think we’ll both wear them wet, then.

  Yel’ane frowned, sighed back. The girls will do what we do.

  Think they will get sick?

  Think they will chafe, worse?

  The small clothes.

  They wrung them out, then put on damp bottom underclothes.

  Ani’ya watched the silent interchange, standing only in her slightly damp jerkin. Glancing to her right, she saw she was not the only one. The girls quickly picked up the bottom portion of their small clothes, which they squeezed out, and put on, still wet or damp.

  The hounds finished shaking themselves and hers padded over. She felt its straps, “These dried fast.”

  “Never got wet,” Thri’la said, “bit strange, isn’t it?”

  Ani’ya wondered as she tried to tuck the bottom of the jerkin front and back under her seat and lowered herself fully across the hound’s back. The unicorn’s head turned, they heard howling in the distance, ‘The goblins are heading this way!’

  The hounds began bounding ahead as Casber mounted and reached down to Nessa, her bow in hand, quiver on her back. She blinked, “I’ll never be able to shoot and hold on!”

  Casber glanced back as the hounds howling in the distance seemed to grow louder, “Give me your quiver! You’ll need to ride in front of me.”

  “What?”

  “Your quiver!” the boy cried, quickly slinging it across his back, then offering her his hand and drawing up in front of him. She blinked as his arm went across hers, his fingers to knot in the unicorn’s lush mane. “Don’t drop that bow!”

  The unicorn burst forward. Nessa glanced back, “Yel’ane!”

  Lawson just stood there, looking for a way to help as Yel’ane’s struggled to climb back into the harness, her too large for her jerkin getting in her way. Lawson grimaced, reaching back. Yel’ane heard fabric rip and Lawson was suddenly able to tighten the straps, belting her in. “Sorry,” he said, starting to run.

  “What?” she muttered glancing down, putting a hand to his back. His hair felt rather soft and furry. She blinked, seeing the torn fabric by her right leg flapping in the wind.

  Yel’ane shook her head, looking over his shoulder at the unicorn ahead of them. Nessa, the boy’s arms around her, as she reached back and drew an arrow from the quiver.

  “Yel’ane!” Nessa cried as she twisted to the side, leaned over, drawing the bow and loosing.

  A goblin had come over the hill and gestured, throwing a curse.

  Black tipped arrow and spell intersected. There was an explosion, which knocked the mage off his feet and back down the hill whence he had come. Eyes wide, Yel’ane grabbed an arrow from her quiver and sought something to shoot at.

  Nessa cried, “Yel’ane, I’ve no shot!”

  The belt restrained her as she looked back and saw two goblins running toward them from behind. “Run, Lawson, run!” Casber cried.

  Run faster he did, quickly glancing over his shoulder and muttering, “Mother!”

  Yel’ane heard the fabric rip further as she twisted about and managed to take aim, knowing she was going to miss, but not caring anymore. She loosed.

  The goblin at the fore ducked the shaft, which took his fellow behind him in the right eye. The goblin cried out in agony, then dropped without another sound. The foremost goblin howled in outrage, ran forward, and leaped, clawed fingers outstretched.

  She swung her bow as if it were a club, striking his face, then screamed as those claws raked her, rending cloth and drawing blood. They also cut deep through one of the straps, which gave way.

  Her bow fell to the ground as Lawson cried out, “Hold on, Yel’ane!” and dropped to the ground as torn fabric floated free.

  The goblin swore as the cloth covered his face, momentarily blinding him, missing the fact that Lawson fell to the ground, tripping the goblin, who was sent tumbling past. Yel’ane was flung partially away and Lawson grabbed her blood splattered arm and drew her close as he rolled.

  “Yel’ane!” Nessa cried, staring back at the scene behind them. “Turn around! We must go back!”

  The unicorn raced on as furious, the goblin rose, tossing aside the torn cloth and drew his curved dagger as Lawson looked back at him, cradling Yel’ane’s injured form.

  “Time to die, foolish troll!”

  Soundlessly hounds began to burst over the hill and leap at the goblin, knocking him aside. The goblin fought them off, rising back to his feet, slashing. One hound cried out as the blade cut its side. Another dropped dead from the goblin’s blade.

  More hounds howled drawing closer and the goblin heard the other troll issue a battle cry. He backed away. “You will not escape me again!” He fled, hounds yammering after him.

  Chapter 25 – Crescent Lands

  “Yel’ane!” Lawson cried, pulling her free of the remnants of the harness before digging into his pack for the healing vial, which he poured across the raked flesh of her slashed side and shoulder.

  Greth reached them, broadsword at the ready. “Lawson?”

  “Kill the bastard!” he cried.

  His friend took a deep breath, hearing the hounds’ howls draw further away. “We’ve driven him off. Is that working?”

  Lawson shook his head, “I don’t know if it will work on her kind.”

  “We can’t stay here.”

  “I know.” Lawson handing Greth what remained of the vial. “See if that will save the hound. She saved our lives.”

  Gret
h nodded and went to the whimpering creature with its gaping wound. Lawson then took what remained of the bloody and ripped jerkin and covered Yel’ane’s as best he could. Hefting her up, Lawson cradled her close.

  The injured hound in Greth’s arms the pair began to run, seeking to catch up to the others. “Lawson, what happened?”

  “There were two behind us. She killed one and the really ugly one did his best to kill her. Nessa shot at the mage, there was an explosion. I don’t know if he survived or not.”

  Greth nodded as the white mist swirled around Yel’ane’s wounds. “It looks like its working.”

  Lawson just pressed her closer, not daring to look.

  “So tell me, Lawson,” Greth asked as he retrieved Yel’ane dropped bow. “What happened to her clothes… and why was she wearing one of your jerkin?”

  “We got awfully wet and we had only so much that was dry. So, I lent her my jerkin, which was too big for her.”

  “And it being so outsized it got caught in the harness?” Greth offered.

  “Something like that… and it was my best jerkin, too.”

  “Uh huh, Lawson, do you have any idea of the customs of her people?”

  “Um, no, why?”

  “Ever think she might consider the giving of clothes as having some particular meaning?”

  “Um, no.”

  “You and I are going to have to have a long talk, my friend,” he said as the hounds returned at the unicorn’s call.

  Nessa cried, seeing him cradling her, “Yel’ane!”

  Greth shouted, “She will be fine!”

  “What are you…?” Lawson replied, frowning. “She’s just, well, a child, Greth.”

  “She doesn’t quite look like one of our little girls, Lawson,” Greth warned, seeing as how Lawson held the practically naked creature against his bare chest.

  “Um, don’t be ridiculous.”

  “As I said. A long talk, later, and out of hearing of impressionable ears.”

  “Don’t be…” Lawson said as Yel’ane stirred, her slight bosom pressed up to his hairy chest. “Ridiculous,” he muttered, frowning at her lovely face, no longer so terribly white.

  That’s when she opened her eyes, stared up at him, frowning, “The goblin?”