“If we are going to go, we need to leave now,” Jezlen said. “This weather may get worse and the tracks will disappear in the rain.” Sindra nodded slowly, walking to the cart to tell them they would need their belongings after all. Derk just stood there and watched as the bodies were moved, Jezlen gesturing with his head for Derk to follow him. Derk looked around to make sure no one was watching and he followed Jezlen out of the camp and over a small rise, past some tall grass.
In the grass lay a Freeman, dead. Its face was small and its head virtually hairless. The eyes were black orbs with no pupils and its lips were pulled back in a snarl of death, showing pointed, razor sharp teeth. Grey skin was barely covered by scraps of fabric and an arrow protruding from its abdomen revealed the cause of death. Blood stained its ragged nails dark. It was hardly a man. Derk had seen drawings of Freemen in his youth and heard the stories, but seeing one filled him with dread. Jezlen just gripped the hilt of his sword.
They walked back to the camp and Asa handed him his pack and the shortsword he had asked for back in Portsmouth. He couldn’t help but wonder if it would be enough. Derk gulped as he slung his pack over his shoulder and fastened his weapon around his waist, remembering the dagger sitting in its sheath. Devra had a walking stick, Asa a sword and a club and Sindra…a dagger. It looked ornamental.
They said their goodbyes after the last of the bodies were put into the cart. Derk shook hands with the villagers and the priest, avoiding the man’s tear streaked eyes. When the villagers and the priest trundled down the path, the group was left in a strangely abandoned clearing, the remains of the campfire a black stain on the ground. Jezlen led them wordlessly to the body of the Freemen. Devra gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Asa narrowed his eyes at the body and Sindra’s face grew hard. She looked determined.
They mounted the horses they had been given except Jezlen, the Forester scouting ahead and tracking. Derk held the reins of the gelding in his hand and stared up at the cloudy sky. If the sky was clear he would have been able to take comfort in the fact the Goddess was watching them, her pale face looking down from a blue sky. Instead grey clouds surged and rolled, the threat of a summer rain making him hunch his shoulders and wish to be indoors. The foul weather matched the situation. Derk sighed and prayed both the weather and the undertaking would turn to their favor.
CHAPTER 10
Trespassing
“Are you sure?” Derk asked, furrowing his brow. The cave a stone’s throw away looked unobtrusive. A few scraggly trees grew around it, the soil too poor to grow anything more impressive, and the ground littered with shards of stone. No sign of life could be seen or heard.
“The tracks lead here,” Jezlen said quietly. “It is the type of place a group of Freemen might dwell. As you may recall from stories your mother told you.” Jezlen’s mouth twitched as if he might smile and Derk rolled his eyes. Quietly they walked back to the others.
“There will be at the most twenty of them within,” Jezlen said, his voice low and steady. “Larger groups of Freemen have not been encountered for two of your generations. They will have a central area where they convene and keep the fire and maybe a separate area where they keep their belongings. Food. Weapons. They can see in very low light, and the only lights they keep are glowing mushrooms. If you hear a sound like a puff of air, do not worry. It is only sporing. But try not to walk into a cloud. It will make your face glow.”
“Twenty?” Devra gulped. Her green eyes were wide with apprehension. “Will they all be together? Will we have to face twenty at a time?”
“I have not had to kill more than five at a time, at the most,” Jezlen said nonchalantly, pulling out his sword. It looked well-used but well-kept. “It is possible you will make it out alive.” It would have helped if Jezlen smiled at her but he only stared. Derk snickered nervously, looking to Asa, who stepped in front of Devra slightly, dark eyes shining with fear.
“No one is going to die,” Sindra said, stepping forward and facing them. “We are going to get the chalice back from these beasts and return it to the Church, where it belongs. They don’t have the training or the determination we do. The chalice means nothing to them.”
“What should we do?” Asa asked. Derk looked in the direction of the cave.
“One of us should scout ahead. When the way is clear, the others can come up.” Derk looked at Jezlen. “Which one of us will stick our neck out first?”
“Not Asa. He’s too loud,” Devra said, drawing a look from her brother. She widened her eyes at him and folded her arms. “What, you are!”
“Well, you aren’t going. Someone who can use a weapon.” Asa looked past Sindra to Derk and Jezlen. Derk considered Jezlen with narrowed eyes, wondering if he should allow the more experienced Forester to take the lead or if he should volunteer. Derk knew he could be quiet, probably quieter than Jezlen. But Jezlen knew Freemen patterns and tactics. However, Sindra was there.
“I’ll do it,” Derk said, hoping to sound as brave as possible. Jezlen actually looked surprised for once, his dark eyebrows raising on his face. “I know how to be quiet and not be seen.” He also knew how to use the shortsword and the dagger tucked into his belt.
“They like to attack from behind,” Jezlen offered as a parting comment, moving out of his way. Asa and Devra both nodded at him at the same time which might have been funny if Derk’s heart wasn’t pounding in his chest. Sindra leaned over and kissed him before he left, which made the blood swish in his ears as he walked away up the hill, keeping to the edge of the excuse for a path leading to the mouth of the cave, a hot summer wind rippling through the tall grass.
He didn’t want to get down too low or an escape would be difficult. Derk was painfully aware his friends were watching him, possibly judging him on how he approached the cave. Carefully he placed one foot in front of the other, aware of the ground and its consistency, feeling for what was around him. Was anything close by? Did something wait for him just on the other side of the stone entrance? His gut told him no and he stepped forward, turning to look to the side just as a bird flew out of the grass, startled by his approach. He felt the weight of the sword in its sheath and the pressure of the dagger tucked into his belt. After he made sure he was breathing slow and steady, he peeked past the edge of the stone.
The entrance looked bigger than it actually was. The ground sloped down rather steeply and the entrance to the cave was probably only wide enough to allow two people side by side, though six or seven people could stand comfortably on the outermost rim. He looked back at his four companions, Sindra’s dark eyes disappearing as he slipped past the lip of the cave, toward the actual entrance.
The Valley was dotted with caves and caverns, low hills sitting atop naturally formed rooms and tunnels carved from the earth. The Freewild itself was more rock than dirt in many places, making it hard for those who preferred absolute freedom from the seat and the sword to scratch out a living. Derk set his hand on the cool stone, craning his neck forward. His feet moved quietly over the ground and the sound of his sword scraping against the inside of its hilt as he drew it made him shiver.
Derk stepped into the cave, the lack of noise almost reassuring. He kept his blade down, careful not to let it catch light from the outside and give him away. Derk wondered if the Freemen could smell him. Maybe they could hear his heartbeat. He wondered why they were called ‘Freemen’ and not something else. They were hardly men. Two arms, two legs, and a head were all they shared with the typical inhabitant of the Valley. The drawings from his childhood stories hadn’t prepared him for the reality. There used to be more of them in the first days of the Valley. His grandfather’s generation had campaigned against them and now Derk was creeping toward a remnant.
The cooler air within the cave would have been refreshing if he hadn’t been so nervous. His eyes adjusted to the light and he saw a stone chamber, piles of unremarkable rocks stacked around. Two tunnels led down into the earth, and he could see the glow of the mushrooms J
ezlen had referenced. A blue green light emanated from within, telling Derk each tunnel lead to a hallway. But which one should they choose? A brown, wet spot on the floor drew his attention and he knelt down, glancing about quickly to make sure it was safe. Derk reached out and scratched his finger against the spot, bringing it to his nose to sniff.
Blood.
Derk looked in the direction of the passageways. Another brown spot lay in front of the entrance that led to the right. The glow at the end of it was brighter. Derk noticed a distinct heel print pressed into the dirt and sand. Derk picked his head up, listening before he stood and turned, walking out of the cave.
The party looked relieved to see him though anxiety still wracked all their faces. “Well, what did you find?” Devra asked, her eyes wide.
Derk almost made a joke but thought better of it, glancing over his shoulder toward the cave before he answered. “There’s an atrium of sorts, a big room with two tunnels leading deeper underground. One of them has blood leading up to it. I’m fairly certain they went down that way.” He still had his sword in his hand and he didn’t feel inclined to put it away just yet.
“Derk, you take up the front with Devra,” Jezlen said. He avoided the panicked look the twins both gave him. “She will be able to create a light if needed. At the very least.” He looked to Asa, pulling his bow out and looping the bowstring over one end. “Then Asa, Sindra and myself in the rear.”
“Are we trying to sneak in, get the chalice and sneak out, or are we trying to launch a surprise attack?” Asa asked.
“Whatever results in us not getting killed, I’d say,” Derk offered. He turned to Devra, wondering if they should give her a weapon, just in case. She had a walking stick. “Can you make a light?” he asked, trying not to sound incredulous. “Or, I don’t know…just find where the chalice is and.…” He waved his hands, not sure what he was doing or what he was asking her. “What can you do?”
“I can make a light,” Devra offered. “Most of the time. Unless I’m nervous.”
“Good thing we’re not about to do something nerve-wracking,” Derk huffed.
“You obviously do not understand how Wielding works,” Jezlen said to Derk. “She has never seen the chalice or the caves. She is not a seer.”
“You have to give her a chance,” Asa said. “I’ve seen her blow up lots of things. I’m sure she’ll be able to do something once we’re in there.” Asa looked to Devra hopefully. His sister didn’t have the same confident look as her brother.
Derk looked to Sindra. Devra had mentioned being able to set things on fire in the village. It occurred to Derk he was flammable and wondered if leading the party with the Wielder was the best idea. But Sindra couldn’t fight. Sindra took Devra’s gloved hands and smiled at her. “I know you’ll do your best. I’ve seen what you can do. And we all trust you.” Sindra looked to Derk, giving him a look which told him he should at least pretend he trusted her. Derk sighed.
“I just wish I would have brought my helmet,” Asa said, pulling out his sword. The scrape of metal against the scabbard was so loud it made everyone cringe.
“You’ll have to be quiet,” Sindra said to Asa. “You can be quiet, right?”
“Can we just go already?” Jezlen asked, pulling an arrow out of its quiver. “All this talking is boring to me. Asa, be quiet, Devra, set something on fire, Sindra, do not do anything. Derk, lead us through. There.”
The members of the group all looked at one another before Derk sighed, turning to go. He heard Devra walking behind him, trying to catch up. “I imagine you can be quiet?” he asked, slowing his pace as they approached the cave.
“Yes,” Devra said, whispering. “I learned in my training. The forest is a quiet place and my master taught me in the ways of listening. Though when one begins to listen, it’s actually quite loud.” She smiled, holding her walking stick in her hand. It was carved with symbols, Derk saw. He just nodded.
“Well, let’s both be quiet.” They walked into the cave, the others following behind. Derk waited outside the entrance of the cave to make sure nothing had moved into the atrium in the meantime and then pointed to the entrance with a jerk of his head, indicating Devra should follow. They entered the coolness of the cave. Derk glanced over his shoulder, seeing Sindra slink in next and then Asa, moving behind them. Jezlen brought up the rear. Derk walked ahead, waiting till his eyes adjusted to the light before advancing toward the hallway. He wondered if they could be cut off. If they went down the one tunnel, there was no saying Freemen couldn’t come down the other tunnel and come up the rear, trapping them. Jezlen and Asa were back there at least.
The natural hallway turned and Derk drew in his breath as he saw the source of the light. The mushrooms. They walked further down the hallway, mushrooms occurring more and more frequently until the ceiling and walls were covered with a proliferation of glowing fungus. The caps were bigger than a chicken’s egg and a sweet, earthy scent permeated the air. A breeze made the fragrance stronger in Derk’s nostrils and he realized he was holding his breath. The only sound he heard were the footsteps of those behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, a hand reached out and his eyes went wide as Devra’s tattooed hand reached out and plucked one of the mushrooms off of the wall. He wanted to ask her what she was doing but he didn’t dare speak, watching as she placed it into her belt pouch.
“What’re you doing?!” Asa asked for him, too loudly for Derk’s liking. Derk cringed and looked down the tunnel, expecting a horde of Freemen to come charging toward them. Instead he just heard Jezlen sigh.
“Be quiet,” Jezlen growled. Devra wiped her glowing hands on the inside of her garments.
“I’ve never seen this kinds of mushroom before, I had to take one,” Devra said quietly. “We might not come back this way. I wanted to be sure I got one.”
“Business and pleasure,” Derk said. “Now can we all shut up?” A scratching sound up ahead made the entire party wheel their heads around. Derk felt his face twist, his heart kicking against his ribs. They all stood there for a long anxious breath. Derk let out a sigh of relief as a rat skittered toward them. Its mouth was glowing, iridescent whiskers twitching as it regarded them in the low light. Derk turned to the rest of them and put two fingers across his lips, signaling they should remain quiet before he walked ahead.
The path turned again and Derk held his hand up, signaling them to stop. The glow of the mushrooms looked strange on his sword and he held it behind him, peering around the corner. The ground sloped downward and opened up into a chamber. A different kind of light came from this room, yellow in hue. He sniffed the air and smelled something burning. A torch, most likely. Derk pointed at himself and then at the end of the tunnel, signaling the rest of them should remain while he scouted ahead.
Quietly he stalked toward the room, listening for anything which might be another life form. Maybe they would be lucky. Maybe the box holding the chalice would be right there and they could grab it and get out without any hassle. Derk licked his lips, listening to the sounds in the room before he walked forward, knowing if anyone was in there, they would see his feet first. He gripped his sword in his hand and took a deep breath before he stepped forward.
The room was roughly square with a tunnel directly across from where he stood. A crude table sat in the middle. No one was in the room but there was a torch set in the wall emitting a feeble but adequate light. A quick glance around and Derk stepped out into the chamber, out of the line of sight from the opposite tunnel. What was on the table?
It looked like several packs of the dead men had been taken, their contents strewn about. Clothes, a broken necklace, a pipe. No food. He wondered why no one was there to guard anything. Derk almost laughed as he thought how the Freeman probably weren’t expecting company, but he remembered the sword in his hand and kept a sober face. Did the Freemen know the people they killed belonged to a bigger community? Did they not fear retaliation? What did they think about the chalice? A tunnel went off of the
left hand wall. If he remembered correctly, it ran parallel to the original tunnel they entered. The one across from it went perpendicular, deeper into the earth.
Derk walked up to the first entrance and peered around the corner. The ground also sloped downward, the same mushrooms lining the walls. A musty smell wafted up from whatever was down there. If he walked down this way there was a chance someone at the very end would see him before he could see them. He would hopefully be able to hear them first. Derk looked at the ground, his feet quiet against the stone as he slunk to the corner. Looking behind him he could barely make out Devra in the dark. He lowered his head to give himself a better vantage point of what lay down the hall.
It seemed like it opened up into another room, lit by another torch. A faint noise made Derk stop in his tracks but after a few breaths with nothing happening he thought it was probably just another rat, scuffling in the dark. He took a few steps down the hall, keeping his back as close to the wall as he could. Mushroom caps brushed against him like soft, fat fingers.
Derk stopped. The noise again. Another step closer made the sound slightly more audible. It sounded like a mix between chittering and growling. It wasn’t loud and he thought he could hear two distinct voices, if they could be called such. He heard a faint scratching as well. Derk glanced back down the way he had come, making sure Devra was still there before he took another step forward.
The talking stopped. Derk gripped the hilt of his sword. He looked back and waved his hand. The way Devra moved told him he had her attention. Quickly he placed one foot in front of the other, walking back to the start of the hall, pointing at Devra and beckoning her over. When she pointed behind her to indicate the others, he shook his head and pointed at her, the Wielder slinking to his side.
Derk pointed to the room and then held up two fingers. “Are you ready?” he mouthed, hoping she would see what he was trying to say. Devra’s mouth was a thin line cutting across her face but she nodded. He was certain the knuckles on the hand clutching her walking stick were white.
The Valley of Ten Crescents Series (Box Set: Books 1-3) Page 30
