Ghostwalker (Book 1)

by Ben Cassidy

  “All right,” he said again, “put the cloth back again.”

  Jade pressed the cloth back against Kendril’s side. She bit her lip.

  “Is he going to make it?” she asked, still keeping pressure on the wound.

  The man looked up at her, a sympathetic look in his eyes. “I don’t know. The wound’s pretty bad, but as long as the bolt didn’t pierce any organs, he may have a chance.” He nodded towards the cloth in Jade’s hand, then started to wrap the bandage around Kendril’s side. “That salve is the best I have. It should help to accelerate the healing. It’s the best I can do for now.”

  He continued to wrap the white bandage around Kendril’s torso, gently passing it underneath the Ghostwalker’s back and crossing it over his chest again.

  “So why were those men after you?”

  The question took Jade by surprise, and reminded her suddenly of the gaping hole in her memory. “I…don’t know,” she said, tentatively taking her hands away from the cloth. The bandage was tight enough now to hold it in place. “I…I can’t remember anything that happened to me more than a couple days ago. Not even who I am, or where I came from.”

  The bearded man glanced up at her. “So you don’t know who you are, or who those two men were?”

  Jade sat back against a log, suddenly exhausted. “I know it sounds crazy, but no, I don’t. I can’t remember a thing.”

  He finished wrapping the bandage, then pulled it tight and tied it. “What about him?”

  “His name is Kendril.” Jade looked down once more at the Ghostwalker’s face. “He found me in the forest just a couple of days ago. There was another man that we met, too, named Maklavir.” She paused for a moment, suddenly remembering her cheerful companion. “Come to think of it, I don’t even know whether he’s all right or not—”

  “You’re both soaking wet,” the man said as he pulled Kendril’s shirt back down. “What happened?”

  She felt a lump form in her throat. “We got ambushed on the bridge just north of here by that bounty hunter. We fell in the river, pulled ourselves out on the bank, and ended up here.”

  The bearded man leaned back, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his hands. He was silent for a moment before he spoke.

  “The name’s Joseph.”

  “Jade.” She felt her face flush. “Well, not really. I can’t remember my real name.”

  Joseph rose, looking off towards the forest. “I see.” He gave Kendril a curious look. “Your friend here is dressed rather strangely.”

  “He’s a Ghostwalker,” said Jade.

  The man raised his eyebrows. “A Ghostwalker? For someone who can’t remember anything you certainly keep strange company, ma’am.”

  She looked down at the wounded man. “He’s risked his life for me countless times in the last few days,” she said. “It’s only because of him that I’m still alive.”

  Joseph nodded. He retrieved his knife, wiped the blade clean, then replaced it in a sheath at the top of his boot. “I suspect you have a lot to tell, but there’s no time right now. Stay close to the fire, and dry off if you can. I’m going to have a look around, and make sure that bounty hunter doesn’t decide to circle back around.” He saw the sudden look of concern on Jade’s face. “Don’t worry,” he chuckled as he grabbed his greatcoat off the log. “I know these woods like the back of my hands. No one will get within two hundred yards of this campsite without me knowing it. There are blankets in the left saddlebag. You can keep the fire going as long as you like.”

  A sudden feeling of security flooded into Jade’s mind, something she hadn’t felt for a long while. “Thank you, Joseph. I can’t begin to repay you for what you’ve done,” she said, the heat of the fire seeping into her bones once again.

  The man smiled and gave a slight nod of his head, then melted into the woods.

  “How’s the arm, boss?”

  Montrose scowled, looking down at his tightly wrapped wound. “Fine. No muscle, just flesh.” He stopped by the twisted trunk of a tree. Both of their horses were tied up nearby. He reached for his double-bowed crossbow on the saddlebag.

  Uther shivered in the darkness. “We’re going back?”

  “Of course we’re going back.” Montrose fumbled around in his saddlebag. “We almost had the girl. I’m certainly not going to stop because of some meddling trapper.”

  The henchman rubbed the cut on his hand gingerly, now wrapped in a dirty handkerchief. “That guy knew how to handle that sword of his,” he said with a fretful glance over his shoulder. “I’ve never seen anyone move that fast.”

  “So we’ll shoot him. Save us both a lot of trouble.” Montrose cursed, and threw aside one of the saddlebags. “Where in blazes are my crossbow bolts? Uther, get me yours.”

  The thug obediently went to his horse, straining to see in the blackness. “They’re not here,” he said in a dumbfounded tone. “I had a whole quiver full. I don’t—”

  Montrose smashed his fist against the saddle. “He must have taken them!”

  Uther gave him a confused look. “The Ghostwalker? But I thought—”

  “Not him, you idiot. The other one. He found our horses and took our bolts, while we were in the camp.” He cursed under his breath.

  “How many friends does this girl have in these woods?” the henchman asked in amazement. “I thought you said she didn’t have any help?”

  “She doesn’t,” Montrose snapped. “Vesuna’s blood! Don’t you see? This is a string of coincidences, just plain dumb luck. That man at the campsite, he must have seen our horses, got suspicious, then grabbed the bolts and hidden them somewhere. Then at the campsite he saw you holding a struggling girl, and me about to kill a wounded man. What should he have thought? He probably took us for highway bandits.” The bounty hunter cursed again. He held up his wounded arm and flexed his hand.

  Uther breathed into his hands. “So what do we do know?”

  Montrose snorted. “We have no weapons, and no element of surprise. We need to get Calham and Derik—well, Calham, anyway—and rearm. Then we come back here in force.” He turned to Uther, his face simmering with rage. “Let’s go. We’ll follow the river back to the bridge.”

  The henchman nodded, then mounted his horse.

  Montrose looked back one last time at the direction of the campfire, spat an obscenity, and then mounted his horse as well.

  Chapter 15

  Jade woke with a start. The blanket fell off of her as she sat upright.

  For a brief, terrifying moment she couldn’t remember where she was. The brooding shapes of the trees all around created an atmosphere of uncertainty and danger.

  The disorientation only lasted a moment, however.

  Jade pulled the gray blanket to herself, shuddering against the cold. The fire had almost burned out, and the stars above were just visible through the gaps in the trees. Somewhere in the darkness an owl hooted, its cry sounding strange in the still night.

  Joseph had not yet returned, though that knowledge somehow comforted her. At least he was out there somewhere, watching for that bounty hunter and his gang of thugs. Even though she barely knew her bearded rescuer, she already felt safe around him.

  She had gotten used to trusting complete strangers in the last few days. It was getting to be a habit.

  Reaching over towards a small pile of wood, Jade grabbed a large piece and threw it on the dying fire. Joseph must have cut quite a bit earlier in the day, for there was enough there to keep the fire going at least until morning. She had placed the pistols in a neat little row in front of the fire itself, hoping to dry them out as soon as possible. As she watched the fire creep back to life a breeze rustled the tree boughs hanging above her head. Their leaves whispered together in an eerie song.

  She brushed the hair out of her face and turned to look at Kendril.

  He was lying on his back on the other side of the fire. The blanket she had spread over him earlier that evening was still in place.

>   Jade pushed her own blanket aside and crawled over to him.

  “Kendril?” she whispered, hoping that he had regained consciousness.

  There was no response.

  She lay down next to his side. The owl sounded in the distance again.

  Kendril’s face was still a sickly pallor, and for one sickening second Jade thought he was dead. Then she noticed that his whole body was shaking.

  Without thinking she reached out a hand towards his cheek, then realized what she was doing and stopped halfway. A few feet away the fire continued to spark and grow as it slowly devoured the piece of wood she had put on it.

  “Kendril?” she said again. Her voice sounded loud in the cold night air.

  He didn’t stir.

  Jade took a deep breath, then touched his face gently with the back of her hand.

  He was cold as ice.

  Jade glanced over at the fire. The blaze was only a few feet away, but Kendril was still shuddering. The heat didn’t seem to be making much of a difference.

  She reached down and pulled off one of his damp gloves, then took his hand in her own.

  It was chilled as well, drained of any warmth.

  The wind rustled though the trees again, causing Jade to shiver herself. She looked back into the woods around her, searching for any sign of Joseph.

  The man was nowhere to be seen.

  Her gaze fell back again on Kendril’s pallid face, and she touched it lightly with her fingers.

  The icy touch of his skin scared her. The fire didn’t seem to be warming him at all, even though she had put him as close to it as she dared. But what else could she do?

  She looked around the campsite one more time, but the night offered no solutions.

  Jade glanced down at Kendril again, and felt her heart skip just a bit faster. She lifted the edge of his blanket and slid her body next to his. Moving as slowly and carefully as she could, Jade pressed herself against him. She reached her arm across the top of his chest, then rested her head on his shoulder. She was careful not to touch the bandage anywhere near his left side, and kept her body as still as possible.

  This close she could feel him trembling, and she shivered as well against his damp clothing. She continued to hold him tightly, however, thankful for the heavy weight of the blanket over both of them. A dull fear clung to her at what would happen if he were to suddenly awaken, but there was no movement from him at all. Even his breathing was shallow and uneven.

  Only a few minutes, she told herself as she moved her arm up slowly to rest against his neck.

  Just until he stops shivering, anyway…

  She stayed there for what seemed like a long while, with Kendril shuddering next to her and the fire popping and sputtering beside them. Finally, his shivering seemed to lessen slightly. Then, as Jade closed her eyes, she thought she felt it drop to an occasional shudder.

  Jade drowsily considered checking his face again to see how cold he was, but she couldn’t seem to summon up the energy to move her arm. She was so warm and so comfortable that she didn’t even want to move.

  She would rest for just one more minute, she thought sleepily.

  Just one more minute….

  Montrose was livid.

  He had been outsmarted before, certainly, and he had had his share of bad luck in the past, but nothing compared to this. How could so much go so wrong in such a short period of time? It was as if Regnuthu himself were dogging his every step.

  He turned, kicking the door of the old mill beside him in pure frustration. It clattered on its hinges, banging back and forth.

  “I’m sorry, boss,” said Calham again, his face red with embarrassment. He and Derik were both bootless, their bare feet red from the cold. “He took me by surprise. I didn’t—”

  “Shut up. Just shut up.” Montrose gave a long, heavy sigh, then closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had underestimated the girl’s second companion. The man had gotten the drop on both his men, then had thrown their boots and weapons into the river. To make matters worse, Calham’s horse was gone as well.

  Morons. Complete and total morons.

  Uther fidgeted nervously beside his employer. “What now, boss?”

  “I said shut up,” Montrose snarled. “I’m thinking.”

  The group was silent a moment as Montrose chewed his lip and stared at the road leading over the bridge.

  “We need weapons,” he said at last. “And horses. That’s our first step. Calham, you and Derik take the horses and go back to the Outpost. There’s a blacksmith there, and we should be able to get a few decent swords. If anyone asks any questions, tell them you’re just a couple of trappers getting some supplies.”

  “But what about me?” whined Derik as he shifted his weight off his leg. “I don’t know how far I can ride with this bone all busted up.”

  “You’re staying at the Outpost,” Montrose ordered. He pulled out his pipe and tapped it thoughtfully in his hand. “Sorry, Derik, but you’re no good to us the way you are. Hole up somewhere out of sight and we’ll pick you up when this whole business is through. No one in town has seen you or Calham, so both of you should be just fine, as long as you don’t do anything stupid.”

  “So what do I do after I get the weapons?” asked Calham.

  Montrose reached into his pocket and pulled out some tobacco, then began filling his pipe with it. “Weapons and a horse,” he corrected, “or else one of us will be walking. When you get everything we need, meet us back here, at the bridge. If you’re fast enough you might even be able to get back here before mid-morning.” He looked up at the stars twinkling brightly overhead. “Then we pick up their trail again.”

  “With only three men?” Uther asked doubtfully.

  The bounty hunter turned, his eye like a blazing coal. “Let me make something clear to you, Uther, and to all of you,” he added, looking at the other three men. “I have never failed to fill a contract, and I don’t intend to start now. We’re going to get this girl, if it’s the last thing we do.”

  Uther shuffled uneasily. “They’ll have at least a half-day’s start on us.”

  “Not if they take the Ghostwalker with them,” said Montrose. He lit his pipe. “That will slow them to a crawl. It’s at least another two days’ journey to the edge of the forest, and the nearest town isn’t for a ways after that.” He puffed on the pipe. The embers glowed in the darkness. “We’ll cut them off before they get out of these woods.”

  “How?” asked Calham.

  Montrose’s face darkened. He drew a long draught on his pipe, then blew out a stream of smoke.

  “We make a deal with the devil.”

  Jade slowly opened her eyes. The sound of chirping birds filling her ears. She lifted her head and blinked in the morning sunlight.

  Sunlight?

  Startled, she looked down to see Kendril still beside her, his eyes closed and his breath shallow.

  She had fallen asleep next to him.

  Embarrassed, Jade got to her feet and pulled the blanket back over the wounded man. She looked up and noticed Joseph sitting on a log by the fire, reading a small leather-bound book. A steaming tin cup of coffee was on the ground by his feet.

  “Good morning,” he said without looking up from his book. “Coffee’s on the fire, if you want some. Sleep well?”

  Jade shuffled over to the fire, and sat down on a log across from Joseph. “Yes, just fine.” She reached down towards the simmering pot of coffee, and snatched an empty mug from an open pack near Joseph’s feet.

  The man looked over at her. “You didn’t tell me last night about you and the Ghostwalker. For someone you just met a few days ago, you two seem to be awfully close.”

  Jade felt her face flush. “It’s not what you think,” she said quickly, holding the coffee pot in one hand and the mug in the other. “He was shivering last night. I was just trying to warm him, that’s all. I guess I fell asleep.” She looked over Kendril, and her voice dropped. “He can�
�t touch me anyway…it’s some vow he’s taken. And I don’t really know him, after all. I--” She stopped, realizing she was rambling. Turning her head back, she poured some coffee into the mug. “I was just trying to stop his shivering.”

  Joseph nodded and glanced over at the Ghostwalker. When he looked back at Jade, his eyes were kinder than before.

  “I’ll check his wound in a few minutes. Hopefully the stitches are holding.” He reached down with his free hand, and took a sip of his coffee.

  Jade set the coffee pot back down on the grass. “I would be surprised if they weren’t. You seemed to know what you were doing.” She looked over her shoulder at the gray woods behind her. “Were you out all night?”

  Joseph chuckled. “Just about. Your bounty hunter has three companions, one with a broken leg. When I left them about an hour ago two of them had ridden off to the west. The two we met last night are holing up near the bridge.”

  She stared at him in amazement. “You got that close to them?”

  The man shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard. They weren’t really trying to stay hidden, and the bridge is right out in the open. Anyway, when I last left them they had no horses, and were still tending to their wounds. I doubt we’ll be seeing them for at least an hour or two.”

  Jade took a sip of coffee. It was scalding, and she burnt the tip of her tongue. She gave Joseph an inquisitive look. “What are you reading?”

  He let the book fall shut. “The Blessed Scriptures. The Book of Jervis, chapter seven, to be precise.”

  A bird sang cheerfully overhead. Jade tried another sip of the coffee. “What is it about?”

  “The repentance and conversion of Tuldor Swiftblade, King of—”

  “Grengaard,” said Jade suddenly. “Right before the Second Age of Despair. That was over a thousand years ago.”

  “Well,” said Joseph with a kindly smile, “you seem to know your Scriptures fairly well.”