When Kaell wasn’t scouting he rode beside the Princess, and Shala enjoyed his company. She could not quite delve into the castle gossip as she could with Kaell the cook, but while the Wolf was prone to thoughtful silences he aspired to keep the Princess's mind away from dark scenarios that bred within an idle mind. Him talking sparingly at least was enough for her, and Shala appreciated how he seemed genuinely engaged with her. Also he agreeing with her assessments of whatever faults she found with the people ruling the courts of Attoras was important too.
In their silences he would listen to songs of birds in the passing by and he told Shala each of their names, calling them by their kind. On the chance they were nearby he spotted them as well as Metrus would and he pointed them out to Shala, the Princess admiring them for their colour and boisterous looks. At times Kaell mimicked their sound and the birds did indeed respond; whistling it seemed was nature's most contagious language. There were those that sang and praised the day and others intent on mating while others still sat in a row with red-billed beaks and chattered so insistently as though to outmatch each other to the audience of riders.
She questioned him on his knowledge and he said, ‘Out in the wild they are your first warning signs Your Highness, if they grow quiet or scatter then the time has come to be aware. They can be a pest that way as well however, while hunting I mean, scaring away a potential deer or buck in the line of a kill shot.’
‘So you have no interest in them except for their alarm-bell quality?’ asked Shala.
‘Of course not Highness, some of them also lay good eggs that are easy to poach and easy to bake on a hot rock,’ said Kaell mockingly.
With a scowl Shala punched him on the arm.
Metrus joined their entourage shortly after, Shala feeling that his appearance often came now with unfortunate news.
‘The Highwaymen are on to us, and I fear they've grown suspicious of me as well,’ he said.
‘Let them come, I'm sure they've never met Wolves before.’
‘No Kaell, I want to keep by what I've said; if we can we must move through the north without bloodshed.’ Bhask was in thought for a moment. ‘Metrus, stay with us for the moment, and Kaell, go back and try and clear our tracks as best you can. We'll go farther into the woods and see if we can elude them.’
Kaell nodded, and was soon off, with Metrus mounting Warrock as they went deeper into the thickness of Norwain. Shala was anxious, as much for herself as for Kaell being alone. She feared he would be hot-headed if confronted by Highwaymen and she feared that she would betray herself as a lady of royalty if the Highwaymen spoke to her.
The woods grew quiet and in Kaell's absence Shala heard his words, “the birds signal warning, either by sound or the lack of it.”
‘Should we not take another route?’ suggested Shala tentatively. ‘I'm certain Kaell will catch up to us even if we do stray.’
‘Too late for that Highness. We are already in a pocket of their numbers,’ said Bhask in resignation. ‘One way or another, we will pay the toll.’
Shala looked around wildly. First they were only cornered by many men on foot, well camouflaged, and then came the Highway riders from ahead, flooding the road with their horses.
The riders were more richly dressed than the men on foot, but also only armoured in hard dried leathers, often in motley arrays of pauldrons and bracelets that were not matching. One of them came forward, riding right up to them as though very familiar with his prey.
‘I am Frankl,’ the man introduced himself, as though that told everything about him. Shala though saw that Bhask put more meaning to the name than she did.
Bhask was surprised for a moment. ‘I am called Bhask. You are leader of the Highwaymen! I've heard tell that you only appear at the full blossom of Rodreon. I did not expect you to be so young.’
‘Of course, and in the meanwhile waiting for the red moon I stay in a cave, living on rats and mating with ducks. In my isolation I also paint famous paintings of landscapes, using nothing but two hues of colours and the left cheek of my ass.’
Bhask dared to chuckle. Shala and Metrus did not feel so brave.
‘We found your friend here covering tracks, and he was doing such a good job of it too. Naturally we were curious and if we didn't know of better, we would say you were trying to avoid paying for the road,’ said Frankl, and as he did Kaell was shoved toward them through a bunch of Highwaymen from behind. Bhask gave one look over his shoulder to see that he was irritated but not hurt, and then addressed Frankl.
‘Not at all, but I confess that we are fleeing, from a host that, with all due respect, is more fearsome than present company.’
Frankl put his hand to the chin. ‘Your friend boasted greatly that he is a Wolf and that so is his Master, and that this Master is even a far better combatant than he is.’
Bhask gave Kaell a dark look, but only very briefly. ‘My son speaks nonsense.’
‘Be glad it is us you run into and not our quarry. There is a bear in these woods and it has taken to attacking travellers on our roads. Although I must ask; is it not Wolves that often chase bears away, or on the occasion defeat them in ambush?’
Bhask was not inclined to answer the man directly. ‘How can the Highwaymen for all their numbers and skill not fell one beast?’
Frankl smiled and shrugged. ‘It is what I would have said as well, but this bear rears taller than any other you’ll ever find, both in Attoras and elsewhere. He is enraged like he has missed all the slumber of winter and seeks man-flesh with every new meal. He is sly and moves through the cover of the forest with guile belonging to a ranger, and we dare not try and corner him in a cave, where he seems invincible. He moves around traps laid on the ground like he laid them himself and arrows barely breach his skin, as though clad with iron beneath his fur. And always he smells a man waiting in ambush, even if he is up in a tree and avoids the trail then altogether. He is enchanted to my mind and eyes, and we need help of the same breed to fell the beast. I cannot guess at your power, but I will guess that you have some!
‘You might not call yourself a Wolf, Bhask, but in stature you have the look of a warrior, and if your pride is anything to appeal to, I think you alone among men can kill it.’
‘My pride is not tied up to boasts, but if we must do this favour to get one in return, then so be it.’
‘Who is the damsel?’ asked Frankl, nudging his head toward Shala. The Princess looked up at the man.
‘The issue of our anonymity, she is my niece and we are escaping the wrath of her abusive husband. Her rich abusive husband, earl of Des Erirb.
‘Ah, sounds like a story in the making. You seem to be carrying heavy and ride good horses. I don’t suppose you made off with a handsome share of said husband’s wealth? We have many ways of cashing and smuggling, and money left in our protection is always returned with interest…’
Bhask shook his head. ‘We have no such burden on us save for our weapons and a few coins. My niece is all we could afford to escape with, as it is we barely got away, plundering only his lordship's stables, and even now I’m not sure that we’ll elude him for much longer,’ Bhask said, the lies coming smoothly to him.
‘Yet you have the services of a Druid? Or is he a friend?’
Bhask was taken aback.
‘I'm not fooled. You have three horses and I've already spotted the young one riding the black horse the Druid sits upon. In the meanwhile I've not once seen this green eyed man, yet there has been an eagle following your company. Eerie I would say.’
‘He is what you say he is. A Druid and a friend,’ said Bhask reluctantly.
‘And are you truly not Wolves then?’ asked Frankl.
‘My son wishes it. We are daring and strong, but do you think we’d have these troubles if we were part of an older order?’
Frankl didn't seemed convinced, but he wasn't concerned about what or what not they chose to call themselves.
‘But you'll take our offer anyway?’
‘
As long as we are guaranteed safe passage to the east. And I expect our trappings to go unobserved and untouched!’ said Bhask.
‘Indeed. And that is all that matters! Wolf or not, I would like nothing more than to see this bear fall.’
‘What is happening?’ asked Shala.
‘Don't worry, we'll take care of their quandary and then our road is secured,’ said Bhask.
‘Highwayman! I am strong in arts of soothing animals, and I have never come across a bear that I could not gentle. Let me approach it so bloodshed can be spared and maybe even a man or two of your own ranks,’ said Metrus.
‘I receive and appreciate your intention Druid, but the road needs to be paid for and travellers will not take our word for it that the path is safe. Gruesome as it is, we will hoist high the upper half of its carcass on a post at the crossroads, so that all can see that the Highwaymen still rid the dangers besetting travellers. No my friend, the bear will be slain, and all will see when it is still and dead.’
Bhask looked at Metrus. ‘I’m afraid either we or they will kill it eventually Druid. We can just as well spare them some men and win ourselves a favour.’
‘Let's be off then, I want this creature dead before nightfall. It hunts these areas and under the fall of darkness there is no stop to it,’ said Frankl.
Before they knew they were riding hard with the Highwaymen, up the main road again, Shala doing so with an anxious knot in her stomach. Metrus she saw was the eagle once more, but sat riding on Kaell's shoulder. They would not have to go far she guessed, and Shala didn't know whether that was a relief or not.
They slowed down as they went off the road, entering the woods again northwards. Kaell approached Bhask quietly and asked, ‘Can we take the spear and approach the bear with it?’
‘It is tempting but no, the Highwaymen cannot see Gutheren, and definitely not Erenciel. They must remain hidden so that our identities, or at least the Princess’s, are safe.’
‘We might as well toss the spear in a river so that some other pilgrim can use it,’ said Kaell heatedly.
‘The spear is legendary, one of two ever crafted. Its use will be timely, leading the lives we do we will come to unveil it, but not here and now when our greatest weapon is anonymity. Besides, we've called enough attention to ourselves as it is.’
Dream of Embers Book 1 Page 36
