“Aye,” Halima said. “But what wasn’t known until recently is that the leaders of Sothcar have created bands of fighters—ranging from a few men to dozens—to infiltrate our kingdom. There are an unknown number of these bands roaming the land, creating havoc wherever they can. Sometimes the enemy group bands together for larger attacks—like those who attacked your camp.”
“To what end?” Pendr asked.
Halima’s tone contained an underlining bitterness. “Power. War and conflict are about power. Those who want it, and those who have it. But it is an unquenchable thirst. Those driven to gain more power can never get enough. Under King Viskum’s rule, the light has shone upon us. He’s a man who understands the corruption of power. His goal has always been to protect his people—not gain more lands.”
“But, who determines which people belong to which kingdom?” Pendr asked. “As I understand it, the town of Iredell has been part of several kingdoms over the generations.”
“Ah, let me guess,” Halima said. “You must have grouped with someone from Umstead.”
Eladrel tossed a twig into the fire. “Rheq—the little guy. He was from Umstead.”
“Aye, we did have a young man from that area with us for a time,” Pendr said. “He disappeared right before we were captured.”
“I see,” Halima said. “I wish I could say that everyone could agree on which lands belonged to which kingdoms. Alas, borders do shift over time. Even your village of Logs Pond has belonged to other realms. What King Viskum achieved was fair borders with the other leaders of the region. Those to the north and west have honored these agreements. Sothcar, however, has been different.”
Pendr knew little of other kingdoms. Aside from Sothcar, he knew the land north was called Virqyna. Most of his life, his world had consisted of Logs Pond, which had been fine with him. Halima had not mentioned the east. Pendr vocalized the question.
“The east?” Halima sounded surprised. “Nothcar is bordered by the land of waters. Ships from other parts of the world trade along the coast, but there have never been any invasions by way of the sea.”
“But previous attacks have come from Sothcar,” Eladrel said. “Correct?”
Halima nodded. “Those in Umstead are under constant harassment. When the borders were being drawn, Umstead was originally supposed to be in Sothcar. But the town leaders petitioned to be part of King Viskum’s rule, and their efforts were rewarded. Many from Sothcar are still resentful.”
“Then why did those from Sothcar capture Iredell instead of Umstead?” Eladrel asked.
Halima unclenched her hands and turned her palms upwards. “I can’t say for sure. From what I understand, Iredell is a walled city. Umstead is much like Logs Pond: not much more than a village. Iredell is a more strategic target. From there—”
The leader of the campsite stopped talking abruptly and turned her head sharply. Pendr could see her tense, but almost as quickly, she relaxed. “Ah, good. They’re almost here.”
“Who?” Pendr asked. “Who is coming?”
“Nya. The one I sent when we were under attack,” Halima said. “She’s brought soldiers from a nearby campsite to help. They will be quite delighted to find you two young men here.”
Pendr felt the back of his neck tense up. More than anything, he wanted to sleep. After that? A strong urge to return home coursed through him, though he knew that would not be possible—not after what he had seen and learned.
“Why will they be happy to see us?” Eladrel asked.
Halima smiled, one which touched her eyes. “Because they are those who will be teaching you how to use your skills with the myelur.”
Chapter 29
At first, Wyjec was not sure he could live off of raw rabbit. It was not the taste, nor the texture which created the issue. Hunger had a way of eliminating those factors. Instead, it was the pains emanating from his stomach—often causing him to taste his food a second time as it made a return trip up his throat.
Of all the wolves, this seemed to concern Alpha the most. The black wolf brought squirrels, and even a fat trout once, though the results were the same. After one particularly rough evening when Wyjec heaved more than he slept, Alpha did something unexpected: he delivered a rabbit which was still alive.
The hare’s back legs bent at strange angles, broken, but its heart was still beating fiercely. Through the red myelur, Wyjec could see the rabbit’s life force flow through its small frame. When Wyjec reached out and touched the rabbit, he spotted it—the yellow threads he had seen before. It was like the red myelur, but different. Instead of remaining inside the animal, as did the red, the yellow strings ran between Wyjec and the rabbit once he touched it.
Instinctively, Wyjec pulled on the yellow threads. Two things happened at once. The pain and aches vanished from his system, while at the same time, the rabbit’s heart came to an abrupt stop.
I’ve taken its life to heal myself. That is the power of the yellow myelur. A brief sensation of grief attempted to sink into Wyjec, but he quickly dismissed it. There was no point grieving over food, especially when it can heal as well as nourish.
For the next several days, Wyjec and the wolves continued deeper into the western woods, spending as much time climbing as walking. The younger wolves took turns scouting ahead for potential dangers, as well as paths they could take.
Wyjec sensed no doubts from the wolves. He checked them each night to make sure the amber glow remained around each of their hearts. Not once did he have to retie any ends which may have frayed. Their dedication was unquestionable. More than I can say about men.
While the wolves may not question why they headed west, or what would happen next, Wyjec could not say the same for himself. What do I want? He did not think of it as running away, though he had no other explanation of what drove him west. He found comfort in the company of wolves. More than that, he began to feel safe, though not completely so.
What will make me feel safe? The four wolves could protect him from one or two foes, perhaps more. But there were armies of men—men who could not be trusted, men who needed to pay for betraying him.
Plans and schemes came to mind of how Wyjec could take his wolves and infiltrate Iredell, though each was dismissed as being too risky or foolhardy. Wyjec trusted these wolves, and he was not willing to sacrifice them for his quest for vengeance. What he needed was his own army.
That singular notion remained with Wyjec for the next three days. At night, he would curl up between Alpha and Acumen. Their fur and body heat kept him warm. Oddly, when he touched the wolves, the threads of the yellow myelur did not appear—even when he was feeling ill from eating raw meat. Perhaps it’s because they are linked to me through the power I possess. Regardless of why, he was glad the yellow threads did not form when coming into physical contact with his wolves. It could be too large of a temptation to drain one of them if he felt sick or was injured.
The wolves continued to find food easily enough—brought to him still alive so he could drain them using the yellow myelur to keep the ill effects of eating raw meat at bay. Wyjec even became better at spotting and recognizing rabbit tracks.
Early one afternoon, nearly a quarter moon after Wyjec had fled from Iredell, his pack came upon a different type of tracks—wolf tracks. His wolves moved more cautiously, and neither Tranquil nor Jittery scouted ahead. Alpha and Acumen whistled/growled to each other in subdued tones as if planning a strategy. Pluck, the smallest of the wolves, remained by Wyjec’s side watching the rest of the pack’s actions.
The sun was beginning to set when Alpha came to a stop. His ears pricked up, and his body tensed. Squinting through the foliage, Wyjec spotted glimmers of the red myelur ahead. Alpha began to growl, and Acumen, Tranquil, Pluck, and Jittery soon followed. Immediately, Wyjec coated himself in the blue myelur.
Alpha whistled/growled toward the creatures just out of sight, becoming louder and more aggressive with each passing heartbeat.
Then, from behind a tree, ste
pped a brown wolf. There was something different about this one. Once it came fully into view, Wyjec inspected the wolf through the red myelur. He then understood what made this one different. This wolf was female.
She approached slowly, head kept low with her tail tucked behind her legs. Wyjec had come to learn such a stance meant submission, yet the amber glow from the female wolf flitted back and forth between her heart, and those behind her.
Wyjec reached through the red myelur to secure the female’s glow around her heart, thereby securing her dedication. The response was something he did not expect. Manipulating the red myelur was different. The sensation was like touching silk compared to the coarseness of the male’s glows. It made it more of a challenge, but after a few attempts, Wyjec succeeded. Why should she be different? He thought back to the other women who he manipulated and then realized while he had noticed the red myelur and amber glow in women before, this was the first time he had tried to insert his will on a female. Interesting.
The female wolf joined the pack. She would need a name. Silk works as well as any other for her. Alpha whistled/growled a few times to Silk. In response, four more wolves came into sight—each of them female.
Wyjec set about making each of these other wolves dedicated to him. Before beginning, an answer to a problem he had been contemplating came to him. The men in Iredell, those who had tried to kill him, had an army to protect them. Now, with a pack of wolves consisting of both males and females to do his bidding, Wyjec knew what he would do. I will create an army of my own.
Part 3
Chapter 30
The soldiers of Sothcar moved around camp unaware someone watched them. It was a smaller band, only five men. Their camp formation appeared as if the soldiers took little care in setting it up—two small canvas tents, side-by-side, faced the fire pit. Provisions leaned against trees and tents, and the men relieved themselves wherever was convenient at the time.
Rheq wondered, not for the first time, how soldiers like these could have been successful in their recent attacks. They lack focus. Something I can exploit.
Several days had passed since Rheq escaped capture. He knew that staying with Pendr’s group would be dangerous. Aside from Pendr, and perhaps Eladrel, the others in the party also lacked focus. Rheq felt it would only be a matter of time before another ambush—and that prediction came true.
Once Pendr’s group entered the copse, Rheq, who had been leading the way, spotted the enemy soldiers lying in wait. At that moment, he had two options: warn the others and risk being killed or captured, or run. He chose the latter. That doesn’t make me a coward. It makes me a survivor.
Rheq had always had the knack of spotting prey or enemies when hunting. He tried to explain once to his older brother, Groq, that he saw a glimmer of red shining in others. Groq openly mocked him for believing such things and claimed it was pure luck that Rheq was a better hunter. Rheq knew differently.
Even now, as he watched the men from the south laugh and drink around the campfire, he could see the red glimmer flowing through them. It lacked brightness, yet its presence was consistent enough to help Rheq stay attentive.
The packs strewn around camp contained food, as well as other supplies Rheq needed. Though he held on to the short sword assigned to him from the quartermaster, he was far more comfortable with a bow and arrow. Fortunately, a bow and quiver of arrows were some of the items leaning against a tent. All he had to do now was wait for it to get dark.
Growing up in Umstead, Rheq had learned how to move silently through the forest. Not only was this skill used to hunt food, but also for pure survival. Attacks and raids on the areas around Umstead were common and had been since the town’s leaders had petitioned for inclusion in King Viskum’s land.
When the knights came to Umstead to conscript young men for the army, the town’s reaction was mixed. Some were glad that the king was finally going to put a stop to the attacks, while others were bitter that it took the fall of Iredell to prompt the action. Rheq and his family fell into the latter category. Where were the king and his men when we were being attacked over the many seasons?
Now, it seemed, the fighting had escalated. Bands of southern fighters in their blue uniforms with crescent moon emblems swarmed over this part of the land. It was an invasion, though less direct than previously experienced. I’ll wager the king never expected this.
The singular thought which drove Rheq was to return to Umstead. It was not desertion, at least that is what he kept telling himself. The rest of his original squad died in the initial attack. It was dumb luck that Rheq ended up with Pendr and the others who had survived. He doubted any of them were still alive after the ambush, but that was not Rheq’s fault. With them captured, Rheq was a soldier without a squad or leader. It only made sense for him to return home to protect his people.
Somehow, those thoughts were not as reassuring as Rheq wanted. Did he feel guilty for surviving while the other conscripts died? No, it’s not my fault they died. Like a mantra, Rheq kept telling himself that as he waited for night to arrive.
Just as Rheq predicted, the enemy soldiers were unorganized in their sleeping plans. They argued which of them would have first watch. The smallest of the group got the assignment, mainly because he was in no position to enforce his will otherwise.
Watching the larger men bully the smaller soldier struck home. Rheq was small, even compared to those in Umstead. It was hard not to be intimidated by someone like Pendr who towered over him, as well as had a large, muscular build. However, Rheq refused to be bullied, and he found extra contempt for the particular enemy who allowed such behavior. He’ll be the first to die.
The back of Rheq’s legs began to ache as the moon climbed slowly, yet steadily, toward the middle of the sky. He knew he would have to move soon, but it would be foolish to attack too early. Finally, convinced the four larger men were asleep, and the guard was sufficiently bored, Rheq made his move.
Using the techniques learned as a young child and perfected over his life, Rheq slipped silently between trees, shifting the weight of his feet from the ball of his foot to his toes as he moved. The small soldier was unaware when Rheq stepped up directly behind him. In one fluid motion, Rheq used his left hand to cover his enemy’s mouth, while with his right he used the short sword’s sharp blade across his throat.
Only the smallest of groans escaped from the dying man, not nearly loud enough to wake the others. Convinced the sentry no longer posed a threat, Rheq moved toward the campfire.
Two of the soldiers slept under the stars, while the other two had commandeered the tents. Using the same technique as before, covering their mouths as he slit their throats, Rheq killed the two men by the dying fire. Neither were able to make enough of a stir to warn the others.
The two men in the tents would pose more of a problem. Heavy canvas door flaps could make enough noise to alert the occupants. Perhaps I’ll leave them here so they can discover their dead companions. The idea intrigued Rheq, but leaving them alive meant two more enemy soldiers would be a threat. Scanning over the campsite, Rheq got an idea.
First, he gathered the bow and quiver of arrows, along with a pack full of provisions, and placed them near a tree away from the campsite. Next, as quietly as he could, Rheq stacked the firewood the men had previously gathered in front of each of the tent’s door flaps.
The fire which had been started earlier in the evening was nearly out now, though it had enough embers to light a torch Rheq found among the soldier’s possessions. Once the torch roared to life, Rheq quickly lit the stacks of firewood which now blocked the tents’ respective exits.
Racing, not worrying if he made noise or not, Rheq went to the tree where he had placed the bow and arrows, as well as the stolen provisions. From this vantage point, he was far enough into the wood where he could not be spotted, yet he could still see the camp.
The man in the left tent awoke first, as indicated by his shouting and flailing against the tent—a tent whi
ch had caught fire. The one thing the soldiers had done well was bury the tent spikes deep enough that it was near to impossible to pull them out from inside the tent.
The shouts of surprise turned to shrieks of pain as the tents became fully ablaze, burning the men inside. Rheq watched long enough to ensure that neither man would survive. It happened faster than he imagined.
Secure in the knowledge that this threat was eliminated, Rheq gathered his new weapon and provisions and headed south—toward Umstead.
Chapter 31
“I guess this is goodbye, again,” the large man in front of Danla said. He looks like he’ll never see me again. Though she did not want to admit it, Danla conceded that it was more likely than not. The camp where they had stayed was nearly broken down and ready to move. Soldiers had come for Pendr and Eladrel. The leaders only gave them a moment to say their farewells.
Danla squared her shoulders, forcing herself to look brave. “Now, you listen here, Pendr,” she said. “You gave me that same look when we were first separated once we left Logs Pond. And we found each other again, right?” Only a fortnight had passed since that day, yet to Danla it felt much longer. Whereas Pendr and the rest of the boys from Logs Pond were sent off to become soldiers, Danla’s path had been much different. I had no idea how much I was missing from living in that small town.
“Yes, you’re right,” Pendr said softly. “Just promise me you’ll stay safe, will you?”
For her entire life, she had known Pendr. Not until she was away from him did she realize two things. First, Pendr was not only tall and strong compared to those in Logs Pond, but also compared to all the others she had met since. His size made him an intimidating figure, which completely countered who he was as a person. She liked that he was gentle-hearted—and that led to the second thing she realized from their separation: she missed him when they were apart, more than she thought possible. Should I tell him? Or will that only make his leaving harder?
Darker the Shadow (The Howler King Trilogy Book 1) Page 12
