Beyond the Hell Cliffs

by Case C. Capehart

  Helkree and Fenra were with him, following him far into the eastern mountains. Unlike the villages in the west, the Urufen tribes had mostly managed to overthrow their Rathgar guardians. The Rathgar were unsuited for the cold and the tribes had always been difficult to keep under control, even with a living Emperor. It made things easier for him that he did not have to liberate the Urufen. It allowed him to leave the others behind, placing them where he needed them.

  The guards they drove out of the Lokai villages would eventually coalesce, most likely at the remnants of the Citadel. At some point, before they all starved to death, the unified guards would make a push for one of the villages. Domination would be sought by whoever took charge. The Rathgar would not give up their hold on the other races so easily and Raegith needed to keep a presence among the people who were in danger of that eventual wrath.

  Kimura was taken with Goji and the ways of the Naga and Raegith granted her request to train among them. Indie and Hitomi took up residence in the old guard barracks and began Magda and Naoko’s initiation into the Helcats. Beretta went out among the Gimlets to learn from them and to do her best to assemble their knowledge and study it. Fenra and Helkree followed him east, into the mountains, to seek out the Lupa Tribe and Chief Freydif. Now they stood upon a mound overlooking a large village that Fenra assured them was the home of the Lupa Clan.

  “Do you think they’ll let us in?” Raegith asked.

  Helkree sat on the ground at his left and drank from a strong-smelling jug. “Probably. Are you worried they’ll tell us to fuck off?”

  “Shouldn’t I be? We’ve no food left and Fenra seems to think a blizzard is on the rise.”

  Raegith reached down and Helkree passed him the grog.

  “Well, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you should have thought about that before you marched us up here,” Helkree laughed. “I don’t even know what the hell we’re doing here. You don’t need that Junie bitch to make you stronger, if she even can. You need to learn how to use a fucking weapon if you want to be strong.”

  “Noriko told me to come find her when I was strong enough to make the journey. She could do amazing things, Helkree and I know the Junrei’sha can teach me those things. They can make me stronger, I know it. This is the harshest place in the Greimere and I’ve lasted for months now, during the winter. I’m ready.”

  “I’m not one to knock a guy for wanting more power,” Helkree said, taking the grog back. “I’d fuck a Gimlet… one of the dumb ones, if it would give me an edge over my enemy. I’m just letting you know, I think this is an even dumber plan than that.”

  “There’s Fenra, coming our way.” Raegith kicked her lightly in the shoulder, making her spill some of the grog and growl at him. “She’s got someone with her.”

  Two dots came out of the village gate and turned toward them. One was small and quick, trotting like Fenra did when she was anxious. The other was even smaller and looked as if it were trying to race her. In seconds the two were in front of Raegith, breathing quickly and grinning at each other.

  The Urufen girl was younger than Fenra, with black hair and pale skin. She had a scar running over the bridge of her slender nose and her eyes were bright yellow. She looked Raegith and Helkree over for a moment before Fenra introduced them.

  “This is Raegith the Grass-haired and Helkree of Edge.”

  “Father told me of the Grass-hair,” the girl said, looking at Raegith curiously. “He’s weird-looking.”

  “Who the fuck is this brat?” Helkree asked.

  “This is Freya, the youngest daughter of Chief Freydif,” Fenra said. “I have spoken to the Chief and we are welcomed into the village. She wanted to come with me, to see Grass-hair first hand.”

  “Father was impressed that you survived the assault on the Citadel,” Freya said. “He’s eager to meet with you. The Rathgar lady might want to keep her hood up. Her kind is not exactly welcomed here. If she were a man, we would never allow her to enter.”

  “That’s stupid. I’m more dangerous than fifty male Rathgar,” Helkree replied.

  “Helkree, you’re not helping,” Fenra said. She turned to Freya. “She’s joking.”

  “I don’t think so,” Freya replied, eyeing her pair of axes lashed at her waist. “You really are a warrior, huh? Have you killed anyone?”

  “Lots!” Helkree answered, leaning in close to the girl.

  “Tell me about it?”

  “Freya, can you lead us back to the village? I’m sure your father is waiting,” Raegith said.

  “Oh, yeah, follow me… if you can keep up!”

  “It’s been some time since we last saw each other, Raegith the Grass-haired,” Chief Freydif said as Raegith and his Helcats stood in the great hall before him. “I wish it were under different circumstances. I, too, mourned the death of Empress Kalystra.”

  “You were quick to shrug off her Old Guard,” Raegith said with a smile. “You’re probably better off now that the Empire is gone.”

  “Ah, that it was that simple,” the Chief replied. “The Treaty gave us seed; seeds we desperately need up here in the mountains. Your kind developed a variety of grain that can grow out here and over the centuries my people have grown dependent upon it. We are already rationing what food we have and the winter is only half past.”

  “You lived off of the gifts of the north? I thought the Urufen were hunters and gatherers. I imagined that being unshackled by the Empire would be your benefit.”

  Freydif sat in silence, staring at Raegith for some time before speaking. “I think you’re seeing that not everything is as simple as you’ve read in your books. This Empire and everyone in it have been living off of the loot taken from your lands in the north for ages. We took what we were given and learned to survive off of it. The riches, the conveniences that came from them, the power over others it gave us… we have all become very accustomed to the way of life the Treaty has given us, even those of us who tried so hard to resist it.”

  “But you can relearn the old ways,” Raegith said, stepping forward. “You will change. Adapting and surviving is the way of life in the Greimere.”

  “Perhaps.” Freydif humored him, but he could tell the old Urufen was not convinced. “This was always a harsh, murderous land, Grass-hair. The gifts we received from the north made it more livable. The advanced technology, the determined foodstuffs, the valuable metals we could never refine here in our primitive forges… it became our lifeblood. There is no doubt that most of us, here in the mountains and in the plains and swamps and forests, will all die with this change. Maybe some will live, to start civilization over from day one, but this will be the end of the Greimere as any of us know it.”

  “This is why you invaded the north in the beginning,” Raegith replied, barely over a whisper. “You weren’t trying to destroy our civilization, as we recorded in the histories. You were just trying to take enough food from the bountiful north to survive.”

  The Chief’s face brightened and he rose from his chair.

  “Enough of the woes of an old Urufen tribesman. I have yet to learn what brings the Champion of the Pit to my village.”

  “I’m looking for someone. Noriko.”

  “Noriko?” Freydif asked, puzzled. “I’m afraid you won’t find many Lokai up here, if I’m hearing the name right.”

  “She’s a Junrei’sha. I came up here to strengthen myself in preparation for my journey to find them.”

  The Chief laughed. “You’re looking to find the Junrei’sha home? By the Great Wolf, why would you want to go there? It’s a dead religion that’s as mysterious as it is useless and none who have ventured forth to find them have ever returned.”

  “All the same, I will find them and when I do, I will become stronger and do something about the pitiful state of these lands that you describe.”

  “You’re looking to be a savior to the Greimere?” Freydif chuckled. “That’s admirable, if not completely naïve. The Empress got you to love this place
, I see. I would call that a miracle if it were not so tragic.”

  Freydif stepped down from his throne and approached Raegith. “You’re from the north and there is certainly somewhere there that will accept you. Surely there are those who would not recognize you or turn you over to your leaders. Go home, Grass-hair. Find a woman who can bare your children and forget us; that is the best advice I can give you.”

  “I’m not looking for fruitless advice,” Raegith replied, his tone becoming more angered. “I would rather die frozen in these mountains and lost to time than return to Rellizbix, defeated. If you do not know where we can find the Junrei’sha, then we will be gone in the morning to find someone who does.”

  Freydif paused, shocked by the boy’s tenacity. “My daughter will show you to a hut. There is a blizzard coming down the mountain tonight. Please, rest for a time while I see to some tribal matters. I will come to you before dawn with information for your quest. As foolish as I think it is, it is not my place to govern your life. I am not an Emperor.”

  “We accept your hospitality, Elder,” Fenra said quickly, bowing her head towards him.

  “You are most welcome here, little pup. If I may ask, what tribe are you from and why do you follow the Grass-haired One?”

  Fenra looked up at Raegith as she answered. “He saved my life. I was of no tribe and a criminal. He gave me a purpose and I will follow him through fire for it.”

  “You’re a strange breed, Raegith the Grass-haired,” Freydif said. “Taking in Urufen and Rathgar and inspiring such devotion… I would have never expected it from your kind. Freya will show you to some lodging and bring you some food.”

  Raegith nodded at the Chief and followed the young Urufen out of the main hall and into the cold night. The snow was coming down hard and the wind pelted them with large, white flakes. Other Urufen wandered around the village, carrying water or just moving in between buildings. Fires along the wall whipped violently, threatening to blow out. Raegith wondered how anyone could live in such a place their entire lives.

  The hut was small, but warm and there was room for all of them to store their gear and sleep. Raegith thought briefly of sleeping in shifts, but they were all exhausted from so long in the open. He did not see any reason why the Chief would harm them. If that was his intention, then refusing them entrance to the village would have done the job just as quickly.

  It felt like only a few minutes before Freydif was shaking him awake, but the Chief informed him it was close to dawn.

  “I may have a way for you to find the Junrei’sha,” he said, sitting on the edge of the cot Raegith leaned in. “There is a group of Urufen that live very far to the south, where the cold is too bitter for Rathgar from the Empire to endure. They hunt the mountains and have never been conquered. Their chief, Thorin, is very old. If anyone knows where the Junrei’sha are, it is him.”

  “Point us in the direction,” Raegith replied. “We’ll leave immediately.”

  “I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

  “Why is that, old man?” Helkree asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

  “The blizzard is still going.” Freydif stood, stretching his muscles. “These blizzards are dangerous enough where we are now, but high up on the Alfhildr, where the Tyrra Clan dwell, it will steal the air right from your lungs.”

  “How long then?”

  “Could be hours. Could be days,” Freydif replied. “You’ll stay here and build your lungs for the climb. For helping us out around the village, we will feed you. Give it a month, please, and then you can be on your way.”

  “A month?” Raegith scoffed.

  “We have exercises that will prepare your body for the hostility of the mountain. You will need the entire month. Without the proper training, you will only die. Trust me.”

  “A month of exercises and chores… deal. You get the three of us ready to climb the mountain and we’ll give you a month of work. Then you tell us where we can find this clan.”

  “Telling you would do no good for ones unfamiliar with this place. Freya will take you.”

  Chapter 39

  Freya was one of the Chief’s daughters and the only one that was unwed. She was a mouthy teenager and spent too much time on the hunt for anyone to court her. According to Ferydif, she was horrible at chores and even worse with children. Her only interests were running, hunting and skinning. She had spent more time out in the wild than most of the older hunters and had scouted farther than any of them. It was why she knew where the Tyrra Clan lived.

  The black-haired Urufen led them out of the village after their month of exercises and work was over. Even after the grueling routine the Urufen put them through, his breathing quickened after only an hour on the mountain. For ten days they walked for an hour and then rested, repeating the process throughout the day. At night the four of them would tuck in close to each other for Raegith and Helkree to take advantage of the Urufen’s high body heat.

  “How much longer?” Helkree asked, rubbing her arms briskly as they struggled through the snow.

  “Still quite a ways; another week, maybe,” Freya replied, looking over at her and laughing. “It was stupid of you to come with us. Rathgar are like lizards; they belong in the hot. You’re going to freeze solid.”

  “If I knock you out and carry you in my bra, would that keep me warm?”

  “She’s right, Helkree… for both of us. I can barely breathe it’s so cold.” Raegith said.

  “That’s not the cold, Grass-hair. We’re very high up. Air is too heavy to stay up here. I bet you never felt air like this before in the north, huh?”

  “Some Sabans live in the World Edge Mountains, but mostly just Faeir. They probably use magic to survive so high, like they do for everything else.”

  The group continued on. The cold never stopped and on some days the snow flew at them as if someone were throwing it. They ate the dried meat that Freydif sent with them and whatever Freya could scrounge up. Their progression was slower after the first week, as it took most of their energy just to breathe.

  A week dragged into two before they finally came across tracks. Freya confirmed that they were from Urufen and that they were close to the Tyrra Clan. They were found by the scouts well before they came across the clan village.

  Urufen wrapped in thick furs and carrying long spears intercepted them as they wove through evergreens. It was swift and unexpected and Helkree’s overly aggressive reaction to them almost got them all skewered. Freya was quick to jump in front and speak to the leader, a brown-haired youth that looked the same age as her.

  “Little Fang? What are you doing so far from home and who are these you brought with you? I see a lost pup, a half-frozen Rathgar and… a pale Lokai?”

  The other Urufen were surrounding the group and all of them were looking at the little bit of Raegith’s face that was exposed under the hood of his parka. They were all curious as to what he was and he hoped that Freya would not just blurt it out before explaining the situation.

  “He’s a man from the north!” she said. “By north, I mean way north; from the land in the sun.”

  The spears were immediately leveled and Helkree yanked her twin axes from her belt and matched their growls.

  “Okay, you’re done talking,” Raegith said, pulling Freya back behind him. He lifted his hands at the leader and pulled back his hood to speak more clearly. “I am called Grass-hair. You can probably figure out why. I’m not here to invade your clan.”

  “How do we know that?” he asked.

  “Because I would have brought a lot more than this if I were, don’t you think?” Raegith looked around and flashed a smile. “I’ve come from the Lupa Tribe. I’m looking for Thorin, of the Tyrra Tribe.”

  “Bardr, how does this thing speak our tongue? And how does he know of Thorin?” one of the Urufen, a female with russet hair, asked.

  “I’ll get to that, Hildr!” he replied, turning back to Raegith. “How do you know all of this? Who are you? What do
you want with our chief?”

  “I’m just a man looking for the Junrei’sha. If Thorin can tell me where to find them, we’ll be on our way without troubling you. I would ask that you let the Urufen girl rest and then escort her back to her clan, though.”

  “What?” Freya squawked.

  “We’ve already received another visitor who won’t go away as it is,” the boy named Bardr said. “We don’t need more pilgrims coming to test their might on the Alfhildr.”

  “We’re not here for anything but knowledge, I assure you,” Raegith said. “Please, we’ve been out in this shit for nearly three weeks. Just let me speak to Thorin and we’ll be gone.”

  “Let’s just take them, Bardr,” the girl named Hildr said. “They have Little Fang with them and another Urufen. We cannot just leave them out here.”

  Bardr scowled at Hildr, but he did not argue with her. After a moment he huffed and came closer, pointing his spear at them. “You follow us and don’t try anything stupid or else we’ll turn and rip you apart.”

  “Turn?” Fenra asked, confused.

  “You poor girl,” Bardr replied, rolling his eyes. “You don’t even know what it means to be Urufen.”

  They were closer to the village than they thought, as it only took the rest of the day to reach it once they had a reliable guide. Without running into the scouting party, they would have wandered for a lot longer, as Freya was only certain about a general area and not a specific spot.

  The village was tucked away inside a large cave in the side of the mountain called Alfhildr. It was well concealed and could be easily defended. The overhang of the cave kept the smoke from their fires from being seen at a distance. There were not near as many villagers as there were in the Lupa Tribe’s village, but everyone had a sense of strength and ruggedness about them that other Urufen he had seen lacked. These were a hardened and proud people. They would have to be in order to survive so high up above everything.