by James Wisher
Ged stared at him. “Why didn’t you tell us the truth? Didn’t you trust us?”
“It wasn’t a matter of trust. If someone got captured and questioned, well, you can’t reveal what you don’t know. Since Rain’s safe now there’s no reason not to tell you.”
Ged pointed at the yellow pin. “What’s that mean?”
“I’d hoped you could tell me.” Col explained about the beastmen and the slave pens. “None of the hunters mentioned them? I could smell them before I saw them so if anyone got close they’d have found it.”
Ged shook his head. “No one said anything to me. Even if they had we would have kept our distance.”
Col nodded. “Is it all right if I stay here tonight?”
“Sure, we’ve got plenty of room. How long will you be with us this time?”
“Depends, do you want to stay in hiding or do you want to join the fight?”
“That’s not a question I can answer for everyone. I’ll call a meeting tonight and tell you what we decided in the morning.”
“Fair enough. Do you want me to talk to them?”
“No, this has to be their decision.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rain tried in vain to feel the connection between her and the sword. The buzzing remained steady, but despite her best efforts it never got stronger. She opened her eyes and found Michael looking at her with a little frown. He was already getting impatient with her, just like all her tutors back home. She blinked. He wasn’t looking at her at all, his gaze went over her head. She swiveled around and found Queen Tahlia standing by the door.
“Majesty?”
“We’ve received another message from Col. Would you like to listen?”
“I would.”
Rain glanced back at Michael, who nodded. “We’ll pick up here tomorrow.”
She got to her feet with as much dignity as a person getting up from the floor could and followed Tahlia out of the meditation room. They walked for a while in silence before Rain asked, “Did you listen to it yet?”
Tahlia nodded. “Don’t worry; he hasn’t gotten hurt. I will warn you now that there have been some alarming happenings in your kingdom.”
“Alarming?”
“Better to wait and hear it straight from Col.”
Rain frowned. Tahlia always wore a little smile when she mentioned Col and she seemed to think of him in a far too familiar way, certainly too familiar for a foreign monarch speaking about another’s agent. She never used his rank, just a breathy ‘Col’, followed by the faint smile, like she remembered something pleasant, too pleasant.
Had something happened between them? No, Tahlia had a husband and Col was a knight, he’d never… Would he?
No, she was imagining things.
They reached a door carved with runes Rain didn’t recognize and Tahlia pushed it open. A crystal ball twice the size of her head floated in the center of the room above a small table covered with a velvet pillow. The king sat in a chair beside the crystal. He smiled, nodded, and gestured for Rain to sit in one of the other two chairs.
When she’d taken her seat Tahlia touched the ball with a glowing hand. Col’s face appeared and he said, “I followed a group of beastman slavers to a collection of pens that held several hundred people. I’ve never seen or heard of beastmen behaving this way before, and I’m uncertain how best to proceed. I don’t have enough men to attack the slave pens and I have nowhere to take the people if I did. Please advise.”
Col fell silent. Rain looked from king to queen. “What does it mean?”
King Jarod shook his head. “I don’t know. We’ve never heard of this happening in the other kingdoms. We need more information.”
The way he said it made it sound like he was asking her for something, but she couldn’t guess what. She raised an eyebrow and hoped he would be more clear.
“We’d like Col to investigate further,” Tahlia said. “He’s your servant, however, so we didn’t want to say anything without your permission.”
“Tell him what you want done and I know he’ll do his best to see it accomplished. What I don’t understand is why the monsters would change their behavior suddenly.”
“The only difference between this attack and all the others is your survival and their failure to break the sword. I don’t know how the two are connected.” Tahlia waved her hand and Col’s image vanished from the crystal ball. “Perhaps if the sword were no longer in the kingdom the beastmen would return to their usual behavior and retreat back to the mountains.”
Rain bristled. “I’m doing my best.”
The queen raised her hands. “I meant no criticism; I’m only trying to explain. I’ll send Col a reply.”
* * *
Col found a cozy spot under a sprawling maple, its leaves just turning red, overlooking the slave pens and sat down to watch. Tahlia said they wanted him to find out what the beastmen were doing with the slaves. He considered just heading up the trail and seeing where it led, but the last thing he wanted was a slave caravan coming up on his heels so he figured he’d watch the pens and when the next bunch of slaves left for wherever they were going he would follow along and see what happened.
Noon came and went and nothing happened besides Col almost falling asleep several times. He had a bite of lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon watching even more nothing happen. The next day brought more of the same, but, finally, on the third day, mere moments after he reached his hiding place, the beastmen opened the pens and herded people out. One by one they tied their hands together then tied them to the person in front of them. The whole process took an hour and change, no surprise since Col figured there were four hundred plus people down there.
They marched down the trail guarded by fifteen beastmen. Not a huge number of guards for that many slaves, but considering the state of the humans it was more than enough. Col gave them a few minutes’ head start then followed, keeping his distance and staying off the trail. The line of prisoners trudged along until just before dark without a break. At last the beastmen guided them off the trail and into a clearing that appeared to serve as a planned rest stop.
While one of the wolfmen started a fire, the saberfang in command picked out three humans that looked near death, untied them from the others, and reached for a knife. It took all Col’s self-control not to draw his sword and charge, odds be damned, to try to save those people. The saberfang cut their throats. Col watched, jaw muscles clenched so tight his head ached, until the monster began butchering the bodies. He couldn’t watch that. Instead he moved a few hundred yards deeper into the forest and lay down. He’d try to get a few hours’ sleep. Tomorrow promised to be another long march. If he had his way tomorrow night would be longer yet.
The beastmen had their prisoners up and moving at first light. They set the same plodding pace as the day before. It was probably all the humans could manage in their condition. Col had a new plan today. He jogged through the woods parallel to the trail. Instead of following, he wanted to get a look at the area around the next rest stop. He reached it a little after noon. That gave him five plus hours to scout around.
When the slaves at last staggered into the clearing Col knew the ground well enough that he could navigate it blindfolded. He’d found an old, partially overgrown trail that ran away from the mountains and back in the general direction of the castle. If he sent all these people to Ged, the beastmen would track them down in a day and their defenses wouldn’t withstand an assault. Even though they’d voted to join the war Col didn’t think this would be a good way to start.
No, he’d send them to Pike’s Cove, the strong ones could help with the defenses and the rest could travel by fishing boat to Celestia. He wasn’t sure if Tahlia would thank him for sending her a four hundred extra mouths to feed, but the alternative was letting them die and as far as Col was concerned that was no option at all. Of course, if he failed to take out the guards first it didn’t matter what he planned.
He settled in fo
r his nightly vigil, including witnessing the murders of three more people, behind a screen of evergreen shrubs. He clenched his teeth and watched. Col could offer those poor people nothing more than to be a witness to their last moments of life; he owed them that at least. He choked down some food, more out of necessity than desire. At last, several hours after dark, the monsters set six wolfmen to guard duty while the rest turned in to sleep.
He waited for four hours until the guards woke their replacements then another hour after that so the wolfmen would have a chance to get to sleep. He guessed it was about two in the morning when he slipped out of his hiding place and snuck toward the clearing. Col left his sword behind for fear of it catching on the brush and making a noise that would give him away. He settled for the long knife he kept as a backup weapon.
Silent as a stalking cat, Col inched ever closer to the nearest wolfman. The monster stood facing toward the bound slaves, never guessing death approached from behind. Col struck, driving his dagger into the wolfman’s kidney, the pain so intense the monster couldn’t even cry out. He ripped the blade free and dragged it across the wolfman’s throat before it recovered from the initial attack. The body went limp and Col eased it to the ground. One down, nineteen to go.
The humans closest to him looked to be in better shape than some he’d seen. Maybe it would be worth a few minutes to get help. He left the dead wolfman and slipped in amongst the humans. Most ignored him or moaned when he got close, no doubt they feared he was a beastman come to fetch them for dinner. Col moved along, keeping crouched so the guards wouldn’t see him.
He was about to head back the way he’d come when a hand grasped his pant leg. Col bent closer and his eyes widened. “Jack?”
The former stable boy blinked his eyes as though not quite trusting them. “Col?” He gasped and coughed. His lungs didn’t sound good at all.
Col groped around until he found his friend’s bound hands and started slicing. He soon had Jack free. “Where’s Joey?”
“He’s here somewhere. They separated us.”
“All right, follow me.” Col led Jack back to where he’d left the dead beastman. When they’d moved a safe distance away Col asked, “How did you survive the attack on Castle Finegold?”
Jack’s soft laugh turned into a cough. “Pure, dumb luck. We were getting the horses ready for the final event when the attack came. Pa threw us up onto the nearest horses and made us ride away while he went to find Mom. I don’t think either of them made it.”
Col squeezed Jack’s hand. “I’m sorry. You up to getting a little payback?”
Jack grinned in the dark. “Damn right.”
“I’ll take out the rest of the guards then come back for you. Together we’ll finish the sleeping monsters. Okay?”
“Whatever you say, Col. I figured I’d die tied up roasting on a spit. Even if we fail at least I can take a few of them with me.”
Col patted down the wolfman and found a crude knife which he handed to Jack. “I’ll be back soon. Stay here and keep quiet.”
He left Jack crouched in the dark and stalked toward the next guard. One good thing about being surrounded by hundreds of filthy humans, their stink hid his scent as he hunted the guards. He took down the next three as easily as the first; none of them expected trouble, so they were paying little attention to their surroundings.
Col spotted the fifth guard where it stood beside a boulder. He came up behind it, hoping to keep his good luck going. He stabbed it in the back, but something, some instinct, caused the brute to flinch at the last second and Col missed its kidney.
The wolfman squealed in pain.
Col stabbed twice more, piercing both lungs and silencing the monster. The squeal hadn’t been loud, but in the dark it seemed like a shout.
He moved away from the dead wolfman. Col hadn’t taken more than half a dozen steps when he heard the crunch of the final guard approaching.
He paused when the last guard bent over its dead comrade. Col lunged and drove his dagger into the side of the guard’s head, killing it instantly. He let out a breath, that one had been too close. He hurried to fetch Jack so they could finish their business before his luck ran out.
* * *
Killing the sleeping beastmen had been messy, but quick. All the guards were dead and the sun was coming up so Col set about cutting the bindings on all the slaves. By the time he finished freeing them his dagger would be dull as a butter knife. For his part, Jack shouted for Joey and worked his way through the mass of slaves.
Col finished severing the bindings of a woman who hugged him. “Light bless you, sir.”
Col smiled and patted her back; he felt her ribs through the torn shift she wore. These people needed to get somewhere safe and fast.
“Col!”
He turned toward Joey’s voice and a moment later spotted the elder brother running toward him, Jack a couple of steps behind. If Joey had enough energy after all this to run he’d be okay. He held out his hand, but Joey ignored it and hugged him.
Col stepped back and grinned. “I’m glad you two are okay. I feared the worst after the attack.”
Joey grinned back, tears making streaks through the dirt on his face. “We figured you’d bought it too. How’d you survive?”
“Go get a knife and help me cut these people loose. I’ll tell you as we work.”
The three of them set to cutting and Col told them about his travels. When he finished his story and everyone was free Joey said, “You risked your life to get the bitch out in one piece?”
Col nodded. “She turned into a halfway-decent person along the way. She even stabbed Callion to save me.”
Jack laughed. “I wish I’d have seen the look on his face when she did it.”
“It would have warmed your heart. What about you two? When did you get caught?” Col glanced around the clearing. The people were looking around for wives or children they’d gotten separated from. It was getting light, but he figured they could afford a few more minutes to catch up.
“We got caught about a week ago,” Joey said. “We hooked up with some soldiers a few days after the attack and fought alongside them, killed a bunch of beastmen, did a lot of running. In the end we attacked a group that was bigger than we thought. Me, Jack, and one other guy survived. They ate the other guy last night.”
Col winced at Joey’s matter-of-fact tone. “I’m sorry.”
Joey shrugged. “He was kind of a jerk. What are we going to do now?”
“You all will make a run for the coast. I’ll follow this trail and see where the beastmen took the other people.”
“You aren’t coming with us?” The panic in Jack’s voice cut at Col, but he had his own tasks.
Joey put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You got a plan, Col? A few hundred people can’t exactly sneak around.”
“You’ll have to take a roundabout route.” Col found a patch of dirt and a stick. He drew a crude map of the area. “Beastman activity has been minimal along the border with Kenten. You need to go north for three days then turn east toward the lake. When you hit the coast turn south. Another day should see you safe in Pike’s Cove. Those of you who can fight are welcome to stay and defend it against the beastmen. Everyone else can get a ride with the fishermen to Celestia.”
“Sounds simple,” Jack said.
Col grinned. “It won’t be. Just keeping this many people moving will challenge you two. We need to strip every weapon we can off those beastmen, and arm everyone strong enough to fight. Your best bet is to keep moving and keep quiet. If we’re lucky they won’t know you’ve escaped until you’re long gone.”
“Wait.” Joey looked from his brother to Col. “What do you mean we’ll have trouble keeping them moving?”
“I’m putting you two in charge of getting these people to safety. There’s no one else here I’d trust with the job.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Col waited until the last of the former slaves had trudged out of sight befo
re he continued down the trail. He had little fear of running into any beastmen and he’d make better time in the open than walking through the forest. He hadn’t left Corinthia yet though another day of hiking would, he suspected, find him into the foothills and the start of beastman territory.
Col hiked the rest of the day without seeing another soul, then made camp early and well off the trail beside a dry creek bed. Thirty hours had passed since he slept and Col could barely keep his eyes open
He woke well after sunrise and started off. Jutting roots, rocks hidden under leaves, and holes scattered at random made the trail rough and the going slow; it wasn’t until well past noon and the land grew steep that he knew he’d reached the border. Nothing marked it, no line existed beyond which lived monsters, but Col, and anyone else who’d bothered to study it, knew that beyond this point no sane human ventured.
He grinned. What did that make him?
For safety he left the trail and hiked beside it, careful to keep a screen of trees between him and anything that might patrol the trail. Thoughts of making camp had drifted into his head when shouts and grunts, faint but clear, caught his attention. The shout sounded human and the grunts came from boarmen.
Almost relived that something was happening Col drew his sword and jogged toward the sounds. They grew louder until he peeked around a tree and found a woman with a dagger dressed in a tattered tunic and torn pants facing off against a pair of boarmen with heavy spears. The fact that she’d survived long enough for him to arrive amazed him.
A boarman charged her and she leapt over its leveled spear and scored a thin gash on its arm before she danced away. The brute seemed angrier that it’d missed than pained by the thin cut.
Whoever she was, the woman had some combat training and quick feet. Since he didn’t want her to die before he got to talk to her Col slipped out of his hiding place, moving as quietly as he did the night he took out the beastmen guarding the slaves. The woman gave away nothing though she couldn’t have missed him.
