Hammers in the Wind

by Christian Warren Freed

  “Rest your mind, Bahr. This will not end as badly as you imagine,” Anienam said once he noticed the look of consternation on Bahr’s face. “All men go through dark times before the dawn. All you must do is weather the storm.”

  “I would seek encouragement from your words, though not for myself. Would that these were normal times.”

  Anienam smiled sadly. “It has never been for men like us to decide such matters. Not even my powers grant me such. Focus on Maleela. All else will fall into place.”

  Bahr took comfort in the wizard’s words. There was strength in them he did not know he possessed. He focused on that strength, used it to bolster his waning confidence. He’d generally considered himself a practical man. Sadly, there was nothing practical about going to war. Bahr suddenly realized that he had lost the will to fight. They rode on in silence for a while longer, taking in the freedoms of Rogscroft. The way of life here was much better than in the depressed kingdom of Delranan.

  “Something you said earlier bothers me,” he finally said as they pulled into the merchant area.

  Anienam waited patiently. “One thing? I must be losing my touch.”

  Bahr reined in the wagon team. “All right, there are probably a lot more things but there is one in particular.”

  “That being?”

  “If all of this is part of some elaborate plan for Maleela to escape her father we should assume that she is happy here and not a captive.”

  “You mean in love?”

  Bahr nodded. The thoughts refused to go beyond that singular human emotion capable of building and breaking societies. If it was love, it was bound to be poked through with misery.

  “I do not have an answer for that. All I can tell you is that we must not leave without her. Much hinges on your niece.”

  “Why not? She deserves the chance to be happy.”

  Anienam frowned. “Because your brother’s men will hound us all and betray us when we least expect it. Your earlier suspicions are correct. Ionascu and his people belong entirely to Lord Harnin. This is a dangerous game we play.”

  “What then should we do?”

  “Find the princess and the rest should fall into place.”

  TWENTY-SIX

  Aurec moaned softly and rolled over. The unfamiliar sounds and movements were enough to awaken Maleela. She yawned, stretched her lithe body in order to get comfortable again and fall back to sleep. Her slender hand snaked out to caress his bare chest. A smile warmed her face. This was how she had envisioned the rest of her life. Maleela closed her eyes, but sleep refused to come. It danced ever so carefully away each time she reached out to it, taunting her with unfulfilled dreams and peace. A chill ran down her arms. It came from the thin window pane in the bed chamber. She made a note of having the housekeepers put curtains up in the morning. Winter was already coming.

  The thought was oddly soothing. With winter so close and the snows that came with it, there was no way her father would march the Wolfsreik over the Murdes Mountains until spring. At least she hoped so. Rogscroft was not ready to fight a war, despite her lover’s proclamations otherwise. Every day Badron was forced to delay was another fleeting spark of hope for the defenders. Dozens of villages had already been abandoned, the citizens moved further away to avoid the fighting.

  A whisper of wind touched her exposed flesh and she drew the bear skin blanket higher. This winter promised to be cold. Maleela closed her eyes again, and again sleep did not come. Scowling, she slipped from the bed and threw her heavy cloak around her shoulders. She then bent down and kissed Aurec on the cheek. He stirred but did not awaken.

  “I will be right back,” she whispered and slipped from the room.

  The door closed quietly behind her and she set off down the hallway. After relieving herself, Maleela decided to head down to the kitchens in the hopes that a bite to eat would help her fall asleep. The castle was alarmingly quiet, almost supernaturally so. She entered the massive kitchens, engulfed by the warmth of the ovens. Maleela quickly found a chunk of white cheese, some day old dark bread and a few strips of dried venison. She washed it down with a glass of spiced wine.

  Maleela used the quiet to think about the direction her life had taken. She’d never done anything to earn her father’s ire. Naturally he would argue that. She was responsible for her mother’s death, or so Badron believed. Yet even living under the watchful gaze of such hatred she managed to avoid temptation and not betray the love that should have been. She had been a loyal family member and citizen of Delranan until the day she learned of Badron’s plans for Rogscroft.

  She felt trapped. More so now than before she’d conspired to leave with Aurec. Her brother’s death was the most regrettable part. She knew he would still be safe, probably leading a battalion of the Wolfsreik if only he’d have stayed in his room. But once again life proved to have bigger plans. Argis was left with no choice but to kill him. Part of her struggled to fight back the tears while the rest wondered why. She’d never done anything wrong. Not to herself. Not to her father and especially not to her brother. None of that stopped him from adopting his father’s point of view.

  Maleela scowled. The food did not have the desired effect and her own thoughts betrayed her need for sleep. She let out an exhaustive sigh and pulled her cloak tighter. It was time for a quick walk. She didn’t know why, nor even where the thought came from, but her legs had a mind of their own. She found herself marching away before her brain could rationalize what was happening.

  Empty halls stared back at her. Several guards who should have been awake and patrolling the corridors were asleep in chairs or sprawled on the floor. That alone should have been alarming but she only shrugged and kept walking. Her path took her out of the main building and into the stables. Why the stables? She’d always loved horses and took the time to pat one or two in passing. It was much colder here, making her wish for the warm cook fires of the kitchens. Maleela found herself whistling. She missed innocent nights like this. Nights when all of her cares faded away and time had little meaning. She passed a pair of dogs, both asleep.

  “It seems like everyone is asleep but me,” she said to herself.

  She rounded the last corner of the stables and darkness took her.

  *****

  “Be ready. She is on her way,” Anienam whispered.

  Dorl and Nothol stared skeptically at one another. They felt uneasy. Magic was unnatural and they were now ankle deep in it. Unexplainable forces radiated around the wrinkled old wizard. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care for their concerns. Anienam Keiss focused on the web he’d painstakingly cast over the people inside the castle. The spell took total concentration. One misstep and all was lost. They’d be dead before they could remount.

  None of that mattered to the sell swords. They’d grown up in a world without magic and much preferred to keep it that way. All of Malweir’s problems stemmed from magic users. Seeing the strength with which Anienam wielded his craft frightened them. Dorl was the first to look away and was rewarded with his first glimpse of Maleela ambling around the corner and then collapsing.

  “Go,” Anienam hissed. “What are you waiting for?”

  Startled into action, they rushed out and collected her unconscious form. Dorl checked for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. She was still alive, contrary to his initial fears.

  “Come on, come on,” Anienam urged.

  Dorl and Nothol gently picked her up and moved as fast as they dared back to the wagon. She was much heavier as deadweight than they imagined. They hefted her on the count of three where Boen waited with open arms. The Gaimosian snatched her up like a feather and placed her down on the cushions and silks not sold earlier in the day. He chuckled at the thought. They’d come here to steal a princess and actually wound up making money in the process. Rekka Jel stepped from around the front of the stables, sword in hand. Her eyes never stopped roaming.

  “Anything?” Boen asked.

  “No. The guards are all asle
ep.”

  Anienam groaned. “Doesn’t anyone appreciate talent? The whole castle is asleep. They won’t stay that way for long though. We need to be back across that drawbridge in a half a glass or it’s the gallows for us all.”

  Boen nodded. “We’re ready. Start moving.”

  The wagon inched forward. Rekka and the sell swords rushed off into the night. Each had a part to play in the escape. Their job was to hurry back and secure the drawbridge in the event the wizard’s magic failed. Dirty work, but Bahr decided they were best suited for it. Killing seemed a small matter for those three.

  The Sea Wolf looked over his shoulder to where Boen and Ionascu guarded the sleeping princess. “Will she be all right?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Anienam answered. “I have used this spell many times before. She might have headache when she awakens, but will be fine.”

  “What exactly are you, Anienam Keiss?” he asked curiously.

  The wizard snickered. “I would like to think that I have become a friend, but if not I will settle with being very old.”

  They shared a soft laugh. Neither seemed particularly interested in maintaining the moment. Each sound the wagon made was the sound of thunder in Bahr’s ears. He knew the enemy was going to awaken at any moment and attack. Shadows danced in their path, teasing and tempting with a special brand of torment. Time was his foe now as much as any man ever was. One unsure step and it was all over. Bahr did not relish the thought of languishing in a Rogscroft dungeon for the rest of his life.

  The main avenue was empty except for them. The wagon covered the ground swiftly, much faster than was realistically safe. Bahr relaxed, if just slightly, as they drove past a stretch of road lined with marble columns. A pair of statues stood sentinel at the end, flanking the road in eternal defiance. Swords in one hand and shields in the other, they faced the plaza just inside the walls. They were heroes of old, back from the days of the kingdom’s founding. Bahr was impressed. Each statue was more than four times the size of a man and had deeply defined facial features. He felt guilty passing under their stern gaze.

  Dorl and Nothol eased from the shadows, the latter fiercely waving them on. The unnatural silence was unnerving them and Bahr didn’t blame them. His skin crawled at the thought of all the possibilities that might go wrong. He snapped the reins and the horses surged ahead. The sell swords jumped on the runners.

  “Where is Rekka?”

  Nothol pointed ahead. “She’s already across the bridge.”

  “That wasn’t part of the plan.”

  “She didn’t say so but I suspect she’s out hunting her Dae’shan,” Nothol replied more tersely than intended.

  Bahr cursed. Her private crusade was the last thing they needed.

  Dorl felt the need to defend her actions. “She knows what she’s doing.”

  “She is going to get us all killed,” Boen growled.

  Anienam said, “He’s right. We must hurry.”

  “Fine. Back to the safe house. Rekka has one glass. After that we are gone,” Bahr ordered.

  The wagon rolled free of castle Rogscroft and back into the city proper.

  *****

  Prince Aurec blinked twice, the first dull rays of sunlight tickling his eyelids. He smiled and rolled over.

  “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

  There was no reply. The smile faded when he noticed the other side of the bed was empty. Aurec looked around the bed chambers. Her clothing was sitting right where they had left it but her housecoat was missing. He frowned. Maleela was the type of woman who took great pains to look elegant. She would never be caught roaming the castle in naught but bed clothes and a robe. Aurec sensed danger though couldn’t tell why. Dressing quickly, the prince snatched up his sword belt and hurried off to find his father. He hoped King Stelskor had the answers he wanted. Aurec found the king in the throne room.

  “Father!”

  Stelskor looked up from the massive map painted out upon a table. He bore a look of concern. A pair of royal advisors fell silent as the prince approached.

  Aurec stopped and bowed respectfully. “I must speak with you. Maleela is missing.”

  “I had figured as much,” his father said with a sigh.

  “You knew?”

  The king’s head dipped lower. “We were violated during the night. None of the night staff remembers anything and those merchants from Delranan who were supposed to have an audience with us this morning are missing.”

  “Delranan? Why would Badron send merchants on the eve of his invasion?”

  One of the advisors stepped forward. “As near as we can tell the princess is the only thing missing.”

  “The only thing? Watch your tongue. She is not a thing and I will not tolerate such.”

  “I meant no offense, sire.”

  Stelskor struggled to contain his sorrow. He knew even if his son failed to that the balance of power was now irrevocably shifted. Badron had no reason to withhold his aggression. It would be an all out blitz when the Wolfsreik arrived. Stelskor saw glimpses of his city burning in ruins, his citizens raped and murdered.

  “I am sorry, my son.”

  Aurec heard the resignation in their voices but refused to give in so easily. “We must get her back before they make it back to Delranan. We cannot give Badron the upper hand.”

  Stelskor held a hand up. “Slow down, Aurec. Think this through.”

  “Every minute we delay lets her kidnappers get further away. I can’t lose her.”

  “We are not going to let him have her,” the king replied. “Aurec, you must know one thing. I have feared telling this to you because I know how deep your love is.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Badron may have no love for his daughter but he was using her kidnapping as a call to arms. Our spies tell me that the bastard has twisted his people into a frenzy. Hatred for us is stronger than ever before. The Wolfsreik is coming.”

  Aurec was still confused. He knew all of this.

  “Badron will not let Maleela get back to Chadra Keep alive. He can’t risk losing support for this war. He will kill her and blame us. Your love may well be the ruin of us.”

  Aurec staggered under the weight of the revelation. The love he and Maleela shared never bore such horror. All they wanted was a quiet life and the chance to make something better in this world. Aurec saw those visions fade away to darkness and it was all his doing. He felt betrayed by his emotions. Condemned to become the instrument of his own demise.

  “What can we do?” he whispered through the pain.

  Stelskor’s voice hardened. Resolve strengthened in the old man. “We must take faith in our beliefs. Badron will attack regardless. It is time to gather our full strength and prepare for war.”

  “But I…”

  “Hear me out. Badron is evil. His heart is consumed with greed and an undesirable thirst for power. We might be the first kingdom he unleashes his fury on but we certainly won’t be the last. He wants it all, a kingdom to rival the strength of Averon. Nothing can stop his coming.”

  “We still have the Pell Darga,” Aurec protested.

  “They will not be enough. That is not the issue. Right now I want you to take a company and head north.”

  “North? Father, the mountains lie west.”

  Stelskor smiled. He was ever proud of his son. Aurec would make a fine king someday. “Precisely why the Delrananians went north. It is the most direct path to the shore. I believe these thieves have a boat anchored off the coast waiting to carry them home. Reports from Dredl mentioned a Delranan vessel docking a week ago. Rumor has it the vessel was none other than the Dragon’s Bane.”

  “That is a risky ploy. We could have compounded the ship and crew.”

  “I agree, yet the fact remains. Badron is sending us a message. He will suffer no trespass when it comes to blood. Retribution is going to be severe. Assemble your men quickly and push hard. Cut these thieves off and bring Maleela home.”<
br />
  Home. “It shall be as you say, Father,” Aurec announced. “I shall return as soon as possible.”

  “Farewell and be safe, my son.”

  Aurec wheeled around and stormed out with intent and a fire in his eyes. The most important piece of his life was marching straight into death and he was her only hope. Everything else could wait. Stelskor took a seat, suddenly cold and alone. The reality that he had just sent his only son off to his doom haunted him. These were the days he regretted being king. He looked to his advisors blankly.

  “What?” he snapped once he noticed their stares. “I know what I am doing.”

  At least he hoped so.

  *****

  The lone figure leaned against the base of a mighty oak that must have been at least two hundred years old. The tree had spawned a small forest and been witness to the birth of a small village that became a kingdom. None of that mattered to the watcher. He was old when the world was young. Some claimed he was a harbinger of darkness, but for himself he wasn’t so sure. Good and evil were empty concepts. He simply was what he was.

  He watched as first the wagon carrying the young woman he’d hunted through the forests rolled past. A first step in the right direction. Then came the angered and embarrassed princeling and his men at arms. Excellent. Everything was going exactly as Amar Kit’han had predicted. The war was coming and with it the key to unlocking the prison of the dark gods. Malweir was finally going to pay for past sins.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Bahr turned and frowned. The slender cloud of dust was getting bigger, and closer. He had hoped that the reaction to their deeds would take longer. Bahr snapped the reins again and kicked the horses into a faster gait.

  “Not a good sign,” Boen commented from the back.