Dark Healer (An Empire Falls Book 1)

by Harry Leighton

  Daeholf looked ahead. “Zedek’s coming back.”

  Trimas pulled out his waterskin and took a sip. “The emperor and the senate. Fuck ’em.”

  He handed the skin to Daeholf. “Yeah. Fuck ’em,” he said and took a sip.

  Zedek rode back, eyebrow raised. “When you two have finished announcing our arrival to everyone nearby with ears, you’d better come and have a look at this.”

  *****

  “That’s never a good sign,” Daeholf said from the edge of the treeline.

  “That’s what I thought,” Zedek replied, holding the horse’s reins and shushing it.

  “Hmm. That’s a lot of crows,” Trimas said, looking out at the murder of crows circling the farm, periodically swooping to the ground.

  “They don’t seem troubled so whatever happened, whoever did it isn’t still here,” Daeholf noted.

  “Makes sense,” Zedek agreed.

  “Or laying low,” Trimas suggested.

  “Better to be safe, quick scout around the area but keep your distance from the farm,” Daeholf said.

  “Oh?” Zedek asked.

  “If we approach, it will scare off the crows and that will give us away to anyone who might be watching.”

  “Good point.”

  “Hmm. You two stay here, I’ll have a look around. If you see anything moving, come get me. Zedek, give me your bow.”

  “Let’s lead the horses back a bit so as not to disturb them,” Trimas said.

  Daeholf nodded and walked off, keeping to the treeline.

  “Old habits die hard eh?” Zedek said after he’d gone.

  “He did serve for a while as a scout, so it makes sense.”

  “Don’t like him borrowing my bow though, I feel naked without it.”

  “You’ve still got your sword.”

  “Yes, and the training the two of you have been giving me on how to use it ‘properly’. I feel much safer.”

  “If you’re going to pretend to be an ex-imperial soldier, you need to be able to fight like one. And I can’t help it if your princess fingers have trouble holding it properly.”

  “Princess fingers? Anyway, I’m used to something more elegant. But a bow is better.”

  “He’s more likely to get into trouble and need it than we are.”

  “If a scout needs a bow, why doesn’t he use his own?”

  “You know how long it takes him to string that weird-shaped thing he carries strapped around his backpack. I’m really not sure why he bothers with it.”

  “Memento I think.”

  “It’s all but useless unless he has a lot of time to prepare though.”

  “You have a point.”

  “It’s very trusting of you to let him borrow it. I’ve not seen you let anyone else touch it. Including me for that matter.”

  “He looks after it at least. You with your sausage fingers and ham hands would probably break it.”

  “Oi,” Trimas said with a smile.

  “Be offended all you like, you’re still not using it.”

  “One night when you’re sleeping…”

  “I’ve seen you use a bow in daylight. At night you’d probably kill yourself with it.”

  “Hey, I used to have a crossbow. Wasn’t a bad shot either.”

  “That’s entirely different and you know it. Crossbows are the tool of the unwashed. Crude and inelegant, point and click.”

  “Effective though.”

  “Hmm. Powerful rather than effective. You’d get one shot to my thirty.”

  “Thirty?”

  “Thirty.”

  “I want to see that sometime.”

  “Fine. But you’re still not touching my bow.”

  “Okay, okay.”

  “When you two have finished…” Daeholf said smiling as he walked back quietly. “Here you go,” he said to Zedek, handing back the bow.

  Zedek tried to examine it surreptitiously. Daeholf smiled. Trimas rolled his eyes.

  “What did you find?” Trimas said.

  “No sign of anyone nearby that I can see. Cart tracks off to the north and there’s a little blood in them.”

  “Do we pursue?”

  “The tracks aren’t fresh and it takes a while for this many crows to assemble so we’d be some way behind. Let’s see what happened here first and make the decision then.”

  Zedek looked up at the grey sky.

  “Late afternoon and looks like rain. We’ll have trouble tracking anyway.”

  “Let’s go have a look then.”

  *****

  “I don’t get it,” Trimas said, shaking his head and looking down at a neat pile of severed arms.

  “Bandits?” Daeholf said, standing clear of the red-stained earth, still on alert, scanning the area.

  They were stood in the farmyard and it looked perfectly normal. Except for a bloody anvil and the arms. And the complete absence of a farmer’s family or any animals.

  “Why would a group of bandits leave a neat pile of severed arms? Heads, I get. It’s the sort of stupid, crude warning they think impresses people. But arms?” Trimas said, kneeling to look closer at the gruesome stack.

  “Heads is more normal,” Daeholf said. He glanced at the stack. “Axe?”

  Trimas poked carefully at a ragged edge. “Difficult to tell with all the crow damage, but I think so.”

  “Judging by the flies, the crows and the smell, this happened at least a day ago.”

  “Seems reasonable judging by the state of the arms,” Trimas said, wiping congealed blood off his finger.

  “Where’s the rest of them I wonder?”

  “Probably arranged into some sort of sign nearby.”

  “Grim thought.”

  “Robbery gone wrong you think then?”

  “I don’t see any animals left so maybe rustlers.”

  “Why kill everyone though?”

  “Resisted?”

  “So why the display?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Zedek still looking around back?”

  “Yeah.”

  In the yard by the house, they could see little sign of looting or conflict. Whoever had come had either been friendly and not aroused suspicion or caught the farmers by surprise.

  “I’ve found the heads,” Zedek said, coming round the corner of the barn. “They’d been dropped in a feed trough round the other side. Two little girls, three young men, a big woman and an older man with lots of hair down the sides of his face. Nothing round his mouth though.” His face held little expression, as if he was just reading from a list.

  “Whiskers,” said Trimas absently, still studying the arms.

  Daeholf stared. “Zed, you might not be quite like us, but do you have to be so calm about it?”

  Zedek shrugged. “Not sure what good getting upset about it is going to do.”

  “How can you be so against killing but so relaxed around bodies?” Trimas said to him.

  “When the person has departed, it’s not them that is left,” Zedek tried to explain.

  “I’m not sure that makes much sense to me,” Daeholf said.

  “Quick count says fourteen arms so I think they’re all accounted for,” Trimas said grimly.

  Daeholf sighed. “So what’s the plan? I’m for getting some distance from here as soon as possible.”

  Trimas stood up. “I’d like to bury them.”

  Daeholf looked up and on cue, it started to rain. “Maybe we’re not going too much further today then.”

  “We are low on food. I believe it is worth a look in their larder,” Zedek said.

  “So we’re going to hang around at the scene of multiple murders, hide the evidence, steal their food and sleep in their beds?” Daeholf said.

  Trimas scowled at him.

  “Okay, give the dead the respect they are due by burying them, restock our diminishing supplies and shelter from the rain.”

  Zedek looked perplexed. “Same thing?”

  Now Trimas sighed.
“I’ll bury them, you two keep watch.”

  Daeholf shook his head. “I’ll give you a hand.”

  “It’s agreed then. I’ll patrol.” Zedek said and walked off.

  Daeholf and Trimas looked at each other then went off in search of shovels.

  *****

  “I’m not sure about this,” Trimas said, leaning his shovel by the door as the three of them stood in the main room of the farmhouse, two of them distinctly muddy.

  “Well, we’ve got a choice. We don’t know who did this,” Daeholf said.

  “Or why,” Trimas interrupted.

  “Or why,” Daeholf continued, “but it’s getting dark and we don’t know where they are. As far as we can tell this happened at least a day ago and there has been no sign of anyone else close by since we’ve been in the area.”

  “And there’s nothing to suggest they took anyone alive,” Trimas said grimly

  “No.”

  “So?”

  “So, if we keep watch, we have a reasonably defensive position…”

  “Didn’t help the farmers much.”

  “No, it didn’t but I think we’re a less easy target.”

  Trimas inclined his head.

  “We can be warm and dry but have the disadvantage of being at a known dangerous location.”

  Trimas looked down at his wet and muddy clothes.

  “Or,” Daeholf continued, “we can head back out into the woods. Cold and wet, but anonymous.”

  “Warm and dry,” said Zedek.

  Trimas sighed. “He’s right, warm and dry.”

  “Four hour watches as usual then, I’ll go first this time,” Daeholf concluded. “Bow?”

  Zedek sighed.

  “I’ll get a fire going,” Trimas said with a hint of a shiver.

  “I’ll go look in the larder again,” said Zedek.

  “He’ll make someone a good wife one day,” Daeholf said quietly to Trimas with a grin.

  Trimas grinned back.

  “I heard that,” Zedek said.

  Trimas built a fire whilst Daeholf did a quick lap of the grounds. Zedek managed to rummage up some stale bread, some bacon and a few eggs which they cooked over the fire.

  “They didn’t need them,” Zedek said suddenly whilst they were eating.

  “What do you mean?” said Daeholf, looking over from where he was standing at the window, plate of food balanced on one hand.

  “It’s almost like they didn’t need the arms so they left them behind.”

  Daeholf and Trimas looked from each other to Zedek.

  “That, Zedek, is a horrible thought,” Daeholf said eventually.

  “Where are you going with this?” Trimas said.

  “I’m not sure,” Zedek said, thinking. “We’ve not found the bodies. Judging by the cart tracks it looks like whoever killed everyone and left the display took the bodies with them.”

  “Why would anyone need bodies without arms?” Daeholf said.

  “They wanted the rest of them?” Trimas suggested.

  “What on earth for?” Daeholf replied.

  “Experimenting on perhaps,” Zedek said.

  “I’m not sure what removing the arms gains but I don’t presume to understand people crazy enough to do that sort of thing,” Trimas said, disgusted.

  “Might be for spare parts,” Daeholf said quietly.

  “Sorry, what?” Trimas exclaimed.

  “I’m not sure I want to follow through with that line of thought,” Zedek said, looking sick.

  “Do you mean for the healer?” Trimas said suddenly.

  “That’s what I was starting to think. He was getting remarkable results…”

  “I wish I hadn’t started this now,” Zedek said.

  “How is that even possible though? Using parts from dead bodies I mean,” Trimas said.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen it. We’re just speculating here,” Daeholf replied.

  “It fits though. It could be,” Trimas said.

  “It’s a horrible idea,” Zedek said.

  “All the more important we track him down if he’s doing this sort of thing,” Daeholf stated.

  “And put a stop to it,” Trimas said firmly.

  “Sun up tomorrow, we follow the cart tracks,” Daeholf said.

  *****

  Where once the older man had pushed Alia to learn how to wheedle information out of people and assess their features and responses, now his growing impatience at chasing the healer was pushing him to ask questions. This was why he approached the bored looking innkeeper and began, “I’m looking for a healer.”

  The man looked up, pulled a mug over from the side of the bar, and replied, “Looking for a drink as well?”

  “I’ll buy two drinks if you’ll answer.”

  “Well then,” and the drinks were quickly served, “that I’ll do. If you’re looking to be healed you’re in luck, but you’ll have to do a bit of searching.” Alia raised an eyebrow from behind, wondering how much more searching exactly. “We have a healer in the area, skilled man, talented man, but he comes and goes.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s been in all the villages and the town, been there over and over, but he never stays long, and no one ever knows where he sleeps. Rumour is he’s got a base in the woods somewhere.”

  Jonas started smiling, and he realised he couldn’t stop it.

  “And his healing?”

  “Oh, the best, the best we’ve ever known. Can put anyone back together. You won’t hear a bad word said about him from us round here, saved too many people…” Jonas’ heart was leaping, this was it, Marlen was here! “Although his assistants are a bit strange.”

  Now Jonas froze. That was new. “What sort of assistants?”

  “Silent, odd, made a lot of people uncomfortable. But healers are an odd bunch anyway. Much like bounty hunters.”

  “Thanks,” Alia shouted sarcastically.

  “Can you tell us where in these woods?”

  “No, no one knows.”

  “Do you at least have a map of the area?”

  “That I do. But it’ll cost another two drinks. In fact, have a meal.”

  *****

  Daeholf led, bent over in the saddle, studying the ground but the trail wasn’t hard to follow. The ruts followed the cart track out in the direction of the main road.

  After a couple of hours, Daeholf paused, calling a halt.

  “What’s up?” Trimas said, riding up.

  “We should have come after them yesterday,” Daeholf said.

  “What’s wrong?” Zedek said, joining them, bow firmly and happily in hand.

  “Judging by the uneven depth of the tracks here, it looks like they were proceeding along this trail at speed, clearly not worried about how much noise they were making or how much stress it would put on their horses. We may have underestimated them a bit.”

  “How so?”

  “I’d expected them to be going slowly with a laden cart and that we’d be able to get them in sight on the trail before we hit the main road. Now it’s clear that they’re far enough ahead to have got there already and it’s going to be hard to follow them on something so heavily used.”

  “How’re they moving so fast?”

  “I don’t know. They must be killing their horses. Maybe we’ll be lucky and one or both will break down but for some reason I’m not feeling that lucky today. Something about this is wrong.”

  “Carting around cut up bodies?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah. So what do we do?”

  “We keep following. They’re many hours if not a day ahead now though so I’m not going to be surprised if we lose them.”

  “Optimist.”

  “Calling it how it is.”

  “We’ve got no better lead, we might as well carry on,” Zedek said.

  “Can’t change anything now,” Trimas agreed.

  Daeholf nodded. “Onwards then.”

  They
rode on, following the trail, and as expected hit the main road without sight of their quarry. Fortunately, the road was quiet and they had a little time to look around.

  “We’re lucky. Can still distinguish their tracks because of their speed.”

  “So which way?”

  “East.”

  “You sure?”

  “You expecting some sort of signpost?”

  “Maybe a body that had fallen off the cart in the direction they were going, or some blood?” Zedek ventured.

  “They’ve been careful enough to get this far without those sorts of signs, I doubt we’d find anything that serendipitous now,” Daeholf said, rolling his eyes.

  “Serendipitous? I thought you were a peasant,” Trimas said.

  “Eh?”

  “That’s a big word.”

  “Well you’re sufficiently muddy to be peasant enough for both of us so I thought we could switch roles for a bit.”

  “Well thank’ee sir,” Trimas said, putting on his best yokel accent. Daeholf grinned.

  “What is it with you two?” Zedek said, shaking his head.

  “East then,” Trimas said, back to business.

  “Yes. Though I doubt they’ll be following the road far, their load would definitely attract the wrong sort of attention,” Daeholf said.

  “Like ours,” Zedek said.

  “Indeed.”

  “So we’re looking for other side roads then.”

  “Yeah. Let’s hope we’re lucky and spot the right one.”

  *****

  After they had shared a large steak pie and thick ale sauce, Jonas and Alia consulted a map showing the hills beneath the considerable woodlands which were around them. Together they pinpointed a number of interesting locations, where a secretive healer and a handful of assistants might be hiding until they ventured out. Now the pair were riding down a dirt track, trees high on each side, weapons at their sides.

  Somewhere around here should be a forest track that would lead to the start of a cave system, a dense region you could get lost in without a good sense of direction and a little local knowledge; Jonas had been blessed with the former, and had paid to acquire the latter. As they rounded a sharp corner they saw the track, but also found themselves facing a group of people. Within a split second Jonas had noticed they were armed, although there were no traces of armour, and each was mounted awkwardly on a horse. People willing to fight, but already at a disadvantage. The groups were close, and while the armed men weren’t obviously reacting — no weapons had been pulled — there was no way for Jonas and Alia to turn back or pass without dealing with them. The question was, what were they here for? To rob? To map for the rebels? To protect this healer?