Nearly everyone jumped at this, except Darnac and Chikk.
Gray flinched more from the concussion of the ten blasts than the fact that their collars were enchanted to explode. Judging from the way his teacher talked about being held captive and from the way he always fingered his silver beaded necklace when he did so, Gray had guessed it was something like this. It was the only logical explanation that kept the Blademaster in the Dark Lady’s service, fear of having his head blown off. And now every child knew the same fate awaited them if they disobeyed their mistress. It was a sobering thought.
Kâlikâ had moved forward and started calling the remaining Cobra students forward. Each child was instructed to put their hand with their signüm in the fanged skull and once more they were tested. Of the forty-two still alive, seventeen went to the Panthers, thirteen to the Shadow Wolves and surprisingly, eleven to the Ravens. One did not survive the test of the skull. This last one was Václav. Once a member of the Primus, it was he who had infected Galvorn with the poison at his master’s direction. But it was Kâlikâ’s magic which killed him.
Every child was reminded not to withdraw their hand until commanded to do so. Václav did not listen to her and pulled his hand out as soon as the pain started. Whether this action insulted whatever gods the blind old witch prayed to or just as a result of the magic she was using but the fanged skull seemed to come to life as a body of darkness and fire appeared around the skull. This demon thing leapt forward with unbelievable speed and swallowed Václav whole before falling back to the sands as just a simple skull.
Kâlikâ calmly shuffled forward, picked up the fanged skull and turned to leave. As everyone silently watched the old witch depart, Gray could swear that she winked at him. It was hard to tell since her face was cloaked in perpetual shadows and her eyes were solid black. This was not the first time he had gotten the same impression whenever she was around.
Lalith faced the Dôminus and her remaining Döcents. “Let’s not have a repeat of tonight’s performance. I had other plans for tonight that I had to put off. I don’t like having to change plans.” She left it at that and turned to leave but paused next to the dark haired light elf. “Mortharona, would you be so kind as to escort me out. I’m sure that your senior students can see to your new members.”
“Your words, my actions m’lady.” Mortharona grinned and departed with her.
Kralm shook his head as he watched them leave. They were not fooling anyone with their act but then, the mating rituals of other races were odd to the half-orc. Whenever he felt the need, he would just grab one of his seven wives and pleasure himself with their body, it did not matter what they were doing or where they were at. His wives lived only to serve him. It was simple. This romance and courtship of the elves and humans did not make sense to him.
Kralm shook his head and yelled, “Dismissed! Get some sleep, you start back to training tomorrow!”
Darnac faced his two prize students. “Get everyone settled in and then meet me at the Cobra compound.”
Galvorn cocked his head to the side. “But why?”
“It is our responsibility to neutralize anything detrimental that Espen left behind.”
Gray nodded. “Aye, aye Kënnári.”
* * * * *
Several hours later, Galvorn and Gray found themselves in the personal quarters of Espen the master assassin. But they weren’t alone, Chikk had accompanied the Blademaster and they systematically checked every nook and cranny in the room. Anything that was locked, Chikk double and triple checked for traps before opening.
They found a hidden chest of gold coins and a wide array of weapons. However, at the bottom of the chest Darnac made a startling discovery, a pair of silver claws. Chikk nearly dropped the crystal vase she was studying when the Blademaster pulled them out.
“By Nox’s black eyes, where did Espen get those?”
Darnac shook his head in wonderment. “I’d heard rumors that Asad had gone missing but that was it, I had no idea he’d been assassinated. I just figured he’d grown old and retired.”
“Who was this Asad?” asked Gray.
Chikk answered. “If you travel south through the burning sands, you will reach a region known as Sahura, so called that after the river that runs through it. Only the areas nearest the river are fertile, the rest is parched rock and sands. Where the Sahura reaches the Crystal Sea lays Minos, the kingdom of the Minotaurs; on the other end Tjenu, the towering city. In between is a lawless region claimed by both kingdoms. However about fifty years ago, a warrior came forth that waged war on both monarchies. This warrior was known as Asad the Lion. His preferred weapons were twin claws of silver such as these.”
“And?” Galvorn prompted.
Darnac picked up the tale. “What Chikk isn’t telling is that even though the two kingdoms considered him a bandit and offered large rewards for his capture, no one would come forward with information about Asad’s whereabouts because the general populace of the region loved him. He only waged war on the rich kingdoms and there are tales that he gave the lion’s share of his loot to the poor.”
Gray asked, “And you think these claws were his?”
“I’ve never heard of anyone else using such a weapon.”
Darnac held them to the light. There were three one-foot long blades attached to a bracer of silver and leather. The claws looked as if they had seen plenty of use but also lots of tender loving care.
“Why would Espen have them?” Gray asked, then realized how stupid the question sounded so he added, “I mean, why still have them after all these years?”
Darnac favored him with a smile. “It is well known that many assassins take a memento from their kills, a trophy if you will. Espen probably had dreams of using them one day.” The Blademaster cocked his head to the side and chewed on the inside of his lip. “But I have a better idea.”
Flipping them around bracers first, he presented the exotic weapons to Gray. “Here Isengrim, for you.”
Gray swallowed. “But…but…what….why?”
“Consider it a reward for your quick thinking yesterday in saving Galvorn. I won’t lie, he was as close to death as I have ever seen anyone. If you hadn’t remembered about the lamprey stone, he would’ve died. Simple as that.”
“But master, I am not worthy. I only acted to save my friend. There is no need to reward me for that.”
Galvorn nudged his shoulder. “Go on Grim. I guess I was sicker than I thought. You deserve something. Besides, somehow those claws seem very fitting for you.”
Reluctantly, Gray accepted the weapons and felt his heart flutter with excitement at holding them. Something felt…right about the strange weapons.
Darnac grinned. “I’ll teach you certain strategies and tactics useful for those claws.”
Gray furrowed his brow. “But Kënnári, I thought you said you’ve never trained with weapons like these?”
“I haven’t but I’ve studied how to defend against them, just in case. Asad was a canny fighter and had a nasty reputation. A true blademaster studies the styles of as many opponents as possible, just in case.” Darnac’s grin told him the rest. He had trained to fight Asad, in case he had been ordered to do so. “Come on, let’s get back to the barracks. We have lots of work ahead of us.”
The four of them departed but not until Chikk locked up Espen’s chambers and even put on a few extra security spells for good measure. Darnac nodded to the dark passageway. “You two head on back, I think I will walk this lovely lady back to her cabin.”
It seemed that the two instructors were going to be busy for the rest of the night. Gray and Galvorn grinned but followed orders.
Intermission
Pardon the interruption but at this point in tonight’s story, there is a gap of about six years.
I must admit that I have many times tried to get the Forgotten King to elaborate on those years but he has been extremely tight-lipped about them. I am uncertain if something detrimental happened to him or the
y were just more of the same. I tend to believe the latter of the two, since everyone he seemed to care about during his early years as a slave appear later in this story.
What I have been able to discern is that the bond of friendship between Graytael and Galvorn strengthened over the years. They were in every aspect brothers, although to the best of my knowledge his half-brother was still in the dark that they were truly related. I do know that the relationship between Tamina and Graytael blossomed into a full-blown romantic affair even though it was frowned on by the teachers.
Why is this relevant?
You will have to be patient and wait until I get to that point in the tale. Ah, I see you have refilled your mugs with ale and have once again sat down by the fire. So, I will pick up the story once more.
Chapter 27
When the door to the tavern opened, Aleena looked up expectantly but was saddened when it was not Rjurik. It was only five minutes ago when she heard the chiming of the ship’s bells and the caller walking through the streets of Asylum yelling, “Four bells and all is well.”
It had been strange to hear that during the first year she had spent inside the besieged city. She had found it odd that the caller would say ‘all is well’ when there was an army at the walls. She had been fearful that the Dark Alliance army would overrun the city’s defenses and slaughter everyone in their sleep. By the third year, it was just another day. By the fifth year, she could hardly remember living in anywhere else. Now, she routinely prayed for the siege to be over so Tallon could play in the woods and run in fields of clover rather than having to entertain himself down by the docks.
Aleena rubbed her swollen belly. She was still two months from her due date but that did not mean her daughter did not like to remind her that she was ready for bed, at least she hoped for a girl this time. Truth be told, Aleena was tired but she wouldn’t turn in until Rjurik returned home.
When she heard someone clear their throat, Aleena’s mind snapped back to the present and she looked at their newest customer. Wiping off her hands, she smiled. “Welcome to the Inn of Quiet Repose. I’m Aleena, your hostess.”
Judging from the empty eye sockets and the scars around them, the old man in grey robes was blind. He leaned heavily on a strange black staff with five brass rings at the top that jingled and he walked. When he spoke, his voice was friendly and comforting. “Hello Aleena, I am looking for Anasazi. Is he around?”
“No sir but he’s due back any day now. He’s on the Morning Star and she normally puts in on the third day of each month.”
The old man nodded as if he expected that answer. “Ah yes, quite right, a room perhaps?”
Aleena glanced at the door and back to their guest. It was not that they did not have any rooms, they had plenty. She was just worried.
The old man must have noticed her hesitation. “If you are waiting for your husband, he’ll be along shortly or at least a messenger will be.”
“What? How do you know that?”
The old man shifted his stance slightly and leaned more heavily on his staff. “You said this is the Inn of Quiet Repose and that you are Aleena. Correct?”
“Yes, but…”
“Then your husband is Rjurik Silvershield, the Captain of the City Guards. He is busy at the moment investigating a situation at the front gate that will keep him tied up all night.”
The blood nearly drained out of Aleena’s face as she blurted out, “They’ve broken through!”
The old man began moving toward the guest rooms with Aleena a pace behind. “No, no, no. The Dark Alliance army has pulled back. The siege is over.”
“What? Why? How?”
The old man stopped. “You know, for an intelligent young lass you ask silly questions.”
Aleena started to say something crass but bit her tongue.
The old man began climbing the stairs. “Don’t be thinking the war is over. It’s not. It is just expensive to lay siege to a city as large as Asylum, especially for eight years. But then, that was probably the plan all along.”
Aleena was lost. She had no idea what this crazy old man was talking about and could not think of anything more intelligent to say except, “What?”
“Eight? The number after seven but before nine. I thought since you worked as the hostess, you would know your numbers.”
“I can count! I just don’t understand the significance of the number eight.”
“Ah? My apologies. Eight is special to followers of Clotho since as a spider-like demoness she has eight legs. There is nothing more to it than that although she likes her followers to believe it is a mystical number. Hogwash.” He stopped at the door to room three. “Ah, here we are. Can you make sure I’m up by the third bell of the forenoon watch?”
“Yes, yes of course.” Aleena nodded her head and started to turn away but quickly turned back, “Sir?”
“Pau, Mithra Pau.”
“Goodnight Master Pau, I’ll see you at the third bell.”
As Aleena walked down the stairs and blew out the last four lanterns, two questions rolled through her mind. How did he know room three was empty and how did he know she was about to ask his name?
As she moved to her room, she forgot all her worries as her little warrior-princess kicked a few more times.
* * * * *
Rjurik did not believe the reports, so he had marched all the way to the front gates in the rain to see it with his own eyes and he still did not believe it. The army of the Dark Alliance was gone. Their camp, or should he say the remnants of their camp, was still there but no soldiers. It just did not make sense.
“Captain Silvershield.”
Rjurik turned to see a young man in an odd-looking baggy silk outfit approaching him. He quickly searched his memory but he was sure that he did not recognize the stranger but that really did not mean anything. He had met scores of younglings over the centuries and he hardly recognized them when they became adults.
“Aye, that’d be me.”
The young man stopped in front of him and bowed low from the waist but never took his eyes off of the dwarf. “Pardon the intrusion Captain Silvershield but I needed to talk with you immediately concerning an event of great importance and your assistant said that you would be here.”
Rjurik might have liked the polite manners of the young man and his flowery speech but he was in the middle of something and did not have time for chitchat. However, eight years of dealing with politicians had taught him the value of curbing his tongue, so instead of barking at the youngster Rjurik just took a bite of tobacco off the block of leaf he always carried and stared.
Unfazed by the dwarf’s manners, the young man continued. “I am Ronin Waverider, Guardian of the Five Rings and once a companion to Kamots Hawkeye, Warlord of the Highland Nation.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so first off?” Just a mention of his lost friend had softened the old dwarf’s heart and changed his mannerisms. He spit out some of the dark tobacco laden juice and headed down the steps to the main gate.
Ronin cocked his head to the side and tried to understand the true meaning of the warrior’s words. After a moment, he shook his head and rushed to catch up. His master had reminded him time and time again to stop overanalyzing what everyone said and just accept the words for what they were.
Rjurik glanced over his shoulder. “Ronin, I remember that name. Hawkeye spoke highly of you and your blind master. How is the old goat?”
Ronin did a double take. The old dwarf had just insulted his master but at the same time, the monk could tell that he did not mean it maliciously. It was odd.
“He is well. He is with your wife at the moment. Congratulations by the way, I understand that you are expecting your second child this summer?”
Rjurik nodded. “For someone I just met, you sure know a lot about me.”
Ronin grinned. “You must understand that I feel that I already know you. I’ve heard stories about Hawkeye and Tatianna my whole life. And of course, you’ve
played a major role in many of those tales.”
That brought the old dwarf to a stop. “Now listen here youngster, I’m not some fancy hero in these tales you’ve heard. I’m just me.”
“I know that. Master Pau is very grounded and has strived to prepare me for the day the Chosen One needs my help.”
At the mention of Graytael’s legendary title, Rjurik’s good mood dissipated and he once again felt the burden of failure he had carried since the Day of Darkness. “Aye…one day perhaps, if Gray still lives.”
Ronin was almost cheerful when he responded. “Oh he’s alive, that’s why I’m here.”
“What? What do you mean? You know where he is?”
“No, I don’t know where he is exactly but Master Pau was waiting for a sign that the next stage of Darkness had begun.” Ronin gestured to the empty camp. “This is it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Simple, the war is entering a completely different phase and the warriors on the side of the Gods need to change tactics, hence my arrival.”
“You have a plan?”
“Nay, my master does. I am but a tool, he is the sculptor.”
Rjurik shook his head. “That is too deep for me. I’m but a simple dwarf trying to make my way in this crazy world.”
“I am a leaf on the wind, watch me soar.”
Rjurik furrowed his brow. “Huh?”
Ronin grinned. “Just one of my favorite quotes from an ancient scroll, I use it to remind me that we are all subject to the whims of this world, no matter how we think otherwise.”
Rjurik spit out some of the excessive tobacco juice. “Come on. Let’s head back to the fortress.”
Ronin hesitated for a second before falling in behind him. He had been happy to discover that the dwarven captain was at the front gates. His master had been very specific. Rjurik could not be in the fortress at the calling of Four Bells of the Midwatch. The young monk had asked why and was more confused at his Master’s answer and the conversation that followed than he was before he had asked the question.
Darkness Falls (Tales of the Wolf) Page 24
