Haven Keep (Book 1)

by R. David Bell

  Kaiden smiled. “Just wake me up if the wind starts to stir.”

  Von nodded and mixed the stew while Kaiden made himself comfortable on his bed roll. His stomach growled at the smell. He’d forgotten how hungry he was. He slumped back down next to the fire and ate a few morsels of bread to tie him over until the stew was done. However hungry he was, he was even more tired. Kaiden must be worse. At least Von had gotten some sleep a few nights back, as restless as it might have been.

  Von pulled his cloak tighter around himself, and tried to get warm next to the fire. As hungry as he was he thought it might be better to let the stew simmer for at least an hour. He could wait at least that long.

  Von tried to enjoy the early morning light. The forest was silent. He listened to the sound of the crackling fire. The dogs wandered off somewhere. Probably exploring. Hopefully they would bring back a tasty little rabbit.

  Von entertained himself by watching his breath in the cold air, blowing puffs, imagining it could be dragon’s fire. He tried to blow a few rings. Maybe he actually needed smoke to do that. Not a habit he really wanted to pick up. He looked over at the horses. They were breathing even harder than he was. That reminded him they still needed taken care of.

  Von removed the saddles then brushed and fed the horses. He draped blankets over their backs to keep them warmer. Now he was up he might as well gather more fire wood. He used the hatchet to chop a few old tree branches. It gave him something to do while he waited for Kaiden to wake. He finished chopping the wood then checked the stew. It was nearly done, close enough for him. He spooned a bowl full and began gulping it down. Between the stew, his work and the fire, he was feeling his warmest in days. Eventually the dogs came back. Without a rabbit.

  The fire was now blazing higher and hotter. It could probably be seen for miles. At this point Von didn’t care. He didn’t think there were any Halfen left behind them, but if there were they had most likely abandoned their first objective. After their encounter with the vyr they most likely didn’t care about Kaiden and him any longer. They were either dead or running like their companions Kaiden and he had seen.

  It was nearing lunch time. Von decided to eat a bit more stew. Kaiden started snoring. He would most likely sleep all day if Von let him. If they were going to sleep in shifts, Von needed to wake him. Von nudged Kaiden with his foot. No response. A strategic kick to the ribs did the trick.

  “Hey what was that for?” Kaiden rubbed his ribs.

  “Soups on.”

  “I hope your cooking is better than your wake up call.”

  “Tastes fine to me. You already missed breakfast.”

  “How long was I out?”

  “Five hours or so.”

  “Not nearly long enough, but it will have to do.”

  “My turn. Don’t let me sleep too long.”

  Von rolled out his bed roll and tried to get comfortable by the fire. The snow covered ground was cold, but he was so haggard it didn’t matter. Soon he was sleeping soundly. His dreams were restless, but not as vivid as before. They were scattered and confused, not sharp, not clear. Nothing that seemed to be familiar images he should know. Instead his head was filled with thoughts of home. His new home. Dreams of working in the forge. The warm waters of the Emerald Fjord in the late spring. The green meadows and trees with the heavy leaves of summer. The first light fall of snow in the early autumn months, just before the end of harvest. His warm bed, with Isk and Jen curled up next to the fire. Dreams of Anora. Then in the distance, a gathering storm of winter. Thick dark clouds, billowing high into the sky. Towering thunder heads driven on a fierce wind. In that wind a voice called to him. No, not one voice, many. Something else was in the wind. Something more menacing, searching, driving the storm before it. The voices grew.

  “Come. Obey.”

  The voices beckoned. He longed to be there. Why? They would take his mind if he let them. The voices chased after him, but something else stalked the voices. Something apart from the storm, riding the storm. A third presence.

  A sharp pain in his side started Von awake. Kaiden stood above him, smiling. His ribs were going to be feeling that kick for a while. Oh well, he was sure he deserved it.

  “The wind is picking up,” Kaiden said. “I think we should be going.” He’d saddled the horses and packed up camp.

  Von quickly rolled his bed roll and slid it between his saddle and his pack, then threw his leg over the back of his horse. “I think you are right. We better move quickly. I don’t want you to think I am crazy, but I think I heard voices.”

  “Heard voices? In your head? In your dreams?”

  “Yeah, exactly.”

  “It’s the vyr. You’re lucky I woke you.” Kaiden spurred his horse faster, not quite a gallop, but still a fairly dangerous speed for these mountains. This time Von did not argue. Something was behind them. Hunting them.

  The horses and men fought their way up a large snow drift. A bulky black mass lay partially covered in the snow at the bottom of the other side.

  “What is that?” Kaiden asked.

  “Looks like a horse.” Von dismounted. It was a horse, half buried in the snow. Must have belonged to one of the Halfen. From the condition of the carcass it had been dead at least a day. The horse had just been left there, abandoned.

  “No time for that,” Kaiden said. “Let’s go.”

  Von quickly climbed back into the saddle. The further they went the deeper the snow became, slowing their progress. The wind did not slow. It blew stronger, chasing them, growing in strength. It was unnatural, just as the storm in his dream. Whatever inhabited the storm was getting closer.

  They ran.

  They raced up the pass. Von knew he had never been here, but it all seemed so familiar, an old memory coming to the surface, a path he’d never followed, but somehow knew.

  “This way,” Von yelled and veered off to the north.

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do.”

  Von paused when he saw another horse to his right.

  “No time,” Kaiden shouted.

  Von pressed on. Something was closing on them. He could sense it in his mind, an after thought of the voices. Was it really there, or were they panicking?

  Another shape appeared in the distance, lying in the snow, too small to be a horse. They rode closer. Von saw it was a man, frozen, half buried in the snow, like the horses. He’d either run himself to death or frozen to death. Either way the end result was the same. No time to stop for this poor soul. He would be left for the wolves, or the coyotes, and they might not find him until the spring thaw. His companion had probably not gotten much further, alone and without a mount.

  They were nearing the top of the pass. Von turned and saw the whole valley behind him. He’d never been this high, the view was breathtaking. The majesty of the mountains towering to both sides, the vastness of the forest and valleys below, the ocean stretching farther than the eye could see. He couldn’t pause to enjoy it, it was all lost on the need to put distance between themselves and the vyr.

  Von looked down the other side of the pass. A high mountain plateau stretched out to the east. The light of the day was fading, but there was still enough to see in the distance, a few leagues away, a huge stone structure, a castle, rising majestically from the snow covered mountainside. He knew that place. He had seen it in his dream. Haven Keep.

  “There’s the last one.”

  “The last one what?”

  “The last Halfen.” Kaiden pointed. “There, in the snow.”

  Von looked to where Kaiden pointed. It was the man Isk attacked not too many nights back. It seemed a lifetime ago.

  They rode past the man and he stirred in the snow. Von wanted to leave the man to die, but couldn’t do it, he just looked too helpless. Von dismounted and knelt next to the man. He was breathing slowly. Kaiden knelt at his side with a blanket. Von supposed Kaiden was unable to leave him to die either. The Halfen man was unconscious and moaning. He would
need warmth, fast.

  Von started a fire.

  Kaiden tried to wake the man. He did not respond. He would probably die anyway. Suddenly he stood, eyes glassed over.

  Kaiden spoke to him. “Lay down you need some rest.”

  The man ignored him, tossing the blanket Kaiden had given him aside. Kaiden grabbed him by the arm. The Halfen pulled free and started walking back the way they had come.

  “It has him!” Kaiden was visibly disturbed.

  “What has him?”

  “The vyr.” Kaiden retrieved a rope from his saddle bags. “Don’t let him leave.”

  Von ran over and tackled the man into the snow. The Halfen went down kicking and biting. It was all Von could do to hang on. Kaiden pounced on the man and received a kick to the face for his troubles. Still the man did not say a word. He was not trying to hurt them, just get away. Kaiden recovered quickly and jumped on the man again. Von finally managed to get a good grip and pinned the man face down in the snow. Kaiden looped the rope around the man’s wrists and then legs. He was hogtied good. The man struggled against his bindings, but still said nothing. His eyes stared straight forward, with no expression.

  “We’ll throw him over my horse,” Kaiden said. “I can walk the rest of the way.”

  They threw the man up on Kaiden’s horse. He continued to kick and struggle.

  An inhuman scream pierced the stillness of the mountain air.

  “What was that?” Von had never heard such a sound. A shrill cry of some kind of predator.

  “The vyr. I heard one scream like that before.”

  “It sounded close.”

  “Too close.”

  “I don’t think it is such a good idea for you to walk. We need to move quickly.”

  Kaiden mounted his horse. Von followed close behind, not wanting to remain in the open any longer than necessary. They needed to reach the keep quickly if they were to have any chance of survival. Even then, safety might elude them if they could not find a way to bar the doors.

  Over the snow drifts and through the sparse trees they raced. Isk and Jen seemed to sense the urgency of the chase. Less hampered by the snow than the horses, the dogs ran along side the horses as if acting as some kind of honor guard, growling and barking a warning at what was behind them. Kaiden was sure Soren had killed one of the strange creatures, why couldn’t they? Should they stand and fight? They might be able to, but what if there was more than one?

  Von’s question was answered by more screams from the trees. Primitive and savage, the sounds of a pack of demon dogs calling to each other in the hunt. The cries came from everywhere. How many could there be?

  The horse hooves thundered across the snow covered plateau, spraying a white trail of freezing water and ice behind them. There was no need to spur his horse on. The animal was in a panic. Each cry from a vyr urged the horses further. It was a mad death race. Von could see Kaiden was struggling to keep the Halfen man across the front of his saddle. Von wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have let the man drop.

  The cold wind burned Von’s face, howling and blowing at them in protest. They struggled against it, fought through the snow. Isk and Jen growled and barked loudly. Von turned to ensure the dogs remained close and did not fall behind. Something moved in the trees behind them.

  Von drew his sword and pressed his horse forward. Whatever was back there was not far behind. Or alone.

  A huge dark shape crashed down in front of his horse. His mount reeled, sending Von flying to the ground. He struggled to stand in the deep snow. Something perverse towered over him. Fangs filled an all too human face. The threatening eyes of a monster stared down at him. A demon from the Rift. A massive hairy claw struck at him. Von lost his sword in the fall. Where was it? He dodged and rolled, barely avoiding the death blow. He could see his sword in the snow, but the creature barred his path to the weapon.

  The thing stood on two legs and ran with a speed that belied its size. Von could barely move in the snow. He was going to die if he did not do something quickly. His dagger. He could use that. It sprang to life in his hand, spinning and slashing. He almost forgot how alive he felt with that knife in his hand. Von no longer dodged the blows that rained down on him. He met the wicked claw with a flash of his dagger. The beast screamed. The blade cut to the bone. The vyr reached with his other hand, grabbing for Von’s throat. Von stabbed desperately. The vyr recoiled with a violent scream.

  An arrow struck the vyr in its shoulder. Then another. It reeled in pain and turned. Kaiden charged the beast down on his horse. It gave Von just enough time to dive for his sword. He rolled to his feet and stood, sword in hand. Kaiden let loose another arrow. The shaft struck the vyr in the chest. It screamed in agony. Von hacked at the tree trunk sized legs. The vyr fell to the snow.

  Von spun around. Another vyr over twice the size of an icebear bore down on them. It ran on all fours like an ape, a spray of snow behind it. The guttural sounds of a primeval predator froze Von in his tracks. What kind of demons were these creatures?

  “We have to make for Haven Keep,” Kaiden yelled.

  The sound of Kaiden’s voice sent Von running for his horse. The depth of the snow hampered his movement. The wind howled, spinning the snow into a blinding whirlwind. He would never make his horse in time, let alone the keep which had nearly disappeared in the driving snow. He would have to turn and fight. The first vyr, despite it’s wounds was on its feet again, still coming after him. Maybe he could hold them off long enough for Kaiden to make the keep.

  “Run Kaiden, I’ll delay them!” Von prepared for the fight. Maybe his last fight. If he waited for the creatures to reach him he would have to fight them at the same time. In desperation he charged the wounded vyr.

  Another arrow struck the vyr. It was still coming, enormous claw reaching for him. He met razor sharp claws with razor sharp steel. The force of the blow sent Von hurling to the snow. The creature let out a nightmarish howl, cradling its ruined limb. In an instant Isk and Jen were on the vyr, bighting and snapping. The thing tried to fight back, but both arms were now nearly useless. Kaiden charged forward on horseback, driving his spear home into the thing’s chest.

  Von spun to meet the next creature. It was only a few spans away, closing fast. Something black shot across the trees. Von had seen it before, speeding across the clearing near the Halfen’s camp. A man or some new demon? Something familiar, a presence from his dream. A hairy beast that wore a cloak and moved like the wind. Sword in hand, it rushed toward Von. He could not meet them both and Kaiden was behind him. Sword and dagger bared he would stand and fight.

  The vyr did not see the other creature. Its only intent was Von. Von darted to the left to avoid being met by both opponents at once. The vyr followed. Von could not take the force from a full charge. He would be knocked to the earth again and this time it would mean death. Von ducked, trying to avoid the massive clawed hands. The blow that would have been his death passed a finger’s breadth away. He thrust, driving the sword point toward the exposed underbelly, bracing himself for the impact. The cloaked figure slammed into the vyr, sword first. The two tumbled through the snow in front of Von. The vyr screamed in its death throes. The melee ended in a heap of fur and blood.

  The cloaked figure stood slowly and turned to face Von. Impossible! It couldn’t be. Von whispered, “Soren...”

  “Get to your horse!” Soren was already running.

  Von did as he was told.

  Kaiden sounded dumbstruck. “Soren, How?..”

  The man was supposed to be dead. Von felt the way Kaiden sounded.

  “No time.” Soren pointed back to the tree line. “Run!”

  A torrent of vyr poured out of the forest. Von did not bother to count them, he knew it was over a score. No way they could fight that many. Two nearly killed them. Without Soren’s help they probably would have.

  Von ran. Leaping on his horse he spurred it forward. His horse needed little encouragement. Von tried to pull Soren up behind his sa
ddle, but Soren just kept running.

  Soren ran like a deer, out pacing the horses. How was he doing that? Von tried to keep up, but the snow was too deep. Turning his head he could see the vyr closing. Their snarls and growls were battle cries over the sound of the wind.

  Soren led the way, Isk and Jen followed, their large paws keeping them from sinking in the snow. Kaiden’s and Von’s horses struggled through the deepening snow, losing ground to their pursuers. Kaiden still had the Halfen man with him. Von was not sure he would have done the same. The man twisted and squirmed, trying to free himself.

  The wind blew harder as they ran. It seemed elements had combined against them. Two hundred more spans and they would be to the keep. It might be too far. Von couldn’t help but think the vyr were breathing down his neck. If they caught him he would be torn to shreds, like a pack of wolves bringing down a fawn.

  Soren was already at the keep, opening its huge iron doors. Von had seen them before. In his dream. This place was so familiar. Soren was too. He was the presence that rode the storm in Von’s dream, rode the storm like the vyr. How could that be?

  Von could hear the crunch of the snow beneath the vyr pursuing him. In a few more paces it would pull him down. Haven Keep was still forty spans away. Von nocked an arrow and pulled his bow back. He twisted in the saddle and saw a vyr a few short paces from his horse. Its jaws snapped and snarled, reaching hungrily towards Von and his horse. He thought he could feel its breath as it snorted. At this range Von couldn’t miss. Von released, the arrow struck the vyr in the neck and the thing tumbled to the snow. The other beasts ran over the top of their companion, muffling the gurgling sounds. The remaining vyr bounded forward, intent on their prey.

  Twenty more spans. Ten more. Von could see Kaiden ahead darting through the iron doors. Isk and Jen followed fast on his heels. Five spans. Von urged his horse onward to the safety of the keep. His mount struggled to move faster. Almost there. He just might make it. Soren pulled the gates shut leaving just a narrow opening. Von squeezed through. The iron gates rang loudly, closing tight. Kaiden jumped to Soren’s side and helped slam the bar home, locking the doors. Again and again the gates rang. The creatures outside beat against them in protest. The snarls and inhuman screams continued, but the gates held fast.