The Brotherhood (The Eirensgarth Chronicles Book 1)

by Philip Smith

“I’m not above anything except your stature, Broadside,” she smirked. “So either way, I have to stoop to your level.”

  The dwarf cracked a smile, winked, and skipped away, whistling. She blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes in exasperation. Robert walked over a few minutes later, his new gear all packed and shouldered. He sat down next to her as she began adjusting all her straps and pack preferences.

  “Still not finished?” he teased. “Goodness, you’re such a woman.”

  She swung a punch at his shoulder, remembering too late that he was now wearing chainmail under his robe. She cried out as her knuckles hit the riveted metal links. Robert smiled with obvious glee.

  “Blazes and rubbish!” Paige cursed, rubbing her knuckles trying to work the pain out of them

  “Oops!” Robert laughed, his eyes sparkling.

  “I guess I deserve that.” She looked up at Robert, pursing her lips for a moment as she surveyed his jagged-toothed smile. Despite his rough, sarcastic exterior, there was a real quality to this man, or whatever he was. She took a deep breath then let it out through her nose. “Look. Thank you. For coming back for me,” she said. “Even though you didn’t wind up needing to.”

  Robert glanced about quickly to make sure no one was eavesdropping on the two of them. Satisfied that the others were too busy finishing up packing their sacks to overhear them, he leaned in closer to Paige, looking her straight in the eye.

  “Paige, you are one of the best friends I’ve ever had,” he said evenly. “And there is literally nothing, save death, that could have prevented me from coming to find you. I’ll always be here for you. You know that, right?”

  Paige smiled warmly, feeling grateful. For a reason she did not understand, she felt a tad bit flustered and uncomfortable. She nodded, then waved her still smarting knuckles as if trying to shake off the ache.

  “Ugh, bloody ashes!” she spat. “I think you may have bruised me.”

  “Well, I apologize for my rock-solid muscle tone. I guess you shouldn’t try to dent biceps of iron.”

  “You don’t need to apologize for something you don’t have, Robert,” Duelmaster jabbed as he jumped up from where he was sharpening one of his two rapiers. Robert scowled, picked up a rock, and tossed it at the dryad. The tree sprite caught it just before it hit him. Then, quick as a flash, he chucked it back.

  The next few moments became a bit of a blur. The rock hit Robert in the forehead with a smack, and the husky fellow leapt up. He wheeled back his right fist and slammed it straight into Duelmaster’s rounded jaw. The two were soon in a frenzied cloud of fists and elbows. Immediately, Broadside dropped what he was doing and threw himself into the brawl with something that sounded like a dwarvish battle cry, followed close by Twostaves.

  “BOYS!” Dinendale shouted, “This is hardly the time to be…”

  “Shut up, Din,” shouted Duelmaster, grabbing the elf and throwing him into the frenzy. Soon there was nothing but a cloud of dust as the boys brawled, with the occasional cries and shouts escaping from the tangle of flailing limbs and clouds of dust.

  “Do they do this a lot?” Woodcarver asked, puzzled and clearly impatient. Between that inquiry and the sight of the four males punching and kicking, it was all too much for Paige. She burst out laughing once again. Huge gasps of melodious laughter erupted from her chest, and she clutched her side.

  After a good five minute brawl, the boys parted, each one laughing as if for a moment all their worries and stress had melted away. Jesnake and Hanburg watched, smiles on their faces, and Woodcarver just looked on indifferently. It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down. When Paige finally got a hold of herself, the rest were still rolling in the dirt, or holding on to a tree branch for support. She looked up, still laughing, and saw Jesnake smiling at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  Jesnake walked over a few steps and nodded at Dinendale. “Look at him,” Jesnake said.

  “What about him?”

  “Princess, he hasn’t laughed like that in years. I haven't ever seen him happy in a long time.”

  Paige felt a warmness cover her, a feeling of happiness she hadn’t felt for a long time. It was the same feeling she’d had when she had helped her mother heal a sick friend, or when she’d assisted her father in visiting the old warriors that were too restricted by wounds of decade’s past battles. It felt good for her to help people, and Jesnake’s comments made her beam.

  Hanburg was chuckling a deep, husky laugh. He moved away from where he sat against a big boulder. His broad smile was cheery and rosy as he got up.

  “Well gentlemen, and m’lady,” he said, a slightly sad smile on his face. “This is where we must part. I need to get back to the village.”

  “Won’t you be thrown in jail?” Paige asked, concerned.

  “A hefty fine at worst.” He looked at each of the men, and the princess. “A small price to pay to see justice done. I feel privileged to have been able to help you all. I only wish I could have done more.”

  “Again, we cannot thank you enough,” Dinendale said.

  “Pish-posh. It was nothing. All I ask in return is that you reunite this wonderful young woman with her sister. Do that, and all my work will be worth it.” He went to each of them, shaking hands and wishing them the best of luck.

  When he came to Paige, his eyes sparkled.

  “The best to you, Paige,” he said. “Remember your promise!”

  “I will,” Paige said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Do tell Abenya I’ll miss her, won't you?”

  “I will,” the heavy man said. There was a momentary pause, then Paige threw her arms about him and hugged him hard one last time. The giant man returned the squeeze.

  “Take care child,” he said kindly. With a few more parting words he turned and headed back towards the village through the dense brush of the wood.

  ◆◆◆

  Rain fell from a cloudless sky as Dinendale flipped the hood to his cloak over his head. They had been walking at a brisk pace all things considered, letting Woodcarver take the lead as he began to turn them south and east of the glade. Now, tromping about, Dinendale sent up a silent prayer to the Creator that Hanburg’s kindness would not go unblessed in this life.

  The drops of rain pattered upon the brown and yellow leaves of the forest. The group climbed the rocky crags of the highlands. The Wild around them felt eerily still. Except for the occasional splash of boots and moccasins upon soggy ground, accompanied by the cold, runny sniffles of those wearing them, the forest had neither insect nor bird calling out into the dense undergrowth. The company’s breaths came out in foggy plumes now, and wool cloaks wrapped ever tighter for warmth against the crippling chill.

  Yet with the discomfort of the cold, a bigger problem lay in the ascent of this slippery slope of rocks. In slick boots and moccasins, the muddy leaves became a hindrance. Each of them had their turn slipping and sliding on this gradual slope. Obvious gashes and slide marks in the mud appeared following each poorly-placed foot. Twostaves, the giant that he was, left a particularly deep gash when his monstrous knee dug into a patch of muddy moss following his biggest decent. He’d tried to cover it back up with leaves, but Woodcarver demanded he leave it.

  “We can’t stop and fix every mark on the terrain,” he insisted. “Stealth should always be our method of choice, but in conditions like this, hiding the tracks will only waste time.”

  The hours slipped away like raindrops sliding off waxy leaves. They slugged through the slick, leaf-covered slopes for the entire afternoon. Paige pushed herself forward, getting her aching muscles into a rhythm of push, then relax. She let out a sigh, re-tying the bandage on the back of her neck as they continued to push on. Woodcarver showed no sign of stopping any time soon.

  Suddenly Jesnake halted. He clustered the line behind him so abruptly that those in front stopped to turn back and look. Jesnake held two fingers, motioning to his ears for them to listen. Paige focused her hearing, hoping to pick u
p whatever sound had caused Jesnake to pause. All she heard was the pattering of raindrops on the leaves. Jesnake’s piercing eyes darted around the forest, searching for the origin of the sound he’d heard.

  “What is it?” Broadside asked.

  Dinendale motioned for the dwarf to be silent.

  The group was as still and quiet as the forest itself. For a moment, there was nothing, just the sound of the rain splattering against their hoods. Paige strained her ears to hear. Silence. But then, ever so softly, she picked up a sound, echoing like it was in a far-off cavern of cave. Though it was faint, she knew the sound. It was muffled yelling mixed with the crashing of bodies through the forest. A tingling began to build at the base of her spine, and she tensed.

  “Soldiers!” Dinendale spat. Jesnake immediately drew an arrow and trained it at the direction of the approaching noise.

  “We can’t outrun them, Din,” Robert said sideways to the elf, quickly pulling his own bow from his pack and stringing it.

  “We’ll have to fight,” Woodcarver said, tossing his green cloak over his shoulder. He flexed his elbow and two blades sprang out of his gloves at the center knuckle on each hand. Paige pulled the hairpin out of her braid as the others began dropping unneeded gear.

  “Klaíomh,” Paige whispered. Blue sparks began to dance down the length of the hairpin as it enlarged and curved outwards, fitting itself perfectly to her grip.

  “Oooh, shiney!” Duelmaster exclaimed, jaw agape.

  “It’s... Klaíomh,” Woodcarver muttered in astonishment.

  “I expect you to explain how you know that,” Paige tossed her own cloak over her shoulder, rain flinging off it as she freed up her arms to fight unencumbered. “You know, when we aren't fighting for our lives.”

  The group dove for cover, dashing into the shadows to prepare for a fight Paige knew they were in no shape to endure. The princess slipped behind a large tree root, sliding on the muddy moss covered ground. She pressed her body to the large, damp tree, listening hard. She tried to ignore the moisture wrapping its cold tendrils onto her clothing, reaching to touch her already shaking body.

  The crashing continued to grow louder till Paige guessed they were within two bow shots of them. She scanned the forest with sharp eyes, picking up anything out-of-place. She noticed a large boulder near her had acquired an extra growth that looked suspiciously like a dwarf’s chainmail-clad backside.

  Just as she was about to lurch from her concealment, the wall of foliage to her left shattered as a horse galloped into the steep hillside, whinnying in the rain. She gripped the sword with both hands, ready to strike, but felt her eyes widen in shock upon seeing the rider.

  “Hanburg!” she shouted in surprise.

  “Where is Dinendale!?” the man heaved. He looked awful; his clothes were now a shredded and mangled mass of muddy cloth and patchy fur. A sickly mixture of blood and mud was streaked across his round face and a large gash in his left arm soaked his coat fabric in blood. He gripped a bloodied, short saber in his right hand, the sticky, wet leather reins in his left. Paige felt sick at the sight.

  “Hanburg,” Dinendale cried. He jumped out from behind the concealment offered by a tall oak, alarm etched into his sharp features, “What is it?”

  “Dinendale, get out of here now. The soldiers are hot on your trail!” the man heaved. “Got back home....torched. All of it. Gone! I’ve been racing the soldiers to get to you first. You have to make for the high crags!”

  He’d barely gotten the words out when a whizzing sound like a horsefly on a hot summer day shoved its way through the darkness. An arrow slammed into Hanburg’s ribs, driving the steel head through to the other side of his body. He gasped in shock, blood spurting from his mouth. He toppled off the screaming horse, which took off running. Jesnake leapt past the fallen man and drew his bow back to his chin. When the hidden Shaud scout popped up from the shrubs within bowshot distance, the elf released an arrow that drove through the Shaud’s steel breastplate like it was made of paper.

  Paige screamed, running to the side of the fallen tribesman. Robert skidded along the wet hillside to join her.

  “We can’t help him!” Robert shouted, grabbing Paige’s arm, but Paige ignored him, wrenching free to kneel beside Hanburg. The councilman struggled to breathe, blood pouring from his wounds and sputtering out of his mouth with every agonizing breath.

  “What can I do!?” she cried, trying to apply pressure to the wound. “Hold still. I can help!”

  “Go...” the man sputtered, grabbing her hand and pushing it away from the wound and onto her sheathed sword. “You… you must…”

  “No! I can fix this, let me fix this!” she screamed, pulling a bandage from the side of her pack.

  “Free...your sister. Leave… me!”

  She sobbed in agony, trying to stop the bleeding. Suddenly Robert jerked her up to her feet as dozens of soldiers began to pour from the forest, brandishing their various scimitars, pikes, and bows. With a sinking realization, she saw that there were far too many to ever hope to fight. As they charged towards her, she gripped Klaíomh in numb indecision. But before she could brace for a fight Robert grabbed her around the waist and slung her up onto his shoulder. He took off running south, charging uphill with the others.

  “No!” she screamed, as they left Hanburg's still body in the bog of mud. Arrows from The Brotherhood’s bows covered Robert’s retreat. Paige felt hot tears mix with the cool rain as they escaped into the darkness of the forested highlands.

  Robert heaved as the group retreated uphill in the rain, and Paige kicked free to run herself, tears still streaming down her face. They would take turns firing into the ranks of the Shauds’ if ever they got too close, keeping the distance between them to a bowshot.

  “We can’t keep going like this!” Jesnake yelled. “I’m running out of arrows!”

  “I’m thinking!” Dinendale shouted, scrambling up the rocks. The hills of the mountainside steeply jutted in all directions as they continued up the crags.

  “Their armor will slow them the further up we go,” Duelmaster shouted, picking up a large rock and tossing it down the embankment, tripping a Shaud who was gaining distance towards the group.

  Paige suppressed a gag as they crawled through the narrow pathway cut into rock, her insides churning with sorrow, guilt, and adrenaline. The Shauds were closing in the space between them.

  “Follow me!” Woodcarver shouted as he made for a steep, jutting embankment that dropped off as the path narrowed. The gully became a cliff as it rounded the side of the mountain and led into the heartland of the Raychel Range.

  “Everyone get ahead of me!” Woodcarver ushered. “I have a plan!”

  “What plan?” Broadside shouted back.

  “It’s a semblance of a plan!” Woodcarver snapped, shoving the dwarf up the path. “An idea more or less if you really feel the need to get specific, Master dwarf!”

  After Jesnake cleared past him, taking up the rear, Woodcarver clenched his fists and muttered something Paige couldn’t make out. As the Shauds closed in, he got louder and louder, raising his fist to the sky. Paige noticed the wind pick up and a blast of thunder echoed through the crags and cliffs now surrounding them.

  The Shauds ran along the ledge racing up the hill. Woodcarver waited till they were less than a bowshot away, then slammed his palms against the face of the rocky path.

  The earth groaned and mixed with the howling of a sudden raging wind. Paige’s eyes widened in horror and amazement as the ground began to rumble then break apart as if a giant stomped on it. The Shauds yelled as the earth in front of them crumbled forcing them to slide down the steep pitch of the mountain. Woodcarver bellowed in rage as the ground heaved and pitched harder with every moment, rocking like waves on a stormy night. He flung his arms up and down, again and again. Each blow cracked the stone with a sickening moan as he reshaped the entire mountain.

  “MOVE!” Jesnake shouted, shoving Robert and Paige up the hill. Th
ough Paige felt in too much of a daze to register his words, her body obeyed the command. The group bolted forward, the sounds of the Shauden soldier’s shouts and curses drowned out by the noise. Paige cast one last look back, seeing the cliffside slide away from the mountain with a deafening roar. Woodcarver leapt away as the billows of dust rose high into the sky around them. The company escaped around the next bend, leaving their enemies to curse at the wind.

  ◆◆◆

  Numb.

  It was the only word that adequately described the spectrum of emotions Paige was experiencing. The buntings and swallows chirped in the twilight of the evening, their mournful tones echoing the aches she felt in her heart. The chill nipped at her red runny nose as she wiped it with the back of her sleeve. The days were getting colder; winter was fast approaching this season, another dent in their already dire situation. She took a deep breath and felt the chill of the dawn sear her lungs as she stretched, attempting to bring her aching muscles into painful submission.