Death's Knight
Page 11
He paused for a moment, keeping in mind Tabor’s plan to take Ephema with them willingly or unwillingly. “Have you decided what you wish to do? Bishop Lam said he’d spoken to you and that the search for your parents was…umm…ended. I’m sure he can arrange for safe passage back to Aserian, or you could, perhaps, stay here under his tutelage. It would be good for you not to be alone.”
Ephema looked down, studying her dirty toes before looking back at him. “He offered me a place here, but he suggested I should go with you to Hawthan. I think he is right. With my parents gone…” She shook her head and cleared her throat. “With them gone, what is there for me in Aserian, but a dirty cave?” She leaned against the doorframe, though she managed another little smile. “Also, I overheard Tabor talking to Ianel about tying me to Valor if I refused to join you. I don’t think he would do so any more than Ianel would sit on me to get me to rest, but he very much wants me to talk to the High Priest in the city. I do not want to fight with him.”
Darian snorted, busying himself with folding the bedding and setting the room to rights. “Tabor is about as subtle as his choice of soul weapon, but there is wisdom in his words, if not his methods. I know he wouldn’t hurt you, but he might be…er…impolite about getting his way. High Priest Calinin is a very wise man, and he can help you figure out what you want to do with your gift.” He smiled, looking for a way to encourage her without resorting to threats, empty or otherwise. He didn’t agree with such things. “My sister would love to meet you, and would lavish all sorts of sweetmeats on you. She’s been writing me for months, though I only get the letters occasionally.”
Ephema’s smile lessened with confusion. “Sweetmeats?” She asked, interrupting him and making a funny face. “I don’t know what those are. I have never tasted sweet meat, and I do not think it sounds good.”
“Oh, it’s not really a meat. I don’t know why it’s called that, honestly. It’s more a really sweet bread. But Alloyna’s cooking is really amazing and the bread winds up sticky and nutty, like honey. In fact, I think there’s honey in it.”
“Oh.” She pondered the information, absently running her fingers along the doorframe. He found himself watching her hands move, her fingers long and delicate against the rough wood. “I guess that is okay then. You do not mind if I keep traveling with you? I know I am not a good rider yet, and I do not fight well. Knight Tabor is very reassuring, but also…big. And Ianel is…loud. I do not always know what to make of them, but despite how we met, you are a kind man.”
“A pretty lady like you would be considerably more pleasant company than those two.” Darian winked, though he was only partially joking. “You saved my life, and in return I nearly killed you. I can’t forget or forgive myself for that, but I can protect you as best I can and help you to find your way. I would be happy to journey with you to Hawthan, and show you around once we get there. Maybe, if you wanted, I can even show you how bad of a fisherman I really am, though fish is the one thing I can cook well. You’ll understand why I chose to become a Knight instead of following my father to the sea.”
“I think I would like that. I’ve seen fish, but never eaten one. The river is the biggest body of water I have ever seen. Knight Tabor and Bishop Lam said the journey to Hawthan would require travel on a boat. It is somehow better than a horse.”
“Better than isn’t exactly right. It’s just that the road over land takes three to four weeks of travel and exposes us to constant attacks by the undead at night. It’s hard travel, and there aren’t nearly enough way stations or towns to stay in. Going by boat will take a week to a week and a half depending on the wind. And since the undead have no means to attack by sea, it’s as close to a vacation as a Knight can take.” He held up four fingers. “It will take us four days to get to Eoth from here. There is a large port there where we can catch a trawler for sure, and a steamer if we are lucky. We just have to go that long without becoming fodder for the undead in well-traveled lands. Simple.”
Ephema opened her mouth and then closed it again, her brows furrowing. He gave her an encouraging look, and she sighed. “That is a long time. What if we meet strong undead creatures like the ones here? They can’t have gone far.”
“Then our weapons and skills will get a work out.” Ianel came down the hall with an easy stride, interjecting himself into their conversation without a hint of shame. “You will be in the company of two Knights and a Journeyman in service to Osephetin. Royalty couldn’t ask for a better vanguard.” He glanced at Darian and smiled. “It’s good that you’re awake. Bishop Lam wants to see everyone at the earliest opportunity. And, ah,” He laughed good naturedly. “Knight Tabor has declared our earliest opportunity would be right now.”
“Of course.” Darian picked up his mace, running his thumb over one flange where the metal was missing a chunk. This weapon had seen more action than it had been built for. He’d picked up the hand axe to go with the mace, for now, but he was anxious to get to a city big enough to have the weapon properly repaired. He secured both weapons and joined Ephema and Ianel at the door. “We’d better not keep Knight Tabor waiting. If he gets impatient who knows what trouble he’ll get us into?”
Ianel grinned, the wan light from the hallway glinting on the small gold stud he wore in one ear. He stepped back, gesturing for Darian and Ephema to proceed him. “Even so, Brother. Even so.”
The room Ianel led them to was in the same building and not much bigger than the chamber where Darian had slept. A much-used map was spread on a small square table over which Tabor loomed, marking locations with a small charcoal stick that looked ridiculous in his large hands. He didn’t bother with a greeting, tapping a spot on the map as he spoke to Bishop Lam. “The convoy was ambushed here. If they’re working the trail back it won’t take long for them to circle around. I don’t know why they went around Aserian, and I don’t much care as long as we’re good and gone before they come back this way. Not for our own sakes, but if we assume they are following the scroll, we need to draw them away from these outlying towns.”
He traced the road to Eoth with the stained tip of his finger. “Taking the tinker road is the fastest and has the benefit of established way stations. It’s also obvious and much easier to run undead down than going across country. We exchange speed for risk.”
Ianel snorted. “It wouldn’t be the first, nor last, time. We should take the road.” He glanced at Ephema with a grin. “Though we’d do better to take Knight Pyina’s war horse and have that one ride double if we’re going to make the kind of time I know you’re thinking we should. Pyina has no use for the animal in the Halls of the Faithful. Journeyman Darian should start practicing with a heavier mount anyway.”
Darian leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He was surprised at Ianel’s suggestion, but saw the sense in it. “That would work. In addition, the war horse has training the other horses do not. I don’t see a problem with another undead stomping horse.” He grinned. “I can arrange the sale of the two horses and have the coin brought to here to be used to help restore the temple, if that’s agreeable for you, Bishop.”
“There’s no need, my son. You keep any profit for your needs. The attackers might have nearly demolished the temple, but our coin was stored elsewhere and our coffers are well-stocked. We will rebuild.” Bishop Lam turned to Ephema. “Will that suit you? Or would you prefer your own steed?”
Ephema blinked, looking surprised at being brought into the conversation. She shrugged and glanced at Darian. “I am not an experienced rider, as the Knights have seen. I do not mind riding with someone.”
Tabor snorted, waving at Darian. “You’ll ride with him. With his lighter armor, it makes the most sense for the two of you to ride double. If things get bad, we will protect your escape. Journeyman, you will continue to carry the scroll, and her life is under your protection. She is your first and utmost priority above all others. You will see her and the scroll to the Great Temple. Is that clear?”
“Good. We’ll leave within the hour. Pack up whatever you’ve got. We have distance to make before dark.”
Much to Ephema’s surprise the first two days of travel went smoothly – or at least as smoothly as possible. Riding behind Darian was its own challenge compared to riding a horse on her own. She didn’t mind the company, and they rode much faster, but the war horse was wide-backed and she always felt a little like she was falling. Darian’s repaired armor posed a problem as well. The leather and metal protected him, but it wasn’t easy to hold onto and dug into her when the horse moved unexpectedly. As a result, the ride was never really comfortable and left her aching every time they stopped, though she did her best not to complain.
The forest grew thicker as they continued south, though it was a forest like Ephema had never seen before. Her mountain home had been a place of granite and stone, dotted with scattered evergreens that emitted a continual crisp scent. Here the trees grew close with broader leaves and thick limbs that often tangled together. The cloying scent of moisture and rotting leaves heralded the end of the season and weighed heavy on the air and in her nose. She didn’t like it. She used all of her senses to feel the life and the magic surrounding her, and this scent was so pungent she felt almost nose-blind, though no one else seemed to notice.
Each night was an exercise in caution, despite the presence of way stations. None were as big or as well built as the first one they’d stayed in. They went without a fire, and slept close with one guard at all hours. The cries of the undead were heard hunting every night, but they were either lucky or just too small of a group to attract attention. The first way station was reached without incident, as was the second. They had left the snow behind in the mountains, but rain dogged their steps from Tallet onward. As the morning of the third day dawned grey, it looked to be no different from the previous days. Thick, nearly black storm clouds hugged the sky where it could be seen above the canopy. They held their watery load for the moment, but that would change as soon as the rising sun hit them.
Ephema didn’t mind being cold nearly as much as being wet, and the nights with no fire had not been long enough to dry out from the day’s riding; as a result, she always felt slightly damp. As they began the morning journey, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself and leaned closer against Darian’s back. The weather was making it hard to travel as fast as Tabor wanted, making the usually easy-going Knight snappish. He started them off earlier each morning, and they still had to ride later than he wanted to reach the next way station. His complaints led Ianel to declare the way stations should simply be closer together.
The morning hours slipped by in near silence, even the birdsong and other forest noises dimmed by the wind and the heavy threat of rain. Ephema felt like she was breathing in water, and she almost didn’t notice the moment when the few sounds came to a stop, but the dimming light caught her attention. She frowned, peering up at the trees. “Darian…” She sniffed, trying to push her senses out to determine what was bothering her. “Something.” Her frown deepened, and she sat up straighter. “We are not alone.”
Darian didn’t respond with words, though he brought the horse around slowly until its nose pointed toward the woods and away from the road. All three men came to a stop and looked into the trees beyond, a strange look on each face. None of the men’s hands went to a weapon; they all just stared listlessly into the trees, their expressions becoming more contorted as the seconds ticked away.
Ephema pushed herself up higher on the extended saddle so she could see over Darian’s shoulder. She didn’t see whatever they were seeing, though she felt a thick, strange pressure around them. The air grew dark around them as though night were falling despite the hour. Thunder rumbled once and then again, drawing closer. Ephema shook Darian’s shoulder, her fingers brushing the skin at his neck. “Darian… wake up! We need to ride!”
Darian blinked like he was coming out of a deep sleep. “What?” He grimaced and rubbed his hand over his brow. “Oh hells. Sisters.”
“I…” Ephema narrowed her eyes, a figure clad in ratty grey robes becoming visible among the trees as she searched. She swung her head around and found more, counting under her breath. “Four. I think. Why is no one moving?”
“Because the Sisters don’t want us to move. I don’t know why we can.” His gaze darted between the shapes in the trees and his Brethren. He cursed under his breath and dropped his hand to his mace. “Damnit. Okay. Ephema, you have to try to bring the Knights’ visors down. The armor helps against the Sisters, but it needs to be locked. It’s the best chance we have. I’ll see if I can hold them off while you help Tabor and Ianel.”
Ephema chewed her lower lip and nodded, gathering her feet up so she could jump off the horse. It didn’t seem like a great idea, but if he was going to fight, she needed to get away and help the others. She took a deep breath and prepared to jump. “Be careful.”
She half jumped and half slid down the side of the horse, rolling ungracefully away and scrambling to her feet. The ground was soft under her feet, slick and cold. The moment she left contact with Darian, his hand relaxed on his mace and his arm went slack against his side.
One of the cloaked figures crouched as Ephema moved, hissing with hatred. It spat words into the air, but if it was intelligible language, Ephema’s couldn’t tell. The other three cloaked figures dropped as well and, as one, they skuttled toward the group moving on their hands and feet like oddly jointed spiders, kicking up leaves and debris as they approached.
Ephema saw the Sisters clearly and choked on a scream. Nothing natural should move like that. It was like they were jointed in all the wrong places and all of the men were just sitting there, letting the monsters come. “DARIAN!” She screamed, then remembered what he’d said about the visors and the soul armor. Their only protection.
She didn’t fully understand, but there was no time for wondering. She ran for Tabor, yelling his name as she went. His mount was so high, but she managed to wrap one hand in Valor’s mane and step onto Tabor’s foot where it rode in the stirrup. She pulled herself up, grabbing at him as her balance shifted.
With the Sisters screaming in her ears, Ephema reached over Tabor and caught the front of his helmet. As Darian had done, the moment Ephema touched him, Tabor blinked as though he was coming out of a deep sleep. “Wha… Dark Lord protect!” Ignoring his outburst, she grabbed the visor and slammed it down over his face. The moment the bone clamped down around his jaw, blue ethereal magic wrapped around Tabor’s head, and Ephema understood; Osephetin’s power protected his Knights through their armor, including their minds. But only when the armor was fully in place, and the visors were hard to see through and doubly so in the rain, so they’d left them up.
There were no words spoken. Tabor took stock of the situation and formulated a plan immediately. He caught Ephema up and tossed her bodily over to Ianel’s horse, Star. She landed behind the motionless knight with a startled yelp, scrambling to stay on the horse’s back. Then, with a deep battle cry, Tabor wheeled Valor around and pulled his maul from its sheath in a single motion. He glanced at the narrow pathway and swore, spinning Valor on his hind legs. There just wasn’t enough room for the warhorse to maneuver, and Tabor dropped to the ground, exchanging one advantage for another. “Come, you heathens! Let’s see you weave your foul magics now!”
The Sisters reared up, and Ephema recoiled. Their faces, once human, were now a grotesque mash-up of plant and human features, equal parts growing and screaming. As they moved, human parts meshed and formed with plants, again and again, a horrible cackling and muttering coming in unison from the four creatures.
The nearest Sister hissed and swung a clawed hand at Tabor’s leg, her nails black and fetid with debris. A thin trail of black magic trailed through the air behind her strike, but the edge of Tabor’s maul intercepted her hand
before it touched him. A heavy thud, and the body of the Sister convulsed underneath Tabor’s maul. To Ephema’s horror, the creature was still moving, refusing to die.
Ephema tried not to gawk at the violence, pulling herself up to where she could reach Ianel’s helmet. He too started sputtering and blinking the moment she touched him. She fumbled the visor around his face, pointing at Tabor and the Sisters. “Ianel! Help!”
He snarled and drew his hammer. “Off!”
It was the only warning Ephema got before Star reared up, making a terrible noise. She tumbled off the animal’s back and tried to get out of the way. She could see why Tabor had dismounted. As powerful as the Knights were on their horses, this spot was just too narrow for the horses to be used effectively. The road widened ahead, but this was a perfect place for the ambush they’d tumbled into. Ianel cursed and dismounted, sending Star to follow Valor to the wider road.
Darian’s horse followed after the other two, with Darian still transfixed in the saddle. Two more Sisters emerged from the brush, already skittering on hands and feet. They took off after the horses, while the three remaining Sisters continued to circle Ianel and Tabor, snapping their teeth like maddened dogs.
Ephema got to her feet, her head spinning from the rough landing and the fighting happening around her. Tabor and Ianel knew what they were doing and engaged with confidence, now that their minds were again their own. Darian had no such protection. It seemed like a terrible oversight to Ephema, but she knew very little about the process of becoming a Knight besides what little Darian had told her. She just wanted everyone to survive. She chased after Darian and the horses, afraid they had outpaced her, but they hadn’t gone far, just around a bend.