Ahren- the 13th Paladin

by Torsten Weitze

  Ahren nodded wearily and went on in silence. Even Culhen was panting loudly and his tongue was hanging out. Ahren patted him on the head in sympathy and climbed the hill that their road passed over. From the top the little group could see a shallow valley lying sleepily in the late evening spring sunshine. There were rows of fields, and canals brought the precious water to every corner of the valley. A two-storey estate house dominated the landscape, surrounded by a variety of huts and barns. Ahren was astonished and Falk gave a whistle. ‘They’ve certainly gone up in the world’, he said approvingly and directed Selsena onwards.

  ‘Is that all the one farm?’ asked the surprised apprentice and Falk nodded.

  ‘Absolutely. If the farm keeps growing like that, it’s going to turn into a proper village. Deepstone must have started exactly the same way but without the trade road of course. The Eastern Forest provides for us instead’.

  They approached the big farm with a feeling of contentment and then Ahren saw two lookout platforms. Standing on each was a sentry with a crossbow. They rode directly under one of the sentries, a red-haired woman who gave them a warm greeting and then turned her attention back to the range of hills.

  Falk nodded, satisfied. ‘We can certainly sleep here. It will do us all good’.

  They stopped at the Main House and Falk dismounted and then lifted Uldini off, very much the hired mercenary and servant to a noble son and heir. The wizard behaved in such a regal manner that all the workers bowed before him as they hurried by. Ahren was invisible as always. He threw his eyes up to heaven and was about to follow the others when Falk looked over his shoulder to him and barked an order. ‘Boy, take care of the horse!’ Then he disappeared inside. The apprentice looked after his master blankly for a heartbeat, then took Selsena by the reins and went to the stables, which could already be smelt from this distance. He cursed quietly to himself. Selsena was empathetically convulsed with laughter and this made the apprentice even angrier. He led her into her box and took off her saddle and bags as well as the body armour, which was surprisingly light. Only her headgear stayed on, to hide her true identity. Then he quickly and half-heartedly groomed the mare. Her dirt-repellant coat made this work unnecessary anyway, and thanks to her three hearts, she didn’t even break into a sweat when she was galloping. She transmitted her gratitude to him nevertheless and he gently patted her neck.

  ‘I still haven’t thanked you for Culhen’s salvation’, he whispered quietly. ‘So, thank you very much’. Warmth and joy flooded through him and Culhen came running and barking into the box, as he scampered delightedly around her legs. Ahren was enjoying this moment when he heard a voice behind him.

  ‘Are you a new stable boy?’

  Ahren spun around in shock, brandishing his dagger, only to withdraw it sheepishly when he realized that the voice belonged to a girl, maybe one summer younger than he was. ‘You really don’t look like a groom’, she continued, unfazed.

  ‘I’m a Forest Guardian’, he said before cursing silently as he remembered his cover story. ‘I earn my keep as a guide in the wilderness’, he added quickly as he scrutinized the girl opposite. She was small, certainly a head shorter than he was, and her clever eyes shone from her freckled face. Her simple linen dress suggested that she worked somewhere on the farm. She looked at him with equal directness and Ahren noticed a certain similarity to the sentry he had seen up on the wooden platform. Perhaps that was her mother, he thought to himself.

  ‘But you’d be a good groom. The horse is really shiny, even though you’ve just come in’, she saw in amazement. She smiled at him and Ahren smiled back, a little embarrassed and a lot less elegantly.

  ‘Ah’, he said and thought, what’s wrong with me?

  She stepped closer. ‘Can I stroke your horse? I’ve never seen a colour like that’.

  Ahren wanted to say, ‘that’s not my horse, and the owner definitely wouldn’t approve’. But what came out was, ‘sure, why not?’

  She beamed at him and put both hands around Selsena’s neck, who glared at Ahren and made him very much aware of her displeasure.

  ‘She’s very soft…but, what about her eyes, they’re really silver’, remarked the girl.

  Ahren winced. ‘She’s terribly old already and that’s why her eyes are cloudy’.

  Selsena was really angry now and he stepped back out of the box to be on the safe side. Luckily, the girl released her hold of the Elven-horse and followed him. He closed the box hurriedly and leaving the irritated mare behind, he smiled awkwardly at the girl.

  ‘What’s your name?’ he asked, in an effort to deflect attention from the so-called horse.

  ‘Miriam. And you?’ she answered gaily.

  Smitten by her breath-taking smile, it took him a heartbeat to answer the question. ‘Ahren’, he said finally. He scrambled for something innocuous to talk about, but Miriam was already asking the next question.

  ‘Have you travelled far?’

  ‘No, this is my first job. I’ve only finished my apprenticeship’. He was quite proud of himself that he had stuck as closely to the truth as was possible.

  ‘Oh, right’, sighed the girl, disappointed, and looked as if she was about to go. The temptation to show off a little so she would stay was too great.

  ‘But we want to go to Evergreen to the elves, and then on to the Silver Cliff, where the dwarves live’. His words were incredibly effective. Her eyes lit up and her wonderful smile reappeared. ‘Then we’ll head on to Kelkor. We’re bound to run into one or two giants’, he added in a deliberately casual manner.

  ‘Why do you have to go there? That sounds like a terribly long journey’, she said, agitated.

  Now Ahren had to be careful. Everything he had said up to this point fitted in with their cover story. ‘I’m accompanying a noble youth who wants to see the places he heard about in his favourite stories. He has a cranky bodyguard with him who’s making my life hell’. That was partly true as well and he began to feel a little more self-confident.

  ‘I know how that feels. I have to help out in the kitchen until I’m allowed to be a sentry. The cook, well, she’s horribly mean to me’, complained Miriam.

  Ahren nodded eagerly. ‘My master was exactly the same. One time he made me collect knotted ribbons from a tree in the pouring rain’.

  And for the next hour they swapped stories of their experiences at the hands of their hard-hearted teachers and they laughed and complained in equal measure. Ahren was dimly aware that Selsena would tell Falk of the apprentice’s less than flattering descriptions of his master, but the undivided attention that the charming Miriam was giving him, made it worth any future trouble. He felt happy and free from all his cares and the time just went flying by.

  Eventually Miriam looked at the position of the sun, threw her arms around Ahren’s neck and said, ‘I really have to go now. Thanks for the lovely stories’. Then she gave him a kiss and ran out giggling. Ahren stood rooted to the spot and stared after her, overwhelmed by the unexpected kiss. He left the barn and looked after the red-headed girl until she disappeared behind a house. Should he run after her? Was this a complicated game whose rules he didn’t understand? While he was standing there, he caught a glimpse of something moving in the corner of his eye. The redheaded woman on the lookout platform was watching him with a murderous look. Slowly she raised her crossbow until she zeroed in on him. He raised his hands and took two steps back until her line of fire was hidden by the barn door. He decided in a moment of wisdom that it would be best to wait here for the others. Meanwhile Selsena was flooding him with waves of mirth.

  When it was early evening Falk marched into the barn with a surprised look. He brought with him a bowl of cheese, ham and hard boiled eggs which he handed to Ahren.

  ‘Why did you stay outside? I only sent you away as part of our disguise. Of course you can come in to eat’, he said and glanced at the wolf. ‘But Culhen had better stay with Selsena’. The wolf whimpered in protest for a second before trotting over t
o the box where he settled himself down.

  ‘It was so nice out here’, said Ahren lamely.

  Falk breathed in through his nose deliberately. The air reeked of horse manure, stale sweat and leather. Then he tilted his head to the side and listened to Selsena’s remarks. Falk was still laughing heartily after two dozen heartbeats and Ahren was blushing deeply. At last his master quietened down and clapped his protégé on the shoulder. ‘Come on in, I’ll cover for you’. He threw his arm around his apprentice and pulled him out into the open. He caught the sentry’s eye and nodded at the woman. She winked in acknowledgement and stared off at the horizon.

  ‘You still have a lot to learn. We have to thank our lucky stars that the Adversary isn’t a woman or we might as well give up now’. Then he started to laugh again. Ahren ignored him as much as possible. They entered the taproom of the manor. It was furnished with rows of long benches and tables running parallel to each other. It seemed as though tree trunks had simply been halved and smoothed and then hammered into place as table legs.

  The room was populated by guests similar to the travellers he had seen on their journey here. The room was partially lit by two oil lamps at the back of the room and also by the evening spring sunshine which bathed the room in a warm yellow glow. The apprentice reckoned that there was enough room for half the population of Deepstone.

  The Forest Guardian made a beeline past the benches to the woman of the manor who greeted him with a friendly nod. Then he led Ahren up a staircase at the back of the room. Once they reached the landing at the top of the stairs Ahren could see an enormous dormitory behind an archway, but Falk opened one of the two doorways in front that led left and right away from the dormitory. He indicated to him to go in. There was a small, plain looking room with two beds, a table and two chairs in front of a window. Ahren entered.

  Falk closed the door behind him and said, ‘it’s a bit conspicuous, renting the two single rooms, but this way we can talk undisturbed. And anyway, we both still have bloodstains on our leather jerkins – and you still have some behind your right ear’. Ahren checked with his hand and felt a large crust, which fell off as soon as he touched it.

  Falk pulled a bottle of wine from his jerkin and put it on the table.

  ‘Eat something first and drink. You’ll get water later to wash yourself and to rinse things. Don’t you dare finish the bottle!’

  Then the old man was gone and Ahren was alone and unobserved for the first time in ages. He enjoyed the feeling and decided to make the best of the opportunity.

  Night fell and at last Ahren felt himself again. Of course he had become accustomed to the hardships that adventuring with Falk brought with it, but it was a different story travelling along this dusty dirt road and becoming over tired and baked in filth. He had eaten and drunk well while Falk had tended to Culhen. Then he had washed himself and afterwards given his clothing a thorough rinse. Then he had mended the worst of the tears that the Fog Cats had made with their claws. Now he was lying on the bed and could hear the unfamiliar sounds coming from the dormitory. He had become so accustomed to the silence of the forest that he was very aware of the noise so many people in close proximity were making. He could hear snatches of conversation as he thought about his exciting conversation with Miriam. Where was she now and what was she doing? Was she thinking about him too? His thoughts swirled around in circles until he dropped off to sleep.

  He woke up with a start. He could hear a noise which sounded like leather straps slapping off each other. It was pitch black and after a few heartbeats Ahren realized that the sound was coming from outside and was coming through the slits in the window blinds. Falk had returned at some point in the evening and was fast asleep in the bed beside his, and so Ahren slipped quietly from the bed and crept to the window. He peeked out through the crack between the shutters.

  Wisps of cloud were floating across the night sky and the moon was shining weakly. Whatever this strange sound was, it was coming from above them. He tilted his head sideways so he could see upwards out the gap. The noise seemed to be travelling. Dozens of shadows seemed to be moving past over the manor and across Ahren’s limited vision. He could see dozens of winged figures, which were making the sound. Ahren blinked and tried to make out the creatures’ characteristics, but they were too far away, and the light was too weak.

  Maybe bats…, thought Ahren just as a shadow flew directly past the shutters. Ahren saw leather wings, birds’ claws and burning red eyes when suddenly a calloused hand grasped his shoulder and yanked him backwards. He was just able to stifle a cry when he recognized Falk, who pushed him under the table and hid himself too as best he could. There was a scratching on the window sill outside and then the shutters started to rattle. Whatever was outside, it was trying to get in. Ahren caught sight of the small wrought-iron hook that held the shutters closed. A beak had pushed its way into the gap in the shutters and was trying to push up the hook. To his horror Ahren could see in the weak moonlight, teeth flashing in the beak.

  A metallic scratching sound to his left revealed to Ahren that Falk had drawn his dagger. His own, unfortunately, was on the other side of the room, lying on his carefully folded clothing. He looked back and forth between that thing that wanted to get in and his dagger, trying to decide if he should risk the movement. The noise of the heavy leather wings became louder as the attacker’s attempts to get in became more frantic, and then suddenly, it was all over.

  The sound died away, and the shadow disappeared with an angry hiss. Falk sheathed his dagger with relief and looked at Ahren.

  ‘Swarm Claws. That was too close for comfort’. He pulled himself up and stormed out of the room. Ahren crept out from under the table and followed him at a considerably slower pace and remembered back to his lessons. Swarm Claws were birds that the Adversary had perverted in a most horrible way. They earned their name through the oversized, razor-sharp claws on their feet and because they always attacked in swarms of more than a hundred. They didn’t have plumage any more but were covered in a leathery skin. Their beaks were filled with barbed teeth. A Swarm Claw on its own was dangerous of course, but as it was only the size of a hawk, it could be easily beaten. But when they were in a swarm they became a veritable nightmare of flesh-eating beaks and claws. Ahren thought of the many black shadows he had seen in the sky. If the window had opened, they would be dead.

  Hopefully Miriam is safe, he thought in a flash. But he hadn’t heard any screams, and the swarm had moved on. He quickly suppressed the memories that instinctively came to mind, of Deepstone and the screams of the villagers.

  A shudder ran through him and he hurried to catch up with Falk, who had stormed into the other room, which the wizard had to himself. Uldini was perched on the bed, his arms around his knees, and looked like a frightened little child. Until he opened his mouth.

  ‘Close the door, old man’, he hissed. Falk carried out his order as Ahren quickly slipped in. He didn’t want to hear the conversation, nor did he want to be alone now. He hunkered quietly on one of the chairs and kept a nervous eye on the window.

  ‘Damn it, Uldini, you said we were safe’, scolded Falk.

  ‘They were definitely beyond the reach of the magic net last night. They must have flown without a break tonight’, said the Magus defensively. It was the first time Ahren had experienced the resolute Ancient on the back foot. ‘You know how these things function. If I make the web too big, it’s discovered and everything starts again. I was very careful yesterday’, he continued.

  Falk calmed down a little and said, ‘The way they were flying, they were on a search mission for the three of us, so they were focusing their attention on human dwellings. That would suggest that at least Selsena and Culhen are safe as long as they don’t attract attention to themselves. But imagine if we had set up camp in the open and they had caught us?’

  He was met with an awkward silence. Ahren tried not to imagine being at the mercy of this wave of claws and teeth with no protection or
possibility of escape.

  ‘How do you fight against them?’ he asked. Maybe it would calm him down if he knew they were beatable.

  ‘With lots of arrows and casualties’, answered Falk grimly.

  That wasn’t of much comfort. Uldini cleared his throat. ‘Magic has also shown itself to be effective. Thankfully, there are only four or five swarms that we know of in all of Jorath’.

  ‘They generally sleep throughout the day and only wake up with difficulty, so we’re safe tomorrow during daylight. But we need to stay armed during the next few nights’, said the old Forest Guardian firmly.

  The wizard nodded, and Falk opened the door to the hall without saying another word. The private conversation was obviously over and Ahren followed him to their bedroom. They went back to their beds again but falling asleep was difficult for Ahren. When he did eventually drop off, he found himself being buffeted about by bloody claws that were were grasping at him in the darkness.

  Chapter 15

  They set off early the next morning. The farmyard was still and deserted. The residents were still too traumatized by the previous night’s danger to go about their daily tasks unimpeded. Ahren craned his neck to try and spot Miriam and he was relieved to see her looking out the kitchen window. He waved good bye and they moved off.

  The next few days passed by in a refreshing routine. Ahren learned it was better to go in front of Selsena to avoid the clouds of dust her hooves created. The weather, thankfully, was dry. Fighting their way through the mud would have been far more uncomfortable than avoiding dust clouds. They encountered the normal array of travellers, and there was no sign of bandits or Dark Ones. In the afternoons they would seek out a lodging house or a farmer and pay for shelter for the night. The Swarm Claws didn’t return and slowly Ahren began to feel at ease.

  The rapid succession of events and revelations had taken more out of Ahren than he had realised. He decided to take one step at a time, the enormity that lay before him was too great. And so he enjoyed the journeying as much as he could, teaching Culhen new commands, and practising his archery in the evenings until it got dark. His companions often huddled together and talked about things that had happened in the past and about people he had never heard of. The apprentice gradually lost the desire to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The only thing that was clear that at some time in the past Falk had journeyed with Uldini, but he had no idea why and for how long. They wouldn’t answer any of his questions directly and so he let the matter drop.