Halfstone: A Tale of the Narathlands (4 page)

4

BE
WARY OF THE SHADOWS

“Get up. Aldrick, get up.”

It was still dark.

He groaned and squinted up at a flaming torch above his bed. Kaal
was holding it. “What?”

“I said get up. We have an appointment with your lady friend.”

He rubbed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“That girl from the market—she was here last night. She wants to
speak with you. Get up.”

“Télia.” Aldrick stood immediately. “Where is she?” he asked,
dressing hurriedly.

“We are meeting her down the hill at sunrise. Bring your bow.”

“Kaal, she was here?”

“Yes, after midnight. I thought I heard something so I went out
and found her by the ka-zchen. Aldrick, she knows who sent it.”

Kaal proceeded to tell him everything Télia had said. He listened
intently. How was she involved in all this? Maybe she could answer the many
questions he had. Either way he was eager to speak with her again. Even just
seeing her would make this a fine day.

The sun had yet to dawn when they reached the bottom of their
road. There was a chill in the air and mist hung low. They waited anxiously on
their side of the fence. Kaal’s bow was armed. He feared Télia planned to
ambush them. Aldrick dismissed this, but knew he ought to be watchful nonetheless.
His bow was at his side.

While the sun’s first light spilt over the horizon the sound of
hooves grew louder upon the road to Rain. Télia appeared astride a beautiful
black mare. She was hooded, as she had been yesterday at the market. Aldrick
now supposed their encounter had been no coincidence.

“Hello again,” she said, drawing to a halt at the opposite side of
the fence.

He smiled. “Hello. I hear you want to speak with me?”

She returned the smile only briefly. She looked anxious. Kaal was
keeping his distance, watching her through narrowed eyes.

“I am sure your brother has already told you much from last
night?” she asked, glancing at him.

“He did. He said you know who hunts me?”

“I do. Her name is Selayna. She is a most wicked wielder.”

“Wielder? What do you mean?”

“I mean that… well, I suppose I mean she is a witch.”

“Witch…” Aldrick repeated under his breath. “Why does she want me
dead?”

“That is a question to which I do not have an answer. What
concerns me is that you may still be in danger. Aldrick, it is not safe for you
here.”

“Why is this your concern? Why do you want to protect me?”

“It is my duty.”

“So you are a bodyguard?”

“Of sorts, yes.” Télia’s words were hurried. “Aldrick, I can take
you to a safer place where someone more knowledgeable than I may be able to
shed light on all this.”

She wanted him to leave with her? It was a bold thought.

“Where is this place?” Aldrick asked curiously. “Who is this
person?”

“Deep in the Midland Ranges. A trusted wielder resides there.”

“What is his name…?”

“Jon.”

He and Kaal stared at each other.

“Jon? Jon is our friend. He is no wielder,” said Kaal
self-assuredly.

Télia raised her eyebrows.

“You know him?” she asked. “Interesting… well, I can assure you
with confidence—he is a wielder.”

Kaal shook his head adamantly. “No, no he isn’t! He is a harmless old
man.”

“Wielder!” insisted Télia. “They are out there you know, and much
closer than you may think.” She shot Aldrick a sly but unreadable glance.

His head was ready to explode. She wanted to take him to safety—protect
him from some evil wielder who wished him dead. And Jon, Jon was also a
wielder? Was that why Braem had left to see him? None of it made any sense.

“What if I just stayed here?” he asked, overwhelmed.

“Then you would eventually be hunted down and killed. More enemies
will come, Aldrick. You must come with me now. It ensures the safety of your
family too.”

Télia’s words were wise, he supposed. He wanted no harm to befall
his family because of him, and he ached for answers to an ever-mounting number
of questions. At Jon’s he might finally have these.

He turned to Kaal. “I should go.”

Kaal was fuming. “You want to leave with her? But none of this
should be our problem! We can handle ourselves here and let people like her and
Jon sort this out.” He was searching for excuses.

“But I need to know the truth. I have to go!” Aldrick blurted.

“Aldrick, we must leave as soon as possible,” Télia said with
urgency. “I am ready. You should prepare yourself now. It will take us two days
to reach the ranges and there may be danger along the way. Your family should
seek shelter in Rain in the meantime. They will be safe there, though they
should remain watchful. I recommend your brother stay with them.”

He turned to Kaal and looked him over. “Will you stay with Bree
and Phelvara until Braem returns?”

“I suppose I could do that,” Kaal muttered reluctantly.

Aldrick looked back at Télia. “Well, I guess I’ll go and prepare
for the journey.”

“Meet me here when you are ready, Aldrick,” she said as he and
Kaal made to leave. “Don’t be long.”

They walked back up their road in silence. All the while Aldrick
could sense Kaal’s ill mood. He probably wanted to leave with him, or perhaps
he was just worried. He had every right to be.

When they entered the house they found Phelvara arisen and sipping
tea in her gown by the embers of last night’s fire. She looked up at them as
they approached. “Hello boys, you are up early… is something wrong?” She had
noticed the anxious expressions upon their faces.

Aldrick took her hand. “Mother, there is little time to explain.
The ka-zchen was hunting me. There is a woman here to protect me. She says I
will be safer at Jon’s. I’m going to go there with her. You must leave here
too, in case more danger comes. Will you move to Rain for a few days and await
Braem’s return? I know this is all crazy, but it is important that we all be
careful.” He took a breath.

She looked upon him in bewilderment. “Oh Aldrick, if you say this
is the best thing then I have to believe you. We will go to Rain, as you ask.
And you,” she touched his cheek with a gentle hand, “you pursue the answers you
rightfully seek.”

It was a much better response than he had expected. He smiled.
“Hopefully I won’t be too long. Perhaps in a week I’ll return. We’ll see.”

Aldrick prepared for the journey hurriedly. He felt lightheaded
and a little sick. Life was changing rapidly and keeping pace with it was
exhausting. Into a leather travelling bag he stuffed everything he would need:
a change of clothes, a pillow and enough food to last him until Farguard. He
already had his bow and wore hunting gear, but decided to add two knives to his
belt and extra arrows to his quiver. He couldn’t be too careful.

Outside, he saddled and then fastened his gear onto his favourite
steed, Tame. The horse whinnied excitedly at the prospect of open travel and
pranced merrily about in the morning sun once readied.

All that was left to do now was to say farewell to Phelvara and
Kaal. Bree was still fast asleep inside and he would not wake her. Phelvara
came and hugged him tightly. She had tears in her eyes and breathed in heavy
gasps.

“Be calm. It’s all going to be fine,” he said softy, attempting to
subdue her emotions.

She smiled and wiped the tears away.

“Yes it will be,” she sniffled before fresh tears took their
place. “Aldrick, I’m sorry Braem and I have raised you in such a sheltered
lifestyle. There is much more for you out there than we can ever offer here.
You are greater than you know.”

Aldrick took her by the shoulders. “I love living here, Mother.
This place is always going to be home to me. You and Braem are the greatest
parents, to all three of us. Don’t worry about me out there. The woman I ride
with is trustworthy. She wants the best for us all.”

Phelvara cried more and they hugged for some time longer. When she
finally let him go, Aldrick turned to Kaal. He stood nearby, resting his weight
on his bow and watching Aldrick with an inscrutable expression.

“I’ll see you, Brother,” Aldrick said.

Kaal sighed, then came and thumped him on the shoulder. “Don’t go
getting yourself into any trouble. If a ka-zchen eats you I’ll use that
girlfriend of yours for target practice.”

Aldrick laughed. “I’ll be fine.” He mounted Tame then looked back.
“Goodbye! Tell Bree I say bye to her too, and that she should look after her
mother!” He raised a hand and was on his way.

While Aldrick rode down the hill, fear and apprehension no longer
hounded him. He was only anxious with excitement. He was going on a journey
with a beautiful woman, a journey that would connect the life he knew to a
world only spoken of in tales and wandered in dreams, one in which magic and
mighty beasts still dwelled. Whatever else was there to discover in lands he
had yet to lay eyes upon?

Télia awaited him at the gate, sitting gracefully upon her mare.
She had removed her hood and her flurries of hair danced gently in the morning
breeze.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

He glanced back at his home on the mountainside. “Yes, I am. We
ride for Farguard?”

She nodded. “We need to make as much ground as possible under the
sun. If there are more ka-zchen about they will stalk at night, in the
shadows.”

Aldrick took a breath. “Well then, I guess we should be on our way.”

“Yes.”

They began to ride. Télia led, galloping swiftly. He hoped Tame
would be able to maintain her Mare’s pace. The farm horses seldom journeyed at
a speed beyond a trot and the road would be long. Presently, Tame appeared to
be enjoying the freedom and held his own with ease.

The immediate road north Aldrick knew well for he and Kaal had
roamed the surrounding fields and gullies as children, seeking out anything
that captured their imaginations and playing games that entertained them while
they avoided whatever chores Braem and Phelvara had set for them that day. It
wasn’t long before they had left these familiar places behind them, though, and
made their way down a rocky crag into a vast, low-lying woodland valley that
stretched far inland. The road to Farguard kept to the left, following closely
to the white sand coastline. The trees shied away from its borders, but their
branches reached far and clumps of slender leaves hung at head height around
them. Grass covered the ground where it could; a deep green in the shade while
bright and vibrant where the sun’s light touched it. It was strange travelling
through such a serene landscape when he knew such grave dangers lay ahead.
Perhaps this was all a prolonged dream.

Very late in the afternoon, after only two brief stops to eat and
rest the horses, they came upon a great opening in the woods through which a
shallow river ran to the nearby shore. At the far side of this, across an
arched stone bridge, Aldrick could see an inn. It was a welcome sight.

Télia drew her mare to a halt and turned to face him. “We will
rest there tonight. For us a manmade shelter will prove safer than the trees.”

He came to her side.

“What about the owners?” he asked. “If we are being hunted isn’t it
best we stay away from people—keep them safe?”

“We will warn them. We will say only that there may be danger
about, not that you are hunted. If there is any trouble, they will have a
cellar to take refuge in, and I will be ready.”

“Do we even have weapons strong enough to defeat a ka-zchen if one
does attack?”

“I have an aera’s crossbow,”
Télia said with a thoughtful frown. “With an accurate
shot it should be powerful enough to kill one. I cannot say for certain,
though.” She looked across at him. “You are the only one here who has survived
an attack. Perhaps you should protect me.”

“I can teach you how to run really fast if you like.”

She laughed. Somehow she looked even more beautiful when she
laughed. Her whole face was a smile. His heart melted.

When they arrived outside the inn the daylight was beginning to
fade. The inn was small and looked very old, ancient even. Similar to Aldrick’s
home, its walls were built of stone, but over the years these had been
weathered and, in places, had collapsed. One entire corner was reinforced with
sturdy lengths of wood from the surrounding forest. Above the door, a faded
sign hung from rusted chains reading ‘Seawood Inn’.

They dismounted and led their horses round to a smelly, drab
stable. There was little feed and the lack of other horses occupying the stalls
made them question whether the inn had been abandoned. This soon proved not to
be the case as, upon entering, an aged man with a walking stick greeted them
from behind a dusty counter.