Chronicles of Den'dra: A Land Torn: Ancient Powers Awaken (17 page)

By afternoon Urake had three of these dreaded serpents headless in a sack at his side. Two had been beheaded for the simple crime of appearing within sword reach and the third had received an arrow for rattling on a boulder a few paces away. Emeck eyed the writhing sack and grew pale when Urake informed him what supper was going to entail. When they did decide to stop the day was nearly gone. A small fire was started and Urake set about preparing the finally stilled reptiles for cooking. He had two of them skinned and gutted when he stopped and stared into the fire.

“
Emeck, is that you?” The question was terse and startled the lad.

“
No. What is it?” Emeck watched as Urake closed his eyes and concentrated.

“
Someone is trying to track me. It feels familiar but I can’t place it. Can you sense it?” Urake still had his eyes closed in concentration.

Emeck opened his mind a little only to be impacted by a powerful mind. The entity tried to force its way past his defenses with ruthless force. It was only when Emeck barricaded himself deep within his own mind that he escaped the entity's grasp. Being a telepath himself he had found ways of preventing himself from accidently reading other people. These same skills it seemed worked at keeping others out as well. When he opened his eyes again he found that he was laying on the ground and Urake was shaking his shoulders. It took a minute before the senses he had abandoned returned. Sound and touch were among the last to assert themselves.

“I thought that it had killed you. You collapsed and stopped breathing. Even your heart stopped.” Urake sounded concerned as Emeck rubbed the lump that was forming on the back of his head. A head ach was already pounding.

“
He wanted control of my mind like what I do when I see through someone’s eyes. I didn’t know what it was like to be on the receiving end.” Emeck rubbed his temples tenderly.

“
Ungifted people never notice. It’s only a missing moment or two in their memory. Gifted especially telepaths or normal people that train their minds can sense what is happening. Did he get anything?” Urake was satisfied that Emeck would survive unharmed accept for the goose egg the lad had gotten when he fell down. He was still a little curious about how Emeck had appeared dead momentarily.

“
I don’t think so. All I could think about was escaping and hiding from him then everything got quiet. That was when I opened my eyes again. It was really strange. Like floating in an ocean that was suddenly as still as glass. I almost didn’t want to leave.”

“
Did you get anything else?” Urake asked.

“
Not much. Just that whoever it was old and powerful. He was a long ways away. That way I think.” Emeck pointed almost directly north.

“
I swear I recognized whoever it was. I think I encountered him a long time ago.” Urake mused for a moment before returning to cooking. Emeck’s headache was beginning to abate.

*****

Reigns paced his study with a parchment in hand. Fury was evident on his features. The captain who had been dispatched to track the boy from the Garoche highlands had returned to the castle. All the captains of the elite companies were trained on how to build a profile of an individual for a telepath to use in tracking. Reigns had not killed every one that had come under his control. Only those that were dangerous or simply too weak to be useful. A few were useful for his purposes and so they languished safely deep in the dungeon.

The captain had reported that the trail was far too old to follow. Reigns had decided that this warranted a different approach and summonsed a tracker telepath that he had acquired more than twenty years before. The man had been uniquely powerful but was equally harmless. His powers only extended to locating individuals and reading them. Confined deep within the dungeon the man was unable to contact anyone and as such was not a threat to Reigns.

In the past the man had been instrumental in helping track down numerous escaped Gifted individuals. Obedience was implicit. Each of Reign’s special agents knew that their life was worthless beyond their continued service. The half elf knew how to control these individuals. Some he broke and others he held people of value hostage in order to ensure their obedience. This tracker had been a natural slave and had submitted after only a little threatening. Now the man was pale and aged from his prolonged imprisonment in the bowels of the earth. Reigns knew that his valuable agents wouldn’t last long in small damp cells so he kept them comfortable and fed as long as they obeyed him.

Back to the problem that infuriated Reigns. The tracker had been ordered to find the lad. After taking what he needed from the captain, despite the limited details, he had begun searching down the continent. After a couple hours, he had discovered the village where Skeln had last been seen. He relayed to Reigns that a group of trackers had taken off on the trail but another group had found them today dead to the last man in the Draeld. Now no one was willing to risk swamp revenants and refused to enter the Draeld again. This was infuriating in itself but what happened next was worse.

The man had been instructed to begin searching the Draeld for the boy. This had progressed for a few minutes before the man mentioned having found a couple people. This became of further interest when the man said he thought he recognized one of the individuals. Before any further information had been divulged the tracker had jerked to his feet gasping for breath and holding his heart. One word was choked out before the tracker had fallen to the floor dead.

The death of the tracker was merely an annoyance. Another one could be found even though that particular gift was rarely manifested and since the now dead man not with that level of power. What was most infuriating was the man’s last word. This is what burned in Reign’s mind like a red hot coal in a bed of tinder. “Asgare.” That single word irked Reigns above all else.

Not that this was the only thing annoying him. The parchment in hand detailed that the two shadow hunters sent into the mountains had vanished without a trace and the elite squad sent after them had hardly set foot into the mountains before they had been set upon by a flight of dragons. Only one had escaped to carry word out but the letter had been sent by another who stated that the soldier had died of his injuries after delivering the tale.

Giving over to rage Reigns dashed the letter to the floor and swept half the contents of his desk after it. Feeling oddly calmed by the outburst he sank into his chair. Now he knew more than he had a short while ago. Now he knew that the Asgare yet lived and in all probability still carried Ice Heart. Also that the man was not alone. That he had somehow killed at great distance. This was a new skill to add to the list of already incredible things the assassin was supposedly capable of. That last entry in that list had been the ability to evade hundreds of the best trackers and hounds in the land combined with the manpower of half the army.

The issue of the dragons was not any clearer. Already Reigns had lost two of his best elite squads to the search for this rumored village. For some reason the dragons were especially protective of their borders in the last years and suffered no incursions. It seemed unlikely that an entire village existed behind these same borders.

Reigns thought back and unearthed a few details that may or may not have been relevant. That winter fifteen or so years ago when Reigns had been busy hunting down the Asgare the dragons had expanded their borders. At the time Reigns had been occupied and had thought nothing of it. If a village had existed in the area then it was likely that no one had survived the border expansion. Still if it was true then it could mean that they had figured out how to control dragons. If that was the case then immeasurable power was in the hands of mere peasants. Either way the odds were that any further forays in that field would meet with the same unpleasant results. Too bad the tracker was dead. He could have been useful in confirming a human presence behind the border.

Chapter Fourteen

Brounn was not behind the bar like usual. Right now he was seated at one of his tables engaged in conversation with a loyal patron. The man wasn’t an agent or anything of the like. Just a drunkard who frequented the ale house. He did however have a minute value in that he worked as a groom for the burgomeister of Warton. Every now and again a morsel of information of value fell unintentionally from the man’s liquor numbed mind.

Today a veritable wealth of information was being gleaned carefully by Brounn. It seems that the chancellor had given orders to myriad of his agents to be on the search for a blond haired blue eyed youth the length and breadth of the land. The burgomeister had been receiving and dispatching couriers all morning. It occurred to Brounn that he should place an agent in the household of the burgomeister in an attempt to intercept some of those dispatches. As is was any link in the chancellor's spy network was worth keeping an eye on.

As the Asgare’s network began waking up Brounn had received numerous reports that another network was active in the land. It wasn’t as secretive as the Asgare’s because the chancellor was at its head and had no reason to hide. Brounn had long suspected that another network was in operation but had not until recently had any kind of access to it.

The man was now too far gone in his ale to reveal any more useful information so Brounn began levering his bulk out of his chair. It was just at that moment that the door opened and a soldier stepped inside and peered into the gloom in a searching manner. Brounn hesitated before getting fully to his feet. If he had been found out a full squad would have been sent instead of the lone soldier in an under captain’s uniform.

“
Where is Brawn?” The under captain addressed the serving woman near at hand.

“
Brounn and it’s the fat one over there.” The woman didn’t pay any more attention to the under captain as she returned to dragging an insensible drunk to the corner. Brounn walked behind the counter and made his way over as the soldier looked him up and down.

“
What’s your pleasure? I have a fresh keg of a nice bitter or a new bottle of the best red from a local vineyard. If you are hungry then there is some soup over the hearth in the back and some black rye to go with it” Brounn’s keen eyes caught the glint of the medallion that marked the under captain as an agent of the chancellor’s.

“
I was hoping that we could talk in private.” The under captain looked nervously over his shoulder after mumbling his request.

“
What’s the matter? My establishment not good enough for your kind?” Brounn’s sharp tone made the man jump.

“
No, it’s not that... Well actually now that you mention it, this place is filthy. There should be a law about feeding people in a dump like this.” After the initial apologetic sound the under captain took on a louder voice that reinforced the authority of his station to the dozen sets of eyes that look in his direction. Even the drunkest customers hurriedly returned the majority of their attention to what was directly in front of them.

“
No one insults me in my own business!” Brounn growled at the soldier. It wouldn’t do to let a stranger get an edge on him. Even though only a word from the captain could send him to the dungeons Brounn wouldn’t look like a pushover. Brounn knew that it wouldn’t take much to gather a few of the more sober patrons to his side should the soldier prove unruly. The chancellor was not much loved in these parts.

“
It’s just a little disappointing. Not what I had expected.”

“
Then get out if you don’t like it or buy something if you want to stay.” Brounn watched the soldier closely.

“
Fine.” A silver coin clattered on the counter. “Can I get a glass of that fine red wine?” Brounn would have rather thrown the soldier out than serve him but the choice was not his. A silver would have bought a whole bottle of the red wine he had so the pewter mug he poured was a little fuller than usual. The soldier sniffed the mug and grimace. A prudent sip followed with a deeper grimace.

“
This is a far cry from the best red let alone being called a good wine. Waste of a silver.”

“
I didn’t say it was the best or even a good vintage. I said it was the best I got from a local vineyard. Besides what did you expect?” Brounn started the soldier in the eye.

“
I see. You should change your supplier before you poison your customers. Can I get change for my silver?”

“
Don’t have any. If you didn’t mean to spend so much you should have just given a hand of coppers like everyone else.” The soldier looked a little crestfallen before glancing around the room. He doubted that the patrons had more than a couple silvers in coppers between them. There was sure to be a sack of copper behind the counter from the many “hands” of coppers. Five coppers was still a steep price to charge for the watery pink fluid in his mug so he slid it towards a dejected looking drunk down the counter. The drunk accepted the donation to his inebriation with a toothless smile and set to the task of draining the mug to its dredges.

“
I spent my last copper paying a thieving brat to lead me to this place. Turns out I was standing opposite your establishment and had mistaken it for a heap of used lumber instead of the fine ale house it is.” The under captain rested his elbows on the counter.

“
If you don’t want anything to drink or eat, what are you doing here?” Brounn crossed his arms atop his belly and scowled.

“
I told you. I want to talk to you in private. That or I can continue insulting you out here.” Brounn lifted a corner of his mouth in a sneer at the reply.

“
What do you have to say that can’t be said out here?” Brounn was unwilling to appear to comply with any demand the soldier made.

“
You aren’t going to make it easy for me. What else do I have to say about your dismal establishment before you either throw me out or let me talk to you in private?” The soldier shrugged.

“
And what could you say that would let me give you the latter instead of the former.” Brounn thought to himself that this soldier was acting rather strangely for someone accustomed to being able to demand their own way.

“
Oh let me see. Oh I got a good one.” With a louder voice the soldier continued. “That wine I tasted was at least half cut with river water. Not even the seediest taverns I’ve been in cut their wine more than a quarter.” Brounn narrowed his eyes and scanned the other patrons. Most were too inebriated to understand what was being said and the others were pointedly minding their own business.

“
I'm closer to throwing you out on your ear bastard.” Brounn threatened ominously. The soldier only made a clicking sound with his tongue before replying.

“
I don’t care how true that is, Brest would still roll in his grave if he heard you talk about him like that.” More clicking sounds followed this startling revelation. Brounn was taken aback for a second before he recovered himself.

“
This way.” Brounn made his way around the counter and to the back of the room with surprising speed considering the man’s bulk.

“
I was wondering how far I would have to go before you agreed to talk to me.” The soldier dropped himself into one of the chairs once Brounn had closed the door.

“
So you are telling me that you are Brest’s son?” Brounn remained standing for a moment before taking a seat himself.

“
Bastard is how you phrased it before but yes he was my father.”

“
You don’t have any of his likeness. Why should I believe you?” Brounn scrutinized the lines of the soldier’s face. He shared Brest’s high cheek bones but not the brown eyes or straight black hair. Instead the young man had fine wavy tan hair and deep green eyes in a longer face.

“
No, I always took after my mother in looks.” The soldier popped his wrist casually.

“
Hmm, be that as it may, what is a telepath doing working for the chancellor?” Brounn wasn’t convinced yet. The soldier on the other hand had a turn at being startled.

“
Telepath? Why would you think I'm a telepath?” The soldier sat up in his seat.

“
Brest was. It stands to reason you might be. I still don’t trust you. I don’t even know your name.” Brounn wasn’t afraid of making his opinion known.

“
No of course not. I haven’t given you my name yet. It sounds like I took after mother in more than just looks. Anyway, my name is Enthack. Under captain Enthack. I already told you who my father was and I would rather not tell who my mother is.” Brounn noted the present tense used to describe Enthack’s mother.

“
So she is still alive?” Enthack faltered for a moment before responding to Brounn’s inquiry.

“
Not necessarily. There are other reasons I might not want to let you know who she was.” Enthack was a little flustered. Brounn noted the change in tense and noted to himself that this Enthack was not stupid.

“
No matter. You were saying something?”

“
Yes I was something about... Oh yes. When I was nearly ten Brest died but before that time he told me stories about working with you and the Asgare. He kept telling me that the Asgare wasn’t the evil assassin we hear about. He told me one day the Asgare would return. I vowed to be ready when the Asgare returned and have been preparing myself since that time.” Brounn threw his hands in the air and rolled his eyes.

“
No I know that you are Brest’s spawn. As much an incurable optimist as he. I didn’t realize that there could be two in the land until now.” Enthack flushed and scowled.

“
What! They never found Ice Heart.”

“
Not that I know anything about what you are talking about but they found the Asgare dead from his injuries and dressed in his equipment. He was a hunted man and probably lost the sword in his flight.” Brounn stood up laboriously.

“
What they found was a dead body burnt beyond recognition. It could have been anyone.” Enthack also stood up.

“
I don’t have time to listen to such nonsense. Get out of here.” Brounn made his way to the door. No matter who this person was, it didn’t matter if he couldn’t be trusted.

“
The Asgare is still alive and right now he is somewhere in the Draeld Swamps. Reigns knows and is sending me with a dispatch to the commander in the Forks ordering him to turn out half his garrison into the swamps to find the Asgare.” Brounn’s back straightened and his hand froze on the latch.

“
But of course you already know that he is alive don’t you.” Enthack continued. Brounn cursed under his breath how perceptive the young man was.

“
How do you know this?” Brounn disciplined his face into a blank mask before turning back around.

“
You don’t get it do you? I want to work for him like my father did. I don’t care what the risks are. I have been preparing for this my whole life. I’m a courier for the chancellor. I can do a lot for the Asgare.” Enthack was standing with a pleading expression.

“
Why are you telling me this?” Brounn was thinking as fast as he could but there was no way that he could think of that might yet conceal his identity. Enthack knew too much and could have just had him arrested without playing this charade. On the other hand if the man was telling the truth then this might be the chance that Brounn had been waiting for of getting access to the chancellor’s network.

“
Are you deaf or daft? I'm just a courier. I have been trying my hardest to think of some way to change the message or a way to avoid delivering it. If I could I would. Everything I can think of would reveal my duplicity and I would lose my head. If it comes to that I would but I hoped that you would have another idea.” Enthack sank back into the chair. “Please, you have to believe me. The Asgare’s life is in danger.”

“
Do you have the dispatch on you?” Brounn swept a selection of dirty dishes off the table and took a seat opposite of Enthack.

“
Of course I do.” Enthack’s expression lit up as he pulled the folded parchment from a satchel that hung at his side. Brounn turned the sealed dispatch in his hands and examined it.

“
I take it that this seal is part of the problem?” Brounn squinted a little as he looked at the fine design imprinted into the wax.

“
It’s the chancellor's personal seal. Only he has it and can’t be re fixed if the seal is broken without the chancellor's signet ring which never leaves his finger. He sends two copies of each dispatch with two separate couriers on different routes in case an accident happens. If the seal is broken or the contents altered then I would be betrayed.” Enthack explained and showed Brounn his own seal. It was a ring around an oak leaf with a stylized “E” in the center of the leaf.

“
Each courier and contact have their own unique seal. This is supposed to prevent people from tampering with the letters.”