Chronicles of Den'dra: A Land Torn: Ancient Powers Awaken (8 page)

From his new vantage point he could see several more iron shells fleeing through the snow on foot. Only one was trying to escape on horseback. This one Setur marked as a higher priority. It took little to no effort to catch up with the iron shell. He recognized this one as having been the one standing over the dragon lord hatchling when he had arrived. Plucking the man out of the saddle was the work of a moment. The rest were fleeing for their lives and presented no challenge. Sickened by the lack of sport Setur turned back to the village after dropping the iron shell in his grip.

Rothlt soared over the rim of the valley a minute later. Iradaemi was still standing over Inadar when he set down in the clearing. One glance was all that it took to tell the tale of what had happened. Seeing only soldiers dead he was satisfied. He still required the villagers to raise the child. Setur set down and the three dragons ambled over to inspect Inadar.

“Some of the iron shells escape. I can hunt them down if you desire.” Setur flexed a claw that had sustained a bruise from one of the iron shell’s swords.

“
Harass them but make sure that a few survive to warn the other humans. If we are fortunate they will bear the tale that dragons killed everyone in this village. Otherwise they might return with armies.” Rothlt was satisfied that Inadar was unharmed. Iradaemi uncoiled herself and stepped back as Inadar began waking up. Upon the dragon revealing the child, Encer cautiously edged closer.

Nearly suffered a heart attack when the three dragons turned on him he again questioned the wisdom of his choice those many years ago. When none of them attacked he slowly walked closer. Ignoring his instincts he walked past the blue and the grey dragon. He felt their eyes boring into his soul every step of the way. Inadar was just starting to sit up when he reached her. The black dragon barred his passage for a moment and inspected him. Again Encer’s heart nearly gave out.

“It’s OK. They only want to protect me.” Inadar stepped past the black dragon to Encer’s side. “He takes care of my mommy.” Encer marveled as the girl addressed the dragon. Even more surprising was when the dragon glanced at the other two dragons and they all took a step back from the two.

“
Your storehouse.” Encer began convincing himself that the strain had driven him to insanity. The black dragon motioned towards the blackened ruins and Encer managed a weak nod. “You hunger in white cold?”

“
N... no. Our trappers can provide meat.” Encer realized that everything he had suspected about dragons had been true and that for some reason the dragons were revealing themselves to him.

“
Dragons give food humans. Humans care for hatchling. Dragons save and protect from iron shells.” The black dragon spoke and waited for comprehension.

“
I... we...” Encer’s heart was palpitating and his head was getting light

“
It’s ok. They won’t hurt us. They only hurt the soldiers because they thought that they were going to hurt us.” Inadar was pulling on Encer’s hand and looking earnestly into his face.

“
Hatchling speaks true.” With this statement the dragon reared up on his hind legs and lifted into the air. The other two did likewise leaving Encer and Inadar alone in the center of the clearing surrounded carnage.

Not entirely sure what had happened Encer walked with Inadar through the reddened snow back to their house. Mytera was inside with Torroth. Encer was somewhat surprised to see the young man sitting at the table and dressed. He looked up fearfully when Encer came through the door. No one said anything as Encer took his coat off and hung it up. Inadar was the first one to break the silence.

“Setur likes you. He said that for a human you are...” Inadar paused as she searched for a word. “He said you are fearless. Most humans aren’t so fearless.”

“
Who is Setur?” Torroth asked before Encer had a chance.

“
The blue dragon.” This left three jaws hanging loosely.

“
I thought it was going to kill me. All I could think about was wanting to die then it walked away.”

“
Not an it. Setur is a boy. Iradaemi is a girl and Rothlt is a boy but he is much older so they all listen to him.” Again three mouths hung open. Encer was having difficulty believing that he could be surprised still yet the familiar sensation was again upon him. He began to understand why the dragons were protecting her but only had a hint of an idea why.

“
Torroth, don’t you have any family back home?” Mytera had evidently had enough talk about dragons.

“
It was just my brother and me. My parents died in the plague four years ago.”

“
Then you can stay with us. Setur will be happy.” Inadar chimed in gleefully.

“
I don’t want to intrude...” Torroth wasn’t able to finish before Mytera cut him off.

“
Nonsense. It’s not like you can leave in your condition. You need to rest for a few more weeks. On top of that the dragons haven’t let anyone leave as it is. Besides, you're not the same type as the rest of the soldiers were. I honestly don’t know how you got into that group.” Mytera finished with an air that anyone who knew her recognized as the last word on the matter.

“
I and my brother were really good at fighting. Verkal saw us sparing one day and the next we were assigned to his unit.”

“
Good. You can teach me how to fight.” Inadar looked out from under her long black lashes and silky black curls like her statement was as normal as any.

“
But you’re a girl!” Torroth exclaimed. Encer was about to agree with the observation when Inadar retorted.

“
I am not. Take it back!”

Chapter Six

Skeln lay in the hollow beneath an old tree protected from the wind. Sleep was slow in coming despite his exhaustion. When he did finally fall asleep he was haunted by dreams involving black carriages and men in chain mail armor. Endless forest trails fraught with missteps at every turn was the nightmare he was dreaming when he suddenly woke.

The soft sound of footfalls met his straining ears. He imagined the sound of chainmail rattling as his mind filled in the gaps between reality and imagination. It took a moment before he realized that what he was hearing wasn’t consistent with the footfalls he expected. Another chilling realization was that he was hearing canine footfalls and by the sound of it a large pack.

Immediately he recalled all the whispered stories of lone travelers set upon by fearsome packs of wolves. The only evidence that had been found were scraps of clothing and bone. This was a worse fate than the men in chainmail portended.

Knowing that the slightest move on his part would likely signal an attack Skeln remained as still as stone sure that his pounding heart was causing the earth to tremor. The moon was out from behind the clouds and shed a sickly pale light into the trees. It was enough that movement and shape could be seen but dim enough that the imagined details were clearer than the real ones. Without moving he was able to make out a dozen or so independent shapes. Slowly one edged closer to him. He considered suddenly moving and making a noise in the hopes of scaring them away. This idea was discarded as at best only buying a few moments and at worst bringing the whole lot down on him sooner. Every moment was precious and none could be squandered.

The bravest wolf, for that is what they were revealed to be when it stepped into a pool of moonlight strong enough to tell, cautiously crept closer. Its movements were like those of a dog that approaches a new potentially dangerous object for the first time. A rapid footstep forward then an equally rapid retreat. Slowly retake the step ready to shy back at the first indication of danger. The whole procedure was repeated, each time gaining a few inches.

Skeln found it odd that the wolf saw him as a danger. A lone boy in the woods in the depth of the night. Skeln could clearly see the yellow canine incisors and hear the sniffing of the beast. Eyes glinted a yellow to match the fangs in the dim light. A foot away the wolf stopped and sniffed again.

The beast whimpered and cowered back. Skeln blinked and the creature fled. As soon as the last sounds had disappeared into the distance he sat up and leaned against the tree. He felt weak and shaky all over. It took several minutes before he was able to stop the shaking. The mystery of how the animal had acted plagued his mind. It defied logic that a wolf would be terrified of a lone boy when it had a pack waiting at its back. Whatever the reason he was thankful to be alive. Any further sleep was impossible after a scare of that magnitude.

Gathering his things back into his pack he set out again. The clouds had cleared and the moon was near full so walking was possible. Speed however wasn’t. He just hoped that his pursuers had the better sense to remain asleep for a time yet.

*****

What Skeln didn’t realize was that Urake had neutralized the malevolent pursuers and was now desperately trying to catch up himself. He couldn’t track at night without a hound or at least a supply of torches. While Skeln was moving on in the wee hours of the morning Urake was sleeping lightly, waking frequently to check the light. He was protected from the cold by his dual sided cloak having discarded the threadbare one under a rock miles back. When the sun was still below the horizon it shed barely enough light to meet Urake’s requirements. He began anew the trail. It was as indistinct as yesterday for a couple more miles then he found where Skeln had rested the night.

Urake also discovered the tracks of a couple dozen wolves in the same area. Fearing the worst he found Skeln’s sleeping spot and a set of tracks that moved downhill. He concluded that the wolves had passed after Skeln due to the lack of a struggle. These new tracks were already a few hours old indicating the early start that Skeln had. Urake followed the tracks with less difficulty for a while before they again became obscure. More deduction told Urake that Skeln had been at this point when the light grew strong enough to see safer footing.

Urake cursed under his breath. Skeln’s lead had grown over that of yesterday’s. There was nothing that could be done about it but follow as fast as possible. The trail led down the side of the mountain out of the scrub and alpine vegetation into the verdant forests of lower altitudes. The trail was easier in spots and harder in others due to the changed flora. In a meadow it was easy to track the crushed stems. A stream negated the advantage gained in the meadow because the tracks went in on one side and didn’t come out on the other. Urake wasted half an hour following the stream up one way without luck before he followed it down. A couple hundred feet down he discovered a faint footprint on the bank.

Again on the trail Urake continued for a time at a good pace. His next hurdle was when he reached a road. Here he found where Skeln had rested for a time hidden in a thicket. The trail then crossed the road and entered a stand of alders. Skeln’s skill at hiding his tracks hadn’t diminished through the day and if anything the boy was learning new tricks. At one point the trail became clearly defined only to stop at a rock ledge that bared further progress. Backtracking Urake discovered another fainter trail that led back the way he had come. The trail proceeded to closely follow the original trail for a hundred yards or so then merged leaving Urake back at the ledge. Unable to find any other tracks Urake was left with the ledge. He almost feared he had lost the trail when he saw some scuff marks a few feet over on the ledge. Further examination showed a few handholds. At the bottom Urake picked up the trail again.

Intent on ferreting out every false turn Urake found another hurdle that involved a stream and a trail that entered it and exited it at three different points and looped back again. Skeln had taken one of the loops twice and climbed up on a leaning tree. A few dozen feet away the real trail started again. This time Skeln didn’t bother trying to hide anymore. Apparently he was certain that his pursuers would be stymied by his elaborate ruses and no longer followed him.

Urake was able to jog at times the trail was so clear. Only now and then did it fade but only as the terrain assisted. A rock field proved annoying but the tracks were clear again on the other side. Suddenly Urake realized that the tracks he was following were not alone. For a stretch about eight other tracks joined Skeln’s. Warily he continued on the watch for these other individuals. They seemed to only be traveling in the same direction but at different times these strangers and Skeln. Suddenly a man holding a loaded crossbow stepped out from behind a tree.

“Hold it there mister.” Two more appeared on the other side of the deer trail. One held another crossbow. The third held a short sword. This was an ambush and the mysterious footprints belonged to bandits.

“
Where are the other five?” Urake scanned the woods around him. Four he readily saw as they began appearing. The fifth he didn’t see until he heard a sound above him. This one held a bow with an arrow notched. The other four soon surrounded Urake with their mismatched weapons. One wielded a poleax and the rest had various swords. One had a broadsword and another a dueling sword utterly worthless in a real fight.

“
This is the one Emeck?” The man who had originally stepped out from behind the tree called to a black haired blue eyed youth on the other side of the group.

“
He’s the one but I can’t read him. He’s blocking me out.” Urake smirked a little at Emeck’s words. Years of training had left him with certain defenses. He wasn’t surprised to find a telepath hiding with a band of bandits. To be gifted was to be in danger every moment of your life. A life in hiding often turned into the life of a bandit.

“
Might I have the honor of knowing to whom I am speaking?”

“
You mean you don’t already know?”

“
Didn’t my question indicate that?” Urake saw that the leader appeared insulted somehow.

“
Every one near these woods knows about us.”

“
I’m not exactly from near these woods. Care to enlighten me?”

“
We are the black woods bandits aren’t we lads?” There was a round of cheering following the leader’s words. “Now that you know who we are then you know our reputation and what we want.”

“
I'm afraid I don’t know your reputation but I can guess what you want. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you that I don’t have a copper. I do however have other things worth a fair bag of gold but you wouldn’t appreciate such things so I'm not going to burden you with them.” Urake saw that the bandit leader was still trying to understand what he had said.

“
You mean you have something valuable but you won’t give it to us. You know we can just take it.”

“
I encourage you to try.” Urake unslung his bundle and retrieved his sword and a fighting knife in one fluid motion. Instantly the crossbows were trained on his chest and the swords held at the ready.

“
Fool, we can cut you down where you stand. Surrender now and we will have your treasures and you can keep your life.” In response Urake took a rapid step forward. Spinning he swirled the cloak out behind him. Satisfied with the impact of three tangled projectiles he loosed a throwing knife at the archer in the tree taking the startled cry and following thud as confirmation of his aim.

The two crossbow holders were occupied reloading. It took a skilled handler a good forty seconds to reload so until that time only the four swordsmen and the pole arm wielder presented a threat. They were warily circling as they recovered from Urake’s surprise attack. Noting the position of the one called Emeck, Urake set to work. The first one to fall was the one with the dueling blade. Parrying with his fighting knife he sliced with his sword across the man’s chest. Blood escaped as the man fell to the ground.

Only four threats left. Dodging a swing from the pole arm Urake blocked a couple slices and swung hard at the broadsword. The man attempted to block but his weapon was no match for the dwarven steel or the muscles that swung it. The broadsword shattered and Urake’s blade carved into his shoulder.

Three remained and the crossbows were half loaded. The pole arm wielder came in again with a mad swing. Ducking the arc of death was easy enough. Even easier was smashing the off balance man in the back of his head with the pommel of Urake’s sword. The bandit dropped to the ground senseless.

Now the crossbows were almost loaded and Emeck was still at Urake’s back. He threw another of his knives at one of the crossbows breaking the loading mechanism. The resulting sudden release was blocked by the man’s hand as he tried to place a bolt in the channel. Bone crunched and rendered the hand useless for the foreseeable future. The other fumbled and dropped his bolt in the ground. Urake took the opportunity to leap closer and bring the flat of his sword down on the back of the man’s head.

Now the only contender was Emeck. The young man realized that he was the only one still in the fray and began backing up apprehensively while Urake approached him. Putting up his sword Urake drew a throwing knife in preparation. Emeck noticed this and fled. Urake flipped the knife around and flung it at the base of the boy’s head. His aim was true and the handle struck a solid blow. Emeck skidded to a stop on his face and remained motionless.

Urake turned to survey the battlefield. The archer from the tree was trying to crawl away. The man with the sliced chest wasn’t moving and the other man with the shattered wrist had already fled. Apparently the man with the injured shoulder had managed to walk away or so the trail of blood led one to believe. Urake advanced on the crawling archer and ignoring his pleas for mercy dealt him a blow to the side of the head. Despite the knife wound and broken leg from the fall he would survive. Urake wasn’t so sure about the man with the chest wound. It shouldn’t be too deep but wounds like that could be tricky. Urake pulled his knife free and wiped it off in the man’s cloak. The other two knives were also retrieved and replaced. Emeck was trussed up and Urake departed with his captive over a shoulder.

Urake followed Skeln’s trail for half an hour before Emeck began waking. At first it was only a little movement of the limbs. This was replaced with violent struggle when the lad recovered full consciousness. Setting him down Urake stepped back to appraise his captive.

“You killed them all!” Fear and anger warred across Emeck’s face as he shouted out the accusation.

“
Normally I would have but I doubt that your friends will be telling anyone of consequence about me. I always prefer not to kill everyone that sees me but I do require a certain element of anonymity.”

“
Who are you?” Now fear was the dominant emotion evident.

“
No one of great consequence. You on the other hand I have need of.”

“
W.why?” Emeck was still testing his bonds.

“
It is all very simple really. I'm looking for someone and you are a tracker telepath. I need you to help me find him.” Emeck turned as white as a bleached sheet and stopped struggling. For a moment Urake was afraid that the lad had also stopped breathing. His faith was restored in the boy’s constitution a moment later.