Haven Keep (Book 1) (36 page)

“Haven Keep should be through this pass,” Kaiden announced.  “I think there was once a road, but it has long since eroded.”

“Will we be able to find the keep, or has that eroded as well?”

“From what I hear, miraculously, it is still intact.  The only reason the keep was abandoned was the winters became too cold and the food supplies were too far away.”

Von could understand that.  Already they were further into the back country than most of the farmers dared to live and work.  Winters up here were harsh.  Spring and Autumn were not a whole lot better.

The day wore on and they traveled deeper and deeper into the forest and higher in elevation.  Night was slowly coming and the ground was too rugged for the horses to continue in the dark.  They would need to find shelter for their animals soon, and shelter for themselves as well.  The temperature dropped quickly in the mountains, so quickly if you were not prepared  it would kill you.

Kaiden found an alcove of a rock that would suit their purposes well.  It would shelter from wind and even some precipitation.  A small fire left burning all night could easily keep them and their animals warm.  Well if not warm, they would at least not freeze.  There was a little light left, but they wouldn’t likely find another spot so suited for shelter before the cold began to set in.

“I’ll take care of the horses,” Von volunteered.  “If you want to get a fire started.”

“You don’t have to twist my arm.”

Von thought it was the least he could do, after sleeping late this morning.  Not to mention the morning before, causing their late start.  His muscles were beginning to loosen up, all except his lower back which still ached from riding a horse all day.  Normally sitting in a saddle didn’t do that to him, but combined with everything else he still felt stiff.  It was good to stretch a bit as
he brushed the horses.  He had definitely pushed his body to the limit in the forge.  Kaiden didn’t know how close he’d come to the truth when he accused Von of nearly killing himself.  Von had pushed his body to exhaustion.  Corren, near the end, tried to convince Von to stop, but Von pushed on.  Even when Corren collapsed into sleep Von pushed further.  Faster.   His body screamed with pain. He did not even stop until the hilt and handle were complete.  After that he remembered nothing until Kaiden threw water in his face.  He grinned to himself at the secret he now carried.  The secret he kept buckled to his waist.

Von finished taking care of the horses and stretched out next to the fire.

“I’m tired,” he said.

“The day is not done yet.  We still have our friends to worry about.”

“I know, let’s get some food in us first though.”

“You’re still hungry?  You’ve been snacking on that jerky all day.”

Von hoped Kaiden hadn’t noticed.  “Of course I’m hungry.  Putting up with you is hungry work.”

Kaiden laughed.  “I’m sure it is.”

The two settled down to a quick meal of cheese and cold mutton. Cold because they didn’t want to waste time cooking.  Von ate hungrily.  His appetite was still ravenous, and he thought it would take him another six meals just to make up for those he’d missed. 

“So what’s the plan?”

“We’ll wait for it to get a little darker, then head back down that way.” he gestures with his thumb.  “We’ll take the dogs with us to warn if anyone comes near.  We should find them easily when we get close enough to their fire.   Even if they try to hide it, we’ll smell it burning and when we get closer, see it as well.”

“It’s as good a plan as any.”

“We’ll get close enough to listen to what they are saying, but we need to be sure not to be seen.  We are heavily outnumbered and I do not want to risk a fight.”

Von nodded.  He knew under normal circumstances Kaiden was right, but felt with his dagger in one hand and his sword in the other, he could easily down three of them on his own, if not more.  Kaiden and the dogs didn’t quite make it a fair fight, but they could figure a way to separate the men instead of fighting them all at once.  Plus they had their bows.  They could take out three or four men before it ever came to hand to hand.

Von made quick work of dinner and waited for Kaiden to finish.  He played with his dagger while he waited, flipping it through his fingers. He spun the dagger effortlessly.  It danced and moved as if it were a part of him.  It spun faster and faster.  The weapon amazed him.  He wouldn’t have attempted the trick with another dagger.  He probably would have cut a finger off.

“If you are done playing with your toy we can go.”

Von smiled and sheathed his dagger.  “Lead the way.”

Von crept down the mountainside after Kaiden.  The path they chose arched wide around the route they made on their climb.  Isk and Jen kept close to Von.  He couldn’t shake the feeling
the dogs were anxious about something, something additional to the men below.  The dogs were uneasy.  It made Von uneasy.

Von saw the fire before he ever smelled it.   He and Kaiden approached the camp from the north.  The men had only bothered to hide the fire from the east.  It was obvious they did not think they had been seen.  Arrogant.   That made Von think they were Halfen for sure.  Careless and reckless.

Von was sure the dogs knew to keep quiet, but he gently placed his hand on both their heads in turn, just to make sure.  The closer they came to the camp the more nervous he became.  Maybe this was not such a good idea.  Maybe his sword wasn’t what he thought it was.  He had only been in one fight and he was sure there had been a lot of luck involved in that.  He tried to convinced himself there was more than luck to it.  He was sure there was, positive his dagger had played a major roll, but his nerves were telling him something else.  He took a deep breath then let it out slowly, trying to keep himself calm. 
You can do this, Von,
he told himself.

Von and Kaiden exited the trees into a clearing.  Von kept close to Kaiden’s side and they moved quickly across the open space.  His adrenaline was pumping now and he nearly drew his sword.  He could feel it at his side, pulling to him, longing to be used.

The camp was about fifty spans ahead.   An enormous fallen tree ran nearly the length of the clearing and lay close to the camp.  No doubt the men thought the tree hid them from view.

Kaiden pointed to the fallen tree and started crawling in the snow.  Von followed.  The two men crept slowly down to the tree and crouched behind it, peering over the top of the crumbling bark.  The tree was old and showing signs of rot, but still provided good cover.  They paused and assessed the camp.  There were two guards set, one at either end.  A horse line was set up with over a dozen animals.  Maybe more.  It was hard to tell the exact number in the dark and at this distance.  Some of the mounts were probably pack animals. Von hoped so.  He did not think they could fight twelve men.

Von felt the wind pick up.  It was a slight breeze at first, then grew to gusts that whistled through the trees, blowing the branches wildly about.  The wind gained strength quickly, shrieking down the mountain, blowing the fresh fallen snow with it.  Von was surprised at how fast the windstorm came upon them, but thought their luck couldn’t be better.  The wind was whipping the snow about and could act as cover when they approached closer to camp.  They might even be able to get to the animals.

Von rose from his crouched position.  Kaiden grabbed Von’s arm and pulled him back down.  Von was a little puzzled.  Kaiden just shook his head then pointed back up the mountain.

Kaiden wanted to go back the way they had come.  Von didn’t understand.  Maybe Kaiden saw something he did not like.

“What is it?”  Von whispered.

“The beast,” Kaiden sounded shaken.  “It’s back.”

Von’s head was on a swivel, trying to see what Kaiden must be looking at.  He could see nothing.  The snow was blinding.  “Where?”

“I don’t know.  It rides the wind.  We must get out of here.”

Kaiden leaped up, but this time Von pulled him down, and just in time.  A man climbed up over the fallen tree they were hiding behind.  He was only feet from them.  Von held his breath.  He didn’t think they had been seen, but any moment they could be.  Von grabbed the dogs to keep them quiet. 

The man stood on the tree for a moment, staring up the mountainside. Suddenly he jumped forward and plunged himself into the storm.  He trudged out of sight, never looking back.

“It has him,” Kaiden said.

“What has him?”

“The vyr.”

Kaiden again stood to go. Von yanked him violently to the snow, behind the cover of the tree.  He put his finger to his lips to keep Kaiden silent.  Voices shouted from the camp.  They were coming  closer.  Von crouched in silence, holding the dogs.  More men jumped over the log, chasing after the first.  Three total.   They did not look to their right or they would have seen Von and Kaiden crouched against the tree.  They called after the first man.

“Tago!”

“Tago!  What are you doing?”

Von watched them disappear into the trees.

Kaiden whispered, “We should go before they return.”

Von agreed, but he watched the trees to make sure the men were out of sight before he moved.

The men’s shouting was silenced by an inhuman scream.  The sound put a chill through Von’s body.  “What was that?”

“Tago is dead, let’s move.”

Von didn’t argue.  He was on Kaiden’s heels almost as fast as he could move.  Kaiden raced like a man possessed.   Von turned to check if they were being followed.  The men hadn’t returned.  A few more moments and they would reach the safety of the trees.    Five more steps.  Three.  Von again turned to see if they were followed.  Something dark sped across the end of the clearing, a shadow fleeing from the light.

“What was that?”

Kaiden was not there to answer.  He was already disappearing up the mountain.  Von ran after him.  Von was sure he had seen a man, but no man he knew could move that fast.  Especially in snow.    Kaiden eventually slowed enough for Von to catch up.  Von wanted to stop to catch his breath, but as soon as he reached Kaiden, Kaiden was off again.  Von struggled to keep up.  He wagered even the dogs were having a hard time keeping pace.

Another scream pierced the night.  This one beastly.  It made Von’s skin crawl. 
What the devils could make such a noise?
  
Maybe it was a devil.
  With the scream the winds died.

“Kaiden, slow down.  What was that thing?”

Kaiden finally stopped.  “I told you.  The beast.  I thought it was dead.  I was sure it was dead.  I felt it die.”

“Kaiden, talk sense.”

“That first scream was Tago.  The vyr killed him.  The second... I don’t know”

“What do you mean the vyr killed him?”

“It took his mind.  Called to him.  He must have been sleeping.  We can’t sleep.  Not until we get home.”

“Kaiden, calm down.”  Von took Kaiden by both arms.  “Calm down and talk to me.”

Kaiden faced Von with a blank stare.   Von wanted to slap him.

“The beast,” Kaiden said, “Soren called it a vyr, it takes over your mind as you sleep.  Soren killed it.  I don’t know how it is back.”

“Maybe there’s another one.  The stories say they roamed the north before man arrived.”

“If there are more of them it will mean our doom.”

Kaiden turned and started back up the mountain. Von followed.  The dogs brought up the rear.

Von could see the dying embers of their fire as he approached the camp.  He heard the horses whinnying.   Someone was there.  Or something, if what Kaiden said was true.

Kaiden stopped still in his tracks.  “Hide,” he warned.

The two moved in opposite directions.  Von found a rock to hide behind.  He seemed to be doing a lot of hiding lately.  He did not see where Kaiden ducked out of sight.  Probably in the trees across the trail.

Von decided he was about done hiding, but before he moved eight men appeared.  They led Kaiden’s and his horses in tow.  These men hoped to find Kaiden and Von asleep in their bedrolls.  Except now they were caught in the act.  Their companions down the mountain would not be happy when none of them returned.  If any of them survived the vyr.

Von thought he and Kaiden could follow them down the mountain, picking the horse thieves off with their bows.  The two could down all eight men before they’d gone fifty spans.  It would be over before those men knew what hit them.  Von just needed to wait for them to pass then find Kaiden to hatch his plan.

The men passed within three spans of Von’s hiding place.  He calmed the dogs again with gentle strokes.  One growl from either dog and he would find himself facing eight armed men and as far as he could tell Kaiden was clear on the other side of the trail in the small outcropping of trees. 

The men moved further away. Von thought it was finally safe to breath again. He started to move, but Kaiden stepped out from the group of trees he’d been hiding in.  His bow was out, arrow nocked and drawn. 
I guess that puts an end to my plan,
Von thought.