A Choice of Blades: The Blade Remnant, Book One

by D. N. Woodward

  The man’s countenance took a visible hit. His shoulders sagged as his gaze dropped. Eventually, he nodded an affirmative.

  Not waiting for a response, Leon called out once more, “Hey, mister, why don’t you come down and talk? I’ll call my dog off. He won’t bother you. We’re done fighting. Believe me when I say we never even wanted a fight to begin with!”

  The man studied them with another inscrutable expression on his scarred face before disappearing back into the canopy.

  Leon called Merle to his side and ordered him to sit and stay.

  A few moments later the man stepped out from the shelter of the trees. He was hunched over a bit as if he was still experiencing some residual pain from whatever it was that the Blade did to him. He took hesitant steps forward, watching them with the eyes of a cornered animal until he stood before Leon and Merle. It wasn't lost on Leon that he moved without making a sound. For his part, Merle remained calm, silently panting at Leon’s feet.

  “I’m Leon Waldman, that there is Sveddleton Haberkorn, and that’s Reed Whistler over there, he’s still coming around. This is my dog Merle. Oh, and over there, well, I think his name is Dimples. Can you tell us who you are, why you attacked?”

  “Rezzin Harl. We didn't know who was who when we attacked. Only that the Otterkin Horde was harboring fugitives. Your group was in the way.” He spoke the last as if that fact alone completely atoned for the earlier battle.

  He continued, “We were dispatched for the Day Walkers.”

  “The Day Walkers?” said Leon.

  “Those wolves who are able to transition during day. We came to capture them, to bring them back to the Silent City, to learn their secret, and to determine whether or not to deem them rogues. When your group wandered into the woods, the captain split our party. Our unit circled around and sought to subdue the one with you while the main force attacked those with the merchant horde.”

  Sved jerked up at the last but grunted in pain as soon as he did, “So, the Vindarri decided to wipe us out, just like that? We carry a written permit for our caravan, sanctioned by the Thrall himself! Would the Vin so easily revoke their own writ?”

  “The goal wasn’t to eliminate your horde, just to capture the Day Walkers. They will push the horde back downriver until they capture or slay the remaining Day Walkers. My guess is they will continue the pursuit for another day or two afterward though, just for the sport of the chase and to drive home a lesson for future consideration.”

  Leon cut in, “So, the other Vin? They are coming back, eventually?”

  Rezzin’s face turned grave, “Yes, sooner or later, they will be back this way and will expect me and the others to be here waiting with the last remaining wolf.”

  Leon cut eyes to Sved, “He means Cooper. Cooper, Ben, and the rest of that group have specially crafted suits that allow them to transition during daylight. That’s how he defeated the Hootsi raiders on our way here.”

  “You’re telling me that man who was talking with Ferschall back at camp took on a Hootsi raiding party with a handful of men and won?”

  Leon nodded. “That’s not all. That big guy over there was one of the leaders of the party. He alone escaped, but he lost his Anastashe mount during the raid. Ferschall said he would be dishonored and unable to return to his tribe. You think he might be looking for a little payback?”

  Rezzin squatted down near Sved, “I think he was looking for more than vengeance. That woman defending the Day Walker. If I’m not mistaken, her scream before she dove into the river gave her away as a Hootsi, did it not?” Sved nodded thoughtfully, and Rezzin shrugged. “You men keep strange company!”

  Shana might be a Hootsi?

  Leon hadn't considered it at the time but her scream, just before she dove in after Cooper, did sound a lot like Gus when he came bursting up out of the old deer blind back at the ranch, and they both sounded similar to several of the Hootsi warriors when they chased their group across the bridge.

  He took a closer look at Rezzin as the blond Vin studied Dimples.

  “Sorry about your friends?”

  Way to go, Leon, remind the man of why he was about to make you pincushion a few minutes ago!

  Rezzin snorted in disdain. “You think we would be talking if those men were my friends? I’ve been forced to serve the whims of the Vin War Council for years, but no love is lost between me and the others who serve. I’ve dreamed of an escape for far too long. When you all took out the rest of my squad, my death was all but sealed." He shrugged. "I am a dead man walking."

  Leon felt he was taking the situation much more philosophically than he would have thought possible.

  “They are going to kill you just for being a survivor. Are you sure you folks aren't related to the Hootsi?”

  His response was curt, “The Vin do not suffer disgrace as lightly as the Hootsi. They will make an example of my suffering before I am ended.”

  Leon felt a chill. He thought the Hootsi took their honor to a level beyond anything rational, but the Vin were downright insane!

  Rezzin’s eyes wandered down to the Blade tucked neatly into the belt at his side. Leon didn’t think twice, he lifted it and extended it out to the Vin, hilt first, just as Sved had done for him, “I’m guessing you heard our conversation a few minutes ago. So, you probably know about as much about this as I do. You just trust that our hero from long ago passed along enough power to cure you, and you take it. Anyhow, I know this probably isn't why you told us all that, but it can't hurt to give it a try now, can it? It’s yours if you want it, no strings attached…”

  To Leon’s surprise, and Sved’s astonishment, Rezzin made an unexpected decision. He reached out and gingerly grasped the bone handle. When he pulled his arm back Leon was amazed all over again. Even though he was expecting what happened to happen, it was still surreal to actually see the Blade so seamlessly duplicated.

  For a few heartbeats, Rezzin marveled the way Leon had marveled. Then he suddenly fell to his knees. A small hiss escaped his lips and his body trembled as tears slid down the sides of his face.

  Leon looked to Sved. “Sved? Is he okay? What’s wrong?”

  Sved fell back on his back. He gazed up into the sky. “He'll be fine soon enough. We all carry a certain amount of residual scarring from the effects of the disease in our blood. Most of us don't even notice it's there. It grows as the disease corrupts until we first lift the Blade. After letting it build for years, it can shock a person's system to feel it dissipate.”

  A few minutes later, Rezzin took a deep satisfied breath, like he was tasting fresh air instead of the smoky haze that surrounded them. He looked uncertain but refreshed. He rolled his shoulder that was pierced, tentatively testing its ability to function. Then he smiled with a dawning realization that he was no longer encumbered by the prior wound.

  Sved spoke up once more, “Whatever you were, whatever you may be, you won’t ever be without the Blade again, Rezzin. Just remember that from now on.”

  "I have been a Ranger Guard of the Vin for many years. From the Wild Forest here to the far reaches of the Southern Islands, I’ve helped to further our tribal ambitions with violence. Many, many times I have wondered if we were in the right to do as we have done but it wasn’t until tonight, until I had no other options, and until I saw what happened when you took the Blade, that I dared to hope that the Blade was truly a blessing and not a curse.”

  Leon gave Rezzin’s shoulder a gentle pat. All in all, the moment was a little awkward, but he figured things could have gone so much worse!

  Sved cringed like his leg was starting to get to him again, but he gritted his teeth and responded, “The way I see it, we have three choices if we can just figure out a way to get moving in the next day or so, yes? We can cross the Murk Water and head back toward the Hootsi border, we can continue toward Hollinger through the northern plains, a path extremely dangerous for such a small party this time of year, or we can follow the Murk northwest, further into the Wild Fore
st, to the borders of the Ageless Folk and skirt well north of the Silent City’s territory. Leon, what do you think?”

  Leon had no idea what the Silent City was, but he guessed it was somewhere in the kingdom of the Vin, which Ferschall had already warned him about. He also knew it would be suicide to return the way they had come. Finally, he knew being stuck out on flat plains with injured people was an all-around horrible idea. “We should follow the river west. Seems like our only choice if we want to try to stick together and avoid capture.”

  Sved agreed and Rezzin nodded his approval as well.

  Leon suddenly felt the need to divulge a little more to his new companions. “Guys, I’m glad we are going to make a run at this together, but I’ve got to ask you something. Either of you ever heard of a Royal Tree?”

  The blank looks he received in return were enough of an answer.

  “Well, I had to try. Regardless, Reed and I and, hopefully, Shana, need to find one. I was told that they may have that information at the Bladed Archives in Hollinger?”

  Sved chuckled till he grimaced, and Rezzin shook his head in disgust. “Who told you such a thing?”

  Leon started to see where this was going, and he didn’t care for it one bit. “Ferschall, he told Ben and his men that their best bet to retrieve their captured man from the Hootsi would be in Hollinger and that we could all get more information about those Royal Trees there as well.”

  “Well, he wasn’t lying about the Hootsi. Your captive friend should be heading that way in the next month or so, as long as he doesn’t dishonor himself between now and then, yes? But the Bladed Archives part doesn’t sound right. To my knowledge, those archives burned to the ground generations ago. The spot where they once stood has been nothing more than a historical marker for many years now.

  “Hey now, don't go looking like a water pig stole your dinner, maybe Ferschall knows something we don’t, yes? What I can tell you is that if anyone knows anything about any Royal Trees, it is the matriarch of the Haberkorn Horde, Madam Hazzel. If we can make it far enough west through the Wild Forest, perhaps we can find a northern route that will take us into the territories of my people, no?”

  “I’m not from around here, what is the Wild Forest, and who are the Ageless Folk?” Once more, both Sved and Rezzin gave him odd looks.

  “Just where are you from, Leon?” Sved said.

  “About as far as you can get from where we’re standing right now, from a place called Texas.” They both blinked at him, understandably unfamiliar with any such location.

  Sved broke in, “Leon, those who make their home in the Wild Forest have cut themselves off from the outside world. There are many stories of this tribe, but my people are only merchants and none of us have successfully established trade with the Ageless folk in generations."

  "So, no one really knows if they're still there?"

  Rezzin responded, "Oh they are there. The Silent Forest runs adjacent to the Murk River further west. The Vin War Council still convenes with the leadership of the Wild Ones, as my people call them, from time to time."

  Despite the pain, Sved's eyebrows rose at the new information.

  "Great! So, you have contacts over there?" said Leon.

  "I'm afraid I don't. Some Vin have claimed to come and go among them, but many who have ventured beyond their borders are never heard from again.

  "They may not be our biggest threat though. There are outlaws and fugitives who rob the caravan trails and retreat to the sanctuary of the eastern reaches of the forest. Then there's the wilderness itself, the terrain grows more rugged and the wildlife more violent the further in we go, but there is one upside to taking this path…”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask…” Leon muttered.

  “Most all tribes avoid the forest's interior, and the Wild Forest is the largest of all forests in Fayden.”

  # # #

  Fortunately, the wind from the south remained steady and the forest’s fires never drew close to Leon and his new companions. In addition, a light misting rain blanketed the area for a few hours before sunrise, smoldering the flames before they grew beyond control. Leon suspected they were out of danger from any lingering forest fire for the time being.

  As it turned out, Rezzin had some knowledge on how to deal with arrow wounds. He safely had the arrow out of Sved’s leg, and the wound cauterized before the first rays of sun broke the horizon.

  At Rezzin’s request, they pulled the stiff bodies of the fallen Vin out to the edge of the river and tied large rocks to their chests before sliding them down into watery graves.

  Rezzin sighed as he nudged the last of them off the bank, "It’s better for everyone that the fate of those men remains a mystery to any who return."

  Rezzin also helped Leon to move Sved and Dimples back into the shelter of the trees and to disguise all traces of the battle at the edge of the clearing. By that time Reed was doing better and took Leon's explanation for everything that happened earlier with calm resignation.

  Afterward, everyone managed to get a little sleep while Reed offered to keep watch. Leon noticed he positioned himself facing the direction where he had last seen Haddie. If he felt guilty or worried, he didn't say.

  When dawn broke, the early morning fog paired with the residual smoke from the smoldering embers of nearby fires provided little visibility. Leon rolled over and gazed up into the canopy of trees, at least as far up as the mist and smoke would allow. So peaceful. The swirling mist gave those giant hardwood branches an uncanny mystique.

  How is it such a beautiful place is such a freaky nightmare?

  As he lay there, he realized he was resting comfortably on bare earth. It was amazing how quickly he had acclimated to sleeping rough. He wasn’t even sore from the spare pebble or two he had missed when he cleared his small spot the night before.

  Sved was also awake by some miracle. His head lay propped on a pack, just a foot or two from Leon’s. He coughed, and his voice was so hoarse it came out like a whisper.

  “Leon, we need to think about how we’re getting out of here. You need to go check the camp. Maybe find supplies, yes? They left in a hurry and there should be stuff left behind. I’ll need a crutch, something to help me get around. Why don’t you take Reed? Probably better that you two aren’t here when the Hootsi finally comes around?” Sved continued in delirious chatter, his voice barely audible over the creak and sway of the hardwoods in the morning breeze.

  Looking up like that at the canopy above served to remind Leon of some of the last moments he had alone with Gus.

  Could it really have only been a little over a week since we parted ways?

  Sved nudged him. “Leon, you hear me, yes?”

  “Yeah, Svedster, I’m on it.” He climbed to his feet and Merle shot up beside him, already eager to get going. He looked down at the surly little man, “Now don’t go wandering off anywhere while we’re gone.”

  Sved grumbled at the poor excuse of a joke. But Leon didn’t give him time for a retort. He nodded once to Rezzin and walked over to where Reed stood peering out into the fog. He had long since recovered from his addled state the night before. Now he just looked pensive and sad.

  “Reed, how about we go see if we can’t find something to scavenge from what's left of the horde’s camp before we get moving? Sved says we need to find a way to head out soon if we plan on giving these Vin the slip before they return.”

  Without a word, Reed grunted, turned, and walked back through the woods, toward the previous night’s camp. Leon watched him for a moment, then jogged to catch up.

  “Hey, man. I get it, this is all one crummy trip down the rabbit hole. But, for better or worse, you and me, we’re stuck in this together!”

  “True.”

  “Well, how come you do that then?”

  “Do what?”

  “Shut down, slink away into your own thoughts, disconnect? Come on, man, you’ve got to know what I’m talking about? You do it all the time!”

&
nbsp; “Listen, Leon, you are handling things pretty good, okay? I know this is new to you and believe it or not I’m actually glad you took the Blade when it was offered. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. Are we good? You need a pep talk or something?”

  “No, we’re good…I guess. Just…well, never mind. Anyhow, what happened to you last night? Did they get Haddie?”

  The color drained from Reed’s face. At first, Leon thought he had made him upset, but then he started talking, “All those scouts with us came busting through the brush all at once. They grabbed Haddie, dragging her back toward camp without a word. Before I could even drop the firewood to follow, the Vin had me surrounded. I would have been dead for sure if they hadn’t responded to some strange call from where your group was holed up. The couple were more interested in Haddie’s entourage when all the others split. I decided she was in good hands with all those guards and took off to help you guys.” He shrugged. “You know the rest.”

  He didn’t seem in the mood to discuss things further and Leon couldn’t blame him there. They continued marching forward in silence until they came to the still smoking remnants of the camp at the edge of the woods.

  # # #

  One of the colorful little barges had rolled into one of the cook fires. It was still smoldering. Lying beside it were the bodies of two small men, arrows protruding from the back of each corpse.

  After that, the swirling fog lost its wild mystique for Leon. It became dense, oppressive, and ominous as they spread apart and quietly scoured the area for supplies and survivors.

  Leon suggested they sneak down close to the river to see if perhaps Shana and Cooper had taken refuge along the shoreline somewhere. Unfortunately, they could only see clearly enough to scour their side of the river’s shore and there was no sign of a living soul present. After over an hour of searching, Reed insisted they go back up into the remnant of the camp to search for supplies and survivors.

  Leon was rolling up some spare rope when Reed popped up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped so hard he nearly took a tumble.