Forged in the Dawn

by Gavin Zanker

  A hooded figure appeared in the doorway carrying an armful of splintered wood. Aiden watched as the stranger walked across the floor to the empty fireplace, boots thudding over the warped wooden floorboards.

  ‘Who are you?’ Aiden asked, his voice cracking through his dry throat.

  The figure turned to Aiden and pulled back the hood to reveal familiar brown eyes and a soft face. ‘You’ve forgotten me already?’

  ‘Faye, you’re alive,’ he said, gazing at her in disbelief.

  ‘Who do you think saved you?’ she answered, walking over to him. A frown formed as she noticed the fresh blood on his bandages. ‘Lie back down, you fool. You’ve been awake less than a minute and you’ve already torn a stitch.’

  She sat on the bed beside him and unwound the bandage, peering at the wound in his side. There was a cut above her eye and a large bruise dominating the left side of her face.

  ‘What happened?’ he asked. ‘The last thing I remember was Jordy standing over me. He tried to kill me.’

  ‘Yeah, he wasn’t one to let go of a grudge. From what I could tell, Hitch tore his throat out.’

  ‘Hitch.’ Aiden groaned, remembering how the dog had saved him.

  ‘Don’t worry, he’s fine. Just a couple of scratches. He’s been keeping me company while you’ve been lazing around in bed.’ Faye whistled and Hitch appeared in the doorway. Seeing Aiden awake, he padded over and licked his face with tail wagging.

  ‘Good to see you, boy,’ Aiden said, scratching him behind the ears as relief flooded through him. ‘Thanks for saving my life back there.’ Faye coughed, and raised her eyebrows. Aiden reached up and rubbed behind her ear. She scowled, pushing his hand away as she tried to hide her smile.

  ‘I’ll get a fire going and start some supper,’ she said, moving to the fireplace. ‘And you’re staying put. By all rights you should be dead, and if you don’t rest then you will be.’

  Aiden relaxed back, pulling the blanket over him. His body ached in places he did not know it could. ‘So where are we? I don’t recognise this place.’

  ‘An old cabin a ways east of Kiln Commons. Remote enough that nobody should find us.’

  ‘Someone is looking?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be surprised. I doubt the Kiln Boys want any survivors from the battle walking about.’ Faye struck a fire steel with her knife, sending a shower of sparks on to the tinder she had piled. ‘That Trent has some serious psychological problems.’

  ‘Did anyone else make it?’

  Faye remained quiet as wood crackled in the growing flames. Aiden had his answer in her silence and did not push the question. He closed his eyes, exhausted and overwhelmed with relief that Faye and Hitch had survived.

  AIDEN BOLTED UPRIGHT, grabbing the hand on his shoulder. He twisted the wrist and went to lash out at the figure standing over him when he recognised Faye. He released her hand and sank back down to the bed, his heart racing.

  ‘Sorry,’ he muttered, his chest heaving.

  ‘Don’t worry. You’ve been through a lot, it’s bound to affect you. It has me.’

  Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. ‘I couldn’t forgive myself if I hurt you.’

  ‘It was just a bad dream. Relax.’ She held out a steaming wooden bowl towards him. ‘Here, you need to eat.’

  Aiden sat up and accepted the bowl. His mouth watered at the smell of the stew, and he ate it greedily. Faye took a seat on the rug in front of the fire where Hitch lay sleeping. She stroked his flank as she watched the flames dance, casting flickering shadows on the log walls.

  Finishing the food, Aiden wiped his mouth and set aside the bowl. He rose from the bed and stretched slowly, wincing as his muscles complained.

  ‘That was good,’ he said. ‘You found rabbit then?’

  ‘I set a few snares when we arrived,’ she said. ‘It’s amazing I caught anything though, I’ve barely seen a living thing out here.’

  ‘How long have we been here?’

  ‘It’s been four days since the battle.’ Faye wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. ‘Do you remember much?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s not something I’d forget. We didn’t stand a chance in the ambush.’

  ‘No, I suppose not. I wish I could get the images out of my head. All of them, cut down and butchered back there. And the screams.’ She closed her eyes. ‘I don’t want to remember any more.’

  Aiden shuffled over to the fireplace and knelt down beside her, putting an arm over her shoulder. She felt so small as she hugged her legs.

  ‘No one should have to go through something like that,’ he said. ‘Especially not alone. But I’m here now thanks to you, so you don’t have to be alone any more.’

  Faye leaned in to him, her eyes still closed. A log popped in the fire, sending sparks rising through the chimney. Aiden picked up some firewood from the pile and tossed it into the flames.

  ‘We can’t stay here much longer,’ Faye said.

  ‘I thought this place was remote.’

  ‘It is, that’s the problem. There’s no food. Plenty of water from the mountain streams, but nothing to eat and our supplies are almost gone.’

  ‘How far from Kiln Commons are we?’

  Faye opened her eyes and looked at Aiden. ‘You’re not thinking of heading there surely? If we get recognised, Trent will string us up.’

  ‘You’re telling me you don’t want to get a shot at him for butchering your friends?’

  Faye looked back to the fire. ‘We could always head back home to the Rim.’

  ‘Somehow, I don’t think Travis would be too happy to see us. If they know anyone survived the battle they’re going to want to ask a lot of questions. We’d never leave the compound. They’d probably-’

  ‘Probably blame us or put us in readjustment,’ Faye said. ‘I know. I just miss Andrew. I want to see my brother’s face again, just to know he’s okay.’

  ‘You being around him would only endanger him right now. I know it sounds crazy, but I think our best shot is to head into Kiln Commons. It’s the closest place to get supplies and we can lay low there.’

  ‘Okay,’ Faye said, still staring at the fire. ‘Let’s head into town and resupply. I have family there we can stay with. We can worry about Trent later.’

  Aiden nodded. As grateful as he was for Faye saving his life, he would have gone alone if needed. Finally he was a free man, and nothing would stop him from getting his chance at revenge.

  ‘I’m going to get some sleep,’ Faye said, patting his arm. ‘You should too. You still have a lot of healing to do.’

  ‘You’ll get no argument from me, I feel like I could sleep for a solid month. I’m just going to get some air first.’

  ‘All right but keep the door closed, you’ll let all the heat out.’

  Faye rose and moved to the bed, wrapping herself with the blanket and lying down. Aiden stepped out of the cabin into the wintry night, closing the wooden door behind him.

  The landscape was dark and unfamiliar to him. His breath created wreathes of fog that drifted up to the bright moon over the mountains. So far from any sources of light, the night sky was awash with stars.

  The moonlit peaks of the Northern Tempest rose up ahead. Even in the darkness, Aiden was struck by the size of them. How eternal they were in comparison to his own life. He stood watching clouds blow past the towering peaks until he felt the cold seeping into his bones.

  He turned and headed back inside the cabin, appreciating the heat of the fire. He dropped the latch on the door and climbed into bed beside Faye, holding her close as he breathed in the perfume of her hair. She stirred slightly, but did not wake. Sharing warmth and physical contact with her was comforting in a way he had forgotten. Closing his eyes, he quickly fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her.

  CHAPTER 33

  AIDEN SWUNG THE axe, bringing it down and splitting the firewood but awkwardly snagging the head in the stump.

  �
�Your wound still bothering you?’ Faye asked as she watched from the doorway of the cabin.

  Aiden nodded. The gunshot wound in his side was healing well, but the pain still affected his range of movement. He wiped his brow with his wrist, then pulled out the axe and placed another piece of firewood on the stump. This time he split the wood cleanly.

  ‘I can remove the stitches today, if you like.’ Faye sipped a mug of pine needle tea as she leaned against the warped door frame. ‘It’s probably about time they came out.’

  Aiden buried the head of the axe in the stump and tossed the firewood on to the nearby pile. He approached Faye and took a sip of her drink before handing it back.

  ‘Where’s Hitch?’ he asked, looking out over the rolling hills and clumps of trees towards the west.

  ‘He’s sleeping inside. I swear that dog thinks he’s a cat. He spends more time asleep than awake.’ Faye glanced back into the cabin as she spoke, then back at Aiden. ‘You look faraway today. What’s going on in your head?’

  ‘I should go into Kiln Commons alone. I can pick up some supplies and bring them back here. There’s no point you taking the risk.’

  ‘You’re not going alone, so don’t even insult me by suggesting it. I know the town better than you, plus I have friends there. It wouldn’t make any sense to go without me.’

  Aiden looked into her large brown eyes, saw the resolve there, and knew he had no chance of convincing her. He smiled, remembering the same stubbornness in Kate and the arguments they used to have about insignificant things. The memories felt like they were from another life now.

  ‘Get down,’ Faye hissed, pulling him from his thoughts.

  Aiden turned to follow her gaze. ‘What is it?’

  Faye yanked him to the ground and they lay in the long grass by the cabin. ‘There, look,’ she said, pointing north.

  Aiden squinted into the distance. His heart skipped as two men carrying spears came into view, crouching low as they sprinted between the pine trees. Aiden had seen the feral markings that covered their skin once before.

  ‘Ravagers,’ he said as Faye grasped his hand. ‘Do we have any weapons?’

  ‘Nothing except knives,’ she said, her voice quivering. ‘I had to drop all our firearms to get away.’

  Aiden eyed the wood axe sticking out of the nearby stump. If the Ravagers caught sight of them, they would head straight for the cabin, and without any real weapons their chance of surviving would be slim. One of the Ravagers stopped dead and turned towards the cabin, his head drifting back and forth as if sniffing the air.

  ‘It sees us,’ Faye whispered, squeezing Aiden’s hand tightly.

  ‘Don’t move. Not a sound,’ Aiden said, his lips not moving.

  The Ravager stared as wind blew around the cabin, rustling the long grass. The moment extended as they held their breath. Then the Ravager turned and sprinted after his companion, disappearing over a hill in the distance.

  Faye sighed loudly. ‘I’ve never seen them this far west before,’ she said. ‘You think they’ll attack the town?’

  Aiden shook his head. ‘Not with just two of them. They were scouts.’ He looked to the east with a frown. ‘Who knows what’s following behind them though. We can’t stay here any longer.’

  ‘Agreed,’ she said. ‘We should leave now. I’ll pack our stuff.’

  Aiden put his hand on Faye’s shoulder. ‘It’s almost sundown already. We won’t get far without daylight, so we sit tight and head out in the morning.’

  ‘I don’t want my throat slit in my sleep,’ she said, her eyes wide.

  ‘If they were interested in the cabin they would have checked it out already,’ he said. ‘Better to stay here until morning than stumble through the woods in the dark.’

  Aiden raised himself up from the grass and walked over to the stump, pulling the wood axe clear and resting it on his shoulder. ‘Let’s head inside,’ he said. ‘We can get our gear together and stay out of sight. You can take care of these stitches for me.’

  Faye stood, still throwing wary glances towards the north. ‘Yeah, okay,’ she said, as they headed inside the cabin.

  ‘ALL SET?’ FAYE asked from the doorway.

  Aiden finished setting the fire, leaving a pile of kindling in the fireplace, then rose and took one last look around the cabin in the morning light.

  ‘Why leave a fire, you planning to come back here?’ she asked.

  ‘An old habit someone taught me once. Having a fire laid out and ready to light could be the difference between life or death for a freezing traveller who stumbles over the cabin.’

  Faye shook her head and smirked. ‘You really are an enigma. You’ll go out of your way to save a stranger, but you’ll offer as much trust to people around you as a wounded bear.’

  At the mention of bears, memories of the arena welled up in Aiden. He shook his head to try and remove the screams of dying men from his mind.

  ‘What’s up?’ Faye asked, frowning.

  ‘Nothing.’ His fingers unconsciously touched the knife hanging around his neck. ‘Just some old memories I’d rather forget. You want me to take that?’

  ‘No, I’ve got it,’ she said, shouldering the pack he was pointing towards. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t find yours after the battle. The extra gear and supplies would have gone a long way out here.’

  ‘You saved my life and you apologise?’

  Faye shoved him playfully as they exited the cabin, lodging the door in place behind them. The wind whipped around them, rustling the tall grass and causing her black hair to dance in the wind.

  ‘Where’s Hitch?’ she asked, looking around for him.

  ‘Don’t worry, he’ll be around. Probably chasing rabbits somewhere. He’ll follow when he’s ready.’ Aiden glanced at the red streaked sunrise, noting the position of the sun. ‘Less than half a day west then, you said?’

  ‘That’s right. I couldn’t have carried you any further than that.’

  Faye patted the splintered door which lay propped up against the wall of the cabin. She told him she found it near the battle and had used it as a sled to pull his unconscious body. Her lips moved as she whispered something, then turned back to Aiden.

  ‘Were you just talking to a door?’ Aiden asked with a bemused smile.

  Faye blushed. ‘Just saying thanks. That door saved your life you know.’

  ‘Well if you’re done saying your goodbyes to all the inanimate objects around here, shall we head out?’

  ‘Watch it, or I’ll make you an inanimate object.’

  The sun was at their back as they headed down the slope, but it offered little warmth. Frosted grass crunched underfoot as they walked together in comfortable silence. The cabin soon disappeared from view behind a cluster of trees, and Aiden hoped whoever found it after them would treat it well.

  As they trekked west, Aiden stopped often to check their back trail for any movement. The only creature they saw was a startled deer which bounded away the moment it picked up their scent. They passed the morning without incident, eventually stopping to rest under the thick boughs of an old oak.

  ‘It’s amazing how these trees don’t care about what’s going on, isn’t it?’ Faye said, gazing up. ‘This old man has probably seen more people come and go than the Rim. Even the Event was probably just a blip on his radar.’ Faye smiled and patted the rough bark. ‘And he’ll still be here long after we’re gone. There’s something reassuring about that.’

  ‘It’s easier to find peace in nature than it is in a metal city,’ Aiden said. ‘That’s why I built my home in the forest. Trees won’t betray you for a handful of coins.’

  ‘Stryss Forest?’ Faye asked, pulling out her canteen and taking a sip.

  Aiden nodded. ‘I built it long before the Event, back when civilisation still existed.’ He laughed hollowly. ‘I worked half my life to be able to afford the land I built it on, now that means absolutely nothing.’

  ‘Yeah, waving a piece of paper around isn’t going
to stop raiders moving in and taking what they want. Do you think your house would still be there?’

  ‘I haven’t been back there for a long time. But I built it to last, and it was well hidden. I’d say it’s probably still there.’

  ‘I’d like to see it one day.’

  Aiden looked up at the thick branches above as they creaked in the wind. ‘I’ll take you there if you like. Once we’re finished in Kiln Commons.’

  Her face lit up. ‘Yeah? That sounds like a plan. I can only imagine, a real home hidden away from all the misery and death out here.’

  ‘Death always finds you, no matter where you hide,’ he said, his face darkening as his thoughts turned to Kate.

  ‘Sorry,’ Faye said, noticing his expression. ‘I didn’t mean to sour the mood.’

  ‘No need to apologise. We should get going again. I’m starving and if we’re going to eat today we’re going to have to get to town before everywhere closes for the day.’

  As they stood, Hitch came into view, his coat covered in grass and splashes of mud. ‘Hello boy,’ Faye said, ruffling his fur. ‘Looks like someone has been having fun.’

  ‘Finally decided to catch up then?’ Aiden said, looking down at Hitch. ‘Come on then, let’s get moving.’

  Hitch shook himself roughly, sending showers of dried mud everywhere. He padded alongside them, panting happily as they continued west, leaving the lone oak tree behind.

  CHAPTER 34

  ‘IT DOESN’T LOOK like much,’ Aiden said, peering up at the two-storey building with a few boarded windows. Hitch sniffed around the wall where some illegible graffiti was sprayed across the bricks. ‘You sure he still lives here?’

  ‘No idea,’ Faye said. ‘Last I heard from Albert and Beverly he was still here.’

  Aiden pulled his hood further over his face as he glanced up and down the quiet street. ‘We can’t risk staying out in the open like this, even on the edge of town.’

  ‘Let’s find out then.’ Faye stepped up and rapped the green door covered in flaking paint.