by H. M. Clarke
The heated discussion that Dearen first ‘heard’ was still going strong and it seemed that those within the circle had yet to be told of her approach.
The clan leaders stood in the center of the clearing all trying to stare each other down. Raga was standing in the group aligned with the Claw of the West. His position was not lost on Dearen and definitely not Hauga, whose snarl as they approached the clearing finally caught the attention of the gathered clan leaders. Dearen caught a glimpse of Otteren and Drusa standing on the edge of the clearing by the she-oak planted for Clan Mufista.
‘The Cearc! The Cearc has returned!’ One of the Clan leaders shouted out and the call was quickly taken up by the others. All except for Raga who was noticeably silent.
Dearen and Hauga strode out onto Councilmeet and only stopped when she stood directly in front of the Claw of the West. The leaping ram carved magically into the stone surface shone brightly in the moonlight, matching the mark she bore on her cheek. A stark reminder to all here that she is their Leader, she is The Cearc, by right of all that the Dymarki hold sacred.
‘We are very glad that you are back Cearc,’ Ulsta of Clan Metra said. His relief that she was here was very plain to see on his face. The expression was mirrored on the faces of the other Clan leaders. At least they were glad to see her.
‘Of course, I am back. I have never been very far away.’
‘Where did you go?’ Raga suddenly asked. ‘Drusa and Otteren told us some tale that you were hunting for help.’
Hauga took an aggressive step forward and Raga took an involuntary step back but then caught his reaction and stood his ground.
‘We were looking for something. And we have found it. We also found more of the Northern Bareskin’s atrocities.’
A startled murmur rose from the Clan leaders and the crowd at Hauga’s words.
‘The Northerner’s have attacked one of Clan Mufista’s northern camps and have killed all there. With some help, we made that northern group pay for their barbarism,’ Dearen called out to all who could hear.
‘Another camp attacked?’ One of the Clan leaders asked.
‘And after we issued our challenge?’ another spoke up.
‘The northerners we destroyed told us many things. One is that there is a group of the Northern Bareskins that want to have no part in meeting with us on Hatten’s Field. They want to systematically wipe us off of the face of the Earth.’
‘That is not news Dearen,’ Raga spat back at her. ‘The Bareskins have always tried to kill us. And this does not tell us why you and Hauga left without a word.’
‘We did not leave without a word. We informed Drusa and Otteren and that is all you need to know. The Cearc’s business is her own!’
‘Hauga. Calm yourself,’ Dearen said taking a step forward and laying a hold on her brother’s shoulder to try and put him at ease. She stared at each of the now silent Clan leaders and waited for the mental murmuring of the crowd to die down to nothing. Dearen was now the focus of everyone’s attention.
‘We went North as I received some information that we might find help for our cause. And I did. We have some new allies that also have cause to hate the Northerners.’
‘We have Allies? Other than the Pydarki? I find that hard to believe,’ Raga cut in only to be roundly stared down by the other Clan leaders.
‘Yes. We have allies. But the allies we already have seem to expect us to take most of the burden of war on our own shoulders. In my opinion, this is an unfair burden. Asnar has told us that the Pydarki support us and want us to claim these lands back for the Dymarki and the Pydarki. But they have yet to take any real action in this fight except to hand us pretty words which in the end do nothing for our people. I think it is about time that they have their actions match their words and send their warriors out to help us protect our people and our lands.’
Dearen’s mind voice fell silent and she keenly felt all eyes on her. Everyone in Councilmeet stood still and expectant.
Then Ulsta’s voice broke the stillness.
‘That was one of the things we were just discussing. And it is one of the few things this council agrees on. If the Pydarki wants our help to protect their land, then they need to help to protect our families. Before the Great Exile, the Pydarki and the Dymarki were one, but the centuries apart have changed them.’
‘Yes. The Pydarki need to step up and send us their warriors,’ Raga said. ‘But what about these allies you mentioned? Where are they? Will they help when we need them? Can we trust them?’
‘They are coming and we have bought Asnar of the Pydarki back with us.’
Murmurs rose from the council members. And then Raga spoke again.
‘Asnar is here? Does that mean that the Pydarki will fight with us?’
‘No. We need to send a delegation to see the Pydarki council at Daegarouf to ask them for aid, for if they want our help to free their lands, then they need to help us as well.’
‘A delegation to plead for aid?’ Raga’s laughter cut through Dearen’s words. ‘We are not beggars. And why do we need to plead for help? You could just snuff them all out with a thought like you did to those who attacked Councilmeet.’
‘Raga. I will not tell you again,’ Dearen’s gaze seared the rest of the council so that there was no mistake that she was including them in her words. ‘I may not be able to do that again. And I cannot summon it at will. It only comes when I am in danger. Which is why we need allies. We are a proud people but we know when we need help. We cannot put all our faith in something that might not come forth when we need it. Our teeth and claws are real, and we can always rely on those to be there when we need them.’
Appreciative roars rose up from the Council members and the surrounding crowd.
‘Good choice of words Dearen,’ she heard Hauga say.
‘I thought so. Call to the others and have them come in.’
‘Even the Hatar’le’margarten?’
‘Especially the Hatar’le’margarten. Tell them to land at the North end of Councilmeet.’
‘Yes, Cearc.’
Dearen turned her attention back to the council members. She noted that Raga had stepped back to his own Clan position in the circle. At least he knew when to know his place and to keep his mouth shut.
‘We are going to Daegarouf and our new allies are coming with us as they also have their own business with the Pydarki. They will be joining us very soon. Do not be alarmed by their appearance. Remember they are our allies and wish us no harm.’
It was at that moment that both Adhamh and Trar dropped from the sky and landed on the large clearing north of Councilmeet, just outside the Cearc’s quarters. Gasps and murmurs rose up from the crowd and Ulsta turned to Hauga.
‘Hatar’le’margarten? Are our allies the Hatar’le’margarten?’
‘No. Just these two, and their riders. The rest of the Southerners are coming in with the Pydarki.’
‘Southerners? Bareskins? Our allies are Bareskins?’ Raga exclaimed.
‘Yes, Raga. Our new allies are Bareskins. They are my people and they are here to help me and those who look to me and who I care for. Which means they are here to help the Dymarki. If you have an issue with that, then you can take it up with the Hatar’le’margarten.’ Dearen pointed towards the north end of Councilmeet towards Adhamh and Trar.
Raga turned and looked towards the Hatar whose heads towered above the buildings and stones. Their sharp, white teeth were very noticeable in the reflected light. Raga turned back to Dearen and shook his head.
‘I have no issue.’
‘Then it is settled. The Bareskins and the Hatar are here as our guests and will be traveling with us to meet the Pydarki Elders at Daegarouf.’
‘Who of us is going with you to Daegarouf?’ one of the council members asked.
‘Hauga is one. Raga is another and I will be the third.’ She saw Raga look up at her in surprise. ‘If the Cearc of the Dymarki and two prominent Clan leaders who want the Py
darki to join us ask them for aid, then they cannot refuse us.’ Dearen then focused her gaze on Raga. ‘This will also give you time to get to know these Bareskins better Raga.’
‘Yes Cearc,’ Raga said giving her a bow. What Dearen had given him was a great honor, and she was also showing the Dymarki that those holding an opposing view will not be shut out or silenced.
‘Let us all prepare tonight for we start our journey to Daegarouf in the morning.’
CHAPTER TWO
“I’m walking again. I’m always walking, walking, walking,” Dearen muttered to Tayme and Hauga who walked on either side of her.
Raga and Asnar marched not far behind her and behind them came Lieutenant Peana on his horse and three of his men. The rest of his company, he had sent back to the river bend camp to wait for his return. Staying in a whole community of Dymarki made the Bareskins very uncomfortable.
The mountain forest around them was made up mostly of conifers and ash with splashes of mountain ferns and thorny blackberries mingled in between their rough trunks. The sky above was blue and clear and the sunlight managed to stream down on them in dappled splashes even through the tree canopy. The slight breeze bought her the smell of pine resin and sap. The path they followed was not wide but it was clear and looked well used.
“You do have the option to fly you know,” Tayme replied a little coyly.
“So do you Flyer,” Dearen retorted, annoyed that Tayme would not stop pushing his view of the world on her.
“I am choosing to walk with you and Hauga.”
“Uh-huh.” Dearen made sure that her disbelief at this dripped from her words. Tayme is a good looking man and might even be considered decent company if only he would let this Kalena thing alone. At least until she was ready to discuss it.
“I am. I need the exercise.”
‘Yes, you do. You’re starting to get heavy.’
Dearen sniggered a little at Trar’s comment.
‘Come on Trar. Give me a break once in a while.’
‘I did give you a break. Five years ago. The next while hasn’t come yet.’
Dearen burst out laughing and Tayme gave her a sour look.
“It seems that my desire to get exercise is going unappreciated among my present companions, so I’m going to take my bulky form and fly with Trar to scout ahead. Adhamh can fly above you and keep an eye on anything coming towards you from around here.”
“Suit yourself. The rest of us will keep walking,” Dearen replied making sure Tayme saw the smile on her face. The more time she spent with him, the more she grew to like him. He was funny, made her laugh, and on occasion he made her feel good about herself. Because of this, Dearen could almost forgive him for believing her to be this Kalena person. Almost.
Tayme gave her a smile back and then left the group as Trar came down in a red blur to land in a nearby clearing. Moments later Dearen saw Trar lift off again and with a few sweeping wing beats, rise above the trees and quickly head North.
As soon as Trar and Tayme disappeared from sight, Asnar stepped forward to take Tayme’s vacated spot beside her.
“Dearen, you should not be wasting time on going to Daegarouf. We should be making our way to join the rest of the Dymarki warriors at the mustering point.”
A low growl started behind her and Dearen knew without turning that Raga was voicing his disapproval of Asnar.
“For the final time, we are not going to the Muster point Asnar. We are going to Daegarouf to meet with the Pydarki Council. If what you have been telling me all this time is true then they should be happy to support us and will gladly send their warriors to help us,”
‘If what you have told us is true…’ Raga said.
Asnar pointedly ignored the Clan Chief’s comment. “You are just pandering to these bareskins by going to Daegarouf because they want to go there.”
“We are going to Daegarouf because I want to go there.”
‘The Pydarki need to shoulder their share of the defense of our lands Asnar. Unless the Pydarki has become so weak during the Great Exile that they are unable to protect their own.’
“That is not true Raga,” Asnar snapped at him.
“Raga is still right that the Pydarki need to aid in the defense of the Bhagliers because, at the moment, the Dymarki are taking all of the casualties.”
“We are just not ready-“
‘Not ready? You say that while the innocent of Clan Trisqa and Mufista are being decimated?’
“Raga, I didn’t mean that-“
“Then what exactly did you mean Asnar?” Dearen cut in. “Why should we not go to Daegarouf? What are you not telling us?”
Asnar threw his hands up as if trying to still her, clam her. “There is nothing. It’s just that the Pydarki are not ready to help. We are still preparing-“
“If that is so, then I will hear it directly from the Pydarki Elder Council.”
“Dearen!”
Dearen was about to answer when she felt Hauga’s hand on her shoulder.
‘Asnar, that is enough. The Cearc has made her decision, and you as an outsider need to respect her authority as the leader of the Dymarki.’
“Hauga-“
‘Hauga is right Pydarki. You go too far. The Dymarki Council have decided our course of action and only the Dymarki Council can change it,’ Raga added with a snarl.
“The council have decided Asnar. Hauga and Raga have joined their Cearc as Clan representatives to meet with the Pydarki,” Dearen quickly shot out. “The Pydarki Elder Council have not even come to meet with the Dymarki since we have arrived home from the Great Exile. For steadfast allies that only have our best interest at heart, the Pydarki Council have a strange way of showing it.”
“The Pydarki are the most loyal Allies of the Dymarki. Our only wish is to see our homeland restored to what it once was.”
“What it once was, was a long time ago Asnar. It is something that we might never get back. All we wish for is to have Daegarouf, Councilmeet, Zimbaladen and the Prime Clan holdings to be restored to us. So far we have found the Clan holdings, Councilmeet and Zimbaladen to be unoccupied and Daegarouf is held by the Pydarki. I want to know why the Pydarki Elder Council want us to fight on when we have what we want under our control.”
“That I cannot answer Dearen,” Asnar muttered.
“Cannot? Or will not?”
Asnar’s blue eyes bored into her with a bright intensity and Dearen thought she felt something slipping into her mind. Then the ‘something’ was shunted out as a strong and solid mental barrier sprung up around her and she saw Asnar’s eyes quickly blink in surprise and he turned away from her. But not before she caught a brief glimpse of fear in his eyes.
The Pydarki glared at both Hauga and Raga before pushing back past the latter to go and walk at the tail end of the party.
‘Good Riddance,’ Raga sneered after him.
“Raga, you seem in a good mood today. Anyone might come under the misapprehension that you like me.”
‘Yes, Cearc. I am in a more positive mood. Anything that progresses us closer to getting revenge against the northern bareskins for the murder of my people.’
“Nice to know. So me being a bareskin myself doesn’t affect you?”
‘No Cearc. You are Clan Mufista. You are the Cearc as proclaimed by The Claw of the West. But as Clan leader, I must do what I think is best for Clan Trisqa, and at the moment that is exacting revenge against those who have killed my kinsman.’
“So nothing personal then. Nice to know that as long as I point you in the direction of the northerners you and I are going to be friends.”
Raga grinned, showing his large, sharp fangs. ‘A life for a life is all I ask for. It is all the ghosts of my kin need to rest.’
‘Blood lust can be a dangerous thing brother,’ Hauga said. ‘You will have to be careful that you don’t grow too fond of the killing.’
‘Never fear Brother,’ Raga replied. ‘I have no internal hunger for bloodshed. I am n
o Cahunta. But the souls of Clan Trisqa are calling out for retribution and I am going to get it for them.’
Hauga gave Raga a reassuring thump on the shoulder. ‘We will get that for both our Clans.’
“Cahunta?” Dearen’s question broke the silent communication. She had never heard the name before, which is not surprising as she had not been brought up Dymarki.
‘Cahunta is a Dymarki who lived in the time before the Great Exile. He had a liking for blood and murder. He was a great warrior who won many tournaments and battles, but he began to crave the blood and death and he began to take the lives of innocents to get it.’ Hauga said as they walked. When Hauga stopped, Raga took up the story.
‘He started to kill men, women and cubs. Cahunta went rogue and the warriors of Clan Elta were elected by the Council to hunt him down before he could take more lives. Clan law dictated that the Clan deals with its own. And Clan Elta did just that. Cahunta was killed but not before he had killed several bareskins along the southern and northern borders of the Bhagliers.’
“Was Cahunta the reason that sparked the Northern Bareskins to start the war that led to the Great Exile?”
‘He wasn’t THE reason, but he was a major one. Cahunta is the reason why The Dymarki warriors now have strict rules of engagement,’ Raga and Hauga both replied.
Dearen tried not to laugh. Laughing just did not seem to suit the topic of conversation. “So you fear that Cahunta’s taint may still run in the Dymarki?”
‘It’s not really a fear, but the Clan’s must be vigilant so that this cannot happen again. Indiscriminate killing is a violation of nature and a violation of what it is to be Dymarki.’
“Thank you Hauga and Raga. As well as excessive and constant nagging, I also get a history lesson.” Dearen turned and glanced at the two Dymarki on either side of her. “I much prefer to just have the history lesson.”
CHAPTER THREE
That evening they camped in a small clearing and after the evening meal, Tayme moved off to spend time with Lieutenant Peana and his men. Probably to discuss what to do about their missing commander. Dearen could not fathom why the man would want to wander off to Daegarouf, but Dalon Peana has pinned his hopes on finding him there. Dearen respected the man’s loyalty to his commander, this Captain Vosloo must be a man she should meet if given the chance. She knew that Peana and his men were annoyed at having to pander to her whims and follow her around, but at least they had the good sense to keep their annoyance silent. Unlike Asnar.