Benjamin Ashwood Series: Books 1-3 (Benjamin Box)

by AC Cobble

  Ben led them back into the forest where they had found a bend in a wide creek that poured into the White River south of their campsite. They’d tried fishing it earlier with no luck but it was perfect for swimming. In the elbow of the bend, it was shallow and deepened toward the center of the stream. It was also clear of trees, so the slow-moving water would be warm in the shallows but cool in the deeper sections.

  Ben deposited the girls on the bank of the creek and said, “I’m going to head up toward that hill and see if I can find some mushrooms for dinner. I saw some out there but we didn’t know we’d be camping here tonight. We made a rabbit stew that they would go great in. Call out if you need me or when you’re ready to go back.”

  The hill was only a few hundred paces from the creek and they’d seen no one in this area, so Ben wasn’t worried about leaving the girls alone in the woods. Also, the rabbit stew really had been a little gamey. Ben hoped the mushrooms would mellow it out. He wasn’t much of a chef, but he didn’t want to eat badly if he didn’t have to.

  He circled around the hill, pushing through the thick undergrowth, looking for the mushrooms. The hill blocked the breeze he’d felt earlier and it was sticky and humid. He thought it’d be worth it. They were Goblin’s Ear mushrooms he thought he’d seen. They were a little tough, but if you boiled them long enough in a stew, they melted away into a rich savory broth.

  He brought his sword along, which felt a little silly since they were just traipsing through woods he had thoroughly explored over the last week, but it was proving handy as he used it to push aside low-hanging ferns looking for the mushrooms. He picked one plentiful patch that had about two handfuls and was looking for a second when he heard a shriek from back near the creek.

  Ben spun and ran toward the sound. As he pushed through the thick branches he heard another high-pitched howl and splashing that sounded like a struggle. He started using his sword to hack through some of the foliage when he heard a long cry of, “Help!” His blood ran cold. It was Amelie’s voice that was screaming.

  He burst through the wall of green that edged the creek and slipped on the muddy bank to land heavily on his rear. Directly in front of him, knee deep in the water and naked as the day they were born, were Amelie and Meghan. Meredith was bobbing deeper in the center and splashing handfuls of water toward the other two girls who giggled and screamed every time a wave hit them.

  They all turned toward him as he slid into the mud.

  “Damn it, Ben!” shouted Meghan.

  Amelie turned to look at him then shrieked again. She raised her hands to cover herself but then realized it was fruitless and dove cleanly into deeper water with Meredith.

  Meghan kept shouting and started toward him with a dangerous look. Seeing his naked adopted sister charging toward him with murder in her eyes jerked him out of his shocked state. He scrambled on all fours across the slick mud and back into the bushes.

  “What on earth are you doing?” a very angry Meghan yelled at him from the clearing.

  “I heard a cry for help!”

  “Help! What are you going to do? Help us swim or help us get out of our clothes?”

  “Meghan, come on! I heard screaming.”

  “Maybe we were being a bit loud, Meghan,” said a faint-sounding Amelie.

  “Well, I think we’ve had enough of Benjamin Ashwood’s help for today,” Meghan replied crossly. She then called loudly, “Ben, you run on back to the camp with your mushrooms. I think we can handle getting dressed without your assistance.”

  On the way back to the camp, Ben hoped that Meghan would understand how it had been a mistake. He really had heard the screaming and was concerned the girls were under attack. He kept trying to think of ways he could apologize to her but couldn’t concentrate. Images of Amelie’s lithe body diving into the water kept pushing their way into his head.

  She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and not just in Farview. Compared to the other ladies at Argren’s party even, she was the sparkling jewel. Physically, she was perfection, but she also had a natural joy to her that drew him in. When they started their journey, it was like looking at the moon. Gorgeous and worthy of admiration surely, but not something you ever thought you’d get close to.

  After she invited him to the party, his thoughts started to change. She held his arm and wasn’t far away then. It was like looking at the moon every night and then one day finding yourself walking across it. He knew the way she looked standing knee deep in that creek then turning to gracefully dive into the water would be burned into his memory forever.

  When he got back to the camp, Saala looked up at him and asked, “Aren’t you missing something?”

  “I, um, I got the mushrooms. The girls can find their own way back. They’re fine,” he hurriedly added. He could feel the heat rising in his face and hoped Saala didn’t ask him any more about it.

  “No, I meant your sword. I’m sure the girls can walk through the woods without you watching them. Didn’t you have your sword when you left?”

  That evening Ben was uncomfortably huddled by the fire, trying to ignore baleful glares from Meghan. It seemed she wasn’t going to quickly forget. He kept glancing at Amelie to see what her reaction was but she ignored him and seemed unaffected. She was deep in conversation with Lady Towaal and Saala, and he didn’t catch her looking his way. Meghan’s expression kept growing darker, though.

  “What did you do to her?” whispered Renfro.

  “I didn’t do anything. What are you talking about?” Ben hissed back.

  “Meghan. She’s mad at you Ben. Can’t you see the way she’s looking at you?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing. Just brother and sister stuff. No big deal.”

  “Are you sure? Every time she sees you look at Amelie she just gets madder. She may be your sister, but she’s Amelie’s friend. You don’t want to come between girlfriends, believe me. Whatever you did to Amelie, you better make right, or Meghan’s going to make you pay for it.”

  “I…” He didn’t know what to say. “I need to take a walk.”

  Ben was pacing up and down the road in the low moonlight when he felt a presence approaching from the camp. As it got closer, he saw it was Meredith carefully picking her way through the grass.

  “Hi, Meredith. I was just trying to get some fresh air away from the fire.”

  “Oh, me too. The fire is nice, but it’s good to get some mountain air after being in the city. Don’t you agree?”

  “Yeah, um, it is nice.”

  She placed her hand on his arm. “I want to thank you, Ben. I know Meghan is mad, but I thought it was very brave that you came running when you thought we were in trouble.”

  “Oh, it was nothing,” Ben stuttered. “I mean, I didn’t know what was happening and I was worried.”

  “I know. That’s why I appreciate it. Being Amelie’s handmaiden, I am part of the background sometimes. I haven’t had a lot of people try to come save me.”

  “I don’t know if I could really save you from anything.” He shrugged uncomfortably. “It was just instinct.”

  “I heard you were a good fighter.” She moved closer and looped her arm around his. “Let’s keep walking.”

  “Ok, sure.” Ben breathed a sigh of relief. If at least one of the girls wasn’t mad, then there was hope for the other two.

  Meredith walked close beside him in the cool spring air. The new moon lit the roadway enough to see where they were walking, but the low light made the evening seem close and intimate.

  “Some of the Citadel guardsmen came calling for me when we were in Whitehall,” Meredith continued. “Not that I would ever pay a guardsman any real attention, of course, but I didn’t want to be rude. They spoke about you. They said you had impressed the Master of Arms and that he was interested in you joining the guard. After seeing how brave you were today, maybe I could be interested in you too?”

  Ben looked down at Meredith and could see in the moonlight that she was gazing up at him.
He didn’t know what to say to that.

  “I know you like her, but Amelie isn’t right for you,” she said. “She’s highborn and these things are business for her. It’s all arranged. Not like us,” she purred and drew his arm around her shoulders, “we can do whatever we want.”

  Inside, Ben groaned. Despite his best intentions, life was just getting more complex.

  The next morning they started hiking at the first sign of daylight. As Rhys and Towaal had predicted, it was going to be a hard three days travel to Snowmar Station. Snowmar Station was Whitehall’s guard barracks and rest stop atop the Snowmar Pass.

  The road itself was broad and well maintained. It was steep, though, and the terrain around it grew rugged as they ascended. They passed a few empty carts that were slowly heading up to the pass and eventually to the Sineook Valley. Many of the large merchant trains must have still been in the city. The merchants made their money bringing agricultural goods to Whitehall from the valley. The more successful ones tried to find a cargo to haul back as well. The cargo might be people, mused Ben, since many would be pouring out of the city now that the Conclave was over. Hitching a ride in the back of a wagon didn’t sound too bad after a long day of hiking.

  The climb wasn’t any more strenuous than what Ben was used to back home, but the pace Towaal kept was punishing. She rarely allowed stops for breaks and didn’t look back to check if anyone was falling behind. There were moments when Ben thought he’d have to carry poor Renfro the rest of the way.

  When they finally stopped for the evening, it was in one of the few flat parts off the road that were not already occupied by farmers or merchants. Rhys explained that in the busy seasons many of the merchant trains just pulled to the side and slept right on the road. The party ate a quick dinner and everyone pulled out their bedrolls, exhausted by the brisk pace and long day.

  As Ben was arranging his area, Meredith slid in between him and Renfro. She gave a shy smile and asked, “Mind if I sleep here? I promise I don’t snore.”

  Renfro grinned back at her. “Me neither.”

  She only had eyes for Ben, though, and ignored Renfro’s comment.

  “Of course you can,” sighed Ben.

  The next two nights were like that. Right before everyone turned in, Meredith would casually roll out her pack next to Ben. He saw Amelie was pretending she didn’t notice, and Meghan’s gaze got even frostier. Rhys gave an encouraging nod. Given the rogue’s predilections, Ben wasn’t sure how to take it. By the third night, even Renfro realized what was happening and shifted his bedroll away to give them more room.

  In the mornings, Ben would wake up to find Meredith scooted up almost onto his bedroll. Neither the men or women chose to say anything, but it was clear that she was marking her territory. Ben was embarrassed by the situation and belatedly realized, maybe he shouldn’t have kissed her that night.

  By the final afternoon before Snowmar they were all ready to be done with the rocky mountain road. There were only a few leagues left and everyone, even Renfro, was skipping breaks and struggling to finish the leg of the journey quickly.

  With the top of the pass peeking into sight, they passed a tight bend in the road and could see a tower jutting from an outcropping high above them.

  Lady Towaal covered her eyes and stared up at it. “It’s the guard tower. They have one on each side of the pass. Snowmar Station sits in the middle where it’s flat. They use the towers to keep an eye on who is approaching and light signal fires for emergencies. There’s a tower down in Whitehall with a looking glass that can see all the way up here for when the signal fire is lit.”

  Rhys was also staring intently up at the tower. He looked at Saala, grunted then adjusted his pack to free space around the hilt of his long sword.

  Saala nodded and did the same.

  “What do you see?” queried Towaal. “I see the flag is still flying Argren’s sigil. Is something wrong?”

  Rhys rumbled, “It’s not what we see. It’s what we don’t see. Where’s the guard? Could be he’s sleeping or daydreaming about some woman back in Whitehall, but listen. It’s just the sound of the wind. There’s a hundred men supposed to be barracked up there, and I don’t hear a damn thing.”

  Towaal looked between Rhys and Saala and noted both men’s nervousness. “Okay, everyone, be prepared.”

  Renfro looked to Ben. “Be prepared for what?”

  As they drew closer, the silence grew eerie. Ben had not noticed it until Rhys mentioned it, but the only sounds came from the wind and their own footfalls. The group stopped talking entirely and Renfro had gone as far to pull two of his knives out. Ben saw Rhys and Saala still had their weapons in the sheath, so he kept his there as well.

  After several switchbacks, they passed the guard tower before entering the pass. The tower was indeed empty with the heavy door left ajar. Rhys silently drew his two long knives, the first time Ben had seen him pull his own steel, and ducked into the narrow open doorway. Heartbeats later he reappeared and quietly reported, “Nothing. No people, no signs of violence. It looks like breakfast was left on the table untouched.”

  A grim-faced Saala drew his curved falchion with a hiss. “There should be someone here. Even if bandits or someone overran Snowmar, they would have left a lookout on the Whitehall Road.”

  “There’s no wealth here for bandits.” Rhys frowned. “The barracks only stocks provisions for the men and serves as a way station for travelers. Most of the merchant trains are foodstuffs and not worth stealing.”

  Ben shared a worried look with Renfro and drew his sword. It was a plain weapon, but the weight of it felt good. If Rhys and Saala were worried, he was downright terrified.

  They moved past the guard tower and the group’s unease grew. In the distance, they could see the walls of Snowmar Station spreading across the width of the pass. The road ran right through the center and out the other side. The station was designed to be a defense point for Whitehall and it would be nearly impossible for an attacking force to move up the narrow roadway and have an effective assault on the towering stone walls.

  Halfway to the walls, Ben’s breath caught. Rhys had already seen it and was jogging ahead of the group. On the side of the road were two dark shapes lying on the ground. Rhys had sheathed his knives after exiting the guard tower but now he drew his longsword. When they got closer to Rhys and the shapes, Ben saw they had found the missing tower guards. They were both lying face down in a pool of blood and gore.

  “Damn,” muttered Saala. He looked to Towaal. “Do we turn around?”

  She was scanning the walls of Snowmar. After a quick glance she had ignored the bodies. “This is the only pass anywhere near here. It will cost us a month to turn now.

  Rhys nudged a body with his foot. “Karina, this wasn’t done by men.”

  Ben started. He hadn’t heard anyone use Lady Towaal’s first name since Murdoch’s when she introduced herself.

  “We press on,” she said grimly. “Whatever did this doesn’t appear to be here now and I need to see what happened. Saala and Rhys out front,” she barked, “and I will take the rear. Girls and boys, stay tight and shout if you see anything move.”

  Ben shuddered. He saw the spray of gore surrounding the two dead men and didn’t think he wanted to see any more, but he couldn’t abandon his companions.

  The gates of Snowmar were open just like it was a normal day. Through those gates, Ben saw more corpses. Snowmar Station was one big open square surrounded by walls and mountains. The barracks and guest quarters were built into the back of the walls around the square. There was plenty of space for merchant trains to tie up for the night and for the guards to drill in the middle. Now it was littered with dead bodies.

  They passed through the gate into the thick walls before coming into the open square. It was a charnel house.

  “I count at least fifty of them,” said Rhys in a low whisper. “Look, even the horses.”

  Meredith fell in beside Ben and gripped his arm, w
himpering. Rhys was right, a corral for horses at the far end of the square was filled with red and pink chucks of flesh. Ben nearly lost his lunch when he saw it. Renfro did lose his when they had to step around an eviscerated guardsman lying in the center of the path.

  Meghan caught Ben’s glance and for the first time in days, he saw only concern in her gaze instead of anger. Everything that happened down at the campsite was long forgotten.

  Rhys gestured across the square to the other gate. It was also open. “Shall we?”

  “No,” answered Towaal. “We must find out what did this. You’re right, this was not done by men.”

  “If we must.” Rhys sighed and looked around the group. “Okay, everyone to the center of the square. Stand back to back and face out where you have visibility. Saala, will you check the buildings?”

  “I’m staying with Amelie,” replied Saala. “Sorry, but I am here for her safety.”

  “All right then.”

  Rhys slung his pack down on the ground and adjusted his weapons harness until he was satisfied his long knives were easily accessible. He held his long sword out and started toward what looked like the barracks. For the first time, Ben really saw his weapon. It was a twilight grey and appeared to have faint silver etching all along the length of the blade. The steel was darker than any Ben had seen before. The silver etching seemed to fade into the blade the longer he looked at it. It wasn’t a blademaster’s sigil, but Ben couldn’t tell what it was. He didn’t have time either. Rhys moved quickly toward the barracks and they huddled into a circle and kept an eye out for any movement.

  Nervous moments passed after Rhys disappeared. Nothing moved but they strained their ears trying to hear anything. Finally, he reappeared and trotted over to them, shaking his head.

  “Just more dead. And this.” He tossed a torn piece of cloth onto the ground. It looked like a piece of tunic from one of Argren’s guardsmen. There was a dark purple stain on one corner.