The Wolf On The Run (The Wolf of Corwick Castle Book 3)

by Terry Cloutier

  I ordered Tyris up the mast to watch for land, while Malo and I worked the drift anchor and Jebido and Niko controlled the sails. Putt did what ship captain’s do, which was remain on the sterncastle and bark orders while Sabina brought us some tepid water and hard biscuits that she’d found in the hold.

  Several hours passed as we crept slowly across the sea, until finally, Tyris cupped a hand around his mouth. “Land ho!”

  I climbed the sterncastle ladder eagerly at the welcome words, greeted by the view of a faint, hazy landmass far off on the horizon.

  “Ganderland,” Putt said wistfully. He took a deep breath. “It will be good to be home, my lord.”

  I nodded, thinking the same thing. Then I felt a blackness descend upon me. Returning to Witbridge Manor was all that I had thought about for days. Yet now, without Baine by my side, my eagerness to see her stone walls again had waned.

  “We’ll go home only when I know the Cardians are dead and all is well at Calban,” I growled.

  “Of course, my lord,” Putt said, looking embarrassed. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  The coast of Ganderland grew as we bore down on it, filling the horizon to the north and the south. Finally, as the sound of surf breaking against rocks began to reach our ears, Putt had Jebido and Niko swing the sails while Malo and I hauled on the starboard rope, dragging in the drift anchor. We slowly began to turn, until eventually we were running along the coast as close as we dared. The shoreline before us revealed nothing but thick woodlands and staggering cliffs that plunged directly into the sea. Hard, hostile, and completely inaccessible. We’d have to wait to make landfall.

  “Stand ready, my lord,” Putt said as he peered down at us. “No deviation now. Keep her straight as an arrow. We can’t afford to wander off our line.”

  I nodded up to him in understanding. The drift anchor still tended to stray to the left, which hadn’t been much of a problem earlier when we were happy just to be heading in an easterly direction. But now, any slight change in our course might send Sea-Dragon toward the coast where a shoal or hidden reef could be waiting. An hour went by with little change as tall, bristling cliffs, stony ridges, and inhospitable forestlands rolled along our starboard bow in an endless line. Keeping the ship sailing straight and true was exhausting work, and my hands were burnt raw from the rasp of the rope as we fought to keep our course.

  “A lagoon, my lord!” the red-haired outlaw finally cried in excitement as he appeared over the railing above us. “As pretty and inviting as a virgin on her wedding night, she is. Wait for my signal, then send us hard to starboard.” I opened my mouth to respond, but Putt was already gone. “Niko!” I heard him roar. Wake up, you lazy bastard! On my command, you pull on that line like it’s your pathetic cock! You hear me?”

  “I hear you, oh wise and great Captain,” Niko’s voice echoed back. “But I warn you, this rope is a lot smaller than I’m used to dealing with!”

  “I very much doubt that!” Putt shouted out with a laugh. “Now pull, boy, pull!” Putt suddenly appeared above us again. “All right now, my lord. Bring her in hard and fast.”

  “Will do, Captain,” I responded with a grin as Malo and I started to draw in the rope.

  The drift anchor slowly rose to the surface as we labored, fighting us like the giant wolf herrings that Putt had told me he’d fished for as a boy. Sea-Dragon hesitated in indecision, rocking on the waves before she reluctantly started to come about. I clung to the rope as it bucked in my grip and glanced up at the sterncastle, but the red-haired outlaw was looking ahead with one hand up, telling us to wait.

  Finally, he pointed at me. “Now, my lord. Let it go now!”

  Malo and I released the rope as it hissed wetly against the gunwale on the way back to the sea. I leaned out, looking past the support beams of the sterncastle to the bow. Low, overhanging cliffs of dark stone covered in moss and dancing reed grass rose on each side of a half-moon shaped gap that lay directly in front of us. A thin wall of sand and rock stretched like a crooked finger in front of the lagoon, leaving barely enough space for Sea-Dragon to pass between it and the imposing wall on the portside. My breath caught in my throat. If Putt had miscalculated even a little, we would end up on the cliff face or with our hull sliced open by the reef. Green water and sunbaked white sand shimmered on the other side of the barrier, with thick, impenetrable shrubs and tall trees surrounding the beach like an entrenched army.

  “To port, my lord!” Putt cried, his eyes wide as he looked down at us. “To port now, or we’re on the rocks!”

  Malo and I scrambled for the rope, dragging it in as the ship stubbornly fought the change in direction. I glanced up for further instructions, but Putt was gone.

  “Putt!” I shouted. I cursed when no answer came back. “Can you hold it here?” I asked Malo.

  The House Agent nodded. I leaned out over the gunwale to see what was happening, then ducked back just in time as Sea-Dragon’s hull scraped along the cliff, tearing away a gap in the sidewall. Small chunks of granite pelted the deck like hail.

  “We’re through, lads!” I heard Putt’s cry from above. “Brace yourselves. We’re heading for the beach!”

  Malo and I ran for the protection of the overhang as small and large stones clattered loudly against the decking. I staggered as a rock the size of my fist caromed off my shin and hobbled the last few steps as Sea-Dragon shuddered beneath me. The lagoon was shallow and still, and the ship’s keel dug into the soft loam beneath the water, reducing our momentum as we headed toward the beach. We finally reached the shore, barely crawling along as Sea-Dragon slid to a shuddering stop with the tip of her bow just kissing the white sand. We’d made it!

  “Are you all right?” I asked Malo as I flexed my leg.

  The House Agent didn’t respond. He was looking past my shoulder, his face hard and dangerous. I turned. A battered-looking ship lay drawn up on the beach in a small inlet behind the cliff. The mast was missing, but I recognized it, nonetheless. It was the Cardian longboat. Men in red capes worked with axes near the treeline, chopping at a tree they had felled to make a new mast. The Cardians paused in what they were doing to stare at Sea-Dragon in amazement. Then, at a barked command that carried to us over the still water, they grabbed their shields that lined the longboat’s hull and began to run toward us.

  “To arms!” I shouted.

  I drew Wolf’s Head and swung my legs over the lower deck's gunwale, then dropped six feet into the knee-high water. Malo landed beside me with a splash and we waded toward the beach together. I heard more splashes coming from behind me, but didn’t bother to look. I knew Jebido and the others were coming. I counted seven Cardians bearing down on us, with more jumping over the side of the longboat. Two figures had stayed behind, I noted. One of them was Rorian, I realized with mixed emotions, while the other was a woman.

  “Malo,” I grunted as we reached the beach. I gestured toward Rorian with my sword.

  Malo’s eyes narrowed when he saw the scholar. “I was hoping the sea hadn’t claimed that bastard,” he growled. The House Agent gestured toward the charging Cardians. “We’ll kill these first. After that, we can have a long-overdue chat with our friend.”

  I nodded, eager for some action after being cooped up on Sea-Dragon for so long. Jebido, Putt, and Niko joined us on the sand, but only Jebido had the foresight to bring a shield with him. I shook my head, not surprised. Jebido never disappointed.

  “This is going to be an awfully lonely shield wall,” Jebido said dryly as he glanced around at the rest of us.

  I looked behind me to the ship, where Tyris waited on the forecastle with his bow. The nearest Cardian was twenty paces away, sprinting across the sand. I could hear his grunts of effort and see spit-bubbles frothing at the corners of his mouth as he raced to reach us first. Be careful what you wish for, I thought as I gripped Wolf’s Head tighter, waiting for the right moment. Finally, I saw it and I grinned.

  “You know what the problem with sh
ields are, Jebido?” I asked out of the side of my mouth.

  “What would that be?” Jebido muttered, one eyebrow arched.

  “Sometimes, the damn things just get in the way,” I said.

  Then I charged.

  The approaching Cardian screamed a challenge when he saw me coming. He was big and ugly, and held his shield out in front of him awkwardly as he ran. He shifted his sword, balancing it on top of his shield like a spear as he bore down on me. I could tell by the set look on his face that he was intent on ramming right into me like that. I rushed straight for him, heedless of the danger as my opponent’s face broke out into a wide grin. I knew he thought he had an easy kill on his hands.

  I waited until less than three feet separated us, then, just as he cried out in triumph, I dove feet first and slid along the hot sand, hurtling beneath his outstretched shield and sword. I plunged upward with Wolf’s Head into his vulnerable belly as he passed over me, then twisted and rolled away before coming to my feet. The man fell, whimpering as the second Cardian in line hesitated, coming to a shuddering stop three paces from me. He stared at me stupidly, shocked by what I’d done. I didn’t wait for the man to regain his senses. I just hacked him down with a vicious backhand, then swung at the man coming up behind him, who dodged my off-balance swing with surprising speed. This new Cardian was tall and thin, with beady eyes and a long tongue that protruded from his mouth obscenely. He didn’t have a shield either, but seemed more than comfortable with that fact as he came after me without hesitation.

  “You bastard! You bastard! You bastard!” the thin man hissed around his flopping tongue as he swung powerful, two-handed strokes at me.

  I took a step back under his furious onslaught. Despite the bizarrely flickering tongue—which I found both repellant and hugely distracting—the Cardian was good. I was faster than most men, but so was he, and I was hard-pressed to keep his blade from getting through my guard.

  Jebido had drilled into me over the years to watch for patterns in a man’s fighting, and as Malo and my men swept past me to engage the remaining Cardians, I began to see my opponent’s pattern. Tongue straight out—defensive. Tongue flicks left—attack high and right. Tongue flicks right—attack low and left.

  I smiled, knowing I had him.

  “What are you grinning at, you ugly turd?” the Cardian demanded as we circled each other warily.

  “I was thinking that it’s a shame you never studied under my good friend Jebido, is all,” I said. “That is going to cost you your life.”

  The thin Cardian snorted as our blades scraped against one another, probing for a weakness. “I’ve never been beaten, Ganderman.”

  “Until now,” I growled.

  I hurled myself forward, striking hard and fast. First high. Then low. Then high again as I forced the Cardian back across the sand. The thin man grunted loudly with each parry, while his tongue remained pointed at me the entire time like a sullen child’s. I paused and stepped back, giving him a breather and a chance to take the offensive. The Cardian hesitated, blinking at me in surprise as the ever-present tongue retreated into its hole in confusion. Then, after a heartbeat, his tongue popped back out through his lips again like a giant, slime-covered, purple worm. I waited, biding my time until it slowly curled to the left. He was going high and right, just as I’d hoped.

  I attacked recklessly, deliberately missing a clumsy swipe with Wolf’s Head and paying no heed to the Cardian’s blade as he brought it up into a striking position. I saw the man’s eyes light up as he saw me suddenly vulnerable, then he swung down at my unprotected head.

  But now I was inside his guard.

  I clamped my left hand around his right wrist, halting his strike. The Cardian automatically grabbed my right wrist with his left hand so I couldn’t plunge Wolf’s Head into his unprotected side. Which was what I had expected he’d do. I grinned at him. My opponent might be as fast as me, but he wasn’t nearly as strong. I held his sword arm effortlessly, then slowly turned Wolf’s Head toward him as the Cardian fought desperately to stop me. I could see fear in his eyes now as his tongue darted in and out of his mouth wildly. The tip of my sword swung upright until it was mere inches from the Cardian’s soft throat. His arm shook as he fought to hold me back, and I could see the realization of defeat rising in his eyes.

  “Mercy,” the Cardian pleaded in a whisper.

  “Not today,” I grunted. Then I thrust upward.

  The Cardian’s eyes rolled up in his head and he shivered in my grip as though cold. Warm, thick blood gushed from his neck, soaking my blade and drenching my hand. I let the man fall as I pressed onward, joining Malo and the others as we forced the enemy back toward the inlet where the longboat lay. Dead men in red capes lay scattered along the shoreline as the weak tide lapped lazily at their corpses. I could hear Tyris’ bow thrumming from his vantage point behind me as men twisted and fell beneath the blond archer’s skill.

  I noticed Rorian amongst the swirling mass of men now, having finally joined in on the fighting. The scholar was exchanging wild sword thrusts with Jebido as they battled across the sand. I headed at a run in their direction. A Cardian appeared before me, snarling with rage as he tried to cut me down. I twisted sideways to avoid his overhead slash, then grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down as I smashed my knee into his face. The man sagged and crumpled to the ground as I kept going, until finally I stood shoulder to shoulder with Jebido, facing the scholar. Rorian frowned at my approach and he paused, taking two steps back, watching us both warily.

  Jebido glanced sideways at me. “What took you so long?” he asked. My friend was breathing heavily and looked winded.

  “I was busy,” I grunted. “This one’s mine, Jebido.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me,” Jebido said. He offered me his shield. “You are going to need this, Hadrack. The man can fight.”

  I brushed away the shield.

  “Best take it, boy,” Rorian growled. “I don’t want people saying I had any kind of an advantage after I kill you.”

  “Then toss your shield aside if you are so concerned about what others think,” I replied in challenge.

  Rorian looked thoughtful for a moment, then he shrugged. “Upon reflection, I think I’ll just kill you now and worry about my reputation after the fact.”

  “I thought you might,” I grunted. A Cardian behind the scholar twisted with a cry and dropped with an arrow in his belly. I looked around as more of the bastards continued to fall. I grinned at the scholar. “You seem to be running out of men.”

  “So it would appear,” Rorian said, looking surprisingly unconcerned.

  He took a step forward and I retreated, our blade tips touching. I continued to back up, moving away from the others battling around us so that I’d have more room to maneuver. I glanced sideways at Malo, who had just skewered a man with his short sword. The House Agent looked alarmed when he realized who my opponent was.

  “Hadrack?” Malo called out to me uncertainly. “We need him alive.”

  I thought of all the misery the man before me had caused, culminating in Baine’s death. I couldn’t kill him, I knew, but I could exact some revenge for what he’d done. Revenge in the form of blood. Malo said something else to me, but I closed my ears to his words. I gestured to the Rorian with my free hand. “Let’s dance,” I whispered.

  Rorian smiled calmly in acknowledgment, though his eyes remained cold and calculating. He pulled his shield tight against his side and turned, presenting me with a smaller target. Then he advanced, probing at my defenses with quick, almost careless strokes of his weapon. I could see the ropey muscles in his arms flexing and rolling with each effortless swing that he took. Rorian might or might not be an actual scholar, I realized, but as I watched his smooth, practiced movements, I knew that my opponent was a formidable warrior. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so hasty in rejecting Jebido’s shield, I thought as I parried a powerful stroke.

  The sounds of battle were slowly fading
as I gave more ground to Rorian. I took a moment to glance around. Most of the Cardians were down, with three still alive and kneeling in the hot sand with their hands on their heads. Niko and Putt stood over them, holding swords to their throats. I flicked my eyes to the woman on the longboat. Even from where I stood, I could see the tension on her face as she watched. Who was she? I wondered. I shook that thought away. I needed to focus on only one thing right now, I told myself, flicking my eyes back to the scholar. Study the bastard and look for his weakness. I shifted my grip on Wolf’s Head to both hands, then moved across the sand on the balls of my feet while forcing the scholar to turn and face toward the sun.

  Rorian looked amused. “That won’t save you,” he said.

  He opened his mouth to say more, then surprised me by launching himself forward in a blur. The scholar’s blade came for me, all business now as it sought out my throat and a quick end to the fight. The muscles in my arms moved by instinct, bringing up my guard and blocking his weapon as steel rang against steel. Rorian pressed forward on his sword, using his shield arm as well as he tried to unbalance me. I braced my legs in the sand and pushed back, with neither of us able to gain an advantage. I could see the mockery in the other man’s eyes as we glared at each other over the rim of his shield.

  The bastard thinks he’s toying with me, I realized, feeling rage rise in me. Rorian laughed and finally broke the stalemate, skipping backward nimbly. But not before a parting shot from Wolf’s Head clanged with power off of his shield. The scholar grinned, flexing his shield arm grudgingly as we circled.

  “You’ve got real strength there, boy,” Rorian said, looking impressed. “But you lack discipline. It’s almost a shame to kill you.”

  “I wish I could say the same thing,” I growled.

  I could feel the white-hot battle rage inside me begging for release, and I knew if this went on much longer, I would have to let it loose. Once that happened, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from bashing past Rorian’s shield and killing him. I glanced at Malo, who was watching us intently with his arms crossed over his chest. The House Agent must have recognized the look in my eyes, for he frowned and shook his head at me. A clear message.