The Draebek are just a society trying to survive.
“They are different when you see this side of them, aren’t they?” Gauden asked softly.
Wayd realized the big man was watching him. Wayd nodded. “They aren’t the beasts I thought they were.”
“Well,” Gauden said with another laugh. “That’s in the eye of the beholder! They were beasts a minute ago when I had to cut them down.” The big man reached behind his back instinctively to grab his staff then brought it back and stared at an open hand.
“They’ll give us our weapons back, right, Gauden?” Wayd asked.
Gauden nodded. “They’ll be brought to us when we settle for camp. I’m still not sure where Korin will have us sleep, but I’m sure it will be close to him. Our weapons will be brought there. Probably a fresh pair of clothes too—I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a bath as well. We need it,” Gauden said as he regarded his disheveled form. His clothing was stained with dirt and blood, and though his head wound had stopped bleeding, it was a matted knot at the top of his head that had streaks of blood streaming from it. He looked disgusting, and Wayd knew he probably looked similar.
“Really?” Wayd asked. “Becoming a prisoner is the strangest thing. I always expected it to be much worse.”
“We aren’t prisoners,” Gauden explained. “I’ve told you before. Grindhold law makes us their equals. We are free to do as we choose.”
“Then why don’t we leave?” Wayd asked, hoping that this time he’d get a different answer.
“Leave?” Gauden asked as he gestured around him. “And where would we go? If we leave, we revoke our protection and become enemies once more. And let me remind you—the only thing keeping you from being thrown in shackles this very moment is Grindhold law. If I hadn’t granted that to you…”
Wayd was glad that Gauden didn’t finish the thought. He remembered how Thraegar had looked at him. He was filled with so much anger, hatred, and the willingness and desire to destroy. But despite Grindhold law, Wayd wasn’t convinced it would be honored once Thraegar could focus on him. He knew Thraegar needed him as a beacon for this war.
“It will hold. You are safe as long as you are near me,” Gauden said, as if reading his mind. “But be wary. Though Grindhold law is binding—and the quickest way for Thraegar to lose the unity of his people is by violating it—he’s not leaving us unwatched. Look,” Gauden said as he covertly tried to gesture to one of the taller piles of rocks.
On top of it stood a dragon with a single rider on it. It looked like the others that were roaming around and assisting with the cleanup, but whereas the others would bring supplies, carry bodies, assist with armor, and other tasks, this one never moved. And as they walked, the dragon shifted its stance so that they were always in its line of sight.
“They’re watching us,” Wayd said with a shudder.
“Of course they are. You are protected, but you are also the key to this war,” Gauden said. “Thraegar isn’t going to let you out of his sight.”
Wayd shuddered again. Curse me, how am I going to get out of this?
They continued to walk toward the castle and Wayd stopped as he recognized where they were. Near the escape tunnel. Directly in the middle stood a vast amount of bodies. At first Wayd thought it was another pile of Draebek, until he realized they were all human. There had been a battle fought here. A final stance. He saw several sightless faces that he recognized, and the Wolves emblem on their arms reiterated how unsuccessful his part of the plan was. He feared that he would find Owen among them, but he never did.
“They disappeared down here,” one Draebek said as he pointed at a pile of rocks. Wayd recognized the location and realized it was the tunnel. It had collapsed.
“Blew up. They had some kind of dralchom that caved it in on their heads. But Thraegar knew what to do. He met them on the other side,” the Draebek said.
Wayd felt his hope crushed. Thraegar found them?
“It didn’t go so well, though,” a different Draebek said as he grabbed a Draebek from underneath the human corpses. Together they rested the Draebek corpse against some rubble and began working to undo its armor. “Thraegar flew right into a trap. Didn’t you hear?”
“Lies,” the first Draebek said with an edge of anger in his voice. “Thraegar would never have—”
“Not lies!” the second Draebek interjected. “Fact! I heard it with my very own ears. Thraegar flew into attack, but then cavalry from Draestl appeared and cut them down. Thraegar had to flee. Can you imagine it? The Draebek that is supposed to unite us was fleeing? From horses! The prophecy clearly states that we will never lose a battle—”
“That didn’t happen,” the first Draebek said as he struggled to remove the armor. “If the Black Bears had done their job—”
“Done our job? How dare—” the second began.
“Come,” Gauden said as he started walking away.
“What was that about?” Wayd asked in exasperation as he registered everything he had heard. “Did Owen and the others escape?”
“I know what you know, Wayd,” Gauden replied softly. There was an edge to his voice. “But it’s good news that there are conflicting stories. If those two shared the same story, it would be as good as fact. But it sounds like there were different versions of the events. The truth behind it all, though? That is to discover later. It’s not worth our worrying about it right now, we must have faith that the Creator will take care of Owen and the others.”
Thoughts flew through his mind. “Conflicting stories? Gauden, why were those two arguing? It’s like they were trying to convince the other that their story was right?”
“Did you notice their emblems?” Gauden asked.
“No,” Wayd said. He was too enthralled by the report to pay attention to anything else. The message they shared frightened him. Thraegar knew? The survivors were surrounded on the other side of the tunnel?
“One is a red claw with a thorn through it,” Gauden said as he discreetly pointed at the first Draebek. The one who was arguing in favor of Thornclaw.
At first Wayd didn’t know what Gauden was talking about, his thoughts preoccupied with fear of Owen’s death, but then he noticed what Gauden was referring to. “It’s Thraegar’s clan,” Wayd remarked as he saw the symbol.
“Precisely,” Gauden said. “And look at the other,” he said, pointing at the other Draebek.
This one had what looked like a black bear on it. “A separate clan?” Wayd observed. Then he remembered what the first Draebek had said. If the Black Bears had done their job—
“Exactly,” Gauden said. “And they are arguing. One side the faithful servant, who believes that Thraegar can do no wrong, and the other—”
“A skeptic,” Wayd finished for him as he paid more attention to their discussion. The second Draebek was still arguing that Thraegar couldn’t be the unifier of the Draebek. “They aren’t as united as they appear,” he said after a few minutes of observation.
“Not at all,” Gauden agreed. “But the fact that at least two clans are here and that Shadmay is involved means that the unifying is happening. I thought it had happened. The disunity we just witnessed must mean the prophecy isn’t entirely fulfilled yet, because if it was, the other clans wouldn’t doubt Thraegar so openly. Wayd, this gives us a chance,” Gauden said with excitement. “They’re only fighting together because Shadmay is here—not because of Thraegar Thornclaw.”
Realization struck Wayd and he felt fear spread throughout him. The Draebek dismantled our defenses and they weren’t even united? He couldn’t imagine what a unified force could accomplish. Then he thought of Thraegar’s extreme and intense behavior. He’s trying to prove to the others that he can succeed!
His fear was replaced with hope. If we can drive a rift between them…
“There you are,” an older voice said.
Wayd recognized it immediately. A commanding, powerful voice, filled with concern and caution. He turned and saw Korin Bl
ackthorn approaching. The dwarf was one of the oldest that he had seen, but his age did nothing to take away from his prowess. His draestl armor was more distinct. His large war hammer was epic. He reminded Wayd a lot of Arthron. A wise leader.
Wayd was curious who he was. He looked at Gauden and saw his friend looking at the older Draebek fondly. What transpired between these two?
“Your forces are very organized,” Gauden said respectfully.
Korin looked at Gauden and then turned back to the Draebek who were working diligently to clean up the area. Wayd realized that the workers had made significant progress during Wayd and Gauden’s short conversation.
“We are effective,” Korin said softly, gesturing across the area. “We have purpose now, Gauden, which is very different from what you saw when you were with us before, is it not?”
Gauden paused before answering. He looked across the destruction and then back to Korin. “I suppose,” he said.
“You disapprove?” Korin asked.
Gauden nodded. “Massacring innocent people and razing cities is not much of a purpose,” he said flatly.
Korin smiled. “Innocent? How is one innocent who has driven us from our lands, enslaved us to mine their precious minerals, and kills us whenever we try to approach? Innocent?”
“You believe his rhetoric now?” Gauden asked.
“It’s not rhetoric if it’s fact,” Korin snapped back.
Wayd watched the exchange with curiosity. They were so respectful of one another, and yet they obviously disagreed wholeheartedly. But it was Gauden who seemed the most upset by this, as if he was personally affronted by it.
“You’ve changed, Korin,” Gauden said.
“I have not, Gauden,” Korin said in return. “Circumstances have changed. The world has changed. But we can save this argument for another time. Come, there are others to do this cleaning, let’s head south. We are setting up camp and we are all due for a wash before the battle begins tomorrow.”
Korin didn’t wait to see if they obeyed, but turned and began to walk away. Wayd looked at Gauden to see what they were going to do, and after a brief moment, Gauden grunted and then began following after the dwarf. Wayd reluctantly followed.
They made it through the destruction of Old Draestl and began the journey south. This side of the battle had less bodies, but the ground was destroyed from the dragon fire and Draebek troops that had sieged the southern wall. Wayd hated the sight of it. It brought back memories of when he’d ridden Quickening on these roads and paths. Now it was just destruction.
I need to think of something else.
A little later he discovered what could occupy his mind. Watching the Draebek they passed for signs of clans. They had already seen two—the red claws and black bears—but perhaps there were more.
There were hundreds of Draebek to inspect as they passed, and every one of them wore their emblems proudly. But Wayd had only seen three different sets. A red claw, a black bear, and a dragon. He wondered how many of them were loyal to Thraegar, or if they were only here because of Shadmay.
A few hours later he saw signs of where the battle amongst the survivors occurred. The Draebek hadn’t cleaned up this portion of the battle yet, and he was pleased to see that there were more Draebek dead than humans in this part. It gave him hope. Old Draestl may have been slaughtered, but at least the survivors made it to Draestl to live another day.
As they continued on the road past the survivors’ stand, he found himself watching Korin as he walked ahead quietly. Wayd had so many questions as he watched Korin interact with other Draebek. They cleared the way and provided respect to him regardless of clan, though sometimes it appeared forced. Korin was important, and Wayd wanted to know why. He had some connection to Thraegar, and his connection to Gauden was all the more mysterious.
“How do you know him?” Wayd asked. He was surprised when he spoke, but the noise startled Gauden so much that the big man gave a start.
“Huh?” Gauden asked, then he cleared his throat as he regained his composure. “Sorry, I was deep in thought. About that very question,” Gauden said. He took a deep breath, and Wayd realized he finally had his distraction. I should have asked that question hours ago!
“I met Korin almost ten years ago. I was in the middle of my time as a guide, on a quest to find a city made of pure draestl. One so remarkable, it shines brilliant purple day and night.”
“Grindhold?” Wayd asked.
Gauden nodded. “Grindhold. I’ve never seen it to confirm the stories, but Korin has. And he says the stories are true.”
“You went to find it?” Wayd asked.
“Yes. There were several rich merchants who had dreams of finding the city. Imagine the wealth it would bring!” Gauden exclaimed.
Wayd could only imagine. A city made of pure draestl?
“They believed they had maps that led to the city,” Gauden continued. “But they didn’t know where the maps began—so they enlisted my help. When I inspected the maps, I knew they were false immediately. I know this area better than any, and some opportunistic map maker realized the obsession of these folks and so he took advantage of them. These men…” Gauden trailed off for a moment before taking a deep breath. “They were very persuasive. And determined. And they would do anything to find Grindhold. They believed that it was abandoned, and that its discovery would give them enough riches and power that they could overthrow the kingdom.”
“Sounds like some of the senators my father and uncle have to deal with. There’s a senator named Milow Trast,” Wayd paused as he shuddered at the name, “that would happily stab his own mother to get more power.”
Gauden raised an eyebrow at the name, but continued on. “I’m sure they are one and the same. Rich, and willing to do anything to get more power. I do admit that a city made of draestl would be worth a fortune. And I also admit I, too, was caught up in the fancy of it all. Imagine,” Gauden said as his eyes grew distant for a moment, “what you could do with a city of draestl.”
“Make a lot of dralchoms, I suppose,” Wayd joked. He had meant it as a light joke, but the booming laugh Gauden provided was well worth it.
Gauden continued to let his laugh roar before settling a moment later. “Ahh,” he said as his big belly stopped rumbling. “I needed that. A lot of dralchoms indeed! Yes, they were after the greatest treasure in the world, and I was going to lead them to it.
“I ignored the maps, and instead led them the way I knew best. You see, Wayd, this wasn’t the first time I had searched for Grindhold. I had scouted almost all of the northern lands by this time in my life, except for a certain pass. And it wasn’t because of lack of effort. The pass is in the highest of mountains, and is only about a foot wide, with cliffs over a thousand feet on all sides. I came to call it the Knife’s Edge, because when you are on it, you feel like you are standing on nothing more than a knife’s edge.”
“Does it connect two mountain ranges?” Wayd asked.
“Indeed,” Gauden said. “And the only way to get from one to the other. I scouted for miles in all directions and it was the only bridge between them. I also tried traveling across the river below. But it is a raging river of death. The river is too wide to cross, and the water rises and falls at an incredible rate. I attempted to build a bridge several times to cross, but each time it was swept away. The Knife’s Edge is the only way across, trust me. It may have even been built by the Draebek themselves.
“Anyway, I told these men about what I knew, and they were convinced that it was Grindhold. They offered me a hero’s ransom to guide them to it. So I agreed. But it only took me a short time to learn that these men weren’t exactly honest. For I wasn’t leading just a small company of opportunistic merchants, I was leading an entire army. They had over two hundred hired mercenaries of the meanest nature—”
“You’re a mercenary,” Wayd interjected. “I know, because I had to pay your last commission.”
Gauden looked offended. “I’m diffe
rent. I called them mean.” He paused for a minute when Wayd raised an eyebrow, then continued on. “Perhaps evil is a better description. At first they said the army was simply to protect from Draebek ambushes, which was easy to believe at first. But the thing is, Wayd, the Draebek are only bandits this far south. When you get further north, there are a few clans, but most of the Draebek up there are families trying to survive. And much to everyone’s surprise, these Draebek are rarely warriors or miners. Most are farmers.”
“But how would these men know that?” Wayd countered. “If I was heading north, I’d bring an army as well.”
“They didn’t, which I agreed with. But I told them that once we were well into Draebek territory, that the army would need to stay back. But then it happened…”
Wayd looked at Gauden as he stopped talking.
“We met a Draebek family who had sheltered me on more than one occasion,” Gauden continued. “We stopped to get provisions, but Wayd…”
Gauden trailed off and thick emotion filled his voice.
“What happened?” Wayd asked after a moment.
“We got the provisions all right,” Gauden answered. “And then they ravaged the family. Killed every last one of them in the name of justice. These were innocent Draebek who hadn’t fought a day in their life, mind you. And they cut them down regardless. And the worst part? They enjoyed it, Wayd. They were cold-blooded killers.
“I knew then that I had signed on with the wrong crew, so it was my goal from that point on to lead them astray and escape when the opportunity presented itself. But I’ve never been a good one to hide my emotions, and they realized I disapproved. So they kept me under close watch. My original plan was to just scout ahead and then never return, but I never had less than a dozen guards accompanying me anywhere I went. I knew I only had one chance. The Knife’s Edge.”
Siege of Draestl Page 17