Battle for the Valley

by C. R. Pugh

  Cadmar began coughing and gagging again. I jumped to my feet and placed the bowl beneath his chin again as he began to expel more of the black mucus from him lungs. His breathing was more labored than ever. It was not a good sign.

  “You need to rest, Father,” I whispered, helping him drink more water.

  Cadmar placed his hand over mine and gazed up at me, his eyes growing misty. “Sidra – your mother – was perfect. She was kind, intelligent, and a wonderful mother. And she loved you and Kemena and Pierce more than life itself.” He paused and stared at me for a moment. “You look like her. Did you know?”

  Returning the glass to the table, I continued to clutch Cadmar’s hand and took my seat once more. “Yes, Kemena told me.”

  “She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.” Cadmar continued to watch me for a moment, as if he were weighing his next words. “It was Aurel who killed Sidra.”

  My brows furrowed in confusion and anger. “How do you know this?”

  “I confronted Aurel about ending our deal with General Wolfe, and he admitted it,” he answered. “Aurel failed in his Warrior training as well. We became close friends soon after. Together, our bitterness grew over time, but I was blind to his scheming ways. Aurel seemed to think it would tarnish my reputation to keep her around, so he poisoned her.” Cadmar gave me a piercing look and squeezed my fingers. “Promise me that you will administer some justice. Aurel cannot be allowed to get away with what he’s done … even after all this time. If I had known sooner, I would have done something myself.”

  I swallowed hard. “Elder Aurel is dead. Suicide.”

  Cadmar’s jaw dropped. A moment later, I saw the acceptance in his eyes.

  “Well … he has paid for his crimes then,” Cadmar mumbled. “I believe he was the one to turn the soldiers loose on you and Hawke. I had nothing to do with that, either,” he said, giving me a sharp look. “I want you to know that. I’ve done many things in my life for the sake of my ambition, but murder was never one of them.”

  “Why would he kill my mother and not Hawke? Why leave him alive all those years?”

  Cadmar shook his head. “Maybe he thought it was a just punishment for Hawke … to live with the betrayal and loss of his lover – the mother of his two sons.” Cadmar reached for the water, took a sip, and continued his confessions. “After you left Peton, Aurel was out of control. We made the deal with Wolfe decades ago, thinking we needed all those weapons and ammunition to strengthen our Warriors.” Cadmar shook his head. “It was all an illusion. Pankis was the only one to see through the lies. And I was too much of a coward to do anything until it was too late.”

  “What made you change your mind?”

  “You,” he said, turning his eyes back to me. “The way you stood up to us and Wolfe and risked losing everything … I’d never felt so ashamed … or proud of who you’d become. Kemena chastened me and urged me to set things right. Aurel wouldn’t back down. The other Elders thought we needed that medicine so badly, and Aurel was willing to do anything, even spill blood, to make sure we kept our end of the bargain.”

  “And Gunter?”

  “Gunter confided to me a week ago that he’d planned all along to stay behind as Commander. He was determined to discover the truth about Wolfe’s intentions. He told me he tried to tell you after the Council hearing, but you were too angry to hear him out.”

  “But the Council hearing … the look you gave him?” I sputtered.

  “I was furious and humiliated in front of my peers. In my selfish heart, I wanted to punish you. You kept bringing up memories that I was desperately trying to keep concealed. Not just at the Council hearing. Every moment of every day, Thorne,” Cadmar wheezed. “Every time I looked at you, I was reminded of my failures as a Warrior and a husband. As a father.”

  “And when he tried to arrest us out on the meadow?”

  “He had to keep up his appearances to Aurel and the Warriors,” Cadmar explained. “And I was hoping he could talk Tallon into coming home. I’ve been worried sick for her out there in the Valley. Gunter told me about the Night Howlers. I had nightmares for days.”

  “He ran away and left us to them that night,” I told him.

  “My boy,” Cadmar groaned, squeezing my hand. “He came back to get help. Gunter woke the entire village, yelling for more Warriors to ride out with him. By the time they got there, you were gone and the Howlers were dead. Gunter doubled the nightly watch after that to make certain no other Howlers would sneak up on us.”

  I dropped my chin to my chest. Tears stung my eyes. His plan had worked. Gunter had fooled us all.

  Peering back up at Cadmar, I asked, “Did Gunter really want Tallon as his wife or was that all a farce too?”

  “I was the one who encouraged Gunter to pursue Tallon. It would have been a sound match, but I suppose Tallon is too much like you. Don’t hold it against him.”

  It’s too late for that, I thought, a lone tear slipping down my cheek. It was much too late for many things.

  “Promise me … that you will look after my girls,” Cadmar rasped. “They … need you.”

  I squeezed his hand. “You know I will.”

  Cadmar continued to wheeze, coughing every now and then. His face was as white as his bedsheets and his lips were beginning to turn blue. He was suffocating.

  “I’m glad you finally told me, Father. Now you must rest,” I ordered, trying to release his fingers.

  Cadmar shook his head. He inhaled to speak again, but his breathing turned into gasping.

  “Don’t … don’t try to speak,” I said.

  “Stay,” he managed to choke out.

  “I will, Father,” I promised, taking hold of his hands once more. “I’ll stay with you … until the end.”

  Cadmar squeezed my hand and closed his eyes. I listened to his labored breathing until Tallon and Kemena returned, but by then, they could only say their sorrowful goodbyes. The smoke had caused his throat to swell too much. Cadmar took his final breath thirty minutes later.

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  Table of Contents

  29

  Ravyn

  I’d tracked the soldiers for two days and thought I’d been gaining on them, but they were pushing hard to stay ahead of me. The last rays of light would be gone in less than an hour. The sequoias towered over me and their shadows stretched across the ground at my feet as I stepped through the ferns, my rifle secured against my shoulder. It was time to stop for the night. I was not like Thorne, able to see in the dark. The soldiers’ tracks would be lost to me if I continued on during the night.

  I need to find a safe place to rest, I thought, glancing around at the trees. What I wouldn’t give to be back in Linwood right now.

  Night Howlers began to cry out their eerie warnings. I had heard them shrieking the night before as well. The beasts had stalked us far beyond their usual hunting grounds near Howler Hollow. Had they caught the scent of our blood during the fight with the soldiers near Murray? Who could know the minds of such vicious creatures? Still, they howled to each other as the sun dropped below the horizon. They watched and waited for some unsuspecting prey to pass by.

  My stomach churned in dread when I thought of Camellia. Was she injured from the fight in Ahern? Were the Howlers tracking her and the soldiers?

  I wove through the thick sequoias, searching for a suitable tree to climb. Rounding one of the wide tree trunks, I nearly stumbled over a prone body of a soldier hidden beneath the branches of the ferns. I crouched down, rolled him over, and checked for a pulse. The man’s face was pale and his dark blue eyes stared off into the sky.

  Setting down my rifle, I looked him over and frowned. There were no visible injuries on his body. No blood. How did this soldier die?

  I shook my head. This was no time to investigate. Frowning in resignation, I slid my blade out of its sheath to cut his throat. The habit was ingrained in me to make sure the soldiers did not reawaken from having taken that cursed serum. My b
lade was an inch from the dead man’s neck when a Howler’s cry echoed through the trees. I froze. The harpy was not far from here. If I cut this man’s throat …

  The blood will draw those creatures right here.

  I snatched up my rifle, sheathed my blade, and stepped over the prone soldier, leaving him to the scavengers. Thirty feet away, I found another soldier lying dead on the forest floor. This one was female, a blade still protruding from her side. She was dead, but her torso was covered in blood.

  I glanced back and forth between the two dead soldiers. What happened here?

  It wasn’t wise to remain with blood drawing the Howlers to this place. They would smell the tangy scent from miles away.

  I should leave before the Howlers arrive for an evening snack.

  Turning on my heel, I picked up the soldier’s trail and walked away. I hadn’t gone three steps when my feet skidded to a stop. I peered back over my shoulder. Curiosity was getting the better of me.

  I bit back a curse and strode back to the bodies.

  Turning in a slow circle through the ferns, I moved their branches aside to examine the ground. Who had attacked these soldiers? Surely not Thorne and his Warriors. They hadn’t had time to journey to Peton and back here to intercept these soldiers so soon.

  Dirt had been churned up and, upon further inspection, several branches of ferns were bent out of place, broken from a struggle. Five feet of rope lay a few feet from the female soldier who had been stabbed. I initially hadn’t seen the rope due to the brush and churned-up dirt on the forest floor. Once I picked up the cord, I could see that it had been severed by a knife.

  Had this rope been used to restrain Camellia? How had she gotten free of it? Or had the soldiers cut it for some reason? I’d given my sister a blade after the Saber attack a week ago. Had the soldiers failed to disarm her when they captured her? Did they think she was helpless?

  Did Camellia cut herself free and stab the soldier while they were distracted?

  And what of the man with no visible wounds? I stepped back over to the man and crouched down beside him. What could have caused him to die?

  I gasped and place my hand over my mouth. Had my timid sister used her gift on him? There was no other logical reason for him to be dead. Camellia had sent a surge of power through him until his heart had stopped.

  My sister is more powerful than I imagined.

  My stomach churned when I thought of how the soldiers might have punished her for her attempted escape and for killing two of their group.

  If she is damaged in any way, I will make sure the remaining soldiers suffer, I thought, fury building up inside me. If Camellia doesn’t kill them first.

  Night Howlers shrieked again, this time from almost right overhead. Hearing their eerie cries, I rose to my feet. My neck began to tingle its warning, so I picked up my rifle and bolted.

  I continued north at a sprint, putting distance between me and the Night Howlers. The sun was disappearing and the sky grew darker overhead. I cursed the sunset and reluctantly found a suitable tree to climb and rest in for the night. I would continue tracking them in the morning.

  Hang on, Camellia. I’m coming.

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  Table of Contents

  30

  Thorne

  Funerals were held the following morning at dawn. Every Peton citizen was in attendance to pay their respects to Cadmar, Aurel, Gunter, and the other five Warriors who had fallen during the clash yesterday.

  Pierce and Archer stood at my side. Kemena cried into Aaron’s shoulder during the ceremony. Out of my three sisters, she had been closest to Cadmar. She was heartsick, angry that she had been unable to do anything to help him recover from the smoke inhalation. Brock had an arm around Tallon, who was broken up by her father’s loss. The Elders who were unaware of our return yesterday gawked at us through most of the funeral ceremony. I tried to ignore their questioning stares. My intent was to honor Gunter and Cadmar.

  When the funeral had ended and all Peton citizens were present, I stepped forward. “I’m calling for an emergency Council hearing to be held in one hour’s time.”

  The citizens murmured amongst themselves. The Elders standing on the opposite side of the graves from me stiffened and gave each other nervous glances.

  Elder Teargan, the next Elder in line to lead, frowned at me. “You do not have the authority to call for a hearing since you are no longer Commander.”

  “I’m not asking to be reinstated,” I said, loud enough for all to hear. “But it seems there have been questionable things going on in Peton under your noses. When we arrived yesterday, more soldiers were inside these walls trying to kill us, and Warriors were fighting against fellow Warriors!” I gave each of the Elders a sharp look. “Three of your fellow Elders have died under suspicious circumstances. Someone has to answer for them.”

  The murmuring in the crowd grew louder and several citizens began to shout.

  “Thorne is right!”

  “We want answers!”

  “Call a hearing!”

  The six Elders remaining gaped at the crowd and whispered amongst themselves. I folded my arms over my chest and watched them squirm. The citizens were growing louder in their call for answers over the recent deaths and the battle that had taken place yesterday. I gave Pierce and Archer a quick glance and saw them smirking at each other.

  Before we lost control and the crowd started calling for the Elders’ heads, I bellowed, “Enough!”

  The citizens quietened down, waiting for a decision to be made.

  I glared at the Elders. “Whether you want to or not, a Council hearing will be held in one hour. If you decide not to show yourselves at the hearing, then you are choosing to be a coward and will forfeit your position as an Elder.”

  “You do not have that authority,” Elder Teargan barked at me.

  “He has every right!” Kemena snapped, stepping forward. “You Elders were meant to represent us and keep us safe. You have failed. We will hold you accountable and you will accept the consequences of your actions.”

  Several Warriors shouted their approval. I lifted my chin, proud that my older sister had spoken up. The citizens respected her opinion and held her in the highest regard.

  “Thorne is right!” Kemena continued, looking around at her fellow citizens. “We must have a Council hearing. You Elders are not above our laws!”

  The crowd roared in support. It took five minutes to get them all to settle back down. Once they were silent again, I frowned at the Elders. “What is your choice? Do you hold the hearing or are you choosing to step down?”

  I watched the Elders shift uncomfortably at my ultimatum, but I’d had enough duplicity from them. We all wanted answers and we would get them one way or another.

  With a scowl, Elder Teargan nodded his head. “One hour. We will all be there.”

  The Elders fled back to the Council building and the crowd cheered.

  People waved and smiled at me while those closest to me pounded my shoulders as they dispersed. Many of the Warriors approached me to do the same, grinning and giving me curious looks. To my surprise, no one shied away from the scars on my face.

  Luken approached me and shook my hand. I was astonished to see him here. He had been Hawke’s second in command and had become as reclusive as Hawke.

  “It is good to see you again,” Luken said. “Hawke would be proud of you. You are truly his son.” He gave me a lopsided grin and strolled away.

  I glanced around the grave site. Kemena was still standing at the foot of her father’s resting place. Aaron held her in his arms. Lenna stood at Kemena’s side, holding her hand. My heart twisted when I saw tears trailing down Lenna’s face.

  Max approached, limping slightly and leaning on a cane for support. His hazel eyes lit up when he saw me. I almost didn’t recognize him. His dark brown hair had grown out a bit and a dark beard had grown out on his face, making him appear years older than seventeen. It seemed like a lifetime a
go that he’d nearly been killed by that Saber out on the meadow. Had it only been a month ago?

  “I’m glad to see you back on your feet, Max,” I told him, giving his shoulder a friendly punch.

  One side of Max’s mouth lifted in a half-smile. “I’m not a hundred percent yet, but I’m getting there. I’m ready for whatever you need, Commander.”

  “You’re still battered from the Saber attack.”

  “I’m fit enough,” Max replied. “I don’t need the cane as much these days. I won’t be left behind again.”

  “And how do you know we’re going anywhere?” I asked him.

  “Because I don’t see Ravyn,” he said softly. “Did you not find her after all?”

  My chest ached, thinking of her. Had she made it to the compound yet? Would I ever see her alive again? I shoved those torturous thoughts aside and took a deep breath.

  “Yes, we found her,” I murmured. “We were forced to separate again. You will find out soon enough what we must do next.”

  Max nodded. “I’ll be ready.”

  As Max strolled away, Pierce, Archer, Tallon, and Brock drew near.

  “Well, this is exciting,” Pierce drawled, speaking of the confrontation with the Elders.

  “Can I count on all of you to stand up as witnesses at the hearing?” I asked them.

  Pierce rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. “Don’t make me hurt you, Brother.”

  Archer chuckled. “You know we will, Thorne.”

  “Good,” I said. “We must convince the Warriors if we are to succeed in our plan.”

  ***

  The Council building was overflowing with Peton citizens when Pierce, Archer, Brock, Tallon, and I arrived. It had been Luken’s idea to show up right on time – a grand entrance to make a strong statement.

  “It’s what Hawke would have done,” Luken said with a sly grin. “Make sure you don’t trip coming down the center aisle.”