Jom stood his ground growling as Maelich sized the man up. His face was covered in a shadow from the hood which hung down just past his eyes. He was large in stature and his cloak covered his entire body. The cloak itself was brown and dirty. The man had his arms folded behind his back. ‘He won’t fair so well against me sword from that stance,’ Maelich thought as he drew his weapon.
“Make way!” he ordered the man, surprising himself with the deep authority his voice carried. Perrin even winced a little.
The man didn’t respond. Instead, he began to advance toward the group. As he did, he brought his hands up to his face and removed his hood exposing a wild mop of orange hair and a menacing grin buried under a nappy snarl that served as his beard. His eyes were what caught Maelich’s attention though. They had no color at all. They were like two hunks of coal, black and dead.
“Make way or taste the full fury of me sword!” Maelich demanded once again. Yet the man, or whatever he was, still advanced.
Maelich leapt from Validus’s back. Before his feet hit the forest floor, however, he was caught by a branch and pulled up to the safety of the loftiest point of a tall tree. At the same time Perrin, Jom, Validus, and Grinner were all scooped up in the same fashion. This threw their would be attacker into a mad fit of rage. He stomped about wildly as he cursed the trees. Then two more men clad in the same fashion ran out from behind trees and began stomping about in the same manner. They cursed Maelich. They cursed the trees. They said nasty things to Perrin that Maelich wasn’t sure he even understood. He burned inside though. He fought against the tree’s grip to free himself. He desperately wished to dispatch these wicked, heartless men who would do Perrin harm. Jom fought to free himself with the same vigor but to no avail. As the two helpless heroes watched, however, the trees exacted their own vengeance.
A vine whipped out from behind a tree and wrapped itself around the first cloaked man’s neck. It quickly tightened as his face turned first pink, then red, then purple. A silent scream twisted up the features of his face, but no sound came out. The trees growled in unison as the man’s black eyes bulged from their sockets. They burst in a thick spray of blood just before his head popped. Perrin closed her eyes and hid her face, but Maelich watched. He watched as heavy branches sprung from far above their heads and crushed the other two cloaked men. Their screams lasted only a moment and there was silence. The trees heaved a collective sigh and lowered the group back to the ground. They could sense Maelich’s anger and he could feel their apology. They had been caught off guard and reacted to save he and his group. He looked at the ground, took a deep breath, and then looked back up at the trees forgiving and thanking them.
The whole ordeal had the group far wearier than the trail had in all their days upon it. It was there they made camp for the night. Sleep came easy. They would be in the forest for three more days, according to what Maelich could sense from the trees. That would go quickly. Being they were all on guard now, it should go safely as well.
Chapter 4
Purpose
The path out of the Sobbing Forest poured into a great field of unkept wheat seated upon rolling hills that climbed steadily upwards. It was a pale-green, waist-high sea of flowing waves dancing about, motivated by a mild north wind. Maelich took a deep breath inhaling the sweet perfume of the field. He squinted against the brilliance of the mid-day sun. It was much too bright since his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness of the forest. Perrin covered her eyes and giggled. A feeling of security rushed over her. The fresh north wind peeled the grimy, matted hair from her dirt-streaked face. The crisp, clean air of the field was invigorating after the stale, dead air of the forest. Jom charged off into it snapping at little bugs and rolling about the tall grass.
Maelich sensed sadness from the trees. They had grown fond of his little group. They knew he had to leave, but they would certainly miss him. He thanked them in his mind for seeing him through safely and promised one day to return with a new song to share. Validus and Grinner carried Maelich and Perrin up the hill away from the Sobbing Forest. As they did the trees hummed Maelich’s song after them with the energy of a choir in full throat.
After a few hours Maelich and Perrin had crested the hill. As Maelich looked back, he could still see the Sobbing Forest behind them. The trees subtly waved back and forth. It could have been the wind, but Maelich didn’t believe that. A broad smile expanded across his face.
“Perrin, look. The trees be waving us goodbye,” he said as he nudged her.
She turned and waved. “Bye trees!” her shout careened down the hill, her small voice sounding quite large as it boomed and echoed through the valley.
Maelich nearly lost his wits, laughing like he had just heard a dandy of a joke. Perrin’s face reddened as she realized why Maelich laughed so heartily, and she fell into a fit of laughter of her own. It had been a good while since either of them had laughed, so it lasted much longer than the joke deserved. That was okay. The trail had been stingy with happiness.
Maelich turned his head back to the north and saw a great valley sprawling below them with a mighty hill rising up on the other side. The path they were on opened into what appeared to be a well-traveled road, branching off in many directions down in the valley. Huts popped up here and there and the land appeared cultivated. The population seemed denser up the hill on the other side of the valley. His eyes scanned it and then, at the top, there it was. A mighty castle with towers that scraped at the sky perched on the hill. ‘The great city of the north,’ he thought. How magnificent it was. This was what Ymitoth was always talking about. No wonder he had always longed to return, it was beautiful.
Eyes wide with excitement, he turned to Perrin and said, “Hold on tight. We be making some time before we lose the light.”
Perrin nodded in agreement as Maelich put his heels to Validus’s sides. Hooves tore into the trail as the horse responded. Grinner followed suit. The animal had little choice tied fast to Validus’s saddle. Jom had all he could handle just trying to keep up. Maelich kept his eyes on Perrin, watching her fear slowly turn into something close to excitement. After a time, she loosened her grip on Grinner’s neck and even sat up a little straighter as she bounced and swayed in the saddle with each of his long strides.
The group had made it about halfway down the hill into the valley before Maelich realized Jom had fallen quite a good distance behind. The sun was getting rather low, perfect time to stop for the night. A large, flat boulder with a massive tree at its southern edge alongside the trail looked to be just the spot. He halted the horses, dismounted, and got to work. By the time Jom finally arrived, Maelich had built a small shelter and a cooking fire. The scrod fell in a heap next to the small blaze, whipped by the trail. Maelich prepared a bowl of water for him and some dried tubberslat. That would help him to get his energy back, that and a good night’s sleep.
Maelich sat down next to Perrin by the fire, handed her a few hunks of dried tubberslat, and asked, “So what did ye think about that ride?”
Perrin shoveled a hunk of food into her mouth before replying around it, “It was scary at first,” she swallowed a bit and splashed some water down before finishing, “but only a little. Then I be flying over the field.”
“Aye,” Maelich chuckled, “it be a freedom ye can’t hardly describe, butterflies all brawling in your belly, and the ground racing past faster than anything ye ever seen.”
Perrin silently nodded as she stuffed more food into her face and stared at the fire.
“How about them trees, all waving and smiling,” he asked.
“Aye, and me big voice down the valley,” this time she laughed. After the chuckle had a chance to dance off into the darkening sky, she looked up at him and added, “I ain’t never been on no journey like this before.”
Maelich nodded down at her and then turned toward the western sky, gazing into last bits of pink the sun had left behind. “In that, we are the same,” he agreed.
They sat mo
stly in silence as they finished eating their dried meat and a bit of bread. A sharp snore from Jom broke up the silence and earned a good bit of giggling. The scrod didn’t move despite all the laughter. The road had done a number on the poor animal. Perrin dozed shortly after she finished eating. Maelich allowed himself to follow suit once everyone else was settled in.
The night was still very young when Maelich woke to Jom’s growls. The fire was dwindling, but the sun was still far from rising. Maelich stoked the fire and threw on some more wood to give himself a bit of additional light. Though the moon was good and full, shadows covered the field as if in defiance. Jom had stepped out onto the path and was growling at a dark shape approaching along the trail from the south. Maelich readied his sword and lit a torch before stepping out onto the path next to the agitated scrod.
“Hey there!” Maelich called to whatever was approaching. “Who’re ye that be traveling alone in the darkness?”
The shape didn’t respond but did continue advancing toward the camp. It was still a good one hundred yards from them when Maelich decided to meet whomever, or whatever, it was before it reached the camp and Perrin. He stalked toward the shape. Jom trotted along beside him, keeping pace.
“Identify yourself,” Maelich commanded, the authority his voice had in the forest was back. The shape failed to slow in the least. The space between Maelich and the unknown traveler quickly shrunk. It wasn’t long before Maelich realized the approaching shape was the same manner of man they had met in the Sobbing Forest. He raised his sword as Jom’s hackles shot up. The scrod’s low growl turned to an angry, threatening bark. Right at that instant, the cloaked figure removed his hood and Maelich recognized that it wasn’t simply the same manner of man they had faced in the forest. In fact, it was the same man who had confronted them in the forest. The man, or whatever the creature was, let out a hellish howl as he sprinted toward Maelich and Jom. Jom answered the charge and he and the wily vermin were instantly upon each other. White fangs flashed as Jom lunged for the man’s throat. The beast of a man was too quick and snatched the scrod out of the air by his throat. Jom snapped at the man’s face but could only manage to come within an inch of it. Instead of tearing into flesh, he yelped under the weight of the man’s grip. The sound was brief and sharp, and then Jom lay ten feet west of the trail, tossed to the side like a handful of seed. The scrod wasn’t moving, and Maelich felt the man’s dead, black eyes back on him.
Maelich didn’t wait to see if Jom would regain his feet. He charged the man like a wild mountain scarra running down a fawn. Once in range of his target, his sword arced toward the cloaked man’s throat. The velocity of his blade would have easily cleaved the head clean off a full-grown tubber. However, when the weapon shattered helplessly against the cloaked man’s forearm rather than lopping the head from his shoulders, Maelich realized his quarry was no fawn. Dumbfounded, he stared down at the handle of his broken blade. A chill wind blew off the black field, shivered down his spine, and raced off into the night with his confidence. Maelich had precious little time to ponder what kind of monster wore skin capable of withstanding the might of his blade or what black forge in the pit of some dark, forgotten hell could spawn a thing with bones that wouldn’t shatter under its force. He barely had time to question his own might before the man’s right arm slashed out in a backhanded, uppercut and launched him helplessly through the crisp, evening air. His jaw began to tighten and swell even before the ground leapt up to meet his careening carcass. No one had ever hit him like that before.
Doubt is a mad titan on the battlefield, and it took to knocking Maelich’s wits around, had him questioning instead of acting. By the time he finally got out of the way of his instincts, the dead-eyed man was on him again. He managed only to get back to his knees before the beast’s iron grip closed around his throat, hefted him easily off the ground, and squeezed. His hands shot up and yanked at the stranger’s fingers. He might have been trying to pull a mountain up off the ground for all the good it did. The iron grip wouldn’t budge. He kicked at the man’s legs instead. They were like thick tree trunks, solid and unmoving. Maelich’s face flushed as white dots flashed and darted before his eyes, and his burning lungs hopelessly searched for air. Just as consciousness began to flee on a hazy, purple cloud, the grip loosened. He landed back on the ground in a heap, barely aware of the dead-eyed man howling and launching vile curses. Laced among those pained shouts was Jom’s growl, a song sweet to Maelich’s ears. The faithful scrod had returned to the fight.
Maelich’s wits slowly returned as he watched the dead-eyed man dance in a circle and kick his leg in a vain attempt to free his ankle from Jom’s death grip. His howls filled the night sky as he fell to ground and flopped about. He kicked Jom’s head repeatedly until the scrod was dazed and could hold him no longer. Just then, Maelich had an epiphany. The dead-eyed man was not invincible. The steady gush of some blood-like liquid pouring from the fresh wound Jom had inflicted on his leg proved as much.
The dead-eyed man jumped up and gave Jom a solid kick to his ribs. The valiant scrod yelped and then lay whimpering. A fire burned in Maelich as he leapt to his feet and charged the stranger. His shoulder found the man’s mid-section and drove him to the ground. Instinct grabbed hold of the reins again and his fists were no longer waiting for directions. They pounded the man’s face while Maelich grunted and growled like a hungry beast in the wild. The assault was short-lived. Mere moments passed before the man managed to free an arm and bring his fist down on the side of Maelich’s head. The blow knocked Maelich to the side. Both combatants quickly scrambled to their feet, Maelich woozy from the shot to his head and the dead eyed man nursing a limp from Jom’s bite. The cloaked stranger charged Maelich who managed to narrowly avoid the attack and pull out his dagger. When the dead-eyed man turned back around to face him, it was too late. Maelich grabbed him by the hair and slammed his dagger into his black, dead eye. Fresh howling bellowed from the man’s twisted face as black blood poured from the empty socket. Good sense finally prevailed over ego and Maelich quickly retreated. He grabbed Jom and dragged him back toward camp.
Just over one hundred yards away, Perrin lay sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the trouble she was in. Once Maelich made it back to camp, he quickly loaded up the horses, roused Perrin, and tied her, along with Jom, to Ginner’s saddle before mounting Validus. He was still a bit woozy and unsure if he could finish the dead-eyed man off. They would have to flee. As unattractive as the prospect of traveling in the darkness of night was, the alternative seemed even worse.
Just as Validus and Grinner stepped out onto the path, Maelich heard a howl. When he glanced back, the dead-eyed man was back on his feet and limping quickly toward them. Much to Maelich’s dismay, the vile thing was no longer alone. Two more cloaked men accompanied him, probably the same two who perished–or so he had thought–with the first among the trees. He drove his heels hard into Validus’s sides. The horse responded, launching into a mad gallop. Grinner followed suit and, though Perrin was terrified, she and Jom were both tied down and safe, at least from breaking against the hard trail.
The dead-eyed men gave chase, sprinting after Maelich and Perrin but losing ground. Maelich paid them no attention. He kept his eyes on the path. When he finally did look back, it seemed his mind might be playing tricks on him. Otherwise, these monsters were even more frightening than he thought. They appeared to be flying close to the ground with their dirty cloaks flowing behind them. He gave Validus another shot in the sides and their speed increased. He didn’t look back again until the sun was in the sky.
By the time Maelich felt comfortable taking a break they had made it into the valley and found a place to water the horses. The motley crew he led quickly earned the attention of a good number of curious eyes. He felt scrutinized as the townsfolk did little to hide their interest. Under the watchful eyes of nosy townsfolk, they ate quickly. Then Maelich strapped Perrin and Jom back on Grinner’s saddle and got the group back to
the trail. He scanned the hill behind them but found no sign of pursuit. The path was clear back up the hill. Had those dead-eyed beasts still been back there, he would see them. A clear trail wasn’t quite enough to comfort Maelich. Though he hadn’t spotted the trio chasing them, he couldn’t be sure where they had gone.
The road grew wider toward the great city. It was also well traveled. Maelich felt the disapproving stares, two dirty children and a beaten scrod. Nobody bothered with them, but they watched. They watched and humphed with their noses in the air. Maelich kept his eyes to the trail and ignored the commentary of the people they passed.
“Well look at there,” and old woman’s voice crackled, just loud enough to hear. “Where do you suppose them parents be?”
A younger voice answered with a bit more volume, “Who could know.”
“Ain’t got none by the looks,” another answered. “Afraid of water too.”
Maelich paid them no mind. He glanced behind at Grinner. Perrin’s misty, blue eyes stared back at him, still brimming with innocence. At least the tragic events in her recent history hadn’t chased it away completely. That was something. The townsfolk had no idea what they’d been through. They could tell their stories to each other, make up their dramas to add a bit of excitement to their lives. Maelich didn’t have anything to prove to any of them. Scuffling with bored folks who had nothing better to do than speculate about a couple of youngsters and a scrod wouldn’t solve anything. It certainly wouldn’t help Perrin hang on to what innocence she had left after all she’d seen in the few days since their paths crossed. Let them talk.
Kill the Dragon (Lake of Dragons Book 1) Page 4