by H. M. Clarke
Rumbling came from above them and the ground of the pass began to vibrate under Dearen’s feet as she ran. Asnar held firm to her arm as he dodged falling rubble around the edge of the walls of the pass.
A loud crash came from behind and Dearen was suddenly knocked to the ground by a wall of force. She landed on her shoulder and slid across the rough ground before slamming into something soft. Small stones rained down around her and Dearen reflexively covered her head with her arms. But the stones only lasted a moment and Dearen quickly scrambled to her feet. It was then that she saw the Pydarki.
“Asnar!”
His body had cushioned her slide but he was not moving.
“Asnar!” Dearen dropped to her knees by Asnar’s side and reached out a hand to his shoulder and rolled Asnar’s limp form to his back. Fresh blood welled from a gash on his forehead and flowed into his dust-coated hair. Boulders and stone still tumbled around them but Dearen paid them no attention.
‘Dearen!’
“Hauga!” She shouted at the top of her lungs, “Asnar is hurt.”
‘I’m coming!’
But as Hauga spoke Dearen looked up to see several large boulders zooming down right above her. Fear flowered within her and Dearen instinctively rolled on top of Asnar in a futile effort to protect him from the falling stones. The tingling sensation swelled in her mind and Dearen laid still waiting for her death, her arms wrapped about her head in a fruitless effort at protection.
Then she heard a ‘click’ in her mind and Dearen felt a surge of ‘something’ push out of her skin and swell out around her. She kept her head covered not wanting to see anything at the moment of her death. But a muffled crack and a screeching sound jerked her head from her arms. Nothing hit them. Dearen looked up and saw that the sky was now clear, no more rocks tumbled down from the peak and to the west she saw a red smudge against the sky as the Flyer flew on its way, its job now done. The pass behind them was now jammed with rocks and stone from the northern peak.
What happened? Why weren’t we crushed? Dearen reached out above her and when her arm reached full length she felt an odd resistance. She jerked her finger back in surprise and then quickly felt at arm length around her. Everywhere her fingers pressed against the resistance the air looked to blur as happens when heat simmers in the air off of a sun-warmed rock.
What is this thing?
A groan dragged Dearen’s attention away from the ‘barrier thing’ around them and she gave a sob of joy as Asnar groaned again and opened his eyes. He lifted his hand to try and touch his head but Dearen caught it in her hands and held it to her beast.
“Don’t touch it. Let me look at it.”
Asnar turned his head and nodded but as his eyes gazed above him, Dearen heard a sharp intake of breath.
“What is it? Are you hurt elsewhere?” Dearen cast her eye along the rest of his body but could see nothing that would indicate an injury.
“There is a shell above us.” Asnar’s voice was soft but strong.
Dearen reached up and ran her fingers along the area of resistance, making it shimmer and blur.
“Is that what it is?” She withdrew her hand and bent to look at the gash on Asnar’s head. The wound itself looked more serious than it was and Dearen pulled her scarf from her backpack and wound it about his head to try and stop the bleeding. “I have a feeling that I made it, but we’ll talk about it later.”
Looking up she saw Hauga running towards them with the others not far behind him. As she raised her arm and called to him, there was a ‘click’ in her mind and the shell winked out of existence.
“Hauga, Asnar’s been hit.”
“Don’t fuss. I’ll be fine,” Asnar said pushing himself up on into his elbows. Groaning, he cupped his hand over Dearen’s scarf and the cut. “I’ll just be carrying around a headache for a while.”
“That stone knocked you out cold. You should be resting.” After a week of being nursed by Asnar, Dearen now considered herself an expert on head wounds.
“I’ll rest when we put some distance between us and this pass. The Flyer was ordered to close the pass because there is a large company of Arranians coming this way. I do not wish to be here to meet them.”
Hauga reached out a paw to the Pydarki. Asnar clasped it and Hauga hauled him to his feet. Asnar rocked unsteadily on his feet so Dearen quickly ducked under an arm and helped take a little of his weight.
‘Are you all right?’ Hauga steadied Asnar from the other side but Dearen could feel his golden eyes upon her. She formed Hauga’s image in her mind and channeled her response.
‘I think I’m fine. I’ve done something that I do not think I should have been able to do.”
Dearen felt rather than heard Hauga’s surprise over the channel link. Asnar seemed not to notice their conversation. His face frowned in concentration as he placed one foot in front of the other.
‘Asnar told me I made a shell and I think that stopped us from being crushed by the rocks.’
‘Only a strong sentient can make a shell,’ Hauga replied. The pride in his voice nearly made Dearen blush. Blushing at everything was a habit that she definitely had to try and get out of.
‘So not all Dymarki can do it?’
‘No. We can block our presence from prying eyes which is very similar to a shell, but the strength of mind needed to create a strong shell that can interact with physical objects is very rare.’
Asnar stumbled and Dearen broke her connection to Hauga so she could help the Pydarki to his feet.
The rest of the patrol joined them not long after and Dearen vaguely heard Hauga telling the others what had happened.
Asnar’s color had slowly returned to his face when Hauga had finished and his stance felt stronger under her grip. The shock of his injury must be wearing off and reluctantly Dearen released her hold on the Pydarki as Asnar took all of his weight on his own feet.
‘Are you all right to travel on your own feet?’ Ghrista turned to Asnar after Hauga finished his tale.
“Yes.”
Ghrista gave the Pydarki a short nod and then pushed himself through the milling Dymarki.
‘Everyone let’s go. We do not know how close those northern Bareskins are.’
The Unknown Queen
The Way to Freedom
Book 5
H.M. Clarke
Sentinel Publishing
CONTENTS
1
Massacre
2
Oath Kin
3
What is Freedom?
4
Councilmeet
5
Attack!
6
The Tunnaig
7
Council of War
8
Dymarki Invitation
Eow beon nu flæsc of min flæsc.
You are now flesh of my flesh
Blod of min blod.
Blood of my blood
Heorte of min heorte.
Heart of my heart
And bita of min sáwol.
And part of my soul.
-Dymarki Oath
Chapter One
Massacre
Dearen frowned harder in concentration, focussing all of her energy to one point and trying to bend it to her will.
But nothing happened.
Growling hard through gritted teeth, Dearen released her energy back into the recesses of her mind.
“It’s not going to work again.” Dearen turned to look at Asnar but caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Something bright was speeding towards her. The blue fletching showed it to be a Dymarki arrow and she tried to dodge out of its way knowing that whatever she did it would hit her.
The tingling that she now felt constantly in her mind shifted and she heard a ‘click’ echo through her head. A wall of energy pulsed out from her body stopping an arm length away. The arrow hit the shell and shattered causing the wall to shimmer where the wood splinters rained upon it. What rema
ined of the arrow dropped ruined to the ground.
Ghrista stepped out from the undergrowth, a toothy grin on his feline face and a Dymarki horned bow in his hands.
Fright turned to annoyance as Dearen turned accusing eyes on Asnar.
“You set that up!”
‘Of course I did,’ the Pydarki said with a sly smile. ‘I had to test a hunch.’ Asnar stood a short distance away from her, arms crossed over his chest and his black cloak flung back over his shoulders. His hair was again secured back by a thick black leather thong and did not hide the red cut that sliced across his forehead.
“And that was?”
For the last two days you have been trying to activate the shell again and you have not been able to do it. But you were able to in the pass when your life was threatened. This morning I decided to test my hunch and asked Ghrista here to help.’
Dearen gazed at Asnar through narrowed eyes. This was the second time he had pulled a surprise while training her. Her only conciliation was that she had succeeded at them both times. The patrol had arrived back at the main camp the night before and Ghrista immediately sent out fresh scouts to search for the current position of the Arranians now that the pass was closed.
“What if the shell did not come up? What if that arrow had hit me?” Dearen forced the words between clenched teeth. How could he do that to me? she thought furiously.
‘I would have stopped the arrow before it reached you Dearen. You are not the only one capable of creating a shell.
“So. What do we do now?” she asked with her hands planted hard on her hips. Asnar’s assurance that everything would have been fine did not stop her anger at being tricked.
‘We keep practising. That means practising your channelling as well.’
‘Oh very well!’ she said, the image of Asnar coming easier to her mind now as a focus.
‘At least we know you can defend yourself when needed. Try the exercise again.’
Dearen closed her eyes and started her calming exercise. She drew a deep breath and then let it out in a huff as Hauga’s voice echoed through her mind as he spoke hurriedly to Ghrista.
‘Ghrista, Braka has just returned. His news is not going to be good.’
‘Well, I had better come and hear it.’
Dearen and Asnar silently followed the Dymarki leader back to the communal clearing before the Sleeping Cavern. She stopped next to Hauga at the edge of the clearing while Asnar and Ghrista joined the rest of the Dymarki who surrounded a clearly exhausted Braka
‘Has he said anything?’ Dearen asked Hauga as she tried to get a better look into the clearing.
‘No, nothing. He wanted to speak to Ghrista directly. Something has clearly got him rattled.’
The crowd parted before Ghrista and Asnar like water for a boat keel revealing Braka standing in its center draining the last traces of water from a water skin.
‘What news Braka?’
The crowd closed in about them and Dearen lost her view of Ghrista and Braka.
‘Let’s get closer Hauga.’
Dearen did not wait for Hauga’s reply and headed towards the crowd. She slipped easily between the waiting Dymarki and stopped along the inner edge of the crowd ringing an open center. Ghrista and Braka stood silently just staring at each other and the Dymarki around her moved uneasily on their feet. The tension was so thick in the air Dearen felt she could reach out and grab it.
Asnar stood impassively next to Ghrista but his attention was focused on the reactions around him. He was obviously not privy to Braka’s channeled conversation.
Dearen felt a tap on her shoulder and turned back to see Hauga standing just behind her. She turned back in time to see Ghrista rock back on his feet as if hit by a strong blow.
‘Are you sure?’
Ghrista had not channeled his question and from the emotion in his voice Dearen got the impression that under his thick fur his skin would be pale in shock.
‘Yes. There is no mistaking this.’ Braka gave Ghrista a firm nod to emphasize his point.
Ghrista threw his head back and roared and it was the most terrifying sound that Dearen had ever heard. To Dearen’s ears it contained all of the hurt, anguish and sorrow that the Dymarki had suffered since the Great Exile. That much emotion coming from someone as strong as Ghrista scared her more than anything she knew. What had Braka seen?
Worried, Dearen took a step towards the Dymarki leader but stopped when she felt Hauga’s hand on her shoulder.
‘Don’t.’
Asnar leaned towards Ghrista and the Dymarki turned to regard him as they privately channeled their thoughts. A moment later the Pydarki jerked back appalled at what he had heard. The small exchange seemed to have calmed Ghrista. The Dymarki straightened to his full height and slowly turned on his feet as he gazed at the people surrounding them.
‘Braka has bought tidings that none among us would wish to hear.’ Ghrista’s honey colored eyes hardened with is next words. ‘The Northern Bareskins have attacked one of the Denmeets for Clan Trisqa. All the mothers and cubs were killed without mercy riddled with red arrows and left to rot on the ground. Braka here has seen this with his own eyes and he has told me that the Northerners are now headed towards the Councilmeet. There are over a hundred of the beasts and we will be there to meet them. As we go we will gather as many of our people to us as possible. The Cearc and the Council of Elders need to be defended. We will leave as soon as all is ready. Let us hope we do not arrive too late.’
Hauga’s grip on Dearen’s shoulder tightened as Ghrista spoke and she had to stop herself from crying out in pain as the tips of his claws dug through the reinforced leather of her jacket. She placed her own hand over his and tried to impart some comfort. But killing innocent women and children? What kind of person could do such a thing? The thought made Dearen shudder.
Immediately the warriors around her turned and headed to the Sleeping Cavern to collect their gear. Asnar stood talking with Ghrista and Braka in the center so Dearen followed Hauga as he went to do the same. She secured her black cloak around her shoulders and jammed the wide brimmed hat on her head. The sword was already belted around her waist and Dearen quickly secured her bedroll to her backpack along with her bow case and quiver.
Hauga was even quicker with packing. He gathered his pack, bedroll and bow together and slung them over his back. Dearen had lived with the Dymarki long enough to know that they did not commonly use bladed weapons knowing that claws as hard as iron could gut a Bareskin before they could draw one and their height and build gave them a greater reach than a man with a blade. Their thick fur was able to turn away most glancing blows. Only an arrow tip or a well-aimed blow from a sharp sword could cut through the many layers of thick fur.
Once Dearen had her gear together she and Hauga left the cavern and found Asnar by the tunnel entrance waiting for them. Worry creased his face and the red gash on his forehead stood out plainly from the pale skin.
“Dearen, I have to go. I will be leaving you in Ghrista’s care. The Pydarki Elders at Daegarouf will need to be told personally what has happened. The Dymarki Councilmeet is not far from Daegarouf. I will rally the Pydarki for help.”
Asnar did not speak through channeling and this oversight caused the fear that had started to gnaw at Dearen’s insides to become more ravenous. He was leaving. He was leaving when she and the Dymarki needed him.
“Asnar-“ Dearen reached a hand out to him but thought better of it and let it slump to her side.
“I will be back, never fear.” He raised a hand and brushed a strand of black hair away from her cheek. “I cannot leave my new apprentice alone for too long. You get into too much trouble to allow me to do that!”
Dearen gaped back in astonishment. I am his apprentice! Her reaction must have shown clearly on her face as Asnar let a small grin tug as the corners of his lips.
“All sentients with some ability are apprenticed and since I am the closest Master to you, I have claimed ownership of y
our training. We are linked now you and I.”
Dearen gaped even more at this and barely heard Asnar’s words to Hauga, only the Dymarki’s reply.
‘Do not fear, I will not let her out of my sight.’
Asnar nodded his thanks and gave Dearen one last long look before disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel entrance. Dearen turned to follow him but Hauga stopped her.
‘Leave him be. Leaving you is hard enough for him to do without having to say a lengthy goodbye.’
Dearen stood a moment in hesitation. What Hauga had said was right. Asnar did not want a lengthy goodbye but something inside Dearen craved it. But in the end she turned and followed Hauga to join the Dymarki gathering in the clearing.
Chapter Two
Oath Kin
The pace set by the Dymarki was horrendous and Dearen found herself struggling to keep up and was dropping farther and farther behind. Hauga solved her problem by piggy backing her and other members of the patrol shared this task between them. They would not leave one of their own behind and it was at that moment that Dearen felt truly Dymarki. These were now her people and their outrage and anger at the atrocities caused by the Northern Bareskins fed her own. She had never met those who were murdered but they were now her people and need to be avenged. These Northern Bareskins may look like her but looks only go skin deep. Underneath must live the flesh of Daemons and Defilers.
The Northern Bareskins were nearly half a day ahead of Ghrista’s men but the Dymarki knew this land well even after generations of absence and they took the most direct route to the Councilmeet. They ran through the day and into the darkness and Dearen noticed that the usual tingling feeling that ran through her mind was gone. As true night came she fell into a doze.