Before he could react, a sudden blow knocked Martis to the ground. Strong hands pinned his arms behind his back and tied them off with a coarse rope. A knee pressed into his back, keeping him on the ground. He was roughly searched and his coins and knife taken. Once that was done, he was pulled up to his feet.
Terror shot through him as he faced a group of men, heavily armed and dressed in leather clothing, with rings of steel interwoven into the material. They were unkempt and dirty, with that familiar wild look around their eyes. This can’t be happening! Martis wailed in his mind
As one of the men approached, a crooked smile on his face, and drew a knife, Martis dropped to his knees. “I serve the Masters!” he cried. “Don’t kill me; I can be of use!”
“Is that so?” the man laughed. “We will see what the Master thinks.” He looked at the other men. “Bring him.”
Martis felt a hand grasp his hair, and with a painful yank, he was hauled back to his feet. He was kicked into motion, driven back into the forest. His breathing was shallow and quick, as fear ruled his heart. After fifteen minutes, they pushed through some heavy brush and entered a clearing. He was shoved to the ground and sudden terror shot through him as he felt the presence of a demon.
“Who is this?” a hard and icy voice said, the sound freezing Martis’ blood.
“He said he serves you, Master,” the leader said.
“Does he now?” the demon hissed.
Martis was pulled up to his knees and found himself only feet away from an Imp. The demon came forward, its ebon eyes flat and merciless.
“So, you say you serve us. Prove it,” the demon demanded.
Panic overtook Martis and he began talking rapidly, feeling if he stopped before the demon ordered, he would be dead. He told the demon about his long years as a spy, how he helped with the attack on Sanduas and his recent assistance in Aletonia. When he mentioned that he was fleeing to Narina because of his wanted status, the demon held up its hand.
“You have a reward for your capture in Sanduas and Aletonia?” the Imp asked quietly.
“Yes, Master,” Martis stated. “I-” he started, but was cut off when the demon spoke over him.
“If you cannot continue to go openly into the mortals’ cities to act as a spy, then you are of no use to me,” the demon said dismissively. Its dark power suddenly surrounded its body and it raised its arm towards Martis.
“Please don’t, Master!” Martis begged. “I have given faithful service to the Masters for years.”
“Yet you allowed yourself to be found out,” the demon said. It studied him for a time, and then its power faded. A cruel smile crossed its face as it looked at Martis. “But I think you are right. It would not be proper for me to give you a quick death after such failure.” It looked at the half-men. “Make him suffer first.”
Before he could react, Martis was kicked hard in the ribs and went tumbling onto his back. Several half-men grabbed him and held him down. He looked up to see the other men pull out knives. He screamed in terror as they closed in, but the sound went unnoticed in the empty forest.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
As sailors hurried around the deck, preparing to lower the small boat, Jake stood on the deck, his armor and weapons in place, with the sword and his gear slung on his back, and studied their destination. They had arrived at Karnath, the island of the raiders. Boci, the young boy they had captured, had told them its name.
Jake was still bemused about the boy’s attachment to Dominic. According to what Dominic had learned, the men of Karnath prided themselves as warriors and they proudly displayed their scars. Apparently, scars on the face were considered to be a sign of high honor for some reason. When he first saw Dominic, as compared to Jake’s smooth face, Boci assumed that he was a warrior of great strength and a man of honor.
The raiders also respected the concept that whatever you captured was yours. That included people, as well. When Dominic had ordered him out of his hiding place, Boci saw him as the warrior that captured him, so he gave himself up. Dominic had taken pains to make the boy realize that he was not his property, but it had taken Boci some time to understand. Evidently, slavery was not part of Karnath life; anyone captured in a raid was ransomed back to their clan. While being captured was a sign of dishonor for men, women and children were not under the same rules. Men were sometimes left to suffer whatever fate befell them, but clans never failed to ransom their women and children. Strange people, Jake thought.
Since he saw Dominic as his captor, Boci answered his questions without hesitation. He did not extend that same deference to the others. Hailyn alone was able to get the boy to talk openly without some direction from Dominic.
Still, Boci had proven useful. He told Hailyn that the demons, Dark Ones to the people of Karnath, ruled from a large fortress on the eastern side of the island. The fortress overlooked the main city on the island, which had a large harbor. Most of the island clans lived in villages along the coasts and avoided the city whenever possible, but the eastern clans were forced to live there by the demons.
When Norai was studying the captured maps, he knew how to get there, but not where to land. “Clearly, we cannot just sail into that harbor. Unless they lost all sense, there will be watchtowers and patrols,” he had said. Turning to Dominic, he asked, “Would you see if the boy could assist us?”
When Dominic had Boci look at the map and suggest a place to land, he had pointed to an area along the southern coast. “This is where my clan lives. My uncle is the clan chief. He would help you as ransom to free me,” the boy said. Seeing no better choice, they agreed to land there.
After a tense voyage, with a constant lookout for any signs of raider ships, they had arrived at this place in the middle of the night. Once the sun had risen, Norai had sailed in as close to shore as he dared. Underneath the dark gray clouds, the shoreline looked forbidding. It was rough and rocky, with some sparse vegetation visible above the tall rocks. There was no beach or even a gentle alcove where they could land. However, there was a gap in the rocks where a small river met the sea. Boci told them that few people came to this area because of the terrain, so they decided to launch a small boat and row up the river until they could journey on foot.
Once the boat was in the water and a rope ladder draped over the side of the ship, Norai came down from the bridge to join them. Dominic, Jonas, Hailyn and Boci were standing near Jake, ready to depart as well.
“We must be quick about this,” Norai stated as he scanned the horizon. “We risk detection every moment we are here. My men will take you as far inland as needed, and then return as rapidly as possible.” He gestured towards the shore. “How will I know where to come for you?”
“How long before you must return?” Jonas asked.
“Provided I am not found and sunk by the raiders, I can remain in these waters for two weeks,” Norai replied. “The water and food that we captured have given us some extra time.”
“Then we will meet here in two weeks,” Jonas said. “If we are not here, then you know that we have been unsuccessful and you can depart for home.”
Norai nodded. “I will be here in two weeks, the One willing.”
He shook Jonas and Dominic’s hands, and then turned and pulled Hailyn into an embrace. “Take care, sweet girl,” he said as he held her tight. “I love you as if you were my own daughter. Remember the good sense your parents taught you and stay safe. I expect to see you here in two weeks.”
“I will try, Uncle Norai,” she said as she returned his hug. “May the One watch over you and your crew.”
Norai finally released her and faced Jake. His eyes were hard as he extended his hand. Jake took it and Norai pulled him close. “I will hold you to your promise to her father,” Norai whispered, low enough that only Jake could hear. “If Hailyn is not with you, do not bother to return.”
“I understand,” Jake whispered back. “I love her and will do everything I can to keep her safe.”
“Then,
may luck go with you, young Jake,” Norai said in a normal tone of voice.
“And with you, Captain Norai,” Jake replied.
“Now, you must be off,” Norai said, gesturing towards the boat. “We are pressing our luck as it is.”
Once they were in the boat, the crewmembers pushed away from the ship and took up their positions. Four men manned the oars and rowed for all they were worth. Dominic was with Boci, near the bow, speaking with the boatswain in charge of the boat. Jonas sat in middle of the boat, his staff across his knees and his cowl pulled up against the cold spray from choppy waves. On the rear seat, Jake sat next to Hailyn, holding her hand as he watched the rocky shore. Behind them was the man in control of the rudder.
The boat twisted and turned as they crossed the area where the river’s current met the ocean tide. The crew was able to navigate it easily, and then they were in the river. Dark gray rocky walls rose up on either side of the boat as they started upstream. Fortunately, the current was not too strong and they were able to make steady progress up the river.
The trip was mostly in silence, except for the light splash of the oars and some whispered commands from the boatswain. No one wanted to draw attention to their position. After ten or so tense minutes of rowing around blind curves in the river, the boatswain directed the boat to the western side of the river. There was an opening in the rocky walls that looked to lead up to the land above.
The sailors held the boat steady as first Dominic, then Boci and Jonas, and finally Hailyn and Jake leapt out onto a slab of rock that jutted into the river. Once they were all safely on shore, the boatswain gave a farewell wave and the boat pushed away, twisting in the current until it was facing downriver. The crew began rowing and the boat rapidly faded from sight.
They carefully climbed up through the opening. The floor was covered in broken rock, making their footing treacherous, so they used the walls for support. At the end of the opening, they faced a six-foot sheer face of rock. Dominic pulled himself up and over, and then helped the others up.
When Jake, the last in line, was pulled up, he saw that they were on a rolling plain of ragged clumps of grass mixed in with rock. He could see where the river cut into the plain as it headed towards a series of low hills. As he looked behind them, in the distance, he saw that the hills extended to a large mountain, its peak covered in the clouds overhead. Before them, the plains wrapped around the end of the hills and stretched to the sea.
“It will take the rest of the day to reach my village,” Boci said, pointing towards the end of the hills. “There we will find my uncle.”
“Are there any dangers that we might face along the way?” Dominic asked.
“As long as we stay off the main road that runs near the hills, we should be fine,” Boci replied, the eagerness to return home evident on his face. “The Dark Ones and their servants will patrol the road from time to time, but since there are no villages on the plains, they do not come this way.”
“We will follow you, Boci,” Jonas said kindly. “You should be able to keep us out of trouble.”
Boci looked at Jonas for a moment, as if he was not sure how to respond, but then he smiled and said, “I know places to hide, if we must.”
“Lead on, boy,” Dominic said as he studied the surrounding area. “Try to keep us away from any others until we reach your uncle.”
“I will do that,” Boci said eagerly and started walking.
“Jake, bring up the rear and keep your eyes open,” Dominic said. With Jonas and Hailyn between Dominic and Jake, the party follows Boci.
The boy led them across the plains, finding smoother paths in the course grass and rocks. A light cold rain fell from the gray skies as they walked. With the openness of the plains, Dominic continued to scan the area ahead for threats as they journeyed while Jake would often turn to make sure nothing was approaching from behind. They walked through the day without encountering anyone else.
The rain had stopped and night was settling over the land when they reached a hard-packed dirt road, with the hills beginning on the other side. They huddled at the edge of the road, searching for any sign of other travelers. After they were confident that they were alone, Boci told them, “We can follow the road now. It leads straight to my village.”
Again following the boy, the group moved quickly and quietly down the road. They passed through a series of small rises that bordered the road. After the last set of rises, the road suddenly expanded into a large courtyard. A cluster of stone and wooden buildings ringed the courtyard, with smaller buildings behind them. The courtyard was lit by a series of torches in front of the buildings.
There were groups of women standing in the courtyard, talking and keeping watch on the children that were playing. A cry rang out when one of the women noticed them. They began to scatter to the buildings when Boci ran into the light of the torches.
“It is me, Boci,” he called out. The women stopped at the sound of his voice, turning back towards them. Jake could see relief on their faces as Boci continued forward to greet them, but also saw troubled looks as they gazed at his small group.
“What is this commotion?” a man’s voice sounded in the night.
Jake saw a lean man, clean-shaven with his graying hair tied off behind his head, come into the light, holding a spear in his hand. The man was dressed in brown leather pants and a black jacket over a white linen shirt, wearing short leather boots. He had a hard look to his face, like a man who knew fighting.
“Uncle!” Boci cried out and ran to the man. Jake saw the surprise on the man’s face as he wrapped his nephew in his arms.
“Boci, how did you escape?” the man asked.
“I was captured after a sea battle, Uncle,” Boci said as he pointed back at Jake’s party. “The warrior Dominic is my captor.”
Dominic stepped forward into the light. “I am Dominic of Sanduas,” he said in greeting. Jake saw the man’s eyes widen a bit as he saw Dominic’s scarred face.
“I am Celric, clan chief of the Gabo clan,” the man replied. “You are a long way from home, Dominic of Sanduas.”
“You know of my homeland?” Dominic inquired.
“I do,” Celric said with a slight smile. “When I was a younger man, I raided your border areas. I remember a lot of talk amongst the warriors of a tall Sanduan soldier that fought with great skill, so I have heard your name before.” He paused. “Have you decided to take up raiding yourself?”
“Raiding is not what has brought us here,” Dominic stated. “Your nephew told us that you might be able to assist us.”
“That will depend on what you are seeking,” Celric said. He patted Boci on the shoulder. “First, let us speak of your ransom for Boci. What do you seek as a price for his freedom?”
“I would ask only that you listen to our request,” Dominic said. “I don’t mean to insult your traditions, but I seek nothing for the boy’s freedom. He has helped us and is home; I am content.”
“To honor your request, I name you and your companions as guests of the clan,” Celric announced. “While you are in our territory, all must treat you as if you were part of the clan and defend you, if needed.” He gestured towards a small cluster of buildings set off from the rest. “Please join me in my home. Food will be brought and you may find your rest there.”
“We would be honored,” Dominic replied with a bow.
Passing though the women in the courtyard, they followed Celric to his home, a single story wooden building with several smaller buildings behind it. The home had a long porch in the front that spanned the width of the building. He led them to the main doors and opened them, gesturing them in.
When he entered the home, Jake saw that the interior was brightly lit with candles. There was a kitchen area off to the rear of the home, with several other doors against the far wall. There was rough wooden furniture in the living area and a long table with benches near the kitchen. A fireplace in the corner heated the home.
As Celric p
assed him, with the light inside the home, Jake could see that the man had a series of fine scars on his face as well. Clearly, he had survived long years as a warrior.
Jake heard the sound of a door opening and turned to see a woman come out into the main room. She was a tall, slim woman in her late forties or early fifties, with graying brown hair surrounding her attractive face. She stopped short when she saw Jake and the others, shock on her face. That shock faded when Boci ran over into her arms. She held him tightly and showered him with kisses. Boci began to squirm from all of the attention and she finally let him go.
“This is my wife, Teci,” Celric said in introduction. “My love, this is Dominic of Sanduas and his companions. Dominic captured Boci during a battle and has brought him home. To pay his ransom, I have named him and his companions as guests of the clan.”
“Be welcome then, Dominic of Sanduas,” she said. “I will prepare some food. Please take your rest while it cooks.” She started for the kitchen area when she noticed Hailyn.
“Who is this lovely child?” she asked.
“I am Hailyn, Mistress Teci,” Hailyn replied with a nod of her head.
“If you need anything, Hailyn, please don’t hesitate to ask,” Teci said with a smile. She glanced over at the others. “I know how traveling with men can be.”
They sat around the table while Teci went into the kitchen area. Celric brought out several cups and a pitcher of mead. Once the mead had been poured, Celric asked them to speak of their need.
Dominic looked at Jonas, who nodded. “Before we say, I must ask about the demons on the island, your Dark Ones,” Dominic began. “Do you serve them?”
“All men on Karnath serve the Dark Ones, Dominic, but that does not mean that we serve them willingly,” Celric replied. “We have no way to resist them directly, so we must bend to their will. There are foolish men in the eastern clans that serve gladly, some that even give themselves over to their power, but we in the west do only what we must to avoid bringing down their wrath.”
The Eternal Darkness (The Jake Thomas Trilogy - Book 3) Page 21