‘We never finished building the moat,’ Jim commented. They had only dug half way around the grounds and the wizards had crossed the wall where they did not yet have a moat. ‘The attack the other night proves we shouldn’t think we’re safe just because winter still holds the land. The snow has largely gone and spring is almost here. The ground isn’t completely frozen any longer either. We struggled before to know where to hide the soil and turf we dug out; your bank is perfect.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. That one work will serve both these security measures,’ Drako enthused.
‘You had planned for us to get rid of your building debris. Will this cause any problems?’
‘No. Taking the turf off plots prematurely was going to make it terribly muddy down here. In that case, we’ll probably do without the lake for the time being. Again, that’s no problem; we have the spring for water. Please, go ahead; everyone will feel better knowing the moat is being finished.’
Drako climbed down and pulled all his people well clear of the bank and perimeter wall area. He watched Jim swiftly construct a small tower platform. It would give him something to stand on away from the wall’s protective spell, whilst enabling him to see over the wall sufficiently to direct the magic to dig the moat. Drako was surprised however that it was Amelie who took position on the tower, little Daisy strapped to her chest. Jim stood on the ladder holding her ankle with one hand whilst a student held his ankle in turn, linking them to a group of students, which left his other hand free to gesture with.
Amelie began rolling broad strips of turf off, marking the line of her new moat the other side of the wall. She intended the moat to look like a natural river, especially where it was visible on the approach to the gates. Meandering as close to the walls as possible whilst following the natural lie of the land worked best with water and her design could also incorporate other natural obstacles. Each roll of turf she sent to the clear area near the new bank. Once she had marked out a line as far as she could comfortably see from her current position, she began the actual digging work. The scoops of soil lifted magically from their original place, flowing in a lumpy stream over the wall to fall in a heap close to the bank. Amelie concentrated on the digging whilst Jim directed the creation of the earth bank. Once Amelie had dug all she could see, they took a break while the tower was moved to a new position. The second team of students then took over providing the strength.
It took three days to dig the moat deeply and broadly enough to be a real barrier. Not even a horse could easily leap the gap. She lined the bottom and sides with packed gravel, and strengthened the foundations for the two new bridges into the grounds. Finally, when the loop was ready, Amelie broke through to the nearby river. Everyone came out to watch as the new moat slowly began to fill with water and another major step forward in their defences was attained. They had ended up with far more earth than they needed for their village bank. Therefore, they dumped the soil on the inner side of the moat, raising the bank steeply in the areas clear of natural hazards, which might otherwise be inviting to invaders. In other low-lying places, she created wide boggy ponds linked to the moat and making a natural looking but effective deterrent to siege machines or horsemen.
‘You have a keen eye for creating natural beauty not to mention hazards,’ Drako congratulated Amelie. ‘As soon as it settles down, it’ll all look like it’s been here forever.’
‘Thank you. Pools like this will draw wildlife and our animus can blend in more easily in such a place than if it were barren. They can also hunt without going too far from home.’
‘How is Daisy?’ Drako asked aware Amelie was distracted. He suspected much of what Amelie was setting up here was with Daisy’s future and safety in mind. ‘Have you any idea yet, if she will be a wizard or an animus?’
‘It’s too early to tell. However, I am sure she will have strong magic. I don’t really mind which as long as she’s happy and healthy.’
‘She certainly looks happy to me,’ Drako said wistfully and realised Amelie was watching him. ‘We’d better get back,’ he suggested briskly and escorted her across the new bridge back inside the safety of the school’s perimeter. They were the last ones in and the gates clunked closed behind them, making them both jump.
‘Well, I must admit it’s a nice feeling knowing we are more secure,’ Amelie told him. ‘I can’t believe how much we’ve achieved since we first arrived and found holes in the wall you could drive a wagon through.’
‘I know, but will this be enough? The attack proves the threat is still out there, waiting to pick us off.’
‘We’ll be ready,’ she assured him. ‘We have strength in numbers now. Besides, Cassy’s not going to let anything happen to you. She’s got a wedding to plan.’
‘Assuming her parents accept me,’ Drako told her.
‘Have you met them?’ Amelie asked, her heart twisting for him. They had already been through so much heartache.
‘Not really. I listened in on them lecturing Cassy after she’d been hurt. She introduced me to them but they didn’t really say anything to me. I think they were shocked she even had a boyfriend. I don’t know if she’s even told them of our engagement.’
‘Oh Drako, I had no idea,’ Amelie said.
‘No, we’ve not told anyone. My people would be upset. They like Cassy. Please don’t say anything to anyone.’
‘Of course not.’
‘I just wanted to ask you something. Your mother was a wizard and your father animus I believe?’
‘Yes.’
‘How did that work for them?’
‘Not well in the end. They had to split up to hide from the inquisitors. Father took me and mother took my sister. Father died protecting me but I never discovered what became of my mother or my sister. They never came for me so I always assumed they’d been captured too. Why do you ask?’
‘That’s awful. Cassy’s family have obviously heard similar tales because they tried to frighten her off me. She refused to listen to them. But the war aside, did your father’s lack of magic hold your mother back?’
‘I doubt it. They spent all their time together and I remember them laughing. When father had to run to lead them away, it broke his heart to leave her. He rarely smiled again. You worry about holding Cassy back?’ Amelie clarified.
‘I know that if she marries me she’ll be tarred with the same brush as an animus. That intruder wizard called her a traitor and attacked her for defending me. She’ll no longer be safe. That does of course upset me, but things in war are rarely fair. It would be worse if I thought I was also holding her back from being happy. Marrying me is likely to prevent her from taking wizard jobs where she could be safe from persecution and fulfilled. She’s smart; she could achieve many things beyond my narrow world. Her family were trying to press her on that.’
‘Drako, what is her spirit animal?’
‘A white wolf,’ Drako responded trying to get control of his fears.
‘Do you think she is closer to you or her parents?’
‘Me I suppose; she rarely contacts her parents.’
‘There you go. You are her family now. I know it took her a while to make up her mind, but I think that was more to do with deciding she could keep up with you as a leader than reservations about you being a hunted animus. Haven’t you noticed that everything she does now revolves around looking after your best interests? You know very well that wolves are not career minded; they are family oriented. You must know she views your clan as an extension of your family too. It gives her an outlet to practice on until you give her family of her own to focus on. Stop worrying so much; you two might be opposites in some things but you are a very compatible pair.’
‘Thank you Amelie. I knew I could count on you to be honest with me and put things in perspective.’
‘No one else dares to give you a kick when you need one?’ Amelie laughed and he laughed in return, releasing his angst.
Behind them, the gates
suddenly clanked open just enough for a man to come in. To their alarm, he was covered in blood and staggering. Drako ran to him and caught him before he fell.
‘Tosker! What happened?’ Drako cried.
‘We were ambushed,’ Tosker gasped. ‘By a wizard catcher squad. Seth, Rex and Tony are dead. My boy?’
‘Jason is safe,’ Drako assured him. ‘We’ll look after him.’
Tosker inhaled sharply then went completely limp. Drako sighed sadly and gently laid him down and ran fingers over his face to close the lifeless but staring eyes. A crowd was quickly forming around them. When Jason arrived, running down from the school, they silently parted, letting him get to his father. Whilst they had all witnessed far more death than anyone should ever have to, it was somehow particularly shocking and heart wrenching now. They had been feeling safe enough here to start planning their future and build homes.
For Drako it was also the loss of a whole team of hunters. His hunters had naturally divided themselves years ago into the ones who were wolves and those who were dogs. The dogs with their gentler personalities had always remained closer to home and hunted for the clan. The wolves were the guardians: the fighters. Since settling at White Haven, the need for food had overtaken defence as a priority and both teams had been taking it in turns to go out to hunt and gather. Drako now wondered whether the dog hunters had been truly alert to any hint of danger. They had become rather complacent over the years, leaving it to the wolves to detect and warn of danger.
A grim procession returned to the village. Drako watched with approval as Jason’s aunt and uncle spoke to him gently and flanked him supportively as he followed the men carrying his father back to the village. Drako was glad the young man had family to turn to. Whilst no one would turn their back on a clan member in need, equally he needed family to share his grief.
‘Are we going out to get them?’ Freddie asked Drako quietly once the procession had disappeared into the village.
‘Let’s wait for nightfall,’ Drako decided. ‘We have better night vision than wizards. I don’t want anyone else hurt.’
‘You will not be going out alone,’ Amelie told them. ‘Jim and I will join you.’
‘But you have a baby,’ Drako exclaimed. ‘It’s too dangerous. You could get hurt.’
Amelie shimmered and a dragon more than twice the size of a big horse grew before him. She scooped Drako up in one clawed hand bringing him up to eye level. ‘You think I am weak? You think I would be a liability?’
Drako was not a small or light man yet she was lifting him with one arm. She was hissing at him, giving him a prime view of a mouthful of fangs that was highly alarming. ‘You know that wasn’t what I meant.’
‘Am, put him down,’ Jim said calmly. Neither had noticed him arrive. ‘He doesn’t deserve that and you should be conserving your strength,’ he chided.
Drako decided Jim’s light tone probably meant Amelie wasn’t truly angry; she was just proving a point. ‘You would go into battle as a dragon? That surely would be unwieldy in the forest. It’d make you a conspicuous target too,’ Drako noted conversationally and she put him down. She abruptly returned to her human form, her clothes covering her before she had even finished shimmering.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said softly. ‘I didn’t mean to take my anger out on you. This is a shocking tragedy for you. Having someone die in front of me, right in front of Daisy,’ she shook her head at a loss for words. ‘Knowing there’s a murderer lurking just outside the walls makes me see red. Were you close to him?’
‘I’ve known Tosker all my life. Not well personally, but he has been one of those constants. His wife was one of the first to die. It happened in the first attack on our homes. I think that’s why Tosker agreed to re-join the hunters and lead the hounds. He had retired and was too old for the work really but we needed every pair of able hands. He had the knowledge and experience to train up and lead a new team. I think he was grooming young Jason to replace him. The lad’s smart. I’m going to have to keep an eye on how he copes with this.’
‘I’ll advise his teachers of the situation,’ Jim volunteered. ‘We’ll come down at dusk then?’
‘Thank you,’ Drako said simply and headed off after the mourners.
21. Seek Them Out
Jim and Amelie arrived at Drako’s house to find it quiet but lit as usual. Cassy opened the door before they had finished coming up the steps and ushered them inside.
‘We are keeping this quiet,’ Cassy told them without preamble. ‘If the rest of the villagers knew a team was going out tonight to find those attackers, there’d be bedlam.’
‘Why? I thought they’d be used to handling raids,’ Jim said.
‘The wolves are, but this is how they do it. Otherwise, they’d be inundated with less skilled people insisting on joining the hunt, seeking vengeance for lost loved ones. Equally there would be some who would be unhappy knowing Drako was putting himself at risk.’
‘How do you feel about that?’ Amelie asked.
‘I’m not happy about it but I do understand. He has no choice; he feels responsible for countering threats to his people. I will of course be monitoring him in case I can help in any way since he won’t allow me to accompany him.’
‘Cassy I need to ask you something,’ Amelie said swiftly taking Cassy’s hand and sitting them down.
‘Ok.’
‘If something should happen to us would you look after Daisy?’
Cassy stared from one to the other speechless. ‘But nothing is going to happen to either of you.’
‘I am going to make sure it is highly unlikely,’ Amelie assured her. ‘But I would feel better knowing our daughter would be taken care of by someone I trust.’
‘Wouldn’t you prefer someone like Ebony? She knows more about babies than I do,’ Cassy said feeling thoroughly inadequate.
‘I know you and Drako will be wonderful parents,’ Amelie said sincerely.
Cassy helplessly reached for Drako.
‘Tell them we accept and appreciate the honour they have bestowed on us,’ Drako suggested and heard her repeat his words.
‘Thank you,’ Amelie said. ‘That relieves my mind. Now, back to business. Where is Drako?’
‘He suggested you meet him at the wall where the last wizard crossed. Take care,’ Cassy added as a lion and panther shimmered into being before her and hurried out the back door.
The area where the first intruder had come across the wall had changed hugely with the building works. So far, no one was living down here. It was eerily quiet and dangerously cluttered underfoot with building materials surrounding the barn’s frame and assorted debris.
‘This way,’ a voice said out of the darkness making Jim and Amelie jump. They followed Freddie’s wolf over to the wall. Jim’s moat building viewing platform was beside the wall. Drako was at the top and he gestured to Jim to join him.
‘What do you see?’ Jim whispered.
‘Look,’ Drako pointed. Just the other side of the wall lay three men. ‘Are they sleeping or did your wall get them?’
‘Difficult to tell from here, but it’s an odd place to pick for a nap especially since they’re soaking wet. They’ve obviously swum across the moat not long ago. Mark one up for the wall,’ Jim laughed. ‘Leave them, they’re not going to be able to go anywhere without assistance, especially while they remain in contact with the wall. It’ll continue to suck their strength as soon as they begin to recover any.’ Jim turned his attention to scanning the forest. He climbed down, waited for Drako to join him before speaking quietly. ‘Those ones are not alone; I sense other wizards out in the forest not far away. We can deal with these ones later.’
‘Ok,’ Drako said quickly and they all trotted swiftly but stealthily for the main gates and slipped outside. Jim kept his senses continually sweeping for anything out of the ordinary as well as monitoring the direction of the wizard presences. The wolves trotted slowly ahead, spread out and alert. One of them stopped abrupt
ly and everyone gathered to see what Freddie had found. A trip wire was strung directly across the path.
‘Don’t touch it! There’s a seriously nasty spell attached to that wire,’ Jim whispered, mentally tracing the wire’s signature. ‘It’s not designed to trip, it’s designed to slice your leg off or anything else it comes into contact with. Evil.’
‘Can you disarm it?’ Drako asked anxiously.
‘Probably, but I’d have to use magic and those we seek may be able to sense it.’
‘Remember where this is and keep an eye out for any more,’ Drako told the others and gestured for the wolves to move on. They avoided the larger paths after that. They all knew that hunters and inquisitors for that matter, found weapons or traps they liked and used them repeatedly. There would be more of those difficult to see vicious traps.
The group moved forward slowly and very carefully and managed to avoid touching several more traps.
‘I smell blood,’ Drako said quietly and they moved in that direction.
‘It’s bound to be a trap,’ Freddie cautioned.
‘What better way to find those attackers? I can shield us remember,’ Jim reminded.
Drako and the wolves followed their noses warily until they reached the source of the smell. The three other members of Tosker’s team were here. They lay broken and torn horrifically. It was clear those wire traps had caught two of them. The poor men had bled to death, doubtless in agony. The last man was equally dead but he was not bloody; he’d been killed some other way.
‘That’s a wizard kill,’ Freddie said examining the body visually only. He didn’t dare touch in case remnants of the spell remained. ‘He’s been moved here to be with the others.’
‘Freddie, come back,’ Jim hissed.
Freddie hastily rejoined the group just as two wizards appeared. He felt an odd sensation for a moment as though he had walked through a big spider’s web. He had no idea what it was though and the feeling vanished almost instantly. He didn’t know if that was Jim or something these other wizards had done.
Clan Green Bear: Wizards of White Haven Page 25