The Grim Wanderer

by James Wolf

  Ten thousand gold pieces was a lot of money by anyone’s standards, more than most would see in a lifetime, enough to buy a country estate. Some of the townspeople stole worried glances at the warriors, unsure if they could be swayed.

  ‘Yhee hear that,’ Forgrun boomed. ‘Ye Bandit King have such fear o’ us, he do offer ‘alf his fortune ter try an’ do buy us!’

  The townspeople laughed out loud, some with obvious relief.

  ‘Go tell your boss we will not be bought,’ Taem said defiantly.

  ‘Nay fer ev’ry coin o’ Aritas!’ Forgrun roared.

  ‘Do not be foolish, friends,’ Remar said through gritted teeth.

  ‘I do not exchange words with snakes,’ Taem said fiercely, ‘tell your Bandit King to come forward and speak for himself.’

  Remar scowled at Taem, but backed away towards Morben.

  ‘We do could jus’ charge?’ Forgrun said to Taem, and Bodran nodded.

  ‘We could,’ Taem said softly, ‘and we would win. But if we do that, many of these good men of Gulren – who are not warriors – they will die.’

  ‘What do you propose?’ Baek said. ‘I could just shoot him dead,’ the Aborle held up his bow, ‘save us a lot of trouble.’

  Bodran snorted his disapproval.

  Taem put a hand on Baek’s shoulder, shaking his head. ‘I will challenge this Bandit King to single combat, and I’ll take his head off.’

  ‘By Gromm yhee nay not!’ Forgrun roared. ‘I will do fight ‘im! Fer Kaladim!’

  Bodran smashed his axes together, and the companions could see he was eager to do the fighting.

  ‘No I’ll do it!’ Dane Ruddle cried, and ran towards the bandit line, brandishing a broadsword.

  ‘No!’ Taem shouted. ‘Come back!’

  ‘Yhee hot-head fool!’ Forgrun boomed. ‘Do come back!’

  But Dane ran up to within a few yards of Morben, ‘I challenge you to single combat, you bastard! I’m gonna have you!’

  Morben shrugged, hefted up his hammer and walked towards Dane. Dane backed towards Gulren, leading the Bandit King on, so they stood between the two forces.

  ‘Fool,’ Taem muttered.

  ‘Shall I shoot this Bandit King now?’ Baek said.

  ‘Be do it,’ Forgrun nodded, but Taem shook his head.

  ‘You can’t,’ Taem said, ‘and that damn idiot’s going to get himself killed.’

  Bodran shook his head. If anyone was dying in combat today, the Brother of Gromm thought it should be himself.

  Morben spun his great hammer, and swatted away Dane’s wild sword swing. Dane turned and swung again, Morben easily knocked Dane sideways. Dane yelled and rushed forward, hacking madly with no skill or balance. Morben casually turned the blows aside, just playing with his opponent.

  ‘This is not going to end well,’ Taem murmured.

  ‘It’s just painful to watch,’ Baek said quietly.

  Morben exploded into action. He jumped forward and smashed Dane’s sword. The sword flew, and clattered to the ground.

  ‘Pick it up,’ Morben backed off, ‘I’m gonna take my time with you, boy.’

  Dane lunged down and picked up his blade, and ran at Morben again. The Bandit King knocked Dane’s sword blows aside once more, as easily as if he were fighting a child with a stick. Dane hacked away, but Morben just waited for him to tire, before hurling his hammer into Dane’s sword arm. There was an awful snap, as Dane’s arm bent the wrong way. Dane screamed, dropped his sword, and cradled his ruined arm. Watching townspeople sighed, and their shoulders sank.

  ‘Pick up your sword,’ Morben kicked Dane’s sword towards him.

  Dane stooped to pick up the sword with his wrong hand, slowed by the pain of his ruined sword-arm, and launched into an awkward assault. He was weary and ragged, but still went all out to kill the Bandit King.

  ‘Ye boy do ‘ave Kaladim,’ Forgrun murmured, ‘but nay more than that.’

  Morben made a show of using his hammer with one-hand to fend off Dane’s feeble attacks, making his Bandits laugh by looking the wrong way. Dane tired, and his sword dropped. Morben turned casually, and swung his hammer. There was a sickening thud and crack, as the hammer connected with Dane’s other arm and ribs. Dane crashed to the floor. Townspeople cried out in despair. Morben walked up to the prone man, raising his hammer above his head.

  ‘Hey, Morben ye arse-bandit!’ Forgrun prowled forward. ‘King o’ ye swines, ye rats an’ ye cockroach scum!’ Forgrun pointed his axe along the bandit line. ‘If ye be fed up bullying thy boys – why nay try me?’ Forgrun had a menacing grin on his face.

  ‘Crows will feast on Rhungar fat tonight!’ Morben snarled, and burst towards Forgrun.

  Morben hurled his massive hammer at the Rhungar’s head. Forgrun ducked low and rolled forward, underneath his adversary’s swing. The Rhungar sprang back up onto his feet. Forgrun swung his mighty axe, as a great pendulum, into Morben’s back.

  The Bandit King dropped to his knees. Forgrun walked past, glaring at the other bandits. They stared back at the Rhungar with disbelief and fear. Morben toppled over on his side, eyes blank and lifeless.

  ‘Who be next,’ Forgrun smiled at the bandits. ‘I’ll do take yhee all on!’ Forgrun snarled, and raised his axe overhead with both arms. ‘Do come on! Ye be so brave at be attackin’ women an’ children, so do come on then! Which be ya want ter meet me axe next?’

  The bandits hesitated for a few moments, and all charged towards the Rhungar.

  ‘Charge!’ men of Gulren shouted, running to meet Forgrun and take on the bandits.

  A dozen bandits encircled Forgrun. The first bandit to reach him was cleaved in two by Forgrun’s great axe. Wide sweeps of his war-axe kept the rest back, but they were certain to flood him in moments. One from behind lunged at Forgrun’s exposed back with a spear. Bodran smashed his way through the enclosing circle and hurled his body in front of the spear thrust, stopping the killer blow. The bandit spear impaled Bodran through the chest. Forgrun turned to see Bodran drop limp to the ground. Forgrun went berserk, and hacked down the closest bandits. Taem and some townsmen fought through to Forgrun, and within seconds the remaining bandits were running for their lives.

  Forgrun knelt down beside Bodran and clasped his hand.

  ‘I have me Kaladim,’ Bodran smiled. ‘Ye Gods do welcome me ter thine Misty Halls.’

  Forgrun muttered something in a coarse language Taem did not understand. Bodran nodded and smiled, and closed his eyes and died.

  Forgrun shot up to his feet, and Taem saw the tears in the tough Rhungar’s eyes. Forgrun glared at the fleeing bandits.

  ‘Bodran were me friend,’ Forgrun wiped his eyes, ‘even though he be sworn ter Gromm.’

  ‘It’s what he wanted,’ Taem put his hand on Forgrun’s giant shoulder.

  ‘Aye, tis at peace he now be.’ Forgrun murmured.

  They watched in silence until the last of the bandits disappeared into the distance.

  A group of townsmen called them over to where a gravely injured Dane Ruddle lay on the floor. They sent for a stretcher, and started carrying him back to the Hand and Crown inn. Taem knew it was unlikely Dane could survive his horrific injuries, but as they carried him across the town square, Taem saw two travellers coming in from the west he was not expecting to see.

  ‘Logan!’ Taem shouted, and motioned for the townsmen to put the stretcher down. ‘You’re alive! Thank the Light!’ Taem rushed to hug his Master.

  ‘And this surprises you?’ Logan said warmly. ‘It would take more than a few Nargs to finish us!’

  ‘Good to see you, my boy!’ Hirandar gave Taem a warm embrace.

  ‘Can you do something?’ Taem gripped Hirandar, and led the old woman over to where Dane lay pale and silent on the stretcher.

  ‘Stand back,’ Taem said to the townsmen, as Hirandar knelt beside Dane.

  The Wizard closed her eyes and floated her hands over Dane.

  ‘It’s not good, Taem,’ Hirandar whispered. �
�Both arms shattered, ribs smashed to smithereens, internal organs punctured, blood in the heart cavity. He will die soon.’

  ‘Do something!’ Taem said.

  The Wizard placed her hands on Dane’s ruined rib cage and closed her eyes. A golden glow shone out from Hirandar’s palms. The townspeople gasped in wonder. The Wizard spent a minute on the chest, with the golden glow of healing seeping into the dying man, and moved onto Dane’s arms. Even Taem gaped in amazement, as he watched Dane’s mangled arm, bent the wrong way, with broken bones sticking through skin, move back into position, with skin and muscle meshing together and closing over the open wounds.

  ‘By Odrin!’ Forgrun gasped.

  ‘By the Light,’ Baek murmured.

  The townsmen’s faces were blank with astonishment. Their mouths hung wide open at what they witnessed – what they had not believed was possible.

  ‘It’s a miracle!’ The people of Gulren whispered to each other.

  ‘I cannot believe it!’ Another wide-eyed townswoman said.

  ‘This man will be very weak from the healing process,’ Hirandar mumbled to the startled townsmen. ‘He must be taken straight to bed.’

  Taem realised Hirandar looked so tired she could barely stand. He put a hand on the Wizard’s shoulder, and Hirandar slumped against it, unable to support her own body-weight.

  ‘Such magic takes its toll,’ Logan whispered so only Taem could hear, as he also moved to support Hirandar.

  ‘Truly, you are a great one!’ said an awestruck townsman.

  Hirandar just nodded, too tired to speak. Healing magic was difficult, complicated and dangerous. It was the most challenging type of magic, that involved drawing so much magic power through herself, she was in danger of being struck down dead, or even blown to pieces.

  ‘Get the lad to bed,’ Logan told the townsmen, as he and Taem helped Hirandar up and walked her towards the Hand and Crown.

  ‘How did you find me?’ Taem said.

  ‘My blue stone around your neck,’ Hirandar murmured. ‘You didn’t think I’d really let you loose, without being able to find you again?’

  ‘Guess not,’ Taem laughed.

  ‘New friends?’ Hirandar wearily gestured to Baek and Forgrun, who were following close behind.

  ‘Where are my manners?’ Taem chortled. ‘It’s the happy shock of seeing you! This is Baek Malaran, of Borleon,’ Taem put a hand on the Aborle’s shoulder, and Baek bowed.

  ‘This is Forgrun Krojan,’ Taem grasped the Rhungar’s shoulder, ‘son of Dugan, of Clan Ironstone.’

  ‘Me Lady Wizard,’ Forgrun bowed, and knuckled his right hand to his forehead, closing his eyes as he did so.

  Baek and Taem looked at each other in bewilderment.

  ‘An’ Logan Fornor,’ Forgrun bowed even lower. ‘Even in ye citadels, we hear tale o’ thy legend.’

  Taem was at a loss. He had never seen Forgrun be so respectful, and what was this legend?

  ‘Those stories grow taller with every year that passes,’ Logan smiled. ‘Come, the Wizard needs to rest.’

  Logan and Taem left Baek and Forgrun in the common room, with Hirandar sleeping upstairs. They stepped out into the dusk, into the carnival of celebration in the town square. They managed to get through the throng of well-wishers, and headed out of town.

  The dusk turned to twilight, and oil lanterns and candles lit up Gulren. Taem and Logan crossed the twilight fields, reached the crown of a hill, and turned to look over the town. They could hear the din of excitement and joy in the air, and could see the townspeople dancing and merrymaking in the town square. Taem thought how the homely town – full of warmth and light – was a welcome sight after weeks spent on the road and in the wilderness.

  ‘Look down on Gulren now,’ Logan said to Taem, ‘what do you see?’

  Taem sensed a deep purpose in the way Logan spoke.

  ‘Hope,’ Taem murmured.

  ‘Yes,’ Logan said warmly. ‘Down there you have freedom, faith and courage. Everything these people need to live happy and free. Last week, freedom was barely a whisper on the wind to these people. A sound that, even if you strained to hear it, you couldn’t quite make it out. A misty dream, nothing more. Tonight, you can hear the joy in every voice. Feel the elation in their spirits.’ Logan paused so they both could listen to the song, and watch the celebrations from afar.

  There was so much that was good in this world, Taem found himself thinking, as he looked down at all the free men, women and children. So much that needed protecting.

  ‘Do you see it, Taem?’ Logan turned to look at the young man he had raised. ‘What you are capable of? You can lead people, inspire them, give them strength. Where you walk, men will follow.’

  ‘How can I do this?’ Taem said incredulously. ‘I cannot lead people!’

  ‘You already are,’ Logan smiled, ‘just always remember, live by The Code.’

  ‘I will Master,’ Taem nodded.

  ‘Come on then,’ Logan touched Taem on the shoulder. ‘Let’s get back. Hirandar will be feeling restored by now, we have plans to make.’

  Hirandar, Logan, Taem, Baek and Forgrun sat round the grand table in the inn’s wood-panelled dining room. The candles in the chandelier flickered overhead, a small fire burned in the grand fireplace, and they all had mugs of tea steaming in front of them. And of course, Forgrun had a beer too. The wall mounted lamps were alight, and Logan gestured for Taem to pull the curtains across, to keep out unwelcome guests.

  ‘We are being hunted,’ Hirandar said softly. ‘We are in great danger, and we head where few would dare.’

  The Wizard looked at Baek and Forgrun, her eyes glinting like sapphires in the firelight.

  ‘Are you sure you’re ready to come with us?’ Hirandar said.

  ‘Aye,’ Forgrun whispered, with a faraway look in his eyes.

  ‘I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,’ Baek murmured.

  Hirandar nodded, ‘So let us speak freely. Whether the free peoples of Hathlore want to believe it or not, the power of Malveous rises.’

  Forgrun shuddered. The Rhungar hunched his massive shoulders as if he were defending against the cold, knotting his hands into a ball, his two index fingers joined point at a point, as did his two little fingers.

  ‘The Dark is coming,’ Logan said grimly, ‘there can be no doubt. Nargs invade the southlands, and the Shadowborder rises.’

  The signs of His growing power are everywhere,’ Hirandar said, ‘Dark forces plot against our rightful kings and queens – and even the mighty Empress of Darnea is in danger. The Maliven spread their evil across Hathlore like a seeping murk.’

  ‘My people say the same,’ Baek murmured.

  ‘It is time for action,’ Hirandar held up her fist, ‘or the war will be over before it has begun. Are you ready to fight? To do your duty, as warriors who walk in the Light?’ The Wizard looked to Baek and Forgrun.

  ‘Yes,’ Baek said quietly.

  ‘By Gromm, I be ready!’ Forgrun boomed.

  The Wizard smiled at the Rhungar, ‘Good, we’ll need courage like that on the road, when the days are dark and home is a distant memory.’

  ‘We know Malveous is amassing his forces,’ Logan said darkly.

  At mention of that name, Forgrun again interweaved his thick fingers.

  ‘Tis ye Shielding-Sign,’ Forgrun whispered to Taem, when he saw the man looking at his hands. ‘It protects yhee from attention o’ ye Malice King.’

  ‘Nargs gather in the shadows of the world,’ Logan said. ‘His Black Servants spread evil and corruption, unseen and unchallenged. But one disciple the Dark One needs above all others: the Baledemon, Gorzaemon.’

  ‘Ye Baledemon?’ Forgrun said fearfully. ‘Ye great enemy in ye Great War o’ Dark?’

  ‘Yes,’ Logan said, ‘the leader of the Shadow forces, highest of the demons.’

  Forgrun was shivering, and Taem was surprised at how much terror that name evoked in the tough Rhungar.

  ‘But legend do say
,’ Forgrun said desperately, ‘ye Baledemon be imprisoned! Fer all eternity?’

  Hirandar shook her head, ‘Known only to a few, this prison can be opened with keys.’

  ‘By Odrin,’ Forgrun gasped.

  Baek had gone pale, his eyes wide. Seeing his friends afraid, and Hirandar so serious, sent a chill down Taem’s spine. He felt cold in the pit of his stomach when he remember the terror of the Nightdemon. And this Baledemon had to be even worse than that.

  ‘These keys you speak of,’ Taem said to Hirandar, ‘they are well-guarded in safe places though – right?’

  But to the horror of the others, Hirandar shook her head once more. ‘Even with the knowledge of the Golden Age, the monster Gorzaemon could not be destroyed. So the wizards of the time set about a desperate plan to create a vortex, a gateway, to transport the demon to a celestial prison. In order to hold the magic power of the vortex, those ancient wizards made five Key-Pieces to act as focal points.’

  Hirandar closed her outstretched hand, drawing into her palms all the light in the room. Baek shuddered at this new darkness, glancing into the deep shadows. Six balls of pure light burst alive in the air above the oak table. Each globe was a different colour: grey, yellow, green, blue, white or red. Taem realised there was one colour to represent each of the strands of magic. Forgrun gaped in wonder as the balls began to spin round in a circle above the centre of the table.

  ‘These Key-Pieces were made of Gentian,’ Hirandar pointed to the spinning balls of light. ‘Gentian is the essence of magic converted to solid form. The only substance strong enough to withstand the magic forces that would be channelled through the keys, to hold the gateway open.’

  Taem watched as the rotating spheres got faster and faster, the circle of their orbit becoming smaller and smaller. The balls of light blurred into a kaleidoscope of colour, converging over the centre, until one dense, glowing lump hovered above the teapot.