“What were you thinking about?” the young sorceress asked.
“War, battles, becoming a soldier,” he replied. “Things like that mainly. You know: glory, honor, and a lot of other dreams and ideals common to young men.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, “that would have been my guess.”
At this, the warrior burst out laughing again.
“It's just one of the stages of life most men go through,” the captain said. “It passes in time. Well, it might be more accurate to say that it makes room for other things in time.”
“I hope you're right,” the maiden said, shaking her head.
“I am,” he nodded.
“Six years...”
“Don't worry about that, dear,” the captain smiled. “You're not a ten year old girl. I have a feeling you'll get his attention faster than that.”
“I hope so,” she said, once again sighing.
“Would you like me to speak to him?” the warrior asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, I don't think it would do any good.”
“If you're sure,” Tealor replied.
“I'm not,” the maiden admitted. “Do you think it would help?”
“Well,” the captain chuckled, “I'm fairly positive it couldn't hurt.”
“Then, I would really appreciate it,” she replied.
The warrior didn't have to wait long for an opportunity to speak to the young knight. Just a few minutes after his brief talk with Gwendolyn, the Telian was riding alongside him at the head of their party; just out of earshot from the rest of the group.
“Darian,” the warrior began, glancing at the young knight, “I'd like to speak to you for a moment – man to man.”
“Absolutely,” the Telian replied. “What is it?”
“I'll get right to the point,” the warrior said. “What do you think of Gwendolyn?”
“I think she's incredible!” Darian answered.
“I'm glad to hear that,” the captain said with wink. “And would you say you care for her?”
“Certainly,” the knight replied with a hint of surprise. “Don't you?”
“Well, yes, of course I do,” the warrior chuckled. “I mean: Might you say that you love her?”
“Certainly,” the Telian replied again. “Don't you?”
“Yes... of course I do,” the captain said, knitting his brows. “But, that's not what I mean.”
“Then, what do you mean?”
“Darian,” the warrior began, carefully choosing his words. “Do you find Gwendolyn attractive?”
“You mean: does she attract me?” he asked with a rising inflection in his voice.
“Yes,” Tealor nodded. “That's exactly what I mean.”
“In what way?”
“Alright, let me see,” the captain said, wiping his brow. “Darian, did your father ever tell you about the birds and the bees?”
“Well, of course,” the knight laughed.
“Good,” the warrior replied with a sigh of relief. “That's excellent. Exactly what did he tell you?”
“Well,” Darian began, “he said to me... and I'll never forget it... He said Darian, son, a man who works like a bee will never have to eat like a bird.”
“Excellent,” Tealor chuckled. “And so very true. Remind me to thank your father when we get back to the fortress.”
“What for?”
“Never mind, Darian,” the warrior replied, waving his hand as he spoke. “We'll approach it from a different direction. Have you ever thought about marriage at all?”
“Certainly,” the knight nodded. “A great deal lately. Haven't you?”
“Why would I be thinking about it?”
“Because Kilren and Erana are getting married,” Darian explained. “We'll probably all end up in the ceremony. They've already asked me to be the best man. So, of course I've been thinking about it. It's a great responsibility.”
“Yes,” Tealor replied, slightly stunned with disbelief. “Yes it is, Darian. But, what I was actually asking was whether or not you had thought about marriage for yourself.”
“With whom?” the knight asked, his voice filled with confusion.
“We'll have to talk about this later, Darian,” the warrior replied, shaking his head. “I'm getting a terrible headache for some reason.”
“I'm sorry,” the Telian replied. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes, there is,” Tealor answered. “Would you give me a few minutes of silence?”
“I certainly will, Captain,” the knight replied, turning his attention to the path ahead.
Shortly after this discussion, Darian made his way toward the back of the column and Gwendolyn took the opportunity to speak to Tealor again.
“Did it help?” Gwendolyn asked hopefully.
“My dear,” Tealor sighed. “I'm now fairly certain that only two things can possibly help: time or the direct intervention of the Eilian. So, be praying for him. I certainly will be!”
“Yeah,” the maiden sighed, “I was afraid of that.”
As the party continued its westward journey, the dark clouds that filled the horizon drew ever nearer. There was little doubt that, with every passing step, they were closer to their enemy. However, the amount of territory they had to cover was immense. All they could was trudge onward; hoping to find some clue that would aid them in their search.
By early afternoon, the dark vapors that filled the sky appeared to be directly above them. The party passed under its shadow, uncertain when they would once again emerge into the light of the sun. Just before they entered this unnatural shade, Darian noticed something strange. He thought he caught a glimpse of a unicorn in the distance behind them. However, he had no sooner spotted it than it was gone. In truth, he couldn't be sure if he had really seen it or if his imagination was simply playing tricks on him.
As the miles slowly passed beneath the hooves of their mounts, the knight and the rogue passed a portion of the time in quiet conversation.
“What are we looking for?” Kilren asked suddenly, turning toward his friend.
“The enemy,” Darian replied.
“Actually, believe it or not, I had already come to that conclusion,” the rogue said, rolling his eyes. “I meant it in a more specific sense. We've been traveling for a day and a half and we haven't seen so much as a single troll.”
“Do you want to see a troll?”
“No, of course not,” Kilren answered, shaking his head. “But, my point is that we haven't seen anything at all yet. The badlands, at least as far as I can figure out, cover hundreds – maybe thousands – of square miles. How in Areon are we going to find what we're looking for? Whatever that may be...”
“I do see what you mean,” the knight agreed. “But, on the other hand, it seems to be in the west. At least, that's where these clouds are forming anyway.”
“That's true,” the rogue admitted. “If they actually have anything to do with it. I'm just not sure that finding their center is going to lead us to anything at all.”
“It may not,” the Telian replied, “but we don't have anything else to go on right now. We'll just have to press on and hope that the Eilian lead us to something.”
At that moment, Tealor pulled the reigns, bringing both his mount and the party to a stop.
“Kilren, Erana,” he called out, “come here for a moment.”
The couple immediately answered the summons of the warrior.
“What do you see there?” the captain asked, pointing at the ground ahead of them.
“A slight depression?” the rogue said.
“Obviously, Kilren,” Tealor replied, “but, look at it. It crosses our path and seems to run north and south. I'm just not sure if it's a dried up stream bed or if it's some kind of trail. I don't want to follow it unless it may lead us to something.”
“That's a fair point,” Kilren replied, scratching his head thoughtfully. “And, it is a little hard to tell.”
&n
bsp; “My guess would be that it's a trail,” Erana said. “There's been a fair amount of rain lately. I think if it were a stream bed, it would have water in.”
“Normally, I'd agree,” the warrior replied. “However, look at these trees. I doubt there's been a great deal of rain here recently, no matter what the weather's been like for the rest of Innalas.”
“No, that's true,” the ranger admitted. “Of course, it also seems very shallow. I really think it's probably a trail.”
“I agree. And, actually, if you look over there,” the rogue said, pointing as he spoke, “it looks like it goes over that little rise. That being the case, it's not a stream.”
“No,” the warrior nodded. “I agree. As it's the first thing we've found out here, I think we should probably follow it, at least for a short distance. I have no idea what it might lead to, but anything would be more than we've found up to this point. So, do we go north or south?”
“North,” Kilren said firmly.
“Why?” the warrior asked.
“No reason.”
“Alright,” the captain chuckled. “Let's see what we can find.”
The party turned north and began following the narrow and apparently disused trail. In less than an hour, it widened to become a very clear path that was recognizable even to the comparatively unobservant eyes of the Telian. Here and there, they began to spot the prints of trolls and other creatures. Although they certainly weren't fresh, they did make it obvious that the trail might have been used, at one time or another, by the forces of their enemy.
As the shadows lengthened, the path led the party to the crest of a rather steep hill. When they reached its peak, their eyes met an unexpected sight. Below them, in a small dell, stood a stone tower surrounded by a stagnant moat that was filled by a stream that flowed through the little valley. It was covered in patches of moss, as was the small stone bridge that led up to it, and looked as if it were in a general state of disrepair.
It certainly didn't seem to be what they were looking for, but it was unquestionably something. They would have to investigate. Of course, it might also serve as a safe place for them to spend the night. The badlands were a dangerous place. They hadn't been attacked yet, but it was probably only a matter of time. With these thoughts in mind, the band began to head slowly down the trail that led to the tower.
Chapter 9: The Stronghold
The band approached the tower with all due caution. Although it clearly seemed to be abandoned, they couldn't be certain of that until they had thoroughly explored it for themselves. The path that led to the structure continued on into the wilderness heading south-west. Even if the building contained nothing of interest, at least they had found a road going in the general direction they wanted to head.
Tealor brought the party to a halt on the far side of the bridge, carefully scanning every portal and every window for any signs that might indicate occupancy. There were none. The tall, square tower that rose before them looked as if it had long stood empty. Its walls were covered in patches of moss and lichen, its windows covered by the filth of years, its battlements adorned with an empty bird's nest, and the massive steel door that sealed it was quite rusted.
“We need to be cautious,” the warrior observed after a moment's silence. “I think we should search this place, but we have to make sure we don't get trapped.”
“What do you mean?” the knight asked.
“Well, Darian,” the captain began, “take a look at the situation. Right now, we're sitting on our horses out in the middle of the woods. If anything attacks us, all we would have to do is flee. Trolls and giants are fast, but they can't keep up with our horses. We would even have a very real advantage over wargs. You and I would be able to bring our lances to bear, while Kilren and Erana shot from horseback. That doesn't even take into consideration my beautiful bride or her talented apprentice.”
“I'm with you so far,” the Telian nodded.
“Excellent,” Tealor smiled. “Now, the moment we cross that bridge, everything changes. If a troll or giant rushed us from the forest, we wouldn't be able to flee because we'd be surrounded by a moat.”
“Yes,” Darian replied, “I do see what you mean. We'll need to hold the bridge while we explore the tower.”
“For a start, yes,” the warrior agreed, “but that's just step one. Once we're inside – assuming, of course, that we can even get inside – we may have to guard the ground floor while we explore.”
“Why?”
“Sir Darian,” Tealor replied, shaking his head, “you're going to have to start asking yourself that question. I won't always be here to answer it for you. So, consider it for a moment and you tell me why.”
The knight sat in silence, considering the situation for more than a minute before he spoke.
“Well,” he started, “most of the towers that I've ever been in have cellars or storage rooms below the ground floor.”
“That's been my experience, as well,” the captain agreed.
“So,” the Telian continued. “If we were to start exploring the upper rooms of the tower and there were anything... unpleasant... living in the cellar for some reason, it might come up and cut off our retreat.”
“Correct.”
“On the other hand,” the young knight observed, “if we searched through the lower rooms first, something could be living above the ground floor and come down on us from above; also cutting off our escape route.”
“Very true.”
“That being the case,” Darian said, nodding his head as he spoke, “we have to hold the bridge and the ground floor. That way, if we have to retreat for some reason, we can.”
“Exactly!” the captain exclaimed, slapping the young knight on the back. “And that's going to spread our forces a little thin. So, we have to be very careful.”
“Agreed,” the knight replied. “What do you suggest?”
“I could tell you,” Tealor smiled, “but you're our commander. So, you tell me: what do you suggest?”
“Let's see,” the knight replied taking a deep breath. “First, I think Sarena and Gwendolyn should hold the bridge.”
“Alright,” the warrior nodded. “Why?”
“A few reasons, really,” Darian replied. “First, their fire is very effective against trolls and they've already managed to kill a giant together. So, I feel fairly certain that they can hold the bridge. Second, if they can't hold it for some reason, they'll be able to flee; hopefully with most of our horses.”
“Those are good reasons,” the captain said. “I support that decision. What's next?”
“Kilren and Erana should hold the ground floor,” the knight replied. “They both have ranged weapons, so they'll be able to stand guard from outside the door. And, as Rragor will doubtlessly stay at Erana's side, they'll have some melee defense, as well. If anything attacks the bridge, they can offer support. If anything comes up from the cellar, they can shoot at it while using the walls for cover. And, obviously, Sarena and Gwendolyn will be able to help them if they end up facing something they can't handle alone. So, even though our forces will be divided, those four can regroup very quickly.”
“I absolutely agree,” Tealor smiled. “That leaves you, me, and Ian to do the initial exploring.”
“It does,” the knight replied. “I figure the three of us can handle quite a bit, especially in close quarters. Also, since the route to the outside will be clear, we'll be able to call for help if we need it.”
“Congratulations,” the warrior said. “Those are excellent suggestions. Now, let's do it.”
The knight's plan was immediately put into action. Sarena and Gwendolyn were left on the far side of the bridge; their horses tied to those of the other party members. The rest of the band crossed the short distance that separated them from the tower on foot. As soon as they reached the massive steel door, the knight reached out for the large metal ring that served as its handle before his wrist was caught by the hand of the bard.
“No,” Ian said shaking his head as he spoke. “That's not how to be very careful, Sir Darian. Keep in mind that we're probably dealing with a very powerful magic-user. We always have to be on a guard.”
Having said this, the bard turned his attention to the door. It was nearly nine feet tall and very close to six feet wide; which seemed unusual for a structure of this kind. He scrutinized it slowly, chanting a long string of arcane words in a sing-song pattern as he did so.
“It's not enchanted,” the dwarf said after a few moments. “It should be safe to open. Of course, it strikes me as odd that the door is so large.”
“I was thinking the same,” Kilren agreed. “Still, it probably doesn't mean much. Either way, let's get it opened.”
The knight took the ring firmly in his hand and turned one way, then the other.
“It's locked,” he observed.
“Well,” the rogue said, “if I had some tools, I might be able to do something about that.”
“Like these, lad?” Ian asked as he pulled a small leather case from one of his coat pockets.
“You're always prepared, aren't you?” Kilren smiled, taking the tools from the bard's outstretched hand.
“I certainly try to be,” he chuckled.
The young rogue quickly selected two of the oddly shaped implements that filled the small wallet. He slid them into the lock and moved them back and forth, as well as up and down. In seconds, he rotated his hands to the right and the lock clicked open.
“Where did you learn to do that?” Darian asked with one eyebrow raised.
“My mother taught me,” Kilren replied.
“Why would your mother...” the knight began.
“It was a joke, Darian,” the rogue interrupted while cocking his crossbow. “Now, go on. We're running out of daylight.”
Once again, the knight took hold of the ring and twisted it. This time, however, the heavy portal opened, emitting a loud and whining creak as it did so. The main chamber was nothing more than a large, open room. The floor was covered by the dust of years, if not centuries. As the door swung open, it lifted a cloud into the air that sparkled in the light coming from the open doorway, as well as the few arrow slits that lined the walls. A wide staircase running along the far wall led up to the chambers above as well as to whatever rooms lay below.
The Beasts of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 2) Page 18