Call of the Wolf (The Kohrinju Tai Saga)

by Nelson, J P

  “Sormiske was trying to make a big impression and he was mad. He said ‘It’s my wagon and I’m going to keep it.’ Yank just looked at him and said, ‘Does that mean you are going to register the title with the city?’ Sormiske about choked. You and me know he didn’t have no title, not even a clean claim. But he looked at Yank and said ‘You couldn’t afford it.’

  “Well, you know Yank. He doesn’t open his mouth unless he has something good to say, so he up and asks, ‘You afraid to make a price?’ So Sormiske up and blurts out and says, ‘You bring me ten Dahruban Marks and you can have the whole team, wagon and all.’

  “Sormiske figured he had Yank. Ten Marks is more than some common laborers earn in a whole year. Yank just up and in front of the ship captain, gods and everybody sticks out his hand. Sormiske doesn’t think before he acts, you know, and his hand was in Yank’s before he knew it. Then Yank pulls out this pouch and counts out ten of those platinum Mark pieces, minted right out of Dahruban. Sormiske’s jaw dropped and he about dumped in his britches.

  “Yank had a piece of paper right there and they drafted a bill of sale to Yank & Thad Freighting Company. Sormiske had committed himself in a public place, and a handshake is legal and binding in Teamon. Witnesses were everywhere. The captain even offered to write his name as a notary.

  “When they got done Yank said, ‘One more thing. You told us you would pay us our wages here and now. Let’s see, from Ahnagohr to Kynear to here, hazard pay and dragon hide finder’s fees, wages for fighting, keeping you from getting lynched in Kynear … damn Sormiske, I figure it comes to about ten Marks between the two of us.’

  “Yank’s mentioning dragon hide and all, in public … Wolf, it beat all you ever seen. Every thief in Teamon would be after all of that, and then wondering what else was available.”

  I almost laughed, well good for Yank. I thought, ‘A freighting company,’ the two of them would make a good team. That bag under the box seat of the wagon had come in handy. And Yank hadn’t even been part of the dragon hunting team. What a smooth use of words. I could see people curious to know why he was about to be lynched, although that’s not exactly what happened.

  Yank tried to get to me to talk, but Sormiske left specific orders to not let him or Thad anywhere near me. That evening the dragon parts were loaded into the ship. When I reached down to get the sack with Stagus’s head, I expected it to be nasty smelling. It turned out Wahyene had put some sort of preservation spell on it, then another to reconstruct the damage I did with my knees.

  I was chained to the deck with a short chain as merchandise. Sormiske, Wahyene, Parnell, Jinx, and the other two retainers, Evan and Bost were booked for passage. The last two brigands were dismissed, and of course Yank and Thad were not coming. It was amusing to me, however, that as the ship’s crew was making way to come on board, I saw Yank put his arm over one of the mate’s shoulders and led the way to a dockside pub. When the mate walked on board, he was giving a serious, under the eyebrow grin at Sormiske.

  By the time the ship set sail, Sormiske’s story, from the Ahnagohr Range all the way to Teamon, was all over the ship. Sormiske made the entire voyage to Malone sitting inside away from everyone.

  When morning came and the ship began to sail away, I watched the docks and thought of my friends; Hoscoe, Yank, Thad, René and Bernard and wondered if I would see any of them again. Before them there was Jared. All were humans. What did that mean to me, really? I had even quit thinking of them in a sense of species. What of Lath? Not a word spoken, but something had happened between us. What?

  Once again I was being taken from everything of which I was familiar. Turning my gaze from the shoreline to the open water I looked into the unknown.

  ___________________________

  The Phabeon Sea was big, much bigger than I had ever imagined. Most times I couldn’t see any sign of land, elvin eyes and all. We stopped briefly on two different islands, but our true destination was Malone. The ship belonged to Lemahr Celderado, the owner of a cloth manufacturing company. His factory consisted of many looms, and his people wove some of the best linens, muslin and canvas cloth in Aeshea.

  By previous arrangement, the Gracious Lady was to make port in Teamon every week and stay two days, waiting for the return of Sormiske, in the meantime sailing to trade among the islands. I learned Celderado was responsible for financing Sormiske’s trip. It seemed the dragon hunt was not Sormiske’s primary purpose, but a venture cooked up after the contract for Stagus was signed. I had a hunch someone was going to be very mad.

  When he was able to sidle up with me to talk, Parnell explained some more of the situation, “Stagus used to come to Malone to pick up prisoners for his projects, supplies, and he had that land cruiser built to specifications right in the shipyard. He hired someone to rig a sail on top and sail it all the way to Teamon to prove it would really sail.

  “Anyway, Celderado’s only child happened to be a girl of about fourteen years old. It just so happened she liked riding horses, and she had never developed real big up here,” he indicated his chest, “so one day Stagus was out hunting, he saw her out riding on the outskirts of the country alone and thought she was a boy. He caught up with her, and since she wore her hair real short, he figured she sure enough was a young boy.

  Stagus pulled her off the horse and went about trying to rape her. When he found out she was a girl he went all into a rage, messed her up real bad and it killed her. He hid the body, but the horse had gotten away. He never knew who she was, and next morning was on a boat back to Teamon before anyone knew the better.”

  “So, how did they find all of that out?” I asked.

  “The horse’s reins got caught in some brush and it was two days before a rider found her. They backtracked and finally found the body. Celderado is a big supporter of the Eayahnite Church, and they brought in a field cleric with some power. They had the guy read her brain for memories.”

  We both just looked at each other for a moment. ‘To read a dead person’s brain for memories,’ I thought, ‘Mon’Gouchett, that was powerful.’

  Parnell continued, “A reward was put up and Sormiske just happened to be there at the right time. Now we’re here.”

  Thinking back on how long I had known Stagus, and his manner with the boys, I mentioned, “He doesn’t, I mean, he didn’t like girls or women, did he?”

  Parnell thought about it long and hard. Turning toward me with a puzzled look on his face he remarked, “Now that’s the thing. Stagus had a wife and four girls, eighty miles north of Malone in Tahlormun. And he regularly contributed to the Popallo Temple. They say he had even served as an elder, there. One of his girls is married to a constable and has three kids of her own.”

  Stunner, wow! We both just stood there for a couple of minutes thinking on that one.

  Finally I changed the subject a bit and asked, “Why did you sign on?”

  “Needed the money.” He grinned, “Got me a girl in Malone who’s waiting for me to come back, then we’re going to tie up. Gonna start our own café, raise a family. Already got the place picked out. This money’s going to get us set up.”

  I just looked at him a minute, “You’re a cook?”

  He laughed, “Who do you think whipped up your meals? I brought ‘em to you from the house we were staying at. Sormiske wasn’t there, he was staying at Ingrid’s Inn.”

  Shaking my head I thought, sometimes you just never know.

  ___________________________

  Two days out from Malone, I saw the Emdejon Bar, a long strip of land in front of Emdejon Falls, said to be the highest waterfall in the world. The Bar kept the outgoing current from pulling everything into the falls and down. The falls had been estimated as a 383 feet high sheer drop.

  The captain saw my face, and with a look of pride he said, “It’s as close as we can get with this vessel. An oar boat can get closer and touch land from this side. She’s a sight to see, though.” It was just a passing comment, not like he was looking
for conversation with a prisoner or anything. I just looked, taking it all in. It was beautiful.

  As we got closer to Malone, Sormiske became more agitated. Then one morning the captain got a pigeon, tied a note to its foot and sent it up. The captain’s action took Sormiske by surprise and he became really worried. The next morning we pulled into port, and there waiting for us was a nice sized gathering and a really upset looking mom and dad.

  Once we were tied up and the gangway set, Celderado himself boarded ship and walked right up to Sormiske. His voice was quiet, but his face was stern, “A head? You brought me a head? You expect me to have a public execution with only a head? I paid you a substantial deposit for a specific purpose.”

  “Here you are, sir.” The first mate handed the sack to Celderado. Taking it, Celderado in turn handed the sack to someone who had followed him up the ramp.

  Celderado got right up into Sormiske’s face and said in calm, but ice-cold words, “You, are not a former military tactician, have never held a command, and were never in consideration for promotion to major. You, in fact, were turned down for promotion to major twice. You were a supply officer, busted down to lieutenant for inept leadership and unsatisfactory performance.”

  This was getting even more interesting. Celderado was walking up closer to Sormiske, as Sormiske edged backward.

  “You were allowed to resign in advance of a court-martial and dishonorable discharge.”

  Sormiske’s back was almost against the main mast.

  “Nor did you teach at the Military Academy of Dahruban, or any other academy. You tutored a young man for a single test in the Province of Craddock, who in turned failed his examination.

  “After shifting to the village of Tega you mopped floors for six months while endeavoring to court several women. You then attempted to force yourself on the daughter of a business owner. You left just ahead of a lynch mob and returned here, where you lived with your wife in a home provided by your wife’s family, where upon you approached me with a letter of recommendation from your wife’s father.”

  Celderado was in Sormiske’s face as Sormiske cringed against the mast.

  “You, Sormiske, misrepresented yourself. I have been sending letters to every sizable business and port around the Phabeon Sea. You are finished.”

  Celderado let the words sink in before adding, “I’ll take your cargo as compensation for breach of contract and your falsified information. If I ever see you again I will personally kill you on sight. If you aren’t out of Malone within the hour, I will have you publicly stocked, flayed, spitted, then drawn and quartered.”

  He then punctuated each of his following words, slowly and with meaning, “Now … Get … Off … My … Ship!”

  Sormiske couldn’t even speak. He fumbled with keys and went to unlock my chains.

  “What, are you doing?” Celderado asked.

  Sormiske’s lips were trembling as he tried to reply, “I’m g-getting m-th-p …”

  Wahyene spoke then, “He is attending to my prisoner.”

  “And you are?”

  Bowing ever so slightly, “I am Wahyene, Proctor of the Meidran Sect of Kiubejhan.”

  Celderado’s forehead and eyebrows revealed an ever so slight indication of disgust. He thought a moment, and then simply said, “This man is not welcome in this city, and will be lucky to get a job pushing a broom anywhere within the realm.” Turning back to Sormiske he added, “Your wife comes from a good family, and her father has been exonerated due to incorrect witness on your part. You, on the other hand, shall be excommunicated from the church.” With that, he made way to the captain’s quarters, I presume to attend to ship’s business.

  Sormiske’s hand was shaking so badly, Parnell finally took the key from him and unlocked my chains. Wahyene seemed to take charge and the four retainers, Sormiske, Wahyene and I made our way down to the dock. Mrs. Celderado braced Sormiske as he descended the gangway, and stared at him a long moment. Sormiske couldn’t maintain eye contact and she demanded, “Look me in the eye. LOOK at me, you bastard!” Then she punched him square in the nose, not only breaking it but knocking Sormiske stumbling back and tripping over a crate.

  In short order we were on a freight wagon being driven to the edge of the city. Parnell, in particular, was upset. No money, I thought, no café. He had been depending on this. Sormiske was destroyed. Word of his backing down from Hoscoe was all over the western Phabeon coast, by now. And these sailors had that story, as well as this. Now he had been warned out of the most prominent city-state in the whole southeastern region surrounding the Phabeon.

  Parnell hadn’t been implicated, only Sormiske had been black-marked, but Parnell now had no capitol. And deep down he seemed to be a good man. I saw him thinking things over and it dawned on me what he might be thinking. There was still me. If Sormiske and Wahyene could get me to the witch, whoever she was, the money could be really good.

  What was Wahyene going to do? He was clearly vested in getting me to his witch, but what would he do in regard to Sormiske?

  Parnell had told me his own journey was to have stopped here, in Malone. But sometimes a person can do questionable things when pushed. I wasn’t really anything to Parnell, and it would actually be in his best interest to help get me to Kiubejhan, if that was where we were headed, especially if it meant getting paid.

  Outside of the city in a small hamlet, Wahyene shocked me when he pulled a pouch from his robes, handed it to Sormiske and said, “You’re still in charge. Now get us there.”

  Sormiske took the pouch with trembling hands and looked at Wahyene with amazement on his face. Wahyene just gave him a wink. All of us looked at each other. Then Wahyene said in his whispering voice, “We still have a cargo. To each of you who continue onward, you will be richly rewarded … in many ways.”

  Exactly what he meant by that last statement, I had no idea. But it didn’t look good for me.

  As we all got out of the wagon, Parnell stopped for a moment and stunned everyone when he said, “I ain’t going to do it.” Punctuating his words with outstretched hands and palms down he said, “I’m done.” Then he turned and walked away.

  Feeling a touch more confident, Sormiske started walking to a stable in the hamlet. As he walked, I watched his back get straighter and straighter. It was then I realized Wahyene was just using Sormiske. I didn’t think about it at the time, but Meidra wasn’t popular in Malone, and her proctor wasn’t as likely to get as good a bargaining favor as a commoner might, at least not here. Sormiske’s pride and ego was an easy tool for Wahyene to manipulate.

  What would happen to Sormiske, and what Wahyene had in mind for him, I didn’t know. But after he acquired horses and a wagon, thereafter beginning our journey, I noticed Sormiske started emulating Wahyene during his morning spiritual rituals. It seemed his every virtue was for sale.

  ___________________________

  We travelled as hard and fast as we could to reach the Pehnaché River Canyon Bridge. Everything south of Malone and around the Pehnaché River was Banupodai Bandit country. Often the terrain was rocky and desolate, and an entire culture had developed with small bands of humans raiding and pillaging off of each other. There was no law but their own and they could strike at any time. Masters of desert and desert warfare, they were a nomadic people who rode camels and a breed of horse coveted by many.

  A Banupodai warrior with more than one or two of the legendary Arabian horses was considered rich. These horses were said to have been the original Elvin Steeds, way back when, and the name, Arabian, was explained by Diustahn himself to represent Elegance and Purity. Oshang was said to have taken an entire herd back home with him after the Kl’Duryq Wars, he liked them so much.

  To the east lay the Di’Yamohn Desert with its occasional water holes, hills of quartzite, the deadly Di’Yamohn Viper and wild bands of Arabian Horses. This was a truly wild and often hot region of land. Our main problem wasn’t the possibility of attack, however. Sormiske would have had to wo
rk hard to choose a worse selection of horses.

  He was only able to pick a tandem for our wagon, and one mount each for him and his three remaining retainers. Wahyene had to drive his own wagon, and I rode chained in the back. Of us all, I got the worse end of the deal. The seat had independent springs, the wagon itself did not. One of the mounts had a quarter-crack in its left fore-hoof, not good, and it slowed us down considerably. The team itself was old and mismatched. Overall it made for a poor trip.

  On the south side of the bridge there was a village where we could get re-outfitted, but we had to get there.

  It took us twice the normal time to travel, no one was in a good mood when it came time to camp, and the campsites were poorly chosen. To Wahyene’s credit, each night he would enable some kind of magic ward around the camp which would alert us to intruders. Sormiske, Jinx, Evan and Bost had to each take turns standing watch. Sormiske said he didn’t trust me to watch, which didn’t bother me one bit.

  Evan was standing the second watch when I heard something in the distance toward the east. Then I smelled an ever so slight whiff of an odor I thought I recognized. It made me think of onions simmering in butter, but it came from downwind, which was to the west. I heard another sound, the sound of a boot easing down on the loose gravel of the road to the northeast; it was a skilled foot, a human would have to have really good hearing, and well trained at that.

  Then I heard the snap of a bowstring. Evan never had a clue. He was nodding off as he was sitting and staring into the fire, then stood up suddenly to stretch. Momma taught me never to stare into a fire, especially at night, because if you have to look into the darkness you will be momentarily blinded as your eyes focus.

  The crossbow bolt went into his abdomen at the level where his chest had just been, and then the high pitch squeal of the magical ward sounded as bandits stormed our camp. Sormiske just lay in his bed as Jinx rolled out with sword in hand and sliced one bandit across the torso, then ran another one through the chest. Wahyene yelled a word and waved his right hand as an ugly purple and yellow bolt of energy left his hand, hitting a bandit in the chest and causing his whole body to go up in flames.