The Elder Stones Saga Boxset: Books 1-3

by D. K. Holmberg

  “We are aware. We are lucky to have gotten away, and were it not for help, we would have been…” She glanced over her shoulder, her gaze sweeping over the other girls before somehow making Haern out in the darkness. When she did, her eyes widened slightly.

  “They don’t need your escort,” Haern said, stepping forward. He was outnumbered. If the Forgers had any control over lorcith, any advantage he had would be removed, which meant he needed to focus on a different way. He doubted he’d be able to talk his way free, which meant he was likely going to have to fight. These girls deserved his willingness to fight.

  “You have an escort from Elaeavn?” one of the Forgers asked.

  He said it with such derision that Haern tensed. He gripped his sword, holding on to it and focusing on the lorcith within it. He might not have much of an opportunity if it came down to fighting.

  “I have offered them my protection. If you think to challenge that, then you may be my guest.” He stepped forward, holding his sword at the ready.

  The nearest Forger grinned. “One of Elaeavn who is armed. An exile.”

  Haern kept a straight face. Maybe they didn’t know that Elaeavn no longer exiled their people, or maybe they did know and they were saying it for the girls’ benefit. Either way, he wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction of any sort of reaction. It was easier and better for him to ignore them.

  “Armed and who knows how to use the weapon,” Haern said. “If you’d like to find out, be my guest, but trust me when I tell you that you won’t be pleased by what you find.”

  The Forger standing in the lead glanced at the others with him. “There is one of you, and yet there are three of us. There’s only one man we know who would dare such foolish odds.”

  At least they acknowledged his father. Maybe he could convince them to reveal whether they knew anything about him, including if his father still lived. Could a chance encounter provide him with information he’d been seeking?

  It seemed almost too much to hope for, and yet hope was all he had at this point.

  “What if I am that man?”

  “You aren’t him. We have enough experience to recognize him.” The Forger glanced at the girls before turning his gaze back on Haern. “Besides, this one doesn’t take slaves.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Then you’ve taken playthings.” He glanced at the girls before leering at Elise a long moment. “I can’t say that I blame you. This one at least has something appealing about her, but the rest are far too young. We will buy them from you.”

  Haern couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and the soft murmuring behind him from the girls told him they didn’t believe it either. More likely than not, they feared that he would agree to sell them. They had seen him protect them and probably knew that he had fought the hounds, but would they trust him?

  After everything they had been through, trust would be difficult for them.

  It was still possible he would be able to obtain information from the Forgers, and more than anything, that was what he wanted. He wanted—no, he needed—to know more about what the Forgers had done with his father. If he could uncover that piece of information, then he might finally be able to make the next move.

  In order to find his father, he needed to find the man responsible for what had happened.

  “They’re not for sale.”

  The sigh of relief behind him told him everything he needed to know. He hated that he had even given them a moment of questioning, that they had to worry about the possibility of him offering to sell them to these Forgers. They deserved better than that.

  “Everything has a price. And even if they don’t, do you really think that you can withstand us?”

  “It’s up to you if you want to test me. You already said you fear one of my kind. Maybe I’ll give you reason to fear another.”

  “I doubt that.”

  Without his Sight, Haern wasn’t sure if he would have noticed what happened next.

  The Forger began to shimmer and motioned to one of the other Forgers, just enough that Haern realized he was the one to fear.

  He pushed on the knife hidden in his pocket, sending it streaking away from him, straight into the Forger before he had a chance to Slide.

  It was the only surprise he would have over them. He spun, sending the sword out with a push. The lead Forger reacted, Sliding and disappearing for a moment.

  Haern didn’t give them the opportunity to react again. He pushed, sending the knife away from him, using that to target the remaining Forger. There were two left, and all he needed to do was remove the threat of one of them, and the odds would be more in his favor.

  He pushed on the knife, managing to catch the other Forger, striking him in the chest. Two Forgers were down.

  That left only the lead Forger.

  Where was he?

  Haern spun around, pulling the knife back to him, readying for the next attack.

  The last Forger was near Elise.

  The man grinned at Haern. “Impressive. You will pay for their lives, but first, I think she will pay for their lives.”

  The Forger began to move his sword.

  Haern pushed on his knife, trying to catch the Forger but not sure if he’d be fast enough. At the last moment, another thought came to him, and he pulled on the coin he still felt in Catherine’s pocket. The knife streaked toward the Forger while the coin did the same.

  The Forger avoided the knife, Sliding back a step, his sword coming up and puncturing Elise’s stomach. Blood bloomed around her dress, and Haern cried out. The coin struck the Forger in the temple. He continued to push, sending the coin through the Forger with as much strength as he could manage.

  The Forger dropped his sword, but the damage was done. Elise was injured, her belly punctured by his sword, and she grabbed for it, wrapping her hands around her stomach, sinking to the ground.

  The Forger Slid, disappearing.

  Haern raced toward Elise. She moaned as he lifted her. “I’m so sorry, Elise.”

  “No… you gave us a chance.”

  He moved her clothing to the side so that he could evaluate the injury. He had no real knowledge of healing, nothing like he needed, but he wasn’t about to stand by and do nothing.

  He searched for signs of the Forgers coming back, but there was no one there.

  The sword had gone through her belly, piercing her back. It was deep enough that he doubted it would be survivable without Healing, and he had no way of getting her to the kind of Healer he thought might provide an opportunity for her.

  Haern scooped her from the ground, looking at some of the older girls. “I need to get her to safety. There’s a city not far from here. If I walk with her, there’s a good chance that she won’t survive.”

  “Leave me,” Elise moaned.

  Haern shook his head. “I’m not going to leave you here. You deserve more than that.”

  “They deserve a chance to survive. Without you…”

  “Without you, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to survive,” Haern said.

  “They need you. Get them to safety.”

  Haern wanted to scream. Instead, he turned his attention to the oldest of the girls. They couldn’t be more than fourteen or fifteen, still young, but old enough that they would have to find a way to take charge. “I’m going to take her to the city and find her a healer. I’ll return for all of you, but in the meantime, here.” He held out the sword, along with his two knives, waiting for the girls to take them.

  “I don’t know how to use it,” the nearest girl said.

  Haern shook his head. “Most of the time, it’s not about knowing how to use it, it’s about intimidating those who think to attack.”

  “What happens if they return?” another asked. This was Joanna, a flaxen-haired girl no older than fourteen, and yet she managed to have strength in the question and didn’t ask with as much fear as he would’ve expected.

  “You run. Move as quickly as possible.
Follow the direction of the moon,” he said, pointing to the sky. “It will take you toward the city. I won’t be long.”

  “Go on,” Joanna said.

  Haern let out a relieved sigh. Joanna and the other girl turned to the rest, shepherding them together. He was thankful they seemed to be taking charge. After what they’d been through, it wasn’t a guarantee that they would be strong enough to resist, and the fact that they showed such fortitude impressed him.

  Dropping a coin, he pushed off.

  With the urgency he felt, Haern was moving more rapidly than he ever had before, flying through the air, feeling it whip past him, unmindful of anything that might be below. Every so often, he glanced down, afraid that perhaps there might be Forgers returning, but there was no sign of them.

  In the distance, the lights drew him.

  As he neared, Haern began to slow. He was tempted to come flying into the city, but if he did that, it would raise the wrong sort of questions, and possibly draw attention in a way that would pose dangers to the people he was trying to protect.

  Where was he going to find a healer?

  Depending on the city, it might be more difficult, but he could start at a tavern, look for evidence of a Binder, and hopefully they would have someone who could help.

  Reaching the edge of the city, he decided against dropping back down to the ground. There was no point in it. He was already out of sight, and this way he could find his way toward someplace where he could get her help.

  Elise had stopped moving, stopped making any sound. That was a problem. How long would it be before she was gone?

  Elise deserved more.

  He raced forward, continuing to push and pull on the coins. The sound of music caught his attention. Music usually indicated a tavern, and though he hadn’t had all that much experience in taverns, certainly not as much as his uncle Brusus, he knew enough to recognize that would be the most likely place for him to find the help he needed.

  Dropping to the ground, he raced toward the door, still holding on to Elise.

  Inside the tavern, he paused. The sound of music drifted to his ears, loud and boisterous. Haern looked for signs of the Binders.

  There was only a single man making his way around the tavern.

  A singer at the back of the room glanced in his direction. She had dark eyes and dark hair, and her warbly voice pierced the din of the tavern, drifting to his ears.

  She was singing of sorrow and sadness, and as he listened, he wondered just what she had experienced. Whatever it was sounded as if it were a torment.

  As he looked around, he realized that he wasn’t going to find anyone who would be of any use to him. There was no one here who looked as if they were with the Binders.

  All along, that had been his plan. Find the Binders, find help, and then use the Binders to ensure that the girls were safe. If he couldn’t even do that, then he didn’t know if he would be able to provide any safety for them.

  Elise moaned, the most movement she’d made since he had brought her here. He carried her from the tavern, deciding that if nothing else, he would find a traditional healer.

  Racing along streets, he practically collided with someone.

  It took him a moment to realize that it was the singer from the tavern. A thick cloak covered her shoulders, and a dark ribbon wound through her hair, holding it back. She was shorter than he had thought when he had seen her in the tavern.

  “You,” he said.

  “What happened to her?”

  “We were attacked. I was hoping to find help back there, but…”

  “Why back there?”

  Haern hesitated before answering. He glanced over his shoulder toward the tavern before turning his attention back to the singer. There was no point in revealing too much to her, was there? If he did, he would only end up with more questions, and he wasn’t sure they were questions he had any answers to.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said.

  “It does matter. Why were you there?”

  “Friends of mine once told me that if I needed help, I could find it in a tavern.”

  “What sort of friends?”

  “Friends.”

  The woman stared at him for a long moment before starting to smile. “If you tell me what sort of friends you refer to, it’s possible I might be able to help. I don’t want your friend to die any more than I suppose you do.”

  Haern debated whether or not to say anything. It was possible she might be able to help. Maybe the singer knew where to find a healer within the city. “Can you show me where I could take her?”

  “Only if you tell me what your intention is.”

  “My intention is to see her saved. I need to do it quickly.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there are others who need my help, and the longer I’m away, the more likely it is that something will happen to them.” He debated how much to say, but this was the reason he’d come. “Does the term Binders mean anything to you?”

  The singer stared at him for a long moment before taking a deep breath and shaking her head. “Come with me.”

  “Where you going to take me?”

  “You came looking for the Binders, didn’t you?”

  27

  Haern

  The singer led Haern through the streets at a rapid pace. Haern was thankful that she was moving so quickly. Each moment they delayed seemed to be a moment that Elise didn’t have.

  “What happened to her?” the singer asked.

  “We were attacked.”

  She shot him a look. “I can see that. Who attacked you?”

  Should he be honest with her? He didn’t know if she sided with the Forgers. There were certainly plenty of people who allied themselves with them, fearing that if they didn’t, they would suffer, but at the same time, if she was with the Binders, it was unlikely she was with the Forgers. Carth certainly wasn’t.

  “We came across Forgers.”

  She stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Hurry,” she said.

  They reached the end of what appeared to be an alley, and the singer knocked twice on the door before it came open. Once it did, she hurried inside. There were others inside the room, five in all, and all of them women.

  “Is this—”

  “This is the Binders in Dreshen.”

  At least he had the name of the city. If only he knew enough about the geography to know where it was in relation to Elaeavn.

  “Who is this, Mindy?”

  Mindy—the singer—glanced over to Haern. “He came into the Spotted Cow, looking for us.”

  “How does he know?”

  Mindy shrugged. “I don’t know, but it seems as if he has some experience with the Binders farther to the north.”

  One of the women jumped to her feet, hurrying toward him, glancing down at Elise. “How do you know about the Binders?”

  “I’ve spent time with Carth and Rayen.”

  In this case, honesty seemed to be the right strategy, and he worried that if he didn’t tell them the truth, they wouldn’t offer help to Elise. As it was, he feared that the longer he was here, the more the others with him would suffer.

  “Carth is dead,” one of the other women said.

  “Quiet,” the first Binder said.

  “She’s not dead. I saw her.”

  “You saw her?” She stepped forward, getting into his face. She was thin, and her nearly black eyes glared at him. “Where?”

  “It was in Asador. We were trying to…”

  “Trying to what?”

  “Trying to save someone.”

  “It’s possible she would be in Asador,” one of the others said.

  “She’s dead,” the dark-haired Binder said again.

  “Maybe she wanted us to believe she was dead.”

  “I have the sense that she was trying to conceal herself,” Haern said.

  “Why?” Mindy asked.

  “I don’t know. I think she’s trying to find informati
on, but…”

  They hadn’t offered to help Elise yet, and that troubled him. If they were Binders, wouldn’t they want to offer their help as quickly as they could? They had to know that Elise needed their aid, but they hadn’t even bothered reaching for her.

  Maybe this had been a mistake.

  “Is there anyone here who can help, or do I need to keep looking?”

  “We can help,” Mindy said. She met the lead Binder’s eyes and nodded. “Take her to the back room, and we will be with her shortly.”

  Haern glanced behind the grouping of Binders and headed through the doorway. Once there, he found a bed and set Elise down on top of it. When he was done, he stood, looking around. The room was sparsely decorated, with nothing but a washbasin and a wardrobe for decorations. A staircase at the back of the room led up, and he again began to wonder if perhaps he had made a mistake. Maybe these weren’t the Binders.

  He should be more careful. Anything he said or did ran the risk of revealing Carth to those who might want to do her harm.

  One of the Binders entered. She had pale skin, deep brown hair, and eyes that sparkled with a vibrant green.

  His breath caught.

  “You’re from Elaeavn,” he said.

  The woman cocked her head to the side, staring at him for a moment. “And why would you say that?”

  “Your eyes.”

  “You don’t think that anyone else can have green eyes?”

  “It’s not that, it’s just…”

  The woman ignored him and came to stand next to Elise, touching her forehead. Her eyes darkened for a moment.

  She might deny that she was from Elaeavn, but the nature of her power had to be similar.

  Not only that, but could she be a Healer the same as Della and Darren? If she was, then he might have found someone who could be of help to Elise, and he could begin to relax.

  “I imagine they asked you what happened,” the woman said.

  “They did. She was attacked by one of the Forgers.”

  “Forgers?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s a Forger?”

  Haern frowned. How was it possible that they wouldn’t know what a Forger was?