The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher

by VanMeter, Jeffery

  Trying to keep herself occupied, she searched through some boxes on floor. She found maps, clothing (men’s’, of course), some copper and silver coins; which she thought might eventually become useful. Inside a larger box, she found a small, red box with the golden chalice emblem of Sheyron. “No, it can’t be.” She said aloud. She opened the box and found herself grinning from ear to ear. Cigars. “This day just got a whole lot better.” She said.

  Tobacco was a delicacy known to Masallah and Walechia; however cigars came only from Sheyron. How they were made or obtained was a deeply held secret. (No one really knew if tobacco was traded with the Blackwoods). And while pipe tobacco was easily obtainable and relatively cheap, cigars were rare and expensive. In her life, Terri had only had them a few times and each time had been special. Here in this hide she had found an entire box of them; which she recognized from having seen a box before. Having been anxious to leave before, she found herself quite content to stay in the hide for the remainder of the day.

  It took her nearly two hours (she guessed) to smoke the first one and she was feeling relaxed and in a much better mood. Naturally, she lit a second one. She had never smoked two in a row before and only half the way through the second one, she began to feel dizzy. She felt her heart beating faster and head light. Perhaps seven cups of ale and two cigars in succession wasn’t such a good idea, she told herself. She tried to stand up, but found it nearly impossible. “I think I’ll just sit here a while longer.” And then she passed out.

  It was dark when she awoke; so dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. The torch she had lit the evening before had long burned out. Her head felt hurt and her stomach felt as if it had a rock inside of it. Clearly, she thought she had overdone it on the ale and the cigars.

  From outside the hide, she could hear movement and whispering voices.

  “Do you smell something?” One of the voices asked. It was low and rough, almost like an animal’s growl

  “I do sir,” a similar voice answered. “But it’s strange. It’s not like any man smell I’ve smelled before.”

  Terri heard the voices and movement for several more minutes and was sure they would eventually find the hide. At any second, she thought she would see the red eyes of a Wolfen peek inside. Even though she couldn’t see, she slowly drew her short sword. But what good would it do, she argued with herself? She could hear several voices outside the cave and even if she did manage to kill one of them, the rest would tear her to pieces. She sat as quietly as she could, even making sure her breathing was silent. The voices and footsteps moved seemed to move in virtually every direction around the opening; but never inside. At one point, she thought she could hear them moving away, but then they sounded closer. In a few moments, the voices and movement sounded like they were at the opening of the hide itself.

  “Do you smell it again?”

  “Yes, but I can’t tell from where.”

  “He’s imagining things.” Said another voice. “He can’t smell anything and neither can I. We’re wasting our time.”

  Terri then thought she could hear them run off away from the hide, but she wasn’t sure. She stayed in her spot looking in the direction of the opening with her blade drawn.

  After a while, light began to filter through into the hide. Soon, she found that she could see inside the hide and if she could, she reasoned someone or something else could as well. She cautiously went to the opening and looked around. She could see nothing. Then she climbed to the top of a tall rock and looked around her. She could see the rock formations immediately around her and she could see the river close by. Off in the distance, with the sun rising in the east, she could still see wisps of smoke coming from where the fort had been. It was at least three miles away and in such ruin, it was difficult to believe that anything built by human hands had ever been there at all. Half way from the smoldering remains of the fort towards the river, she saw smoke coming from another pile. At first she didn’t know what it was; but felt sick to her stomach when she realized its nature. It was the bodies of the brave men who had died at the fort. They had been burned like trash.

  What she couldn’t see was the Wolfen army. She could see large volumes of tracks in the muddy ground moving off to the south and concluded that the main body of the force had to be, at least 10 miles away, based on how fast she knew an army of men could move. This army could potentially move faster and so, it was possible they were even further away. But still, she remembered there were those whom she had heard only a couple of hours before. She didn’t actually see them; and therefore didn’t know for a fact that they were Wolfen. Given their references to smelling and their gruff voices, it seemed reasonable that they were and likely hunting for survivors. She would need to be extra careful, she thought.

  At the same time, she knew she couldn’t linger. It was, at least three miles to the ruins of the fort and then another fifteen across open ground to the forest bordering the Blackwoods. She would need to run at a steady pace, she thought to herself as to not become too tired too quickly. On the other hand, if she ran too slowly, she would be caught by anything that may be searching for her. Thinking that, she was reminded that no matter how fast or slow she did run, the Wolfen were faster than her.

  “I’m screwed no matter what,” she said to herself.

  She went back into the hide, packed lightly, and slung her bow across her shoulders and a quiver full of arrows. She climbed the rock again to look for anything she could see. Finding nothing, she climbed to the ground, left the outcropping took a couple of deep breaths and then started her running.

  She kept a steady pace and looked only at the ground directly in front of her. To regulate her breathing, she sang a cadence song she’d learned in her four weeks of training at Kallesh. “Give me my little black long bow…and a quiver of arrows…all I really want to see…are bodies, bodies, bodies…” Her headache and her nausea thankfully left her and she felt a burst of energy after the first mile was behind her. Her pack began to loosen on her shoulders and it started to bounce more. She would have to tighten it when she had a chance, she thought. Her legs kept churning and her feet beat out a constant rhythm until she found herself coming to the ruins of the fort. She stopped to rest, being careful to stand straight up and not bend over in order to prevent cramping. She made herself take deep, long breaths instead of panting and put her hands on top of her head to expand her lungs.

  She walked carefully through the remains of the fort. The blockhouse with the Captain’s quarters was only a shell and the stone walls of the barracks were charred black. The stables were only a pile of, what looked like firewood with smoke still billowing out of them. The wooden walls were also collapsed and there was no evidence at all of the gate. Pausing and looking around, she found herself hearing the shouting, yelling and horrible screams of the men fighting and dying. She found herself wanting to cry, but then stopped herself. She didn’t have time to grieve at the moment, she reminded herself. She made her way through the rubble and after tightening her pack on her shoulders began running again.

  It wasn’t the first time she had this far. In training, they had run as far as twenty miles with full packs and in full formation. But she was running at a faster pace this time, feeling as if anyone pursuing her could come up behind her at any second. Her first two miles were much like the miles before reaching the fort. She continued on, still singing her song. “Give me one more sharpened blade…send those traitors to their graves…all I really want to see…is blood soaked, blood soaked, bodies…”

  With the sun continuing to rise behind her, she felt sweat beginning to pool under her pack. Sweat was also beginning to bead on her head and her scalp began to itch. She was still doing well with her breathing, but it began to become more effort than just singing to keep it regulated. She concentrated hard and counted to herself. “In for five…out for five…” She felt a cramp, almost being stabbed in her side and her legs began to feel heavier. She looked up and saw t
he line of trees of the forest beginning to get closer.

  She felt as if an hour had gone by and step by step, she kept coming closer to the woods. Her breath had become shallower and harder. Her legs felt heavier and her footsteps sounded louder. She was no longer able to sing. She tried hard to breathe regularly, but each breath was becoming a chore. When she looked up, she saw the forest in front of her starting to shake from side to side as her running had become more labored. Her body wanted to stop and her mind began to play tricks on her. “Just for a second…just to catch my breath,” she heard her voice in her head telling her. “Must keep going.” She repeated aloud. She looked up again and still the forest came closer.

  She felt almost as if she were lifting her feet and legs out of deep snow and she felt almost as if wheezing. Her stomach felt sour and she felt a deep, burning thirst. “Stop just for a moment,” her mind told her. “Drink some water…sit for a moment.” “Must keep going…must keep going…”

  At one point, she felt she would collapse at any moment. Sweat was beginning to pour over her face and each breath was a conscious effort. She looked ahead and the forest seemed less than a mile away. Seeing this gave her another burst of energy and her pace quickened. “Almost there…almost there…” She focused on a single tree jutting out into the field. She ran as hard as she could force her legs to carry her. The tree came closer and closer. Almost within reach of it, she stretched out her hand to touch it. When her hand finally found it, she stopped and nearly fell in a heap. She leaned all of her weight against the tree trying desperately not to fall over.

  It took all of her remaining strength, but she made herself stand and breathe. She gasped for air tilting her head back. Her throat burned and her chest felt as if her heart would jump out of it. She tried to take deep breaths but could only manage shallow panting. Soon her breaths became longer and easier. She no longer felt like falling, but slowly set herself down. Leaning back against the tree, she looked back on the open ground over which she had just run. The smoldering fort looked only like a spot against the horizon. Finally, she allowed herself to drink and took, first short, then deeper swallows of the cool water. The first part of her journey was over.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Terri rested for as long as she thought necessary and then went deeper into the woods. She tried to stay to the edge of the forest so as not to get lost, but soon found herself surrounded by trees and heavy brush with little hint of direction. She began to feel frustrated, but soon found a trail leading through the forest. It looked man made and she thought to herself that it had to lead somewhere. She followed it deeper into the forest hoping it would lead to something resembling civilization.

  The forest was alive with sights and sounds. Not only were there trees, there were shrubs and bushes, vines and the sounds of all kinds of animals. Her mother had taught her when she was a child not to fear the noises of the forest as they were a sign of normality and safety. It was only when the forest became silent that there was danger.

  She was still very tired from her long run and she felt that she needed to stop for the day. However, she wanted to make as much progress on her route as possible. Her legs felt heavy and her shoulders and back ached. When she finally concluded that she could go no further, she started to look for a place to camp for the night. But she had a bad feeling.

  She still remembered the voices she’d heard just a few hours before. They had to be Wolfen, she reasoned. Nothing else made sense. She needed rest. She needed food and she needed sleep. But she didn’t want to be caught off guard by a pack of Wolfen on the ground. She could hide in as dense of vegetation as she could find, but eventually they would find her by scent. Suddenly she had an idea and although it didn’t seem logical, she thought it might work better than simply sleeping on the ground and hoping she wasn’t found and killed.

  She found a tree that she thought she could climb. It wasn’t easy with her feeling nearly exhausted and not the climber she was as a child. But she did clamber up the tree and then on to a branch that looked like it could support her. She carefully sat on the branch to test its strength and it held her easily. Then she hung her pack on a branch next to hers. Next, moving carefully on the branch and guiding herself on the trunk, she took her rope and tried wrapping it around the trunk. It took her several tries, but she eventually managed to throw the rope around the trunk and catch it with her other hand. She then turned around carefully, sat in as comfortable of a position as she thought and tied the rope tightly around her chest.

  Although not completely comfortable or feeling safe, she did manage to eat a decent meal and drink a little ale that she’d put in an extra canteen in her pack. She thought about smoking another cigar; but then decided against it. The whole purpose of resting in the tree was to avoid being found and if a Wolfen picked up the scent of a cigar, she might be doomed.

  The day passed slowly and Terri found a position that she felt comfortable enough in. She simply sat there as the hours went by and listened to the sound of her own breathing. She had no desire to move and the rope seemed to be holding her tight enough to the tree that she didn’t feel that she would fall.

  Darkness came quickly in the forest. Terri felt her body relax and her eyes start to become heavy. She fell asleep and woke up several times during the night, but still felt relatively safe. One time, she did feel like she was falling, but awoke to find herself still securely lashed to the tree. Then, at one point, her keen ears heard something rustling on the forest floor.

  When she looked down, she saw several shapes moving around in the silvery light of the early morning. It was a pack of Wolfen and about six of them that she could see. They were on all fours smelling the ground directly beneath her.

  “I know I can smell something.” One of them said.

  “I’ve got it too,” another said. “The scent is still strong and fresh; less than a day.”

  They sniffed around the area of her tree but didn’t look up.

  “It’s strange. It’s like she completely disappeared.”

  “She?”

  “Yes, you idiot! It’s a woman. Can’t you tell the difference between man and woman?”

  “But we’re supposed to be looking for soldiers.”

  “The General said there was a woman in the camp. This must be her.”

  They searched around the tree for what seemed an eternity to Terri who was trying to be as still and quiet as possible.

  “I’ve never known a scent to just disappear,” said the largest one. “Come on!” He then ordered the rest. “She must be further down the trail.” They took off down the trail ahead of her. Terri sat in the tree for a while longer before feeling safe enough to return to the ground. Sleeping in the tree hadn’t been the more restful sleep she’d ever known, but it seemed to have worked, she thought.

  She followed the trail for most of the day, wary of what or who might be ahead of her. She kept her bow in her left hand and an arrow in her right; just in case. The forest was just as noisy as it had been the day and night before and that comforted her a little. However, she remained cautious. At any moment, she reminded herself, the Wolfen could literally jump out of the forest.

  Following the trail, she found the trees starting to become larger and taller. The space between the trees became wider as well. She also noticed the color of some of the trees was becoming darker than the others. Were these the famous Blackwood trees she’d heard so many legends about?

  The Blackwood trees were believed to be more than other trees in other forests. Their wood was famously hard and strong. The famous “Iron Gates” of Kallesh were made from Blackwood and even a gigantic stone battering ram hadn’t been able to breach them. Shields made from Blackwood were also known to be as strong as metal and weapons were supposed to be just as effective as steel. But no one had seen Blackwood weapons in centuries. The people of the Blackwoods had become famously reclusive; rarely venturing out of their forest for trade or to communicate with the other
kingdoms. Little was known of their customs or culture. But it was the trees that were the most mythical. It was said that they were alive; in a way not unlike men and women. It was said that they could whisper to each other in a language only they knew. Some were believed to even be able to move.

  The trail eventually opened up to a steep hill and Terri felt she could either climb the hill or climb a tree for the night. She chose the tree. She selected one that closely resembled the tree she had spent the night in the day before; except that it was taller. It was more difficult to climb as well as the space between branches was greater. She found one branch that she thought she could rest on for the night and was able to wrap her rope around the trunk again. She tied herself to the tree tightly, but not uncomfortably and tried to settle in for another difficult night.

  This night, she felt as if she had slept longer, but still waking several times during the night. She heard crickets chirping, owls and other birds calling to each other and other animals moving around on the forest floor. The sound of their movement woke her from her light sleep and she couldn’t see them in the blackness of the forest. It was only four days past the new moon and the crescent moon’s light would not penetrate such dense forest. One of the times she awoke during the night, she saw the silvery light of dawn beginning to pierce the darkness and tried to sleep further. She was almost asleep when she heard a noise of something directly under the tree. She looked down and saw a single Wolfen smelling around her tree. She sat quietly, trying even not to breathe. The animal looked around seeming confused and then looked up. Its eyes met Terri’s and then it let out a loud howl.