by Sigrid Kraft
What’s this? Why are they leaving at night?
It made no sense at all. Rather than leaving, Aileen decided to wait and see what happened. She found herself a secluded spot in the undergrowth, had a bite to eat and afterwards lay down to sleep. Tomorrow she would need her strength.
At the crack of dawn, the camp came to life. Aileen was amazed to see how quickly the troops were ready to march. The soldiers set off on the road to Aspengate. It was still morning when the mounted men who had left the night before rejoined the main troop.
What were they up to? Perhaps they were scouting? But in the middle of the night? That seems very foolish; now is the time to send out a scouting party. And anyway they have Willen and Raegnir with them, and they know the area pretty well. She just couldn’t make sense of it. Aileen followed them at a safe distance – always hidden in the shadows of the woods.
Although the soldiers were mounted, they didn’t seem to be in a hurry and Aileen could easily keep up with them.
Leading the troop, Lord Boron rode his horse slowly. He was not afraid of being shot by arrows in an ambush. For that very contingency Prince Raiden had given him a magical ring that created an invisible shield. And Lord Boron now wore this special ring on his finger.
Sorcery is a fine thing, there is no denying it. According to Prince Raiden, the shield is not very strong. But probably enough to protect me from treacherous arrows.
Prince Raiden did not find many artifacts that were of any use in the Unhaer. The Towerlord of Naganor had made an effort to explain these magical interrelations to his commandant. And now Lord Boron remembered his words: Magic only works in the Unhaer when it is somehow collected in closed bubbles and bound to the supporting material... or something like that. But I am not really interested in how it works but only in what I can do with it.
The treasure of Naganor did not contain many of these special artifacts. There were three rings that created a magical shield. Lord Boron wore one of them, and he had given the others to Master Eriwen and Sir Oswold. Then there were a few bewitched stones that had been worked into a pretty necklace. They could be used to communicate over great distances. And last but not least, two more rings. One made the wearer invisible and the other detected wyverns when they were nearby.
Two weeks earlier, after a hard ride, they had come to Falgars Vale and set up camp there. At the time, Lord Boron had not had any sort of plan for dealing with the situation. So he began by looking for information. And as magic still worked in Falgars Vale, he sent out his magicians to keep their ears open.
If you ask questions, you make people suspicious and those you are looking for become alarmed and disappear. A mage can walk through the crowd undetected and read their thoughts till he finds something of interest.
And people don’t even notice that they are being spied on. A subtle and very effective method. Of course the subject has to be thinking of something important. I don’t know how many times the mages have had to listen to life’s day-to-day banalities. The very thought amused the Gray Wolf.
My stomach is rumbling! Filthy weather today! I need a piss and a shit! I wonder what phrase would be on top of that list. The poor mages. At the same time my mages are eavesdropping I let my soldiers patrol the streets. The mere appearance of a severe-looking guardian of the law makes evil people start to feel guilty and reflect on their deeds. My mages found out all sorts of interesting details.
But the information they collected revealed a wide spectrum of opinions amongst the public that diverged in many points. Some saw the outlaws more as freedom fighters than as criminals.
Slowly, as a result of the spying, the rebels were given names and faces. There was the charismatic leader, Vrat the Raven, a man of middle age with a haggard face framed by black hair. He was extreme in his points of view and his speeches fired up the rebels. Other descriptions of Vrat surely came from the land of fairy tales. Those Lord Boron sifted out from the beginning – nonsense like: Vrat is a demon over ten feet tall and he can turn himself into a raven…
That’s why no one has been able to catch him so far. What rubbish! The Fennland is unhaer, which makes the weaving of magic almost impossible. So I assume the Raven will operate unmagically and certainly not transform himself into something else.
Other names had also been mentioned. Corbe the Arrow, a famous bowman; Grom the Rock, a giant man armed with a club; Aileen Nightshadow, a spearwoman. A woman in a group like that always attracts attention.
And lastly a man named Eryn Bloodhand, son of a murdered clanchief.
Lord Boron was a skilled tactician and had therefore been able to grow old in the business of war. He was not a coward – not at all – but he considered his plans well and analyzed each situation in great detail. This had often saved him from defeat and also bestowed upon him many victories.
As a result, he had risen to power in the shadow of the Prince of Ardeen. Formerly undistinguished among the noblemen, he was now the Lord of Griscont and the commandant of the Black Guard.
While Lord Boron had been camped outside the walls of Falgars Vale, he had gathered information and devised a plan. And what Master Eriwen had told him reassured him of its practicability.
A group of rebels needs others who supply them. But there are not many places left where they can go. The clan villages are under very strict control. That is true for Aspengate, which has been rebuilt and is now more strongly guarded than ever. The passage through the gate is secured and all travelers are checked before passing through. Security is very tight there. But Falgars Vale is a traders’ town that has grown to a respectable size. And that’s their place. Getting in and out unseen is not such a problem as long as you behave inconspicuously. So I bet Vrat has his contacts here in town.
And this assumption soon proved correct. Contacts have to be cultivated. I knew they would have to meet sometime. And the moment I had been waiting for happened yesterday. Using his magical eye Master Eriwen had noticed the man poking around the camp, waiting and observing us. He is skillful, because none of the unmagical guards noticed him. But thanks to magic – once again – he did not escape undetected. And who but a rebel would be creeping around our camp for so long?
Once the target had been discovered, the rest was easy. Master Eriwen had shot a tiny ball of wyvern blood – assisted by magic – right into the neck of the spy. Now that he had been marked as a wyvern, he could be tracked at a distance with the help of one of the rings. The rebel would not notice he was being watched, and in the end he would lead Lord Boron and his men to the rebels’ hiding place – the rest would be settled with drawn steel. That was the plan so far.
I wonder where my men found that wyvern’s blood. I must ask Sir Oswold about that. “Master Eriwen, are you still receiving the signal?”
The mage looked very pale and his skin shone with sweat. “It’s still coming in loud and clear, Lord Boron. The man is following us on the left, hidden under the trees. He always keeps the same distance.”
The commandant nodded contentedly. “Fine. He will lead us to the rest of them. We have only to play our game well and not lose sight of him. Are you all right? You look exhausted.”
Pained, Master Eriwen replied: “The Unhaer troubles me greatly. You know – the stronger you are, the worse it is.”
“Oh!” How little one considers things that do not concern oneself.
Today the mountain air tasted cool and fresh, and the sun’s rays warmed the earth. For unmagical people, it was a truly fine day.
“If it is already so bad for you, perhaps you had better turn back? After all, there are still four of your students with us. They can do the job as well.” Prince Raiden will not be pleased if one of his most highly-ranked mages comes to serious harm.
Master Eriwen replied with resignation. “Thanks, but my students are not as skilled with the artifact as I am. They lack the necessary power. That’s the reason why they are not so badly afflicted by the Unhaer. For me it is... well let’s say...
pretty unpleasant, but I will endure it for a few days.” With difficulty, Master Eriwen produced a rather unconvincing smile.
“So we’d better speed up a little. Let’s find out how fast our shadow can run. Master Eriwen, inform me if he falls behind. I don’t intend to lose him.”
The mage corroborated with a grunt that could not be said to conform strictly to regulations. Lord Boron turned and ordered the troop to proceed at an easy trot.
Flowing over the forest floor with long steps, Aileen easily kept pace with the soldier’s increased speed.
Perhaps they are only heading for the country beyond the gate.
It is possible that these warriors’ mission has nothing to do with us. If they had really set out to find us, they would certainly have sent scouts out by now, wouldn’t they? This is puzzling. Hmm. I will remain at their side and watch them as long as we are heading in the same direction.
Vrat was now camped in a high valley on Mount Thorn, the same mountain where Bron’s settlement had been. The Raven had become cautious, and from time to time, they changed the location of their camp. All the sites were well chosen and easy to defend. An approaching enemy could be seen from far away and there were always possibilities for a quick retreat. Flexibility had always been their greatest strength, and the hills were their faithful allies.
The soft forest floor absorbed her steps. Even though she had been running for a while, she was not tired. Aileen was used to covering long distances, and, unlike the soldiers in their heavy armor, she was clad in garments made of light leather. Leather arm braces were the only protection she wore. She had bound her bow and arrows tightly together so they didn’t make a sound while she was running. Her cloak was stuffed half way under her belt to stop it from flapping around and catching on thorns.
Soon the soldiers will arrive at the Threevalley outpost and they will probably take the opportunity to rest and water their horses. After we destroyed Threevalley, the Lowlanders sent reinforcements and rebuilt it. Now it is solid and well fortified. They also felled the trees in the surrounding fields so that there is only open country around the fort. Makes it almost impossible to approach it unnoticed.
Threevalley lay on the left side of the road. When she thought no one was looking, Aileen crossed over the road so she wouldn’t have to make a large detour around the settlement.
“That man is a fine runner to be able to keep up with us all the time,” Lord Boron remarked to Master Eriwen, but the mage did not hear him at all.
Concerned, the commandant asked again: “Master Eriwen, are you all right?”
Now the mage reacted: “Yes, I was just concentrating. Our man changed to the other side of the road and fell back a little.”
“All right. Keep an eye on him. If he takes off in another direction, we’ll have to go after him. But I presume he is still shadowing us. Perhaps he is just getting tired.”
The Gray Wolf raised his hand and the column slowed to a leisurely pace. “Bring me the scouts!” he commanded the soldier next to him. The man turned his horse around and cantered back. A little while later, the scouts caught up with the head of column and approached Lord Boron at a relaxed trot.
They certainly took their time. Bastard civilians! No discipline at all, Lord Boron thought angrily. This behavior is worse than impertinent.
Their disrespectful greeting did nothing to change Lord Boron’s bad opinion of them.
“Commandant, you wanted to see us?” remarked Branden Hold, just as if he were speaking to one of his mates. The man was a shady fellow whom Lord Boron knew from the past. In fact, he could not stand Branden, but he had hired him anyway because of Prince Raiden. The Prince trusts this scoundrel, and I must admit that he has his qualities as a scout. Nevertheless, it remains a mystery to me what it was he did to earn the trust of Prince Raiden. Let’s hope I don’t regret taking him on. But if my Prince trusts him...
The second one, Willen, is supposed to know the mountains better than anyone else. Yet he is such a rotten specimen of humanity. Lord Boron marveled that someone like Willen had actually discovered the gate. What a fine pair they are. Raegnir Halfhorn is probably the best of the three.
To begin with, Lord Boron ignored Branden completely and turned to Raegnir. “Threevalley? How far is it?”
The trapper replied lackadaisically: “At this speed – about half an hour. We’ll be there by sunset. We’ve made good time so far.”
He doesn’t even call me ‘Sir’. Shall I discipline him for this? I wonder if he is even aware of how he sounds. The Gray Wolf swallowed his anger. Stupid trappers. You can’t expect any discipline from them. “That’s all. You can go.” With a dismissive wave of his hand, Lord Boron sent them away.
Slowly the three men turned their horses and rode to the back of the column again.
The sun was sinking low and casting long shadows as they finally approached the fort. Their human shadow was still with them. Lord Boron let his men dismount and ordered them to see to their horses. He was just exchanging a few words with the highest ranking officer at Threevalley when he was interrupted by Master Eriwen: “Excuse me, Lord Boron, may I have a word with you?”
They took a few steps to one side and Master Eriwen reported: “The shadow is right in front of Threevalley. Over there, in the woods behind me. He crossed over the road again. I think the time has come. We should be prepared to act fast in case he decides to take off.”
Lord Boron nodded: “I agree, it’s time our shadow got a shadow himself. I’ll have to put my trust in one of those scouts, whether I like it or not. Which of that lot would you choose?”
“I would not anticipate your decision, my Commandant. I am certain you will make the right choice,” Master Eriwen replied diplomatically.
Thanks a lot, dear friend, for nothing. They’re all as bad as each other. And I have to entrust the ring of invisibility to one of those villains. Honestly, I would prefer to give this valuable artifact to one of my own reliable men. But sadly all of them are fighters – not scouts. They can’t move soundlessly through a forest. Even an invisible man can attract attention. If a branch cracks underfoot or a leaf rustles, a watchful person may become alarmed. And our shadow has already proven his skill.
“I’ll toss a coin,” Lord Boron joked, but then he began to consider the matter again from all sides.
Unfortunately for this mission, it will have to be one of those three fine trappers – everyone else is out of the question. Willen, Raegnir or Branden. I don’t like any one of them. However, it is not a matter of liking them, but of what skills they have. Hmm? Branden knows the Black Prince well and this may assure his loyalty... I hope. The other two might take it into their stupid heads to steal the ring and make off with it. Who knows? So I suppose I’ll have to choose that loathsome Branden Hold.
The Gray Wolf called together his officers, the mages and the scouts. Sir Oswold had been informed of Lord Boron’s plans early that morning, and had already chosen some men who were ready for a special mission. Barely able to contain his joy at having such a fine, upstanding individual at his service, the commandant now bestowed the ring upon Branden and explained his task. Trustworthy Branden, chosen above all others, managed to pay at least a little attention to the commandant’s words.
After dismissing Branden, Lord Boron held council with the other men. They gathered around and unrolled a large parchment map, which had been drawn in Falgars Vale on Lord Boron’s behalf. Willen had helped the mapmaker with the details, so now Lord Boron asked Willen which areas to the west of the Aspengate road might provide a hiding place for a large group. If the shadow was still watching them, it would not seem particularly suspicious for a commandant to look at a map of the surrounding area. As long as their words were not overheard, which was unlikely from that distance. Lord Boron’s finger hovered over the map before alighting on a mountainous region.
I have a feeling that the rebels are somewhere there, he thought, and his gut instinct seldom misled him. And
our shadow will leave us soon, I would bet on that too.
Meanwhile, Branden departed inconspicuously and went to the horses. They hid him from view, in particular from the direction where the shadow was observing them. With all the activity going on, it didn’t attract any attention when Branden simply disappeared from one moment to the next.
Again the commandant glanced at Master Eriwen, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
So the shadow has not yet left. I reckon he wants to find out whether we are a threat to them, or just a troop on our way to the gate. Yes, that’s exactly what he’ll have in mind. Well, let him believe that he is safe. When he sees we are not a threat... he will disappear and lead us to their hideout. Branden is on his tail already. At least there is one good thing about the ring of invisibility... I no longer have to endure Branden’s ugly mug.
Lord Boron ordered his men to remount and they set out on the road again – bound for Aspengate. There remained only three hours until darkness would completely cover the land.
When they finally set up camp, the shadow was still close by. By that time, Master Eriwen was in a wretched condition. His students took over his duties for a while, but the short breaks scarcely helped the mage to recover.
I have to send him back as soon as possible. The Unhaer is killing him. But as long as we are tracking the shadow I need him here with me. Otherwise we’ll lose the chance we’ve worked so hard for.
For now, all we can do is wait and be patient. But the shadow, too, had these abilities.
The night passed, and when the next morning broke, the shadow was still hiding in the cover of the trees. The troops broke camp and moved on.
Damn it! Why is he still there? Have I been mistaken? Master Eriwen looks awful. Much worse than yesterday. I can’t wait much longer. Take off, shadow! Now!
However, it was another mile before Master Eriwen finally sighed and informed Lord Boron: “He is turning around and leaving us. The man is heading straight into the mountains and I will soon lose the signal.”