Bahr’s hand instinctively, albeit drunkenly, grasped the hilt of the longer dagger at his hip.
“There’s no need for weapons with me. Besides, a fabled warrior such as you would only make short work of the likes of me.”
Bahr seriously doubted this stranger was anything but harmless. Still, he watched him with a wary eye, desperately peering into the faint porch light for answers. Smallish in stature, the stranger wore elaborate white robes worked around a tightly trimmed beard. His face was shallow and pinched, making his nose appear slightly bigger than it was. It was the eyes Bahr found most impressive. Even in the near darkness they held several lifetimes’ worth of tales. Whoever he was, this man had seen his share of the world.
“You seem to know me old man, but that leaves me with a disadvantage. I’m not the sort who appreciates that kind of situation,” Bahr said.
The stranger smiled warmly. He bore the elegance of immense wisdom charged with a certain level of lethality. His skin was leathered from countless years in the elements and he held presence as a king.
“The answer you seek is not an easy one to give. I am old beyond measure in mortal lives. I am as ancient as the setting sun and the rising moons; ancient and wicked both. I am the light and the dark. I have seen gods die and dragons born. I am the wind and snow. I, who was old when this land was still submerged beneath the seas, need no introduction.”
“None of that fancy talk really impresses me much, old timer,” Bahr bit back.
A mischievous twinkle filled his eyes. “In the interest of simplicity, my name is Anienam Keiss.”
Bahr felt his muscles spasm. He’d heard the name before. Hells, practically all of Malweir knew it. Murmurs and rumors abounded at the mention of his name. A wizard, said some. Others cursed him as the plaything of demons. No good would come of this meeting. Regardless of what men said, Anienam Keiss was a myth; the deceptive thing of legend without a face. Yet here he was standing on Bahr’s porch. The Sea Wolf suddenly felt very small.
“Ah, I can see that you have heard of me,” Anienam said with a degree of smugness.
Bahr nodded. “Every man in these parts has. Damnation, a wizard on my own front porch! How is it a creature like you manages to show up during the troubled times?”
The smaller man stood quietly watching him as if assessing the quality of his character. “Mine is the will of eternity. I come and go as the world desires. Do not seek answers your mind is incapable of understanding.”
Bahr rubbed his chin. His patience was gone. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’m in no mood for little games.”
Anienam continued, “The world is changing. Fate has summoned me to Delranan for a purpose I cannot yet fathom. What I do know is that you are at the center of it all. If you do not mind, I would speak with you under more, hospitable, conditions.”
“Why me? They say men die when you come around.”
He smiled. “You give me more credit than I deserve. Malweir would be a much different place if I had that ability. Alas, it is not so. Master Bahr, you have been chosen and only to you may I deliver my message.”
Bahr weighed his options. If Fate was involved, she was fickle bitch with a mean sense of humor. His night had progressively gotten worse. Maybe he should give in, let it ride. The other options seemed less inviting. Damnation, he growled. He eyed the old wizard and said, “Okay. Let’s get it over with.”
He wearily stalked past the old man and opened his door. The rain began to fall again.
*****
Torchlight flickered from the kiss of a cooling breeze shuffling through the upper rooms of the estate. Unlit candles lined the mantle in the main chamber and sat clustered in the middle of an expansive aged cherry wood table. Bahr motioned for Anienam to sit while he removed his jacket and snatched a bottle of spiced wine and poured them both a carafe.
“What makes me so special? I’m just one man, an insignificant speck in this world,” Bahr asked.
“Importance is an irrelevant term when dealing with tomorrow. There are powers at work here, ones that have long strained to escape back into the world and wreak havoc on us.”
Not the answer I was looking for. “Enough of the riddles. Shoot me straight.”
Anienam sipped his wine and offered the same infuriating smile. “Very well. This endeavor you have consigned yourself to is doomed to fail. King Badron’s heart lies in the wrong place. He wishes the return of his daughter for the sole purpose of silencing her. Fatherly love is not part of the equation. She has knowledge that threatens his plans for the future. Indeed, it might have impact on the coming war.”
“What war?”
“That is the topic of another conversation. The storm is brewing. Last night was but the catalyst,” Anienam said. “The girl is the beginning.”
“That girl will likely die if we don’t go, yet you suggest I should just wait here, baton down the shutters and wait for the storm to blow out to sea.”
“On the contrary. You must go. Your future is intricately woven into the success or demise of Delranan.”
Bahr swirled the wine around his mouth a few times before swallowing. “You do realize this is a bit too much, even for me.”
“I would like to say I empathize but I have brought this same message to hundreds over the years. You are but one more cog to the great design.”
Bahr closed his eyes. All of his long life he’d tried to be a good man. A noble man. He couldn’t understand why the world was against him. In the end, his thoughts revolved around the abandoned love a father was supposed to have for his daughter.
“Badron and I have no love for each other. That much is well known. I’ve been suspicious of his motives for a long time. Harnin coming directly to me only served to make it worse.”
“He will try to kill you before it is over if that is any comfort.”
“Ha! Tell me something I don’t know. Still, I don’t like the direction this conversation has turned,” Bahr warned.
“Honesty is often our worst of foes. It always shows us our faults when we least desire them. This is not so in your case. Yes, Badron wants you dead. You pose a legitimate threat to his power, nearly as much as his own daughter.”
“Me? I know nothing of his plans or dreams for the future. Hells, he and I haven’t spoken in nearly two decades.”
Flames reflected sharply off the wizard’s eyes. The sight provoked disturbing feelings.
“Questions. Why is it mankind feels necessary to constantly ask me questions? I cannot give you the answers you seek, Bahr. That is part of my curse. The future is yet to be written; only you can discover the truths you seek.”
“Then why go through the trouble to find me?” Bahr persisted.
Anienam finished his wine and lifted his mug. “Perhaps a little more wine first. This is a very good vintage.”
Bahr refilled it and impatiently awaited at least one answer. A snarl etched across his face. “You avoid my questions. That doesn’t give me much reason to place trust in you. Ten years ago I would have thrown you out on your ass. I must be getting old. Either that or you are more persuasive than I’ve given you credit for.”
Anienam sighed. No matter how many times he’d had this conversation with men across the ages it was always the same. He would never be welcomed as a friend. His was the life of the outsider, a man never able to find a home or place to call his own. The wind, some called him. Casual indifference, others said. Regardless, Anienam Keiss did the bidding of a greater power few understood. No one bothered asking what he desired.
“Bahr of Delranan, if I could tell you the deeds you must accomplish I most certainly would. Some call what I bring a gift, others a curse. None of that is important. What is important is that your land needs you more than I can convey. Fell times ride the morning breeze. Badron’s lunge for power is but the first pebble in the pond. His actions are the catalyst of the coming war. You are necessary if Malweir is to avoid falling into the coming darkness.”
; He rose and walked over to the fire. The heat warmed his tired body. Strong flames licked up from the bricks. Bahr watched them absently. More questions plagued him. Why would the wizard mention Malweir rather than Delranan? His mind raced with visions and wicked deceptions. A hero was something he never wanted to be, but Fate seemed ever eager to push him towards exactly that.
At last he spoke. “I’m going to die, aren’t I?”
“All men do. Such is the nature of this life. The gods have plans for each of us and death is but our final task.”
“The gods you speak of don’t exist. Men haven’t had faith in several lifetimes,” Bahr shot back.
“Don’t they? Man may have forgotten their beginnings but the gods have not abandoned us. They are gone, yes. That much is true, but they still exist. A great war among them forced them to leave us to our own devices. All that is changing. The time of their return is fast approaching.” Anienam offered a half smile, weak and thin. “Before you ask, faith is not necessary for you at this juncture. All that is required is for good men to be willing to stand up to the rising tide of tyranny. This evil must not be allowed to grow. If it does, all you know and love will end in flame and ash.”
“I’m a fighting man and a damned better sailor than a husband. What I am not is a fool. For you to be in my home on this night tells me you already have good inclinations of my intentions. Very well,” he turned and stared down his guest. “If it must be said, I am accepting Badron’s offer, though for reasons of my own. This is not something I feel the need to explain.”
“Understandable.”
“Harnin ass-sniffer expects my answer tomorrow morning. He’s bringing me the men needed to find the princess and bring her back home.”
There was a frailty in his voice, as if he was unsure of the chance of success against so great an odd.
“A noble plan the king has chosen, though he knows it not. I have measured the worth of your character, Captain Bahr. I believe your heart is pure and roughly calloused. That is good. Keep the princess alive. Expect the unthinkable. I will say no more on this. It is time I take my leave. Good night.”
Bahr watched him go. He had no interest in following. Something about the old man screamed trouble. He wanted to laugh. Time was coming when this little bit of trouble would seem almost welcome. Earlier misgivings began to fade, though he remained unsure of how much he could actually trust the wizard. Blind faith was not one of Bahr’s strengths. Anienam might display the best of intentions, but that carried no weight so far as the Sea Wolf was concerned. Every man had to prove himself at some point.
“Do not get off of your ship, Sea Wolf, not until the time is right.”
Bahr soaked in the warmth of the fire as a stiff breeze struggled to rob him of it. The door closed behind Anienam, leaving the old captain alone in the night. His bones felt chilled. Maybe it was the night or maybe it was Anienam’s parting words. Whatever the answer, Bahr was inextricably intertwined with the whims of kings and wizards.
FOUR
King Badron stood on the balcony of his bedroom watching the brewing storm with mild interest. Nothing nature offered matched the coldness of his heart. The wrath growing in him kept him warmer than any fire ever could. The pain of his son’s death threatened to rip his sanity asunder. He wanted revenge. That twisted desire made demands of his soul he would gladly surrender. Fists clenched behind his back, the king of Delranan plotted. That Harnin sought Bahr only compounded his anger. Of all the people in his kingdom the one-eyed fool had to choose him. Years of carefully laid plans disintegrated around him. Malweir conspired against him.
He’d walked the blood-stained halls of Chadra Keep more than once since the night before. No matter how many times he did it or how hard he looked there was nothing new to find. Not even the ghosts of those slain remained to haunt him. His mind scoured every thinkable scenario and he still came up short. How could the Pell Darga manage to infiltrate his most secure sanctum so effortlessly? It didn’t make sense. A single idea pushed towards the front and refused to disappear. He didn’t want to admit it. He couldn’t. But the answer was undeniable. He had a traitor in his Keep.
“Guard!”
The tremble in his voice belied pure malevolence. A shallow-faced guard entered and saluted. He was impossibly young, even for a man of the North. Uncertainty danced in his eyes. The man he replaced had been horribly slaughtered in the attack.
Badron’s gaze narrowed sharply. “Find me Lord Harnin.”
“At once sire.”
The one-eyed battle lord entered shortly and bowed to his king and friend. “My lord?”
Badron kept his back to the man. Thunder played havoc with the heavens. “Have your men discovered anything?”
“Nothing as of yet.”
His fists clenched tighter. “How is it the enemy so successfully managed to breach our defenses? You are charged with the security of this kingdom.”
He knew he’d been betrayed. He felt it in his bones. Harnin swallowed tightly; suddenly fearful for the reasons behind his summoning.
Badron continued, “They knew exactly what they were doing, Harnin. How?”
His voice ground like stone breaking glass.
Harnin resisted the temptation to defensively draw his sword. “We are working on that, sire. My men have only begun their investigation.”
Badron finally turned. Murder reflected wildly in his blue eyes. “What promise of loyalty can you offer?”
“What are you getting at?”
Harnin felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He’d been a favored son of Delranan since before Badron became king. Badron’s sudden turn against him was insulting. Attacking the king offered no hope. No, that wouldn’t do at all. There was no reason for this sudden suspicion. Harnin would never dream of going against his king and friend. He had nothing to hide, but Badron was a foul-tempered man with little joy in his heart.
“Loyal to you perhaps. After all, you selected every one of them personally. But how loyal are they to king and land? What reassurance can you give me that I should trust you?”
He’s bordering on madness, Harnin thought. The loss of his son has pushed him too far. He had to proceed cautiously from here or find his neck at the end of a short rope.
“Have I ever given you concern to doubt my loyalty? Everything I have done in my life has been for this kingdom. Your father shared his dreams with me and I helped achieve them. You and this kingdom are all that is important to me. I swear it on the honor of my fathers.”
A wave seemed to crash in Badron’s mind. The violence drained from his eyes.
“These have been dark days for us all. Forgive my insecurities but I cannot be sure whose sword still remains in my service.” He took a seat on the nearest bench and wiped his forehead.
“There is nothing to forgive, sire. Had I… lost my family I would be much less of a man.”
“Indeed.”
Badron shifted his gaze from his most trusted captain to a wall map of the northern kingdoms. A dark glimmer clung to the corners of his eyes, a taint almost. Deep desires reflected in them. He was a man whose own world simply wasn’t enough.
Suddenly emboldened by the king’s softening, Harnin inched closer. “Sire, you mentioned a traitor. How can we be sure who it is? All of the council was assembled during the time of the attack.”
“Is that the limit of your curiosity?”
“Sire?”
“This traitor could be anyone from the lowest chambermaid to my very own daughter herself,” Badron’s voice was laced with disgust.
Shock spread across Harnin’s face. The relationship between king and daughter was tumultuous at best, but he’d never dreamed to accuse her of treason. “Are you saying Maleela is capable of betraying her own blood? Causing the death of her brother?”
“You and I both know she holds no loyalty to her kingdom. Our designs for the future disagree with her.”
“But to sell us out to the Pell Darga? How coul
d she even know where to find such allies?” he protested. “There must be some other force at work here.”
“Few people believe the Shadow People actually exist. We know better. Both you and I have seen and fought them. Their hatred of us is nearly as great as ours for them. I agree that if Maleela is responsible she had help from the inside.”
“This takes us to a very dark place.”
“No darker than the murder of my heir. Send out your spies. I want to know who did this and why.”
“Yes sire.”
The king nodded, satisfied for now. “Good, now on to other business. How goes the search for the men to hunt down the Pell?”
“We have more than enough willing men to go. I believe Bahr will even agree to pilot them east.”
Badron’s eyebrow arched. “Truly?”
“I will know for sure tomorrow at dawn. He was intrigued but doesn’t want me to know.”
“Perhaps his old hatreds have mellowed with age.” Badron laughed. “Maybe we will get lucky and the Pell will succeed in killing him to save me the trouble.”
Harnin cleared his throat. “I hate to admit it, but he is the best chance we have for success. He also has the best chance for bringing us a war.”
That foul gleam returned. “Precisely. Now go. Inform me when your team is assembled. The time is fast approaching when the glory of Delranan shall be sung across all of Malweir.”
*****
Heavy rains and driving winds forced the small band of riders to find shelter for the night. Outriders discovered a thick stand of firs less than a league ahead and returned to lead the rest to the relative safety. Eight horses bearing drenched and miserable riders pulled in nearly an hour later. Lightning struck the nearby hilltop as the riders dismounted.
“Tether the horses while we try to raise some tarps for shelter,” Aurec shouted above the shrieking winds.
His men silently obeyed. Seasoned professionals, they knew what needed to be done. They also knew there would be no fire tonight. The prospect of a cold, wet night dampened their spirits. Aurec sighed and not for the first time. His palm caught the heavy rain drops as they fell splashing across his forearm. Doubts ate at him. He was a prince, and a damned fool of one if today was any indication. Exhausted and far from the warm halls of Rogscroft, his actions might well have pushed his kingdom to war. He shook his head ruefully. The prize stood before him, miserable and soaked to the bone. Still, her splendor was worth the risk. He only hoped she was worth the cost to come.
Hammers in the Wind Page 3