“A thousand gold coins?” Quillen had asked, well above his whisper. “We could live well and long on that, leatherneck.”
Hasdel’s reply was lost on Kalo, but Kalo had felt the pain deep in his gut of being reminded of the claim on his life. The rest of the morning was a blur to him as he trudged along behind Ty, who followed the hunter. Hasdel was in the rear. Now Kalo was lying on his belly next to Ty, listening for dogs as the hunter had commanded.
Quillen motioned to Hasdel to join him on a level space in the middle of a large stone outcropping beyond the tree. It provided a vast panoramic view of the land to the south.
When Hasdel arrived beside him, Quillen asked, “Have you ever been up here?”
“No,” said the gava, surveying the space. “We’re on horseback and we can’t get this close to the edge. Besides, we stay to the trail, and that must be hours to the north.” He turned at the waist and looked back to the north as he spoke. He then stepped alongside the hunter to take in the grand view of the land to the south.
Below them was the clear Silvertongue River, running from west to east toward the great waters. They could see the convergence of the muddy Green Provide as the two rivers widened in their slow-moving journey to the sea. Beyond the river below was a vast, clear plain with forested strips along the foothills to the mountain ridge separating the land from the sea to the east. Without speaking, Quillen climbed up from his space among the rocks, and Hasdel followed. When they reached a gap in their cover, Quillen pointed and Hasdel passed him for a clear gaze due east. There was Riverlok. The meandering Green Provide and West Bank were even visible. As they looked into the sun, the haze of the morning concealed the mountains rising to the east beyond Riverlok.
“Lads!” called out Hasdel. He called again. “Lads!” In moments, the two young thieves from Riverlok were standing below the crack in the rock, looking up. Quillen and Hasdel stepped aside and the two boys rushed to fill the void.
“Amazing!” said Ty as he squeezed against the rock so Kalo could see as well. “See the river bridges? They look so small.”
“I can make out the Compound,” said Kalo. Ty replied and described more of their view, but Kalo didn’t hear him. He was fixed on the mountains to the east, and his long desire to climb over them to the sea filled him.
“Lads,” said Hasdel gently and motioned for the boys to come down. When Ty bounded down off the rocks, Quillen intervened and motioned for Ty to follow him. He led Ty toward the small cleared space and the remarkable view to the south he had shown Hasdel.
As Kalo stepped down, Hasdel extended his hand to help and spoke to the young boy. “You must be wondering why we never spoke of letting your family know what has happened to you. But you must trust me, lad. As difficult as it will be for them not knowing where you have gone, it would be worse for them if they knew.”
“It doesn’t matter,” replied Kalo with a shrug.
“Doesn’t matter?” asked the gava as he looked curiously at his young companion. “Surely your family is gravely concerned.”
Kalo did not respond, but he felt the gava’s look, waiting for a reply. He said without looking up, “I don’t have a family.”
“You don’t? You’re an orphan, then?”
“Yes,” murmured the young thief of Riverlok, still not looking up. “So is Ty,” he added.
A moment passed. Then the gava gently slapped Kalo on the back. “So am I.”
Hasdel leaned against the rock Kalo had climbed down from. The young Riverman looked at the tanned face of the king’s messenger. “Are you truly an orphan?” he asked.
Hasdel smiled at him. “Yes, I am a Kingston. Do you know what a Kingston is, Kalo?”
The young Riverman shook his head.
“A Kingston is the child of any woman who claimed the father was a soldier.” Hasdel smiled at Kalo, but the young Riverman only looked back at him. Hasdel went on. “Kingston means ‘children of the king.’ We are wards of the king, and we live in the Palace in Cayleon, in a dormitory inside the walls. Our mothers are the women of the Palace who care for us. Mine is known as Lilyn. She is most honored in the Palace.” Hasdel paused, then added, “Now, how about you, Kalo? You told me back at the Compound that your father was a fisherman.”
It was difficult for Kalo to speak of himself. He could think of few moments he cared to remember and even fewer he cared to share. “My mother died when I was young, and my father was a fisherman of the sea. I don’t know where he lives now,” he said.
“Well, you know more than most orphans,” said the messenger.
“Really?”
“Sure. And be very grateful for even the sad memories,” said Hasdel.
Kalo straightened his young frame. “An old man came up to me in the street two years ago and said he recognized me because of my skin and my eyes. He said he knew my mother when she came to live on a goat farm outside of Riverlok. He said she was kind to him, and when I was born and she became ill, he cared for us until she died.” Kalo looked up at the gava next to him. “He wanted to tell me about her.”
“What did he say?”
“He said she came down out of the mountains to the east. He is the one who told me my father was a fisherman, for that is what my mother told him. I was very little when she died. I remember only that she was warm.” Kalo turned, looked away, and pressed both hands against the rock. He leaned in and pushed back, then spoke again. “He said that when my mother died, the old woman who tended to the chickens on the farm took me in.” Kalo looked up at the gava walking beside him. “I’ve never told anyone about any of this, not even Ty.”
“You don’t have to talk, lad,” said Hasdel.
Quillen appeared just then, walking behind Ty with his hand on Ty’s shoulder. “Enough sightseeing. These two need to get back to work,” he said. The two boys immediately returned to the rim of the hill. “Watch for dogs!” said the hunter.
The two men were alone for now. “You’re worried we were followed, good friend,” remarked Hasdel.
“If they were only after you, if it was only the royal guards from the Compound, we could stay ahead of them. We could even outrun the septor’s henchmen. It’s the bounty hunters who are after the reward for the little thief that concern me. The others are paid guards. Chasing you, or the boy, is just a job. But for the bounty hunters, it’s now their entire life. They have never had such an opportunity. They are in it all the way—and they will use dogs. The paid guards won’t.”
“To stay ahead of them, what is our best route?” asked the gava.
“Before we make a plan, tell me how you’re doing,” said Quillen. “They killed your prince, and I know you watched over him as you two were growing up.”
Hasdel looked down and nodded. “Mostly I feel a deep sadness. He was my prince, but I was fond of him, for he was truly a good man.” The gava paused for a moment. “Guilt has entered my heart too, for am I not the one who endangered the life of the king’s only son?” Hasdel closed his eyes, nodded and lowered his head. He raised his head again and spoke. “On our way up this hill, I took an oath to my fallen prince. I will first carry out his charge to deliver the message to Lamus. After that, I will avenge his death, or die in the process, before I live again.” Hasdel looked at Quillen with a strained smile. “Now, hunter, what is our best route?”
Quillen smiled back at his old friend and struck him playfully on the shoulder. “We will do as your prince charged us: go to Melda and find Lamus. You know I have hunted these lands for years. I know how to move quickly through them. We will continue on foot. Mallivar and the Royal Guard are searching both sides of the river for us, and they won’t come up here.” Quillen continued. “For now, let’s hope the bounty hunters after the gold coins are too disorganized to be a real threat in the hunt. We will travel parallel to the Silvertongue into the wild. Once we reach a point due north of Twin Bridges—I will know when we reach that point—we will turn south and cross under cover of night. I know the bridges
well, and we can cross unseen. On the other side, we will head due south toward Melda. At a steady pace, and if all goes well, we will arrive in four days.”
Hasdel nodded in agreement just as the silence was broken. “Dogs!” called out Ty.
“Damn! I did say ‘if all goes well,’” said Quillen.
Chapter 13
Within moments, Quillen and Hasdel had joined the two boys lying prone at the rim, peering down the hillside. “How many?” asked Hasdel.
“Two men,” said Ty, pointing to the right. “And Kalo heard dogs.”
“Good, lads,” said Hasdel. “Where are they?”
“Off to the far right, I see three moving dots,” said Ty.
“There are three of them,” said Kalo, “and two hounds.”
“I can’t see that well,” said the hunter. “Which is it, two or three? And are you certain there are dogs?”
“There are three men and two hounds,” said Kalo again.
“What do you think, leatherneck?” said Quillen.
“From what I’ve learned these last two days with this young lad, I have no doubt there are three of them, and two hounds.”
“Damn!” said Quillen as he got to his feet. Hasdel stood as well.
“We must have four hours on them. We can be out of here and stay ahead of them,” said the gava.
“You can’t outrun dogs,” said the hunter. “Trust me. I’ve tried. We wait. We wait right here for them. We now have the advantage. The dogs will come over first, and we’ll take care of them. Then the men, one at a time. One of us, probably you, will need to slip around and cut down anyone escaping,” said Quillen.
“You’ve thought this out, old friend,” said Hasdel.
“While you were thinking about your prince on the way up, I was thinking about our worst foe—dogs.”
“Where should we take them on? I see rocks further north that might provide us a better cover,” said Hasdel.
“We do it right here. They’ll come over the ridge and see this place, and even a shopkeeper could tell a small party has been here. Our risk is that one could slip away and bring others,” said the hunter.
“How much time do we have?” asked Hasdel of the boys.
“Not long,” said Ty. “They were going back and forth down at the base, but now they’re headed straight up.”
“They’ve picked up our trail,” said Kalo.
“Have any turned back?” asked Quillen.
“No. They’re all coming up here,” said Ty.
“Good,” said Quillen.
Kalo looked over his shoulder at the two men after Quillen spoke.
“I know what we need to do, messenger,” said Quillen.
Hasdel nodded. “The dogs will come over first. You take the first one, and I will take the second. Aim for the chest. They will yell, but it will stop them.”
“I’ll take care of the dogs,” said Kalo.
“What do you mean, take care of them? We need to kill them,” said Quillen.
“I’ll get rid of them,” Kalo said again.
“What are you saying, lad?” asked Hasdel.
“He’s amazing with animals,” said Ty without looking back at the two men.
“You won’t have to worry about the dogs,” said Kalo. “I’ll deal with them.”
“It would simplify our task, hunter, to simply take on the three men,” said Hasdel.
“I don’t like it. The dogs will be coming over first and right at us,” said Quillen.
Kalo rolled over and sat up, facing the two men. “They won’t come at you.”
The two men looked at the boy and then at one another. “How do you know, lad?” asked Hasdel.
“They just won’t,” said Kalo.
“Believe him,” said Ty, still facing forward. Then he added, “They’re really coming on now.” A note of urgency tainted his voice as it reached a higher pitch.
“I don’t like this, messenger. Keep your bow ready,” said the hunter. He paused, then continued. “We can’t afford to let one get away. You go a few yards up.” He pointed south. “As soon as one comes over, you slip down and get behind the last one. Agreed?” Hasdel nodded. “Are they bunched up?” Quillen asked as he stepped forward and kicked the bottom of Ty’s extended foot.
“No. Two are together, but one is lagging,” answered Ty. “In about five or ten minutes, they’ll be here,” he added.
Quillen spoke to Ty. “When they are about to come over, come back to me with a drawn sword. I’ll take the two that come over first. Hasdel will handle the one who is lagging. If my arrows are true, you won’t need that sword.”
Kalo was on his feet. “I’ll move back, too.” He walked a short distance down the ridgeline to the north, away from the others.
Hasdel went to Kalo, stood in front of him, and placed his arms about the shoulders of the young thief from Riverlok with the gift. “Are you all right with this? Can you handle two dogs?”
“Yes,” said Kalo as he nodded. “When I was old enough to work, they brought me up to the main house, and I lived in the food cellar with two old dogs and a family of rats.” The gava grimaced at his young friend and lifted his hands from the boy’s shoulders. Kalo didn’t notice his expression. “We became good friends,” said the boy cheerfully. “I guess that’s where I learned to talk to them.”
“Talk to who?”
“Talk to the animals and beasts. Not really talk to them, but rather know what they think and let them know what I’m thinking.”
“Like you did with your ferret?”
“Yes, but stealing Mallivar’s purse was his idea,” said the boy as he looked up at the king’s messenger beside him. “When I left him with the girl at the Kingfisher, I asked him to watch out for her, like he did for me, and he agreed. She probably thinks she’s caring for him, but it’s the other way around. It’s true of most dogs, too. People don’t know that.”
“Leatherneck?” called out Quillen. “Better take your position.”
“Good luck, lad, with whatever your plan is. We’re all counting on you, you know that?” Hasdel smiled at the boy, then turned and walked toward the location Quillen had assigned him.
Kalo squatted down next to the flat surface of a large rock, then dropped to one knee and reached one hand out to steady himself against the rock. From here, he could see Ty lying prone on the rim of the hill. Hasdel and Quillen were just out of view. He could clearly hear the dogs below getting louder as they drew closer to the ridge. It was an otherwise pleasant, peaceful morning. Kalo watched Ty intently.
Suddenly, Ty rose up and bolted to the safety of the rocks behind him. Kalo waited.
The dogs crested the ridge near the place where Ty had been lying and immediately came to a halt, their noses to the ground. Panting and with wild eyes, the beasts took in the scent of their quarry and pushed on in the direction of Ty and his hiding place.
Calmly, Kalo stood and sent his link toward the two dogs. It was different than linking with only one animal. He had to get the attention of each mind in succession to sense their emotions. He felt the combined urgency of the dogs on the trail, desperate to catch their prey, so he sent images of pleasure, as if the dogs would be rewarded for a job well done.
Both dogs halted their pursuit of Ty and turned toward Kalo, the hunt forgotten. They trotted up to him and obediently sat down.
Moments later, two stumbling men appeared over the ridge, staggering to gain their balance, first one, then his companion. They were bearded and shabbily clothed, not unlike the West Bank men Ty sold his stolen goods to. When they were both upright, looking about—perhaps for their two dogs—the man on the left stumbled suddenly and fell to his knees, an arrow protruding from his chest. The second man, stunned at the sight, paused, trying to comprehend what had just happened. It was all the time Quillen needed, and another arrow whistled through the air and found its mark. The second man fell dead, crumpling in a heap next to his companion.
Moments later, Quillen w
ith bow in hand, and Ty with his drawn sword, appeared. They stepped past the bodies to the rim and peered down the hill.
Slowly, Hasdel came into view, his bow slung over his shoulder. With the aid of the hunter, he climbed up and joined them on the top of the hill. “The third one is dead, some distance away.” He nodded toward the ridge. “He’s heavy. We’re going to have to work to get his body up here.”
“They’re from the West Bank, all right. We guessed accurately. They were after the boy.”
The three then turned and looked Kalo’s way as the hunted thief of Riverlok walked over to join them.
“Where are the dogs?” asked Quillen.
“They’re gone,” said Kalo.
“What do you mean, gone?”
“They’re gone. I can see them now, racing down the hill the way they came up,” Ty said as he pointed down the ridge.
“How did you do that, lad? Did you talk to them?” asked Hasdel.
“I don’t talk to them like you might think. I just have them focus,” said Kalo.
“You conjure up an image in their mind?” said Hasdel.
“I guess. We just focus together on a thought,” answered the young Riverman.
“He’s really good at this,” injected Ty.
“How do you get two dogs to run away?” interrupted Quillen. “Dogs are fearless; I’ve seen dogs facing certain death continue to attack a bear.”
“He’s right, lad. Dogs aren’t afraid. What did you focus on?” asked Hasdel.
A smile came to Kalo’s lips, the first time he had smiled in days. “I rewarded them for finding me and gave them some of the dried beef as a treat.” He stood silent for a moment, then said, “After that, I simply told them to go home.”
The Ruins of Melda Page 8