It was then Riff noticed how dark it was and decided to bring out some light to see by. He took out his everflame, which fascinated Lotte.
They arrived at what the mudmen considered a village shortly after nightfall. Thick black trees rose out of the fetid waters of the fens. The people of Craluk's village had built wooden platforms around the base of them, a good distance above the water. Where no trees offered support, the industrious villagers had chopped down smaller ones from within the forest and driven them down deep into the wet soil beneath the dark water. Bowed bridges of wood and rope swayed between platforms, creating a swinging maze of pathways.
Small reed huts, their pointed thatched roofs overrun with moss, squatted atop the platforms like toads, barely leaving space to walk. Most huts were hidden under the curtains of moss drooping down from every exposed limb.
Signs of daily life in the swamp were everywhere; scraped hides stretched on drying frames, freshly mended fishing nets hung over railings, clutches of defeathered birds and gutted frogs hung from the hut's eaves. Numerous rope ladders stretched down to the water's surface where wooden canoes, their paths still discernable by the trails of cleared water through the duckweed.
Hard-shell gourds hung everywhere, hundreds of them. All hollowed out and cut to release the light from whatever was burning within them. The ones nearest to them and the edge of the village were cut with wide circles to produce as much light as possible.
Riff doubted if the moss and trees could conceal this place from view with this much light. Cullers and man catchers were known to patrol between the settlements looking for runaways. The place was awash in the light, obviously to protect them from the dead ones.
If the dead ones did not get them, the cullers eventually would. Hopefully he would be safe here for just one night. If Craluk had not stopped them, they might have run into the dead ones unaware and with Ghile unconscious and pretty much useless for anything other than a meal.
Riff thought on that for a moment. He concentrated on the everflame in his hand and spoke the words he had been taught by Master Almoriz. He could feel the power flow into him, ready to be channeled out through the flames. He could feel the pure open connection he had to the magic whenever Ghile was near. Even unconscious, Ghile seemed to augment his channeling. Not completely useless, then. He would have to keep the sheepherder close, conscious or otherwise.
The village's residents, equally covered in mud, came out of the huts and along the bridges to greet them. Wives, their hair filled with numerous brightly colored feathers, hugged husbands as children squirmed between them vying for attention. Others openly stared and pointed at the newcomers. The excitement in the air was palpable. Lotte wasn't the only one thrilled by the strangers; dogs of all sizes hurried forward to sniff at Ast and Cuz, who seemed equally intent on saying hello. Riff knew they were about to become the center of attention and he still had an important question for Lotte.
“You said you needed our help. What did you mean?”
Lotte continued to wave excitedly to the others and point at Riff and his companions.
“Oh, be Craluk's yungin, Ollin. He was taken by da dead ones. But, we took'um back,” Lotte said with more than a bit of pride in his voice.
“So help me understand where we come in?” Riff said over the gathering din.
“He be a dead one now. Da Druid will fix him back fur certain.”
Riff slapped at another insect that was circling his face, looking for a place to land.
One of the village women brought a gourd of thinned mud to the hut Craluk had them escorted to. She explained it would ward off the many insects that seemed to be a constant nuisance here.
Two Elks put it on immediately. Gaidel didn't recall him complaining about the small biting pests, but she saw several red welts on his thick arms as he was applying the mud.
Riff had flat out refused and no amount of talking could sway him. She had finally given up. If he was going to let pride get in the way of common sense, so be it. He could suffer the bites along with his sore feet.
She was going to apply the mud to Ghile, but he seemed to be as unaffected by the insects as she was. Another effect of being stonechosen, she guessed.
The villagers also brought fresh water and food, mostly heavily salted fish and some sort of small crustaceans flavored with some lightly bitter sauce made from nuts.
Gaidel asked where they obtained the salt and one of the village women showed her roots from a tree which also produced the bitter nuts.
Gaidel hadn't realized how hungry she was until the smell of the food reached her. She ate heartily as the women shared their method of boiling down the roots to extract the salt.
Riff waited until the women left to tell the others about the conversation he had with Lotte. “So you see, you are going to have to heal a dead boy or I'm pretty sure we are going to be next.”
“Are you sure you heard him correctly?” Gaidel asked. Other than stories to scare small children, she had never heard of the dead returning to Allwyn.
“I would see this…dead one,” Two Elks said.
It annoyed Gaidel that Two Elks was so quick to take Riff at his word.
“Aren't you two listening? You cannot heal someone who is already dead. When you cannot help this boy we are going to be of no more use to them,” Riff said.
“Lotte said they were thinking of robbing us originally. These people do not live in the settlements, they are outlaws. You saw their metal weapons,” Riff said.
All humans were required to live in settlements by dwarven law. Any humans found outside of the settlements were outlaws and were treated as such. It was not unheard of to find small bands of humans who survived on their own. The Nordlah barbarians were perfect examples of this. They seemed to thrive on the plains. But, they were also constantly being attacked by the dwarves and forever on the move. Crulak's people seemed to have found somewhere safe to exist and Gaidel knew they would do what they must to keep themselves safe, even make or steal metal weapons.
Two Elks worked the last bits of tender white meat off a slender fish bone before tossing it back into the bowl. “Enough. We are guests here. We have taken their…” He looked to Gaidel.
“Hospitality,” she said.
“Yes, Hospitality. If they ask for this, we must help,” Two Elks finished.
Riff stared at the two of them and finally shook his head and sat down. “Great, one calls me a liar and the other is more interested in being a good guest.”
Riff looked at Ast and Cuz, who had nuzzled up on either side of Ghile and were currently watching the proceedings, tails thumping against the mat covered floor. “What do you two think we should do?”
Ast cocked his head to one side and raised his ears. Cuz barked.
“Calm yourself, Riff. Once we have eaten and rested we will ask about this boy. Until then we will be on our guard. If what this Lotte said is true, then there is something in the Deepwood which could keep us from reaching Dagbar's Freezone. For tonight, with Ghile still unconscious, this place is safe enough. If these people meant us harm, they have had a number of chances to act,” Gaidel said.
“Calm myself? What about the lights? You know that culler is searching for Ghile. How can he miss these lights? This place is a beacon.”
Two Elks leaned back and belched. “I grow tired of talk that means nothing. It is not our time to die. We have full bellies, shelter and a fire. This I know. Riff talks only of what he doesn't know. No more talk about nothing or I will throw you outside.” With that Two Elks pulled his axe next to him and rolled onto his side.
Gaidel watched as Riff opened and closed his mouth a few times. When he looked at her, she quirked an eyebrow and gave him a questioning smirk. She could see how badly he wanted to say something. She would enjoy watching her shieldwarden toss Riff out like her father used to do to the rowdier patrons at the Three Arrows.
It seemed a lifetime ago she left her home in Redwood Village. Growing up in
a tavern made her accustomed to people and noise. Always someone to talk to, always something going on. Her new life as a Redwood Druid was such a sharp contrast, her previous life seemed like it belonged to another person. She watched Riff finally give up and drag his furs off to the side, away from them, and lay down.
Why Mother Brambles decided Riff needed to join them she still didn't know. For all the good it did Ghile. They hadn't even left the boundaries of the swamp before he came to harm. If anything the sorcerer was slowing them down. He was no traveler, that was for certain. If he didn't toughen up, he would never make it to Dagbar's Freezone. A small voice in the back of her head reminded her she could heal his wounds. Fine, in the morning she would see to him. She sighed and went to check on Ghile one more time before bed.
Both Ast and Cuz watched her expectantly as she checked Ghile's temperature and breathing. He had not eaten or drank anything since the battle, but he seemed fine, too healthy, in fact. The combat training Two Elks had been giving him seemed to have caused a growth spurt in the young uplander. His clothing was stretched taut over his frame. What other changes were those soulstones working on him, she wondered.
At least they were out of the Cradle and through the fens. Patron Sister Bosand always said when you were faced with a large problem, break it down into small manageable pieces. Tomorrow she would see about this dead one and trading for supplies for the journey to Dagbar's Freezone. She unfurled her sleeping furs near Two Elks and laid down. She continued to mull over the things they still needed to do until sleep took her.
Gaidel sat motionless as Two Elks scraped the sharp blade of his flint knife along her scalp. The skin not covered in the blue swirling patterns that marked her as a druid was bright pink. He shook the blade in the small bowl of water and continued to shave the front part of her scalp. It was a routine they went through most mornings, Two Elks shaving Gaidel's head and then his face. His people refused to grow facial hair as an insult to dwarves, who prized their beards.
The inside of the little hut had warmed considerably from the sun's morning rays, which struggled to find small gaps to push through and share little beams with the hut's inhabitants. It was still early and Riff, Ghile, and the two Valehounds still slept.
There was motion outside the tent followed by someone clearing their voice. “Morn'n in da hut. It's Craluk. Reckon I could come in?”
Two Elks wiped his knife on his trousers and moved over to shake Riff awake. Riff was still wiping the sleep from his eyes when Gaidel bade Craluk enter.
Craluk passed through the doorway followed by Lotte and two other men Gaidel recognized from the day before. They all proffered the upturned hands and bowed deeply.
Craluk gave Lotte a harsh stare before speaking. “Been told what Lotte shared with Master Riff. I apologize for what he done said. Our problems be our own and we ought not burden you with um.”
Lotte stared down at his feet and said nothing.
Even if these people chose to live as outlaws, they still followed the strict laws of hospitality Gaidel learned in her short time with the Nordlah barbarians. Craluk's people were all short of stature and square shouldered. They did not look at all like Two Elk's people except for the same colored hair. Gaidel found herself wondering how long they had lived out here and where they originally came from. As hosts, they could not ask for their guests help and Gaidel knew Craluk felt Lotte had shamed them.
“Craluk, you and your people are honorable hosts. We are indebted to you for sharing your food and providing us shelter,” Gaidel said. She glance at Two Elks, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod.
“I would gladly do what I can if you would allow me to see your son,” Gaidel said. Behind her, Gaidel heard Riff groan.
She found Two Elks already beat her to glare at Riff, who quickly put up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Fine, fine,” Riff said.
Craluk nodded and motioned for them to follow, the relief obvious on his face. He must have been afraid that Lotte hurt his chances to get help.
Gaidel, Two Elks, and Riff followed the others out of the hut and over the swaying walkways. The two valehounds remained at Ghile's side. The young stonechosen couldn't have asked for a better pair of guardians.
There were a few villagers already up and going about their morning activities. Canoes were already out in the water, the villagers in them stopping at various poles protruding from the water and pulling long vines attached to woven cages. Others were packing nets and three pronged spears into the remaining canoes.
Craluk stopped before a curtain of green hanging moss. Gaidel could just make out a single hut a short distance beyond. It sat alone under the protective boughs, separate from the others.
“It be dark up in there, as the light hurts Ollin's eyes. Move slow like and don't git near'n his head or he'll take a chunk out of ya,” Craluk said. He pulled the mossy curtain aside and gestured for them to enter.
Gaidel stepped under the canopy, followed by Two Elks and Riff. As soon as they came near the hut, they could hear something thrashing around inside. A deep throated growl, like that of a caged animal drifted out from the darkness. Gaidel found the hair on the back of her neck standing up and her fists clenched.
She took a breath and knelt down to look into the opening. Something small and pale lurched forward out of the shadows. Its pupilless eyes were as pale as sheep's milk, as was its skin. Thick red veins bulged against the pallid flesh that seemed barely able to contain them. The creature that at one time had been Craluk's son, Ollin, now gnashed its teeth like some savage beast, straining to reach Gaidel.
It was bound around the ankles and wrists with thick leather straps, which were in turn tied to each other and also to a single wooden pole back in the center of the hut. Gaidel started forward when she felt Two Elk's hand on her shoulder.
“Careful, Daughter Gaidel. It is not at the end of its bonds. It stops at the edge of the light.”
He was right. It stopped at the edge of the little light that filtered through the canopy above them. Even this small amount of light kept it at bay.
“Two Elks, you will have to hold him so I may enter the song,” Gaidel said.
Two Elks grunted and placed his shield and axe down before he stepped forward. He moved carefully, bending down and holding his hands in front of him.
The creature stopped its struggling and hissed, tracking Two Elks movements.
“Ollin, we are not here to hurt you,” Gaidel said.
Ollin's head snapped towards Gaidel and he hissed again. Two Elks slowly extended one hand towards Ollin as he moved closer.
Ollin sprang forward at Two Elk's outstretched hand. His teeth snapped down where Two Elk's hand had been a mere second before.
Two Elks lunged forward then and wrapped his arms around Ollin, pinning Ollin's much smaller arms to his sides. Ollin thrashed his head, trying to lock his teeth into something, but could not and finally settled for banging the back of his head against Two Elk's chest.
If it bothered the barbarian, he didn't show it.
Two Elks nodded to Gaidel. “Little one is strong.”
Gaidel stepped forward and took a closer look at Ollin. The boy was young, probably only seven or eight years old. He had stopped his struggles to stare at Gaidel and issue another low menacing hiss. Gaidel grimaced. Ollin's tongue was as black as pitch.
Gaidel began to sing. She let the sound of her voice resonate deep within her. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, clearing her mind of thought. She opened her senses. She willed herself to become one with the song and felt the essence of herself spread out and meld with everything around her.
At once the song of the All Mother poured in, filling her like an empty vessel. A song only a druid could hear, feel, and taste. She sensed more than saw the others around her as she swayed with the rhythm. She could feel the song flowing through her, trying to pull her along. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear herself singing.
; The waters of the fen beneath her danced around her slower song, ignoring it. Water, air, fire, these things were beyond her reach, their song being too quick and confusing, hard to become one with.
Gaidel listened and heard the song of the others around her, Two Elk's was the easiest to sense because it was already in perfect tune with hers. It was this bond that joined them. She sensed Riff's song. He was scared, his song undulated with his fear.
She focused and tried to hear Ollin's song. Where was it? It should have been as easy to hear as Riff's. Gaidel changed her pitch, searching. As her song reached higher, she became aware of Ollin's song. But it was wrong, so utterly wrong.
Whatever had happened to Ollin had changed his song. It was as if there were holes in it now, like part of him was missing from Allwyn. There was still enough of Ollin there to recognize as Ollin, but it was intertwined with an emptiness, something not of Allwyn. Gaidel had felt that emptiness before. When she had tried to heal Ghile. But unlike Ghile, this nothingness had a song, a faster song, like that of water. The tune of whatever had Ollin in its grasp was some corrupted form of water. It dominated Ollin's song and Gaidel knew she could not possibly coerce it to release its grip on the boy.
Gaidel stopped singing and opened her eyes.
Ollin was thrashing again, but Two Elks held him firm. She shook her head at Two Elks. “There is something in him, some kind of corrupt water, a poison of some kind. It will not heed my song.”
Riff moved up closer. “Can you not just heal him? If he drank something that did this to him, can't you just heal him of it?”
“No, it isn't something that is in him,” Gaidel said. She wasn't sure how to explain it.
“Whatever it is, it is him now, it is part of his song, part of him. But, it is some kind of corrupt water, I recognize that much of its song.”
Riff looked behind him at Craluk and the others. It was obvious to Gaidel that he still didn't trust their hosts. When he turned back to her, she could see he had set himself to some decision.
Time of the Stonechosen (The Soulstone Prophecy Book 2) Page 10