Drachenara

by T. G. Neal

  By the time word reached The Left, his spymasters were already dispatched to around the realm and heralds had been told to spread the word of the Prince’s demise. The Left acted as an entity all his own. He was able to gather a small town’s worth of information and have it back to him in a day, anywhere in the Brendom.

  He had sent Jackdaws to the former Bren of Greyvale and the captain of the guard, separately, trying to ascertain the location of the Prince’s body. The process would be long and arduous, but he would find something out eventually.

  In the meantime, he dispatched members of Subterfuge to do their own spying in Greyvale.

  The little spit of land they were headed to had a name, but only that of the owner of the land. Jeasonsland was a quaint little settlement inside Alfendul. It had many overnight visitors; traders, adventurers and the sort. They would pass through on their way around the Jagged Peak Mountains, avoiding the treacherous canyon pass.

  As Aurelia and Vaelen rode into town, a dog began barking. Dusk was already upon them, so getting started right away was only going to happen if the bandits came to them. Alerted by the dogs barking, the man whose land this all belonged to came out, bow in hand. He docked an arrow and aimed down at Vaelen.

  “Whoa, friend, we hail from the Silver Sort!” Vaelen shouted, hand in the air.

  The man immediately lowered the bow and arrow.

  Aurelia looked to her left and then whispered to Vaelen as they approached. “They’re jumpy, but I can see why; someone burned that building down over there.”

  Vaelen nodded. Before he was within six feet of the man, he dismounted his horse and bowed his head in a display of respect. “We’re here to handle your bandit problems,” Vaelen said, adjusting the way his armor sat after his ride.

  The man reached out to shake Vaelen’s hand. “The name’s Isep Jeason, farmer and merchant. And ye are?”

  Aurelia was climbing down off of her horse as Vaelen introduced them, returning Isep’s hand shake. “I’m Vaelen and this is Aurelia.” This far out from Drachenara seemed a safe bet that no one would recognize them or their names.

  “Glad ye made it out tonight, the night is the worst, but they’ve been bold enough to come during the days here lately. Strange lot they are. We’re by far not the richest group, and we’ve lost enough.” Isep gestured to the burned down building.

  Vaelen walked his horse to the trough outside of the small tavern nearby, talking as he walked. “You’re just big enough to get money out of without having your own guard in employ. How many have you lost?”

  Isep’s face visibly saddened at the question. “Too many. We’re a settlement of folk out of the Midland. My wife is Elven, which makes bandit attacks more common, and harder for the local folk to accept us. We brought friends with us, and a new couple had settled. That homestead was theirs…” he trailed. “Their little girls perished in the fire. They’re buried with the others we’ve lost. Their parents went off into the hills hunting the bandits and never came back.”

  Aurelia frowned. No innocent child deserved to die, especially not because of someone’s greed. Death had never been a business Aurelia had wanted to get into, but somehow it came naturally to her. In the back of her mind, she made a list of reasons of how she could do the things she needed to do to survive, and the good things that kept her going, as well as the bad. She added the needless murder of these little girls to the bad things that made it easier for her to take a life. “I’m sorry you’ve had to endure. Did you try contacting the crown?”

  Isep looked to Aurelia in disbelief. “The crown?” He almost laughed. Aurelia was shocked. “They wouldn’t help me unless it was to get their tax money. My country is the home realm of King Tivanis, if he chose to raze me to the ground, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

  Such powerful words of hatred made Vaelen cringe, he wasn’t aware that such malicious feelings against the crown existed. Nearly fifty years of peace seemed like plenty enough reason to not have ill will of the crown.

  Isep shook his head, “Either way, I’m glad ye are here. Ye are welcome to stay in the tavern free of charge and have your meals and mead on me while ye stay.”

  Vaelen still had a few sovereigns to spend, and Aurelia had been given an advance by the Silver Sort, but neither of them would turn down free lodging or food. As Isep turned to go into the tavern that he had emerged from, Vaelen and Aurelia followed him inside.

  The Tavern was called the Shining Example, and it was a small, yet cozy little place. It bore no decorations, only the warmth of the oak it was built out of, a small stone fireplace, and the stairs that led upstairs to the bedrooms. There were few patrons in the tavern that night partly because word had spread that bandits had been hitting the tavern and the surrounding buildings at night. Merchants decided it was almost too dangerous to stop, so they swung a little wide in their path south and hired an extra hand to drive them through the night. It was more expensive than stopping, but not if all your wares get stolen.

  Isep went on his way and Vaelen and Aurelia sat down to share dinner and have a drink together. The Mead was a juniper blossom brew with honey and plum nectar; it was no wonder so many merchants stopped by, such brews cost a fortune in major cities.

  Limiting themselves to one, so as to not impair their fighting were it to come to that this evening, Vaelen and Aurelia moved to water to finish their meal, which was braised pork and onions with a portion of bread.

  Less than halfway through their pork, a scream shattered the evening silence. What was once only the sound of insects calling out loudly in the night became a piercing scream that halted business as normal inside the tavern. Vaelen and Aurelia jumped to their feet and rushed to the door, meeting the woman who screamed face to face. She squeezed in between Vaelen and Aurelia and rushed inside. Vaelen looked back and said, “Latch the door behind us,” then went out, followed immediately by Aurelia.

  Once outside, Aurelia drew her bow and an arrow and looked around. The woman’s scream inherently meant that someone was there, but from where Aurelia stood, she saw nothing. As she scanned the distance, the trees against the hillside obscured her vision any further.

  Vaelen stood behind her slightly, claymore drawn and held high, ready for attack, but he saw nothing. “Aurelia, do you see anything?”

  Silent for a moment, arrow drawn back, ready to fire, she shook her head. “Nothing. No movement at all.”

  Vaelen grunted. He kept his sword at ready and began to walk around the side of the nearest building, looking for something, anything. The woman hadn’t said where she saw anything, and perhaps she was just nervous. It was possible that with all the constant badgering that the bandits had been doing, the citizens here were just scared that the bandits would come again. Too, though, the scream may have been enough to frighten the bandit had he not been intending to get caught.

  As Vaelen came around the backside of the first building, he shot Aurelia a glance. Though it was dark, he could still see that Aurelia shook her head, having seen nothing. Still slowly working his way around, he finally saw something bob up and down in between a barrel and the wall behind the tavern.

  He slowly walked toward him, silent as he could be, then broke into a run as he did. There were two of them. The one closest to him shouted and reached to draw his sword, but Vaelen was ready. With all his strength, he swung from side to side using the flat side of his blade. Just as his opponent got his sword from his sheath, but without enough time to properly attempt to deflect the attack, the claymore caught the bandit in the chest hard enough to lift him from the ground and throw him into the backside of the tavern. When he fell, he crumpled.

  The second man broke into a run. Vaelen was heavier armored than the man, who barely wore proper leather, and it would be impossible for him to catch the man. However, Aurelia had heard the ruckus and was already sprinting towards Vaelen’s location. By the time she made it there, the man was in the wooded hills, headed back up to wherever their home base was, Vaelen
surmised.

  Aurelia wouldn’t let that stop her from trying. She took in a breath and loosed the arrow into the darkness. The snap whistle of the arrow through the air was the only sound near them except for the rustling of woodland leaves as the man ran. Then only a split second later the man howled out in pain, but it didn’t slow him down. His steps faded into the night.

  Vaelen lowered his blade and looked to Aurelia. “You’re too good with that thing.”

  “You taught me.” She said, confident, staring into the woods.

  “I’m nowhere near that good. You’re a natural.” He sighed, sliding his claymore back into the frog and turning to face the bandit who was still groaning and lying on the ground. Vaelen reached down and picked the man up by his leather armor and pushed him up against the wall. The man was no older than he was, but his cheeks were sunken and when he opened his eyes they were wild, untamed. “You’ve made a mistake, friend.”

  The bandit spit in Vaelen’s face.

  Vaelen closed his eyes, wiped the spit away and then let out a deep sigh. “You’ve made another one now.” Vaelen grabbed the man over his mouth with his hand, pulled his head back off the back wall, and slammed it back into the wall.

  The man saw stars when his head hit and his vision blurred. Something simultaneously warm and cool seemed to pool on the back of his head. Dazed, he reached out to claw at Vaelen’s face.

  Vaelen responded only by hitting the man hard enough to nearly knock him unconscious this time, and then let him fall to the ground. Vaelen started to suggest that they try to track the other bandit when they heard a deep guttural sound followed by several helpless screams, and then silence.

  Aurelia looked at Vaelen and shook her head. “No way.”

  Vaelen silently agreed. He disarmed the bandit he’d given a concussion and dragged the man by his armor back into the Tavern, where he left him lying in the gravel out front. “Lord Jeason!” Vaelen called, his foot on the chest of the captured bandits. Only moments after Vaelen called, Isep walked out the front door of the tavern. Vaelen looked at him and nodded to the man on the ground. “Caught one. The other fled. Something got him in the woods.”

  “Dire Wolves.” Isep said, wiping water from his hands. “Is he alive?”

  “Aye. I roughed him up. Beat him against your back wall. Maybe broke a couple of ribs.” He pushed down with his foot, the man groaned, and a tear streaked down his face. “Definitely broke a couple of ribs.”

  Isep snarled. “Do what you want with him first, if you want. I want to string him up like they do our people.”

  Aurelia lifted her hand. “You don’t want to be like them, do you?” Isep snapped to look at her and almost growled. Vaelen stiffened and clenched his jaws.

  Isep withdrew and shook his head, as if to clear his mind. “I—you’re right. Kill him. Burn the body. He deserves the respect that they don’t give us.”

  The bandit groaned again, then began to struggle. Vaelen pushed down on his chest, hard. Then reached to pick him up, “Before I do anything, you’re going to tell me about your friends. Aren’t you?”

  “No…” said the bandit, exasperated.

  Vaelen carried him out into the center of the ring of homes and buildings and tossed him on the ground. Aurelia followed right behind him. “Where are they staying up in the hills?”

  Nothing.

  Vaelen changed his tone. It was nicer. “Tell me, and I’ll make it quick.”

  The bandit looked at him and sat up, sucking air between his teeth and gripping at his ribs. He looked into Vaelen’s eyes and sighed. He gestured for Vaelen to come closer. Vaelen leaned in and the bandit spoke, “The lady behind you. They’ll rape her. They’ll take out her hair and they’ll make trophies out of it. Oh, and you’ll be alive for the second and third rounds.” He smiled.

  Vaelen went from a patient, listening demeanor, to seeing-red fury in a split second. It didn’t matter what the bandit would say, even if he divulged the secrets of the bandits or if they stashed millions of sovereigns in their hills. Vaelen hefted the man with both his hands and threw him six feet across the ground, as hard as he could. When the man landed, he tried to rise again, but Vaelen kicked him hard enough to pick him up off the ground. “I’ll— “Vaelen kicked the man in the side of the head, breaking his jaw. “Kill— “He kicked the man again, hard enough to roll him across the ground. “Every— “He picked the man up again and tossed him across the ground, this time landing him against their well, sitting up. As he prepared to strike the man again, an arrow sailed past him and hit the bandit in the throat. Standing behind Vaelen was Aurelia, bow drawn, string still vibrating after loosing the arrow.

  Vaelen looked down at the man who grasped at his throat a moment before dying. Aurelia looked at him and placed a hand on his forearm. “I know,” She said. “Don’t lose yourself.”

  Vaelen looked at her. He was silent for a moment, looking back at the man, chest rising and falling quickly.

  They went about burning his body in the ring of stones beyond the town. If the bandits watched, they would see that they afforded this bandit the same respect that they would a citizen of the brendom of Alfendul. As the body burned, Vaelen and Aurelia returned to the tavern. As they entered, Isep appeared to have gone off to his own home. The lady who operated the tavern came to them and bowed her head, “I will have warm water brought to you in a moment. I’m sure you’d like to clean off.” She waved down a young girl who was sweeping, and then turned her attention back to them, handing Vaelen a key. “You’re in the room at the top of the stairs. Our best room.”

  Vaelen bowed his head and silently made his way up the stairs. Aurelia bowed her head as well but spoke. “Thank you. We appreciate the accommodation. Such is not afforded us, generally. Please, if you see Lord Jeason, tell him we will seek out the bandits’ home in the morning.”

  The woman smiled and bode them good night.

  When Aurelia got to the room she opened it to see Vaelen sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. When she shut the door behind her, he looked up. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry, for what, Vaelen?” She asked, genuine.

  “For losing control.”

  “What did he say?” She asked, sitting down next to him on the bed.

  “He said that the bandits would rape you. Before my own eyes. They would make me watch.” Vaelen said with a pained voice; angry and thick with the taste of vengeance.

  Aurelia stared forward for a moment. “Monsters.”

  Vaelen nodded and looked to her. “These are mountain men. They aren’t just bandits. These are men who live in the hills and they kidnap men and women. Men to eat, women to have more and more children, until they can’t anymore, then they kill them. They’ve just become bold enough to come out of the hills to attack people here. Usually it’s only travelers.”

  “Maker be.” She said, shocked.

  “I haven’t ever heard of them being on this side of the mountain. Hearing of them at all is usually a shock. But they’re untrained. They fight with crude leather armor and rocks and sticks, and it sounds like we aren’t the only thing hunting them. The Dire Wolves in these hills sound dangerous.” Vaelen said, changing the subject away from capture and rape. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “Dire Wolves. Isep mentioned it. I’ve only heard of Dire Wolves in the old legends.” Aurelia said, standing up and beginning to remove portions of her armor. At some point, probably when they chased down the bandits, the tavern workers had moved their goods up to their rooms.

  “I read a book when I was a boy, in the Drachenaran library.” Vaelen took off pieces of his armor and set them aside. He sat there in a heavy canvas leg-skirt, his black leather boots and a woven shirt. “Heavens know how old the book was, but it talked about creatures of the old land. Before the Maker struck down the Destroyer.”

  Aurelia nodded. “I read that one as well. Dire wolves, the dead rising from their graves, dragons, demons, ghosts and giant spiders.” She
shuddered. She, like Vaelen, wore only a woven shirt and the leather patchwork pants. She lay back on the bed, but only for a moment, as the tavern woman brought up two large bowls of hot water and a rag in each with a half-bar of soda, lime and aromatic herb soap bars.

  When Vaelen rose to look at the water bowls, he smirked. “I didn’t expect soaps,” he said, looking into the water.

  “Nor I.” Aurelia said. “But at least I will smell clean before killing the mad men of the hills.”

  Vaelen could not help but laugh, though he felt none better for it.

  After a good wash and chat, Vaelen fell asleep first, though he thought by the silence, that Aurelia had fallen asleep before he. As she started to doze, she looked over at him, the silhouette of his body in the bed, and felt at peace knowing he was so close by. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he felt anything for her. Instead of dwelling on such things, she forced the thought away and allowed herself to sleep.

  By the time the morning sun crept over the mountains behind them, to the east, Vaelen was awake and strapping his armor to his person. He didn’t expect to be staying up in the mountains overnight. They were going to scout first, if things looked like they would not fare well, he and Aurelia would send for more of the Silver Sort by way of Jackdaw. In less than a day, they could be there and ready to assault the mountain men. If their numbers were low enough, Vaelen and Aurelia would dispatch them.

  When Vaelen finished his last piece of armor, he walked over to Aurelia, who was still asleep in the bed next to his. He placed a hand on her shoulder and in low voice said her name, so as to wake her. When she roused, she rolled and looked up at him and smiled.

  The mornings, Vaelen decided, were what he missed the most. He sheathed his emotions and turned away after returning her smile. As he slid his claymore into place on his back, he looked back at her and said “Dawn is upon us. It’s time to go up the mountain. Do you want to take time for breakfast?”