Even though Linda spoke of her father fighting against the Dark Guild, she had no memories of him fighting with a sword or engaged in battles. She had no idea what form his fighting took. She had the kitchen bring up a large bowl of blood from a slaughtered sheep, and stood in the room thinking as she placed her stones around in a circle. Grimm stood in the room with her, but he would leave once he’d helped her subdue her father, as she wanted to talk to him alone.
Grimm stood by silently as she began to sing her song. He listened to the words marking them. It was the second time he’d heard it, and he could remember it now. It took only moments before he saw that her longing to see her father had helped. The rift formed in the circle of her stones and a man walked through. As he came though, Grimm was surprised because he had the look of a normal man. No teeth or black eyes, just a tired looking old man, who smiled at his daughter as he walked in.
Without a word, Grimm walked out of the room and left her to commune.
‘Hello daughter,’ he said in a quiet voice she remembered well.
He looked as he ever had. A slight man with an intelligent face and shrewd but kind eyes. He looked like a librarian or scholar, and had fingers stained with black ink drops from his constant scribing.
‘Hello, father,’ she said. It filled her with such relief and joy to see him as a man and not a monster. ‘How is it that you are a man and not a howler?’ She asked.
He laughed gently. ‘This is how we should all look and be, for I have passed beyond the land you call the land of the dead and have been judged.’
‘Do you know what’s happening here? What should I do?’ She asked.
‘You have to fight them, Elizebetha. You have to defeat the Dark Guild, and most of all you need to help your friend Seth if you can. He is now in a much bigger battle that will decide much.’
‘What do you mean?’ She asked.
‘The balance is wrong, the dead are not moving on, they are being held back, and we have to stop it. I could only pass because of the lore I knew. I held onto myself even in the cold, snow and death.’
‘What should I do? I don’t want to kill, but how can I stop them?’ She asked, crying.
‘Oh sweet daughter, you don’t need to kill them, but we can stop them. Let me show you the one place in this Keep that even you haven’t seen, and the reason we can’t let them take it.’
The man sitting across the small desk from Josette was not what she’d expected from the Captain of the city guard in a place like Pellota. She’d heard that these sorts of roles were given more as political favours and less on merit, but this man looked like any other hard-bitten soldier she’d seen in her life. He was older than she’d expected as well. The sides of his short clipped black hair were streaked with white and his short trimmed beard around a well tanned face which was also streaked with silver. He looked up at her from his scribing and smiled. It was a small but friendly smile that of someone used to talking with grandchildren rather than young girls. Yet, his face was scarred as if from more than one battle: he had a large cut through his left eyebrow.
He reached over his small desk and shook her hand. He had a lot of strength in the grip and his hand was the well calloused one of someone who’d held a sword his entire life.
‘Good evening, young lady. I’m Captain Morantin, and pleased to meet you,’ he said in a soft unhurried voice. ‘And who might you be?’
‘My name is Josette, and I’m a member of the Cold Death and here to ask aid for Black Rock,’ she said back. There was no way of knowing what kind of a man this was, or if he’d be able to help her.
‘Ahh the Cold Death, a frightful name for what I’m led to believe is one of the best mercenaries troops, if such a thing could be said of any of you. I can see by those cuts in your earlobe that you were once a slave as well.’
‘Not anymore,’ she said with pride.
‘Indeed, indeed, I’ve met your man Dagosh and have a lot of time for him, even though he’s a troublemaking bastard. So, before you continue, let me tell you what I know already to save you time,’he said.
‘Of course,’ She’d assumed they would know something, given the amount of noise Goldie was making tonight. It wasn’t against the law to recruit mercenaries, but it could be against the King’s interests, which was.
‘Well, your little troop led by four Northmen went to Black Rock. You killed the Lord Renton and placed his sister back on the seat. Then the Duke of Twin Plains, Luthor is his name, came along with a thousand or so men, and I’m guessing you’re all penned up like rats in a cage. So you decide, quite stupidly I might say, to engage even more mercenaries to help, and you come down here and cause all sorts of hell, scaring my city and then recruiting the Red Bastards of all bloody people. That about it?’
She was a little shocked at his level of knowledge of things that had unfolded in just a matter of days. Somewhere there were some very exhausted couriers and horses that had been racing back and forth from Black Rock. Who knew the city guard had such a good spy network?
‘Almost. The man recruiting the Red Bastards is a break-away and looks to be betraying us at the Keep, and the real leader of the Northmen, Seth. Duchess Elizebetha has asked me to try and gather the King’s aid.’
The older man looked at her as if weighing her words. It’s true she was little more than a girl, but she had a quiet fire in her eyes and actions that a fighter like this man could read. ‘And they chose you because you’re young, the break-away will underestimate you, and because you’re loyal to Dagosh and the Northman.’
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘Now tell me what I don’t know. Who is this break-away? Did he hire them, the Bastards, and if so, did you glean any plans?’
She had to judge this man. If he was crooked in any way, she’d be done for, and he wouldn’t be the first captain to be on the payroll of some of the shadier city dwellers. ‘But what choice do I have,’ was the question.
‘His name is Goldie and he’s a Northman as well, but gone rogue it seems. He’s hired 1200 men and intends to march them on the Duke and sell him the Keep. They plan to get him to retreat, enter the Keep as reinforcements, and take it.’
The man started laughing ‘til there were tears in his eyes. ‘The stupidity of some people still makes me laugh. Has this man actually met the Red Bastards? They are so deep in the pocket of that Duke they are like his personal troop!’
She was stunned, having had no idea. She knew they weren’t to be trusted, but not this. A terrible situation had just turned so much worse.
‘Oh,’ was all she could say.
‘So this idiot will lead them into his Keep, betray his friends, hoping for a nice reward, and just get himself put to the sword like the rest of you. The only thing I don’t understand is why the Duke wants the place; it’s near to worthless, no farming worth a damn and not strategic in any way. It’s a waste of man power to even try to take it.’
She was feeling so despondent and just let her mouth run. ‘It’s all some feud with the Dark Guild and Gatherers.’ She’d heard this from the Northman Grimm when he’d told her Seth had vanished, and she was the only one he’d told the truth to. She didn’t know how real it was, but wanted to believe he’d left only to save them.
The man grew quiet. ‘Did you say the Dark Guild? What do you know of it?’
Now she was worried she’d said too much, but there could be no backing down now. ‘I did, the Duke’s the big boss of it, and it’s like a brotherhood of some kind.’
The Captain literally put his hands together with excitement, and then reaching into his desk, he passed her a note that had the broken seal of the new King. It was at least a year old. ‘Order to any guard or city warden that hears word of anything regarding a ‘Dark Guild’ or‘Brotherhood’: immediate word is to be send to the King and local troops assembled. They are branded enemies of the crown and all assistance is to be given to any engaged in action against them.’
She read the words and
felt such a wave of relief flood through her as she read. The King was on their side of the battle, and who better as an ally?
‘So the Duke is the first brother then?’ He asked as she read it.
‘I think that’s what they call him,’ she said.
‘You’d think they’d tell you these kinds of things. See, I was sent here as soon as we found out about this letter, and almost a bloody year or so I’ve been waiting and waiting, and now finally I have a chance to help. First brother will be so pleased with me.’
He stood and yelled, ‘Guards!’ The door was flung open and the two men waiting just outside had their swords pointed at her within moments. ‘Sorry, you just came to the wrong man,’ he said.
Chapter 17
They’d run through the snow and across the sparse terrain for what would have been almost a solid day had the sun risen and given them any indication of actual time passing. Seraphina was exhausted, but tried to keep pace with the large bounds of the Wolvern which raced ahead, often ‘til it was just a white dot in her vision. They had a plan, and she thought it was a pretty good one, but the creature was less than convinced. Still, it didn’t involve her going head to head with the silver woman, which was all to the good.
She held the guise of the dead. Her pretty human features were distorted into the dead black eyes and feral teeth. It was strange that in this guise she actually felt like it was easier to run on and on, and the cold didn’t touch her as much. It must have been her imagination, just like her fires couldn’t really warm her, but sometimes they felt like they did. Any dead she passed ignored her, even if she was moving in ways they never did; they only ran towards food, not to a destination.
Soon she saw the outline of the Wolvern getting closer and closer, which meant it had stopped. Her pale legs pushed her on harder and harder, she didn’t want to get him angry. Soon, she too was crouched down in the snow next to the fearsome beast, breathing in hard ragged breaths and feeling the sweat on her forehead starting to freeze.
‘You aren’t as weak as I thought,’ the Wolvern's words sounded in her mind.
‘Thanks for the compliment,’ she said back between panting breaths. ‘Can you see them?’ She couldn’t see them through the thin snow, but the Wolvern had much keener sight than a mere man or woman, as it often told her.
‘I can, he’s walking at her side like a dog on a leash. It’s disgusting that he allows himself to be commanded by her,’ it said in dark tones.
‘You would as well,’ she said.
Its voice in her mind grew feral. ‘I never would. Her words just cause me pain. I would never follow them, but it hurts dreadfully to deny her. Let’s go now.’
‘Shouldn’t we wait until they camp?’ She asked.
‘They won’t stop now. They are very close to her people’s stronghold now, and she doesn’t sleep.’
‘Oh, okay then. I’ll get close and wait for your signal, then.’
‘Good luck, little princess, you’re a brave one for such a tiny fragile thing.’ It said as an endearment, and bounded off into the distance.
She stood and started her slow paced run towards them. She was still torn as to if she actually wanted to help Seth, the bastard, but in her mind she just kept telling herself that she was helping the Wolvern and not him. Also, if she had a chance of escaping this place, it was by getting involved. She’d been sitting alone in her cave for what seemed like years with only her illusions, and developing her powers to keep her company. Now at least she wouldn’t be so fucking bored. She’d probably be actually dead in a matter of hours, but it was more fun than sitting still. Also, this woman’s power intrigued her. Imagine what she herself could do with that power.
Through the soft falling snow, she saw them and hoped to hell the Wolvern would be ready for her by the time she reached them. They moved so quickly, striding along on their tall bloody legs. Both Seth and the woman were a good head taller than her and seemed to lope along easily and tirelessly. Soon she was within an arrow’s distance of them and could see them both clearly for the first time.
He was as she remembered. Tall, strong, Northern features with short hair that was clipped close to his skull, obviously cut back in the land of the living since there were no hair knives here. But he also looked a lot younger than she remembered. He was just a boy, she remembered, not any older than twenty name days. She herself was forty-three name days, though she looked to be in her early twenties, or had last time she’d had a viewing glass. The woman was even more incredible up-close. She did indeed look like a living statue. Her body was perfectly formed, and looked strong and cold like marble. She had silver hair that flowed down her shoulders as if never cut once, and she moved with such animal grace. At her side hung a huge black sword that was near to her only clothing. Other than that, only her breasts were covered, and a small leather swatch hung at the front. Seraphina tried not to stare at her as she walked, but she was a beautiful if strange creature. The look of her fair filled her with jealous, her own looks had been worn away by too many nights sleeping on the ground and no hairbrush.
Then she heard it, a long deep howl of such anger and hatred, she knew it was her Wolvern. It came bounding out of snow, and in front of it being herded like a bloodthirsty flock of cattle was a small horde of the dead. The creatures ran through fear of the Wolvern, but once they saw the silver woman and Seth, their simple minds turned quickly to attack.
The Silver women yelled something to Seth in a version of Northern that Seraphina could barely understand and then they drew their swords. The dead horde was on them in moments, at least ten of them, attacking, clawing, and biting. If the woman was graceful before, now she was like a liquid dream of death. She ran towards them without fear, and swinging her deadly black blade, cut the nearest one down from shoulder to hip. The blade cut deeply into its body and the thing that had once been a man fell back with an animal cry. Seth was clearly the more favoured target and he fought hard against the clawing mass of them. She’d seen him in the room and seen him cut down Dirst, but never had she seen him fight with such brutal ferocity.
Instead of hacking and slashing, he simply thrust his double hand broadsword into one dead person’s chest after the other. One bit his shoulder hard, his height saving his neck, and he lashed back with an elbow and smashed its sharp teeth hard; it fell back and he was upon it, stabbing down again and again. Soon he was on the ground with a pack of them biting and clawing him.
She looked to see that the Wolvern was engaged with the woman. It leapt at her throat, lunging to the side to avoid that huge blade, and was on her. It pinned her down with strong paws and lunged at her pale throat with those sharp rows of double teeth. Seraphina swore she saw a smile on the woman’s face as she just whispered, “No” at the Wolvern. It was thrown back with the pain that racked its body. The woman turned to see Seth fighting hard, but seemed to have no concern for him.
‘You better run, dog,’ she said, standing up. ‘This time you’re done for good.’ The Wolvern literally turned its tail and started running through the snow. She chased after it, and soon they were far off in the distance. Seraphina had waited long enough. She ran from her hiding spot to Seth. She drew her own blade and, stabbing down left and right, killed one, two, three of the creatures that were upon Seth. He lay panting and covered with blood. She let the guise of the dead slip from her and took the one he’d recognise. The pretty girl he’d sent to this place. Perfect hair and clothes, not the tatters and matted hair she currently had. He looked up at her as he pushed the last dead creature off of him. She saw the deep wound in his shoulder literally heal itself in front of her.
‘Seraphina?’ He asked with disbelief.
‘Oh, you remember me.’ She said, taking his hand and helping him to his feet. ‘Sorry for all the mess, but we needed a believable distraction.’ As she pulled him up, she saw the scars on his hands and marked them.
‘Distraction from what?’ He said as he stood.
‘From that
silver-tongued bitch. Now off you go: go North and he’ll find you.’
‘But I don’t understand, I have to do what she says, but now I don’t feel like that at all.’
Seraphina laughed. ‘You think it’s easy to tell a Wolvern what to do? She’s busy, Seth, and she won’t come looking for you.’
‘Why not?’
As she stood before him, Seraphina changed her guise once more. She let her features become like his and felt the ease of it, because it was from the actual image of him right in front of her. She let her small frame grow tall and even her sword take on the shape of his.
‘She won’t come after you, because you’ll be right here waiting for her.’
What a disgusting plan. That girl had no idea of the shame it felt as it ran like a scared child away from the Silver tongue. Have to run slow enough so she can actually think she has a chance to catch me, have to tuck tail and run like a coward. Horrible, to let her think I’m scared. It felt the pain in its body and pushed against her power. The more it fought, the weaker her hold on his boy. Feelings of hatred towards her came easily and were met with the pain, it imagined finally sinking his teeth into her pale skin and tasting that sweet flesh, soon, very soon. He’d slowed too much and she was on him again.
‘Stand and fight, dog!’ She yelled, that was too much. The boy would be free now and they were a long distance off, so even her good hearing wouldn’t hear the girl. If he couldn’t, she couldn’t. He turned and faced her. No more games, just the kill.
It shouted back in her mind, trying to crush her with its ringing words. ‘Get ready to die.’ It howled.
She just smiled back and levelled her black blade at him. ‘Lay down before me, dog, bow your ugly head so I can cut if off.’
Take the Darkness...: Epic Fantasy Series (Dark Gods & Tainted Souls Book 2) Page 8