by Unknown
Mira shook her head, “not at all. Being a Ranger is a noble ambition. Did you know their founder, thought very highly of your people?”
Norry looked at her, “I did not ”
“Your clan are hardworking and honest You have gifted the Land with several cures .Yours is not a martial tribe but that is no fault”
Evening was at hand when they found a clearing to stop for the night. Norry set about his duties while Mira took her spyglass further up the trail. A warm breeze rose heavy with the scent of flowers and stagnant water.. The land ahead carried the mark of poison. Some said Reivers raided along here but that was difficult to believe.
After supper Norry sought to engage her in conversation .. Mira was beginning to show the strain of travelling. With barely a word she rolled out her blankets and lay down to sleep.. It was the first of the cold nights. Taking their little troop into the trees, he tied them out of the wind. When he returned to the hythe he found a heating stone left for him.
Norry awoke with movement close by. He looked over at Mira’s sleeping form. In the near dark he made out a grey shape lying close to her.. He sprang to his feet, stumbling as his foot caught in the blanket. Red eyes fixed on him. He picked up a rock. The shape growled. Moonlight stippled the earth. Other shapes moved out of cover. They were silent. If they had made noise he might have been less frightened.
Dropping the rock, he sat down. The wolf lay at her side. Mira turned into him cuddling into the beast. The snapping of branches came from back in the woods.
A piercing scream rang out, with the sound of growling. A wolf passed close to him, its jaws dripping. He told himself he would never sleep again….
Mira cooked porridge for breakfast She smiled at the Halfman..
“Did you sleep well”, she asked.
“Let me guess, you slept like a baby”.
Mira laughed, “I did, I dreamt of wolves.”
Heat rose in waves as they descended into marshland. Trees started to thin; those that persisted were smaller. Mud dragged at the hooves of the horses. Clouds of biting insects rose to torment them. Norry was unaffected; the lady was in misery. Flies swarmed in a cloud above her head landing wherever they found exposed skin. She covered her face with a scarf. They bit her through the cloth. Soon her face was a mass of reddened flesh covered with lumps. One eye had closed. By evening she was swaying on the horse. For an early halting site Norry chose a dry piece of ground by swamp water. Taking one foot from her stirrup, he moved to the other side. The pony stepped out, pitching her sideways. He was in time to catch her but she was heavier than he expected. They collapsed in the mud.. Dragging her to the side he left her propped against the root of a tree while he went to search for what he needed.
The scrub ended at the edge of a swamp A Mallorn had collapsed in the mire, its bulk submerged.. Keeping an eye for Water Moccasins he reached beneath a submerged branch , pulling with all his might.. It came up dripping mud. He turned it to find a fungus stippled with the eggs of the Shaeen Spider. Returning he stopped by a stand of Mathelangas to collect their seed. Mathelangas for the fever , Shaleen for the poison.
Using his breakfast bowl as a pestle he ground the seed with the haft of his dagger and mixed it with the fungus. Laying out her sleeping robe, he moved her out of the sun. .The wolves returned at sundown. The leader watched as Norry bathed her face... The others lay in a circle around them.
She slept through the night, crying out in fever dreams… The next morning she was improved but in no condition to ride. His store of ointment almost gone Norry returned to the swamp... On the way back he spotted a clump of wild strawberries. Breakfast had consisted of a plate of porridge and a mug of water. These would do nicely. After gorging himself he filled a bag to share with Mira. When he came to the clearing, a hooded figure was leaning over her.
Norry shouted and it turned on him. He had no weapon nor any skill with one. As it reached for him a long blade came up in the other hand. Norry threw what he held in his hands. The bag with the strawberries missed. The bowl of ointment struck the creature. It roared, hands like talons covering its face. The hood fell back. Its face was birdlike more than human. It staggered back, the blade falling to the grass . Norry reached for it and screamed. The hilt was red hot. He opened his hand to let it fall.. The weapon clung to the palm of his hand , burning through the skin. Falling to the grass he passed out.
When he came to Mira was leaning over him, face pale.
“What happened?”
He told her about the thing with the knife.
She handed him the blade. When he took it the weapon was cool to the touch.
He made breakfast and waited while she forced it down He moved her blanket to the shade and returned to the swamp. They would have to move once he got back.
The Travelling People.
They stopped at the edge of the wood arguing about whether to go straight or take the long way… Skirting the forest would lose time. The festival would be over and with it the last chance to make money for the Winter.. The old women could tell fortunes, the old men sell the toys they carved around the campfires The young men would run games of chance. None of this would happen if they skirted the woods. Smells of cooking and wood smoke drew them to where the wagons were laagered. They stood in groups arguing.
After dinner the girls and boys cleared away while they came to a decision. Gowreen was against taking the forest route. If they pushed hard they might make the second week, when the crowd was big and the money plentiful. The clan were tough and good fighters but their numbers were small . Darann took the opposite view. Holgun Wood had been quiet for ages. No bloodsuckers, not a single revenant… If they got to Holgun late the best pitches would have been taken . Gowreen was a good fighter but he was not true Gypsy and he didn’t understand the old ways. To turn away for fear of attack from vampires would be a mark of shame. Word would spread through the clans and they would be shunned. The vote was taken. They would take the forest road. The first days were uneventful. The third saw a troop of Lancers bound for Holgun. Relief turned to disappointment when the officer told them that they were under orders to be in the city as a matter of urgency.
The first sign of trouble was a missing guard. They started to follow a blood trail when a scream brought them back. One of the wagons was on fire. In the light from the flames they could see a tall shape fighting with Darann’s son. The scream had come from his wife. When they came up the vampire was gone. His son was on the ground, throat ripped. The woman was bleeding from a cut on her side and a wound from neck to shoulder. She was pregnant..
They grouped around staring at the wounds. Gowreen pushed the others aside.
“You know what must be done.”
No one answered, Darann held his daughter in law, weeping .
Gowreen stood over them.”She cannot live. Let’s be done with it and get away from this place”. He hefted the axe. “If you won’t, I will.”
“Put that away, or I will kill you”.
“You know what has to be done man, she is infected.”
No one spoke for several minutes. The woman’s mother stood forward.
“We will leave her to have the child.. She will not survive the birth.”
“And the baby?”
“The child will be raised by us. He will be of vampire and gypsy blood. The taint of their blood will give him the strength. We will teach him the ways of the Wampyrhii so that he may become a scourge to them. He will be Dhampir, their greatest enemy”
They left the wood two days later and reached Holgun in good time. By the time the festival ended they had money and stores for the Winter. Anya lived long enough to hold her child.
Death in the Forest.
The old man was dying. The kid would have screamed louder but he started to fight so Jordi put him down. The girl they were saving for later. Serves them right bringing such a beauty through this country. Jale could see where her blouse had been ripped . He felt his blood rising. Maybe
not much later…They were occupied when the stranger stepped out from cover.
“Hey mister” The one with the skinning knife spun ,eyes going to the weapons. He was tall with wide shoulders, face weather beaten , eyes blue and watchful, a crossbow in his left hand, a throwing knife in his right. He wore dark breeches, boots and a buckskin jacket.. The leader was big with a paunch and burns to one side of his face. The other was thin, nervous. They stood frozen , and started to relax only when it became obvious the stranger had no support . A big buck like him would scream for a long time….They moved apart leaving the old man to sag against the ropes..
“You should have somebody on watch, that’s going to cost you.”
The big one grinned, his eyes flickering past the stranger who dropped his right shoulder, stepped aside and fired in the same movement. The bolt took the one behind in the gut. They rushed for weapons. A dagger hit the thin one at the back of the head. He pitched forward face down. The big man ducked into the trees. The outlaw who tried to come at him from behind was under the tree hands tight around his belly. He crouched by the outlaw, lit a cheroot, and drew a lungful of smoke. “It can take days to die like this. On the other hand, the wolves might get you.” The raider grunted through stained teeth. “Please, finish it.” He gasped. “I can’t die like this”
“Of course you can. The old man is near the end. Who knows, by the time you pass you will have suffered enough to know repentance. That is, if you are you sorry for your sins. Are you?”
“Go to Hell”
“Already taken care of” He started to rise, the outlaw caught his sleeve “Listen, I’m worth money if you take me back alive” Growling followed by screams came from the trees. “Not worth the bother. I have a list and you’re not on it. The country is full of your kind, ones who shoot from ambush. A girl, a boy, an old man; that’s your style. …When you get to the Void tell the Big Fella Hawkmoon sent you” Stepping over the dying man he returned to the road.
The girl was sitting up, wide eyed in shock. She covered her mouth when she saw her family. The stranger returned with a canteen, a mattock and shovel. “Did they do anything?” He looked at her as he offered the canteen. She shook her head. “Sit there while I dig.” Time passed, the roots making for sweaty work.. The girl stopped crying and started to shiver. Leaving the grave he wrapped her in his jacket. Birds sang in the branches above as if horror could not happen in a world of beauty.
“Will they come back?”
“They are all dead .One is over there, in the long grass, the other is under the tree”
“There was another. A man with a scarred face. He smelt bad”
“He’s about to smell a lot worse”
The girl looked at the dying outlaw. “You should do something for him”
He stopped digging. “After what they’ve done…what they were going to do … you want me to help him?” He swung the mattock at a tree root. “I could cut his throat but I’m not inclined. Why are you here?”
“Grandad is… a silversmith . We were travelling to Oran. We stayed at a tavern three days ago. It was the second last place before we came to the forest. I think one of them heard my grandfather talking to the innkeeper.”
“Name of Bekter ?”
“Bekter, that’s right. A big burly man. Looks like a wrestler, but nice. He warned grandfather about loose talk but granddad is loud when he is drunk. Bekter wanted us to stay until he could find time to bring us through but granddad said no”
The grave was deep enough. Cutting the old man free he placed him in the grave Taking a white cloth he placed it over his face. The girl started crying. By the time he put the boy in she was sobbing. He covered them and brought flat stones to keep away vermin. “What were their names?”
“Grandad was Melchior, my brother was Shadi. I am Reba.” Raising a handful of soil, he let it trickle where the breeze caught it.
“Great Spirit, two men go before you. One is Melchior, one is Shadi. Receive them and seat them in the halls of their people” They stood for a time, the breeze bringing the scent of flowers. The girl looked up at him. “You are a holy man?” He snorted. ”Anyone can say words”
“What is your name?”
“Hawkmoon”
“I don’t understand how you can show compassion to me and my family and leave a man to die in agony; clearly you believe in God.”
“I believe in an eye for an eye…Come, night is drawing in. I want to be at the river before dark.”
They made their way through the trees to the edge of the trail. The horses were tied to a gorgeously decorated caravan. She checked the pouch hidden in a bedroll. The money was still there “I would like to pay you for your trouble”
“Keep your money. You’ll need it … Can you handle a wagon?
“Yes”
“Tie the horses to the back and put the bags inside “She stopped as a giant wolf came out of the trees. It’s jaws were dripping.“Hawkmoon…”
“Jax this is Reba, She’s a friend. “
The outlaw, was lying in a foetal position hands grasping his stomach. Hawkmoon knelt by his side. ”This is more than you deserve.” he said, and slashed the man’s jugular.
Hawkmoon’s caravan was a home on wheels. It had double doors, front and rear, windows that opened out. The interior was furnished with a cool box, presses for clothing and cookware, a chest for tools, another for weapons. It had a fold down cot which Hawkmoon took to on his return.
“Do you play” She asked nodding to a bouzouki.
“For my amusement .Do you cook?”
“Yes”
“You cook and I’ll play. Now I am going to sleep.” Reba took the long reins and clicked her tongue. The horses moved. She was glad of the privacy. Such a strange man…
In Hawkmoon’s experience most of the trouble that happened in the world happened on borders. Where one tribe met another, one country intersected with its neighbour. Those who lived on the margins led a dangerous existence. Plagued by outlaws, cheated by officials, harassed by warlords who took their women for brothels, their men for soldiers.
Hawkmoon stopped the caravan. It was two days later. Reba looked out. “Why…”
“Be quiet. Stay here.” Taking a crossbow he climbed from the wagon and disappeared in the trees. Water flowed close. It was another sound that called him. He came out to a small clearing. To one side, under the shade of a spreading Oak stood a raised stone plinth. Someone had left a basket, covered with leather, speckled with frost, the ground leading to it marked with small footprints. He stood by the rock with the crossbow pointed to the trees, and lifted the cover. Twin babies, well clothed and nourished…
Reba stood by him. “Who would do this?”
“The magickers’ tell the people that twins are cursed; they must be left out after birth.”
“What happens to them?”
“You do better not knowing. In bad winters, they expose the girl children. They promise it will protect their homes from ice demons “Reba looked at Hawkmoon. His eyes were glittering. For the first time she knew fear of him..Hawkmoon gathered the basket and started back, Reba following “Can we find the mother?”
“If she took them back she would be driven out to die with them. “
“We have no food for babies.”
“There is a goat herder up the track ... We will be there by the afternoon. “
“It is probably where the babies came from, they might demand them back”
“They can try”
A Scoundrel Surely.
The horses were dead. He stared at the carnage and cursed himself. It must have happened after the wolves left and the time he woke Alone in the wilderness, no transport and a sick woman to care for. Mira stood alongside.
“Who did this?”
Norry shook his head” I do not know, my lady, the question is why. They left the food… provisions, the weapons …I should have been awake “
Mira touched his shoulder. Her face was pale.�
�� It is not your fault. If you were awake you might have been killed also”.
“Have you noticed? There are no tracks. It takes skill to slaughter four horses before they make a sound.”
Singing came down the trail, the sound mixed with the rumble of wagon wheels
Mira took the crossbow from her satchel. “Get behind the trees.”
A wagon rolled into view driven by the man sitting on the buckboard. He was strumming a bouzouki.
“Rightful, dightful, dilly-full day.
I went into battle, my armour was thin
Rightful, dightful, dilly-full day
I went into battle, my armour was thin
The arrow was sharp, it found its way in.
With a rightful day, dightful day
Rightful, dightful, dilly-full day
I went up to Heaven, I couldn’t get in
Rightful, dightful, dilly-full day
I went up to Heaven, I couldn’t get in
The Angel said sorry, go pay for your sin
With your rightful day, dightful day
Rightful, dightful, dilly-full day
I lived in a brothel, a barrel of sin
Rightful, dightful, dilly-full day.
I lived in a brothel, a barrel of sin
I was terribly tempted, I wouldn’t give in
With a rightful day, dightful day
Rightful, dightful, dilly-full day.”
Mira stepped out holding the crossbow.” I doubt you ever resisted temptation .” He sat up, putting the instrument aside.