It was the third day at the inn when one of the guards came to the room to inform them that Slaughter Okoro had arrived. The man gave his report in detail, telling them that his camp of men were north of the city about a mile, and that he was sending five men into the city to resupply.
“So, they ain’t looking for something here,” Clive said.
“But it’s close,” said Joe.
Clive nodded.
The room went silent for almost a minute before they decided what they needed to do. Finally, Clive gave the man a directive. “Gather the other men. I’ll give you orders when you get back.”
The guard nodded and left the room. A nervous smile came across Clive’s face as he looked at Joe and Edric. “This is it, then.”
“What are we gonna do?” Joe asked.
“Easy,” Clive shrugged. “We’re gonna wait for his men to take their supplies back to camp, then we pick up their trail. Then when we’ve followed them to their destination, we’ll swoop in and steal the book. Simple as that.”
“Simple at that?” Joe asked, an eyebrow raised.
“I sure hope so,” Clive said. “I sure hope so.”
Gwen
Winter, 903 A.O.M.
Gwen didn’t know how long the battle waged on. The blood of gnomes and ravagers mixed into the earth that melted the snow to create a thick mud beneath their feet. But as the gnomes held their ground, however deep the muck was, the number of ravagers plowing through the cave opening lessened and lessened, until none came through at all.
There were still more on the surface, and the battle was still fierce. But when Gwen noticed that there were no more coming through the opening, she waved an arm toward Farron. The gnome came to her, blood covering his face and arms, though it did not seem to be his own. He gripped his sword tightly, a look of determination and ferocity on his face.
“We’ve beaten them back for a time, but I don’t know how long we can keep them away,” he said.
“Once the rest of the ravagers are killed, your soldiers need to focus on blocking that entrance,” Gwen told him. “Give them no chance to get through.”
“It’s only a matter of time, Sentinel.”
“Then make it take as long as possible,” she answered.
Farron nodded with understanding.
Birds were sent to warn other gnome villages and cities. Each note asked for a small percentage of reinforcements to make sure Lorne did not fall in the coming days.
Soon, the remaining ravagers were killed, but the battle had not been without a cost. There were at least a hundred gnome bodies mangled on the ground, and the sight was difficult for Gwen to take in. In all her years, in all the battles she had fought, she had never gotten used to the blank stares of the dead. She had never gotten used to the blood that pooled onto the ground. Battle was horrible in every way. It was days like these that made Gwen hope for the Keeper. For someone to write the ending to their story so the death and destruction might stop.
Gwen walked slowly toward a large rock stuck in the earth and sat on it, staring ahead at the carnage. She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed when Elise rested a hand on her shoulder and sat next to her. Jesse stood next to them, staring off, lost in his own thoughts as the rest of them. As tears streaked down the sides of Gwen’s cheeks, she reached a hand to Elise’s and held it for several long minutes.
“I have lived a long life,” Gwen said. “And if there is one thing that stays with you the most, it’s days like these. The images never leave. The smell never flees your memory. The sounds of death resound in your dreams.” Her wet eyes turned to Jesse and then to Elise. Then they turned to the ground, wide and full of sadness. “I fear that war is coming. A great war like Galamore has never seen.”
“Why do you say that?” Elise asked.
Gwen shook her head. “Because the Keeper of the books has come. Lord Winterlyn is here. With him comes the ending. With the ending comes war. People of all races will want what he will obtain. Every creature in the land will want the relic keys. He will become the most sought after person in the history of the world, and wars will be fought to get to him. Some will want to stop him. Some will want to help him. Some will want the relic keys for themselves. Many will have good intentions. Others will have evil in their hearts.” She shook her head again, trying to swallow back her tears, but failing. “I just hope I’m on the right side of it all when it comes to the end. I hope I can stay strong.”
Elise gripped Gwen’s hand tighter. But Gwen let go of her and stood straight.
“Where are you going?” Jesse asked.
Gwen paused for a moment as she watched medics on the field tending to the wounded. “There is little we can do to help Nathaniel and the others now, but I can at least warn them that Kellen is on his way. They can be better prepared if I can communicate with Nathaniel.”
Jesse nodded and Elise stood next to him, watching as Gwen walked toward the city. Gwen wished there was more she could do to help. She would send her telepathic message to Nathaniel, then she, Elise, and Jesse would make their way back to Dragon Scale Mountain. If Nate and the others survived, they would all meet there. Past that was unknown.
She walked all the way to Farron’s office, knowing there would be no one there and that she could find peace and quiet. It would take so much of her energy to communicate with Nathaniel from this distance. She wasn’t sure she had the strength left in her.
In the office, she sat on the floor with her back pressed against the wall. There she closed her eyes, and thought only of Nathaniel.
Nate
Winter, 903 A.O.M.
Nate’s head swam. He didn’t understand what was happening to him at first. When the light shot into his brain, he pulled up on his horse’s reins and it whinnied and bucked. But Nate couldn’t keep his eyes open and he soon found himself on his back, staring up into the sky, only he couldn’t see the sky. All he saw was a bright light above him and for a brief second he thought he was dead. Perhaps he’d been shot in the back of the head and didn’t know it. Death could be that quick, couldn’t it?
No. He still felt the chilly wind and it was not the cold of death. This was something else entirely. He struggled to pull himself to his feet, but when he did, he didn’t see the dead plains before him nor the railroad to his left. All he could see was a gray nothingness surrounding him. All but for…Gwen.
Gwen walked toward him peacefully. Calmly. At first there was a smile on her face, but it soon dissipated and was replaced by a sense of urgency.
“We don’t have much time,” she said. “My power is weakening.”
“What’s going on?”
“I couldn’t reach Kellen.”
“Then he’s on the train.”
“Yes.”
Nate looked away from her, though there was nothing to see. He didn’t know why, but a sudden fear gripped him. He felt out of his element. If this were some normal person he needed to rob, he wouldn’t be so worried, but Nate had yet to see what kind of power Kellen had within him. Guns and bullets were all well and good, but Nate had seen what Gwen had done in the Sentinel Keep when the guards had rushed them. If Kellen could do that and worse, Nate didn’t know how all this would go down.
“I don’t know what you’re planning,” Gwen said, “but I think you should let him be.”
“I’ve got to get to that book,” Nate said.
“I understand more than you know. But you have others to think about. Your friends could die if you go after Kellen.”
“That ain’t up to me. I’m not forcing them to do anything.”
“But they will follow your lead. I don’t need to tell you that Kellen is dangerous. Not only that, but he is not alone on that train. There’s a group of ravagers surrounding him. They will protect him. Why, I cannot know. Ravagers themselves are not invincible by any means, but it makes the situation even more difficult.”
“Do you know what car Kellen is in?”
�
��When I saw him in a vision, he had boarded the third passenger car.”
Nate nodded and looked down again, thinking to himself. He’d come too far to give up now. Danger or no, he had to at least try. This was the first step in getting what he needed to get back home. And maybe there wasn’t much for him to return to, but he had his brother to think about as well. Joe would need a way back home, and this was a ticket out for both of them.
“I’m sorry I’m not there to provide support,” Gwen said.
Nate looked up at her. For the first time he noticed how worn and tired she looked. There was mud on her arms and face mixed with scrapes and bruises.
“What in the world happened to you?”
“Kellen opened a floodgate of ravagers in Lorne,” she said. “But we are alive. I fear that war is about to rage through the lands of Galamore. I can feel it.”
Nate nodded at this, not truly understanding what it meant. He certainly didn’t want to be a part of a war, especially one that wasn’t his to fight. If anything was an incentive to get out of Galamore, the certainty of war was one of them.
“Be safe, Nathaniel,” Gwen said, staring at him thoughtfully. “We will meet again soon.”
Nate’s sight returned and he found himself in the grass with three figures standing over him. He felt an ache through his back that traveled to his chest—the result of having fallen off his horse.
“You okay?” Alban said, his brow raised in concern.
Nate shot up to a sitting position, gasping for air as though he had been underwater for too long and his lungs had been deprived of precious oxygen.
“What happened?” Rachel asked, setting a hand on his shoulder.
Nate shook his head. “It was Gwen. She came to me. It was a vision or something.”
“What did she say?” Marum asked.
“They missed Kellen,” he answered. “The train. He’s on the train, and he’s surrounded by ravagers.”
The three of them exchanged glances, a sudden mix of shock and disbelief etched across their faces.
Nate pulled himself up from the ground and brushed away the dirt and dead grass. He looked each person in the eye, studying them as best he could. “Now, I’ve got a plan. But I need to know if this is something you three want to pursue. It’s going to be dangerous and I can’t guarantee that any of us are going to make it out of this alive.”
“What’s your plan?” Alban said.
“A train robbery.” He looked all around him, then up toward the hills in the distance. “We’ll head that way toward the hills. The train will run slower that way. It’ll be easier for us to board it.”
“We’re going to hop on the train while it’s still moving?” Rachel asked, her face displaying an expression of astonishment.
“Next stop is Strakfield,” Nate said. “What else can we do?”
“I’m just a little nervous is all,” she said.
“You don’t have to come," Nate said.
“But I want to.”
Nate looked at the ground for a moment and kicked at the dirt, thinking about what needed to happen. “Kellen and the ravagers are in the third passenger car, according to Gwen. Now, I don’t know how long this train is, but I gather it’s best to come in from the caboose and work our way forward. It makes it less likely that Kellen or the ravagers will see us coming.”
The others nodded, listening intently to Nate.
“Now,” he continued. “Before I go any further, I need to know who is with me. If any of you are too scared, or just don’t feel like it’s what we’re supposed to be doing, then I can plan accordingly.”
“I think it ought to be just me and you,” Alban said. “I’m retired a military man, you’re an outlaw. We can handle this kind of thing.” He nodded toward Rachel and Marum. “They should stay back and wait.”
“You’ve grown senile, old man,” Marum said. “I’m coming.”
“I’m a straight shot,” Rachel said. “I’m coming too.”
Alban turned to her. “I don’t want you to go. You don’t have experience in this kind of thing.”
“Tell me, father, how many moving trains have you jumped onto in your military career?”
“That ain’t the point.”
“It is the point,” she said, her cheeks turning red. “The three of you dragged me into this journey. I’m not about to be set aside because you think I can’t handle it. Just because I’m wearing a dress doesn’t mean my gun shoots less straight.”
Nate set a hand on Alban’s shoulder. “As a military man, you should know that the more people we have on this, the better chance of us getting to Kellen.”
“And then what?” Alban said. “You think you can take on Kellen?”
“I think I can steal the book,” Nate answered. “I never said anything about taking on Kellen. All we can do is try our best.”
“And get killed in the process. I don’t want my daughter to be a part of this.”
“It’s not up to you,” Rachel said. “I’m going.” She looked at each of them. “We’re all going.”
Nate nodded. “It’s settled then.”
Alban forced himself to keep quiet as he bit at his lower lip. Nate understood him, but the truth was they were all in this together, and Rachel was as valuable to the group as any one of the others.
“Now, I don’t yet know how long this train is, so it might take a while to get from the back toward the front, but that’s okay. I think the best plan would be for all of us to keep to the roof of the train until we reach the third passenger car from the front. Ya’ll comfortable with that?”
Each of them nodded.
“What we want to do is isolate the car if we can,” Nate continued. “There are couplings attaching all the cars to each other. Two of us will drop to the gangway nearest the engine, and two of us will drop to the gangway nearest the caboose. Then when we detach the cars and we will have isolated Kellen and his ravager friends.”
“Why two of us?” Rachel asked.
“One to detach the car, the other to fend off the ravagers,” Nate said.
“Sorry, what’s the point of this?” Marum asked.
“To keep Kellen from getting too far if he decides to jump ship,” Nate said.
“So, we’re aiming to get into an enclosed space with a powerful Sentinel and his ravager minions,” Alban said, nodding. “This seems like a great plan.”
Nate didn’t miss the sarcasm in the man’s tone. “Well, if you’ve got a better plan then I suggest you let us know now.”
When Alban said nothing, Nate walked to his horse and mounted it and the others followed. “We’ll head for those hills and wait.”
The party moved through the brown and dusty fields, a cold wind beating against them from the northwest. They followed the train tracks at a distance and tried to stay along a ridge to keep an eye on the horizon and toward the mountains to the west.
According to Alban, the train tracks wound around Dragon Scale Mountain to the north and cut through the mountains of Dwarf Country before coming into flat terrain and finally ending at Strakfield. Now that they were a few hours north of Strakfield, the terrain had become more hilly as the land began to stair step into the mountains beyond.
Nate knew it wouldn’t be long before the train was spotted. At the crest of the ridge he stopped his horse and waved for the others to come near him. As they did, Nate leaned forward onto his saddle and scanned the earth beneath them.
“This is a good spot,” Nate said. “The train will slow down significantly here. We should be able board it easily enough.”
The four of them sat in silence, looking onward toward the mountains. Nate thought about Droman and his party. There was no doubt in his mind the gray elves were after them. It was possible they weren’t too far off, either.
He made a point not to look at Marum as he wondered about her. He knew he needed her on this part of the job, but he still didn’t trust her. Nate was fully aware of the possibility that Droman
had been the one to orchestrate Nate’s escape in the first place. Maybe the gray elf didn’t trust Kellen and thought it would be easier to get Nate to steal the book and then Marum would take it from Nate. He thought about this scenario because it wouldn’t be the worst idea on the gray elf’s part. It was something Nate would do if he didn’t trust the Sentinel. Of course, it was still a mystery as to what Droman and Kellen were planning. Could it be so simple that Kellen just agreed with Droman’s view of the world? Nah. Things were rarely so simple. Perhaps Nate was jaded from his past, but he was sure there was a deal somewhere in all this. Kellen wasn’t doing this for free. Droman wasn’t doing this solely for his cause. Marum wasn’t helping Nate because she believed in him. Deep down, everyone was simply doing whatever benefitted them the most.
Nate didn’t want to write the ending to The Book of Galamore to make it a better world. He wanted to do it to get back home. Alban didn’t want to help Nate because he believed in the outlaw. He wanted to fulfill his lacking sense of adventure. Rachel didn’t believe in their cause either. There was just nowhere else for her to turn. She couldn’t go back home because she was still a wanted criminal like the rest of them. But Marum? Nate couldn’t exactly figure her out. Nate was sure she wanted to get her hands on that book. And if Droman didn’t trust Kellen to give it to him, then she could easily be working with her brother on this.
No, Nate didn’t trust Marum. Not yet. Trust took time and mutual experience, and so far his experiences hadn’t panned out with her.
This month and a half had been a long one. Each of them had gone through so much already. Nate couldn’t imagine going through all this again to get to another book. And another book. It was hard for him to think that far ahead, though. He knew he had to take it one step at a time. Today, he was going after The Book of Life. Once he got it, he’d then see what needed to be done to get The Book of Time and The Book of Death. He had no idea where either of them were, and it didn’t matter. He knew where one of them was and he aimed to get it.
The Outlaw's Quest (Keeper of the Books, Book 2) Page 26