Slamming back into the glade the Wyrm returned, shrieking out its fury. A second and a third shape burst snarling into the clearing, then a fourth and a fifth Wyrm, quickly followed by a sixth and seventh.
‘Oh, Leaf save us now!’ muttered Kelko.
Circling and spinning around the campsite, the Wyrms drove themselves towards a feeding frenzy. The wind from their wings sent debris, leaves and twigs spinning through the air and caused the flames from the campfire to flare up.
‘Kelko!’ cried Jensen. ‘Get Charlie outta here! Ya gotta keep her and the pendant safe!’
‘On it!’ shouted Kelko, and, bundling Charlie into his arms, sprinted into the forest.
‘Sic Boy!’ cried Stotch. ‘Go with them. Look after Charlie! Go, boy!’
The dog, muscles bunching beneath his fur, followed Kelko and Charlie into the dark woods. The three of them covered a lot of ground, but they weren’t alone for long. Wyrm cry and vicious shrieks soon followed.
‘Burn me Sap, they’re a determined bunch o’ critters!’ Kelko dropped Charlie and, with Sic Boy by his side, prepared to face the onslaught. ‘Blossom,’ he called out, his eyes focused on the darkness, ‘looks like yer going ta have ta make dis bit on yer own. Hurry up, lass, get running!’
‘Run? I’m not going to leave you!’
‘Charlie, ya have ta. Ya have ta get that pendant ta the Jade Circle!’
‘I don’t care. I’m still not leaving you!’
Shrieks and howls echoed down from the trees above.
‘Charlie, now’s not the best time ta be arguing. Get going!’
‘No!’
‘Charlie, ye have ta! Just like yer parents, yer a Keeper and it’s yer responsibility ta safeguard that pendant!’
One of the Wyrms burst down from above. Growling, Sic Boy leaped on to the creature’s scaly back. Biting and clawing, he dragged the Wyrm to the ground.
‘Blight me Leaf! I can’t spend all day arguing, now GO! Keep heading south and ya’ll bump inta Sylvaris soon enough. Good luck!’
Kelko flashed Charlie a grin, then hurried to Sic Boy’s aid.
‘Why me?’ whispered Charlie.
Turning, she ran.
Stumbling over roots and dead branches, scrambling over half-seen obstacles and with thorns and brambles tearing at her skin, she fled deeper into the forest. Fear and dread for the Tremen’s well-being hung heavy in her heart as she stumbled on.
In the distance she could hear the sound of the battle as the Wyrms renewed their attack. Tripping over a root, she fell. Rolling and tumbling down a slope, she dropped off a small cliff and with a thud landed in a moonlit clearing.
Staggering upright, a triumphant scream from behind set her running again. Glancing backwards, she saw two Wyrms wriggling out of the woods and into the clearing. Lungs burning and heart pounding, Charlie ran for her life.
All of a sudden a hulking figure, with muscular ivory skin that glowed in the pale moonlight, stepped out from the trees ahead. He raised a huge bow, nocked an arrow and aimed straight at her.
‘Hello, Charlie,’ he said, his voice like granite. ‘I’ve been looking for you.’
Charlie stumbled to a halt. The arrow was pointing right at her heart.
11
The Delightful Brothers
‘So tell me, were you planning on standing there all night, blocking my view,’ said the ivory giant, ‘or are you going to get out of my way and let me kill some Wyrms?’
‘What?’ asked Charlie. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting when the giant had stepped from the shadows, but it certainly hadn’t been this.
‘Silly girl!’ shouted a scornful new voice, its owner still hidden in the darkness among the trees. ‘He means GET OUT OF THE WAY!’
The shriek of the Wyrms and the warm, disgusting odour of their foul breath on her shoulder were all the encouragement Charlie needed. Tucking herself into a ball, she rolled sideways. As she came to her feet, she saw the muscular figure draw and release his barbaric-looking bow, calmly dispatching the leading Wyrm.
‘Nice shot,’ said the voice in the trees. ‘But what are you going to do about the other one?’
‘The other one?’ asked the ivory-skinned figure. ‘Well, I thought I would leave it for you.’
‘Oh, very generous.’
From the shadows stepped a much smaller figure. At first Charlie thought he was a Treman, but in the darkness she couldn’t be sure. He reached behind his head and drew forth two swords that glinted and shone in the moonlight.
Charlie gasped in astonishment as the small figure ran forward to meet the growling, gnashing teeth of the second Wyrm. Rolling and diving, he easily eluded the beast’s frenzied attack. Grabbing hold of its barbed tail, he vaulted on to its bucking and rearing back. Moving with tiger-like grace, the shadowy figure ran along the length of the Wyrm and slammed both swords into its head. He leaped clear as the huge creature crashed to the ground.
Charlie continued to stare as he retrieved his blades, wiped them clean and nonchalantly strolled into the moonlight to stand beside the ivory giant.
‘Well, girlie, we didn’t expect to find you here, but it certainly makes our job easier,’ said the slight figure.
‘Er,’ said Charlie, ‘who are you guys?’
‘Who are we?’ growled the ivory giant. ‘I’m Stones and my brother here is Stix.’
‘Sticks and Stones?’ said Charlie. She wasn’t sure if she was meant to laugh, but looking at the two characters she got the impression that they were serious.
‘Yes, that’s right. Also known as the Delightful Brothers,’ said Stones. His voice was so deep Charlie could feel it rumble right through her stomach.
She stared at the odd couple. Stones, the first Stoman she’d ever seen, was huge. Tall, wide and muscular, his ivory skin was thick and gnarled, almost bark-like. Not a shred of hair grew on his body. His skull looked polished, like a pebble rubbed smooth by the sea. He wore nothing but a loincloth and thick sandals. A large quiver full of evil-looking barbed arrows hung from his back and a string of heavy beads rattled round his neck whenever he moved.
Stix was indeed a Treman, but he looked so unfriendly and pale, not at all like the other Tremen she was familiar with. A huge menacing scar ran across his face. Combined with all the black leather he was wearing and the twin swords strapped to his back, he was the last person you’d want to bump into in a dark alley. Or a dark forest, for that matter.
But perhaps the oddest thing about the brothers (and Charlie could see this quite clearly now that the two had stepped into the moonlight) was that they both had bright yellow eyes.
Cat’s eyes.
They flashed and shone, reflecting the light so that they seemed to twinkle and glow whenever the brothers moved. A shiver ran down Charlie’s spine. She might have got out of the frying pan, but she wasn’t sure she was out of the fire yet. Especially when she noticed that the Delightful Brothers were giving her a funny look, like a cat would give a mouse.
‘Er, hi, guys. Pleased to make your acquaintance,’ said Charlie politely. She made extra sure to give them a really big smile. ‘Um, if you don’t mind me asking, why were you looking for me?’
‘Mother sent us to accompany you safely back to Sylvaris,’ said Stix.
‘And your mother is …?’ asked Charlie.
‘Lady Narcissa, honoured member of the Jade Circle,’ said Stones.
‘You’re from the Jade Circle? Great! Oh, and, er, thanks for saving me,’ said Charlie, remembering her manners. ‘I really appreciate it.’
‘Not a problem. All in a day’s work,’ said Stix. ‘Now then, girlie, if you’re not damaged from your little adventure, it’s time to get going.’
‘Oh, right, of course!’ said Charlie, turning back the way she’d come.
‘Not that way, girlie,’ said Stix.
‘Sylvaris is this way,’ added Stones, pointing in the other direction with a finger the size of a rolling pin.
�
��Yes, but my friends are back that way,’ said Charlie. ‘We have to check they’re OK.’
‘We?’ said Stix with a menacing snarl. ‘We don’t have to do anything. The only thing that we have to do is get you to Sylvaris safe and sound.’
‘But we can’t just leave. We have to find my friends!’
‘Mother said to bring you straight back and to stop for nothing,’ rumbled Stones. ‘And we always make a point of keeping her happy.’
‘Yes, but surely she would have made allowances if she’d known that people were hurt?’
‘Don’t count on it,’ growled Stix. ‘When she wants something done, there are no allowances. Now then, you either come with us willingly or we tie you up like a little rabbit and carry you. So … what’s it going to be?’
Charlie wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. First they save her from flying predators, then they threaten her. She turned to Stix. ‘Don’t you care that other Tremen could be hurt and dying?’ she asked in disbelief.
‘Ha! We hurt and kill people for a living!’ he laughed. ‘So no, of course we don’t care. Now stop your whingeing before we gag you.’
‘I will not!’ snapped Charlie, fury replacing her shock. ‘Tell me, did your “mother” bother to mention to you two cold fish anything about a pendant?’
Stix and Stones looked at each other. A silent and unspoken agreement appeared to be reached between them.
‘Maybe she did,’ said Stix. ‘What of it?’
‘Well, I don’t have it. When the Wyrms attacked, I left it with Jensen for safekeeping. Now, if it’s as important as I think it is, I suggest we go back and check on the others.’
‘You left it with someone else?’ grumbled Stones, narrowing his eyes in disbelief. ‘It’s not like a Keeper to burden another with their responsibility.’
‘Yeah, well, let’s just say I’m new at this Keeper business. In fact, I’m new to all of this. I’ve only been in Bellania for five days, so your ways aren’t exactly my ways,’ said Charlie with the weight of the pendant pressing heavily around her neck. She crossed her fingers and hoped that the shape of it didn’t show through her T-shirt. ‘So?’
‘So what, girlie?’
‘So are we going to go back there or not? Or were you planning on taking all night on the off chance that another Wyrm might come along, attack the others and take the pendant while you stand around making up your mind?’
Stix and Stones shot each other a long look. Finally Stones nodded in agreement.
‘Very well, then, girlie,’ rasped Stix, giving Charlie an evil stare. ‘It looks like we’ll be having the pleasure of a midnight stroll through the famous Deepforest. But a word of advice: watch that tongue of yours. I’ve a strong feeling it’s going to land you in a lot of trouble one of these days.’
As they walked across the glade, Stones paused by one of the fallen Wyrms. Reaching inside its mouth, he tore out one of its jagged teeth. Seeing Charlie stare at him, he bounced the glinting tooth in the palm of his hand and threw her a humourless grin.
‘For my necklace. It carries all the stories of my travels and accomplishments.’
Looking more closely at the necklace, Charlie realized that what she had assumed to be beads were in fact hundreds of teeth. Grimacing, she quickly looked away.
As the three of them stepped back into the shadows of the forest, Charlie carefully and discreetly pushed the pendant even deeper into her top.
The Throne Room was cavernous. Hewn from black stone and decorated with fearsome statues, it was a forbidding and intimidating place. A dry mist that moved independently of any breeze swept across the floor, gently undulating and licking at the statues and stone columns. Whispers and hisses came from dark corners as unseen and invisible things moved and scraped about in the shadows.
Dressed in heavy black robes, Bane sat brooding on his Devouring Throne, the flickering candlelight that illuminated the room never quite managing to penetrate the hidden depths of his hood. Immaculate footmen stood quietly in rank. Men-at-arms dressed in polished red leather and armed with huge axes guarded the towering doors. Yet for all the people present, no one spoke, for none dared break Bane’s moody and silent thoughts.
Presently soft footfalls could be heard, muffled by the thick crimson carpet that covered the floor. Passing the guards, a gilded and hooded messenger approached. Bowing, he advanced towards the throne.
‘My lord, the warders have informed me that the Wyrms have returned to their pen.’
Stirring, Bane raised his head to stare about him. All the footmen silently bowed.
‘Good,’ he said in a rolling baritone that rumbled across the room like distant thunder. Standing, he strode from the room and headed towards the Wyrm pen.
12
The Passing of Friends
Charlie could hear her name being called out. The voice sounded frantic with worry.
‘I’m here,’ cried Charlie. ‘Over here!’
‘Charlie! Oh, thank me Beloved Oak, yer OK!’ Kelko’s voice rang out.
Striding through the undergrowth, he ran towards Charlie. As he picked her up, he gave her a big hug and the relief on his face warmed Charlie’s heart.
‘Are you OK?’ she asked.
‘We’re fine. Nothing a quick drink of brew won’t cure. Just a couple of scratches and scrapes. And, as for those Wyrms, Sic Boy lived up ta his name and caught one of them and the other one just flew off.’ Kelko stopped abruptly as Stix and Stones swaggered into sight. ‘Ah, the Delightful Brothers. I sees our escort has turned up,’ he snorted. ‘Late!’
‘Better late than never, Fat Oak,’ snarled Stix.
‘I wish it was never, ya sorry excuse for a Treman!’ retorted Kelko.
Stix’s eyes flashed dangerously, but before anything could happen Charlie stepped between the two of them. ‘Boys, this is no time to be arguing. Let’s check on the others.’
The five of them hurried back to the campsite. Charlie was relieved when Kelko and Sic Boy strode protectively on either side of her, creating a screen between her and the Delightful Brothers. She hated to admit it, but she found them very intimidating.
They heard the cries of grief long before they saw the campsite.
The glade was a shambles. Two Wyrms lay coiled, stinking and obviously dead in pools of congealing blood. Large branches and uprooted bushes lay haphazardly across the grass. Torn clothing, backpacks and trampled instruments were scattered all over the place, some still smoking and burning from where they had been knocked through the fire. Dark, horrible stains discoloured the grass. But, worst of all, the Tremen had formed a small crowd around five small figures who lay lifeless on the ground.
‘Stotch!’ shouted Kelko. Running over, he picked up his friend’s hand and wept like a child, his cries filled with anguish and grief.
Sic Boy padded over, snuffling at his master and gently tugging at his clothes. He too began to howl and whine when Stotch failed to respond.
Charlie felt her hands tighten into fists as silent tears trickled down her face. Walking over, she crouched down and picked up Stotch’s other hand and held it silently. He looked small and haggard in death; worry lines had set across his forehead and his eyes stared silently up at the forest canopy. Death had robbed him of his good cheer and sense of humour. Charlie felt a terrible wave of sadness sweep across her soul.
‘Who else died?’ she asked quietly, nodding to the other bodies.
‘Toddit, Leold, Jipit and Bandol,’ said Jensen in a tight voice. Coming over, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
Charlie bowed her head. Grief and shock was beginning to set in. ‘And Bane sent these Wyrms?’
Jensen nodded, his whole body sagging with sorrow. ‘Yeah, who else?’ he said.
Charlie lowered her face so the others wouldn’t see the tears coursing down her face. The blame for these deaths lay with her. If she hadn’t been so quick to accept help from Jensen and the Tremen, they wouldn’t have become involved. Clenching her f
ists against her side, she had to restrain the urge to lash out and hit something. Twin feelings of rage and sorrow flooded through her veins, leaving her exhausted and nauseous.
‘This is my fault,’ she whispered.
‘Blossom, ain’t no one ta blame for dis but Bane,’ said Kelko.
‘He’s right,’ added Jensen. ‘Bane’s the blight that has sickened our land … and, Sweet Sap willing, someone better do something ta heal Bellania soon.’ He helped Charlie to her feet. ‘Now come on, it’s urgent we get get ta Sylvaris as soon as possible. The Jade Circle needs ta be warned.’
Charlie helped Kelko to bury Stotch beneath his tree-sake, a huge gold and bronze-leaved elm. The others, too, were silently buried beneath their individual family trees. Standing back, the Tremen began to sing, their voices mournfully carrying off into the dark. As Charlie watched, small saplings burst from the ground, growing from the fresh graves. When all was done and the Tremen were silent, young trees stood where their deceased friends lay, their soft leaves rustling gently in the wind.
‘Leaf bless ya, me friend,’ said Kelko as he and Sic Boy bade a final farewell to Stotch.
Gathering their few remaining and undamaged possessions, the Tremen made ready to leave. Jensen, however, was furious when he realized that all his Moreish powder had been ruined in the melee. It lay scattered across the clearing.
‘Curse ya, Bane!’ shouted Jensen, shaking his fist up at the night sky. ‘Ya messed with me friends and me livelihood. If I ever get the chance, be sure I’ll get even with ya!’
‘Big words for a little man,’ sneered Stones. ‘I wonder if you’d have the guts to carry out that threat if you got the chance.’
‘Little I might be, brick-head,’ said Jensen, eyes suddenly flashing, ‘but don’t ever doubt the strength of me resolve!’
‘Your resolve and strength of character for gold, you mean,’ laughed Stones.
‘Why, ya thick-skinned, walking abattoir –’
‘Enough, Jensen,’ growled Stix. ‘Hand over the pendant and we’ll be off. Mother doesn’t like ta be kept waiting.’
Keeper of the Realms: Crow's Revenge (Book 1) Page 7