“The western point has a rock formation call the Drowned Man’s Fork. Three giant pillars rise out of the sea, towering high above the water. It’s a landmark recognized both from land and from sea. Instructions are to put down anchor there for a moon cycle, or two, if possible. It’ll depend on the available food sources. During that time we’ve got to make our way toward the most western point over land. Once we arrive and spot the ship in the water, we’ll create a large fire with the dried herbs, to signal them in with yellow smoke. They’ll pick us up, we’ll depart right away, going back to Aeterra by ship,” continued Gavin.
“And if we don’t arrive before those two cycles have passed?” Raylan asked, while he already knew the answer.
“They’ll assume we were killed in action and return home. We’ll be on our own. That’s where the planning comes in. I need to figure out where we are, to estimate how long it will take us to get to that most western point. Trouble is that without landmarks we only have the coast to rely on. Following the coast, however, would be strategically unwise as we would limit our movement should we encounter enemy forces. Here, we can move around in all directions to escape detection.”
Xi’Lao gave it some thought and came to the same conclusion Raylan had in his head.
“So that means you want to hold course and stay away from the coast, but you’re looking for higher ground to have a better view of the coastline to determine where we are?”
“Precisely, I want to go to the higher mountains toward our east. The mountain ridges should give us a better view of the coastline. Hopefully, by seeing the coast on such a scale, we’ll be able to determine where we are. Perhaps we’ll even spot the Drowned Man’s Fork.”
Raylan had to admit he was impressed. During their riding, it had not crossed his mind at all how they would be going back. He had been too focused on the feeling of not wanting to go on this mission. After that, his thoughts had been mostly preoccupied by the possibility of encountering enemies they would have to fight. And after that, his mind had been filled with thoughts of the egg and the unborn dragon. He had just assumed that they would ride back after the fight without any problems. It seemed his brother’s reputation for strategic planning in the army was well deserved.
“As soon as we know where we are, we will release both pigeons at the same time. It will increase the chances of our message arriving in Azurna. So get some rest tonight. I want us to be on our way again, toward those mountains, at first light.”
With that, Gavin packed up the maps and put them inside his cloak.
“I’m going to check on Stephen.”
“Hold on, I’ll join you,” said Richard.
As he walked off, Xi’Lao’s eyes followed Gavin, for a moment. She turned to Raylan.
“I am glad he is okay again.”
“Yeah, seems like he’s back to his old self. No more headaches?” Raylan asked.
“None that I can tell, but I am not sure if he would show it if they still bothered him. He found it very difficult not to be able to lead properly.”
“He’s indeed someone who likes to be in control,” Raylan said carefully.
Xi’Lao gave him a smile.
“I think that comes with the territory. Control means safety. Your brother is very dedicated to keeping us safe, which I think is a very admirable characteristic.”
When she looked in the direction Gavin had walked toward, Raylan saw the faintest blush on her cheeks.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the topic, Raylan changed the subject.
“How is Stephen doing? You have been treating his leg the last few days, right?”
She looked back at him and shook her head.
“I am not sure. At first, he felt fine and his skin was not torn. I saw no sign of damage on the outside.”
“But…?”
“But…his leg is still swollen after so many days. The skin looks inflamed and feels hot to the touch, so I am afraid he has an infection in his leg. The traveling is not doing his leg any good, it needs to rest and to be cooled by fresh water. I have been searching for herbs I recognize but no luck so far. I am afraid that if this keeps up and the infection goes into the bone, we might have to take off the leg…”
Raylan looked at the campfire where Peadar stirred the cooking pot. Stephen sat next to him on the ground with his leg up high on a rock. It had been necessary to take his armor pad off because of the swelling and the splints. At the moment, he cooled it with wet rags of clothing. Richard made sure to refresh the cloths from time to time with water from the river. It was ice-cold, coming down from the mountains, and it had a refreshing taste to it. The leg seemed to have collected all the color of his skin as Stephen’s face was very pale and clammy.
Raylan stroked his hand through his hair and sighed. Stephen had been a cheerful travel companion during their ride north. After the fight with the living statue, they’d all called him lucky for surviving, now Raylan was not so sure anymore.
During the traveling, Stephen seemed to be in much pain from the wagon bumping over the nonexistent road. During the nights, he tossed and turned in his sleep, soaked in sweat, which in turn cooled him down so much that he would wake up shivering in the coldness of the night. This landscape was harsh for men that were healthy; it was brutal for those with injuries.
“How is the egg doing?”
Xi’Lao’s question brought his mind back to the present situation.
Raylan shrugged.
“Honestly, I’ve got no idea. I think it’s okay, but I haven’t got any experience with such a thing. Thank you for trusting me and letting me help take care of it. It must be a great honor to have such a task, I expect.”
Raylan knew Xi’Lao still checked on the egg, to make sure things were going well and nothing was forgotten. He often saw her slip off into the wagon, after sundown, right after he had tended to it; he took no offense, as he completely understood her concern. She said the dragon’s egg was hundreds of years old and had been protected by a sacred monastery with fighting monks, whatever those might be. Although no one would have considered the egg still viable for life, it had been guarded by generations of monks as it was strongly intertwined with the Empire’s culture and society. It must be of great importance to the Empire, and a great pressure on Xi’Lao, to make sure all goes well.
That pressure increased even further, when they made an unsettling discovery while clearing the enemy camp. A journal was found in one of the wagons before they dumped it with the rest of the camp material. It had contained a schedule half written in an unknown language—which they thought to be Kovian writing…the old language of Doskova. The other half had been in Xi’Lao’s native language…Tiankonese.
It was very common for normal townsfolk to lack any skill in reading. Education was often only available to the rich families in the city. Raylan and Gavin were both an exception to the rule, as their father had struck a deal with one of the high families to include his sons in on their daughter’s private tutoring for a year. It had given both boys a solid base for reading and writing, at least until they had been thrown out because Gavin had become a bit too close with the family’s daughter. Luckily, the army had built on the foundation of their education. As part of training, the army made sure all soldiers had a minimum skill in reading, while the officers and other leader positions received full tutoring as part of an efficient command structure.
Still, with all of this literacy, Raylan was not able to understand one word of the journal; both languages were completely unknown to him.
However, it greatly concerned Xi’Lao. It meant one of her own people had provided the Doskovian soldiers with information. She kept the document, for reference upon her return to the Empire.
“I have one concern, which is why I wanted to talk. Or rather, I wanted to ask. When we discovered it in the cave, the eggshell had been soft, almost like smooth supple leather. Every time I touched it with my hand, it would slightly dent inward as I moved my hand along
the surface; but now, it feels like the shell is much harder. It is losing some of its color, too. So, I was wondering if you’ve got any idea if we’re doing something wrong.”
Xi’Lao got up right away and took a quick sprint to the chest, opening it. She ran her hand over the top of the egg. The shell was a lot stronger and thicker than before.
Why have I not noticed this? Have I been so preoccupied with Gavin’s recovery and taking care of the wounded that I am already failing the unborn dragon before it has a chance to live?
Raylan crouched next to her.
“See what I mean? Do you know what’s happening?”
Running his hands along the egg, the creature inside tapped the inside of the shell where his hand ran. Xi’Lao had given up telling Raylan not to touch the egg, as it often seemed like he was not totally in control of himself when he did. In those moments, it looked like his mind wondered off somewhere else. Besides, the egg did not seem to be harmed by it, and the dragon often reacted positively to his touch, showing it was not bothered by the stimuli at all.
She looked at him.
“From what I have read, it is normal for the eggs to harden before hatching. As the dragon grows bigger on the inside, the body gets closer to the edge. The hardening of the shell helps protect the unborn dragon from injury. I just did not expect it to happen so fast already. If I remember the scroll about the eggs hatching correctly, it means we probably have less than a moon-cycle before it will hatch.”
“Less than that? That will never be enough time to get it back home! Do you know what will happen when it hatches?”
“Not precisely, all I know is that the dragon will be very hungry, we will need to have food to give to it once it comes out of the egg. I read about special herbs being burnt during the hatching ceremony to dull the dragon’s senses somewhat. Though I have no idea which herbs they were, or if we could find them here in a climate so different from the Empire’s.”
Raylan looked back to the egg, gave a quick tap with his finger to respond to the dragon’s tap and whispered under his breath.
“Just wait a little longer in there, little one. Now’s not yet the time.”
Closing the chest, they joined the others at the fire, as Peadar called everyone over for the food. The atmosphere was strangely relaxed. Kevhin and Rohan were complemented on their kill, as Richard walked off to give Galen his part of the meal. Xi’Lao took the place next to Gavin and started up a light conversation with him. His brother’s face cleared visibly when he saw her take her place. Leaning forward to fill his bowl with stew, Raylan was grateful for the small break.
Corza and Koltar sat on their horses, surveying the large clearing. Corza was in a bad mood all morning. It seemed to Koltar that he had not estimated going out into the wilderness again so soon.
He was surprised when they met up with a small transport, around midday, on the first day; but Corza had gone to great lengths to convince him they would need the extra men and special cargo he had prepared.
Koltar knew it was not an option to go back to the palace and notify Lord Rictor about this, but he had an unwary feeling about the men Corza brought with him. He knew almost none of them. He assumed their loyalties might lie elsewhere. When he requested to inspect the cargo, Corza respectfully declined, stating that the cargo had been packed up securely to ensure no damage would come to it.
It only added to the suspicion, but Koltar did not want to let something escalate between them at the time, so he bit his tongue in the end. Waiting was not his strongest virtue, but he was no dumb brute who rushed into a situation without enough information. He would never have made it to High General if he did not force himself to have patience every now and again. They had not spoken much to each other over the next four days, but Koltar had told his men to keep a close eye on the soldiers Corza brought along.
A soldier walked up to them, spear in his left hand, torch in the other, and a short sword on his back. Stopping a few steps short of the horses, his right fist crossed his chest, greeting them with a small bow of the head, fist resting on his heart.
“High General Wayler, High General Setra, we’ve found them. The wagon tracks that we discovered this morning led to a small chasm to the south of here. Some of my men went down to have a look and located them. It was difficult to see in the dying light, but we counted thirty-nine soldiers and three wagons at the bottom of it…as well as the remains of a sacrifice.”
“Fucking idiots,” Corza growled in rage, “how could they be so stupid as to be taken by force, especially with a ghol’m in reserve.”
Koltar addressed the soldier.
“Commander, I assume you’ve been able to determine which way the item was taken?”
“My scouts are pretty certain they continued west from here.”
“Pretty certain?” Corza mocked the commander. “I was under the impression that your scouts were the best in the city, and you give us ‘pretty certain’? Your men’s skill reflects poorly on you, High General Wayler.”
Corza’s face was all smirk.
Koltar decided to let the jab slide. Not wanting to disgrace his commanding general, the commander quickly bowed his head and stared at the horse’s feet.
“High General Setra, the road coming in from the cliff has only one set of tracks, which I understand was used by the main force’s wagons coming into the clearing. It is unlikely the enemy took that road, or your force would have undoubtedly run into them. No other tracks were found leading away from the clearing, except for the path west, going further into our territory. However, the past days’ rain makes it hard to be absolutely certain.”
Koltar took another look around the clearing.
“Get everyone ready, and send two scouts to track the wagon trail going west. We’ll leave as soon as all are mounted, and don’t forget to inform the Darkened.”
The commander’s face twisted in disgust, hearing the Silent Shadow’s name. Once again, he pounded his fist over his heart before he turned around and walked away. He began shouting orders to the closest soldiers right away. Koltar saw two scouts mount up and gallop off, while the remaining soldiers scrambled to put away the pots that they had taken out to make some lunch.
He turned to Corza.
“How did your force not notice something was wrong when they passed this clearing?”
“What was there to notice?” Corza replied, annoyed. “There were no bodies or signs of fighting. It had already rained an entire day, may I remind you, before we arrived at the cliff. The men were weakened from the travels and looking forward to a warm bed in the capital. I don’t think anyone bothered to look for a group of soldiers that were supposed to arrive at the capital at that time.”
He looked at Koltar.
“Besides, where were your troops? Are you not charged with keeping our territory free of infiltrators? Where were the patrols, the scouting parties, the check posts?”
Koltar stiffened his jaw, while his eyes shot fire.
“When you left on your precious march, you took half my defense force with you, without properly informing me. I have spent months training recruits to take their places. I finally got to a point where my soldiers could cover the entire territory again, and his lordship sent them off down south to join up with the southern garrisons. I barely had enough soldiers to secure the capital, let alone to station checkpoints near the cliff. So don’t you dare ask me where my troops were to hide the fact that it was your own incompetence! You had the item and lost it. You have no one to blame but your own shortsightedness.”
Corza’s face reddened.
Shortsightedness? I am the master of planning and strategy! How dare he call me shortsighted!
He forced himself to calm down.
No matter, he’ll be out of the picture soon enough, along with those damn Darkened. I think it is time to awaken my pets. Let’s see if he dares to insult me after he sees them following my every command.
He gave Koltar a small smile.
<
br /> “Well, I’d say it’s about time to put that cargo of mine to some good use. Would you care to have a look?”
Corza road off toward his cargo wagon without waiting to hear an answer. He knew Koltar would follow him, just like he had always done for the past four days. They were not letting him out of their sight. There was always a Darkened or trusted soldier of Koltar’s following in his wake. He stopped taking notice of it. Everything was already arranged, before his troops left the capital, so they needed no secret meetings to achieve their goal. The only thing Corza needed was the right moment, and he felt that coming closer with every moment that passed. Soon, he would be free to go where he wanted again, and he would continue his plan to secure the dragon. After that, no one would be able to stop him, not even the Stone King.
Arriving at the wagon, Koltar heard Corza bark commands to his soldiers to unload the two heavy packages and open them. The crates, too heavy to be lifted, were rolled off the back. A soldier took his axe and carefully forced them open. What Koltar saw emerge made him curse under his breath.
That weasel has the guts to bring these abominations.
He had not seen them in this shape before, but he had seen the human ghol’ms during test runs. He had never needed to use one on the home territory, but he was fully aware of the devastating power that the ghol’ms possessed.
This must be some new type of ghol’m; but where did he get them?
“What in King’s name is the meaning of this? I wasn’t aware we had a new type of ghol’m. What do you plan to do with these?”
Corza dismounted from his horse.
Windcatcher: Book I of the Stone War Chronicles Page 12