Haven Keep (Book 1)

by R. David Bell

  Oded nodded. “Tostig says he doesn’t know what it was.”

  Kaiden smiled. “Tostig didn’t grow up listening to the tales of the ancient, fabled creatures of the north.”

  Oded laughed out loud. “That’s enough for me.” He slapped Kaiden on the shoulder.

  Kaiden winced.

  “Sorry,” Oded apologized, “I forgot. You do know that clerics for generations have said the creatures of the north will return before the uniting of the clans and The Scourge will come and ravish the north like a nightmare. Tostig thought this beast might be a scourge.”

  “As I said,” Kaiden answered, “Tostig did not grow up hearing the tales I did. The scourges are supposed to be mystical beings with supernatural powers, wraiths or ghosts. More human in appearance, but devils nonetheless. This thing was flesh and blood. An animal, not a wraith. As far as The Scourge is concerned, I’m not sure that story is true.” Kaiden now believed in things he had scoffed at just days before, but believing in The Scourge, a mythological being that would appear and punish the north for being unfaithful, was still a little far fetched. No, Kaiden was sure the one Scourge, more powerful than the others, destined to appear and menace the north when the clans most needed to be unified, was just a tale.

  “A wise man gives heed to the clerics,” Oded lectured.

  “Yes,” Kaiden said. “I know.” He wanted to get to a different subject but wasn’t sure how to approach it. “The beast, have you gone back to its cave?”

  “Yes.” Tostig answered. “There are men there now searching. So far there has not been anymore sign of it.”

  Kaiden was a little surprised. “There are men in the cave now?” He supposed it made sense.

  Tostig nodded. “Yes, they search during the day, and return before nightfall. I have been back too. We have found more entrances into the cavern. And explored it a little. That cavern is more vast than I suspected at first. None of our ropes are long enough to reach the bottom.”

  “Well I’m not leaving until it is dead.” Kaiden was adamant about that. This vyr was too dangerous to leave alive.

  “We can’t all stay,”Oded said. “There is not enough food and shelter for all of us here. We need to take the horses to a lower elevation.”

  “Where will you take them?” Kaiden was guarded with his question.

  “I’m not sure yet,” Oded explained. “I was hoping your father would welcome us, I was trying to feel you out first, get an idea of how we might be received.”

  “I think my father could be persuaded to welcome fifty or so men.” Kaiden did not want to reveal he knew more than he did. “There is a meeting of the clan chiefs within a day or two, depending on how soon the chiefs are able to arrive. You would probably have to wait until the meeting has concluded. A foreign fighting force in the backyard of the Lord of Azmark could be perceived badly by some of the chiefs.”

  Oded’s expression showed he understood. “We are refugees from Evenfelle. How does your father feel about that?”

  Kaiden needed to be careful. He knew Oded commanded a much larger force than he allowed Kaiden see. He did not want to see these southern men become hostile. “My father is sorry for your loss. He is tortured by the fact he was unable to come to your aid. After the initial forces he sent were sunk in the depths of the sea., he could never convince the other chiefs to try again.” It was the simple truth. Kaiden hoped they believed him. He hoped Oded was not bringing these men here looking for revenge. “My father will sympathize with you.”

  “I hope he will,” Oded sounded sincere. “Do you think he will see me before the Chiefs meet?”

  Kaiden shook his head. “If we left now, I do not know if we would return in time.” Kaiden shrugged. “Possibly if we hurry, but we would have to travel light and fast.”

  “After then?”

  “I’m sure he will.” Kaiden was positive his father would be very interested in speaking with Oded. His father would probably be able to find out much more than Kaiden had. “There is one thing I need to know of you.” Kaiden wanted a straight answer.

  “What is that?” Oded asked.

  Kaiden hesitated for a moment before answering. “How many of you are there?”

  Oded did not hesitate to answer. “Over four thousand fighting men.”

  He left out the women and children Thad spoke of. Kaiden wondered what else he was leaving out. “How do you move a force that large without anyone knowing of it?”

  “Practice,” Oded answered.

  “What will you talk to my father about?” Now Kaiden had Oded talking he was determined to get a few more answers out of him.

  Again Oded did not hesitate to answer. “The Horde is beginning to pull much of its forces from the Gothen Isle. They are preparing to move north. We must join our forces to your father’s if we have any chance to stop them.”

  “And what else?” Kaiden knew there was more to it than that.

  Tostig looked a little anxious. Oded sighed before speaking. “Your father supposedly has something in his keeping that could help us. We are in desperate need of anything that could help.”

  “What might that be?” Kaiden knew his father thought along these same lines. Whatever it was must be kept in Haven Keep. Kaiden would wait to hear what his father thought before he revealed much more.

  “A weapon we hope,” Tostig said.

  Things were starting to make more sense to Kaiden. “The Horde is looking for this same weapon?”

  “Yes,” Oded and Tostig spoke at once.

  “Why were they looking in the Gothen Isle?”

  “The leader of the Horde, the Demon Mage, thought the emperor of Evenfelle had it in his possession. It was rumored to have been taken on a ship to the Gothen Isle.” Oded sounded like he was giving a history lesson. “The Horde pursued there.”

  “Did the emperor have it?” Kaiden asked. What kind of weapon could this be to bring the wrath of the Horde down on the entire empire just to gain possession of it?

  “I don’t know, “ Oded replied. “The emperor had a sword.”

  “Durendal?” Kaiden asked in wonder. It was the fabled sword of the ancient Dragon Lords of the north. It was said to have been magical.

  Oded shrugged. “I think if he would have had it he would have used it. Others think otherwise.”

  Tostig interrupted. “The emperor was away from the capital city at the time. He was killed before he could return.”

  Oded waved his son silent. “There was a sword,” Oded began. “It went missing.”

  “So why do you think it is in the north?” Kaiden asked.

  “Your father is the Keeper in the North,” Oded explained. “He was supposed to have the keeping of it, or of something. No one but the emperor and the Keeper really knew for sure.”

  “By ‘it’ you mean Durendal,” Kaiden was not asking a question. Stories of magic weapons were worse than stories of scourges. There were no such things. Or were there? “Why now? Why did you not come to my father earlier?”

  “We chased the same rumors the Horde did,” Oded answered. “Luckily we have been able to stay a step or two ahead of them.”

  “So the emperor lost his sword before he died. The sword may or may not be Durendal. It is not on the Gothen Isle and may be in the north and my father might know where.”

  Oded and Tostig nodded in unison for an answer. Kaiden was not sure if he was supposed to believe this.

  “Okay,” Kaiden said. “First we kill this vyr, then we go talk to my father and start looking for this sword of yours?”

  “Agreed,” Oded sounded relieved.

  “In the mean time,” Kaiden said. “I would like something to eat. I feel like I haven’t eaten in days.”

  “You haven’t,” Tostig laughed. “Let’s go see if we can wrestle up some grub.”

  Tostig and Kaiden walked off leaving Oded with the horses.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dinner was some kind of venison stew. Kaiden ate three servings. Tha
t was in addition to the late lunch of sausage and tubers Tostig had found for him. His appetite was strong, a good sign he was on the road to recovery. He’d finally given in and found a sling for his arm. Keeping his arm stationary was helping with the pain, but he hoped he would not have to keep his arm wrapped up for too long. So far, he remained optimistic. He’d seen men with much worse make a full recovery.

  Tostig made sure Kaiden knew he was to sleep in the tent again tonight. Apparently the cleric side of Tostig was adamant his patient be well rested and get the care he needed. Kaiden did not like the fuss, but when Oded sided with Tostig it was impossible to argue. He could put up with a little extra fretting, besides, the bed in the tent was one of the best in the camp. Kaiden would not be sleeping in anything better until he returned home and slept in his own bed. It was warmer in the tent too.

  Coen regained consciousness late in the afternoon. Tostig fed him a light meal of broth and bread, then gave him more of that foul brew, putting Coen right back into a deep slumber. Tostig claimed the stuff had enough nutrients to sustain Coen while he rested. Kaiden thought Coen could have benefitted from a few large bowls of the stew served in camp earlier. It sure made him feel better.

  As night closed in men began returning to camp. None of them had seen even a sign of the vyr. Maybe they succeeded in driving it away, or possibly it had bled to death. Kaiden’s spear had put quite a nasty gash in its thigh and it had taken an arrow from Thad. Still, Kaiden doubted the beast was dead. He would not believe it until he saw a body.

  The hunt would continue tomorrow. Tostig said he was going back out. No amount of arguing could convince Oded to allow Kaiden to rejoin the hunt. Kaiden was anxious to find the vyr, but he knew he was in no condition to hunt it. For that reason he hadn’tt argued too long with Oded. He would have to hope his new friends were successful, or wait until he was in better health.

  Right now Kaiden just wanted some sleep. More rest would be good for his arm, give it a chance to heal. In a day or two Tostig said Kaiden should start exercising it to keep it limber, otherwise too much scar tissue could develop. Kaiden wasn’t worried about that. He was still young and should heal nicely. At any rate it wasn’t his right arm so even if it didn’t recover as quickly as he liked it wouldn’t sideline him for too long. He didn’t care who disagreed with him. He wasn’t going to stay in bed for weeks just for someone else’s piece of mind.

  At this elevation, Kaiden could see the valley below and the Ocean Deep to the west. He spent part of the evening staring out toward the open sea, watching the sun disappear into the dark blue waters. It reminded him of home.

  With the setting of the sun came the drop in temperature. In another month or two the temperature at this elevation would be near intolerable. Once Kaiden got home his father wanted him to turn right back around and come up here looking for Haven Keep. Kaiden always dreamed of making the journey some day, but that meant taking over the clan from his father. He was not ready to do that.

  Kaiden made his way to the tent. He learned from Thad the tent was a make shift command center, but had been turned into a mini hospital when Coen and he had been injured. The second tent was for supplies. Those were steadily diminishing and not being replaced. A sure indication Oded had no plans to stay at this site for long. Half the men were already gone.

  The tent was much warmer than outside. Thad was still there, watching over Coen, who was breathing evenly in his sleep. A good sign, considering just two days ago he was gurgling and choking on blood. Kaiden was sure Coen had made it through the worst of it and was well on his way to full recovery.

  “How are you, Kaiden?” Thad asked.

  “I’m well.” Kaiden actually did feel well. “And Coen?”

  “Much better, I think he is going to be okay.”

  “That’s good.” Kaiden was glad to hear someone else thought the same way. Coen was going to pull through. “Don’t you think you ought to take a rest? Let some one else take a turn watching Coen?”

  “No,” Thad disagreed. “I was able to get a few hours of sleep this afternoon. I’m good for a while.”

  “Suit yourself,” Kaiden said. “I’m going to turn in.”

  Kaiden didn’t bother to undress. The night was going to get too cold for that. He laid down stretching out on the bed. It was really just a bed roll spread out on a cot. Still it was much better than another night on the ground. It felt good to relax again. Had it really only been a few hours since he had awakened?

  That concoction Elizbet gave him must have worn off. His head felt much clearer. No matter how much he needed sleep Kaiden valued a clear head more than rest. He would probably rest better without it anyway.

  Kaiden laid there with his thoughts, listening to Coen’s deep breathing. Thad turned the oil lamps down to a dull glow so they would not bother him. Kaiden’s mind raced. War was brewing. He always wondered what it would be like to fight in a war. Now he just wanted to avoid it. If Oded was right the Horde would be coming here. Kaiden’s father believed the same. How could the seven clans, as divided as they were, stand against the might of the Horde? Kaiden hoped the mythical sword Durendal was kept at Haven Keep. With that weapon there might be a chance. But it was just one sword. Who would wield it?

  Other things occupied Kaiden’s thoughts as well. Were Oded and his men to be trusted? They had saved his life twice now. Surely that was evidence enough that he could trust them. Was there some other man who led them? Was it a woman, like Elizbet?

  There was one other thing that weighed on his mind even more. As the night grew darker he thought more of the demon lurking in the darkness. The vyr. Kaiden knew it was still out there. It stared hatred at him before it hurled the spear that cut into his arm and smashed against the cavern wall. The thought made him shiver and his arm ache. It was out there, somewhere, waiting.

  Kaiden tried to relax, tried to empty his mind. It would not be productive to lay awake all night with his thoughts. He knew he was tired, why couldn’t he fall asleep? He lay there for what must have been hours. Finally he could feel sleep begin to over take him. His dreams lay just on the other side of consciousness, in the corner of his mind, but there was something else there as well. Something that did not belong. Something alien, yet familiar. It called to him, beckoned to him.

  “Come.”

  He wanted to go.

  “Come.” The voice in his head was irresistible. “Come to me.” It was the sound of horror, but Kaiden obeyed.

  “Can’t sleep Kaiden?” Kaiden should recognize that voice. Who was it?

  “Come to me.”

  “Kaiden!...Kaiden!” Someone grabbed him. It was Thad. Why was Thad holding him?

  “Come!”

  Kaiden needed to go. Why was Thad stopping him?

  “Oded! Tostig! Help! The vyr has taken Kaiden!”

  Kaiden back handed Thad in the face, sending him sprawling across the room. Kaiden didn’t bother to watch where Thad landed. He pushed the tent flap aside and stepped into the cold. Something called to him up in the mountain. He needed to get there.

  Kaiden trudged through the camp and up the trail that was now a beaten path. The snow trail led up the mountain, around rocks and fallen trees. Up he climbed. Faster. Faster. This trail was oddly familiar. Where did he know it from? There were men’s voices behind him. A dog barking. He needed to get away from them. He needed to get up the mountain.

  “Come.” It was a whisper and at the same time thunder in his ears. It compelled him higher up the mountain.

  Kaiden passed a group of trees. He’d been there before. Where was this place? Further up was a cave. That wasn’t where he was going. In his mind’s eye he saw another cave. He needed to get there. Around the next switchback and he would be at the place he needed to go.

  “I see him!” Someone was yelling. “There he is!”

  Something pulled at his mind. Faster. He needed to move faster. His mind was not his own. It belonged to something else. Kaiden slipped in the sno
w. His face hit hard on a jagged rock. He paid it no mind. On he went.

  “We have to catch him!”

  The other side of a large outcropping of rocks revealed an opening in the side of the mountain. In there. He must get in there. He could hear the dog getting closer. There were footsteps behind him. Kaiden stepped into the cave. It was an enormous hole in the mountain.

  “Kaiden! Don’t go in there!”

  The moonlight bathed the opening in an eery light. Something moved in the back of the cave. Something horribly familiar. Fear seized him. He inched closer. The thing in the shadows waited for him.

  “Come to me,” it hissed. The sound in his ears matched the one in his mind.

  “Come a little closer.” Kaiden felt he was running in water. “Yes, you are the one,” the voice hissed.

  Bo dashed past Kaiden, leaped for the creature’s throat. The creature beat the dog back with his hand. Bo let out a yelp, tumbling to the cave floor.

  Kaiden stared into its face. He remembered those eyes. Filled with hatred. The vyr towered over him. It was a giant, covered in thick hair. Sheer terror gripped Kaiden’s breast. In a moment it would tear into him with deadly claws. Kaiden welcomed it. That was the reason he had come.

  Instantly the cave was filled with fire light. Men with torches. There was shouting and screaming. Kaiden ignored it. There was just him and the voice in his head. He was compelled to obey it.

  Something knocked him to the ground. He had to get up. There was too much weight on him.

  “Hold him down.”

  “Don’t let him up.”

  Bo was growling. Kaiden heard his jaws snap. There was an inhuman scream. More screaming. He had to get up. Another yelp.