Haven Keep (Book 1)

by R. David Bell

  “Where is Rove?” Kaiden wondered aloud.

  “He needs rest more than we do,” Oded said. “He will be taken good care of here and returned to you as soon as possible, as well as the horses that belonged to your men.”

  Kaiden couldn’t argue with that. Fresh mounts would speed their journey. “So who is this?” Kaiden asked stroking the horse’s white tipped nose.

  “That is Minx,” Tostig offered. “She is very sure footed. I think you will like her.”

  Kaiden thought he would too. He was a fairly good judge of horses. Minx looked strong and sleek. Her light brown hair shone in the afternoon light. Her nose was the only white part on her. Kaiden swung his leg over the saddle. “Shall we?”

  This time Kaiden led the way. Oded and Tostig followed close behind. Their stay at camp was much shorter than Kaiden anticipated. He wished he could have stayed to learn more about these people before rushing off again. They hadn’t even eaten lunch. At least the saddle packs looked stuffed full of supplies so they shouldn’t starve. Still it would have been nice to rest for just a few hours. Kaiden never protested though and they made their way through the camp in silence. They were soon enveloped again in a canopy of trees. Kaiden picked his way through the forest, the others plodded along behind.

  Finally Kaiden spoke. “So who exactly is your leader? If I am to speak with my father I think that is a detail he might want to know.”

  Oded laughed, “ I suppose you are right. What did Elizbet tell you?”

  “She said you have been in charge for years and for some reason you think you are too old to continue.”

  “That’s not exactly right. It is true I am getting on in years, but that is not the reason I must step aside. The Lady Elizbet’s husband, Lord Domnal is our true leader. He has been old enough for some time to take over the duties I have performed until he came of age. He has been dragging his feet though.”

  Kaiden was curious to know who this Lord Domnal was. “Why is he dragging his feet?”

  “The same reason you are. He does not realize his own potential, and thinks others could do a better job than he would.”

  “Maybe he is right,” Kaiden said. Oded surely didn’t think Kaiden was ready to lead the north and it was for sure not time yet. His Father still had many good years left in him. “Elizbet said the men trust you and are used to following your lead.”

  “The men are used to following me, but Domnal is wrong in his assumption. The men need a leader, a figurehead. Someone they can rally behind. I am not that.”

  “And this Domnal is?”

  “He can be if he will only do his duty.” Oded paused to study Kaiden, weighing him. “The same goes for you.”

  Kaiden didn’t answer. The men rode on in silence, pushing hard to reach Azmark. The miles passed slowly over the rough terrain as Kaiden continued to lead the way. He thought Oded and Tostig could find their way easily enough, but they followed his lead. For some reason men were going to continue to do that, follow his lead. He didn’t know anyway around it. He needed to be better, to be stronger. That or run away, and running away was not an option. Somehow he needed to rise to the task.

  The steep mountains turned to rolling hills while the trees became more sparse. Eventually the hills would become green meadows, if they were not already covered in snow. The three of them were making good time and at this pace would ride into Azmark late tomorrow evening. Maybe sooner.

  As the day came to a close Tostig rode up beside Kaiden. “My father speaks true.”

  “Oh?” Kaiden answered.

  “The north needs you. If the north is to remain united in any form at all you will need to pick up where you father leaves off. Your task will be even more difficult than his has been.”

  “My father is not dead yet.” There were plenty of years before he needed to worry about that.

  “But you must be ready when the time comes.”

  Kaiden remembered he was traveling with two clerics. These two were worse than Wellen. “I’ll be ready when I need to be.” Kaiden hoped that was true. “This place is a good spot to stop for the night.”

  Kaiden rode up to a small stream and dismounted. “We can water the horses and rest under these trees. Tomorrow will be a long day.” That Kaiden knew was true. They would need to get an early start and travel fast or they might spend another night under the stars. Sleep would be a welcome friend tonight.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kaiden caught his first glimpse of Azmark when he and his companions rode over the tops of the snow covered rolling hills. Each time they topped a rise the city came into view, a lonely little island of security, far from the dangers of the Iron Mountains. With each glimpse, the details of the city became sharper, until now the outline of the Great Hall was dark against the fading sunlight. Home no longer felt so far away.

  Kaiden realized he’d missed another night of celebrating the end of the harvest. Flenn and Von were probably having a great time. They would have no idea of the events of the last week. Suddenly Kaiden did not feel so happy about returning to Azmark. He was not looking forward to reporting to his father, nor the families of the men he left behind. His father was probably no longer in the city. The meeting at Stone Abbey was soon, and his father was most likely on his way there. It would give Kaiden a few short days of reprieve, days to agonize over what to tell his father. The families of his lost men would still be in Azmark though, he would have to face them. There was no avoiding that.

  The horses seemed to sense their journey was nearing an end and quickened their pace. It would not be long until Kaiden was in Azmark, facing the realities of his failure.

  Tostig had been very curious about the north earlier in the day, asking questions without pause. Oded never said much, but Kaiden knew he was listening intently. Kaiden didn’t mind, he trusted these men now. He would even follow their lead. Strange as it may be, he even thought it his duty to follow them, to help them in their fight. It was his fight now too. The fight for the empire. Most in the north said the empire was gone, but Kaiden now knew what his father felt. At least in part. Over the course of the last few days he had come to realize what it was his father wanted to fight for. Kaiden hoped the other clan chiefs would feel the same way. If not, he thought, they could be persuaded to see reason.

  The men rode single file, picking their way across the rolling hills and through the sparse trees. Kaiden avoided the thicker forested areas for two reasons. The first he didn’t want to admit to himself, but there was no way to tell what lurked within the shadowed trees. The second was more practical. They didn’t travel a straight line, but this way was faster than navigating over and around the trees and stones of the forest. These hills and meadows provided a much smoother terrain, and it was safer for the horses as well. They were much less likely to throw a shoe or break a leg.

  During the spring and summer these hills were used as grazing lands for the flocks and herds. So far the three men hadn’t seen anyone. With the early snows the herdsmen must have taken their animals closer to Azmark. There would probably be no one to greet them until they rode through the gated walls of the city.

  They approached closer to Azmark and Oded and Tostig rode up beside Kaiden. The three men rode abreast, but remained in silence. Even Tostig fell silent, giving Kaiden a brief respite from the pointed queries. The horses trotted at a near march, kicking up snow and mud in a steady rhythm. The cadence made Kaiden feel they were riding into battle. These horses probably had ridden into battle. On more than one occasion. Oded and Tostig too. They would again, he thought, and probably soon.

  Kaiden broke the silence. “Over this hill there should be a well. We can water the horses, and there is a road from the well that leads to Azmark.”

  The other men nodded an acknowledgment, continuing to follow Kaiden’s lead.

  The well was exactly where Kaiden said it would be. The horses were watered, given a short rest and the men were again on their way. The road was more a hard pac
ked dirt path to start with, but soon widened into a more navigable route. A thin layer of mud and melting snow covered the packed earth. The mud soon gave way to small rocks and gravel retrieved from the mines in the east, slowly turning to cobblestone the closer they rode to Azmark. It wasn’t really much of a road at all, and was in great disrepair, filled in with gravel and crushed stone in many places. The remains of the cobblestone road stretched over a league before leading right through the gates of Azmark and up to the Great Hall.

  Night fell over the little city long before the men rode through the main gates. Zared stood in one of the watch towers overlooking the entrance to Azmark. Kaiden thought that strange. No one had manned the towers for years. Maybe he was there to greet any clan chiefs that might be delayed by the snows.

  Zared was a hard man. One Kaiden’s father used for dangerous situations, situations needing someone very reliable. This was not exactly the welcoming party Kaiden would have chosen.

  Zared recognized Kaiden and descended from the tower to meet him at the gate.

  “Where are the others?” He left the obvious question unspoken and eyed Oded and Tostig. It was considered rude to ask who Kaiden’s companions were before they were introduced.

  “They are dead.” Kaiden saw no reason not to tell Zared the truth.

  Zared breathed in sharply through his nose and his eyes flickered a bit, but that was the only reaction he gave to the news, and he asked for no further explanation. Kaiden had no desire to give him one.

  “These men are here to see my father. They are Oded and Tostig.”

  The men nodded greetings to each other.

  “Should I tell him you are here?” Zared was just being polite. Kaiden knew his father probably wanted Zared to remain at his post. Kaiden would find out the reason for it soon enough, so did not ask. What he did wonder was why his father had not yet left for Stone Abbey.

  “My father is still in the city?” Kaiden asked.

  Zared looked a little uncomfortable, as if he did not know how much he could say around Oded and Tostig. “There was,” Zared paused to choose his words. “An incident,” he finished. “It delayed your father’s leaving. He thought it best not to travel alone to the meeting, nor arrive before the other chiefs.”

  “What kind of incident?” Kaiden asked.

  Zared glanced at Oded and Tostig before he spoke. “Your father can explain it. I can take you to him if you wish.”

  “Thank you, no. We will find him ourselves,” Kaiden declined, and turned his horse towards the city.

  Zared nodded and glanced back at Oded and Tostig then returned to the top of the tower.

  Kaiden did not have a good feeling. What kind of incident would delay his father? Surely many of the chiefs were beginning to arrive at Stone Abbey. He could think of no reason his father wouldn’t have left already. The news must not be too bad, otherwise Zared would have said more. Then again, with Oded and Tostig here, who knew how much Zared held back?

  The streets were empty and felt deserted. Most of the window shutters showed no light shining through from the inside. Maybe it was later than Kaiden thought. Even the windows in the Hall had no lights in them. There should have been more celebrating going on. It was just late, he thought. Everyone must be in bed for the night.

  The stables were dark and empty, save for a few sleeping draft animals, and there were no stable hands. Not even a stable boy. Kaiden felt a little embarrassed that they were obliged to tend to their own horses. Oded and Tostig gave no sign they thought it was out of the ordinary. Kaiden wondered how late it actually was. He didn’t think it was that late.

  He made sure the horses were given enough fodder, then closed the stable door and led the men to the Hall.

  “Is it always this quiet at night?” Tostig asked.

  “No. I don’t know why there is no one around. Normally this time of year is a celebration of the harvest. Strange that everyone has gone to bed so early.” Kaiden left out the fact he hadn’t seen anyone man the towers in years. He saw no reason to alarm the southern men before he found out if there was anything to worry about.

  Halfway across the courtyard Kaiden noticed the light of his father’s forge fire burning bright. He could hear the rhythm of a blacksmith hammer pounding against the anvil. Someone was still working, and it was probably Von. That guy never took time for leisure. Kaiden wanted to stop by and see his friend, but Oded and Tostig were more important. Trying to sneak those two in without prying eyes noticing and without anyone asking too many questions might be easier than he first thought.

  Kaiden chose the back entry with the narrow staircase. Inside the oil lamps were already turned low. The place was quiet. Too quiet. It would only be worse when everyone heard the news he bore. Azmark would be in mourning for the next few weeks, if not longer. The deserted hallways gave Kaiden the feeling it already was. It wasn’t that late yet. Where was everybody?

  If Oded or Tostig thought it strange there was no one to greet them they didn’t say. Evidently the two knew discretion. Kaiden was glad since he had no idea what he would have told them. His original plan was to stash them in his room and retrieve his father from the Hall. Now it seemed he might as well take them directly to his father’s chamber. Apparently, since everyone had gone to bed, that was the most likely place to find him.

  Kaiden walked quickly through the hallway, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be up. Oded and Tostig trotted behind in an effort to keep pace. He stopped at his father’s door and knocked softly. There was no answer. He knew someone was in there, he could see the light spilling out from underneath the door. Kaiden was about to knock again when he heard his father’s voice.

  “Come.”

  Kaiden expected to be greeted by Isk and Jen. They almost never left his father’s side unless it was to spend time at his father’s fire, or with Von. The dogs were not there. Who he did see was a surprise. Flenn and Berkler. Roren and Jordy were conspicuously missing. The men were all seated around the large table in the middle of the room as if in council.

  His father jumped up when he saw him. “Kaiden, you have returned. All went well I hope?”

  Kaiden hoped he could avoid this a little longer. “No, the beast is dead, but...” He didn’t know how to say the rest. He remembered Oded and Tostig. Maybe he could stall a little, figure out what he was going to say. He had three days to think about it, but still couldn’t find the words. “Father, these men are Oded and Tostig. They are from the south.”

  Baiden reacted with shock. If he had still been sitting he would have jumped up again.

  Kaiden remembered his manners, “Oded, Tostig, this is my father, Baiden son of Baiden, Lord of Azmark and Keeper in the North. The other men are Flenn, one of my father’s councilors, and Berkler, master blacksmith.”

  “I know who Oded and Tostig are, son.” Baiden waved the men into the room. “Bring them in. Bring them in.”

  “You know?” Kaiden stammered. “What?” Kaiden hoped he did not look as stupid as he must sound.

  “It is good to see you again Baiden,” Oded took Baiden’s outstretched hand. It was like old friends having a reunion. Kaiden didn’t understand. Why hadn’t Oded said anything? Why all the secrecy?

  “What is going on?” Kaiden asked. “How do you know Oded ?”

  “Oded was a trusted advisor to the emperor,” Baiden answered then turned to Oded. “I did not think you still alive, Oded. And Tostig you were just a boy when I last saw you.”

  “You’ll forgive me if I do not remember you my lord,” Tostig said. “My father says we have met, but I fear I was too young to remember.”

  “Yes, I suppose you were,” Baiden agreed. “This is very unexpected, Oded. Please sit. Tell me why you are here.”

  “I would think you know why we are here. The threat has not gone away.”

  “Yes I know. I am hoping to gather strength here. There is a meeting of the clan chiefs in two days. I was planning to ask for a council of war. Your coming
here may make that task easier.”

  “It may, but there are some in the south who no longer trust you,” Oded said taking a seat at the table. “They wonder why you have not offered help sooner.” He turned to Kaiden and spoke almost apologetically. “I thought we needed to feel out the situation before we revealed to you too much about who we are. I hope you understand. I think your father can appreciate our position.”

  “I have kept my vow,” Baiden protested. “I still keep safe that which I was entrusted with. And more.”

  “What do you mean more?” It was easy to see Oded’s curiosity peaked.

  “We will speak of that later. Tomorrow I travel to meet with the chiefs at Stone Abbey. While I am gone Kaiden will go to Haven Keep and retrieve that which has been entrusted to the North for safe keeping. Will you accompany me to Stone Abbey?”

  “I will,” Oded said, “but you still must be reconciled to the forces in the south.”

  “Of course,” Baiden agreed. “How much of your forces still remain?”

  “About ten thousand scattered across the plains and some here in the north.”

  “In the north?” Baiden questioned. “Not very many or we would have noticed you.”

  Oded laughed loudly. “I have not survived this long by being noticed my old friend. There are four thousand fighting men in the Iron Mountains. More arrive daily.”

  “Impossible,” Berkler interrupted.

  “It is true,” Kaiden said. “I have seen them.”

  “You have only just arrived?” Berkler questioned.

  “We have been here three moons.” Oded answered.

  “Impossible.” Berkler was unwilling to believe it.

  “I have seen the evidence,” Kaiden explained.