Haven Keep (Book 1)

by R. David Bell

Whatever Kaiden was cooking on the breakfast fire smelled wonderful. Von’s stomach growled again. He was reminded dinner last night was the first real meal he’d eaten in a long time. He meant to make up for it.

  “I hope you don’t take this long to wake up every morning,” Kaiden said. “I don’t plan on being your maid for the next week or so.”

  “I’m just sore. Just need to get my muscles moving, then I’ll be alright.”

  “What did you think you were doing working that hard, days on end just to forge a sword? I know for a fact you’ve already made numerous swords just like that one. With the money my father gave you, you could have just bought one back from Berkler.”

  “I wanted my own,” Von said. “I made this one especially for myself.” Von handled the hilt again. He wondered if Kaiden thought he was a little weird for having slept with the scabbard still buckled at his waist. Most men slept with their swords next to them when they traveled in the open country, but not buckled to their hip. Von didn’t want to take any chances. Who knew what those men they’d seen yesterday were up to?

  His sword possessed a different feel than the dagger at his hip. He was filled with excitement when he forged the dagger, excitement at the possibility of solving the riddle of the strange alloy and the mystery of the power that often overcame him as he worked. The dagger had been made with precision and speed, he was exhilarated as he worked. Those qualities were somehow absorbed by the dagger. The sword was different. More menacing. He tried to infuse the same qualities from the dagger into the sword and had succeeded in some degree. But there was something more to the sword. Maybe it came from his reason for forging the blade. His desire to see justice done to those who wronged him, murdered his family, destroyed his homeland. There was determination and tenacity permeating through the blade. He could feel the attributes when he touched the sword. He wondered if others could to feel the same, or if it was because he’d been the one to forge the weapon. There was something additional within the blade. Something that disturbed him slightly, scared him just a little. He could feel his desire for vengeance in the sword. It was sometimes hard to sense, but it was there, an undercurrent to every other aspect of the weapon.

  Von moved slowly. The faster he proceeded the more his muscles hurt. He needed time to rest, but time was something he did not have. From what Kaiden told him, the war might be coming to the north faster than anyone originally expected. Then there was the Halfen that still needed to be dealt with. Those traitors had already made one ploy for power and were not going to give up easily.

  Von took a seat next to Kaiden on the fallen tree they had used for a makeshift shelter in the night. If there was one thing the men of the north knew, it was how to survive in the elements. They could build a shelter out of almost anything. Considering his physical condition, Von had actually slept very comfortably last night. The temperature dropped well below freezing, yet he had barely noticed. As tired as he was, he could probably have slept like a dead man, no matter where he laid down.

  “What are we eating,” Von asked.

  “Rabbit,” Kaiden answered, “and some tubers Tostig gave me.”

  “Smells good.” Von helped himself. It was nice to get some food into his belly. He knew if he wanted his strength to return he needed to eat to replenish it. He wolfed it down as fast as he could.

  “Slow down. You know our food is going to have to last for a week or so.”

  “We have dogs,” Von mumbled in between shoving more food in his mouth. He didn’t care if Kaiden could understand him or not. “We can hunt up some more.”

  “Yeah, but don’t choke on it.”

  Von chuckled and finished off his breakfast. It was time to get going. The horses were soon saddled and ready to go. Isk and Jen seemed anxious to get started. They were wary about something, and that made Von just a little nervous.

  They picked their way along the ridge line of a hill for the better part of the morning. The hill was nearly large enough to be called a mountain, but compared to the peaks in the east, it wasn’t considered tall at all. The ridge was covered in trees, but every once in a while they would break out into a clearing and could see the valley below in the west, and the Iron Mountains to the northeast.

  The mountains stabbed into the sky. Their jagged peaks a mystery to Von, stark black and white against the blue of the sky, covered in a blanket of perpetual snow. They were an enigma waiting to be explored, waiting to be discovered.

  The day stretched on and the sun climbed across the sky. Kaiden and Von climbed too. Closer and closer to the mountains. Closer to Haven Keep. Closer to a goal that itself was a mystery. Von had no idea what they were going to find, no idea what they were even looking for. He wasn’t sure Kaiden knew either.

  Von turned again to look down at the valley and across the Emerald Sea. It was a beautiful sight. He could see all of Azmark and more. The Great Hall appeared to be a tiny building, the outer walls of the city the fenced enclosure of a farmers field. Further north were the docks of the Kragen Clan and their little fishing villages. The plains of the Orlenc clan that were green in the spring and golden brown in the summer were now covered with the early snows. Von spotted something else down in the valley. This time he did not point.

  “I think we are being followed.”

  Kaiden stiffened in his saddle. “What?”

  “I think it’s those men we saw yesterday. They are following in the valley at the foot of the hills.”

  Kaiden didn’t look. He kept his eyes forward so the men would not realize they’d been noticed.

  “Keep riding until we reach that next clump of trees,” Kaiden said, “then we’ll double back on the other side of the hill and come up behind them. Maybe we’ll be able to find out who they are.”

  Von was glad Kaiden believed him without seeing the men himself.

  They moved along the ridge until they reached the next group of evergreens. The thick branches hid them from any watching eyes down in the valley.

  Kaiden dismounted inside the cover of the trees then crept back through the branches and underbrush, keeping himself hidden. He crouched behind a large shrub and surveyed the valley floor. Von did the same, but the men he’d seen were no longer visible.

  “Where did you see them?”

  “They were down there.” This time Von did point. He was covered by the brush and figured it didn’t matter. “If they kept moving they would probably be to that point there by now.” He pointed again. “But, I can’t see them anymore.”

  “I see something,” Kaiden said. “There, by the trees.”

  “Yes, that’s them. It looks like at least a eight men.” Von wondered what a group that size was doing out here. “And that’s just the ones we can see.”

  “Well do you want to try to lose them, or double back?”

  “If we double back we will lose another day. I don’t think they will gain on us if they are trying to remain unseen. Then again, they are already close enough to attack us in the night.”

  “So we double back?”

  “Let’s wait until night fall, then double back,” Von suggested. “Maybe we can observe them while they camp. They won’t be expecting it, and we’ll get a closer look at who they are.”

  “I like your thinking,” Kaiden agreed. “Let’s get moving. We still have a few hours of daylight and we can cover a few more leagues. I think as the sun begins to set we should try to lose them so they don’t observe us doubling back. We have to be careful they don’t realize what we’re up to.”

  Von followed Kaiden back to the horses, keeping low and trying not to be seen. If they were seen, it would not only ruin their plan, but those men might instantly become more dangerous. As long as the men believed they were still hidden they would feel safe. If they knew they’d been spotted, who knows what they would do. Whoever they were, Von was sure they weren’t friendly. If they were, they wouldn’t have made such an effort to remain hidden. He suspected the men were Halfen. In that were the
case, Von would not think twice about ending their lives. To him the Halfen were traitors. They deserved a traitor’s fate.

  Von and Kaiden mounted and continued to travel as if nothing were different. Every few minutes Von sneaked a peek to make sure the men were still there. He unconsciously fingered his sword hilt again. He almost welcomed a confrontation. Let them come.

  “I think we should pick up the pace,” Kaiden suggested. “We should try to get more distance between us so they don’t know when we turn around.”

  Von answered by spurring his horse. He continued to follow Kaiden up the slow rising slope. They were in the base of the mountains now, traveling nearly east, no longer following the ridge of the foot hills. The terrain was rockier in the mountains and the trees more sparse.

  The grade increased sharply and climbing became difficult. Kaiden led Von in a series of switchbacks, their trail crisscrossing the slope. The horses sent rocks tumbling down the incline. Von risked another backward glance. The men trailing them would need to start climbing soon or they could not continue to follow. When those men did start climbing they would have to risk being seen.

  “Haven Keep should be through this pass,” Kaiden announced. “I think there was once a road, but it has long since eroded.”

  “Will we be able to find the keep, or has that eroded as well?”

  “From what I hear, miraculously, it is still intact. The only reason the keep was abandoned was the winters became too cold and the food supplies were too far away.”

  Von could understand that. Already they were further into the back country than most of the farmers dared to live and work. Winters up here were harsh. Spring and Autumn were not a whole lot better.

  The day wore on and they traveled deeper and deeper into the forest and higher in elevation. Night was slowly coming and the ground was too rugged for the horses to continue in the dark. They would need to find shelter for their animals soon, and shelter for themselves as well. The temperature dropped quickly in the mountains, so quickly if you were not prepared it would kill you.

  Kaiden found an alcove of a rock that would suit their purposes well. It would shelter from wind and even some precipitation. A small fire left burning all night could easily keep them and their animals warm. Well if not warm, they would at least not freeze. There was a little light left, but they wouldn’t likely find another spot so suited for shelter before the cold began to set in.

  “I’ll take care of the horses,” Von volunteered. “If you want to get a fire started.”

  “You don’t have to twist my arm.”

  Von thought it was the least he could do, after sleeping late this morning. Not to mention the morning before, causing their late start. His muscles were beginning to loosen up, all except his lower back which still ached from riding a horse all day. Normally sitting in a saddle didn’t do that to him, but combined with everything else he still felt stiff. It was good to stretch a bit as he brushed the horses. He had definitely pushed his body to the limit in the forge. Kaiden didn’t know how close he’d come to the truth when he accused Von of nearly killing himself. Von had pushed his body to exhaustion. Corren, near the end, tried to convince Von to stop, but Von pushed on. Even when Corren collapsed into sleep Von pushed further. Faster. His body screamed with pain. He did not even stop until the hilt and handle were complete. After that he remembered nothing until Kaiden threw water in his face. He grinned to himself at the secret he now carried. The secret he kept buckled to his waist.

  Von finished taking care of the horses and stretched out next to the fire.

  “I’m tired,” he said.

  “The day is not done yet. We still have our friends to worry about.”

  “I know, let’s get some food in us first though.”

  “You’re still hungry? You’ve been snacking on that jerky all day.”

  Von hoped Kaiden hadn’t noticed. “Of course I’m hungry. Putting up with you is hungry work.”

  Kaiden laughed. “I’m sure it is.”

  The two settled down to a quick meal of cheese and cold mutton. Cold because they didn’t want to waste time cooking. Von ate hungrily. His appetite was still ravenous, and he thought it would take him another six meals just to make up for those he’d missed.

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “We’ll wait for it to get a little darker, then head back down that way.” he gestures with his thumb. “We’ll take the dogs with us to warn if anyone comes near. We should find them easily when we get close enough to their fire. Even if they try to hide it, we’ll smell it burning and when we get closer, see it as well.”

  “It’s as good a plan as any.”

  “We’ll get close enough to listen to what they are saying, but we need to be sure not to be seen. We are heavily outnumbered and I do not want to risk a fight.”

  Von nodded. He knew under normal circumstances Kaiden was right, but felt with his dagger in one hand and his sword in the other, he could easily down three of them on his own, if not more. Kaiden and the dogs didn’t quite make it a fair fight, but they could figure a way to separate the men instead of fighting them all at once. Plus they had their bows. They could take out three or four men before it ever came to hand to hand.

  Von made quick work of dinner and waited for Kaiden to finish. He played with his dagger while he waited, flipping it through his fingers. He spun the dagger effortlessly. It danced and moved as if it were a part of him. It spun faster and faster. The weapon amazed him. He wouldn’t have attempted the trick with another dagger. He probably would have cut a finger off.

  “If you are done playing with your toy we can go.”

  Von smiled and sheathed his dagger. “Lead the way.”

  Von crept down the mountainside after Kaiden. The path they chose arched wide around the route they made on their climb. Isk and Jen kept close to Von. He couldn’t shake the feeling the dogs were anxious about something, something additional to the men below. The dogs were uneasy. It made Von uneasy.

  Von saw the fire before he ever smelled it. He and Kaiden approached the camp from the north. The men had only bothered to hide the fire from the east. It was obvious they did not think they had been seen. Arrogant. That made Von think they were Halfen for sure. Careless and reckless.

  Von was sure the dogs knew to keep quiet, but he gently placed his hand on both their heads in turn, just to make sure. The closer they came to the camp the more nervous he became. Maybe this was not such a good idea. Maybe his sword wasn’t what he thought it was. He had only been in one fight and he was sure there had been a lot of luck involved in that. He tried to convinced himself there was more than luck to it. He was sure there was, positive his dagger had played a major roll, but his nerves were telling him something else. He took a deep breath then let it out slowly, trying to keep himself calm. You can do this, Von, he told himself.

  Von and Kaiden exited the trees into a clearing. Von kept close to Kaiden’s side and they moved quickly across the open space. His adrenaline was pumping now and he nearly drew his sword. He could feel it at his side, pulling to him, longing to be used.

  The camp was about fifty spans ahead. An enormous fallen tree ran nearly the length of the clearing and lay close to the camp. No doubt the men thought the tree hid them from view.

  Kaiden pointed to the fallen tree and started crawling in the snow. Von followed. The two men crept slowly down to the tree and crouched behind it, peering over the top of the crumbling bark. The tree was old and showing signs of rot, but still provided good cover. They paused and assessed the camp. There were two guards set, one at either end. A horse line was set up with over a dozen animals. Maybe more. It was hard to tell the exact number in the dark and at this distance. Some of the mounts were probably pack animals. Von hoped so. He did not think they could fight twelve men.

  Von felt the wind pick up. It was a slight breeze at first, then grew to gusts that whistled through the trees, blowing the branches wildly about. The wind gained strength
quickly, shrieking down the mountain, blowing the fresh fallen snow with it. Von was surprised at how fast the windstorm came upon them, but thought their luck couldn’t be better. The wind was whipping the snow about and could act as cover when they approached closer to camp. They might even be able to get to the animals.

  Von rose from his crouched position. Kaiden grabbed Von’s arm and pulled him back down. Von was a little puzzled. Kaiden just shook his head then pointed back up the mountain.

  Kaiden wanted to go back the way they had come. Von didn’t understand. Maybe Kaiden saw something he did not like.

  “What is it?” Von whispered.

  “The beast,” Kaiden sounded shaken. “It’s back.”

  Von’s head was on a swivel, trying to see what Kaiden must be looking at. He could see nothing. The snow was blinding. “Where?”

  “I don’t know. It rides the wind. We must get out of here.”

  Kaiden leaped up, but this time Von pulled him down, and just in time. A man climbed up over the fallen tree they were hiding behind. He was only feet from them. Von held his breath. He didn’t think they had been seen, but any moment they could be. Von grabbed the dogs to keep them quiet.

  The man stood on the tree for a moment, staring up the mountainside. Suddenly he jumped forward and plunged himself into the storm. He trudged out of sight, never looking back.

  “It has him,” Kaiden said.

  “What has him?”

  “The vyr.”

  Kaiden again stood to go. Von yanked him violently to the snow, behind the cover of the tree. He put his finger to his lips to keep Kaiden silent. Voices shouted from the camp. They were coming closer. Von crouched in silence, holding the dogs. More men jumped over the log, chasing after the first. Three total. They did not look to their right or they would have seen Von and Kaiden crouched against the tree. They called after the first man.