by Rutger Krenn
Hit with the whole body, think with the whole mind. That was what Chow had always said. He had failed at the first part and now he must make amends in the second.
He wasted no more breath on curses. Even as his pattern-welded sword whipped out of its sheath he moved the sorrel between Arell and the Goblins and met their attack.
The maneuver nearly cost him his life. A black fletched arrow sped from Arell’s bow and hissed through the air near his ear but it struck home in the leading Goblin who died even before he fell to the ground.
Talon’s blade flashed and pierced the defenses of another Goblin. It struck crude chain mail armor, but the point of the blade, fashioned by the unmatched skill of the Dwarves, slid home. The Goblin screamed with pain and flung itself backwards, nearly but not quite wrenching the sword from Talon’s grip. The Goblin staggered away into the undergrowth nearby, but it would not take any further place in this struggle.
Four Goblins remained and they were now wary of their opponents. The odds at first were all in their favor but had swiftly changed. Nevertheless, they weren’t about to give up just yet.
They circled around Talon and pressed the attack. Arell maneuvered her horse for another shot but nothing presented itself as a good target. There was always the risk of hitting Talon instead.
They charged and blade rang on blade and the sound of swordplay filled the air. Talon hoped the noise would not travel to any other Goblins who might be nearby.
Arell dropped the bow and drew her own slender sword choosing to do more than watch while Talon fought alone and unaided. His blade flickered like the tongue of a snake, and wherever it went its edge was poison. If he had moved swiftly while he was fighting Ying Fu near Thromdar he moved quicker than thought now.
The Goblins were no match for him. A fountain of blood sprayed and two Goblins fell simultaneously. Arell was now drawn level with him, her sword held menacingly before her, as another fell to his blade.
It was too much for the last Goblin and he jumped backwards and turned to flee. Talon spurred the sorrel forwards. It would be a difficult chase through the trees and underbrush but he couldn’t afford to allow the Goblin to escape and raise a pursuit.
He needn’t have worried. Before the sorrel had taken more than two steps cold steel gleamed dully in the dawn light. It flashed through the air and then came to a standstill in the back of the Goblin’s neck. It was a knife, and it was thrown with speed and skill. It pierced the flesh above the rim of the chain mail hauberk.
The Goblin staggered, then one of its calloused hands reached back and pulled the blade from its neck. It went down on its knees but then lurched up and turned back to face them. It held the knife in one hand, gleaming with blood, and its sword in the other.
Arell’s hand moved smoothly down to her boot and drew another blade. In one fluid movement it leaped from her hand and caught the Goblin as he lifted his own hand to throw.
The long point of Arell’s blade had struck the left eye and penetrated into the brain. The Goblin toppled forward and the fight was over.
Talon wasted no time with the praise he would have liked to have given her. “Well done,” was all he said and even as the words came out of his mouth he jumped from the horse and moved to retrieve both her knives. He cleaned them quickly and handed them back.
She seemed reluctant to take them, having used them to kill, and however necessary it was, Talon saw that she now felt sick. But she took the blades and replaced them in their sheaths.
While Arell retrieved her discarded bow Talon checked on the wounded Goblin who had staggered into the underbrush. It was dead.
They rode on, more swiftly now than they had at any time during the night. It was almost light and they wished to be out of the valley. The top of the ridge was only a minute away and they wanted to leave this place behind and to ride with speed as far as their horses would carry them.
Talon felt Arell’s eyes on his back as he had done through much of the night. He moved with an easy grace, as though he were a part of the horse, and the thought struck him that whatever else she may think about him she had seen horses and horsemen before, and would appreciate his skills.
There was an almost palpable sense of disapproval coming from her though. Perhaps he hadn’t needed her help with the Goblins, but it was still help well given. He should have given her better thanks. Her throwing was excellent and he should have told her so. She would also have felt bad about the killing but he had not spared the time for words of comfort.
They approached the crest, being careful to watch for signs of any other Goblins and especially vigilant to use the cover of what trees there were to hide from sight. This was now necessary as daylight lit up the valley. They could be seen by any eyes that happened to look, and there must be eyes all around. And none of them friendly.
Talon noticed the tracks of multitudes of Goblins. The army he had discovered had come this way and gone toward Thromdar. He sighed with relief as he saw this. At least the way ahead should be clear. They passed out of sight over the crest and went down the other side.
The slope was rocky and gravel sprayed out beneath the horse’s hooves as they went. There were piles of stones and boulders as though some giant had struck the ridge with a frenzy of hammer blows. The mountainsides were pulverized and boulders flung away like mere pebbles.
The valley below was now bathed in sunlight. It was like most of the valleys in this part of the mountains. There were streams making their way to the bottom and ridges covered with copses of timber.
Further back in Aren Daleth those valley bottoms would be cultivated and a wide variety of crops planted and grown. The rich sod would be turned season by season and the fields would produce a valuable harvest. Orchards would be grown, especially on the slopes, and cattle and sheep would be grazed in large herds. This valley however was nearly untouched by the hand of man. The protection of Thromdar was too far away. There was constant danger here of Goblins and anyone who settled would sooner or later be found and destroyed. Some brave people had made the attempt, building their homesteads as forts. Some survived longer than others.
Talon’s thoughts were interrupted. He felt the bay coming closer to him and turned just as Arell placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. She did not look at him however. Her gaze was drawn elsewhere and he swung his head around quickly to find what she was gazing at.
He looked, his keen eyes searching near and far, but at first he saw nothing. Then he understood.
There was a man on the side of the trail. He sat motionless on the loose stones of the ground, leaning back against a boulder with his arms wrapped loosely around a staff. He appeared for all the world as though he were dead. But he was not dead. His eyes moved, if nothing else, and held their gazes one after the other.
The old man sat as though he had not a care in the world and as though there were no army of Goblins nearby. Or perhaps as one who was in league with them and therefore held no fear.
Talon had a sudden feeling that this man was not surprised to see them at all. He was waiting for them.
Chapter 6
Wu Chin was waiting.
The leader of the Chung warriors spun a sai in each of his hands. The polished metal surfaces glinted wickedly as they described figure eights.
Each sai had a central tine the thickness of a finger tapering to a point used for either striking or stabbing. These were a little shorter than his forearm but the other two tines of each sai were only a third as long. Between the long and the short tines an opponent’s weapon could be trapped while the other sai was used offensively. His sifu, master Shagga Lu, had also designed these particular sai so they could be thrown and Wu Chin had trained hard in that method and acquired great skill.
The Chung nearby were used to seeing him spin the sai. They also remembered the occasions the weapons had been put to use. They had seen them come to life like striking snakes and kill more swiftly than any poisoned bite.
Wu Chin knew the
memory of past incidents, and the sudden ease with which the sai could be turned to deadly effect again, caused them uneasiness. This gave him an advantage. He was the greatest fighter of his generation and people were frightened of him. He used devices such as this to enhance the aura of fear surrounding him.
He continued to wait but he already knew what he would do. The scouts had all made their reports earlier but one more was still to return to the rendezvous point. That scout was now galloping across the grassland at good speed toward them.
During the past two nights Wu Chin had remained hidden within a small dell some miles from the castle. He was aware of one army of Goblins and had sent out scouts. Some of these had now discovered a second army and he realized that both hosts intended to join and invade Aren Daleth. This they could possibly do, given their unexpected size, and Thromdar and the kingdom of Aren Daleth, the land of the Whiteeyes, might be obliterated.
Tracks of Talon’s horse, leading away from the castle, had also been found.
It was apparent that his enemy had left the castle. But why? He speculated on the possible reasons. Talon, however much he despised him, was not a coward. He would stay with the Northmen and fight with them. It was stupid, but that was his way. So why had he left? There could only be one reason. He was seeking help for the Whiteeyes.
Would he dare seek assistance from the Chung? It wasn’t likely. Many of the elders hated him, although there were some who were sympathetic. But they were too far away. The battle with the Goblins would be over soon.
To what other people could Talon turn? The Dwarves were an option. There had always been friendship between them and Chow and Talon had accompanied his master on journeys to their underground dwellings. The memory was infuriating.
The sai sped faster and faster in his hands and the warriors looked nervously at him.
Was he, Wu Chin, not superior to Talon? Was he not of the Chung race and a better fighter with hand or weapon? And yet Talon had been able to go while he was forced to remain behind as his master was not liked by the Dwarves.
How he longed for a return to the old Chung ways! There was no such thing as the Chung anymore. That was a name that the rest of the world applied to them. Once, they were a single people under the leadership of Chu Far, but that unity had been broken long ago. Now they were separate clans with diverse customs and laws. This was especially so with the masters. What one forbade might be acceptable to another. So it was with Chow and Talon. Yet they could revive the old ways! They could become a unified nation again, and with each warrior trained in the arts of Chung Fhat who in Andoras would dare gainsay them anything?
Wu Chin calmed himself and the sai slowed in their whirling. Chow was now dead. He had got what he deserved and so too would Talon. His time was coming.
His thoughts focused again on the tracks that had been found. Talon had gone, that was certain, but apparently he had been followed soon after, and possibly by a women judging from the depth of the prints. Why should that be? If the second person was to help him, why had they not left together? It was a mystery, but it was also of no importance. Two people could die just as easily as one.
The last scout finally entered the dell and leapt off his horse. Its flanks were lathered with sweat. He saluted Wu Chin with the time-honored mark of respect and greeting, bowing low while placing the right fist in the left palm.
“You are late,” said Wu Chin, and there was casual menace in his tone.
The scout glanced at the sai, twirling in his sifu’s hands. His eyes showed realization and then fear that they might be used to take his life at any moment.
“I’d have returned sooner but I was attacked by Goblins. I killed them but it slowed me down.”
“It is good that you killed them. Yet would it not have been better if they had never seen you at all?”
“Yes, Sifu.” The scout’s eyes never left the sai, which seemed to be whirling faster and faster as he answered.
“Did you find any tracks?”
“No. There were none. Only those of Goblins heading toward the castle.”
Wu Chin didn’t ask any more. Abruptly he stopped spinning the sai and placed them in special loops in his belt. There was no new information to change the decision he had reached some time ago. He must bring death to his enemies and ensure only the Chung benefited from Chung Fhat.
“Very well then. We will pursue Talon and catch up with him before he reaches the Stone Mountains. That must be his destination. We will kill him, and whoever travels with him, before they reach the protection of the Dwarves. If any of you fail your part in this mission I will ensure you are punished suitably. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sifu!” they answered in unison, and Wu Chin knew they believed he would keep his threat if they failed in any way. They would ride their horses to death if they must in order to catch up to Talon, but once they had reached him, there would not be any hurry to kill him or his companion. That could be done at leisure.
Wu Chin led them as they galloped to the west and they would soon be on Talon’s trail. Woe to him, thought Wu Chin with pleasure, when they found him.
He smiled as he rode. It was a good time to live.
Talon came to a halt.
He studied the old man intensely, his eyes never wavering, while at the same time his ears strained to hear any sound of Goblins. Arell looked around, seeking as did he any sign of the enemy.
Far away to the southwest the glint of snow-capped peaks were visible. It was under those towering masses that the Dwarves lived and where the two travelers must journey in their quest to save Aren Daleth.
A wood pigeon cooed in a dense copse further down the valley. The distinct and repetitive coo coo cuc call travelled far up the sides of the mountains. Closer to hand a small lizard scuttled over rocks and found a sunny patch on which to warm itself.
Talon was aware of all these things as he watched the old man move for the first time. He stood in one fluid and graceful movement and nimbly stepped up onto a knee-high boulder. Regardless of his appearance he moved as no old man Talon had ever seen before. He carried the staff but didn’t lean on it. He was dressed in flowing white robes and his hair had gone white. The stranger’s eyes were sea-grey and piercing, as though able to read the hearts of men.
Talon didn’t like the feeling that his thoughts and nature were being guessed and calculated as a smith might study the virtues of a particular type of metal, and yet his own glance did not falter.
“Greetings,” said the old man, and his voice was full and rich. It betrayed no sense of emotion, nor did it carry the sense of nervousness that might have been evident in someone waiting for concealed enemies to attack.
“Good morning,” answered Talon carefully, not sure where this conversation would lead but allowing the stranger to control it. It would go where he wished and thereby reveal his intentions.
The old man’s eyes shifted to Arell. “Good morning, Lady Arell. You are a long way from home, but travel will do you good. Getting out into the open air and riding in the mountains enriches the spirit.”
Arell smiled at the old man. She seemed to show no surprise that he knew her but Talon felt she would have indicated earlier if she had met him before.
The stranger’s gaze shifted back to him. “You are known as Talon, I believe. Not your real name of course, even as Chow was not your real father. Nevertheless, he treated you as his son, and passed on his teachings even as he would have done to his own flesh and blood. For this, and many other things of which you do not know, he was a good man.”
Talon was shocked but he showed no more surprise than did Arell.
“You’re rather well informed,” he said pleasantly, “but we have never met before, and that makes your knowledge quite interesting. How did you come by it?”
The old man smiled. “There are many ways to find things out. The means of discovering information are as varied as the types of information that can be sought. In other words, endless.”
“That is not much of an answer,” said Talon.
“I suppose not,” agreed the old man with equanimity. “Then again, it wasn’t much of a question.”
Talon heard Arell laugh behind him. He refused to look at her and his face hardened. “What do you wish from us? We don’t have much food but we can spare you a little. We can also give you advice. These mountains are alive with Goblins. The war drums are beating and the castle of Thromdar is besieged. It would be best for you to leave here at once. If I were you I would head south to the plains. There are isolated farmsteads and the plainsfolk will give you shelter and more food.”
“That would be good advice for most people, and I thank you for it, but I have other plans. I won’t trouble you for any food, but a drink would be good.”
Talon pulled out a flask from his saddlebags while the old man jumped off the boulder and reached up to accept it. He slowly drank his fill. As he did so, with seeming idleness, he tapped a tune on the flask with his fingers before handing it back.
Talon recognized it at once. It normally accompanied a Chung folksong and his curiosity about the old man was heightened.
“Just between us,” said the old man, “I rather like the plainsfolk. Theirs is a dangerous life. They live in isolation and must always be wary of Goblins and bandits, and yet they’re always hospitable to visitors. But the plains are not my destination. I journey now to Thromdar, besieged or otherwise, and I hope to reach it in time to offer help. It is in even graver peril than you know, and as you seek to help your homeland in one way, I now go to help it in another.”
Talon was completely taken aback by the old man’s revelations, but he did not to show it. “I hope we are both, in our own ways, beginning successful journeys. But just between us, as much as I would like to stay and talk with you, for I do not doubt that you could teach me many things, my need is pressing and I have no time to spare, even though I wish it.”