Dark Times

by Brian Murray

  “You know it’s just Zane. We don’t have such formalities here,” the young king corrected her.

  There was another soft knock on the door. A maid entered, carrying a tray containing a jug of wine and another of cool water. The young woman placed the tray on the table, bowed to her liege, and left the room.

  “We have a plan,” started Zane, leaning forward on his desk.

  The servant quietly closed the door behind her, leaving the group to discuss their strategies.

  ***

  Marley continued to travel towards Teldor with two of his scouts, with no idea how the rest of his company were doing. They reached the farm where they were to change their mounts. Marley rode his weary horse to the house and the farmer opened the door.

  “Are the horses ready?” asked Marley, his voice gravely.

  “Aye. I’ve the six horses you purchased round the back.”

  “My companions have not arrived yet?”

  “No, you’re the first,” answered the farmer, walking towards the stables.

  The other two scouts followed the farmer while Marley dismounted and gazed towards the east. He was worried about his other men. With a forlorn shrug, he walked his tired horse to the stable where the fresh mount waited for him. The three Royal Lancer scouts changed their horses, obtained some fresh supplies, and were on their way within half an hour.

  Before departing, Marley advised the farmer to leave his home and move north for a time. The farmer replied that he had been herding horses and cattle in that very spot for his entire life, and would not leave. Marley informed the farmer of the army coming towards them, but did not tell him of the nature of the force. The farmer told Marley such an army would need farmers and he saw no danger. Without further discussion, Marley bade the farmer farewell and struck out southwest, towards Teldor.

  ***

  Dax, Thade, Tanas, and Gan-Goran made their way towards Dashnar Forest, following the destruction left by the Dread. The tracks were so wide and the ground churned so deeply, the men could only imagine the size of the army they pursued. By nightfall, they reached the edge of the Dashnar Forest and stopped. They camped in a small clearing surrounded by dense undergrowth and tall gnarled trees, only a stone’s throw from the great forest itself.

  The men had a discussion about which route to take next; they could follow the tracks around the forest or to save time venture through the dense woodlands. They were trying to decide whether to overtake the army or continue following it. The group, excluding Gan-Goran, had recently travelled through the forest. The last time they had gone through they had been attacked by several Talon Hunters and only just survived. During the fight, the Talon Hunters had virtually wiped out a company of Royal Lancers. But the men had to make up time to catch the force. They decided to go through the woodlands, and hoped none of the beasts lurked among the trees.

  After making the decision, Dax looked round the group and noticed Tanas cocking his head to one side as he listened to the sounds of the night. Dax silently rose, moved across the clearing, and hunkered down next to the blind warrior.

  “What is it?” he whispered.

  “There’s someone moving just the other side of the undergrowth,” announced Tanas.

  “Man or creature?”

  “One man, I think.”

  Dax rose again and nodded towards Thade, who rose and followed him, while Tanas crawled into the undergrowth.

  Gan-Goran was unaware of the men’s movements. He rummaged in his pack to see what supplies he had. He turned. “I don’t . . . ” The master-magiker did not finish his sentence.

  The clearing was empty except for the quiet horses. Gan-Goran cursed under his breath and reached for his staff. He heard a rustling of branches and leaves, then a muffled thud. Dax walked into the clearing, carrying a body slung over his shoulder. He placed the body on the ground, then strode away from the clearing. Gan-Goran looked at the body, then to where Dax merged with the undergrowth. Slowly, he walked forward. The body unexpectedly came to life, moaned, and slowly sat up rubbing its head. Using his staff, Gan-Goran pushed the intruder’s hood back. He stood back as if slapped in the face. A woman’s long dark hair tumbled free and wafted in the breeze.

  “What are you staring at?” snapped the woman, still rubbing her head.

  “You’re . . . ”

  “Here stands Mister Observant. Yes, I am a woman. So whatever you and your friends are going to do, do it quickly and let me be on my way.”

  “But . . . ”

  At that moment, Dax walked from the undergrowth in front of Gan-Goran but behind their prisoner. “He seemed to be on his own,” announced the old warrior.

  “He’s a she, Dax,” Gan-Goran informed him, nodding towards the captive.

  Dax’s mouth dropped open.

  The woman nimbly rose to her feet and turned to face the warrior. Boldly, she walked up to Dax and without any warning kicked him hard on his shin. Dax yelled in pain, hopping around on one leg. The woman made a break for it and leapt into the undergrowth. After a moment, there was another dull thud, followed by more rustling leaves and branches.

  “Bloody wench!” bellowed Dax angrily. The older warrior hopped around the clearing in pain as Tanas emerged from the undergrowth carrying the woman over his shoulder.

  Thade was the last to reach the clearing and he could not help roaring with laughter, as Dax skipped about, clutching his shin.

  “What’s wrong?” asked the former gladiator, trying desperately to stop laughing.

  “That bloody woman,” snapped the older warrior menacingly.

  “Woman? What woman?” asked Tanas innocently.

  “The one you’re carrying,” hissed Dax with venom.

  “Aye, a woman,” said Gan-Goran softly. “Bring her here and let me look at her.”

  Tanas, now worried he had hurt the woman, quickly carried her to Gan-Goran and eased her to the ground. Gan-Goran examined the woman’s head and found two small lumps where Dax and Tanas had hit her.

  “You,” said Gan-Goran, pointing at Dax and Tanas, “you had better go and get some more firewood. I’ll need to treat the woman here; her breathing is ragged and she has two large lumps from your bashing.”

  The men paused and Dax peered at the woman in the dim light.

  “NOW!” yelled Gan-Goran. Dax turned to Tanas, tugged his jerkin, and cursed as they left the clearing to find firewood.

  “What shall I do?” asked Thade softly.

  Gan-Goran glared up at Thade and shook his head. “Get some water, I need to treat the woman, then cook a hot meal.”

  Thade did not need telling twice. He felt uncomfortable in the clearing and left with a couple of empty water skins and a pot. Meanwhile, Gan-Goran took a deep breath, squatted down, and rubbed his old leathery hands together. He removed the woman’s cloak. Underneath she wore a simple woollen jumper and leather leggings. She was young, with long, flowing dark hair streaked with gold. He closed his eyes and placed his hands on her head. Uttering words of healing, his hands started to glow golden, and the woman moaned. Gan-Goran held the woman’s head for several minutes, his hands glowing brighter.

  Finally, the old master-magiker opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He was not as tired as he thought he would be. The innate magic in the woodlands was strong. He peered down at the woman and re-examined her wounds. The lumps had disappeared and her breathing had evened. Satisfied with his work, the old man rose from his position with a grunt and moved to his pack. He returned and carefully placed a blanket over the woman, and another under her head for a pillow.

  Dax and Tanas returned to the clearing with some firewood and silently prepared a fire. Thade returned with water and directed the others to the stream where they could wash. Dax and Tanas left the camp while Gan-Goran busied himself with the evening meal. Thade tended to the horses, rubbing them down again and giving them some feed. Gan-Goran left the clearing to forage for some root vegetables to add to his stew, leaving Thade alone with
the stranger.

  The woman groaned, then slowly sat up, rubbing her head. Realisation struck her. She became instantly alert, frantically pulling what she thought was her cloak around her body.

  “How do you fare?”

  The woman looked around to the voice and saw a tall man walking towards her, with his long dark hair wet clinging to his broad shoulders. The young man crouched down in front of her. She could see the man’s broad friendly smile and stormy-grey eyes in the firelight. She hoped he was as kind as he was handsome.

  “What do you intend to do with me?”

  “Nothing,” replied Thade, frowning.

  The woman struck out at Thade, but he blocked the blow and grabbed her wrist. “Tut, tut. That’s not very polite. My name is Thade.”

  “I don’t care to know your name,” said the woman, tugging and freeing her wrist. “Do what you must with me, then let me be.” The woman lay back, pushing the blanket from her body, and rested her head on the folded blanket that was her pillow. “I will not struggle.”

  Thade jerked up as though slapped, and fell back, landing on his rump. “Ma’am, I would not . . . ”

  At that point Gan-Goran returned to the clearing, cursing the lack of vegetables to be found. “What’s going on?” asked the old man, looking at the pair.

  Thade looked at the old man with relief, scrambled to his feet, and stood behind the master-magiker. “I believe she thinks we mean to harm her. Take advantage of her, you know . . . ”

  Gan-Goran chuckled at Thade’s discomfort and shuffled over to the woman. “My friends would never intentionally harm you, my dear. Let me introduce myself. I’m Gan-Goran and my young friend over there is Thade.”

  The woman sat up and pulled the blanket around her again. “You mean not to harm me?”

  “Ma’am, we’ve been through a lot and we would not have attacked you if we knew you were a woman,” explained Gan-Goran.

  At that moment, Dax and Tanas returned to the clearing, half-dressed following their wash. “Is the wench alive?” asked Dax.

  “I’m not a wench, you oaf,” snapped the woman, the fire returning to her eyes.

  “Like all women, a tongue of fire,” said Dax. He continued to curse as he walked towards his horse to fetch his pack.

  Tanas, who had removed his scarf from his eyes and tucked it into his pocket, walked up to the woman, and hunkered down next to her, smiling. “My name is Tanas and my older friend over there is Dax. I’m sorry for hitting you, I did not know you were a woman.”

  “Are you blind?” snapped the young woman, rolling her eyes with exasperation.

  “Well actually, yes,” answered Tanas, smiling broadly. The woman peered at Gan-Goran for reassurance.

  “He’s quite blind, ma’am,” confirmed Gan-Goran, who then busied himself by the fire, making a stew.

  Tanas cocked his head to one side and asked, “What is your name?”

  The woman thought to lie, but for some reason she could not. “My name is Jill, wife of Scott from Ubert.”

  “You’re from Ubert?” asked Dax, now interested in the woman.

  “Yes.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Commander Waid evacuated all of the women and children from the outpost and sent us to the great forest. There was some kind of threat to the outpost, but I do not know from what or whom. Have you come from Ubert?”

  Dax looked at the others in the group, who had stopped what they were doing. “How many of you are there?”

  “About sixty women and children. Have you news from Ubert?” repeated the woman, searching the men’s faces. As she made eye contact with them, they would bow their heads to avoid her stare. She looked back at Dax, who approached her. He knelt down next to the woman, leant in close, and whispered softly to her. Tears welled in her eyes. She stared into the older warrior’s violet eyes for the signs of a jest—but there was none. She shook her head. Dax leant forward and pulled the woman into an embrace. Her tears flowed silently and she gripped Dax for comfort.

  After a while, Dax eased the woman from him. “Where are the others?” he asked.

  “They are hiding in the great forest. I was on my way back to Ubert to see if there was any word. We were running low on supplies. The town elders had taken our only wagon to journey back to Ubert. Have you seen them? You must have passed them while travelling here.”

  “We passed a wagon about a few hours east from here. All of the travellers were . . . well they had been killed,” explained Dax softly.

  Jill looked down at her hands and rubbed them together, hoping her emotions would not spill over. “Oh,” she finally managed to say.

  Dax looked at the others and nodded. “Go get the other women and children.”

  Tanas and Thade nodded to the older warrior.

  “They’re west of here in a clearing just in the forest. I will go with you,” said the woman, rising. She stood and wobbled on uneasy legs.

  “You are still suffering from the blows to your head. I have healed the physical wounds, but the effects will not pass as fast. You cannot travel yet,” said Gan-Goran.

  “They will be scared of your men. They may think they’re the raiders or even slavers.” Jill thought for a moment. “When you reach them, ask for a woman named Rita. When you meet her, tell her you’ve seen Jill and tell her . . . tell her, ‘Jill says your cooking is terrible’. She will know that only came from me.”

  Thade smiled at the remark. “I cannot say that.”

  “If you do, she will believe I’m safe and it will be fine to travel with you.”

  Thade nodded and with Tanas readied their mounts. “How far?”

  “You will reach them pretty quickly,” commented the woman.

  Dax walked over to Gan-Goran. “We need to make more stew for the toddlers. I will go and hunt for more meat.” Gan-Goran nodded to him, then Dax silently left the clearing to hunt. Soon, the only two left in the clearing were Gan-Goran and Jill.

  “How bad is Ubert?” asked Jill, moving close to the old man.

  Gan-Goran stopped what he was doing and gazed into the woman’s large brown eyes. “Nothing survived. A force not of these lands attacked the outpost. Let’s leave it at that. We were attacked twice and have followed the army here.”

  “We saw an army pass the great forest a few nights ago. They did not look like men, except for those who rode huge horses.”

  “Forget about them for the time being—they have passed us and will not return.”

  Jill just nodded, swallowing down more tears. “Anything I can do?”

  Gan-Goran smiled at the woman. Seeing her relax, he asked her to help ready the root vegetables while he went foraging for more.

  ***

  Thade and Tanas made their way west towards the great forest. There was little conversation as they prepared themselves for whatever might come. There could be a rear guard from the Dread lingering near the forest. Tanas had tied his scarf back over his eyes and rode slowly towards the edge of the forest. At the tree line, the men dismounted and tethered their horses, as the undergrowth was too thick to ride any farther.

  Silently, the two men entered the forest.

  CHAPTER 13

  As Thade and Tanas made their way through the thick undergrowth, a shrilling scream ripped through the still, muggy air. Thade looked at Tanas, who already had split his quarterstaff to reveal his two swords. Thade drew his weapons. The pair now hurried through the forest towards the sound. They got closer and heard soft whimpering and someone saying soothing words. Tanas emerged from the undergrowth first, into the clearing where the women and children of Ubert slept.

  ***

  Dax returned to the clearing where Gan-Goran and Jill were busying themselves by the campfire. He had snared several rabbits and a few game birds. Gan-Goran’s eyes lit up and he took the bundle from the warrior.

  “Don’t just stand there, help me prepare the rabbits,” snapped Jill.

  “Like fire, I tell you,”
muttered Dax, smiling, thinking fondly of Cara.

  ***

  Tanas entered the clearing. Seeing the stranger, a child screamed at the top of her voice. Startled, Tanas crouched low and crossed his short swords across his chest. There was movement all around him but he could not strike out, there were women and children present. He rolled his wrists to reverse his swords and stabbed them into the ground. “I mean you no harm!” called the blind warrior.

  In the confusion, a small child dressed in rags ran straight towards Tanas. The child jumped at Tanas and flung thin arms around his neck. Long, flailing braided hair slapping him in the face, and a ripped dress, told Tanas the child was a girl. The force of the girl’s leap caused the blind warrior to roll backwards and fall onto his rump. He could feel the girl’s warm tears as she sobbed into his neck. He held the girl and carefully rose to his feet.

  At that moment, Thade entered the clearing. The women and children huddled together, their eyes wide, waiting for the worst. Seeing their confusion and fear, he sheathed his weapons.

  “Please do not hurt the child,” pleaded one of the women, staring at Tanas.

  Confused, Thade looked around and saw Tanas walking towards him, holding a small child. Tanas shrugged his shoulders and smiled embarrassingly at the former gladiator.

  Realisation struck Thade. “We are here to help,” he announced, and then he remembered what Jill had told him. “Who is Rita?”

  A woman holding a child rose silently. Other women were telling her to sit down, but the woman stepped forward. “I’m Rita.”

  “I’ve a message from Jill. I cannot believe I have to say this but here goes . . . She said to tell you that your cooking is terrible.” Thade paused. “We’re here to help you and to take you to our camp where we have hot food, and Jill is waiting.”

  The woman named Rita handed her child to another woman and walked boldly to Tanas. “Give me the child.” To the child she said soothingly, “Come, Geena.”

  The child looked at Rita and then reached out for her.