She set about tending Erik’s wound. From somewhere in the cluttered hut she produced a bag from which she fetched a small vial. Opening it, she poured the contents over the wound, and Erik gasped 52887_Shadow of a Dark.qxd 9/3/02 3:48 PM Page 109
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at the pain. Then he relaxed. She next pulled the cork from a flask of liquid and said, “Drink this.”
Erik obeyed and made a face. “It’s bitter.”
“Not as bitter as untimely death,” said Miranda.
She quickly finished tending Erik’s wound, placing a poultice over it and then bandaging it. By the time she was finished, Erik was asleep. Without another word she rose and left the hut.
Roo watched Erik sleep for a minute, then got to his feet and peeked outside. There was no sign of another person and he left the hut.
Looking around, he saw only the charcoal kiln smoldering and a pile of dog droppings from when the pack had been nearby, but otherwise the area was deserted.
“Hello there, love!” came a cheerful voice behind him, and Roo jumped. He turned to find Gert approaching with a pile of wood in her arms.
“Where is she?” asked Roo.
“Where is who?”
“Miranda.”
Gert stopped and made a face. “Miranda? Can’t say as I know any Miranda. When the soldiers left, I went to get more wood to burn, and haven’t seen any Miranda.”
“A young woman, about this tall”—he held his hand up a bit higher than his own head—“with dark hair, very pretty, came into the hut and tended Erik’s wound.”
“Pretty, you say?” Gert scratched her chin. “I think you must have been dreaming, boy.”
Roo took a step toward the hut, drew aside the hide door, and said, “Did I dream that?” He pointed to the fresh bandage on Erik’s shoulder.
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Gert stared at it. “That’s a puzzler, now, isn’t it, dearie?” She stood there a minute. “All manner of queer folk in the woods, though. Perhaps she was one of those elf creatures you hear of, or a ghost.”
Roo said, “She was the most flesh-and-blond ghost you’ll ever see. And she looked nothing like any elf I’ve heard of.”
He looked at Gert and saw her smiling; then her expression turned somber. “Well, some mysteries are best left alone. I’ve got wood to burn, so get back in there and take a rest. I have something to eat around here somewhere.”
Roo felt fatigue wash over him. “Rest is good,” he muttered, suddenly tired beyond belief. The thought of sharing a meal with Gert did nothing for his sense of well-being, but sleep was welcome. Reentering the hut, he was surprised he didn’t notice the stench this time. Must have gotten used to it, he thought.
Quickly he felt a heavy lethargy sweep over him.
Odd sounds intruded, but he found them difficult to identify. He lapsed into a deep sleep, ignoring the very busy sounds of preparation from outside.
A chattering from above caused Roo to sit upright, brushing leaves from his face. He looked around, then up, and saw the author of the scolding racket, a red squirrel defiantly challenging their right to be camped under his tree. Before Roo could clearly focus on the creature, it vanished around the bole.
Then he realized he was outside. He turned and saw Erik sleeping soundly, under a clean blanket, his chest rising and falling evenly, his color good. Roo looked down and saw he was likewise bundled against the night’s chill in another heavy blanket, and 52887_Shadow of a Dark.qxd 9/3/02 3:48 PM Page 111
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he felt behind him, to where his head had rested.
Like Erik’s, his head had rested on a travel bundle. His own was missing. He opened the new one, fearing he had been robbed. Inside, he discovered a clean tunic and trousers, a fresh pair of underdrawers and stockings, and at the bottom he found his money pouch. He quickly counted and was pleased to find his twenty-seven golden sovereigns and sixteen silver royals all there.
Roo stood, and found himself remarkably rested.
Of the charcoal burner’s hut there was no sign, not even ashes from the kiln. Roo felt he should have been alarmed by this, but he found himself amused and close to happy.
He knelt beside Erik and tried to examine the bandage. It was still clean and, if anything, looked as if someone had just changed it. He gently reached out and touched his friend on the arm. “Erik,” he said.
Erik came awake, blinking for a moment, then sat up. “What?”
“I wanted to see how you felt.”
Erik looked around. “Where are we? Last thing I remember . . .”
“A hut and an old woman?”
Erik nodded. “And someone else, too. But I can’t recall who.”
“Miranda,” said Roo. “She said that was her name, but old Gert said she knew nothing of her.”
Roo stood and extended his hand to Erik. Erik took it and let his friend pull him to his feet.
Expecting to be the worse for wear, Erik discovered he felt fairly fit.
“How’s the shoulder?”
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“Stiff,” he answered as he moved it experimentally. “But better than I thought it would be.”
Roo looked around. “There’s no hut, no kiln, no Gert, no nothing.”
Erik said, “And what are these?” He pointed to the two blankets and bundles on the ground.
“Someone was taking great pains to see we don’t freeze in the night, and they’ve given us clean clothing.”
Erik suddenly looked at the clothing he was wearing, and then pulled away his tunic and sniffed. “I should smell like a horse after a day in the field, but I don’t. And this shirt feels clean.”
Roo examined his own clothing. “You don’t suppose old Gert gave us a bath?” He found fear rising up rather than humor.
Erik shook his head. “I don’t know what to think.” Then he glanced around. “It’s about nine of the clock from the angle of the sun, so this day is a quarter over. We’d better get moving again; I don’t know why the soldiers didn’t find us in the hut, but they’ll come back and check again, I’m certain.”
“Check your bundle,” said Roo. “See what’s in it.”
Erik did as he was bidden and found his was packed much the same as Roo’s: fresh shirt and trousers, underdrawers, and stockings. Also there was a small loaf of hard bread, and a note.
He unrolled the tiny parchment and read aloud:
“You lads are safe for the time being. Make straight for Krondor and Barret’s Coffee Shop, Erik. You are now in our debt, Gert’s and mine. Miranda.”
Roo shook his head. “Running from the King’s justice and now we’re in debt to a pair of witches.”
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“Witches?”
“What else do you think?” said Roo, looking as if a demon were about to leap up from the earth and snatch him to hell. He glanced around, the color gone from his face. “Look at that! That’s the same low ridge we had to come down to reach the hut! There was a hut, and a kiln—now there’s no sign that anyone has ever been here.” He walked over to where the kiln had been. “There’s no soot, no ashes. Even if you moved the bloody damn thing, you couldn’t clean up this much.” He got down on one knee.
“There’s got to be something!” His voice was growing loud, as if he was becoming angry at discovering the hut and kiln missing. “Damn it, Erik! Someone stripped us, bathed us, cleaned our clothing, and dressed us again, and we never woke up. What else could it be but magic!” He rose and went over to Erik. He put his hands on his friend’s arms, and said,
“We’re trapped by a debt to two evil black witches.”
His voice continued to get
louder, and Erik realized anger was quickly turning into hysteria.
“Easy,” said Erik as he placed his hands on Roo’s shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. Moving to where the kiln had been, he looked quickly around.
“There’s nothing left to show we were ever here, that’s for certain.” He rubbed his chin. “Gert was no beauty, but I don’t remember anything about her that smacked of evil, Roo.”
“No one that ugly could be good, believe me,”
said Roo, his tone showing he was obviously not reassured by Erik’s judgment.
Erik smiled. “It’s a mystery and it makes my flesh crawl, too, but we were not harmed and I see no way anyone, witch or not, could force us to serve without 52887_Shadow of a Dark.qxd 9/3/02 3:48 PM Page 114
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our consent. I know little of this, but the priests claim you can only enter the service of dark powers willingly. I’ll not be obliged for a favor unasked for, should the price be a black deed.”
“Fine, you can sound like a litigation solicitor all you wish while demons are carrying you off to the Seven Lower Hells, but I’m making straight for a temple when we reach Krondor and asking for a protection!”
Erik shook Roo gently by the arm. “Take a breath and let’s be off. If you’re right, and we need protection, we still must reach Krondor first. They may think it likely we’re striking for the Vale of Dreams, but that patrol last night means they’re looking everywhere.”
Roo bent down to pick up the bundle and blanket, and as he folded the blanket, he noticed something.
“Erik?”
“Yes, Roo.”
“See that dog dung over there?”
Erik looked over, partly amused, and said, “What about it?”
“I noticed that last night when I went out to talk to Gert, but look at it now.”
Erik knelt and saw the dried droppings. “These are days old.” He started searching around and found a place where one of the horses had also relieved himself not too far away. “Three or four days, from the look of it,” he said after causing the horse dung to fall apart with a touch of his boot toe.
“We slept three or four days?”
“From the look of it,” Erik repeated.
“Can we leave now?”
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Erik smiled, but there was no humor in it. He picked up his blanket, folded it, and tucked it inside the bundle. Then he swung it over his shoulder, saying, “I think we’d best do so.’
Roo gathered together his new bundle, shoved the blanket inside in a haphazard fashion, and swung it over his back. Without another word, the two lads headed west.
Erik held up his hand. They had been traveling for three days, moving steadily westward through the woodland north of the King’s Highway. They avoided the occasional farm they encountered and lived off wild berries and the bread they had found in their bundles. Hard and chewy, it nevertheless provided surprising nourishment and kept them going. Erik’s shoulder was healing rapidly, far sooner than either young man thought possible.
They spoke little, fearing discovery, and fearing also to delve into the mystery of the charcoal burner’s hut. It had been the second day after leaving that they realized that both Gert and Miranda had known their names without either young man’s having mentioned them.
Toward sundown, a distant voice cried out, a wordless sound of pain. Erik and Roo exchanged glances and moved away from the narrow path they had followed.
Whispering, Roo said, “What’s that?”
“Someone’s hurt,” said Erik, his voice as low as his friend’s.
“What should we do?”
“Avoid trouble,” answered Erik. “That may be miles away. Sound carries funny out here.” Neither 52887_Shadow of a Dark.qxd 9/3/02 3:48 PM Page 116
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of them had been too far from their hometown as boys, so there was always some background sound of civilization, no matter how faintly heard: a voice calling across the vineyards, the sound of a wagon caravan moving down the distant King’s Highway, a woman singing while she washed clothing in a stream.
These woodlands were hardly wild, having been heavily forested over the years for lumber, but they were infrequently traveled and were therefore dangerous. Other lawbreakers besides Erik and Roo were likely to be hiding in the forest.
Erik and Roo moved along at a slow pace, reluctant to rush into danger. Near sunset they found a man lying on his back below a tree, a crossbow bolt in his chest. His eyes were rolled back into his head and his skin was cold.
Roo said, “It’s funny.”
“What’s funny?”
He looked at Erik. “We killed Stefan, but I never got a good look at him. This is the first dead man I’ve had a chance to look at.”
“Tyndal was the first for me,” said Erik. “Who do you think this is?”
“Was, you mean,” said Roo. “Soldier of some sort.” He indicated the sword held in loose fingers, and the small round shield still on the left arm. A simple conical helm with a barnasal lay a short distance away, having rolled off his head when the man fell.
Roo said, “There might be something useful here.”
“Stripping the dead is not to my liking,” answered Erik.
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Roo knelt next to the man and investigated the contents of a small pouch. “He won’t mind, and we can certainly use that sword.”
In the pouch he found six copper coins and a ring of gold. “This will be worth a bit,” he said.
“Looks like a wedding band,” observed Erik. The dead man was young, only a few years older than himself. “I wonder if it was intended for his sweetheart. Perhaps he was going to ask her to wed.”
Roo pocketed the ring. “We’ll never know. One thing for certain, he’s never going to get the chance to ask.” Roo took the sword and handed it hilt first to Erik.
“Why me?”
“Because I have my knife and I’ve never used a sword in my life.”
“Neither have I,” protested Erik.
“Well, if you need to, just swing it like your hammer and hope you hit someone. You’re strong enough, you should be able to do a lot of damage if you connect.”
Erik picked up the sword, then pulled the shield off the man’s arm and put it experimentally on his own. It felt alien, but he felt better for having it there.
Roo put the helm on his own head, and when Erik looked at him with a questioning expression, he said,
“You’ve got the shield.”
Erik nodded, as if this made sense, and the two set off, leaving the nameless man to the scavengers of the forest. The idea of burial was ignored, as they had no shovel and were concerned that whoever killed the man might still be around.
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nodded and began walking with a tiptoed exaggeration that would have been comic if Erik hadn’t been as badly frightened as his friend.
They almost walked past the man, but he shifted his weight and they heard the brush he hid in rustle.
Then a dull thud sounded as a crossbow bolt sped through the air and struck a tree nearby.
From a short distance away, a fearful voice shouted with false bravado, “I have enough bolts to fell an army, you bastard! You had better leave me alone, or I’ll do to you what I did to your friend.”
Then, from what seemed almost within touching distance, a voice shouted, “Leave your wagon and run, old man. I’ll not bother you, but I mean to have your cargo. You can’t stay awake forever, and if I set eyes on you again, I�
�ll cut your throat for what you did to Jamie.”
Erik could hardly act, he was so startled by the sound of the man’s voice so close. Roo looked at his friend, eyes wide in fright, and motioned that they should move away. Erik was about to nod agreement when a voice shouted, “Hey!”
Suddenly a man with a sword and shield stood up, less than six feet ahead of them. He saw Erik and Roo and leaped toward them, brandishing his sword as another bolt flew through the air, missing all three of them. Erik reacted. He blindly thrust with the sword, not intending to do more than push the fighter away. The man tried to parry, but he was expecting a feint, not a blind thrust, and Erik’s sword slipped along the man’s blade and the point took him in the stomach.
Both Erik and the man stared at each other with astonishment on their faces, then with what sounded like a faint “Damn” the man collapsed at Erik’s feet.
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Erik was rooted in shock, but Roo leaped away and for his trouble was almost impaled by another bolt. “Hey!” he yelped.
“Who is that?” asked a voice from beyond the brush.
Erik hazarded a look through the brush beyond the man he had just killed and saw a wagon sitting in a small clearing. Two horses stood in traces beyond it, and behind it a crouching figure waited.
“We’re not bandits!” cried Roo. “We just killed the man you were shooting at.”
“I’ll shoot you, too, if you come closer,” cried the man behind the wagon.
“We won’t come closer,” shouted Erik, a note of desperation in his voice. “We just blundered into this mess and we don’t want any trouble.”
“Who are you?”
Roo pulled on Erik’s sleeve. “We’re on our way to Krondor, looking for work. Who are you?”
“Who I am is no one’s business but my own.”
Roo got a familiar look, one Erik knew meant Roo was planning something that usually got both of them in trouble. “Look, if you’re a merchant traveling alone, you’re an idiot,” shouted Roo. He spoke now in a voice forced to ease. He looked green at the sight of the dead man. “If you’re out here, you must be a smuggler.”
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