by Taki Drake
I froze in place with an unexpected pang of sympathy. Unsure of would happen to create that feeling, I answered based on my gut reaction, saying, “Then I guess I have my runner. What will you need before you are ready to go?”
“I have everything I own on me. I am ready when you are.”
I nodded at him in approval, pleased with his ability to move so quickly. I turned and headed off toward Drelba’s home, tossing over my shoulder a comment directed at him, “If you wish, come with me. There may be something in my pack that would be useful for you on this trip.”
When we got back to Drebla’s house, we saw that she and several of the village women were rearranging the room to handle injuries. There were already three people there who had been bruised or more severely injured in the house damage that the Things had created.
The boy and I moved around the makeshift cots and the injured villagers carefully. Pulling my pack out from the corner where Drelba had pushed it out-of-the-way of her preparations, I pulled an extra pair of socks out and tossed them to the boy. “I suggest you put these on. I can tell that you do not have any inside of your shoes, and if you have to run, you are going to rip your feet up.”
Eyes large, the boy did as he was told. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see how his hand lingered over the softness of the socks and wondered briefly what he thought of them. Yanking my attention back to our preparations, I double-checked the contents of the backpack and shouldered it.
Quickly moving over to Drelba, I explained to her in a low voice what we had planned and inquired after Willow, who I did not see. “Is she all right? I know she probably is having a reaction to the adrenaline, but she got slammed around a lot by the Thing and probably is badly bruised.”
“I think she will be fine, but you are correct in that her ribs are quite bruised. She was shaking badly by the time I got her here. Rather than having her collapse while we might be dealing with injuries, I gave her something to drink and tucked her into bed.”
“If I am still gone when she wakes, please tell her again that I am proud of how brave she was.”
“I will do so, but I hope you will do your own explaining. After my vision, I do not expect you to get hurt on a walk in the dark with three friends.” Drelba smiled at me, and I returned her grin before I turned back to the boy and headed for the door.
Just as we moved out of the house, I heard Drelba call out, “Simon, I expect you to come back also. Stay healthy and listen to your leader.”
The boy flushed pale pink, and answered, “I will listen, Wisewoman.”
When the two of us returned to the open village square, I saw that the blacksmith and the farmer were waiting for me, accompanied by Faren. The older man was holding two packs, and I saw that both my waiting companions already had theirs.
Faren was the first one to speak, saying, “These are for you. Cheese and bread, as well as a few other things to chew, are packed in a sack, and a full skin of water is also included.”
“Thank you, and thank Kaz for me also.”
“What else do you think we should do while you are gone? I know how to organize the searches and so on, but you understand fighting and battles better than any of us.”
Thinking for a moment, I realized that several things should be done, even in the short time that I hoped we would be gone. Spitting out instructions in a rapid fire of ideas, I suggested, “Setting a watch should be a good idea. Scatter three or four people around the wall and have them watch for anything approaching from the outside.”
I waited until Faren acknowledged what I had said before continuing, saying, “Make sure that the break in the wall is protected. Sound the alarm if anything comes charging through. If I am gone longer than a couple of hours, change the people standing sentry because they will become tired and lose their alertness.”
The older man nodded an affirmation, responding in sentences that came just as quickly as mine, “The goatherd’s dogs will help with the animals, and perhaps some of them can help with guard duties. We know how to set watches. I have already got people trying to get the animals calmed down, although some of the goats have been more than a little testy. In fact, I just sent two people over to Drelba’s because one of the Billy goats decided to punish some of us for doing a poor job of protecting the herd.”
He smiled, and I laughed, picturing a big Billy goat slamming into someone and putting him on the ground before standing over them and lecturing them on how to be a responsible owner. It was a good picture to carry in my mind, one that would offset some of the bloodier ones that were currently residing there.
“That will be good. When I get back, I will try to get a little more organized, but I thought I would at least have a few days to think things out instead of not even being able to get to sleep before the village was attacked.”
Faren laughed, chuckling as he said, “Drelba told us that there would not be a lot of time. I am pretty sure that most of the villagers did not believe her, although I did. I am just glad that you came here, or things would have been much worse.”
I grinned back at him, balanced between keyed-up excitement and the relaxation of a tension I did not know was present. “I am glad also.”
I saw Faren’s expression change a split second before my hand was given a sharp nudge. Looking down in surprise, I met the eyes of the large black and white dog that had fought by my side. Trailing him were the small white terrier and a droopy-faced animal about halfway between the two in size.
Automatically, I let my hand rest on the head of the big dog and murmured, “Well met, battle companion. Are you volunteering also for the expedition?”
I heard the sound of sharp indrawn breaths, and I looked up to see the blacksmith and the farmer staring at me wide-eyed. When they did not say anything, I asked them outright, “What is the matter? This is the dog that fought by my side and two of the animals that protected the cowherd.”
Jedrek stumbled into speech, exclaiming, “That is the head dog of all the animals here in the village. No one touches him, but he is leaning against you.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “I have no idea why a dog does anything. All I know is that we fought the Things together, and he is a companion to rely on.”
Turning to Faren, I asked, “Who do I have to ask to get permission to take the dog with me?”
It was the farmer that answered, saying, “No one. That animal belongs to no one, and it seems like he has volunteered.”
Chapter 13 – Back Tracking
Impatient to get moving, I settled my pack and turned toward the opened gate, waving goodbye to Faren as we started moving quickly. Wordlessly, my three human companions followed me while our canine contingent spread out and acted as a scouting force.
We moved along the roadway until we had gotten far enough out of the village that we could cross over to intersect the path that the fleeing monsters had taken. Traveling at a steady lope, the dogs and I led the rest of our group along the crushed grass and brush across the flattened empty stalks of the harvested crops.
The smell of the Things still hung in the air, a cloud of noxious odor. I heard the blacksmith and the young boy gagging a bit, but there were no complaints, and no one had to stop to throw up.
The tracks of the two creatures showed that they were making no effort to hide their passage. The midsize dog ran with its nose close to the ground while the small one ran beside it, keeping watch as its bigger companion focused totally on the smell of our prey.
The large black and white dog sometimes trotted at my side, although he would dart out to one side or the other seemingly at random. All of our canine companions ran quietly. No howls or bays, no whimpers or whines. They do better than most of the scouts that I have known. I thought and then wondered where that comment had come from.
After two miles of fast travel, I slowed down and came to rest by the shore of a small lake. My companions were sorely in need of a break, and I knew better than to exhaust them at this p
oint. While the dogs swung outward in ever-widening circles, the blacksmith and the farmer bent over gasping for air and trying to get their breathing back under control.
Simon made sure that both men got something to drink and convinced them to move around slowly as to not stiffen up. He and I were the only people not out of breath, and I had to admit to myself that I was impressed by his stamina.
After a fifteen-minute break, we started moving again, although I set a slower pace in an effort not to exhaust Jedrek and Marek. Our progress was slower, but the two older of my companions seem to tolerate the speed a little bit better.
I was in no hurry to close up the gap between the two Things and us, especially since I had noticed that the blood trail had stopped. Since we did not see the corpse of one of the monsters, I knew that the wounds I had inflicted on them were either healing or had been bound up, and I did not want to lead my small group into an ambush.
The ground got rockier, and the trail became more challenging to follow, although the scent hound did not seem to be having a problem tracking our noisome prey. Estimating that we had traveled almost 5 miles away from the village, I called another halt as we came to a small knoll. Signaling my companions to hold up, I made my way to the top to peer carefully over the rise.
Keeping my body low to the ground and looking down, I saw the shimmer of moonlight off the water of a river, one that seemed to have a noticeable current. Checking for signs of activity, I saw nothing other than small animals moving in the underbrush.
I knew that if the monsters that we were tracking were present, the usual sounds of the night would be absent. After listening to the familiar background sounds for a few moments longer, I was comfortable in motioning my companions closer.
The rest of my party joined me at the top of the knoll, and each of them looked around quietly. All three of the dogs headed down the hill toward the lake, the midsize dog casting about for the scent. I saw his focus break as the tracks led directly into the water, and the animals stopped and sniffed both up and downstream.
Without any apparent words, the dogs split up with the largest animal heading upstream and the other two heading downstream. Looking over at my human companions, I remarked with a wry smile, “I think we need to wait for the scouts to come back and tell us what they find.”
Three answering grins shone in the reflective light of the moon as Marek, commented, “What is the use of having scouts if you do not listen to the reports?”
We waited in the quiet for another fifteen minutes or so until the dogs reappeared in front of us. Traveling on silent feet, they seemed to spring up out of the mist that had started to rise from the surface of the water.
The large black and white dog trotted up to me and, for the first time, whined. It was such a disappointed and frustrated sound that I was filled with empathy for an interrupted hunt. Petting the animal on the shoulder, I consoled him, saying, “That is okay. We have a pretty good idea of their direction, and we now know how fast they can travel. Let us just head for home now and make sure that the village is safe and secure. We can reevaluate tomorrow and make new decisions as required in the morning.” Even though I have been speaking to the animals, my human companions murmured their agreement.
Immediately, our group turned to head back. I could feel a sense of shared emotion, a mixture of satisfaction and frustration that covered each one of us like a blanket. Contented with our knowledge of their direction of travel and satisfied that we had caused significant damage to both of the raiders, I was also frustrated. As much as I wanted to feel that something was accomplished with this fight, the niggling feeling of a battle left incomplete scraped my nerves and made me irritable.
I did not know if it was hubris that was driving me. Perhaps it was leftover feelings of invincibility that, left unchecked, would have gotten one of my companions or me killed. It is better that we did not have another battle tonight. None of us are in warrior form. These men have never fought, and I am still recovering from injuries. Better we live to fight another day.
It was another two and a half hours before we made it back to the village. The return trip was slower because exhaustion had caught up with us, and the call of the chase no longer powered our limbs.
As we came up to the village walls, I was pleased to hear the challenge of the sentries. “Who are you, and what do you wish here?” came a disembodied voice from beyond the wall.
Jedrek stepped forward, growling, “Donnie, do not give me any of that crap. You know damn well who we are.”
“Jedrek, I am just doing what I was told to do. They said everybody needed to be challenged.”
Quickly I intervened, rather than having a senseless argument or fight start. “You did exactly right, Donnie. We are just exhausted because we followed the trail for nearly 5 miles. That means, on top of everything else, we have traveled ten miles tonight, and all of us are ready for rest.”
Another voice, younger and a little shaky, said, “Faren wanted to know as soon as you arrived. He said he would meet you at Drelba’s.”
Voicing my appreciation for the message, we passed through the small gap by the open gate into the village proper. I bid my companions a good night, or whatever term would label the short amount of time we had to sleep. Each of them promised to come back in about six hours, meeting me at the inn so that we could go over what we had seen while tracking the fleeing monsters.
The blacksmith decided he was going to accompany me to Drelba’s before he found his own rest. Jedrek and the three dogs trailed me back to the Wisewoman’s house. Before I could knock on the door, it was wrenched open, and Drelba’s relieved face greeted me. “Thank goodness you are all right! Come in and sit down. You too, Jedrek. I have a warm drink for each of you that will help with your muscles, and then both of you need to get some rest as soon as possible.”
I stumbled a little bit as I walked into the main room, realizing that I was close to the wall of exhaustion. I noticed that the injured people were all gone, and the chamber had been put back to order.
I was touched when I saw my bedding already on the couch. With some degree of amusement, I also noticed that the small table had been moved back by the couch in the exact position for me to leave my two swords and that the room was warm and welcoming with a lit fire and warming blankets.
Jedrek dropped with a sigh of relief onto one of the kitchen chairs that had been pulled over by the couch. I sank into the couch cushions and felt more than saw the large dog curl up on the ground beside me. The other two animals stretched out by the fire with soft whimpers of pleasure.
Smiling at the thought that my teammates were safe, I leaned over to try to remove my boots with a weary sigh, but my cold and tired hands could not seem to coordinate with the resisting leather of my footwear.
“Here, drink this.”
Drelba shoved a mug in my hands, and as I grabbed it, she bent over and pulled my boots off of my feet. Nearly groaning in relief, I drank deeply of the hot tea, feeling it soothe my roughened throat. The pounding of my heartbeat immediately calmed down, and I must have dozed off.
Yanked back to consciousness by the sound of Faren’s voice, I heard him say, “I just needed to see for myself that you are all right. Tomorrow in the afternoon, we should meet and discuss what is going to happen. Until then, please get some rest. We will keep the watch going, and you can figure out what else we need to do when you wake.”
I blearily nodded at him before leaning back onto the couch and closing my eyes. I heard Faren drag the blacksmith to his feet and promise to escort him home to where his sisters were waiting.
I felt the soft touch of the large dog’s nose as he checked me, and heard Drelba call to him and the other animals, “There are warm bran and chunks of meat for you boys over here. Leave the poor man alone to sleep. He is not going anywhere for a while.”
My body was sliding to the side, and I felt two small hands lift my legs onto the couch. As I felt the soft touch of a blanket
drop over me, I heard the Wisewoman’s voice say, “You have done well this night. Sleep deeply and dreamlessly, my friend.”
My eyes were closed, and my consciousness slipped down into a pit of darkness and disappeared.
Chapter 14 – Regroup
When I finally woke up, the day was well advanced, and I realized that noises head been going on around me for quite some time. The clatter of dishes alerted me to look over to the kitchen table where I saw that Willow and Drelba had laid out plates for three.
The subdued chewing sounds and the scrape of heavy crockery on the floor drew my attention to the corner of the kitchen closest to the fireplace. There I saw my three canine companions finishing the food in their bowls and was relieved to see that Drelba and Willow had not forgotten them.
Stumbling to my feet with a groan, I headed for the washing area and got myself cleaned up. Changing into one of the other sets of clothes that I had packed, I felt almost alert as I came back into the kitchen just in time to see a rich stew being spooned out and fresh bread being cut.
Suddenly grabbed with gut-clenching profound hunger, I realized that my body thought that I was starving. My stomach was announcing to the rest of my body that it had been abused for too long and was not willing to take that torture any longer. Drelba and Willow watched as I ate and drank until my body’s rebellion was quieted. Pushing back with a sigh of repletion, I said, “That was wonderful. Thank you so much for the meal.”
Drelba’s voice was dry as she said, “I think thanks are going the wrong way. You saved our village from a loss that would have been difficult for us to absorb, and you kept my apprentice from being abducted or killed.”
My gaze crossed Willow’s, and the girl's pink cheeks told me that she was still embarrassed by what happened the previous night. Trying to put as much truth in my eyes as I could, I said, “Willow, you were courageous. I would have been far less effective if you had not gotten my weapons for me when I needed them. Thank you for being such a good battle companion.”