by R. E. Palmer
Aldorman continued. ‘Thank you, ma’am. In my judgment, your knights would be better deployed at the eastern edge. If any of the rascals try to head back to Drunsberg, my men can stop them in their tracks.’
Elodi nodded. ‘Yes, Aldorman, that makes for a better use of the knights.’
Ruan leaned on his elbows. ‘And what of the north?’ Elodi saw Gundrul nudge the man under the table. Ruan added. ‘Ma’am. What if they choose to leave north?’
Elodi waved her hand. ‘Let them flee back over the border, we don’t have the numbers to cover all the ways out of the wood. But if possible, I want to prevent them heading east back to Drunsberg.’
‘Does that mean no prisoners, ma’am?’
Elodi exhaled. ‘Yes, I’m afraid it does.’
Ruan laughed. ‘That won’t worry my men. They’ve all lost a brother or friend to this lot on our side of the mountains.’
Gundrul agreed. ‘And trust me, ma’am. The Ruuk didn’t take the men from Drunsberg prisoner for their good health. They know our guards are trained to be loyal, and if they can corrupt that and turn them against us…’ He sighed. ‘If we’re to win this battle, I’m afraid we’ll have to fight dirty.’
Elodi stood. ‘Then so be it. Aldorman? Please take Sea Mist with you. I shall march with Gundrul.’ All four pushed back their chairs. She stood tall. ‘As leader of the realm, my place is at the front, and that is where I intend to be. I shall leave you to work out the finer points of the preparations.’ She turned to leave, then stopped. ‘For too long, this dark place has been a blight on our land. Tomorrow, at first light, we will take it back.’
Outside, the cold air reached deep into her chest. Elodi strode in the gloom through the run-down buildings of the village, many without roofs. Through the windows she could see the men of Broon sitting in circles, having lit small fires beneath their shields so as not to alert the enemy of their position. The smell of freshly cooked meat filled the air, but she had no appetite. She reached Gundrul’s young guards sitting with her own small force. They had taken the hint from Ruan’s experienced soldiers and also cooked, but the flickering light from their flames exposed their worried faces at the thought of their first proper fight. She stopped to watch them, unaware of her presence. They would have heard the stories of the wood and tomorrow they would enter at her behest. She knew they would not question her orders and would willingly follow their captains into the unknown. Elodi turned away and walked at pace to the outskirts of the settlement, keeping her eyes straight ahead.
At the gate, she came across two of her men on watch. She nodded to them and whispered. ‘I need some space to think.’ She pointed to a nearby tree. ‘I’ll be over there.’
‘Don’t go too far, ma’am. We can’t vouch for your safety beyond the line of trees.’
‘Be assured, I won’t.’ Elodi made it to the tree and stepped around the trunk out of sight. Her legs gave way. She slumped against the tree, covered her face and sobbed. The plan had to work. Elodi saw no other way to defend her people against the growing threat. But if she failed, more than just the lives of those directly under her command would be at stake. It had to work. She shut her eyes tight to stem the flow of tears — it had to work.
32. Shadows in the Woods
Had it been two days, three days, possibly more? Toryn lay slumped against the knotted roots digging in his back, but he no longer cared, he barely noticed the discomfort. His stomach had learned to tolerate the fare of stale bread and bitter water. He even welcomed Dohl’s daily visit. The old man spoke mostly to himself, but Toryn took comfort hearing another voice that did not whisper dark tidings. But this morning had offered a faint hope. Dohl had spoken of events drawing the lady’s attention to the outskirts of the wood, distracting her from preparations for some, as yet unknown act.
A shadow appeared under the door. A chill ran up Toryn’s spine as a dark shape passed across the crack in the door. The bolt shifted. The door creaked ajar. He shuffled back against the earthen wall, squinting into the narrow sliver of yellow light. A large head peered around the edge, tilting as it sniffed the air. Toryn held his breath. Long fingers grasped the top of the door. The light grew as the hand pushed. A stooped figure stood on the other side, with long, scrawny arms and short legs. A cobtroll! It had to be. Toryn’s empty stomach clenched. The creature dropped onto its hands and crawled towards him, still sniffing the air. Its rasping breath filled the dank cell with a sickly, sweet odor. Toryn twisted in his chains, shut his eyes and pressed his cheek against the wall. A finger touched his foot, more followed as they crept up and wrapped around his ankle. It pulled, gently at first, then with more force.
The door creaked and Dohl sauntered in. ‘Chain him up, Dohl, unchain him, Dohl.’ The cobtroll’s clammy fingers released Toryn’s ankle. Dohl grunted. ‘What the—? Hey! Get you gone. Go on, hop it. Back to your work.’ Toryn heaved a sigh. He croaked a thanks, but Dohl seemed not to hear his gratitude. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. He fumbled with the chain above Toryn’s head. ‘Untie him, Dohl. Bring him here, take him there. Dress him for a journey. How would they manage without old Dohl?’ Dohl lifted Toryn’s arms and tore off what remained of his tattered shirt. He took an old sack off his shoulder and pulled it over Toryn’s head. The rough cloth irritated his wounds, but it felt thicker and would at least keep him warm.
The old man stepped back. ‘Ha! Wouldn’t your mother be proud if she could see you now.’ Dohl looked Toryn in the eye for the first time. When he spoke, his voice had softened, sounding like Hamar. ‘I hope I’m gone before the world changes.’ His mouthed curled. ‘She knows, she knows what’s coming.’ His face changed back to the Dohl, Toryn had come to know. He grunted and tugged on the chain. ‘Untie him, Dohl, bring him, take him, Dohl.’ Toryn grabbed the ring biting into his throat, stumbled forward and staggered to his feet. His legs felt weak after days of sitting. He wobbled as Dohl slung the chain over his shoulder and hauled Toryn from the cell as if leading a stubborn donkey.
Toryn blinked in the corridor's torchlight. His shoulder scrapped against rough, stone walls as Dohl dragged him passed doors leading to more cells. The old man stopped, Toryn bumped into him and fell back. Dohl mumbled as he unlocked a gate and heaved it open. More torches lit a short staircase fashioned from dirt and planks. Dohl groaned as he slowly climbed, staying one step ahead of Toryn on his faltering legs. They emerged from underground into cooler, but not fresher air. Ruuk ran in all directions, shouting commands, carrying torches in the gray light of morning or evening, Toryn could not tell.
‘You took your time, old man.’ Toryn recognized Grebb’s voice. ‘Get a move on. Put him in the cart.’
‘Chain him, unchain him, put him in the cart, Dohl.’
‘And make it fast, Dohl. There’s hundreds of them with big, sharp spears coming for you, Dohl. So, buck up. They’ll be here in less time it takes you to piss.’ Grebb grabbed Dohl’s shoulder. ‘That means this place will be swarming with the blighters in an hour.’ Grebb smirked. ‘And trust me, they’ll run you through ‘til you look like a huckle, then toss you to their dogs.’
Dohl blinked as if waking and trying to remember where he was. He straightened and nodded behind Grebb. ‘What about her? She’ll stop ‘em dead in their tracks.’
‘Nah, not interested. Brought forward plans to make the move. Unless you’re going to stand up and stop them dead in their tracks all by yourself.’ He yelled in his face. ‘I suggest you bloody move!’ He tugged Dohl’s ragged cloak. ‘This way. And make it fast.’
Dohl slumped. He grumbled and shuffled a few steps. Grebb snatched the chain. ‘Forget it. I’ll do it.’ He laughed. ‘You go and pack your best clothes for the big trip, eh.’ Dohl snarled, threw up his arms and hobbled a few steps before jolting to a standstill. His head turned and looked up to something out of Toryn’s sight. Dohl cried out as his body shook with a force that should have snapped his bones.
Grebb noted Toryn’s shock. �
��Don’t you worry about him. It’s the lady having a quiet word.’ Grebb pulled the chain, but Toryn stumbled to a halt as he saw what caught Dohl’s attention. Before him rose a gnarled, wooden tower as if spawned by the defiled earth. A circle of torches at its base threw flickering shadows up the twisted structure as it climbed to dominate the surrounding trees. Toryn stared in disgust, unsure its deformity resulted from untold years of wind and driving rain, or the malice of its inhabitant. Flat, dark mushrooms the size of plates grew up the lower reaches, but not the kind you would want to eat. Patches of gray lichen covered much of the walls up to its pointed top of entwined branches. Toryn balked at the abomination formed by the corruption of once beautiful trees, but he could not tear his eyes away from the sinister structure.
More Ruuk arrived at the tower. One led a tall, black stallion. The horse stopped in front, showing obvious disdain for those rushing to form a line behind it. Toryn fell forward as Grebb tugged hard on the chain. ‘No time to admire the view, boy. But don’t you worry, there’ll be plenty more to see where you’re going.’
Another approached. His voice trembled. ‘She’s ready to leave, Captain.’
Grebb stiffened. ‘You don’t say.’
The squat Ruuk fidgeted with his sword belt. ‘What about the prisoners?’
Grebb shrugged. ‘Leave ‘em. They’ll slow us down and I doubt they’ll be much use to the enemy by now.’
‘Shall I torch the cages?’
Grebb thought for a moment. ‘No, leave them to suffer. They’ll serve as a message to anyone who thinks they can mess with us.’
The Ruuk nodded at Toryn. ‘We taking this one?’
Grebb jiggled the chain. ‘Someone seems keen to meet this runt.’ He pulled him close and peered into his face. Toryn tried to resist, but had neither the strength or the will. Grebb jeered. ‘Can’t think why. He looks about as useful as Dohl on a bad day.’
The shouting ceased. The Ruuk forming into line shrunk back as the air chilled and darkened. Toryn’s skin crawled, but he noticed the horse was unfazed. His temples throbbed as a door at the foot of the tower creaked open. A tall, cloaked figure stood behind. Toryn wanted to both look and turn away; his eyes stayed fixed on the tower. He squinted. The air around the dark creature either flickered, or his eyes played tricks. The lady turned. It was not his eyes. The air swirled, distorting her outline and leaving tendrils groping into the space about her like dark blood seeping from a wound into water. A cold claw clenched and squeezed his heart. Within the churned air above her, three floating figures took shape. Three hideous beings with burning, black eyes set in gaunt faces, coiled their distorted bodies around each other like eels in a bucket vying for clear water. Long strands of straggly hair thrashed about their misshapen heads as they twitched side to side as if searching for prey. Grebb’s hold on the chain tightened as they both froze.
None dared to move as the lady made her way to the horse and rose effortlessly into the saddle. The stallion set off with the three forms, maintaining their vigil over their mistress. Toryn let out the air in his chest, relieved the procession would not pass by him. Grebb remained on guard. He hissed in Toryn’s ear. ‘For your people’s sake, lad, you’d better hope this Archon of yours is strong. There’s three of them kind in this land.’ He gestured with his thumb. ‘Her on the horse, she goes by the name, Uleva, and from what I’ve heard, she’s not the one you need to worry about.’
33. Dark Dawn Rising
‘Burn it. Burn the whole rotten settlement to the ground.’ Elodi removed her helmet and shook out her damp hair. She glanced around the array of dilapidated wooden buildings inside the barricade. The evil may have fled, but the stench still clung to the air. In training, Elodi detested wearing armor, feeling it restricted her movement, but today she welcomed the extra layer of protection. She turned to Gundrul. ‘For too long this evil has blighted what was once, I am led to believe, a fair place.’ She resisted the urge to spit out the foul taste in her mouth. ‘And when it’s burned down, take the ashes out of the wood and bury them, bury them deep. Perhaps the trees will flourish once we’ve rid them of the contamination.’
Gundrul’s nose wrinkled. ‘And what of the prisoners, ma’am? They’re in a bad way. Can’t get them to eat or drink no matter how hard we try.’
Elodi’s heart went out to the men huddled together in the clearing. ‘Get them to the healers at Calerdorn as soon as you can. We can use Ruan’s supply wagons, and those they’ve left behind.’ She made a face. ‘But clean them first. Who knows what foul purpose they’ve served.’ Gundrul called over two of his men and gave the orders.
Cubric strode towards them. He had a finger in his ear, still scratching out the dried mud. He attempted to smile at Gundrul, but it came across as a grimace. ‘My plan worked! Our swift advance must have scared them off, eh.’
Elodi nodded. ‘A good plan to be sure, but I don’t think we scared them.’
Gundrul held out his hands. ‘Look about you, Cub. They easily matched our numbers judging by the footprints. And I’d wager the creature in that tower posed more of a threat than the rest of them put together. No, it wasn’t us, it was too easy. Mud in our ears or not, I didn’t hear any whispers or feel we were being watched on our approach.’ He ran his foot over a deep gouge left by a wagon. ‘No, they knew of our attack, but I’d say they left in an orderly manner.’
Elodi sighed. ‘Let’s be thankful they’ve gone. But to where?’ Gundrul ordered Cubric to give a hand with burning the huts. He watched him leave and turned to Elodi.
‘Should we at least search the tower before putting it to the torch, ma’am? Might find something of use.’
Elodi reluctantly let her eyes wander up to the spire. She spun away. ‘No. I don’t want anyone setting foot inside. It’s obviously the source of the corruption about this place, and I fear it still has the power to deprave. If you’re right about them choosing to leave, and I believe that to be true, I doubt they will have left anything of use to us. We’ll more likely find some sort of trap.’ She turned back to the tower. ‘Burn it. And do it immediately. I didn’t notice it in the trees, but standing in its shadow, I feel we’re being watched.’ Elodi shivered. ‘Please, Captain, torch it now.’
Gundrul saluted. ‘This minute, ma’am. I’ll sort it myself.’ He strode towards the huts and waved men with torches to the base of the tower. Elodi could not help but look back to its crooked top. Despite the growing daylight, the jagged pinnacle appeared shrouded in gloom. Elodi straightened, realizing she slumped as if crushed by the tower bearing down on her shoulders. She found her gaze drawn back to the monstrosity. High above the level of the trees, a crooked doorway opened out onto a small balcony. For a moment, she saw the Archon’s Tower with its vantage point of the land. Who had cast their dark eyes upon the world from the top of this hideous tower? Did they possess the same farsight as the Archon?
‘Ma’am?’ Elodi jumped. Ruan stood at her side. ‘We followed their tracks out to the east, as far as the edge of the wood.’
She turned her back on the tower, still uneasy in its shadow. ‘And Aldorman and his knights? What news?’
‘Ma’am, we found no sign.’
Elodi’s heart faltered. ‘Then he must have pursued the enemy.’ She thought of Sea Mist, then chastised herself for not considering the fate of her knights first. Behind, the wood of the tower crackled as the fire took hold. She turned, eager to see the demise of the dark spire. With frightening speed, the flames tore up the twisted sides of the building. She retreated as the heat scorched her face. The blaze roared anew as the wood shrieked as it burned. The prisoners cried out as if the flames came for their souls. Gundrul’s men ran from the inferno, covering their faces. All stopped and stared at the flames, seeming too bright and hot for the old wood fueling the fire. Then, as fast as it had taken hold, it died. Beneath, the old wood glistened a deep red, glowering like eyes of a mythical dragon of ancient times.
No one moved. The prisoners sobbed.
The dragon closed its eyes. The tower fell, folding in on itself as if the force binding the crooked bones in place, finally relinquished its power. Elodi froze as it crumbled. The gnarled pinnacle toppled towards her, plummeting at speed, crashing into the ground a few paces from her feet. Elodi stared at the blackened, twisted trunks pointing straight at her as a finger in judgment of the condemned.
‘Ma’am!’ She spun around as Cubric approached. ‘We found someone.’ Behind him, two guards held up a man by his arms. ‘This old chap stumbled out of a burning hut.’ Cubric recovered his breath. ‘He ain’t Ruuk, ma’am, but has a bunch of keys on his belt. So I reckon he was in charge of the cells we found underground.’
Elodi regarded the cloaked man slumped between Cubric’s men. ‘Is he conscious? Can he speak?’
Cubric shrugged. ‘Barely. He’s mumbling to himself but I can’t make any sense of it.’
She walked over to the prisoner. ‘Hold him up please, so I can see his face.’ They hoisted him up by his armpits and pulled back the man’s hood.
Elodi took a step back. His face resembled the knotted wood of the tower. Strands of gray hair clung to his scalp, scarcely able to conceal dozens of crudely stitched scars. She cleared her throat. ‘Tell me your name?’ Her voice wavered. She tried again. ‘Who are you? And who do you serve?’
The man’s head lolled forward. He muttered, dribbling onto his filthy cloak. ‘Who’s asking?’
She glanced to Cubric and stepped closer. ‘I am Lady Harlyn.’ The old man’s head turned. ‘And your settlement is in my realm. I demand you answer.’
A deep rasp, like a saw cutting through timber, issued from his throat. Cubric’s men edged back. He lifted his head and cackled. Elodi held her ground as his gray, clouded eyes sought hers. He sneered. ‘You demand? You make demands of me?’ He laughed again. ‘Dohl of the Wood! You think you have dominion over me? Here!’ Elodi winced as the old man’s spine cracked, staring in disbelief as he straightened and stood a good foot taller. His eyes found Elodi, peering through his matted hair. Elodi shuffled back, unable to look away as he held her gaze. His eyes gleamed, briefly changing color, as if another studied her from inside the old man’s head.