Dragon Clan
Heathen57
Chapter 11
When the horse that Peryn had been using returned to the
stable without him, a party of seven men was sent out to find out what
happened to him. Bronas was the
first to spot where he had fallen, but all that remained in the trampled dirt
and grass were hoof prints, bloodstains, and some prints that Bronas could not
identify. When the rest of his
companions arrived at the spot, they were just as puzzled.
Searching around, they found the tracks leading off into
the woods. They were like the
footprints of a human or elf but without toes, and they were less than the
size of a small child. Mixed in
around the tracks were marks where a body had been dragged away. Bronas selected two of the men to ride hard to the village
and alert the Captain to what was happening, while the rest would continue the
search. As soon as the two had
mounted and turned toward the settlement where the main force of the free
races were located, Bronas turned toward the path carved by the strange
footprints and strode forward, the tremble in his breathing betraying the
nervousness that he tried to hide.
===========+++++++==========
Aldren had been in quandary for quite some time.
In spite of being outnumbered by the king’s forces, his troops had
managed to hold the border at the river.
Many of the King’s men
deserted to the North side of the river,
men who were weary of the ever more strangling edicts that seem to come
from the King’s Court in a constant stream.
This was good news for the cause since that meant trained troops to
assist in the defense of the common folk who were valiant, but without the
knowledge of tactics that could save lives and assure victory.
The tales that these same men were bringing in balanced all
this, tales of a growing darkness deep within the court of the king.
Terrified men will exaggerate what they are recounting, but even
discounting the wilder parts, the core of the tales were all along the same
lines.
Ralahur had not been seen in the court for several
sevendays. Orders were coming
through his subordinates, but all that was known about him was that he was
dealing with powers that had not been roused since the times of the ancients.
His own priests were frightened and names were whispered that sent
chills through anyone who had ever heard tales of the dark times.
Aldren knew that if these tales were true then what was
coming was beyond his knowledge and abilities.
Ameni came into their room at the inn where they were staying to find
her mate staring into the fire, very deep in troubled thought.
She walked over to where he sat and placed her hand softly on his
shoulder.
“Anything I can help with, my love?”
Aldren took a few seconds to respond.
“I don’t know if there is anything we can do, if the rumors are
true. I spoke with some men who
had crossed the river just a few nights ago.
The high priest Ralahur is delving into the dark magics that haven’t
been practiced in more years than we can reckon.
I fear that if he succeeds and awakens the powers of destruction, there
will be no way to stop them. Even
being Dragon Clan, I am only one man. According
to the ancient scrolls, the only way the wielders of this power were banished
before was with the death of most of the old clan.
I am not enough to do it alone.”
Ameni was disturbed deep into her very core when she saw
the look of fear in her mate’s eyes. For
as long as she had known him, he had never despaired about an upcoming battle.
It wasn’t the fear of dying in battle that was consuming him, but
rather the knowledge that if Ralahur and his demon prevailed, all that had
been gained would be lost and the lands would be plunged into chaos from which
it would never recover.
Aldren did not speak these thoughts to her.
There was no need. Since her bonding with her mate, Ameni had been able to feel
his emotions. It had started when
they had made love after the bonding ceremony.
She had felt something much more than her own passion almost to the
point of experiencing the pleasure of her lover as well as her own.
Her climax was almost more than she could take, with his feelings
feeding her own.
She couldn’t read his thoughts but she could tell what
his state of mind was. When she
started paying attention to this change, she found that she could strengthen
and refine the gift. Now she used
it to try and aleve his despair.
She started to move her hands gently across his shoulders
and up his neck, parting his hair so that it fell on each side of his neck.
She then started kneading the tension out of the muscles that she felt
there. It amazed her once again how this man who had dealt death to
so many could be so gentle as he was with her.
Especially when they would make love.
Even when she was in the village of her youth she had heard
tales from the newly bonded girls about how painful it was when their mates
first penetrated them and how the men did not care about the woman’s needs.
From the first time in the cave, Aldren had been very careful about her
pleasure. She had followed his lead and found that by fulfilling his
desires that it actually brought her more pleasure. And it increased her love for him more than she could
imagine.
Aldren started to relax and allow his head to roll forward
to expose as much of his neck as possible.
Ameni’s fingers, made strong from the use of her bow and knives,
found the spots of tension in his shoulders and worked them away.
She worked until she felt the fatigue he had been feeling slip away.
He did not object when she led him to the bed and told him to lie down
after removing his clothing. He
was soon asleep under her gentle massage.
After Aldren had slipped into the deep valleys of slumber,
Ameni slipped out of the room and down to the common room.
Most of the men had gone to their beds in and around the village.
Off the few that remained, she sought out Vabryn.
Being Aldren’s childhood friend as well as his second in command, she
felt he knew her mate better than anyone except her.
He was sitting on one of the hewn benches that were along
the walls, his shoulders against the wall and his legs propped up on the table
in front of him. The remains of
his evening meal sat next to his boot heel and in his hand was a mug that
contained the last of his ale.
When Ameni approached, he dropped his feet to the floor and
stood up. This courtesy was not
just because she was the Lady of the North Kingdom, but also because he
admired, and in his own way, loved the elf warrior-woman.
“I thought that you would have been sound asleep after
making that old dog upstairs beg for mercy.”
Vabryn flashed her a toothy grin.
Ameni gave a tired smile in answer.
She sat down opposite where he was as he settled himself on the bench.
“Vabryn, I know that Aldren is worried about the reports that he has
been hearing from those that have escaped from the South.
If what is being said is true, he doesn’t know how to handle it.”
Vabryn rubbed the stubble on his chin.
“And he has reason to be worried. I don’t know much about magic and
such but I remember the childhood stories and Ralahur may be meddling in
things that even he cannot control.”
“Old Belwin said something about when wild magic is used,
it will consume the one who is wielding it unless they are strong enough to
resist. This may be what has
happened to the priest. But I
must find a way to help Aldren fight this.”
“Perhaps it is time for you and Aldren to talk to old
Kal-angurr. He is wise in the
history of the ancients. I would
suggest that you ride for the Tower and seek his counsel.”
“Aldren feels that he needs to be here and the Tower is
four days of hard riding away. I
don’t know if we can convince him. But
we must try.” With that she
stood and bade Vabryn a good night. She
then returned to the room and crawled into bed with Aldren who was still
asleep.
They spoke the next morning about riding to see Kal-angurr
and as Ameni predicted, Aldren was concerned about leaving the troops.
Vabryn pointed out that while the forces on the other side of the river
were gathering, they were still not at such strength that they could attack.
The reports from deserters coming to the North stated that there was
still resistance in the countryside, bolstered in all probability by the
success of the free peoples.
The king and Ralahur could not possibly get their forces together for
at least several sevendays from now.
The matter was settled by the arrival of a man dressed in
the black hooded cloak of a priest of the New God. The four men who brought him in to the leaders kept as much
distance from him as possible, fearing what he might do.
His hands were bound behind him and he swayed a bit as he stood before
the leaders.
Aldren motioned to allow him to be seated and a stool was
placed in the middle of the room. The
hood of the robe was pulled back revealing a young man whose eyes showed his
fear and exhaustion. His bonds
were cut and his arms fell limp to his side.
“State your name and why you wished to be brought
here.” Vabryn had taken control
of the priest and started the questioning.
“Lord, my name is Temos and until two weeks ago, I was a
priest of the God of the Sun. I
had to come and find the leaders of the rebels.
The high priest has gone mad with power and the need for revenge and
someone had to come to warn you. Things
have been going wrong in the kingdom for some time, but I kept trying to
reconcile it with what I knew to be right.
I couldn’t stand the abuses of others that he has ordered done, but
would make excuses to ease my own mind. But
when he started to take young girls from the villages around the Keep, I
started to wonder about him as well as my own sense of right and wrong.”
One of the men offered him a drink of water, which he
eagerly accepted. He then
continued his narrative with increasing speed and urgency.
“One night I followed behind as the High Conclave of
priests took the latest captives into the High Priest’s lair.
I lost my stomach as well as my sense of sanity with what happened
next.. One of the young girls,
probably not more than into her menses, was stripped and placed on an altar
the likes of which I had never seen before.
While four of the Conclave held her down, Ralahur sliced her open and
cut out her heart. He was
chanting something as he held the heart above his head letting the blood drain
down over his head. I was almost
caught as I staggered out into the night.
Nothing in the scrolls of the God of the Sun speaks of the
things he was doing. This was
some spell that must have come from the dark recesses. I made it back to my hut and prayed about what I had seen.
I did not know what to do. When
I came out from the hut the next morning, I heard the villagers talking about
how the miller’s daughter had been taken the night before.
That was when I decided that the only thing I could do was try and find
the rebels.”
After giving this narrative, the young man almost collapsed
onto the floor shaking with emotion on what he had witnessed.
It seemed that he had been holding in all of these horrors until he
made it to his destination. Once he released all of that emotional telling, he could not
support himself any longer.
Aldren moved over to the prone figure and released his
bonds. He quietly spoke something
into the man’s ear while placing his hand on his forehead. Almost instantly, Temos relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.
A couple of the men took the sleeping man to a tent where
he could rest, but under guard. Aldren
turned to Vabryn and the other captains that had witnessed the tale.
“This man does not lie. I
could feel the fear and hatred he had and that it was directed at Ralahur.
He may prove valuable in the near future.
However, some of what he has said is troubling to me and I believe that
it is now time to consult with others that are more well-versed in the ancient
lore. I will be leaving with a
small party to the Tower in the morning.”
He went through the door and into the daylight to search
out Ameni and get ready to ride. The
arrangements were made and packs were set for the trip.
Aldren selected Uskar, one of his captains along with one of the new
recruits of the captain’s choice. Uskar
had a wife that was soon to give birth at the Tower, so this would be a chance
for him to see her. The young
recruit was Doale, who had come from lands to the east where the king’s
troops had done some of the most horrific damage to the land and its people.
Mirgan asked to ride as well. And since anywhere Mirgan was Kiran would be found, she was
included. This rounded out the
group. Enough of a force to
effectively deal with any trouble on the trail and allow them all to rotate
guard duty. There was only one
more addition to the troop, and Aldren waited until they were ready to ride
before he summoned him.
Temos had just awakened from his slumber when Lord Aldren
had entered his tent. For the
first time in months he had slept the sleep of the just, doing what he felt
was right. He had been afraid
that the leaders of the rebels would kill him outright instead of listening to
him, but he knew he had to try and stop the evils that were brewing in the
South. He heard the
front flap of his tent open and Lord Aldren stepped inside.
Behind him was a woman of incredible beauty dressed as a warrior from
some old tale. He realized that
she was an elf, and felt a blush run up his face.
She stared at him for several minutes and he could almost feel her
reading his mind. Just before he
started to shift nervously, she broke her gaze and smiled at him.
When Aldren saw his mate nod her head, he spoke up.
“Temos, I am riding to the Tower of the Guard within the hour.
I request your company so we can talk in more detail about what is
happening in the south.”
“I would be honored my Lord. I don’t know how much help I can give, since I am not of
the High Conclave, but I will do my best.”
The pouch that contained his belongings had been taken when he was
captured but was now on the top of the chest at the foot of the cot. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulder.
With a nod of his head, he indicated his readiness to leave.
The others were already mounted and Vabryn was holding
Aldren’s stallion so they could exchange last minute thoughts.
Aldren spoke quietly to his captain.
“I still do not like the idea of leaving now.
We have more troops arriving all the time and we will need to help them
get into fighting shape. The
dwarves are battle ready as are the elves.
What we need is to get the human farmers and townspeople into a
fighting force. And we must know
what is happening from the other side of the river.”
“We will handle the troops. For all your wisdom my friend, you still have yet to learn to
let others assist where they can leaving you to do what we can’t.”
Vabryn moved in a bit closer. “I
am concerned about not hearing from Peryn.
Word was passed on that he had made it to the farmhouse and had started
toward the tower thinking you were there.
A group of men went to look for him but have not reported yet.”
Aldren stroked his chin as he absorbed this new
information. “That is a worry.
I could understand being captured across the river, but he should have
been safe on this side. See if you can find out anything. Send word to the tower.”
With that, Aldren mounted up and the small band turned
toward the tower. Vabryn watched
them go, then turned and called for the other captains to meet with him to
figure out the best course to take with the new men that were arriving.
The road was wide enough to allow the group to ride three
abreast, so Aldren motioned for the priest to ride between him and Ameni.
In the hours that followed, Aldren learned everything that Temos knew
about troop strength, leadership, and most importantly any weaknesses that
could be used to advantage. He
also learned a bit more about the young man.
As an orphan, Temos had been raised by some folks in a
village just a couple days ride from the King’s Court.
The God of the Sun was already gaining followers in the village and he
was turned over to the priests for training.
He knew nothing of the outside world except what they told him and
their tales were filled with images of enemies that would tear a man apart and
eat his flesh if they found him. Elves
were said to be the most dangerous and would torture men for days getting
pleasure in their victim’s screams of agony.
He was told that the elves wanted to hold dominion over men and force
them to engage in their evil rituals.
When he grew up enough, they had him take the vows of
priesthood for their God and trained him in the ways that he would follow for
the rest of his life. However
when he had been among other people for a while he began to question some of
what he had been taught.
The first time he had seen an elf with his own eyes, some
of the men from the village had already tortured him to the point of death.
He had looked closely into the elf’s face and saw nothing of the
tales he had heard about, but rather the look of a fellow creature that was
not evil but just different. Pain
and despair that he saw as well and it haunted him from then on.
He had been ordered to the King’s Court and there he had
stayed in a nearby hut. He had
returned one evening when another priest came in with the news that they had
finally captured an elf-witch and had just killed her when one of the guards
of the court came rushing in and killed everyone that had been there.
The word went out that the guard was to be captured and brought back to
be killed. Temos could not
believe that his fellow priests would do such a horrid thing, since he had
been taught that evils were to be avoided not sought out.
When he had voiced his concerns, he was told that the high priest had
been told in a vision that they had to destroy the evil before it consumed the
land.
Temos soon found himself serving the High Conclave, tending
to the needs of the elder priests, and running messages.
The night he left, he was told to carry the message to the rest of the
runners that all was to be ready four moons from then.
On the day following the fourth full moon, Ralahur would be leading
them into battle that would wipe all evil from the lands and bestow humans to
their proper place as Lords over all the lands.
He had taken the message and after distributing it among the other
messengers, he had saddled up to spread the word.
Instead, he rode as fast as he could to the river and the rebels.
Aldren had not interrupted him during the entire time Temos
told his tale. He knew part of
the tale was true since the “elf-witch” had been his own mother.
He now digested what he had heard and realized that they did not have
too much time. In just over three
moons time, they would be attacked and if his suspicions were correct, it
would be an attack that they probably would not survive.
During the lull when Aldren was deep in thought, the
sun’s warmth was having an effect on the priest.
He was feeling the exhaustion of his escape having ridden without rest
for several days until he was captured. His
head was bowing toward his chest in sleep when Ameni noticed him.
With a quiet word to Aldren, she pointed out Temos’ condition.
Aldren then told him to move back between Uskar and Doale. He could safely sleep in the saddle and they would keep him
from falling over.
They did quicken their pace given the urgency of the new
information. They rode on into
the night and did not stop until the waning moon was high overhead.
They had no fire and each man took an hour’s watch.
By sunrise, everyone was back in the saddle, stiff from the hard ride,
but anxious to continue.
The remaining days were just as hard and by late afternoon
on the fourth day, they reached the gates of the tower.
They were escorted in and rooms were found for the weary travelers.
Before he and Ameni retired to their quarters in the tower proper, he
sent a request for Kal-angurr to meet with him later that evening.
When Aldren finally awoke from his exhausted slumber, he
carefully removed himself from the arms of his bondmate without waking her.
He quickly dressed and went to the kitchens to get something to stave
off the pangs of hunger that were gnawing at his belly.
He entered the kitchen grateful for the fire and the tantalizing smells
of the last of the stew that had been supper for the rest of the tower’s
occupants. Isabella, the portly
headwoman was busy making sure that she had what was needed for the next
day’s meals when she spotted him in the doorway.
She immediately came over and set him down at the small
table against the wall. Then she
served him up a large bowl of the stew, thick with meat and root vegetables.
Along with a half loaf of bread, it made for a delicious meal.
As he ate, Isabella kept him company with a steady stream of happenings
both major and minor that had been going on since he had been gone.
As he sopped up the last of the gravy in his bowl with the
bread crust, he looked over at Isabella and smiled. “I am grateful that you have stayed on as headwoman.
Your concoctions are a major reason for returning home as often as I
can. I hope for the tower’s
sake that some dashing young man doesn’t come along and take you away from
us.”
The woman blushed as she nervously stroked back a few
strands of her graying hair that had come loose from the bun on her head.
“Don’t you think that my Lord Aldren.
I ain’t had no young mans chasin’ me since I was much thinner and
still had my dark hair.”
“Come now. You
are still a comely woman and I heard you mention a certain man’s name more
than a few times while we were talking.”
Isabella blushed even more now. “Ahhh... well, me and Gambaldt are gettin’ closer I
guess. He brings me the best cuts
of meat he has, and I always have a sweet cake or two awaitin’ him. But we’s not anything too serious. And anyways, I wouldn’t leave here for nothin’”
“I’m very glad to hear that Isabella.
Now since I’ve had such a good meal to fortify me, I must leave to
tend to business.” Aldren rose
from the table, kissed her hand (which made her blush even more) and left the
warm confines of the kitchen.
He started to climb the long steps to the top of the tower
where he knew Kal-angurr would be awaiting his arrival.
This was proven true when he entered the doorway and saw the ancient
man arise from the rug that he had been sitting on.
They clasped forearms as old friends do, and Kal-angurr motioned him to
take a seat.
“Now Lord of the Tower, tell me what this old man can do
to help relieve you of your burden.”
Aldren told him about what he had learned from the tales
and the young priest. The ancient
man sat taking it all in, but his expressions were taking on a more worried
look with each new piece of information.
He sat very still for some time after Aldren had finished speaking,
searching his mind for any clue on how to counter such a threat as this.
He finally stood and moved over to the fire pit that was in
the middle of the room. He
stirred the embers until they started to take on a hint of flame.
Placing a log in the middle of the disturbed coals, he moved back and
started murmuring an incantation in a tongue that Aldren had never heard.
The warrior was fascinated because this was the first time that he had
witnessed Kal-angurr call upon the spirits of the ancients.
Aldren felt the winds start to move in through the many
openings in a way that he was now familiar with. He let them swirl in and around him, speaking to him with
voices that no longer held fear for him.
The voices spoke of the past battles with the evil forces that were
becoming a threat once again. They
also hinted at what would be needed to defeat those forces.
But he didn’t comprehend just what they were saying.
He was still trying to find meaning to those hints as the
winds calmed. Becoming conscious
of his surroundings once again, he saw that Kal-angurr sitting against the
wall, his face ashen from what he had heard.
“Old One, do you understand what the voices were trying
to tell us? They kept saying that
I would need to draw upon the power of my inner kindred, but I do not
understand.”
Kal-angurr understood somewhat better than the warrior did,
which was the reason his face was so pale. He knew that Aldren would have to be able to gather the
strength and power of the dragons. But
he also knew that it could very easily be the death of the man that sat across
the chamber from him. Or even
worse, he could lose his very essence.
For many minutes, the old man didn’t answer.
Finally, he gave a sigh and started to speak in a low earnest voice.
“Lord Aldren, what the spirits meant is that the only way to conquer
this enemy is to use all the power of the Dragons - your inner kin.
It will require more from you than you have ever thought possible.
So much so that you could lose the very essence that makes you who you
are. The strength it will require
will be enormous. It is for you
to decide if it is worth your life, and with it the last of the Dragon
Clan.”
Aldren thought about what Kal-angurr was saying for a few
moments. There was no certainty
of success even if he tried it. Plus
that would leave the rest of his people without the power he did have.
On the other hand, if he did not at least try to destroy the evil
force, it would cover all the lands in its darkness and all would be lost.
In the end the choice was an easy one.
“I must try it for the sake of all I hold dear; even if it means my
life. But I don’t understand
how I am supposed to do this.”