A Quick Sun Rises (31 page)

“Enough of this talk,” Thane breathed, a look of death overshadowing his face. Tam caught her breath at how much like a real Tjal-Dihn warrior he appeared at that moment, a shiver of trepidation shooting up her spine. The commander, to his credit, did not move as if having earlier conceded in his own mind that he would no survive this night. The look of surprise that crossed Jace’s face at Thane’s ability to move and unsheathe his swords before he even got his out brought a smile to Dor’s face, his attempt to suppress it failing miserably.

“Well,” Ranse said, almost masking the surprise in his voice, “it would appear that the room has suddenly made itself one of privacy for us.” Leaning forward, he continued. “And now that I have your full attention, I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say and I think you will find that my problems have, of a sudden, become your problems.”

The commander tried to swallow to wet his suddenly dry throat but the press of Thane’s blades made it rather difficult and nodding was out of the question. “I’m listening,” he said in the half whisper he could just manage.

“Good,” the prince said, and then continued. “To help you along, I’m going to ask you two questions first. What is the typical number of attacks you deal with monthly from orcs out of the Underwoods?”

Though failing to see how this would help him, the commander responded quickly. “About one per week.”

“Now,” the prince went on without the slightest indication as to how he felt about the commander’s first answer, “I want you to think hard before you answer the next question. When was the last time you were attacked?”

The commander didn’t move but his eyes betrayed the thoughts that passed like lightning through his mind.
How did the prince know
? It had been a welcome reprieve, yet had weighed heavily on the commander’s mind for quite some time. While most would see the sudden end of attacks as a gift from above, the commander knew that more than likely it was an ill omen of even worse things to come. And now, suddenly, he felt that doom; not from the steel poised to severe his head, but from the words he anticipated coming from the prince’s mouth. “It has been forty-eight days this very night,” he responded. “And you know why.” It was a statement more than a question. Why else would the prince have come to Aleron?

Ranse watched him for a moment as if judging the commander’s resolve. He was right when he’d said that he didn’t know the prince. No one here would. And Ranse knew that without the commander they wouldn’t get the men to budge from where they stood. He needed to win him over and convince him to move his men to the Keep. “Thane,” he finally said, waving him off. Thane only hesitated for a brief moment before putting his swords away almost as quickly as he had drawn them. “The orcs have left the Underwoods,” Ranse said in a tone that left no room for argument. He paused to gauge the commander’s reaction but his features did not change. “They have joined with troll and goblin under the command of an evil sorcerer who is intent on destroying all that resist him.” Now the commander’s face betrayed him. It was too ludicrous a statement to falsify since even the smallest child knew that never would such races spend even the briefest moment together without fighting amongst themselves. And now for the ultimate test. “Haykon and Calandra have already fallen.”

“That can’t be,” the commander breathed, “Haykon and Calandra fallen?”

“In mere hours,” Ranse replied, his face set like stone.

“How is this possible? How does one command an army that would kill itself off with infighting before they had the chance to attack anyone else?”

Ranse pressed him. “The questions of why and how are luxuries we no longer have the time to contemplate. It’s what we do to counter that matters and the ability to resist is rapidly slipping past us.” Ranse had the commander’s full attention now and his training as a soldier was finally overcoming the overwhelming feelings of hopelessness that naturally followed such news as the overthrow of the capital city.

“We must make for Bedler’s Keep,” the commander suddenly interjected to the surprise of all. “It is the only place defensible enough to hold off such an army as the one you describe.”

Ranse smiled, though his surprise at the commander’s interjection flashed across his face. “That is precisely why we are here. How long will it take you to gather your army to march for the Keep?”

Chapter Twenty-Three 

Domis stuffed a loaf of bread into his pack before deciding it would be a good idea to add another. The shop was empty save for him and the three Tjal clad Chufa who were busy filling their own packs. It had been like this all morning. Commander Garet didn’t wait for morning after hearing what Prince Ranse had to say about the invasion. He immediately left the Inn with the prince and Jace to seek out his captains to ready the army to move. It had been determined that those able to fight would leave immediately while the rest of the city could come later or stay according to their desires. This mission needed speed and necessity dictated that they could not wait or be slowed down by carts, merchants or the elderly and infirm. Cruel as it was to leave the city almost defenseless, the fight would be at Bedler’s Keep where no one would be safe should the battle go against them.

Thane’s group, on the other hand, needed to ready themselves for a different journey and had the night to rest before preparing to leave the following morning. Domis had never laid down on such a comfortable bed in his life and was disappointed to the extreme that sleep seemed to elude him most of the night as the anxiety and excitement of what he was about to be part of overtook him. He found it strange that Thane and the others forwent the comfort offered by the best room and beds in the Inn to sleep on the floor. Apparently they were more than comfortable though as their snores quickly became his lullaby songs.

They were up with the sun the following morning and found they had to fix themselves breakfast as the Inn was completely empty of guests or service staff. Luckily, the kitchen was well stocked leaving them to feast on venison, cheese, day old bread, onions, peppers and even fresh milk that the innkeeper must have left early that morning before they were up. Even with armed Tjal-Dihn in the building, the cow still needed to be milked.

After filling themselves they had departed for the town center where they’d hoped to supply themselves for whatever might greet them in the Underwoods. Every shop they’d entered had been the same. At first sight of their garb and the wicked looking swords attached to their backs, the patrons and shopkeepers alike immediately raced from the store leaving it completely open to whatever they decided to take. They were so overwhelmed by this at the first shop that they waited for the merchant to return so they might pay him for the goods they needed, but it evetually became evident that no one was coming back. So, they left the money they thought was fair along with a little extra for the bother and went on to the next shop where the same thing occurred again.

“You’d better put in a third,” Tam said, looking over her shoulder at him while stuffing a loaf into her own pack. She had taken to mothering Domis ever since finding out about his past and the events that brought him to where he was now. She’d asked about his parents only to find out that his mother left when he was very young and that his memory of her was only that her hair was long and deep brown. His father, who was employed as a guard at Haykon, raised him as best he could but was killed in a goblin raid near Nomad’s pass when he was just five years old. From then on he worked in the stables and was cared for by the rough men that had made up Haykon’s city guard drifting from home to home on occasion but finding himself sleeping most often in the warm hay in the stables with the animals he cared for. Tam felt a strong pang of regret for the boy that his life had been so filled with tragedy and difficulty. She had faced her own hard trials of late, but a loving mother and father were always in the back of her mind to give comfort when things got particularly bad.

“We will resupply at the armory before we go,” Thane announced before tying up his pack and placing some gold on the counter for the baker.

Tam watched him for a long moment, the sudden sense that she was no longer seeing the childhood friend of her youth blanketing her in a shroud of sorrow. He was different now; especially since Jne had left. She supposed it was out of necessity to their situation and that need had hardened him to the tasks he was forced to complete, yet she longed for those days of greater innocence when a smile came more quickly to his lips than the seemingly permanent scowl that, of late, had taken up residence there. Dor, on the other hand, seemed unaffected. He was serious when the moment called for it, but his childish side was still ever present, the mischievous part of him lurking just behind his dark eyes. Cinching her pack she followed Dor, who flashed her a quick smile, before they all exited back onto the street.

It was obvious that word had gotten around about them as the street, that would normally be overcrowded in any other city this time of day, was almost completely empty. Thane turned to the left leading them deeper into the city’s center while the others fell in behind without a word. She supposed that having the crowds dispersed at their coming was a blessing in that it allowed them to be quick about their business, but Tam couldn’t help the feeling of eeriness it caused her.

Thane finally pulled them up short at a shop that was obviously an armory by the stack of swords in a barrel outside. Though simple on the exterior, with not even a sign to announce itself, the inside was a complicated mosaic of every sort of weapon anyone could possibly want or think of. Crowding the walls and more barrels throughout the space it was almost dizzying to look at. They all entered, eyes darting about and Tam almost missed a step when a form suddenly emerged from the shadows behind one of the display counters. A thin man, though muscular in build as would be expected of one who spent his days at the forge. He was clean shaven and nondescript in appearance though he exuded confidence without the slightest show of fear. Not the sort that was brought about by too much ale but the quiet assurance that ability and expertise brought to a person who had developed the skills to defend oneself in battle.

“Finally,” Thane said, the slightest taste of derision tingeing his voice, “someone with the backbone to deal with us directly.”

The man bowed slightly at the backhanded compliment. “Unlike the others,” he said easily, “I understand the honor of the Tjal and welcome it.”

For the first time that morning, Thane finally felt himself at ease. He hated pilfering through the property of others while searching out the goods they needed. Even though they paid them more than was fair upon leaving, it still left him with a dirty feeling that had placed him in a foul mood. He knew all too well the way people were and he imagined that more than one of the places they visited would make claim that their goods had been stolen by the Tjal while pocketing the overpriced amounts they received. Thane bowed his head slightly. “We need arrows and a sword and dagger for our young friend.”

Domis’ head snapped from the swords he was looking at to where Thane and the shopkeeper stood. Did he hear correctly? His own weapons? “Do not be so excited,” Thane said, as if he’d heard his thoughts since his back was still to the young boy. “We fit you with weapons only because we know that more than likely you will need them to keep your own life.” Turning his head to look Domis straight in the eyes, he added, “Killing is a dreadful undertaking.”

Domis dropped his eyes, his lips creasing into a frown. Tam slipped an arm around his shoulder while burning fire from her glare through Thane’s skull but he merely glanced at her before turning back to the merchant. “Come and let’s look at the daggers,” Tam said pulling Domis to the far side of the shop.

“And the types of arrows?” the merchant asked, poorly masking his surprise. Tjal-Dihn didn’t use arrows. “Where might you be using them?”

Thane turned back to the man, his face a cold mask. “We take to the Underwoods.”

The man nodded slowly and then caught himself. “Then you will want something for close distances and maximum penetration,” he said returning to the man of business who’d met them when they came in. “I have just the thing.”

Though Thane had placed a slap of reality to Domis’ excitement over getting his own sword, the stable boy could not help the extra bounce in his step as they exited the smithy’s shop. Somehow he now felt older and of greater significance with the sword belted to his waist and swinging against his leg to the cadence of his stride. Thane routed them back toward the Inn and would have left them all behind had they not quickened their pace to keep up. Though the streets were all but empty it became no easy task as Thane was determined in his step.

They met Ranse and Jace just coming out of the Inn as they approached. “We were just looking for you,” Ranse said after hailing to them. “We should be prepared to leave in the morning. I assume that is when you will depart as well?”

Thane shook his head. “We were just coming to see that all is in hand with the soldiers and then we are prepared to depart immediately.”

Ranse reached a hand out and grabbed Thane’s arm. “But it is nearly midday. You will be starting into the forest with most of the day behind you already. It would be best if you waited until the morning.”

Thane shook his head again. “No, we are ready now and we have not the luxury of time to dawdle away. If there still are some of my people’s trees left, we need to find them now and get back to the fight.”

“But the forest is evil, Thane. Yes, the orcs are gone, but there are other things that lurk about in those woods that would give the bravest man pause.”

“It will be just as evil in the morning as it is now,” Dor interjected. “The forest is our home. We will be safer than most within its cover.”

“Not this forest,” Ranse countered.

“It matters not,” Tam added, not willing to be left out. She’d been cowering for so long now since her captivity with the trolls that she was becoming sick of her own skin. It was time for her to tap into the feisty girl she once was and make a difference. “Our minds are set. We go now, and the mother help anything that gets in our way; within or without the forest.”

Thane and Dor stared at her as did the prince until her challenging glare made them all turn away. “We will make the Keep as soon as we are able,” Thane finally said. “There is yet hope in this war and we tend to bring it to you.”

Ranse just nodded his head and then pressed a firm grasp on Thane’s arm. “Stay well, my friend. We need you.”

Thane nodded back but said nothing.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Jace spoke. “Keep your blades sharp and your enemies at your feet.”

Thane nodded to the weapons master and then turned and strode up the road toward the south gate. Each in turned did the same until Domis, who bowed deeply, and then ran after the others, his sword flopping against his leg.

Reaching the others, and the secure arm that Tam draped kindly around his shoulders, Domis looked up at her quizzically as if he might ask a question but then dropped his head with a slight shake and a sigh. Catching his mood and recognizing that a inquiry burned in his skull, Tam gave his shoulder a squeeze and gave him an encouraging smile. “What is it, Domis?” she asked. “What has you so tied up inside that holds you back from the question I see desperately trying to escape?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just that…”

“Yes?” she encouraged.

“Well, I don’t quite understand what we’re about, exactly. I know we seek some special sort of tree that makes special arrows, but I don’t understand what Tjal-Dihn have to do with the Underwoods forest. Don’t you come from the Enn?”

Thane and Dor turned to stare at the young boy as Tam looked up at them questioningly. All stopped in mid stride and Domis took a step backward suddenly fearful at having three sets of Tjal eyes boring into him.

Tam coughed, trying to dispel the sudden tension that seemed to come over them. “Well, Domis, that’s an interesting question that…”

Thane cut her off. “Let us remove to a less conspicuous spot to discuss this,” he said motioning to a nearby alleyway.

Domis had never had cause to fear his Tjal friends, always finding them friendly and nothing like the stories he’d heard—accept maybe for Jne. But he couldn’t stop the shiver that suddenly seemed to take his frame in convulsing pulses. Had he offended them? Why the alley? Was he to be killed and his body left in the trash piled up between two buildings?

Tam flashed another questioning look at Thane but he ignored it and moved to lead them into the dim lighted alleyway situated between two competing bakeries. Checking to make certain they were alone, he regarded the young stable boy whose eyes darted back and forth between them.

Tam placed a hand on Thane’s arm, as if to beg him to not scare the boy anymore than necessary but he seemed to ignore her. “You ask a valid question, Domis,” Thane finally spoke, “and you deserve an honest answer. But, before I give it, I must have your word of honor on your life that you will keep what I am about to reveal in strict confidence and silence, agreed?”

Domis looked at Tam, who smiled warmly at him. “It’s all right,” she said. “We are your friends and would never harm you.”

“Are we agreed?” Thane pressed.

Domis swallowed hard, but then straightened his back bringing himself up to his maximum height. “On my life,” he breathed with only the slightest quiver to his voice.

Thane eyed him hard as if daring him to change his mind. “Hold him,” he said to Dor.

“What?” Tam and Domis asked in unison.

“For his own protection,” Thane replied. “We can’t have him running into the street screaming.”

“But why would I do that?” Domis asked, his voice less firm as Dor moved behind him and took a strong hold of his arms.