Chapter Twenty One – The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep by Kelly D. Tolman

Posted by admin on February 16, 2009

The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.

We left Delvin’s farm and turned east and north back into the mountains.  We made every attempt to hide our tracks, and I learned a few tricks from Pascalli that I hadn’t known about throwing off pursuit.  “As you know, tracking is more about knowing where your quarry is likely to go than just randomly looking for sign,” said the wizard.  “So to avoid capture you have to stay a step ahead of the pursuit and gage his ability to understand your motives as well.  It will do you no good to think three or four steps ahead of your pursuit if he can’t manage to even guess your next move.”

“What do you think Torbridge will do?” I asked.

“He will watch the roads to the west, at least as far as he can.  It won’t take him long to figure out that we’ve gone into the mountains, but he knows we will have to come out sooner or later so he will watch the frontier and the settlements.  He won’t risk his men in the mountains while the snowline is so low.  When the snow melts, if he hasn’t had word he may send men to find us.  Our trick will be to get out of the mountains and into territory where your face and name aren’t connected.  We need news of the wide world, and soon.  I’d hoped they would forget you during the winter, but it’s beginning to look like that hasn’t happened.”

Pascalli kept us moving until well after nightfall.  Though we kept below the snowline, night came hard and cold.  We found a sheltered place between two tall pines that cut off the wind.  One of the wide trunks served as a reflector for our small fire.  We huddled around it in the darkness, careful not to look directly into the flames and listened to the sounds of the forest.

“The farmer gave me some chicory root,” said Iven.  He tossed some of the dried grounds into a pot of water over the fire.  “I’ve missed it since we ran out.”

“I used to gather it back on the farm.  Mamma taught me to dry it and roast it.  Most evenings we sat listening to her read to us from the books that survived the fire,” I said.

“Your mother is a wise woman,” said Pascalli.  “No doubt she taught you much about the world beyond Dunston.  She has relatives in Havensod.  Some distant cousin, I believe, is a minor dignitary to the regent.  They were delighted when she married your father, though later he displeased them greatly by retiring to Dunston.”

“Will we be going on to Anascrag now?” asked Iven.  His eyes betrayed his hope and anxiety.

“Not yet, my friend,” replied Pascalli.  “Scratch needs to learn to handle that spear a little better before I risk him that close to danger.”  The smith seemed unconvinced.  “Lord Trelsin is a relative to Dunroust.  Not only that, they are friends.”

“So we can’t return to Anascrag until Trelsin dies?” said Iven in disgust.  “There must be another way.”

“Of course there is another way,” replied Pascalli, his tone curt.  “Time is our ally at the moment.  The Kaarum will not recover for many markets, at least I hope they don’t, but until the last little bands are eliminated in the east the minds of the nobles will continue to dwell on war, and when they think of war they will think of Halfspear.  Eventually their enthusiasm will die down and their minds will turn to other matters, like the Festival of Spears.”

“They haven’t held the festival for five summers,” said Iven.  “It may never happen again.”

“It will happen,” replied the wizard.  “I am sure of that, and when it does we will return to Anascrag.  I hope that we can return before it happens, but not long before.  Last summer already there was talk of it Dynwater, but the threat of the Kaarum changed any plans.  It won’t be long before the plans begin again.  Then their minds will forget our young charge, and Anascrag will be a safer place.”

“I still don’t like it,” grumbled the smith.  He wrapped himself in his blankets and soon slept peacefully.  I drank my chicory and watched the stars.  Despite the danger and possible pursuit I felt at peace.  I wanted to see Anascrag and the west.  I wanted to do what my father hadn’t done.
Pascalli shook me awake before the first sunlight thought to creep over the mountaintops.  We saddled our horses and broke camp in the quiet darkness without bothering even to build a fire to take the edge off the chill.  Pascalli and Iven were quiet and I followed their example.  We cut sharply north.  I wondered why we made no attempts to hide our trail until the first drops of rain began to fall.

Pascalli pushed us faster until we came to a steep rocky incline that sloped into a narrow canyon.  Our horses left little sign on the slippery rocks as we followed it down.  Within moments all hints of our passage would be wiped away.  A small stream wandered along the bottom of the canyon, full with spring runoff.  The water would be icy cold from the glaciers higher up, and if the rain continued it could quickly swell to a dangerous roar.

“Keep to the side,” warned Pascalli.  “After a few kilometers the canyon branches north and south.  Assuming they try to track us at all they will probably not find the canyon.  If they do, the stream should be full enough they won’t follow.”

“Assuming it doesn’t flood us in the process,” grumbled Iven.

“Then we best make haste,” agreed Pascalli.

By early afternoon we found the north fork of the canyon and left the stream.  Already it had swollen beyond the limits of safety.  All of our tracks would wash away before nightfall.  The canyon eventually turned west again and opened into a wide valley.  We found shelter in a clump of trees near the mouth of the canyon and decided to wait out the rain.

“A little further west is a road,” said the wizard with a smile.  “Merchants will be moving north with grain and south with wool.  Our faces won’t be known this far north, and we’ll be well away from the more aggressive pursuit.”

“Somebody’s bound to recognize you or the lad sooner or later,” said Iven.  “You’ve a face to remember.”

“As long as we stay in the north there is little risk of that.  Nobody knows Scratch, and most commoners think I’m merely a myth.  We’ll stay off the imperial highways if that will make you feel better.”

The rain let up before nightfall, and we were able to dry our clothes and enjoy a warm meal.  By morning even Iven had recovered some of his higher spirits, and Pascalli led us to the road with a cheerful laugh and broad smile.  We waited only a short while before a pair of wagons headed north drifted into view.  A small man with a nervous manner drove the first.  He stopped short when he saw us.

“’Tis a free road you’re blocking,” he called.

“We’ve no desire to impede your journey,” replied Pascalli.  “Indeed, if you fear thieves this spring then perhaps we can help you.  My companions and I are also headed north and would gladly offer you our protection.”

“You’ve the look of thieves about you,” replied the man.  “No honest man rides a mount as fine as yours.”

“I never said we were honest men, only that we travel north,” said Pascalli.  “I usually find safety in numbers.”

“Depends on the company.”  The man smirked.  He scowled and carefully looked each of us over.  “I’m Angry Gim Hammers.  You can ride as far as Larston.”  The young man driving the wagon behind him watched us carefully though he didn’t speak.

We rode alongside the wagons at an easy pace.  Pascalli seemed content with their company and the course they set.  I rode beside the second wagon, not wanting to interfere with the conversation of my elders.  I noticed a longbow behind the seat and a quiver of arrows.  The driver kept a long knife at his belt.  Gim wore a similar knife, and I was sure more weapons waited hidden in his wagon.

“In the east everybody travels armed,” advised Pascalli when we camped.  “Nobles may have better weapons, but every man carries something.  The law is rare and you have to learn to solve your own problems out here.  In the west the old kingdom has better control.  Here the land is still young.  Keep your eyes open.”

When we reached Larston I felt the tension lift a little and was glad to leave Gim.  I expected Pascalli to push on again right away, but instead we took rooms at a boarding house and settled in to wait.  Iven still carried enough tools to turn his hand at nearly any task and offered his services as a tinker to pay our rent while Pascalli looked after my training.  Each day we rode out before dawn to practice with my weapons.  We always rode a wide circle around the village, scouting the local farms and area.  Afterwards I helped Iven with his chores.  Pascalli spent most of his time eating, drinking, and visiting with the locals.

Though Iven’s contempt of Pascalli’s manner was visible, the wizard didn’t seem to mind.  In the evenings I often sat at his table, or nearby as he played dice or cards or swapped stories with the townsfolk.  He never let me join any game, though at times he showed me his tricks for winning or losing as the occasion required.

“What are we waiting for?” I asked, one evening as we returned from the tavern.

“An opportunity, and news,” he replied.  “It was still early in the season for much traffic, but soon more merchants will take to the roads.  I’ve let word get out that we are looking for work.  News travels quickly, though you may not guess it.  Every sword for hire has a story behind it.  Even Gim will have told others about us by now.  Torbridge is still looking for us, though it seems word has gotten around about how he treated Delvin.  He won’t get any help he can’t buy or force through his own troops.  That gives us a bit more room to work.  We should be able to hire on again soon enough.”

“Do you think Torbridge will ever give up the pursuit?” I asked.

“No, not while he lives.  In Darnuth Keep, if we survive it, we’ll be free from the empire for they’ve no hold there, but it is a place even more wild than this.  You won’t be safe this side of Anascrag.”

Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman

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