Chapter Thirty Seven – The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep by Kelly D. Tolman

Posted by admin on June 8, 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 lit no fires.  Dina complained about this the first night, until I warned her that we were being watched.  At first I think she wanted to argue the point until Pascalli nodded his agreement with my assessment.  “Don’t be foolish,” he whispered.  “He may be a farmer, lass, but he knows the wild.”

After we abandoned the wagon I did not see any signs for two more days.  I thought that whatever was following us had lost interest.

We huddled together for warmth, our backs to each other taking turns nodding off in the night.  I saw a flicker of luminous green in the dark.  Then it disappeared.  An eye most likely, reflecting the dim moonlight.  I gently prodded Pascalli and Dina.  Pascalli prodded back.  He also had noticed something, a shadow perhaps.  Dina breathed in sharply and jerked her bow up off her knees.  It must have been her sudden move that drew the attention of our attackers because they concentrated on her.

The attack came sudden and precise with all the cunning of a master bandit.  Four shapes blacker than the darkness came at us, their pale green eyes the only warning a split second before fangs and claws tore into us.  Dina’s arrow caught one in the chest, while mine found a mark in the throat.  Behind me I heard Pascalli crack his staff hard into a third.  The fourth had caught Dina across the chest with a claw and she fell hard onto the stony earth.

I knocked and loosed a second arrow without hesitation, before it could either flee or attack someone else.  The creatures were similar in body to the tigers of the east, with cat-like claws and long tails, but I did not understand the elongated bear-like faces and fangs.  Neither bears nor cats hunted in packs, and certainly they would not take unknown prey like this.

“They are not entirely animal,” said Pascalli. “Look.”

Before my eyes the dead began to shed portions of their furry skin.  The faces melted into something almost human, black like the monkeys of the south, but still with the pale green eyes.

“What evil is this?” asked Dina between painful breaths.

“A remnant from the breaking,” I answered.  “This is why we have come, to make things right.”

Fortunately, Dina’s wound was not as serious as it could have been.  The claws had cut cleanly enough, but I knew that I would not be able to see the source of infection and sickness until after it started.  I found my bag of herbs and began cutting bandages.

She still did not trust me, and when I moved to help her she shied away.  “I will be fine,” she said.  “I am not hurt badly.”

“That is something for the healer to judge,” I said.  The teeth or claws had rent her leathers and I could clearly see the wounded flesh beneath.  “We do not know these creatures.  There may be poison in the wound.  It needs to be properly cleaned anyway to prevent sickness.”

“I wish we had a proper surgeon,” she said.

“Scratch has experience enough with mercenaries and outlaws,” said Pascalli.  “I’m sure he can manage to stitch together a lady.”

I had never before laid eyes upon a woman’s breast, and I daresay that I was very glad for the dim, shadowy light of the one candle Pascalli allowed me to work by.  I discovered that she was very beautiful, although I had never really thought about it much.  I treated the wound with much more care and tenderness than I believe I had planned, and I am sure she was grateful for that care in the end.  I had a bit of tyrnwood that I used to make a poultice to deaden the pain and soak any poison.  I am sure that in the cold night air my indelicate fingers did not feel pleasant, and I regretted not having something better for the pain.  Three cuts ran around the edge of her left breast, claw marks, and all three required stitches.  Afterwards we bundled her in several blankets and sat back to back watching over her the rest of the night.

Once again the wonders of tyrnwood proved useful.  By morning Dina practically bounced out of the blankets.  Though her arm was still too weak from the torn chest muscles to properly manage a bow, she willingly helped with chores she had complained about only the day before.

After that incident Pascalli pushed us harder to reach Darnuth Keep.  All thought of practice or training of any kind vanished.  For the first time in what seemed forever I did not rise each day to be soundly beaten by a solid oak staff.  Pascalli knew that we would need the protection of the battlements as well as a base from which to hunt and gather supplies for the coming winter.  Dina had often hunted for sport with her father and brothers but was unused to surviving in the wilderness without the comforts of her station.  She did not know how to cook, though most of our food at the time was cold.  She did not find sleeping under the stars comfortable and did not understand that we would be easy prey inside of tents.

“I don’t think Dina is made for the wild,” I observed to Pascalli on evening.  “I don’t know if she is strong enough to make it out here.”

“Don’t judge her too swiftly Scratch.  There’s a strength there that you don’t see yet.  Remember all that you’ve done and seen since leaving home.  There were times I wondered about you,” he said.

“I’ll do my best,” I murmured.

Pascalli smiled at me.  “A friend is a friend and a good friend even better.  She’s a part to play yet.  Give her time.  Someday you may come to understand the sacrifice she has given to join us.  She has freely left behind much that others would struggle their whole lives to gain.  We’ll reach the keep in another day.  I’ll be relying on your help when we get there.  Make sure your head is clear.”

Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman

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