Chapter Fourty Six – The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep by Kelly D. Tolman

Posted by admin on August 10, 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.

Yunath and Zaban spoke privately with Dina before they parted company the following morning.  I waited quietly outside, watching the troops prepare to move south.  The village felt suddenly empty as we watched the long lines of soldiers march south.  “We best be about our business,” said Dina as the line disappeared in the distance.

“We’ve much to do if we want a good harvest,” I agreed.  “Is everything all right with your family?”

She looked at my face but didn’t respond for several seconds.  “Things have changed between my brothers.  We didn’t win the support expected at the festival.  Yunath wanted to use me to help make an alliance with the east.  The emperor is growing old, and already some of the powerful houses are talking of war.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” I replied.  “I just want to build a home again.”

“Building a home takes more than hands and bricks,” she said.  “It also takes planning, and if it comes to it, blood.  Torbridge has grown in influence in the east.  He’s managed to garner favor with Lord Favisham, regent of all the eastern lands.  Favisham is very close to the emperor.  We’ll need to make the city strong before he decides to act.  We need to prepare, not only for the harvest, but for what may come after.”

Dozens of opportunistic and desperate folk had risked their lives already to see if the rumor that someone had opened the gate was true.  I had little difficulty finding souls willing to return with me, souls hungry for land and chances of their own where they could leave behind shattered pasts and missed opportunities.

The village had a few taverns, and the largest seemed to be the gathering place for most of the outsiders.  I decided we should try it first.  Inside I found an unexpected smile.

“You’ve come a long way, lad,” said Master Delvin.  “We heard rumors that you had traveled west.  Is it true that there is land to be had in the north?”

“We didn’t expect to find much here,” added Jiora, her face breaking into a wide smile.  “A chance to start over is just what we need.”

“Yes, there is plenty of land for those willing to work it,” I said.  “What happened to your farm?”

“Some lord or other found out about my helping you and sent troops to arrest me.  We led them a bit of a chase, but they gave up soon enough.  We had some trouble getting through Anascrag, but the eastern lords have been pushing to get their troops west since you came, and the festival had all their attention.  The empire’s a hotbed of confusion right now.”

“I’m glad you made it,” I said, and smiled.  “We’ll need all the good men we can get.  Are there any others with you?”

“My family, of course.  I’ve a brother as well.  He brought his family too.  Most of the rest I’ve seen are ruffians and rascals, though no doubt we can find some as know how to work,” said Delvin.

“Hello, Scratch!”  A familiar voice suddenly called over the din of people.  I turned and saw Laural waving at me from across the room.  She wore a new silk blouse but the same tight riding leathers I had seen her in before.  I waved back, conscious of Dina’s questioning look.

“I see you’ve traveled a lot,” said Delvin.

“She’s a friend from before I came west,” I said.  Laural crossed the room.  Half a dozen rough men watched her movements, and I remembered my fight with Bracken.

“I see the rumors were true after all,” said Laural with a smile.  “I knew you were crazy, but even I didn’t figure you would try anything this wild.  I hear there’s land up there.  I know a few men looking to ride with you.”

“If they are willing to work they are welcome,” I said.  I caught a sidelong glance from Delvin.  “We need farmers, Laural, and skilled workers.  If they can handle a spear there will be a chance for that too, but don’t expect gold.  I’m planning on building a city, not tearing it apart.”

“It’s a dangerous city,” said Dina.  Her eyes drew into a scowl.  “You may find it less hospitable than you expect.”

Laural winked and smiled.  “I can handle myself.  Don’t worry.  We’ll make out all right.”

The final tally added up to nearly a hundred people, with more women and children than I had expected.  Most of the men came to escape the law, but I knew that would be the case.  Men don’t leave a comfortable life without good reason.  Delvin’s daughter, Brevedia was now growing into a fetching young woman, and she took to Dina like a sister.  Dina proved invaluable at organizing the group.  I hadn’t realized how much I relied on Pascalli’s judgment until then.
We bought horses, food, and tools all at higher than expected prices.  The village was not prepared for the demand, but I wasn’t willing to take any risk of running short before harvest came.  Without a manageable road, we would have to pack everything on horses or mules, which meant I needed men who could handle them without trouble.  A few of the less pleasant men who joined us came only because I needed the help with the teams.

It took us four days to gather everything together with everyone working as hard as they could before we were ready to leave.  As Garret ordered the gate shut behind us I knew that some of us would not reach the keep.  We had only two others who were experienced in the mountains apart from Delvin and me.  Thorn, an old scout for the Eastern Watch rode with me and learned the trail quickly.  His companion, a Darkunder called Twoleaf, kept mostly to herself, though I noticed she watched the mountains and didn’t miss a trick.

Ten days into the journey Thorn pointed out footprints left by a very large creature.  The claws resembled those of a bear, but the impression in the ground was much bigger and deeper.  The next day Twoleaf showed me some of its dropping, which were shaped more like a horse rather than bear scat.  I ordered the fires to be kept burning all night after we found two large pine trees that had been mauled where the beast went to clean its claws.  The marks reached a full meter higher than I could touch standing on my toes.

“Keep your families close together,” I warned the men.  “Keep near the light, and don’t put out the fires.  Whatever it is, it won’t be afraid of men.  No man has been through here in centuries.  I’m hoping it’s just curious and passes us by.”

Every group naturally has those who dissent or who seek to push the boundaries of the leadership as far as possible.  Laural approached me alone.  “Some of us want to ride ahead.  We’re moving too slow.  Carns and Talbot can find the way easy enough.”

“We need to stay together as much for safety as anything else.  The trail can be tricky to figure out further north.  Besides, I don’t think you want to find Pascalli alone in the city,” I said.

“I don’t think we want to wait,” she replied.

“You’ve been warned.  I won’t stop you.  I will do what I can to help you when you run amuck, but I will not enjoy finding your carcasses,” I said.
Two men and Laural left the main party the next day.  Two days after that we found three boots and one badly mauled and now bloating horse.  I made a quick scouting effort and found a second dead horse as well as the trail of the third.  The beast’s tracks clearly followed the third horse.

I don’t know if I made the best decision, but I felt the wagons would be safe for a day or two without me.  Something inside of me told me I had to hunt this menace even if I could not save the last rider.

“Lead the others ahead to the city,” I told Dina, though I dreaded parting company.  “That last rider could still be alive.”

“That’s Laural’s horse,” she observed.  A frown crossed her face.  “She is too careless.”  I sensed that something about Laural’s manner bothered Dina deeper than she would say.

“I can’t let her die out there,” I said.

“Just come back,” she replied.  I did not expect the tenderness in her voice.  “I’ll worry while you’re gone.”

“Thorn should be able to find the trail easy enough.  Just keep heading north.  I’ll catch up in a day or two.”

Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman

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