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
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Seven
Back to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Five
Posted by admin on August 3, 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.
I felt deeply out of place as Zaban took his seat on a sturdy chair in one of his tents. I stood holding my spear in one hand with my saddle bags over the opposite shoulder. He motioned for me to sit on a silk cushion a few meters away, and a servant brought a second for Dina. I decided to try my luck and trust to Pascalli’s teaching. I refused the cushion. If I expected to be taken seriously I knew I needed to establish my position right then.
“I am Lord of the lands north of the wall, I do not sit on the ground with common servants,” I said. I felt extremely uncomfortable. It felt like a lie, as far as I knew it was a lie, but something inside spurred me on.
Zaban nodded and immediately a servant took the cushion away. A moment of silence thundered between us until a suitable chair appeared. I unbuckled my sword, un-slung my bow and laid them together with my spear at my feet. Then I bowed low and said in a humble voice, “I thank the son of Taradurk for his hospitality and welcome of a stranger in his land. Please accept my humble service while I am permitted to tarry, and accept a small token of gratitude.” I opened one of my saddlebags and tossed a small sack of gems at his feet. Then I took my seat.
“You come from a great journey, which we must hear in length,” he replied. “Your gift is generous and unexpected. Your tongue is courteous when you let it be.” He paused. His eyes betrayed an inner turmoil. “We have much to discuss, son of Halfspear, and much to decide. As regent of these lands I commend your bravery, but the emperor will decide your fate.”
I noticed Dina reel as Zaban stated his position as regent. I also understood. She was now as much an orphan as I, and probably as unwelcome at home.
“First we will eat, and then we will discuss the matters before us,” said Zaban.
Servants brought trays piled with delicately prepared meats and savory sauces. From these trays Dina served each of us. I noticed she offered me first choice, which caused Zaban to raise a questioning eyebrow. Through silent gestures she guided me through the formalities of the meal. I patiently waited for him to resume the conversation.
“The Lord Taradurk passed into the immortal realms this winter,” he said. “His third daughter failed her duties. I have come to find her and learn the path she has followed.” Zaban spoke to me, careful to keep his eyes from his sister.
“Dina has been a great help to the Lord of Darnuth Keep,” I replied. “Without her aide the Kaarum would once again have rushed past my borders unchecked to ravage the lands of the empire.” I noticed the approval in Dina’s eyes as I spoke, and felt a thrill creeping into my heart.
“This alliance with the realms of the north is unexpected,” said Zaban. “Is she to continue in your service?”
“Such a show of friendship would mark a great alliance between our peoples,” I said. “I would be honored to have such a lovely lady grace my court.”
The discussion became almost instantly lighter. I watched a heavy weight lift from Zaban’s eyes. He embraced his sister and I saw how deeply the difficult situation pained them both.
“The emperor has not issued any formal decree, so there is nothing to stop me from recognizing the sovereignty of Darnuth Keep. Lord Favisham, among others, would have you stopped here, but I won’t risk my sister to satisfy his whim.”
“Thank you,” said Dina.
“Time will tell if this is a wise decision or not. You made a hard choice. Colter has given you a chance to retain some sense of status and respect among your friends and family,” said Zaban.
“We have plans to fully rebuild the city,” I said. “We have come to purchase supplies and find people willing to join us.”
“I won’t stand in your way, though others will. I came here to find Dina, and now that I’ve spoken with her I can return to Shelsmor. My advice to would be to return as quickly as you can to Darnuth Keep. You won’t have much trouble finding people to join you, but be careful who you take. The western lords have servants and spies even here. If they choose to make trouble for you I won’t be able to stop all of it.”
“We’ll be careful,” I said.
Zaban smiled and the conversation turned to Dina’s family. She wept as he recounted their father’s funeral. He listened intently as she told him of our adventures together. For a while I sat, forgotten, as they renewed the family bonds that she had strained.
“After you have rested, you will both join me for dinner. In the morning I will say goodbye,” said Zaban as we closed our discussion.
“We would be delighted, my lord,” I replied.
Zaban prepared a tent for each of us where we could bath and rest. He sent me a new fine silk shirt and sturdy comfortable trousers. I welcomed the opportunity to relax, but I knew that I would have to use caution in order to understand the regent’s full intentions. A servant summoned me to join the dinner party about an hour later.
Dina appeared in a black silk dress and greeted me as I entered the tent. A large emerald necklace graced her throat. She had pinned her hair high on her head, exposing her strong, elegant neck. She smiled and guided me through the formalities. “Many of my father’s closest advisors are here. Zaban’s position is difficult. Be careful not to offend him or those who are with him here. Pascalli is right that we need additional people at the keep in order to make it grow and hold our position.”
I smiled back and nodded. “I’ll do my best,” I promised.
Though I heard music playing as we entered, it stopped when Zaban saw us. He motioned for us to approach, smiling broadly at his sister. “My lords and ladies, I present lord Halfspear, conqueror of Darnuth Keep.” Most present were able to mask their astonishment, although a few surprised gasps and several incredulous glances floated around the tent. “The lady Taradurk, also of Darnuth Keep has joined him in his conquest. Tonight we welcome them as allies against the Kaarum.” He started applause that others hesitantly followed. I followed Dina’s lead and bowed and smiled.
Dinner saved me from enduring difficult questions as Dina carefully steered nearly everyone away from me. Her skill at managing people shined in a way I had not previously appreciated. Her second brother, Yunath, seemed more reserved about accepting my position. Dina did not try to avoid him.
Yunath was shorter than his brother, with a slightly more powerful build, but he shared the same green eyes of the rest of his family, and the same straight dark hair. “Zaban says that you stopped the Kaarum at the pass near Darnuth Keep,” stated Yunath.
“That is why we went there,” I answered. “It should take them several winters to recover, at least that is what Pascalli says.”
“Pascalli visited our house when I was a child. He showed no respect to our family or our traditions. I do not think he will do what is best for the empire,” said Yunath.
“He will do what is best for the world,” I said. I noticed Dina’s gently concerned look and did my best to change the subject. “Winter is just ending. The time for planting will come soon. We will need a good crop to help us build life into the city again.”
To my surprise Yunath smiled. “You are right. Now is not the time for heavy talk. Nor is it the time to breed mistrust. Zaban is not a fool, though he has made exceptions for his sister.”
The rest of Dina’s family had stayed in Shelsmor. I know that she especially missed her sisters. Mostly military men accompanied Zaban this far north, though a few of them brought along their wives. After a short time I read the disappointment in Dina’s face.
“I’m sorry your sisters couldn’t come,” I told Dina.
“Niersa should be here,” she said. “One of us always waited on my father, no matter where he traveled. First it was Sorla, my oldest sister, then Tiarna, and then me. When I left to find adventure Niersa must have taken my place. She should be here. Zaban doesn’t have any daughters old enough to do it yet.”
“You’ll see them again,” I said. “As soon as everything is in order I’m sure we’ll have a chance to come south again.”
“I hope so, but I feel as if I won’t.”
I didn’t pay much attention to the soldiers who attended that dinner. Dina seemed content to be surrounded again by people who hid their true intentions behind smiles and borrowed emotions.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Six
Back to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Four
Posted by admin on July 27, 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 hurried inside and found an abandoned house. Through the windows I watched several more creatures scurry past out the main gate and off into the deepening darkness.
In the dead of winter I found myself holed up with an irascible wizard and a lame huntress. Dina’s arm had broken. Pascalli complained bitterly to me. “Why didn’t you think, boy? It’s a fight for your life. There are no rules. I wanted into the palace by now, but we can’t leave her alone, and we can’t bring her along like this.”
We had taken refuge in a large mansion near the palace. With little else to do except eat and sleep, Pascalli quadrupled my training. Every chore imaginable he required that I perform by magic alone, without the aid of my hands. Though I had often dreamt as a child of being able to simply wish the dinner pots would clean themselves, I found that asking them to do it was equally rigorous. Catching the right voices among the myriad swirls of so many different elements proved nearly impossible. At first I managed by conjuring water and having it slosh around the same as I would by hand, but Pascalli pointedly dismissed this idea. “Use the meat between your ears, Scratch. You’ve magic now, do something interesting.”
I now realize that no matter what I could have invented there would have been no pleasing that old man, but at the time I scrambled through idea after idea. By the first signs of spring I had become adept at lighting fires and manipulating water and air. I mastered causing small objects to fly, but I had difficulty with anything larger or heavier than a stone the size of my fist.
Pascalli also invented a new, rather disturbing game that truly annoyed me. At odd moments he would toss a stone at me, and I either stopped it with magic or took a lump. As if that game weren’t bad enough, it quickly progressed to a knife aimed at an arm or leg and eventually my more vital parts. He began encouraging Dina to do the same with her free arm, which she did far too willingly for my pleasure. I am sure that had time permitted we would have progressed to stopping arrows or some other nonsense, but Dina’s arm took time to heal.
After some ten markets Dina’s arm knit completely and the weather had turned enough for Pascalli to finally venture a visit to the palace. To my great dismay, however, he did not invite me. Instead he said, “Scratch, my lad, I shall need some supplies. Now I’ve done some looking and turned up a coin or two, and there’s bound to be more about. Go down to Last Gate and see what you can buy. What’s more, see who you can entice into joining us here. The city is open now, and I think we can begin to breathe some life into it.”
I set off with Dina back down the mountain towards Last Gate. Going down seemed much easier than coming up. No enemies pursued us, though in the hills and forest remained a constant danger filled with many strange creatures from the breaking. Our horses delighted in the journey for they had not much exercise in many markets. Dina also acted as gay as any young lass for she was returning alive, though a certain dread did still shadow us. For my part I knew that Pascalli had brought me to the city for a reason that remained as yet unaccomplished. I believe Dina still wondered about her station with her family.
The guards at Last Gate saw us approach easily a kilometer before we reached the wall. Even in the distance we heard someone call into the town, though the words were muffled. A small crowd gathered atop the gate to watch us, and I felt a stirring of pride as they gaped in disbelief at our approach.
Naturally, Garret, the gate captain assumed we were returning in failure. “I see you return one windbag less,” he said with a commanding voice. “These gates are closed by imperial law.”
Dina stood up in her stirrups and I’m sure was prepared to invoke her father’s name, but I motioned for her to relax.
“The Lord of Darnuth Keep does not leave his domain without a steward,” I replied. “My tutor and friend is safe and well, I assure you, preparing my palace for my return.” I must admit at the time I had meant merely to bluff my way through a closed door. I had no idea how near the truth I really hit. “I have come to seek parlance with the imperial regent and to negotiate a treaty to our mutual benefit. Let us pass.”
There were no more replies from the guard towers, only muttered voices beyond my hearing. The gate opened and we passed inside.
The village of Last Gate had swollen over the winter with the news of the three strangers who forced their way through. Swarms of rogues and adventurers all in the guise of merchants crowded the streets peddling anything that passed the guards’ mandates. These merchants brought with them their servants and slaves, and the commotion attracted the attention of yet other visitors. In particular many members of the local nobility lent their curiosity. The moment that drove home the importance of our situation most poignantly happened when Dina suddenly reined her horse in and dismounted. She dropped to her knees before a haughty man some eight or ten winters my elder. He rode a tall black stallion with his hair tied back in a topknot after the fashion of the western nobility. I knew at once from his manner and his eyes that this must be a brother. I waited, facing him silently.
He ignored his sister and instead spoke to me. His shirt and pantaloons were finest silk, and the cutlass at his side had a hilt worked masterfully. I caught the distinct clink of mail and knew that he was protected and surely trained to fight.
“You have broken our law,” he said flatly. His voice carried a deadly steel that I knew came from a life of giving orders.
“That is impossible,” I replied. A slice of anger pierced his eyes. “I am Colter Halfspear, Lord of Darnuth Keep. There is no law here that binds me.” After watching Pascalli for so long I had developed a bit of pomp for bullying. This man, Dina’s brother, however, was not a man to be bullied, especially not by an un-bearded youth such as myself.
“You will give me your weapons, now,” he said. “Then my court shall decide your fate.”
“I know your law,” I said. “It is the emperor’s law. You cannot take my weapons, and you should not try.”
Soldiers had now surrounded us. I began to have some second thoughts about my situation, but I had gone too far to back down. Pascalli had beaten too much pride into me. I couldn’t give it away.
Suddenly Dina spoke, and for the first time her brother paid her attention, “Zaban, you must not try it. He is who he says he is.” She had not raised her head, and I’m sure the muddy streets made her knees quite uncomfortable.
Zaban’s steely eyes turned into a scowl. “Come with me,” he said, relenting slightly. “We have much to discuss. You may retain your weapons for the present.” He did not fear me. That much I could read in his eyes. I believe he saw the wisdom of avoiding conflict despite my forced breach of custom.
He still did not speak to Dina, even as we paraded, with imperial guards on either side through the streets to a large camp just outside of town. His personal tent dominated a small village of tents that housed his many servants and personal warriors.
Pascalli had warned me of the formality of the courts of nobility, particularly in the west. I don’t believe he had planned for me to be introduced just yet, but I was determined not to disappoint. Zaban, to be sure, leaned heavily on formality and custom. His personal guard kept a tight line, much better than typical soldiers, and their gear was polished bright enough to make Iven smile. I suddenly realized how haggard I must look, dressed in home-cut buckskin with wild hair Dina cropped with our crude tools. Though I groomed my horse better than anyone I knew and I tended my weapons and armor as only one whose life depends on it, I had seen too much wear for too long.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Five
Back to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Three
Posted by admin on July 20, 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.
The next markets passed quite uneventfully. With Dina’s help I tied skins of animals filled with very smelly powder to poles three to four meters tall all around the valley. Pascalli had both Dina and I make arrows by the dozen and practice firing them with their tips dipped and lit on fire. Of course wherever I traveled I had that stupid pebble following me, and lighting arrows with magic quickly turned into a tedious chore.
The snow began to deepen, and the edges of the lake began to freeze. Pascalli warned that it would not be safe to try to catch anymore of the enormous trout for the ice was thin and unsafe but the water could not be reached without walking on it. We built two watch points outside of the walls where Dina and I could reach the poles with a long arrow shot. Pascalli had a signal fire ready to go atop the city wall. With our poles safely planted and our winter stores in, all we could do was watch and wait.
I had long lost the reckoning of days and markets though I know it must have been sometime after the midwinter festival. Needless to say we did not celebrate. Pascalli saw to it that day and night someone watched over the valley, and sure enough one evening just as the gray sun began to slip over the mountains Dina called to us from the city wall.
We all took our positions without questions. Pascalli warned us that the shock might upset some of the keep’s current occupants and we should be on the lookout for creatures running out of the valley and out of the keep. “Especially watch out for what might be inside the palace. We’ve not ventured in there yet, but you can be sure it is not friendly.”
The Kaarum approached like a cold, slow, black snake. Though I knew that their masters drove them on with whips at a running gait across the ice and snow, to me, sitting on my frozen perch the minutes seemed to pass like hours. Much to my surprise and chagrin as the black army entered the narrow valley their pace slackened. They moved carefully. Clearly they knew that some armed resistance had taken at least a few of their scouts. I looked to the place where the signal fire would light. Nothing. My heart sank more as the night began to surround us. If they intended to move in the night my toes would surely freeze from staying still so long, but I had no choice. I had a tiny flame concealed in a little earthenware pot scavenged from an abandoned home. I moved it between my toes and waited.
The troops in the lead slowed and came to a halt. At first I did not understand, but then I realized that they had encountered terrain more difficult than anticipated. Some markets back at Pascalli’s behest Dina and I had struggled to fell trees and drag them with our horses across the road. Covered with two or three meters of snow, the debris would make it dangerous and difficult even for the supply carts on runners. Soldiers on foot could not move through the valley without risking a nasty fall that could easily break a limb. Troops began to pile up behind. Confusion ensued with Kaarum moving every direction but forwards. Suddenly the signal fire flared.
Almost as one, the entire army shouted in collective panic. I lit my arrow in my tiny flame and loosed it at the first target. I knew by memory where each lay and did not need even the little bit of starlight that now filtered through the thin clouds. My first arrow struck and I lit the next. Before I could shoot a second arrow an enormous explosion rocked the valley. I did not know if my second arrow found its mark because just after I let it go a second explosion shook the valley. I found my last target and fired.
If there were more explosions I could not say because in the next moments the entire valley became one continuous rumbling tumult. I grabbed my earthenware jar and scrambled to the relative safety of the abandoned city. All around the snow had begun to fall off of the teetering mountain peaks dumping thousands of tons of white death onto the army below. Somewhere I think I heard the cracking of the ice in the lake, but I can’t be certain. The morning found a valley floor covered in white mounds where the night before an army had tried to cross.
I am glad that I could only catch faint glimpses of crushed bodies in the dark and that the massive avalanche drowned their screams. Death is horrible, even for the Kaarum. When spring arrived, bringing new life, we found a valley floor littered with bones and rot and old gear. The deep valley lake covered much of the destruction and smell, but for a long time afterwards the marks of our triumph remained.
The shaking of the avalanche startled the entire city, including the palace. Pascalli’s counsel to keep up our guard proved wise. Dina and I both returned to the city wall about the same time. We had opened the city gates, knowing that the Kaarum would not attempt to get in, but we had not really planned on facing down enemies trying to get out.
A dog, perhaps the size of a pony, surprised us in its terror. The scales along its torso, like those of a fish, glittered slightly in the starlight. It cracked a long, bony tail like a whip. The enormous jaws growled in unmistakable anger and fear. Yellow eyes darted everywhere in panic.
We pulled up short. I took a step backwards slowly, giving it plenty of room to pass. Dina did the same, but her hand moved too quickly to her quiver. Before I could warn her, the beast had already decided she was a threat and lunged. It grabbed her arm in its teeth and flung her like a doll. I had a brief second to knock my own arrow, but the point bounced harmlessly off of the creature’s natural armor. I’m sure I panicked. Dina had the good sense to lie still and it turned its attention on me. I found my father’s spear and dropped my bow. It would not be useful in this fight.
Though wide enough for several horses, the area in front of the gate did not leave a great deal of room for maneuvering. I circled carefully, waiting for an overwhelming lunge. I tried to put myself between it and Dina, but it seemed to sense my tactic and feinted. I parried with a jab to the snout, but it pulled back in time. Clearly this thing, whatever it was, had experience fighting and understood much more than the average wild animal.
Although I managed to hold my own for several more minutes, I am reasonably sure that in the end Dina and I would have met a rather unpleasant fate had Pascalli not been curious about us. Suddenly I heard his voice, booming like thunder from atop the city walls. “Use your blasted magic, boy! I’ve not spent my life blood training you to watch you waste it away like this.”
I will admit that I felt stupid, and to this day feel a little guilt that I did not think of the idea myself, an idea that could very well have saved Dina some pain. Of course the entire time my rock still flickered about me as it always had. I think the rock, more than anything had caused the creature to hesitate when it attacked me. I quickly focused on the rock, begging it to blaze to molten heat and sent it effortlessly into the dog’s eye. I had expected it to burn and frighten the creature, but instead the rock’s intense heat actually melted through the eye and burned into its brain. It dropped dead at Dina’s feet.
“Now that’s much better, lad,” said Pascalli. “Best get inside quick, and take it careful with her arm.”
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Four
Back to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Two
Posted by admin on July 13, 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.
With autumn fading quickly into winter I hunted each morning and then returned to skin and cure hides and smoke meat for our winter store. So many supplies had been left behind that we needed blankets, clothes and food. The cold mountains would have to provide our needs for the coming winter.
Dina handled her bow expertly, though she lacked my experience in the wild. At first we hunted separately, scouring the valley and mountain near the keep. Each day Dina grew a little more frustrated as I found more success. Pascalli suggested after a few days that we would be much safer hunting together while he worked on his preparations. Whatever he prepared for the Kaarum he did not explain to us.
We set out together, and I immediately noticed the noise she made as we walked. At first I ignored it, hoping she could learn by watching, but eventually I realized she needed help. “Let’s rest a bit,” I said. She didn’t want to stop. “We won’t find anything this morning.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked. “This game trail is fresh.”
“The trail is fresh, but you aren’t,” I replied.
“I’m not tired,” she said, frowning.
“You move like you are tired. And I know that I am tired,” I said.
“You haven’t been yourself since you opened the gate to the inner circle. You don’t cook anymore, and you never join us at the fire in the evening anymore.” I didn’t expect to feel any concern in her voice, and the comfort surprised me. “What’s wrong?”
“I saw horrible things.” I know tears came to my eyes, but I did my best to hide them and keep my voice steady. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Will you at least tell me why you always find more game than me?” she asked. “My father taught me to hunt when I was only a girl, but I’m not having any luck here.”
“Hunting for sport is not the same as hunting when your life hangs on your skill. You are too nervous. You make a lot of noise, and you miss the small details. You have to know not only to look, but to see and understand.” I hoped I didn’t sound like Pascalli lecturing, but I knew I did.
“I would like to move the way you do. I always wanted to be better than my brothers. They have glory and honor already, but I will have to earn mine,” she said.
“I don’t know anything about glory, but I know that you don’t need to hunt like me to earn respect. You have a strength that is all your own. You gave up your life to be with us. I can respect that,” I said.
For the first time, I think she smiled at me. Although she never mastered everything about the wild, she put her heart into it with each step. Later that day we found two Kaarum, which we shot at a safe distance before they caught our scent. I learned to forgive what I viewed as her shortcomings, and she began to overlook mine. Such friendships are bought hard and dear, and only come with time and trial.
“What will your family do when you return?” I asked her as we sat around the fire. I needed something to take my mind away from the flames.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “My family has a great responsibility to the emperor. I met him once, you know.”
“Who?” I asked.
She laughed, the sort of laugh I expected from Laural. “The emperor, silly. I lived three summers in Dynwater, learning the ways of the courts. I know well my duties, and so does all my family. My father may not be able to let me live if I go back. Certainly he can no longer claim me as a daughter.”
“Why not? All you did was cross a gate,” I said.
“I aided you. There are some in Dynwater, and other places, who do not want you wandering free.”
“I haven’t seen or heard from my mother or sister since I left the village. I don’t know if they are still alive, though I hope they’ve had an easier time than I have.”
“You’ll see them again someday,” she reassured me. “Maybe one day we can visit them together.”
“And maybe you will introduce me to your family.” We laughed away our fears. I came to know that her great resentment of me stemmed only from fear of my father’s legend. Together we found game and gathered nuts and roots while forging a bond tempered through hardship.
Pascalli did not forget any of my other duties. At times Dina hunted alone, scouting only the fringes of the city, or stayed in camp preparing stores for winter. On those days she stayed because Pascalli kept me busy with my training and my learning. The daily efforts with sword and spear were redoubled, but he added to this meditation and serious practice with magic.
“Living matter is the most difficult to master,” explained Pascalli. “So we will begin with that which was never alive, or at least only alive so long ago that it has no memory of itself. That is to say it has no intelligence.” He held up a pebble. “Begin with that.”
I looked at the pebble. It seemed rather ordinary and uninteresting.
“Remember, you must focus. Find its voice and the voice of the element you want to use to control it. You have proven you can listen to the air, which is the easiest, go ahead and lift the pebble.”
So I began each day lifting the pebble. Eventually Pascalli moved me on to not just lifting the pebble but having it fly in circles or other patterns, and eventually to keeping it hovering over my shoulder as I moved around the camp. Controlling magic can be very tiring, and long before the first snows fell I had already grown weary of my daily routine.
Still Pascalli proved relentless. Each night when I returned he checked that the stone had not fallen. Then he introduced me to the other elements. “There are many elements all around us, and many kinds of energy. Understanding magic means understanding all of these things and bending them to your will. Take fire, for example. It is all around us, but you must ask the air to give it to you. The same is true of water and of lightning and of the force that causes things to fall. Concentrate on your stone again, but this time try to find the voice of fire within it.”
I concentrated. Instead of the usually wispy voice of the air I could hear a low rumbling, crackling whisper like a very distant forest fire.
“Now ask it to warm the rock.”
I found that I was not surprised when the pebble grew intensely hot.
“Very good,” said Pascalli. “You did not break your concentration. From now on you will use magic to light our campfires. Also practice collecting water from the air into your canteen as you hunt. I do not expect miracles yet, but time is short and you will soon be tested.”
When the first flakes of snow trickled from the sky Pascalli ordered us to stop our hunting efforts. By then we had a large stock of supplies in one of the smaller mansions in the citadel. We still had not entered the palace proper, which Pascalli seemed to regard with both dread and curiosity.
“Now then,” he began, using his lecture tone. “The time has come for us to begin in earnest one of the many reasons we came here. That is to say the main reason I came here, though you two are of course involved. As you both know, the Kaarum have sent their scouts through this valley. It is one of the few passes open during the winter though they have not tried it in many summers because the wild beyond it is both dangerous and unrewarding. The passes to the east are much better. Unless I am very much mistaken they will be forced to send their army through the valley this winter. They will wait until the lake is frozen over and until their own supplies of food far to the north have nearly dwindled until they are forced to hunt for plunder. We have come to stop them here.”
“How are we going to do that?” gasped Dina. “Three people against thousands of Kaarum do not make good odds.”
I had to agree, but I knew from the twinkle in the wizard’s eye that he had a plan. “There once was a time, young lady, when I alone could have stood against them without bothering so many markets in advance to prepare. Should time prove to be on my side, I shall prepare young Scratch here to do the same. In the meantime trust that this old bag of bones has a plan larger than his belly.”
Clearly Dina was not taken in by his smile. Pascalli ignored her glare and continued.
“There are ample supplies of certain minerals in the mountain, which I have been constantly mixing and preparing. Scratch, you may recall that the Veldmen make such powders from time to time to help delve. We shall place quantities of these powders in strategic locations around the valley and when the Kaarum arrive they will explode causing all of the snow to fall from the mountain on top of them. With any luck the frozen top of the lake will also give way and in one swift crack we’ll have them all.”
Naturally I thought he had lost his mind, but I had the good sense to hide it. Dina, however, exploded in a short-lived fit of incredulous rage. She was right, of course, there were far too many ways the plan could go wrong, but I knew Pascalli too well to really doubt him much. Besides, I had done crazier things already.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty Three
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Posted by admin on June 29, 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.
The following day proved tiresome and cumbersome for me in too many ways. Pascalli accompanied me through the city to gate at the highest level. The lowest level of the city spans a great semi-circle out from the mountain with the back wall running straight as an arrow and cutting deep into the mountainside. A wide highway opens from the main gate and takes a straight course up, through six wide tall gates to reach the palace proper. At each level a terrace is cut into the mountain and a wall holds back the earth and gives a place for troops to watch the city. The first four gates hung open wide. The gentle archways, unchanged by time, invited me in. The fifth gate, however, stood closed.
“That doesn’t look any different than the lower gates,” observed Dina.
“Of course not,” said Pascalli. “You didn’t expect it to be on fire, did you? I’ve not dared pass that portal yet, and that should be warning enough for both of you. The lower levels bear no malice, for they were homes for common folk who largely fled during the breaking. But the fifth level was home to many nobles. They swore by their lives and souls, in a sacred vow, that no unclean thing would dwell in their homes or disturb their rest. As a sworn enemy of this place once upon a time, I at least, will not be welcome until they are pacified.”
“And you expect me to make them happy,” I replied.
“I hope you can,” he said, though his tone did not reassure me.
“Exactly what am I to do?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” said Pascalli. “I have a number of guesses, but I think you would be better off asking them than me. There is no magic sealing the gate, but you can’t open it from the outside. Take a rope and hook. I brought it for a purpose. You will end up scaling the wall I’m sure. Now off you go.”
Scaling the wall proved immensely difficult. There are no footholds in the polished stone and only a very few places where a steel hook has any hope of catching. After nearly an hour of trying to lock the hook in place, my arms and back ached. Finally it caught but I no longer had the energy to pull myself up using only my arms. I sat to rest and chew on a piece of dried meat. From somewhere inside I thought I heard dull laughter.
After a long rest I scrambled up the rope. I pulled the rope up behind me thinking to find a more secure place to tie it off. For a few minutes I wandered the top of the wall, looking for such a place but to no avail. Then I realized all I needed to do was push open the gates. From the inside, the inner city walls were really nothing more than a high stone fence reaching to about my chest. From the outside, below they appeared to be both tall and thick because of the earth packed behind. I followed the wall and found the guardhouse near the tunnel that led to the gate.
My hand had reached to pull the lever when I spotted a movement from the corner of my eye through the guardhouse window. I turned to look but could see nothing. Instantly my bow was at the ready. I had cover from the guardhouse but only a limited view. I could not cover both the window and the door while simultaneously attempting to manage the lever. I decided to deal with whatever was out there before trying my luck with the gate.
Stalking a large animal through a dense mountain forest has both advantages and disadvantages. I had become familiar after living off the land so much with how to be patient and how to use cover. I noted the direction of the wind, and generally kept my eyes open. Here in this desolate city, with no trees, only windswept stones and sunlight, I discovered a new sense of dread. After emerging from the guardhouse I immediately felt exposed. Whatever was out there could see me, though I saw nothing.
I paused to listen. Nothing. I crossed the street where I could keep my back to the wall of a tall house. I glanced up briefly to see dark vacant windows staring like ancient faces down at me. Again something moved. But I heard nothing. It moved very fast. I thought it was white, perhaps the edge of a robe or dress.
I crept along the edge of the wall slowly and silently, watching both where I had been and where I was going. I reached a point where I could clearly see the corner of the building opposite me where the movement had been. I crossed the street and crept slowly to that corner. I was not surprised to find nothing but an empty alley. Whatever it was left no tracks, no sound, and no signs of any kind. I dismissed all of this without thought for I also moved without much sound and I had been careful to leave no tracks, though it appeared that I moved considerably slower.
Whatever it was had only one way to go so I entered the alley and quietly picked my way to the end. Again I saw nothing at first, but while studying the area my eye caught motion once more. I played this game over and over throughout the morning until I knew well the lay of much of the inner circle. My prey had taken me from the wall up to the palace gates and back again until I found myself just outside a temple to Tylos.
Tired, thirsty and hot from my long work I decided to give the chase a rest. I tried the main door to the temple and found that the seasoned wood and iron opened as easily as if the hinges had been oiled and mended that morning. I found a cool, shady corner and sipped water quietly. I bit off a piece of meat and chewed it thoughtfully, planning my next move. Whatever else might be out there I had not accomplished my goal. I had neither discovered nor discussed my desires with this citadel’s former occupants. The gate remained closed.
Quite suddenly the temple door slammed shut as a great gust of wind rushed past on the street. Again the low laughter I thought I had heard before teased my ears, but this time much clearer, though still distant as if from within a vault.
At first I thought to open the door again and continue my earlier chase, or at least return to the gate and try the lever. When I stood up I felt differently. I had never been inside a real temple to Tylos before and I felt compelled to offer Her some prayer or oblation before leaving. I did not know the proper ceremony, but I managed to find the offering pit at the top of a small dais. Sunlight poured in through a high opening in the domed top. I found a small pile of cedar left stacked from centuries before and lit it in the pit. All I had with me were a few herbs for cooking and a bit of dried meat. I put them on the fire and then knelt. Raising my hands and staring into the sky, I offered a prayer to my goddess.
“Who are you to bring sacrifices to this house of holiness,” asked a sinister voice from behind me. Hatred poured from the voice like acid. My blood ran chill. My bow lay beside me, out of reach. My spear waited back at camp. Even if I tried, I knew I would not have time to draw my father’s sword and bring it into play. Very slowly I stood up and turned around.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Forty One
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Posted by admin on June 22, 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.
Dina came out a few moments later, her hair still wet. I offered her some food, which she took silently. I knew that it was not in her nature to apologize, especially to a person of my class, but to me that did not excuse the resentful anger in her eyes. I could not conceal my own anger and rather than fumble my way through a conversation I did not want to have, or through silence too awkward to bear I went into the house and began skinning out the beast.
In the east we have several kinds of tigers, but the largest is smaller than the variety of black mountain cat I killed that day. That breed is not only larger, but generally more aggressive and very dangerous to hunt. With the absence of humans for so long they had begun to range all across the Hansfor valley. The hide made a surprisingly thick and warm coat, and the meat turned out to be both tasty and plentiful.
I was still hungry so I cut some steaks and added them to our meal. Dina immediately showed her disgust.
“We do not eat beasts of prey,” she said.
“Then it’s going to be a long and hard winter for you.” The voice was not mine, but Pascalli’s. “I see that we had one visitor tonight. I had rather hoped for more, but we take what Tylos gives.”
“You mean you used me for bait?” said Dina indignantly.
“No, child,” said Pascalli. “I simply let you have your way. If you do not like the consequences of thinking and acting for yourself then perhaps you should heed the advice of someone more experienced than yourself. Mind, Scratch, don’t burn those steaks. I feel as if I could eat a horse.”
“And you may have to,” I chided. “If we don’t find safe pasture for them.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that if I were you,” said Pascalli. “This city is not all stone. There are wonderful pastures on the upper levels.”
“Are they safe,” I asked. Dina had retreated into the house again to get another blanket.
“Much safer for the horses, but perhaps less safe for us. Tomorrow we will go up and find a place for a more permanent camp.”
“One with a proper roof,” I hope, said Dina as she rejoined us.
“A perfect mansion,” said Pascalli. I expected his usual wink, but his face was serious. “There are several up there, and you may choose any you like, though you may have to ask permission of the current occupants.”
“Do people still dwell here, then?” she asked.
“People, my dear?” replied Pascalli. “Certainly not. At least not in the way you and I think of them.”
“I am not afraid,” said Dina. “I will fight when the time comes.”
“The time has already come,” said Pascalli. “I know you can use that stick of yours, but it will be useless against those who dwell in the noble houses of Darnuth Keep. You cannot hope to take residence there by fighting.”
“Then how?” she pleaded.
“By following and trusting,” he answered.
I know that she did not like his answer. Few people could truly appreciate Pascalli’s way of avoiding a question. “I’ll follow you,” said Dina. “So far you’ve not shown me the glory I want. I don’t know if I can trust you.”
“Oh, ho,” laughed Pascalli. “Not to worry, not to worry at all.” Now his eyes took on the devilish gleam that meant he had her trapped. “You see, you’ve neither to follow or trust me one bit, for I’ve not the ability to set one foot along the path we tread without help.”
“What? Then who? What are you talking about?” she seemed both scared and confused, and I admit that by now I was just as confused though I knew better than to voice my opinion.
“Scratch, my boy, you’ll take good care of us, won’t you,” said Pascalli. I half expected to hear his familiar laugh, but somehow I knew in my heart it was true. “I’m relying on you in the morning to start what your father never came to start, and in return I’ll see you finish it alive or I’ll die trying.”
Though I had experienced many wonders, frights and even battles, there is no greater adventure than having the life and trust of another person placed in your hands, especially when it is the life of a person you love and respect as deeply as I did that old wizard.
Dina’s face sank instantly.
“Dina, you and I will keep watch tonight,” said Pascalli. “Scratch is short of rest and will need his strength.”
“Opening a gate can’t be that difficult,” said Dina.
“I can keep my watch,” I protested.
“Of course you can, lad, but tonight there is no need,” he said. “No more arguments from either of you. There is more to entering the upper circle than just opening the gate. Just leave a knife, Scratch, so I can start scraping that hide and go inside. Now Dina, I don’t know that you’ve ever scraped a hide before so come here and lend me a hand. I know that the Taradurks keep a master tanner, but here we will make do ourselves with what we have.” I fell asleep to the cracking of the fire and the gentle muttering of Dina complaining beneath her breath.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fourty
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Posted by admin on May 25, 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.
Midsummer’s day of the eighth winter after Kyven Halfspear’s victory under Narnal marked my first midsummer away from home while I was still under the tutelage of Captain Torbridge. Two winters later I had managed to stay alive long enough to write another letter home. Though I didn’t expect the letter to arrive, I sent it east with a grain merchant traveling to Anascrag. Though I had certainly added length to my legs and outgrown the clothes my mother sent me away in, even I could see the real growth had little to do with size.
My arms and back became strong under the daily strain of work and practice. I knew how to read strangers and the value of holding my tongue. I could read a trail and trusted myself in any circumstance. In spite of all the changes I still often wondered about my father, and about the curse he left me. We had few chances to find books along the way, but Pascalli encouraged me to read anything we found, and listen to the stories told by locals.
“How long has it been since you came through Last Gate?” I asked Pascalli the night before we reached the gate.
He winked at me before lifting his eyes and staring off into the horizon. “I come this way now and again to check the pass, though never through the gate. You will be the first to come with me since the breaking.”
“Didn’t my father ever come this way?” I asked, surprised.
“No, Scratch.” He said, very simply. “His business would have brought him here eventually, but he left the path before that.”
I understood.
Dina was not with us that final night. She went ahead with the wagon to make preparations at the guard post. I imagine that she wanted to spend at least one night in the comfort of a bed, but I am sure she also knew that I at least would want to have some time alone to sit and think. Dina did not speak to me much, not until we reached Darnuth Keep, and when she did she had taken to calling me Scratch, just as Pascalli did. Some part of her could not let go of the fact that I had been raised a farmer.
“Who was the demon my father slew?” I asked Pascalli quite suddenly enough to startle myself.
“You’ve heard the tales,” replied Pascalli. “Surely you know the story by heart.”
“I want to hear it from you,” I said firmly. “You know the truth, and I feel that you owe it to me.”
“I owe you nothing,” replied Pascalli in a sharp tone that sent a shiver through my spine. He was not angry. After a pause he smiled and set me at ease.
“I will give you freely what you ask. I think it may help you.”
“As you well know there are a number of deities, each struggling for power over our world. But they are bound by the will of mortals to choose for themselves their destiny. Though they may tempt us, we ultimately have power over ourselves. Some servants of the dark deities have tempted mortals to invite them into this realm to wreak havoc in return for greater power. One such demon was invited here by a powerful Kaarum shaman who made a pact with this demon lord.”
“At first we thought it was just another incursion of Kaarum coming down from the north. As usual I headed them off, and sealed the pass, but they broke through and the empire had to raise an army in great haste. Your father was recruited in much the same way that you were. He was literally begging for food when they came looking for conscripts and he just came along.”
“I did not actually meet your father until much later in his career. He was very astute, and very skilled at the art of war. By surviving long enough he rose through the ranks until he commanded a small company. About that time I finally managed to discover the presence of an unnatural force, though I could not tell what was behind it. At Narnal’s direction I gathered volunteers. Your father was the first to offer his spear.”
“I led them over the Northern Crown, and into the land of the Kaarum. He brought us out again, by his wits and cunning and sheer force of will. At every step we were hounded. I was not prepared to face a demon and it forced me to flee. The first time in so many hundred winters Pascalli fled a battle. I think that Tylos visited him during that time of our separation and told him of the spear of Udelf and of its power over the demon. I cannot tell you of your father’s adventures to retrieve the spear because he went alone and he returned alone. When he returned he no longer needed armies to fight his battle. He no longer needed me. Indeed his power far surpassed my own.”
“The war fared poorly for the empire. Many thousands of Kaarum had gathered along the wall north of Anascrag. There he came and began destroying them. Then, in the middle of the commotion a great blackness appeared. The demon rolled out its weapons of darkness only to be repelled by your father’s courage and light. Men and beast fell on both sides from the shock. Finally he thrust the demon down and broke its link to our world.”
“Your father did not speak for many days after that. He never told me what he felt or endured. The spear of Udelf had lost its power. It is the weapon you now bear, now no more than a bit of metal on the end of a pole. He went home, although I believe only I knew where his home was.”
I realized as he spoke that I was crying. So many questions still fluttered in my mind. Suddenly I felt very much like a child and I chided myself. Now I should be a man.
“You haven’t told me why killing the demon wasn’t enough to satisfy Tylos,” I said.
“That is because I don’t know,” answered Pascalli.
Confusion rocked my senses. Pascalli knew everything. He knew the names of little children he could not possibly have ever met before. He knew how long rocks had sat undisturbed in lonely mountain passes and when the last rabbit crossed a given path or when it was likely to return again.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I asked.
“Just that. I can only guess. I did not become aware of the curse Kyven endured until well after he returned to the imperial service. Only then, winters later, did he confide in me, and it was I who told the village council at Dunston after he refused.” He caught the fire in my eyes and cut me short. “Do not be angry with me. I tried to save him from himself, and I have done my best to save you as well. Judge me later, when you’ve learned enough to judge me properly. I’m not a saintly man, but at least I know my purpose and I haven’t yet wavered from it.”
“Well, if you don’t know, can’t you at least guess?” I asked.
“Anyone can guess,” he said. “In this situation guessing wrong could mean throwing this world into darkness.”
“But you’ve already guessed, haven’t you,” I mocked.
“Yes I have,” he said sharply. “You are going to prove me right or wrong, and I hope before it is too late.” He waited for me to ask the obvious question but I did not give him the satisfaction. “Very well, my guess is that somehow one of the other gods has managed to allow magic to be controlled again in this world and Tylos wants it remedied.”
“But how can that be true?” I said incredulously. “If magic could be controlled again, then you should be able to do any sort of miracle, shouldn’t you?”
“We are talking about guesses, aren’t we?” he scoffed. “Of course the way we learned may not be the same way that magic is controlled today. Tylos may still hold enough power to keep mine from returning. I don’t fully understand the extent of Tylos’ curse on me. Take the priests of Tylos, for example, their ability to heal wounds is clearly magic, but it nothing of the sort that I understand. Their power comes directly from Tylos. They have no power to actually do any healing. It is entirely up to our Lady.”
“I thought it was just automatic,” I replied. “I was healed back near Havensod.”
“Yes, I heard about that,” said Pascalli. “Quite remarkable actually. Most of us are not healed automatically, and then it is usually just enough to keep one from dying. Your experience was unusual to say the least. Either way, there was no control present.”
“Oh, well, yeah,” I said. “Well how did you used to control it, in the old days I mean? If I wanted to make a pig fly, for example, what would I have to do?”
“You mean short of building a catapult?” laughed Pascalli. I laughed with him, and our hearts grew suddenly lighter. “Come with me. Now look over here, you see this leaf.” He held up a broad oak leaf, clearly dead. “Now try to do as I say, although I don’t expect any results as I have already tried it myself a thousand times since I first came on this theory and it didn’t work. Look at the leaf, concentrate on its shape, form, color, smell, texture.” He waited for me to concentrate, which I did as hard as I possibly could. I tried to take in every aspect of the leaf, although I must admit it very quickly grew tedious. He set the leaf on the ground. “Now concentrate on the air around the leaf, how does it move, how does it taste, smell, sound.” I did as he asked. I tried to remember each time I had ever walked through a forest, every time I had played with a fallen leaf or tossed an acorn aside. “Now, listen for the voice of the leaf and the voice of the air, like a murmured whisper in a language you do not understand coming from far across the mountains. Do you hear it?”
I listened for a moment and had opened my mouth to say “No,” when I caught a faint something, like the wind blowing through the boughs of a great tree, but it was coming from nowhere. I knew it came from the leaf. “Yes,” I said.
I did not see Pascalli’s reaction. I had not broken my concentration. The intensity of the leaf’s calling seemed to grow as I yearned to understand it. I bent my thoughts and will towards it. Pascalli’s voice quivered as he spoke. “Reach out with your mind and heart and ask the leaf to lift. Ask the air to push it.”
I asked, I concentrated, and suddenly the leaf began to hover a few centimeters off of the ground. My jaw dropped. My concentration shattered.
“I don’t believe it,” said Pascalli.
“Was that magic?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“It wasn’t a catapult,” he replied, his tone somber.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Thirty Six
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Posted by admin on May 18, 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.
I returned to the forge for the next few days while we waited for a new smith to arrive, half sulking, half worrying that everything would not be in order soon enough. During that time I scraped and cured the hides, which were covered in tough, but workable silver-gray scales. Dina left to take the message to Daturk-thrull and I did not expect her to return. Four days later she did return, leading a wagon carrying the apprentice to the smith of Daturk-thrull and his new bride and all their belongings. He was glad to find a shop ready and waiting. I reluctantly let him take his rightful work.
“We’ll be off then, bright and early,” said Pascalli to Tarkin when he saw the wagon. “Our work here is finished and we have tarried over-long I think.”
Tarkin was overjoyed at the success, so much so that he gave us a wagon and filled it with food, a new tent, extra blankets, anything we could ask for. Leaving that farm felt like leaving my own farm all over again. My heart nearly broke for I had come to love Tarkin as I loved Master Wilder, and the servants were like my friends from Dunston.
The next morning, as we left Dina rode up alongside the wagon. “Imperial guards will not harass you while I am with you,” she said. “I can make your trip go much faster I think, if you will consent.”
Although she spoke to Pascalli, she cast me a glance, and his eyes followed hers. “What do you think, Scratch, my lad, can you handle a finicky lass such as this?” I think her jaw must have broken it dropped so hard. I know I at least cracked a smile, though I probably laughed as Pascalli’s habit was wearing onto me.
“I’ve no doubt she’ll want no help from me, but she’s welcome in my camp,” I replied, meaning it.
“Good boy,” said Pascalli. We rode on, and Pascalli took his matter-of-fact tutor tone with Dina and for once I had a bit of a rest from the old man. “You’ll understand, my dear, that we have been traveling incognito for several winters now, so our names are generally not our own. The lad you can call Scratch, or whatever you deem appropriate”. He cast me a sidelong glance. I shrugged. “Me, you will call Pascalli, or Master.” She looked horror struck. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. “Your father calls me Master Pascalli and I will take no less from his third daughter.”
“You know my father?” she asked incredulously.
“Of course, silly girl,” he laughed. “Why else would he call me Master? Either way I would thank you to not betray our presence here in this part of the empire until we are north of the wall and well into the wild. Are you planning on coming into the wild with us, my dear?”
“I, uh, I don’t know,” she stammered.
“I shall take that as a yes, for you have already shown that you intend to do this foolish thing. Very well, just don’t give out our real names and all will be well. After Darnuth Keep, assuming there is an after, you may do as you please.”
“Must I take orders from him?” she asked, her voice full of dread, indicating me.
“Must you?” laughed Pascalli. “I should certainly think not.” I rolled my eyes. “He is my charge, and I shall decide when it is time for him to give orders, which is rare enough and not yet with lives as important to our purposes as yours. You are your own spirit, child, free to do as you please. But I can say this much for Scratch. He’s a good lad and he won’t lead you astray which is more than I would say for nearly any other man you could find.”
“He’s not a man,” she grumbled.
“No, he’s not, and you are not a woman,” he replied. Her face burned red. I thought for a moment she would ride away, but she didn’t. “Stick with us and you will turn into one.” His voice was not a promise, but a warning.
The journey to Last Gate, as the village guarding the north gate into the wild is called, took some two markets, perhaps a day or two more. During this time Pascalli seemed driven to verify that I had learned anything in the last two winters. Although we kept up a maddening pace in his rush, each moment of it he prodded me to recount all he had taught, especially of the plants and creatures of the wild.
“We will be without civilization for a very long time,” he warned. “For much of that time you will be on your own, Scratch. Worse, you will be required to feed all of us, provide meat, especially fat, for the winter, and hides. You are responsible for the safety of Dina, or you will be when I am not around. We have much to do before the snows begin to fall, and now we will find out if you have been paying attention at all during our travels.”
“I can take care of myself, Pascalli,” said Dina. “I don’t need anyone watching me.”
Pascalli grinned, but he didn’t quite laugh. “Of course, but I will feel more comfortable knowing Scratch has learned at least something.”
Dina kept to herself when she was not busy navigating us along the road or rushing us through an imperial checkpoint. I finished her pair of boots by working under the stars or moon, and she accepted them with cautious gratitude, but I did not see her wear them. She spoke almost always to Pascalli, although I could tell there were a thousand questions burning behind her eyes. Pascalli continued to train me day after day with both sword and spear. Dina took little interest in my lessons.
“You can join us if you like, my dear,” offered Pascalli. “I’m sure your brothers showed you the use of the cutlass, but a little practice never hurt.”
“The bow is my weapon,” she said to Pascalli. “The weapon of a true huntress.”
“I can shoot,” I said, even though she was not looking at me.
“My family trains the greatest archers in the land. I learned to hunt when I learned to walk.”
I really wanted to bring that prideful chin down, just once. “Pick a mark,” I suggested.
“I’ve no need for childish games,” she replied.
“Too true,” agreed Pascalli, but with a wink in my direction. “We’ve no time for such frivolity just now.”
A few nights before we reached Last Gate we camped just off the imperial highway. Dina volunteered to take an equal watch with the rest of us, but I woke up early out of habit and joined her. Alone, in the dark, with the fire burning low I saw her eyes mix with confusion.
“What is it?” I asked. I hadn’t often spoken directly to her since Tarkin’s farm. Pascalli kept me busy. He was probably trying to keep us separated for a while in case there was any lingering animosity. I tried to smile. “I know you have a lot of questions. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Who are you?” she asked. “I have heard of Pascalli before, although I thought he was just a legend, but who are you?”
“Colter Halfspear,” I replied.
“Son of –“
I cut her off. “Kyven Halfspear. Yes.”
Her face filled with a kind of wonder I had never really noticed before. “If I had known,” she began, “I would have-“
Again I cut her off. “You would have been wrong. I was born the son of a farmer.” I did not look at her as I spoke, but I could feel her eyes on me. “I did not know my father well. I was born in a village in the eastern empire. I left behind my plow with the most bitter remorse. I hate fighting. I hate killing. Sometimes I think I hate Pascalli, but the truth is I would be lost without him.”
She sat quietly for a time, not daring to ask anymore questions.
“Do the boots fit properly,” I asked, more to break the silence than anything. She didn’t answer. “I’m glad you came along, it’s nice to have someone besides that old windbag.” She chuckled a little, and then after a few moments went to sleep.
In the morning I noticed that she was wearing her new boots, though she still had not decided if I was safe to speak to.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Thirty Five
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Posted by admin on March 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.
Confused amazement turned to quiet trepidation on the faces of the caravan workers as I approached. I doubt that my dirty face would help my cause, and though I saw no point in Pascalli’s request, I knew better than to appeal his decision. “My companions and I are still interested in traveling with the caravan,” I said as I surveyed their situation. Three of their workers were bandaged, as were two of the four remaining guards. One of the horses had been killed by a rock, and wheels on two wagons had been replaced. I could not tell what, if any, of their cargo had been damaged, but I was sure that at least part of what they carried was lost. Master Baghorn, though undamaged, had clearly been shaken by the trouble.
“You’ve an interesting choice of companions,” he replied, pointing at Quivain.
“He is no longer a threat to you,” I commented. “I am sure he will repay any damages he has caused, though the price of a life cannot be regained.” A thought came to me, bold as it was, and I said it before Pascalli could stop me. “Did any of those who died have a family?”
“No, we lost only a few guards, and to my knowledge they were lone men in this world.”
“Then I will fill their contracts, without wages, and gladly fill it a second time at the same price until the cost of their loss is mended or until you tire of my company.” I tried to speak fairly and with confidence.
“You, alone?” asked Baghorn.
“I can speak only for myself,” I replied. “The actions of my companions are their own to answer, but they will certainly want to travel with me. Surely you will want to hire them. I can speak for their skill. The bald one is ferocious with a hammer when moved to anger, and the tall one is master of both blade and staff.”
“What about him,” he said, pointing at Quivain. “He is an outlaw and deserves to hang.”
“That is true, but I will not turn him in,” I replied. “I am not his judge and I do not have such need of gold as to break my promise that he would go free if in turn he would surrender and give up control of that magic.”
Knowing full well that the routed bandits could return at anytime, and seeing himself in a desperate situation, he finally agreed. “But Quivain is not to touch a weapon, or even get near one while in my camp. I hold you responsible for that!”
“If you know me, or my companions, you know we will do as we say.” The man made me angry, but I tried to keep my calm.
Baghorn looked more closely at me. “I’d heard that a wastrel boy and a pair of vagabonds may be wandering these roads. You’ve the look of a scoundrel. I don’t care what happened up north. Here I don’t know you.”
“Fair enough,” I replied.
“The regent in Havensod has a long arm. Torbridge’s men are patrolling farther west now that the nobles are moving towards Anascrag. I don’t need any trouble.” I could understand Baghorn’s concern, and in a way I appreciated his bluntness.
“I see you’ve managed well enough,” said Pascalli. “I see a bit of Imat rubbed into you. Keep both eyes on Blackhand. He’s a rogue to the last.”
“Spoken like a man who’s either betrayed or been betrayed by someone as close as his own mother,” observed Quivain. “I’d not trust you to cook my dinner.”
“And well you shouldn’t,” replied Pascalli. “I know more of poisons than even your old master ever learned, and he learned from some of the best. You are not my responsibility, but the boy is. Cross me and we’ll have words. Cross him and we’ll cross swords.”
“I owe the boy my life, though as you observed I hardly value that. It is at least worth the respect of an honest man, however. I’ll do as he says.”
True to his word, Quivain caused me no trouble, and I was able to learn much from him. Although his tongue was ever spinning a web of silky deceit, as I listened I learned not only how to discern the truth, but my own tongue gradually added some softness. “A glib tongue and quick mind are of more worth than a thousand swords, Scratch,” he said. “Don’t let the world sell you anything else, for it’s just a lie.” He called himself Blackhand for the gloves he always wore. Although he certainly had a different name recorded on some book in a temple, to the world he was Quivain Blackhand. Only to his mother and perhaps to a lonely priest was he known by something different, and if his story is to be believed, she did not share her life with his for more than a few brief moments.
The caravan consisted of four wagons, the five remaining guardsmen, my little company, Baghorn and his wife and four small children, and their three servants. According to custom, the mercenaries kept themselves apart from Baghorn’s family and close servants. The merchant had a daughter, but she was too young to be of much interest to any of the men. In the evenings the men often gathered together to play at dice. Quivain joined their games, though I can’t say where he found the coin to start.
“You use old tricks,” I observed to him after watching him play. “Sooner or later they will catch on, and then you’ll have trouble.”
He winked. “The slow ones won’t, and the quick ones played their own tricks,” he replied. “It’s an old game. Tomorrow they’ll see what else I know until the wise learn that I lose only when I want to. The rest will keep playing because they win sometimes and the thought of beating me will eat at them. I could teach you a few tricks if you’d like.”
“I’ve no use for cards or dice,” I said. “What I need to know I’ve already learned.”
“A fool’s statement,” he replied. “Any man can learn more.” He looked over at the girl who served as Baghorn’s cook and maid. We could not see her face from where we sat. “What do you see in her?” he asked.
“She’s a cook,” I replied.
“Yes, but what do you really see?”
“She’s been cooking for some time. She knows her business. She doesn’t care much for Baghorn, but she’s polite enough about it.”
“Not bad,” agreed Quivain.
“What do you see?” I asked.
“She’s got a bit of coin tucked beneath her skirt. It’s not much, but it’s enough she doesn’t want anyone to know about it. If you listen careful you can hear it, and the folds of her skirt cast an awkward shadow sometimes. This is her first caravan job, and will likely be her last as she uses borrowed tools.
You can’t see it now, but she’s a lively smile that hides a past she won’t share with you or me. You can see the scars on her hands from where she came from before though she tries to hide them beneath riding gloves whenever she can. She also keeps a small blade in her left boot. The boots don’t fit properly, as you can see by the track, which you’ve noticed but not mentioned. If invited to gamble I would say she refuses, not out of propriety, but because she’s learned the truth of gambling. It’s unlikely she has the experience to avoid a properly laid swindle, so if you want her money that would be the tactic to try.”
“You’ve a shrewd eye. Everyone is an opportunity for you,” I said.
“Everyone and everything. There are more tricks than dice or cards. Think on it.” He slipped into his borrowed blankets and left me to dwell on his words. I glanced again at the girl, and realized a familiarity in her movements. She turned her head and I recognized the freckles, though they had faded considerably.
“Good evening, Laural,” I said. Her hair caught a bit of the firelight and reflected back soft red and yellow. She had exchanged her shabby maid’s dress for riding skirts that fit her snugly and for a blouse cut far too low for mamma’s approval. “I’m glad to see you found a way out of the kitchens.”
“I’m still a maid,” she winked and laughed. Her voice sounded musical and light now, with no hint of the misery from before. “I still cook and wash and clean, but at least I see something of the world now.”
She had a knowing smile that could have been pretense, but I believed she at least felt she had outgrown her former self. We chatted a while about Havensod and people we knew. She was so much happier, a completely different person.
“You’re bigger,” she said. “I hardly recognized you.” Suddenly she changed the subject. “I’ve never seen anyone fight like that before. Of course I’ve never really seen more than a few scuffles at a tavern or inn, but that was exciting. I was terrified, of course, and after we were separated from the guards I thought we were lost for sure.”
Few people in my life had looked at me with anything more than a condescending smile or derisive glance. Her girlish grin and compliments stilled my heart and tongue. I could feel the heat rising to my face. “I think I was more angry than afraid. Pascalli didn’t lift a finger to help, and he could have stopped it anytime he wanted,” I said
“I’m glad he didn’t,” she replied, her voice coy, as she winked. “I was terrified, but you showed great courage.”
Baghorn expected me to direct all of the guards’ activities, which turned out to be much easier than anticipated. Pascalli and Quivain both had a hand in my training as a leader while Iven became less vocal with each passing day. Of all the guards, only Bracken seemed to resent our intrusion. He was a strong, experienced fighter who understood the value of strength and little else. He deferred to my direction because Pascalli and Iven did, though I could tell he had little confidence in me.
Baghorn directed the caravan north and west to trade with the towns west of Dynwater but not so far north as the Northern Crown. Though the profits would not be as large, further east the roads would be more dangerous. Quivain privately counseled me to avoid some places where he knew outlaws preyed. I relayed this information to Baghorn, but was careful not to mention Quivain’s name.
Each day I talked with Quivain, and he showed me tricks he knew about understanding people and learning not only where they hid their gold but how they might hide other secrets. Pascalli often joined these conversations.
“A person is many things,” observed Quivain. “We present ourselves to the world so that others might accept who we are. We hold things back in hopes that they won’t guess the dark truths we all hide, our fears and desires. Strip away the veils and you can reach the heart of a man.”
Pascalli laughed. “Aye, but not he heart of a woman. That requires something altogether different.”
Quivain laughed with him. “Right you are, old man, but one step at a time for the lad. He’s barely learned to walk. Let’s not make him run just yet.”
We guarded Baghorn’s caravan for many markets. Laural and I renewed our friendship, and I passed that summer as happily as any in my life. The caravan stopped once near a beautiful lowland lake just a little east of Anascrag. Beneath the moonlight I shared my first real kiss.
“Where will you go after Anascrag?” asked Laural.
“The Kaarum are regaining their strength. That’s what Pascalli says. We are going to meet them at Darnuth Keep,” I said.
“Then what? Get killed?” She sounded incredulous.
“It is my destiny to destroy them,” I said. I felt the words roll out mechanically.
“We make our own destiny in this life. You can be a great man in this world, Colter. Pascalli isn’t concerned about what’s best for you.”
The truth of her words struck a chord in my heart, but they also opened my mind to the growing realization of my own feelings. “He may use me, but Pascalli is doing what he believes is best for the world. Nobody understands how important that is better than he does. And I have my father’s curse to fulfill. I will make things right with Tylos.”
“I don’t want to stay with the caravan. Take me with you,” she said, her eyes betraying her desperation. “Baghorn’s a bully and a fool, and I’ll never see anything slaving for him.”
“There’s more than money out there,” I said, trying to sound both wise and comforting.
“Easy for you to say. You have a full purse and a sword to take you wherever you go.” A bit of her character I had overlooked before was now coming out.
“I haven’t any money,” I said, though I did have some savings left from earlier adventures. “I committed to work for Baghorn for nothing in exchange for Quivain’s life. And I go where Pascalli takes me anyway. I don’t have much choice what I do.”
She looked horrified, those amazing eyes flared with anger. “You what? You mean you’re slaving for that fat slug in order to save that rogue! I was better off scraping pots for Jakand. You amaze me. And to think I let myself like you!”
I turned from prince to pauper in a few short minutes, at least in her eyes. She left me there by the lake to nurse my stunned pride and to try to figure out what had happened. I did have some gold, not much, but I knew that anyone more interested in your money than yourself was not someone to chase after. That didn’t mean I didn’t think about it more than once. I believe she meant for me to chase after her, that she had played her last trick to get me to abandon Pascalli and seek glory and wealth on my own. Unfortunately for her I was much too simple to see her game and too inexperienced with people to understand.
I resumed my duties with the caravan, and dedicated myself to training with Pascalli. He seemed pleased that I no longer spent time with Laural, and yet concerned at the same time.
“Your better off without that one, lad,” said Iven once. “She’s the worst kind.”
“What kind should I look for?” I asked.
I don’t think he expected that question, and he wasn’t prepared to answer. His bald pate turned red, and he muttered something under his breath. Pascalli overheard us and erupted into laugher.
“That, my boy, is something you may well have to discover for yourself. We are just old men who manage our way through life the hard way. This much I can say. Ask yourself what you want, truly what you want from life, and then seek the person who wants to share that with you. Peasants give themselves to each other just to survive and produce enough brats to run their patch of land. Nobles marry to create alliances and preserve their dynasties. Neither is often happy. Most live miserable lives. The few, the lucky, are those who can choose their own way in this world. That choice is before you, and will always be there.”
I didn’t notice Quivain join us. “They’re right, lad. She doesn’t know that she doesn’t want what she wants right now. In time she may come around, but she’ll hurt herself and anyone near her long before that day comes.”
“You don’t make sense,” I observed.
“I will one day,” he replied.
Though I avoided Laural, and she avoided me, Quivain struck up a friendship with her that I did not expect. The two spent time together each night. Often she sat with him, watching him at dice, though I knew she cared little enough for the game. In his turn he spoke less and less to me.
“I told you to keep both eyes on him,” said Pascalli when I spoke to him about it. “Now I think you should keep your eyes on your duties with Baghorn. What becomes of Quivain is his own affair. The caravan has come farther north than I expected. The Kaarum may have begun sending scouts, though it is still early to say. Don’t forget Torbridge either. I doubt the man can reach this far, but I can only guess at the friends he may have made without my opposition in the courts. I’ve been too long away from the nobles. Politics is a nasty business, and changes with the wind.”
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
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