Dark Soul Silenced - Part One (19 page)

Josef realised most of his guards were also watching the fight.  He was pleased.  Any hotheads that had been considering challenging Daniel would think again now.  Even with their years of experience they’d stand no chance one on one against such deadly speed and precision.

The girl’s parents were learning incredibly quickly.  With no need to hold back they were able to put everything into their attacks and defence, simulating the realities of battle in a way no normal sparring session could.  There was still a gulf in class between the two of them and Josef’s guards, but against many opponents they would already be able to hold their own.

The mother in particular took to the training.  She fought with a glint in her eye that Josef had sometimes seen before.  The mark of battle rage.  The type of warrior that would fight to their last breath and beyond.  Seeing it sent a shiver down his spine.  When, or if, they found the girl alive her mother would now be a formidable force to face down.  Josef shrugged the worry off.  If they reached that point he’d deal with it then.  For the moment he had far more immediate worries.

Around the cave people started to curl up in their bedrolls.  The girl’s parents lay close together, talking quietly.  Josef thought he heard the occasional muted sob but couldn’t be sure.  He found himself imagining how they must feel, how devastating it would be to have one’s child snatched away.  He had no children but he did have younger siblings.  The thought of one of them being taken, especially as young as Mary, struck to the core of his being. 

But would things really be any better if they rescued the girl and then returned her to Hammersgate.  They’d still lose their daughter, Josef had no illusions about that.  He knew the girl’s life would be forfeit because of the powers she wielded.  The father’s life too for that matter.  Josef felt doubt creeping into his mind.  Would it be right to take the girl back?  Was she truly evil?  Were her powers truly darkness sent?

And if he did decide she should return, could he manage to take her?  Between Daniel and her parents Mary would have powerful defenders.

Wrestling with his worries Josef curled up in his own blankets.  The cave was warm thanks to the fire, but the natural stone that formed the floor was still chill.

Josef lay awake for a long time — sometimes worrying over what to do about the girl, other times worrying the cave would be assaulted at any moment.  When he finally drifted off to sleep his dreams were troubled.

One by one the others fell asleep, leaving only the guards and Daniel awake.  He felt no need to sleep, instead drawing in a trickle of energy from his surroundings to refresh his body and mind.  Somehow he knew there would be a price to pay if he did so too many nights in a row, the knowledge was… an instinct?  A memory?  He really wasn’t certain.

While the others slept he wrestled with worry for Mary.  He’d told Sarah that Mary should be safe, but he had doubts he hadn’t shared.  Rafael had singled Mary out.  The whole attack had been a diversion to allow Rafael to snatch her.  The effort involved made clear how much value he attached to Mary.  The question was why?

The most obvious reason was to convert her, to do what Rafael had tried to do to Daniel.  Somehow Daniel thought that wasn’t the reason, though he couldn’t put his finger on why.

Another possibility was that Rafael wished to feed on Mary.  To drain the life force from her body.  Daniel had spent the first few hours of travel convinced they would find Mary’s corpse, drained of energy and blood.  As the hours went on that fear started to fade.  Why would Rafael travel so far with Mary if all he wanted was to feed?

As the day wore on Daniel became more and more convinced that Rafael wanted to make use of Mary’s power in some way.  Many dark visions crossed Daniel’s mind, but nothing held the ring of certainty.  Now he sat in the dimly lit cave with the same ideas traipsing through his mind, still unable to determine what Rafael wanted with Mary.

Chapter Twenty

Breakfast was a quiet affair.  Josef woke as dawn was just starting to lighten the sky.  He woke two other guards, telling them to prepare a hot meal.  The day promised to be a long one so he wanted everyone to eat well.  He left the sentries on watch.  The darkness outside might still harbour dangers.

Nothing disturbed their meal or preparations to leave.  They were on the move again not long after the sun had risen.  The Seeker Amulet showed little difference in the direction needed to reach Mary, and by taking readings to the left and right they confirmed she was still distant.

It was a long morning.  The forest and undergrowth were particularly dense, forcing them to take large detours several times.  After the last, Ser Daniel started scouting ahead, using his speed and lack of a mount to cover far more ground than anyone else could.  Their pace picked up after that, the routes they took were easier and they avoided large detours or having to double back.

Lunch was a quick affair, cold meat and bread, eaten while the horses had a break.  It was early too, but after setting out at daybreak Josef felt they needed the rest.  Then Josef and Daniel checked the direction to Mary once more.  This time though there was cause for hope.

“The angle is less than earlier, isn’t it?” Josef asked Daniel.  “It’s not down by much but it is different I think.”

“
Yes, we have definitely made up some ground — though there is still much to cover.  This is great news though, it means Rafael has stopped somewhere.”

“
Can we reach them before sunset?”

Daniel stood in thought for a few moments, eyes distant, then blinked several times — seeming to come back to himself.

“I think we might.  It is very hard to be sure, the readings are not that precise and the distances involved are still considerable.  We should know better in an hour or so.”

Josef spent the following hour becoming more and more impatient.  He wanted to know if they were catching their quarry.  Finally his impatience won out and he called a halt, then set off with Daniel, Samuel and Nathan. 

This time there was no doubt, the angle was smaller than it had been before.  Josef couldn’t begin to manage the calculations to determine the distance and waited, even more impatiently, as Daniel quietly worked them out.

“
Yes, we are definitely closing in,” he finally said.  “If we can keep our speed up we should reach them well before sunset, maybe as much as three hours before.”

Excitement pumped through Josef’s veins, he had to fight to keep from punching the air.  Finally!  He was heartily sick of chasing, especially as when they’d finally caught the girl he’d thought all that was done with.  He exchanged smiles with Samuel.  Even Nathan looked pleased, though his mistrust of Daniel still shone out.

“Let’s get moving then,” Nathan said.

No
Ser Josef
, or even
Ser
, Josef noticed.  The tone lacked respect too.  At some point soon Nathan, and those who thought like him, were going to become a problem.  Not yet though.  For the moment they all wanted to reach the child, grab her from the clutches of the night walkers.

Excitement still coursing through his system, he turned and led the way back to the others, as always having to rely on the compass to find the right path back through the dense woods.

Even before Josef spoke Sarah could tell the news was good.  There was an excitement to him, an energy, that hadn’t been there before.  When she heard that they would catch up with Mary well before dark her stomach did a flip.  Hope and fear warred together.  She felt tears running down her cheeks.  Strangely hope had broken down her defences where anger, pain and worry had all failed.  The next moment Jon was holding her, hugging her close.  She grabbed him in return, clutching fiercely at him for a short while, then broke away.

“
We need to get moving.  Now!  I don’t want Mary with that creature one second longer than is possible.”

Jon nodded, still smiling.  Mary turned and caught Daniel’s eye. 
Thank you
she mouthed.  He just smiled and nodded.

Soon they were all mounted up and moving, except Daniel who still kept pace on foot.  Sarah’s head and chest were host to a storm of emotions, good and bad, but she clung to the most important fact.  Her little girl was still alive, and was close.  So close.  Sarah was determined that nothing was going to stand between her and Mary.

They not only matched their previous pace, they outdid it.  Daniel supposed he should have expected it.  Sensing the impatience of the group he worked especially hard at finding safe routes for the horses, scouting ahead continuously.

They used the Amulet to check twice more.  Each time it confirmed the direction they needed to take, and that they were quickly closing in.

Abruptly they broke out of the forest, finding themselves on a slope of smooth rock which swept upwards, forming a large hill.  In places the rock was broken by gorse, heather and grass.  A building sat atop the hill, what looked like a reasonably large keep.  It was built from large blocks of slate grey stone.  Small arrow slit windows punctured the wall at regular intervals, with a few larger windows near the top.  Though not large the building was tall — five or six floors at least.  They could see no entrance from where they stood, meaning it must be on one of the hidden sides.

Josef, Sarah, Jon and the others had come to a halt as they left the forest.  No one spoke while they studied the keep.  Finally Josef broke the silence.

“I suspect we’ve found their resting place.  We should check though.”

He slid off his horse and pulled out the Amulet.  The reading pointed straight at the keep, no real surprise.  Then he and Daniel walked a few dozen paces to the side and repeated the task.  Once again it pointed directly to the keep.  That made it certain — the girl was somewhere inside.

“That’s it then.”  He couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice.  “And still several hours till nightfall.  We can free the girl, get out and put a good distance between us and the castle before setting up camp for the night.”

“
If we can get in,” Daniel answered.  “That may be easier said than done.”

Josef shrugged.  “We won’t know if we stay sitting around here.  Let’s go.”

Josef signalled to the others and started up the hill.  The rest followed.

As they neared the hilltop Daniel continued to study the keep.  The stones were all of an identical size and precisely placed.  There were no signs of wear either, no worn stones and no clumps of weeds poking out from the cracks.  Somehow that seemed wrong. His memory still had huge gaps, yet he was sure castles and keeps never looked so… tidy.

His sense of unease grew as they rode around the outside.  The stone they rode on was smooth and level, not a crack or a dip to be seen.  Something he was sure he’d never seen before.  Reaching out he sensed a slight tingle emanating from both the walls and the ground.  Power of some kind was bound into their structure, though it was so slight that he couldn’t tell what form the power took.

They rounded a corner and found the entrance.  Set in the middle of the wall was a large archway.  It was wide enough to admit a large wagon and tall enough that a rider wouldn’t need to dismount.  As they neared the entrance they saw it led to an enclosed tunnel.  Thirty or so paces farther in was another archway.  Beyond was darkness.

“There’s no gate, no portcullis,” Josef said, studying the entrance.  “There’s nowhere to mount any kind of barrier either.  That doesn’t make sense.  The keep is clearly designed for defence, it’s got narrow windows and a commanding view over the area.  Why leave the entrance wide open?”

“
I do not know,” replied Daniel.  “This place worries me.  There is more to it than we are seeing, much more I suspect.  I fear we have no choice though.  To rescue Mary we must enter, and the approach of night means we must be quick.”

“
I know.  By the Almighty though, this feels wrong.  And we can’t all go in.  We need to leave the horses and ensure they are safe.”

“
Split our forces?” asked Samuel.  “Are you sure Ser Josef?  Is that wise?”

“
I don’t see a choice.  We can’t leave them untended out here and we certainly can’t take them in.  Our onward journey would be far more dangerous without the horses, and the supplies they carry.  Four men should be sufficient.  I want you to lead them Ser Samuel.  I need to be certain they will be here when we return.”

Samuel opened his mouth to protest then stopped and considered the situation.  With a sigh and a shrug he nodded.

“I don’t like it Ser Josef, but I do understand the need.  Who will I have?”

Josef reeled off three names — two of those who clearly had doubts about his own motivations and one who, like Samuel, was at least mostly convinced that Josef was still himself.  Nathan was not among them.  Josef wanted the unofficial head of his fiercest critics with him, rather than outside brewing up trouble.

Samuel nodded.  Others who had overheard the conversation wore a mixture of expressions, from uncertain to scared.  Even those being left outside seemed nervous of splitting the group.  Josef didn’t blame them, but he couldn’t see any other way.

The two groups quickly readied themselves.  Those entering the keep lit lanterns and pulled on light packs with water and a little food, then took their weapons in hand.

Josef spoke to Samuel once again.  “If we do not return within two hours head away and make camp somewhere safe.  Return tomorrow for two hours around midday, and if necessary the next day.  After that, if you still haven’t found us, then get clear and take word of our fate to the Order.”

“
I will.  You make damn sure you’re in and out today though.  That place could be crawling with night walkers once darkness falls.”

“
How certain are you that the vampires, sorry night walkers, are only active at night?” asked Daniel.

“
As certain as we can be,” replied Josef.  “We’ve never seen any active in the daytime, not even where daylight doesn’t reach.”

Daniel nodded.  It matched his own experiences.  As the transformation from human to vampire had slowly taken place he had found it impossible to stay awake during the day, even when well sheltered from the daylight.

“This is your chance to prove the theory,” Samuel said darkly.

“
The Order’s records on those creatures are comprehensive,” Josef replied firmly.  “They are never seen during the day.  Now, we need to get moving.”

Josef motioned to Daniel and Nathan to join him in the lead.  The other four guards and the girl’s parents completed their party. 

They started down the tunnel.  Daniel strained all his senses, trying to find any hint of danger.  The tunnel stonework had the same hint of power as the walls outside, and was as precisely positioned.  The floor sloped slightly upwards, probably to keep rain out Daniel thought.

“
The ceiling is smooth, the walls too,” said Josef.  “No slits to fire arrows through, nowhere to drop rocks or boiling oil.  It doesn’t make sense.  Why build a keep with no defences?”

Daniel had no answer.  They followed the smooth tunnel to it’s end, where they found themselves in a large square room.  The wall to the right had another archway leading to what looked to Daniel like a stables.  Smaller arches in the walls to the front and the left led into corridors.  The far left corner opened onto a large staircase that lead up.

“Look at this!” 

They all turned at Nathan’s exclamation.  He was pointing at a huge rock to one side of the tunnel they’d entered by.  It was large enough to completely block the tunnel entrance — if anyone was able to move such a monster.  Then Nathan pointed to the bottom edge.

“Scratch marks,” he said.  “Someone has used this to cover the tunnel.  It would take immense strength to move it once it was in place.”

“
Or to move it in the first place,” Josef said.  “It still makes no sense though.  The quality of the stonework is amazing.  Why build it with no door?  Even if not for defence, having the entrance wide open would let the elements in.  The wind would blast through in winter.  And then to have something so primitive to block it.  For that matter, how did they get it in here?  It’s larger than the tunnel!”

“
No,” Daniel replied.  “It’s bigger as it stands, but it’s thinner than it is tall.  It would fit through I think — just.  Look, you can see more scratches on this side.  That must be how it was dragged in.  That is still an incredible achievement though.”

“
That worries me even more.  If those we seek are here, if the girl is here, then why wasn’t that rock blocking our way in.  This is starting to feel like a trap.”

“
Maybe they couldn’t move it.  Maybe it has been here unmoved for many years.  Most likely they never dreamed we could track them down.  Whatever the answer, we need to find Mary and get out of here as quickly as we can.  Use the Amulet, find where she is.”

Grumbling under his breath Josef pulled out the Amulet.  Concentrating he swung it through a complete turn, but there was no reaction.  He turned again, more slowly.  Still no reaction.