Haven Keep (Book 1) (31 page)

Kaiden trailed after Oded and Tostig through the tapestry into a large well furnished room.  It was much larger than Kaiden would have guessed from outside the tent.  In the center of the room was Bet.  A young boy hid in her skirts.  He had the same coloring as Bet and many of the same features.  He must be her son.

“My lady,” Oded and Tostig both spoke and bowed their heads to Bet.   Kaiden tried to imitate them awkwardly.  He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to since he was the son of a lord and for that matter was probably considered a lord by those from the south.

“You have returned,” Bet grinned.   “The task is complete then?”

“It is.” Oded replied. 

“Good.”  She said and walked over to Kaiden, taking him by the arm. “I trust you have taken care of this.”  She made a cursory check of his injury.

“Yes, of course,” Kaiden stumbled over his words.

“I would not like to see my work ruined. You must continue to rest.”  She turned back to Oded.  “What was it then?”

“I have never seen the like before.  You will have to ask Kaiden.”

She wanted to know about the vyr.  Kaiden wasn’t sure what to say.  She must know nearly as much as the rest of the men did already.  Kaiden wasn’t sure there was much more to tell.

“We can discuss it when the boys aren’t here,” Bet said.

“I’m old enough to hear,” a voice came from the corner.  It belonged to another boy, slightly taller tan the first.  Kaiden hadn’t noticed him before.  He needed to be more alert.

“Your father will be the judge of that,” Bet said to the boy.  “At any rate your brother is not.  Come over here and meet our guest.  Your manners should be better than that.”

The boy put down some kind of puzzle and came over to his mother.  He looked to be about five winters, or summers as the case may be.  Bet must have married young.

“This is Kaiden, son of Baiden,” Bet said to the boys.  “He will one day be Lord of Azmark.”

“Hopefully not too soon,” Kaiden said, a little embarrassed at the formality.

“Pleased to meet you sir,” the older boy said.  The younger hid his face further into his mother’s skirts.

Bet laid her hand on the boy’s head. “This is Elon, my oldest son.”  She tried to pull the other boy free from her skirts, but did a poor job of it. “And this one we call Bo.”

Kaiden could see Tostig out of the corner of his eye, shaking his head slightly, pleading with him not to say a word about his dead dog.  Kaiden possessed enough sense to keep quiet.

Kaiden crouched down to the level of the boys.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  Bo shook Kaiden’s outstretched hand, he still didn’t say anything. 

Elon shook Kaiden’s hand too. “Sir,” he said shyly.

“You boys go play.  I need to speak with Oded and Kaiden.”

Bo trailed after his brother to a corner of the tent.

Bet turned to Kaiden.   “Has Oded spoken to you about the Horde?”

“Yes,” Kaiden answered, “some.”

“Will your father join us?”

“I believe so.”

“But you are uncertain.”

“He may be concerned with such a large fighting force in his backyard.  I think he will overlook what many might consider an invasion, but other clan chiefs may not.”

“We need all of the clans.”  There was a hint of desperation in the lady’s voice.  “Does your father lead them or does he not?”

“The north is more a loose confederation than a single nation, but I believe my father will can rally the other chiefs to our cause.” Kaiden realized he was committed to this fight  now.

“It is good you consider this cause your own.”  Bet sounded pleased.  “Can you take Oded and Tostig with you to speak with your father?”

“Yes, I think the less people initially the better.  I can send Oded and Tostig back with word of the clan chiefs’ decision.”

“You will not be returning with us?” asked Tostig.               

“No,” Kaiden answered.  “I have another task my father has set before me.”   Kaiden was apprehensive about revealing too much concerning Haven Keep.   Somehow it was key to victory.  His father was sure of it.  Kaiden was not.  He did not want to have Oded and the rest of his company following him there.  What was at Haven Keep was supposed to be kept safe and returned only to the emperor.  He was dead now and Kaiden was not sure these people had any right to it.

“Will that task take long?” Oded asked.

“A few weeks, maybe.”  Kaiden hoped it would take much less, but winter was fast approaching, and was already here in the mountains. “In the mean time there will be a meeting of the chiefs.  My father should be able to convince most of the clans to join the fight.  I think the chiefs will all see the importance of  uniting against the Horde.  I do not understand why they have not done so already.”

“It is settled then,” Bet announced.  “You must leave now.  I apologize for not being more hospitable, but we do not have time to waste.”  Apparently this lady Elizbet was accustomed to being obeyed.

Oded and Tostig made polite bows and retreated from the tent.  Kaiden had hoped to at least get one normal night sleep before living out of his saddle bags again.  He made his bow and started after Oded.

Kaiden reached the exit then turned back to his hostess and spoke. “So you are the leader of these men?”

Bet laughed, “No, no.”  She sounded amused.  “Oded has led us for many years.”

“But Oded follows your orders.”

“Oded says he is getting old, and has been prepping my husband to take his place.  Oded has already tried to step down, but the men, including my husband, still follow him.  He makes a show of obedience, but his word still holds more sway with us than he would admit.”

“I see,” Kaiden said.  He really did not quite understand.  These southern people had strange ways.  Kaiden made another bow and left.

Outside the tent Oded and Tostig were already mounted on fresh horses.  There was a new horse for Kaiden.

“Where is Rove?” Kaiden wondered aloud.

“He needs rest more than we do,” Oded said.  “He will be taken good care of here and returned to you as soon as possible, as well as the horses that belonged to your men.”

Kaiden couldn’t argue with that.  Fresh mounts would speed their journey.  “So who is this?” Kaiden asked stroking the horse’s white tipped nose.

“That is Minx,” Tostig offered.  “She is very sure footed.  I think you will like her.”

Kaiden thought he would too. He was a fairly good judge of horses.  Minx looked strong and sleek.  Her light brown hair shone in the afternoon light.  Her nose was the only white part on her.  Kaiden swung his leg over the saddle.  “Shall we?”

This time Kaiden led the way.   Oded and Tostig followed close behind.  Their stay at camp was much shorter than Kaiden anticipated.  He wished he could have stayed to learn more about these people before rushing off again.  They hadn’t even eaten lunch.  At least the saddle packs looked stuffed full of supplies so they shouldn’t starve.  Still it would have been nice to rest for just a few hours.  Kaiden never protested though and they made their way through the camp in silence.  They were soon enveloped again in a canopy of trees.  Kaiden picked his way through the forest, the others plodded along behind.

Finally Kaiden spoke. “So who exactly is your leader?  If I am to speak with my father I think that is a detail he might want to know.”

Oded laughed, “ I suppose you are right.  What did Elizbet tell you?”

“She said you have been in charge for years and for some reason you think you are too old to continue.”

“That’s not exactly right.  It is true I am getting on in years, but that is not the reason I must step aside.  The Lady Elizbet’s husband, Lord Domnal is our true leader.  He has been old enough for some time to take over the duties I have performed until he came of age.  He has been dragging his feet though.”

Kaiden was curious to know who this Lord Domnal was.  “Why is he dragging his feet?”

“The same reason you are.  He does not realize his own potential, and thinks others could do a better job than he would.”

“Maybe he is right,” Kaiden said.  Oded surely didn’t think  Kaiden was ready to lead the north and it was for sure not time yet.  His Father still had many good years left in him.  “Elizbet said the men trust you and are used to following your lead.”

“The men are used to following me, but Domnal is wrong in his assumption.  The men need a leader, a figurehead.  Someone they can rally behind.  I am not that.”

“And this Domnal is?”

“He can be if he will only do his duty.”  Oded paused to study Kaiden, weighing him. “The same goes for you.”

Kaiden didn’t answer.  The men rode on in silence, pushing hard to reach Azmark.  The miles passed slowly over the rough terrain as Kaiden continued to lead the way.  He thought Oded and Tostig could find their way easily enough, but they followed his lead.  For some reason men were going to continue to do that, follow his lead.  He didn’t know anyway around it.  He needed to be better, to be stronger.  That or run away, and running away was not an option.  Somehow he needed to rise to the task.

The steep mountains turned to rolling hills while the trees became more sparse.  Eventually the hills would become green meadows, if they were not already covered in snow.  The three of them were making good time and at this pace would ride into Azmark late tomorrow evening.    Maybe sooner. 

As the day came to a close Tostig rode up beside Kaiden.  “My father speaks true.”

“Oh?” Kaiden answered.

“The north needs you.  If the north is to remain united in any form at all you will need to pick up where you father leaves off.  Your task will be even more difficult than his has been.”

“My father is not dead yet.”  There were plenty of years before he needed to worry about that.

“But you must be ready when the time comes.”

Kaiden remembered he was traveling with two clerics.  These two were worse than Wellen.  “I’ll be ready when I need to be.”   Kaiden hoped that was true.  “This place is a good spot to stop for the night.”

Kaiden rode up to a small stream and dismounted.  “We can water the horses and rest under these trees.  Tomorrow will be a long day.”  That Kaiden knew was true.  They would need to get an early start and travel fast or they might spend another night under the stars.  Sleep would be a welcome friend tonight.

Chapter Nineteen

Kaiden caught his first glimpse of Azmark when he and his companions rode over the tops of the snow covered rolling hills.  Each time they topped a rise the city came into view, a lonely little island of security, far from the dangers of the Iron Mountains.  With each glimpse, the details of the city became sharper, until now the outline of the Great Hall was dark against the fading sunlight.  Home no longer felt so far away.

Kaiden realized he’d missed another night of celebrating the end of the harvest.  Flenn and Von were probably having a great time.  They would have no idea of the events of the last week.  Suddenly Kaiden did not feel so happy about returning to Azmark.  He was not looking forward to reporting to his father, nor the families of the men he left behind.  His father was probably no longer in the city.  The meeting at Stone Abbey was soon, and his father was most likely on his way there.  It would give Kaiden a few short days of reprieve, days to agonize over what to tell his father.  The families of his lost men would still be in Azmark though, he would have to face them.  There was no avoiding that.

The horses seemed to sense their journey was nearing an end and quickened their pace.   It would not be long until Kaiden was in Azmark, facing the realities of his failure.

Tostig had been very curious about the north earlier in the day, asking questions without pause.  Oded never said much, but Kaiden knew he was listening intently.  Kaiden didn’t mind, he trusted these men now.  He would even follow their lead.  Strange as it may be, he even thought it his duty to follow them, to help them in their fight.  It was his fight now too.  The fight for the empire.  Most in the north said the empire was gone, but Kaiden now knew what his father felt.  At least in part.  Over the course of the last few days he had come to realize what it was his father wanted to fight for.  Kaiden hoped the other clan chiefs would feel the same way.  If not, he thought, they could be persuaded to see reason. 

The men rode single file, picking their way across the rolling hills and through the sparse trees.   Kaiden avoided the thicker forested areas for two reasons.  The first he didn’t want to admit to himself, but there was no way to tell what lurked within the shadowed trees.  The second was more practical.  They didn’t travel a straight line, but this way was faster than navigating over and around the trees and stones of the forest.  These hills and meadows provided a much smoother terrain, and it was safer for the horses as well.  They were much less likely to throw a shoe or break a leg.

During the spring and summer these hills were used as grazing lands for the flocks and herds.  So far the three men hadn’t seen anyone. With the early snows the herdsmen must have taken their animals closer to Azmark.  There would probably be no one to greet them until they rode through the gated walls of the city.

They approached closer to Azmark and Oded and Tostig rode up beside Kaiden.  The three men rode abreast, but remained in silence.  Even Tostig fell silent, giving Kaiden a brief respite from the pointed queries.  The horses trotted at a near march, kicking up snow and mud in
a steady rhythm.  The cadence made Kaiden feel they were riding into battle.  These horses probably had ridden into battle.  On more than one occasion.  Oded and Tostig too. 
They would again
, he thought,
and
probably soon
.

Kaiden broke the silence. “Over this hill there should be a well.  We can water the horses, and there is a road from the well that leads to Azmark.”