Hunter's War (Legend of the Wild Hunter Book 4) (38 page)

“Your weapons will be stored in the atrium,” she heard the man tell Folkstaff. The Hunter was already removing his sword before he even reached the guard. He handed it over without a word. Erin wasn’t as accommodating.

“Since when?” she asked.

“Just do it.” Folkstaff whispered.

Kile saw the two Hunter’s exchanged a look and Erin glanced in her direction, before reluctantly handing over her sword to the square-headed man. Kile looked back over the compound and noted a few things out of place. For starters, all the soldiers were watching her until she made eye contact when they looked away. But what really caught her attention was the fact that there were no dogs. Jax explained to her that dogs had become an intricate part of the Callor military, and yet there were no dogs in the compound. There were bowls of dog food, but no dogs. Even the stables were vacant. Why take the horse someplace else, when there were perfectly good stables going unused? The only answer she could come up with, which made any sense, was that this was all for her benefit. News reached the Colonel, and they weren’t taking any chances. They removed all the animals from the area, and now they wanted to strip her of her weapons. Were they really that afraid of her? She handed her Lann over to the square headed guard who quickly passed them off to one of the other soldiers. It was almost as if he feared having them in his possession for too long. Only when the guard was satisfied, that all weapons had been accounted for, did he open the doors and lead them through.

It was dark, cold and damp. Torches lit the way, but they did little to provide any real light or warmth. It was almost as if they were there just for show. The square-headed soldier led them down the hall to a closed door. He knocked three times, before someone inside opened it. Stepping back, he waved them in.

The room was well-furnished, a little too extravagant for Kile’s taste. There were long, overstuffed, sofas on one side of the room, and a huge mahogany desk, on the other. Painting and banners adorn the walls and a fire in the hearth provided a bit of warmth.

An old man sat behind the large desk, and after scribbling a few things on a few papers, he rolled them up and handed them to the young soldier who stood behind him. The soldier quickly exited the room, nodding to Folkstaff on his way out while the man behind the desk slowly got to his feet.

Unlike most of the soldiers Kile had known, Barshed wasn’t very tall, or very broad. In fact, he looked nothing like a soldier, or a colonel for that matter. If she had to guess, she would have said he looked like a cobbler. He was old and thin, with rather long arms. He had very little hair on his head, and what hair he had was gray. His back was bent and he seemed to have a little trouble walking as he made his way around to the front of the desk. All in all, Kile had the feeling she had seen him before.

“It is good to see you safe, my friend.” He said, extending a shaky hand to Folkstaff. “Is Lord Bollen well?”

“He is well and should be here this evening, Colonel.” Folkstaff replied.

“Good, good, well done.” Barshed said before turning to Erin. “Lady Silvia, it is good to see you back.”

“It is good to be back, Colonel.” Erin replied, clasping the old man’s hand.

“All went well, then?”

“As well as could be expected.”

“It is as much as we can ask.” he replied. “We miss you around here.”

“It would seem thing have changed since I was gone.” Erin added.

Folkstaff shot her a look, Barshed shook his head and sighed.

“Just routine precaution, nothing more,” he replied, although it didn’t sound like he believed it.

“It’s because of me,” Kile said from the back of the room.

The Colonel looked past Erin at her.

“No, child, what makes you think that?” he asked.

“I’m sure it’s just standard procedure,” Folkstaff added.

“Is it?” she asked. “I have the feeling I was the only one who was meant to have their weapons taken away. I see you’ve also emptied these kennels and the stables. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had archers on the roof keeping the sky clear of birds.”

Folkstaff turned on her.

“Hunter, mind where you are,” he shouted.

“No, do not silence her.” Barshed said, holding up a hand. “She is observant, and she speaks her mind. That is rare, in these days.” He stepped past Erin and approached her. Kile was surprised to see the Colonel was no taller than she was. “You are correct, Ms. Veller. Only you were to relinquish your Lann before entering, but your commanding officer, Master Folkstaff, thought it would be easier if all of you were required to do so. As for the dogs, they have been taken to another kennel, off site, as have the horses, but I assure you, there are no archers, nor were any birds harmed. I am sorry for the deception, and the lack of trust.”

“It’s all right. I’m getting used to it,” she replied.

“Master Folkstaff, Lady Silvia, if you could please wait outside,” the Colonel said, addressing the two Hunters. “I would like to speak with Hunter Veller alone, if I may.”

“Yes, of course.” Folkstaff replied. He placed his hand upon Erin’s shoulder and turned her to the door. Erin was reluctant at first, but eventually followed. When the door closed, the Colonel returned to his desk.

“Now we have a chance to speak, you and I,” He said, taking a seat.

“Seriously,” Kile replied. “What happen to all that talk about Hunters not owning anything or having any trappings,” she said, looking around the room.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“At first, I wasn’t sure. My mind hasn’t been right since I entered the crags outside of Coopervill. There are some things I just can’t trust anymore,” she said, walking around the office. “But when you said, ‘only my Lann were to be taken’, then I knew.”

“Knew what?” he asked.

“Knew who you were.”

“I don’t think I understand, child.”

“Please, do we really have to go through this again, Master Latherby? Or is it Luke?”

Barshed laughed. “I knew I couldn’t fool you for long,” he said.

His face seemed to distort and melt before her eyes and the old, friendly-faced Colonel was replaced by the Academy’s stablehand.

“Was that the only thing that gave me away?” he asked, brushing back his long blonde hair.

“Not the only thing,” Kile replied. “Your voice, for one, it was too strong, too young for a man your age, or the age of the man you were.”

He laughed. “Yes, it gets confusing sometimes.”

“There was also your smell, although, that’s not something anyone could pick up, and then there’s Vesper. You didn’t even give him a second glance.” She said, stroking the yarrow’s head. “Most people I meet, when Vesper is with me, always have something to say. It was almost as if you expected him to be sitting on my shoulder.”

“I must be slipping in my old age.” he laughed.

“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure at first, as I said. I haven’t been in my right mind lately.”

“So I’ve heard,” Luke replied. “Do you wish to tell me about it?”

“There isn’t anything to tell. I’m going insane, and it’s only a matter of time before I take one too many trips and can’t find my way back.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“I need to see Morgan. Can you arrange it?” she asked.

“I’m afraid that’s out of my hands.” He replied. “The Tower doors are closed. We haven’t heard from the mystics since the war began. They don’t get involved with such trivial matters as the destruction of a kingdom.”

“I was hoping to get a hold of Alex. I think he’s still in touch with Emara. If anyone could get me in to see Morgan, she could.”

“Well, Hunter Bartlow is still here. He’s been spending his time between the hospital and the local drinking establishments.” Luke laughed. “You know, He’s been telling your stories.”

“So I heard,” she replied.

“They’re really quite enjoyable.”

“You’ve watched them?”

“Well, not as Colonel Barshed, but as a simple soldier from Blackmoore.” Luke said, getting to his feet. “You have to admit, your friend has a flair for the dramatics. He’ll make quite a bard someday.”

“So… he’s okay?”

“His Hunter days are behind him, but he’s a resilient young man. He’ll bounce back. I’m certain even you agree, he was never going to make it as a Hunter.”

“They said the same thing about me.”

“And you quit, once.” Luke reminded her.

“I was a fool to return.”

“Maybe, but I’m glad you did. If you hadn’t reached Moran when you did, things would have been different.”

“Captain Jax might still be alive.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” Luke said, leaning against his desk. “Maybe you should tell me everything, from the day you joined Perha Squad.”

Kile laughed. “I didn’t join Perha Squad, I was assigned to Perha Squad,
you
assigned me to Perha Squad.”

“Yes, I did. You were the only one available.”

“No, I wasn’t. Marcus was available
and
more qualified. If he had been out there instead of me, Perha Squad wouldn’t be in the state it’s in now.”

“You can’t be sure about that.”

“Oh yes I can.”

If Marcus had gone, instead of her, he could have convinced Wargner to take the alternate route, if he had thought of it. He could have stopped the Sergeant from making the boneheaded decision of attacking a town full of valrik. Then again, Marcus was always caught up in the need for fame. He would have been right beside Wargner when he entered Coopervill.

Kile relayed the story of everything that happened from the time she left base camp Riley up to the present, when she first set foot into Forthbar. She told him about her experiences with the reptilian wolves, even if she didn’t understand them fully herself. In some way, it was cleansing, to get everything off her chest with someone who might understand; who wasn’t going to judge her or label her mad. Luke quietly listened. When she was finished, she collapsed on the overstuffed sofa. She was exhausted. Luke began to pace the floor. She could tell he was trying to figure things out, putting things in their proper places. He looked troubled.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Wargner,” he replied.

“What about him?” She refrained from giving her personal thoughts on the man. It just didn’t seem right, to speak ill of the dead.

“Did he ever tell you why he wanted to retake Coopervill, or even hint at something which might be a reason?”

Kile laughed. “He hardly told me anything. To him, I was just extra baggage. Maybe he said something to Sandson or Tullner, but he didn’t tell me anything prior to going into Coopervill, and afterward, well, he couldn’t tell anybody anything.”

“Kile.”

“What? Hey, look, I’m sorry the man’s dead, but I’m not going to sit here and praise his name. He was a fool. A lot of good soldiers died because of him. If I didn’t know better, which I don’t, I would have said he was on a suicide mission.”

“That’s just it,” Luke said, taking a seat opposite her. “He was never supposed to enter Coopervill. Perha Squad’s mission was to observe, not to engage.”

“Did he know that?” Kile asked. “The way he spoke, he was under the impression that the valrik forces were minimal. He probably thought he could win the war single handedly.”

“I don’t know,” Luke said, running his hands through is hair. “It’s just out of character. Sergeant Wargner was a good man, a good soldier. He was a bit hardnosed at times, but that’s what made him a good commander. That’s why we trusted him with the mission.”

“Who’s we?” she asked. “And how is it you’re a part of this. I mean, how can you be an officer in the King’s Command and head of the Hunter’s Guild, not to mention a stablehand at the Academy and who knows how many other occupations?”

              “Believe me, it’s not easy,” he laughed. “When you’ve been around as long as I have, you tend to overstay certain faces. During one of my lives, I took some time away from the Guild and joined the Azintar corps as Benjamin Barshed. I was looking for something new, something exciting. I thought I could incorporate some of the basic training into the Academy. I worked my way up the ranks and retired as Colonel Barshed. When the war started, they sought me out and called me out of retirement. I know I should have ended Barshed’s life a long time ago, but I have so few faces which I can look back on fondly.”

“So, you came back?”

“Under the circumstances, it seemed like the right idea. The military wasn’t very fond of the Hunters, not after what happened last year. I thought, as Colonel Barshed of the King’s Command, I could undo the seeds of mistrust Andrew Drain planted. It hasn’t been easy. There are forces working against me, and I have yet to identify them.”

Luke got up and walked across the room to a small table tucked in the corner. He popped the top of a decanter and poured himself a glass of something.

“Do you need a drink before Colonel Barshed makes a reappearance?” He asked.

“I don’t think so,” Kile replied. “My mind’s already messed up as it is.”

He swirled the drink in his glass before taking a sip, then placed it on his desk.

“I supposed we should get the others back in here, unless there is anything else.”

“There is one thing,” Kile said, sitting up. “A favor.”

“Anything, if it’s in my power to do so.”

“It might not be in your power, but it is in Colonel Barshed’s power,” she replied. “I promoted Private Tullner to Sergeant of Perha Squad, and Sandson to Corporal, Tullner said it was only temporary, unless Colonel Barshed authorizes it. I was wondering if…”

“Consider it done,” Luke laughed. “Anything else?”

“Well, there is one more thing.”

“Out with it.”

“The Alva.”

“You’ve heard.”

“By now, I think everyone knows, or maybe they don’t. Is it true? Have they returned?”

“I don’t know about returned, but the two men seen with King Roland, were indeed of the Alva race.”

“So, why are they here? What did they say?”

Luke shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“You haven’t spoken to them?” she asked.

“You have to understand, Kile. The Alva and the vir saw things differently. They didn’t agree on much. By choosing to stay among the vir, I chose my path a long time ago. To them, I’m an outcast.”