Rage of a Demon King (47 page)

Inside the inn, they found the common room crowded. Half the floor was littered with blankets, where a makeshift infirmary had been set up, while the other half was jammed with starving soldiers, eating whatever was being passed across the counter.

A corporal whose name escaped Erik said, “We’ve got some rooms upstairs for the officers, Captain. We’ll send up food.”

“Thank you,” said Erik.

He led Robert up the stairs, and when they got to the first room, he pushed open the door and found an officer in the tabard of Ylith, sound asleep on a bare floor. Two other men sat eating. They glanced over, and Erik waved at them in apology and closed the door. He moved down to the next door and opened it, finding the room empty.

Inside were two simple mattresses, woolen blankets sewn together and hay-stuffed; to Erik they looked inviting. He struggled to get out of his boots, and by the time he did, the corporal had arrived with two wooden bowls of hot stew and two large mugs of ale. Suddenly fatigue was forgotten as Erik’s mouth began to water.

As the corporal made to leave, Erik said, “Make sure someone wakes me an hour before dawn.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Robert said, “I don’t envy you an early morning after a day such as you’ve just had.”

“No need for you to envy anyone, magician. You’re up at first light, too.”

“I suppose it’s necessary?”

“Yes, we need to be out of this town before the enemy gets here. It’s the difficult part of this mission, keeping one jump ahead of the foe. When they reach Wilhelmsburg, they are to find only fire and ruin.”

Robert said, “Such a waste.”

“It’s more of a waste to give the enemy anything to aid them on their march.”

“I guess so.” The magician ate a couple of spoonfuls of food, then said, “Pug said things were dire, and while he wouldn’t be specific, he led us to believe that there’s even more at risk than the sovereignty of the Kingdom. Or is that an exaggeration?”

“I can’t say,” replied Erik between bites of food. After he had swallowed a healthy drink of ale, he said, “But let me put it that none of us can afford a loss in this war. None of us.”

Robert sat back, resting against the wall, with his feet stretched out. “I’m not used to all this walking.”

“I offered you a horse.”

“Truth to tell, they scare me.”

Erik looked at the man, then laughed. “I have spent my entire life around them, so you’ll forgive me, but I find that funny.”

Robert shrugged. “Well, there are many who are frightened of magicians, so I guess I can understand that.”

Erik nodded. “There was a time when I was a boy in Ravensburg when I would have been worried about you, if not frightened, but I’ve seen enough over the last few years that I choose to worry about things that I can face with a sword in my hand, and let the gods, priests, and magicians worry about the rest.”

“Wise man,” said Robert with a sleepy smile. “If you don’t think it overly rude,” he said, putting down his bowl and mug, “I think I’ll get some sleep.” His head barely touched the mattress before he was snoring.

Erik finished his ale and lay down, and it seemed only a minute after he closed his eyes when he found the young corporal shaking his shoulder, saying, “Captain, it’s time to get up.”

Roo motioned for everyone to stop. Luis was semiconscious, his feet tied to the stirrups of one horse—with the rope passed under the animal—so
he wouldn’t fall, as he hugged the animal’s neck. His wound was still seeping blood, and Roo knew he would not survive another night without rest and better care than they could provide on the trail. Willem rode with his arms around little Helmut, while Nataly rode with Abigail before her. Roo, Karli, and Helen led the horses.

They had left the cave the morning before, trying to find a safe route to the northern road. Twice they had found themselves at impassable points in the woods, and Roo had followed his plan of going east when he couldn’t go north, then turning north when he could no longer go east.

Only once had they found themselves blocked on the north and east, and he had cast back to the west and found another northern route.

Roo had halted them because of the sound of riders, some distance off, but close enough he stated looking for a place to hide. “Wait here,” he said softly, handing the reins of the horse he was leading, upon which Luis sat, to Helen. He drew his sword and hurried off, looking for some elevation to give him a better view.

He found a rise to the east and climbed it, which led to another, and that brought him to a relatively clear ridge. Sound was echoing, but when he stood still for a moment, he could hear that the riders were to his north.

“Damn,” he said softly and hurried back to the others.

The children had fallen into silence, as they reacted to the obvious fear their parents tried to hide. Roo said, “A large band of riders to the north.”

“That road you spoke of?” asked Helen.

“Yes, I think so.”

“What do we do?” said Karli.

“We go quietly, and slowly, and we hope those are Kingdom cavalry.”

Karli was handling her terror far better than Roo would have guessed. He admired her willingness to put aside her own fear to protect her children. Roo glanced at Luis, who had lapsed into a half-doze, barely able to sit upright. Perspiration ran from his face, although the morning was cool, and Roo knew he had fever from his wound.

“We’ve got to get Luis to a healer,” Roo said, and Helen and Karli both nodded.

They set off slowly through the woods. A half hour later, Roo stopped. He glanced around a clearing and said, “I know this place.”

“Where are we?”

Roo said, “Karli, this is where your father, Erik, and I camped, the second night we traveled together. We met him a half day’s ride to the east.” He calculated. “Damn. We got turned around someplace, and were moving northwest instead of north. We’re not as far east as I hoped.”

“Where are we?” asked Helen.

“Still most of a day’s ride to a road that will fork down to Wilhelmsburg.”

Karli lowered her voice. “Luis can’t ride another day.”

“I know,” said Roo, “but we have no choice.”

He led them through the clearing, and just a short distance to the north lay the road they had been seeking. Hoof prints showed that the patrol Roo had heard had ridden this way. He motioned to them to follow him down the road.

The day passed without incident. Near sundown, they left the woodlands and found an abandoned farm, a squat stone-and-log affair with a sod roof. “We can stay here tonight,” said Roo. “The road that leads down to Wilhelmsburg is about another hour to the east of here.”

They got Luis off the horse and into the house, laying him gently on a straw pallet. Roo took the horses into the unoccupied barn, untacked them, and found some hay there, which he let them eat. He knew from his training with Erik and the others while in the army that if the hay was bad the horses would colic and die, but from what he could tell, it still looked edible. He closed the door and went to the little house.

Helen was looking at Luis’s shoulder. “We need to clean this,” she said.

Roo looked around and found nothing. “Let me see if there’s a well.”

He went out back and found the well, and there was still a bucket in it. He pulled up fresh water, untied the bucket, and brought the water into the house.

Karli said, “I found this.” She held out a small sack. “Salt.” Roo took it while Karli said, “It must have fallen to the floor when whoever lived here fled.”

Roo said, “It might help.”

“Can we have a fire?” asked Willem.

Roo said, “No. Even if we hide the flames from sight, the smell of smoke could bring raiders.”

Helen lowered her voice. “If I can boil some water, I can clean his wounds.”

Roo said, “I know.” He held out the salt. “Drink from the bucket, then when it’s half full, pour the salt
into the water. Bathe his wounds in that.” He glanced at his unconscious friend. “It will hurt like hell, but I don’t think he’ll notice. I’m going to try to find something for a poultice.”

Roo left the hut and stayed close to the buildings, in case someone might be coming along the road. He didn’t want to take the chance of being spotted. He hurried past the barn and the now-empty fields, into the woods. He had seen several mosses on the rocks the way they had come. Nakor had shown them all how to make a poultice, and Roo wished he had paid closer attention. But he thought he knew what to look for.

After nearly an hour’s search, as night was falling, Roo found the spiderweb-like moss, hugging tree trunks and rocks near a tiny stream. He gathered as much as he could carry in two hands, then hurried back to the farmhouse.

Karli and Helen had gotten Luis’s shirt off and had bathed the wound with the salt water. Helen said, “He didn’t move.”

Roo said, “That’s probably for the best.” He studied his friend’s face and saw it was covered with perspiration. He also saw that the wound to his shoulder had been caked over with dried blond, but now lay open. “That needs to be sewn closed.”

Karli said, “I have needles.”

“What?” asked Roo.

She reached under her dress and said, “Needles are expensive, and when we left everything, I made sure my needles were safe.” She tore a seam in the hem of her dress and took out a tiny rolled piece of leather, which had been lying alongside the seam. She unrolled it and presented Roo with six finely tempered steel needles.

Roo blinked. “I’m pleased sewing meant so much to you,” he said. “You wouldn’t have any thread, by chance, would you?”

Helen said, “Threads are easy.” She stood and lifted the hem of her dress. She reached under and pulled down one of her own underskirts, stepping out of it. With her teeth she worried a seam, and when she was satisfied with the damage done, she began unraveling threads. “Now, how long do you think?”

“A foot and a half,” said Roo.

She took one of the needles and worked the tangle of threads, pushing the one she wanted clear, then she took it between thumb and forefinger and pulled. Roo expected it to break, but to his surprise, it unraveled and she pulled out three feet of thread. She bit at the hem, and yanked, and handed the linen thread to Roo.

Roo said, “I wish I knew what I was doing.” He allowed Helen to thread the needle, then said, “One of you at his head, and one at his feet in case he tries to move.”

The two women obeyed, Helen gripping Luis’s legs while Karli put her hands on his shoulders, being careful not to touch the wound. Roo began to sew.

Throughout the night, Luis lay in a fever. He awoke enough to take a drink of water. Once they had to restrain him from attempting to scratch off the poultice that Roo had put on his wound.

Karli and Helen sat in the corner, with the children gathered around them, sleeping the best they could. Roo slept across the doorsill, sword in hand.

In the morning, Luis looked better. “I think his fever’s broken,” said Roo.

“Should we move him?” asked Helen.

Roo gritted his teeth. “I don’t think we should, but we can’t stay here. If those soldiers that rode by yesterday were Kingdom cavalry, the enemy will be here sometime today. If they were enemy soldiers, we’re already behind the lines.”

Luis’s eyes opened, and he whispered, “I can ride.”

“I wish we had something to eat,” said Karli. “He needs it to regain his strength.”

Roo said, “With luck we’ll be in Wilhelmsburg by midday. We’ll eat until we pop.” He grinned at the children, who tried to smile.

They got the horses saddled and, with a great deal of difficulty, managed to help Luis into the saddle. Roo said, “Do you want me to tie you to the irons again?”

“No,” said Luis, blinking against the morning sunlight. “I can manage.” He looked at his heavily bandaged shoulder and said, “What did you do to my shoulder?”

“Salt water and a poultice,” said Roo. “How is it?”

“It itches like nothing I’ve ever felt.”

Roo said, “I think itching’s good.”

“Only if it’s happening to someone else,” said Luis.

Roo took the reins of his horse, and Luis gripped the horse’s mane at the withers. The children rode as they had before, and Roo led them all down the road, eastward.

Erik rode quickly through the town and shouted, “Burn it!”

Men at the western edge of Wilhelmsburg ran through the town throwing torches. The larger stone buildings would be gutted, for most had bales of hay placed inside, and the buildings with thatched roofs caught quickly.

By the time Erik reached the eastern edge of the town, the western half was fully engulfed in flames. Erik waited until all his men were out of the town, then said, “Let’s move.”

Since before sunrise, soldiers billeted at Wilhelmsburg had been moving eastward, heading for a ridge line that they would defend for another week if possible. Erik knew that as they moved closer to Darkmoor they were going to encounter more towns like this one, Wolfsburg, Ravensburg, Halle, and Gotsbus. All would provide close support, but all would have to be torched before the defenders withdrew.

Robert d’ Lyes rode over, obviously very uncomfortable on the horse Erik had secured for him. “How are you doing?” asked Erik.

“Only the thought of another day walking in the heat convinces me this is a good idea, Captain.”

Erik smiled. “She’s a gentle animal. Don’t saw on her mouth and pay attention, and she’ll take care of you. Remember to keep your heels down.”

Erik turned and rode off, and the magician tried his best to keep up.

Roo lay back against the wall of the gully, his sword held close to his chest. The despair had almost been overwhelming when they had reached a point down the southern trail where they could see the smoke from Wilhelmsburg. Roo didn’t have to see the town to realize it had been put to the torch.

They had halted on the road, trying to decide what to do: risk skirting the flaming town, trying to overtake the fleeing Kingdom army, or turn back north and take the less-used road into Ravensburg. While they debated, a shout from across a large clearing told them that they had been spotted by horsemen.

Roo took them into the woods at once, hurrying the frightened group as best he could. He found a gully that quickly deepened, turned to the north, then turned east again. He had shooed them all along, and had doubled back, sword in hand. Luis had followed, his dagger in his left hand. He was weak and disoriented, but he was willing to fight.