The Angel's Command (30 page)

At twilight, hauling themselves gratefully out of the stream, they entered the trees. Karay sat down and examined her feet. “Just look at these toes, they're blue and numb from the cold, and wrinkled like raisins!”

Dominic chuckled. “Well, it was your idea. Up you come m'lady, let's find somewhere warm and dry. Steady on, Ned, d'you have to shake yourself all over us?”

Ned actually winked at Ben. “Bet you wish you could dry yourself like this. Us hairy old dogs have an advantage over you pale, thin-skinned humans. Superior breeding, y'know.”

Ben tweaked his dog's ear. “Oh, I see, then I don't suppose a superior creature like you will bother sitting around a warm fire—built by us measly humans of course?”

Apart from the constant spatter of rainfall on the treetop canopy, the forest was silent and depressingly gloomy, thickly carpeted in loam and pine needles. Hardly any rain penetrated the arboreal thickness. It was Ned who found a good spot to make camp for the night. He bounded off through the trees and returned with his tongue lolling as he passed on the message to Ben. “Haha, at least we'll be dry until morning, I've found a great place! Follow me, oh weakly fellow, I'll show you. Oh, and if you humans make a fire, I may do you the honour of sitting by it.”

It was a deep cleft in a big rocky outcrop. Ben patted his dog affectionately. “Well done, mate. It's practically a cave!”

Dominic found some dry, dead pine needles, and setting flint to the steel of his knife, he coaxed a fire into life by blowing gently on the tinder. He peered at the rock walls. “Artists were here long before us. Look!”

Crude representations of dancing people were drawn upon the rough rock walls in black, red and ochre, stick-legged men, women and children dancing around what appeared to be a fire.

Karay piled dead wood on the flames, commenting, “I saw a cave like this once, in the D'Aubrac Mountains. A gypsy woman said the drawings were more than a thousand years old, done by tribes who were shepherds and charcoal burners. They used to live in places like these.”

As evidence they found a heap of charcoal at the cave's narrow end. Ben and Karay piled it on the fire. It gave out a good heat and glow once it began burning. Dominic spread their cloaks on nearby rocks to dry out. Warmth seeped through their bodies, steam rising from their hair. Ben opened one of the sacks and doled out bread, smoked ham and cheese, and also a flask of pale wine laced with water.

As they ate, Dominic pointed to the wall drawings in the flickering glow. “See how the shadows play across those pictures—you'd think the people were actually dancing!”

A noise at the entrance caused Ned to stiffen, and his hackles rose as he growled. Ben passed him an urgent thought. “What is it, Ned, what's out there?”

Glowering toward the entrance and baring his teeth, Ned replied. “A wild boar. The scent of our food must have attracted it. Maybe it lives here now, who knows? I'll chase it!”

Karay whispered to Ben. “Something's upsetting Ned!”

Ben caught a glimpse of narrow, savage eyes at the entrance. “I think it's a wild boar, Ned'll send him on his way.”

“No, keep hold of him!” Dominic hissed. “Have you seen the tusks on those things? That boar would injure a dog badly. Better leave it to me.”

He chose a thick burning pine branch from the fire and dashed toward the entrance, shouting, “Yaaaah! Gerroutofit!”

The boar grunted and snorted, half turning. When Dominic was quite close to the beast, he lashed out, striking it several hard blows with the flaming brand. The boar squealed and ran off, leaving behind an acrid smell of burnt hair. Dominic flung the blazing wood after it, still shouting. “Yaaaah! That'll give you a hot bottom! Go on, leave us alone!”

Karay looked at him with a new respect. “That was a brave thing to do. I'd run a mile from a wild boar!”

The facemaker shrugged. “What I did was what the villagers used to do when the old boar wandered into our settlement in Sabada.”

Ned remained awake on watch that night, wary that the boar would return. Sometime after midnight, the rain ceased. Inside the cave, the fire sank to glowing embers. Ben was awakened by his dog's quiet whimpers in the oppressive silence. He stroked the Labrador's flank. “Are you alright, mate?”

Ned licked the boy's hand. “I must have dozed off for a while, Ben. I could swear I saw the faces of Vanderdecken and his crew out there among the trees, watching us.”

The boy scratched the soft fur under his dog's chin. “It's just tiredness, Ned. Have a sleep. I'll keep watch. Though I'm sure Vanderdecken couldn't follow us here—he's bound to the seas by heaven's curse. But I know what you mean, I was having a few dreams like that myself before you woke me. Go on, take a nap, try to dream of more pleasant things.”

Ned settled his chin on his front paws, letting his eyes close. “Just as you say, Ben, but I don't like this area, and I feel there's more to come before we find the Razan. Oh, there's no use trying to think different, mate. Don't forget, I can read your thoughts, and they tell me you're thinking the same thing. You're scared—me too! We both are. These forests and mountains—there's an eerie feel about them. It's like something we've never come across.”

Ben watched the black Labrador as sleep overcame him. He knew, with an awful sense of foreboding, that Ned was right.

20

DAWN'S FIRST FEEBLE LIGHT CREPT into the cave as Ned lay on guard near the entrance. The black Labrador was in a peculiar state of semi-wakefulness, with snatches of dream still hovering about his mind. A voice that he knew was the angel's recited distantly to him.

 
Another voice chimed in. “Who's that? Come forward and be recognised!”

Ned woke immediately, knowing that the second voice was no dream. Thankfully, it was far enough away for only a dog to hear. Ben, Karay and Dominic were still asleep. Ned slipped out to investigate as yet another voice reached his ears.

“Put up your club, 'tis only me—Cutpurse the clown!”

Shuffling through the undergrowth on his stomach, Ned moved noiselessly forward until he found the source of the voices.

A group of ten men, clad in gypsy rags, all well armed with clubs, knives and muskets, were watching a man emerge from the trees. With the group were a ferocious-looking mastiff dog and a brown bear, both wearing spiked collars and long iron-chain leashes to restrain them. Ned's gaze settled on the fellow who was joining them. It was the fat rogue who had imprisoned Karay. He limped miserably out of the tree cover, leaning heavily on a homemade crutch. The leader of the band, a mean-faced villain with a marked squint, sneered mockingly at the newcomer. “Hah, what happened to you, Cutpurse?”

Wincing as he laid aside his crutch, he leaned against a tree and related his tale bitterly. “I thought I'd struck lucky last week. I captured a young girl—a singer she was, with a good voice. But she had us both taken by the constables, for stealin'. We broke out o' prison together an' stole a cart. Then d'ye know what the young hussy did? She stole the cart an' ran away from me!”

Ligran Razan, the group's leader and the second eldest brother of Maguda, sniggered scornfully at Cutpurse's plight. “Broke your leg, too, did she, ye fat greasy fool!”

Cutpurse pouted sulkily. “ ' Twas my ankle, not the leg. I fell and broke it when I was chasin' her.”

Ligran eyed Cutpurse with disgust. “How you ever came to be part of the Razan, I'll never know. Pick up that crutch an' let's get going. Better shift yourself, we aren't stoppin' for any who don't keep up. Stop pullin' faces and whining! Come on, blubbernose!”

Ligran headed off, leaning backward against the iron chain he was grasping as the dog pulled on it, straining forward. Three others flung more chains around the bear. They dragged the wretched creature along with them, striking it with long sticks as it made piteous, muted noises of distress.

Ned waited until the coast was clear, then dashed back to the cave and nosed Ben into wakefulness. The dog imparted his mental message of all he had witnessed. Ben thought about it for a moment before answering. “Don't wake Karay or Dominic. Let's go outside, I've got an idea. Don't worry, mate, I'll give you full credit.”

Karay and Dominic sat up rubbing their eyes as Ned and Ben dashed back into the cave and roused them.

Dominic looked bewildered. “Where have you two been?”

Ben cautioned the facemaker, “Keep your voice down. Ned heard noises a short while ago, so I went with him to see who it could be. We saw a gang of men—I think they're probably from the Razan tribe, rough-looking and all well armed. They had a dog and a bear with them. Oh, and guess who joined them, Karay? That fat greasy one whose ankle you whacked with his own club—he was limping heavily.”

The girl gritted her teeth angrily. “I should've killed him when I had the chance. It was you who stopped me!”

Ben held up his hand. “Don't shout, sound can carry from here. What's done is done. I'm glad you never slew the villain.”

Karay stuck out her lip defiantly. “He deserved to die, the slimy rat. Why should you be glad he's alive?”

Ben explained. “Because he's travelling with the others now. He's injured and bound to slow them down a bit. That'll make it easier for us to follow them. Where else would they be headed for but the Razan hideout?”

Dominic agreed. “Right! I'll wager they can lead us to Adamo. As soon as we've had breakfast, we'll pick up their trail.”

It was too dangerous to light a new fire. They broke their fast with some fruit and cheese before leaving the cave.

The previous night's heavy rain had ceased, and the sun came out, turning the forested slopes into a dense area of steamy mist as it heated the saturated ground and trees.

The friends went in single file, with Ned leading. It was not a difficult trail to follow. A dog, a bear and eleven men left plenty of tracks. It was not more than an hour before Ned heard the band up ahead. He halted and passed Ben the information. “We'd best slow down, I can hear them. Let's not get too close, mate.”

Ben pointed to the dog. “Look at Ned's ears—he must be able to hear them!”

Karay's voice dropped to a whisper. “Mist and fog can deaden sound. We must be very close to them. Let's stop awhile.”

Ned passed another message to Ben. “Stay here, I'll go ahead and see what they're up to. Be back soon.”

Before the boy had a chance to argue, his dog had vanished into the mist. Ned moved through the trees like a dark, silent shadow. When he saw the men, he cut off left and crept along on the same course as the band, watching and listening.

Ligran Razan looked back over his shoulder. “Where's that useless bag of blubber Cutpurse, lagging behind is he? Bring him up front here, I'll move him!”

Two of the men dragged Cutpurse forward, stumbling and pleading. “Ow-ow-ow! Be careful of my poor ankle, will you? Ligran, leave me here to rest a bit, I'll catch up with you later.”

A thin, cruel smile hovered about the villain's face. “I ain't leavin' you anywhere, fatty. If anybody found you they'd soon have you blabberin' where our hideout is. This'll stop ye dawdlin'—Gurz can help you to keep in front.”

Ligran took the end of the chain on which he was holding the mastiff. Grabbing Cutpurse roughly, he hooked the chain through the fat man's belt and secured it. “Hahaha, just try stoppin' Gurz, an' he'll have ye for lunch. Hup, Gurz, hup, go on boy, off with ye!”

Cutpurse only had time to grab the chain when he was hauled forward, hopskipping, limping and staggering as the big mastiff dragged him along in its wake. “How-woooh! No please, let me go, let me go, I'll keep up!”

Ligran nodded. “Oh, you'll keep up alright—Gurz'll make sure o' that! Come on, you lot. Let's go, see if ye can't make that thing move faster!”

The three men who were holding the bear's chains jogged forward, tugging the animal along. Its collar had spikes both inside and out, and the bear made choking noises as the spikes dug into its neck. Others followed behind, striking out with whippy branches at the pitiful creature, forcing it into a fast shamble.

Ned had seen enough. He ran off, not daring to try and make mental contact with the bear, lest it unwittingly betray his presence to the men.

 
By midday the mists had cleared, and the sun was beating down on the mountain slopes. There was a slight dip at the woodland edge, giving way to a small valley. Behind this, the snow-capped peaks stood like massive sentinels. Ben and his friends hid in the tree fringes, watching the Razan band below in the valley. They had camped by a clear mountain lake and lit a fire. Two of the men were cooking up oatmeal and maize porridge in a cauldron over the flames. It was served out to the members of the robber band as they sat about, eating and calling out to one another. Ben could hear them clearly from where he lay hidden.