The Black Sword Trilogy: The Four Nations (5 page)

“He hasn’t been accused of anything yet and the King may be afraid to, based on Krall’s popularity.  But he was summoned to Kallesh just a few months ago after a battle.  General Krypt is in command of the Grand Army now.”

             
Just then, a child approached Terri with an arrow in his hand.

“Excuse me Terri,” H
e said tugging at her.

She looked down and smiled.

“Yes, what is it?” She said in a friendly voice.

“I found this in the woods.  Is it yours?”

“Why yes, I believe it is,” She said taking the arrow from him.  “Thank you very much.  You’re very kind.”

He smi
led brightly at her and then ran off to join other children.

             
“I thought these arrows could go through anything.” Kenner said to her.

“Usually yes,” Terri answered.  “But they have a tendency to bounce off of things that aren’t actual targets; like trees,
animals and such.”

“Didn’t you say that you shot an arrow all the way through one Kallesh’s walls?”

“Yes, it did; clean through.  But I think the bow was sort of showing off at the time.”

“That fits.” Kenner said.

              He took a thoughtful drink of ale while staring at the fires which were beginning to die.

“Why are you really here, Terri?” He asked her quietly.

“I figured you’d know this wasn’t just a social visit.” She sighed.  She then took a step closer to him.

“General Krall has disappeared.  He’s taken t
he Silver Axe with him.”

Kenner chuckled slightly.

“I wonder how long it took him to figure out that he was only one that could pull it from the floor.”

“I think everyone who was there that day knew, even the King.  That’s probably why he wouldn’t let Kral
l anywhere near it.”

“How did he get to it?”

“Snuck into the throne room in the middle of the night.  He put the two guards down with a sleeping gas.”

Kenner laughed a little louder.

“I can just see those two big thugs lying on the ground.” He said.

“The K
ing was furious.  He accused of them of helping him.  He probably wanted to have them executed as well, but finding two half giants like them is extremely rare.”

“How did he get it out of the city?”

“There’s a secret aqueduct that leads underneath the city to the river.”

             
The two were quiet for a moment.

“About a hundred men have left the Army, presumably to join him.  General Krypt has issued orders that anyone caught deserting will be hanged.”

“That’s pretty harsh.” Kenner added.

“Desperate measures, I’m
afraid.”

             
Kenner took another thoughtful drink.

“So you’ve been sent by the King to find him?”

“Not the King.” Terri answered emphatically.  “The King has sent one hundred assassins to find him, kill him and bring back the Silver Axe.”

“Has His Majesty not
considered that one of these assassins might take the Axe for himself?”

“I don’t think it’s ever crossed his tiny little mind.”

              “So who did send you?”

“General Krypt.” Terri answered.

“What kind of man is this Krypt?”

“He’s a stubborn, pig-headed
asshole.  You’d like him.”

The two both laughed.

              “Let me guess,” Kenner continued a moment later.  “You want me to go with you.”

“The thought had occurred to me.”

He then turned and looked at her seriously.

“You’re not asking me to get involved in this wa
r or politics are you?  Walechia’s problems are no longer something I care about.”

“I wouldn’t ask that.” She answered just as seriously.

“Then what are you asking me?  Surely you’re not going to use the ‘damsel in distress’ argument?”

Terri smiled a littl
e and then lowered her head.

“I have to be honest with you Kenner,” she said.  “I’m pretty sure the King’s spies are following me and in addition to that, this may be a long journey and I’m not sure what’s out there.  I’m not sure I can really do this alon
e.”

“Even with the Blackwood Bow in your hands?”

“I’m only one person with that bow and the King has sent a lot of people looking for any hint of Krall and that Axe.”

             
Kenner then took a step towards the fires and pointed in the direction of the villagers.

“See those people?” He asked her.  “I’m supposed to be watching out for them.  I’m supposed to be protecting them.”

Terri thought for a moment about the right words to say.

“This is important, Kenner.  Walechia is tearing itself apart and millions of inno
cent lives are in danger.”

“I thought you weren’t going to ask me to get involved.”

“I’m not.  But finding Krall and the Axe may be the key to holding Walechia together.”

“And you think I can help you find them.”

“Yes, I do.”

             
Kenner took a couple of steps away from her.

“He’s your friend, Kenner.” She added.  “He’s in terrible danger.”

“Low blow, Terri.”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Kenner took another thoughtful drink from his stone cup and sighed.  He looked again at the people gathered around the fires and the children; some of them playing, some of them sleeping near their parents.

“I have to think about it.” Kenner told her.

“That’s all I can ask for now.” She answered.

Chapter Eight

              Later that night, Kenner and Terri returned to his small house.  As Terri sat in Kenner’s chair and warmed herself by the fire, Kenner opened the back doors that he’d had to widen and Shela and her babies came running.  Shela immediately set on Terri, pushing her enormous head against Terri’s.

“You let them in a
t night?” Terri asked.

“You didn’t think I’d leave them out in the cold, did you?”

“I’d slap you if you did.”

The two kittens disappeared into the bedroom, while Shela lay down at the door of the room.

              “So where do you intend to look for him?” Kenner asked.

             
“There are rumors he went to Masallah.” She answered, lighting Kenner’s pipe.

             
“Well,” Kenner continued.  “There’s a problem right there.  As you may recall, your King in his infinite wisdom banished me from Walechia; “on pain of death” as I seem to remember.”

             
“So what?”

             
“Wouldn’t we have to go across Walechia to get to the gate at Parabas?”

             
“Not necessarily.  There are other ways.”

             
“Such as?”

             
“There’s always the sea route.”

             
“What sea route?”

             
“From the port of Bahastrawp.”

             
“Isn’t that in the Blackwoods?”

             
“It most certainly is,” Terri said grinning.

             
“So now you want me to take the Black Sword to the Lady of the Woods, is that it?”

             
“Don’t be silly,” Terri said with after a gulp of ale.  “Kayla is anxious to meet you, but she neither needs nor desires that sword.  Besides, you know what happens when anyone but you touches it.”

             
“I get the impression it might make an exception for her.” Kenner said fingering the handle.

             
“Perhaps to touch, but I don’t think it would allow you to give it to her.”

Kenner thought for a moment and seemed to sense an answer from the sword.

              “No it wouldn’t,” he answered seriously.

             
As Terri poured herself another flagon of ale, she noticed Shela’s eyes following her.

             
“What’s the matter, old girl?” She asked her.

Afte
r she sat back down in the chair, the huge cat simply lay her head back down on the floor and appeared to go back to sleep.

             
“I’m assuming you know how to get to the Blackwoods?” Kenner asked.

             
“I do indeed.  Shall we leave in the morning?”

             
“I still haven’t said that I’m going.”

             
“No, but you’re strongly leaning in that direction.  I can see it in your eyes.”

             
“Give me a night to not get any sleep over it.” He answered dryly.

Terri chuckled and continued to drink and smoke.

              Later, Terri produced two cigars from her pack and the two smoked, drank and talked about old times.  They laughed and sighed over their stories of the Northern Wall and their battles.  Terri told some stories of her adventures over the past two years and Kenner described his life in the village.  At one point they caught themselves yawning.

             
“Looks like it’s bed time,” Terri said, finishing another ale.  Jason noticed that she had drunk a lot, but it didn’t seem to affect her.

             
“Yeah, I’ve got a long night of staring at the ceiling ahead of me.”

Terri laughed and started towards his bedroom.  When she got to the door, she heard Shela growl at her.

              “What the deuce?” She gasped.  She turned and saw Kenner smiling.

             
“You may have taken my chair, my pipe and half my ale, but I’m the only one allowed in that room.”

             
Deep into the night, Kenner lay on his bed pinned in between the two kittens with Shela still sleeping at the door.  He was staring at the shadows of the tree branches dancing in the moonlight and thinking about the possibility of joining Terri on her search for Krall.  Did she really need him, he thought?  Couldn’t she take care of herself?  What if there were assassins and spies looking for her or following her?  Even with the Blackwood Bow, could she defend herself against such?  And what of Krall?  Where had he gone and why?  Had he really gone to Masallah?  Why?  What was there?  Could he be taking the axe to their King?  Would he try to raise an army against Walechia?  Surely not, Kenner thought.  There couldn’t be any more loyal or dedicated soldier in all of Walechia.  He couldn’t be a traitor…could he?  He wanted answers to these questions.  More than that; he had a strong feeling he needed those answers.

             
Kenner felt himself starting to drift off to sleep when he heard a grunt from Shela.  She was lying on her side and he saw her raise her head.  He then thought he heard a soft voice in the dark.  The kittens groaned disapprovingly as he raised himself slightly to get a better look.  There in the darkness, standing just over Shela was a shadowy form.  He became slightly excited as he thought he recognized the soft silhouette.

             
“Is that you shadow?” He whispered.

He didn’t so much see as “felt” a smile seem to come from the form and then it moved off into his living room.  He
climbed out of bed and then over the sleeping form of Shela who didn’t even seem to notice him.  He crept silently into the living room and saw his front door wide open.  He knew for a fact that he had closed and barred it.   He found a bear skin and wrapped himself with it.  He then put his boots on his feet and went out into the cold night.

             
Just past his own door, he looked for Shadow and didn’t see her at first.  Then he saw her dark figure seem to float off past the boundaries of the village and he followed her.  Hearing only his own footsteps crunching in the snow and his own breath, he followed the shadow until he came to a familiar and large oak tree in the woods.  There Shadow appeared to him fully.  Her black hair fell, as he remembered down her shoulders and back, her eyes looked gently on him and she smiled just as sweetly as he’d always remembered.

             
“Hello old friend,” She said to him in her musical voice.

             
“Hello there.” He said to her, not knowing what else to say. 

             
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it Kenner?”