The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher (25 page)

“I’d recognize the make of a Walechian bow anywhere.  Although I’ve never seen that design of arrows before.”

             
Terri settled herself and told the entire story of the army of Wolfen, the battle and her mission.  Throughout her telling, she saw amazement and alarm growing on the faces of her audience.

“Five thousand Wolfen, did you say?” Saab said astonished.

“At least five thousand,” Terri answered.

Saab looked around the table, as if studying the reactions of the others.

“There haven’t been that many Wolfen together in five hundred years.” He said almost as a gasp.

“What do they want?” One of the Council asked.

“I don’t know,” Terri answered.  “But their strategy seems to be to capture Mobrey, control the river and virtually cut Walechia in half.  My Captain feels, and I think he may be right; that once Mobrey has been taken, more Wolfen soldiers will then filter into Walechia for further battles.”

“That makes sense,” Saab added.  “It’s a classic dagger thrust maneuver.  Attack at speed and with surprise to achieve one military objective, then reinforce, resupply and prepare for larger objectives.”

“But we still don’t know why,” The Council member interjected.

“That depends on who is leading them.” Kayla stated.  “That many Wolfen wouldn’t have come together unless someone with great power was able to bring them together.”

“That kind of power hasn’t been seen in this world for centuries.” Saab added.

Kayla then breathed a heavy and sad sigh.

“There is one who could summon them.” Kayla said.

Everyone at the table then went silent.

             
“It gets worse,” Terri added.  “Their commanding General is a former Walechian soldier and…”she paused dramatically, “he has the silver axe.”

Terri was expecting a much more dramatic reaction to this news; however, all at the table simply looked at her sadly and then looked away.

“So the time has come.” Saab said seriously.

              “No ‘time has come’!” One of the Council members exclaimed.  “This is Walechia’s problem; not ours!”

“I agree,” said another.  “This is no concern of ours.”

“What if Walechia falls?”

“Then so be it!  It’s not our war!”

             
Everyone at the table began arguing and shouting at each other.  Kayla then appeared to almost jump out of her chair.

“Silence!” She yelled and her voice seemed to echo all around.  She looked every person at the table in the eyes, including Terri.  There was an anger in her eyes that Terri had previously thought impossible.

“How many times have I said that meals in this place are sacred times in a sacred place?  I will not have raised voices or ill will at my table.”

Everyone at the table then bowed and seeing this, Terri did the same.

             
“This is my fault,” Terri apologized.

“It is not.” Kayla replied sternly.  “I asked you for your story and you told it.”

             
“This is dark news.” Saab said, finally raising his head.

“Indeed it is.” Kayla said sitting down and giving everyone, except Terri another angry glare.

“But those of you talking about war and our place in any conflict,” She continued, “are looking too far ahead.  My greatest concern right now is this young woman.  She did not bring war on our doorstep and she is not here to ask for our involvement in anything.  She is a soldier on a mission for her country.  She came through the Blackwoods seeking only to pass through.”

“But she was followed by a pack of Wolfen,” A Council member interrupted.  He was answered by a look of fire in Kayla’s eyes.

“She is my guest.” Kayla said in deep and dark tone and, to Terri it seemed as the terrace had become colder.  “I expect her to be treated with courtesy and respect.”

Once again, the table was silent.

“Now,” Kayla said breaking another uncomfortable silence.  “You’ve been through a lot in the last few days and I can tell just by looking at you that you are still very tired.”

“That is an understatement,” Terri said, trying to sound funny.

Kayla gave a little laugh and then touched Terri’s hand again.  Her touch was soothing and soft; a kind of calming energy seemed to flow through her.

“I want you to rest here for a couple of days.”

Terri shook her head.

“That’s very kind of you, but I really must be on my way.”

“Terri,” Kayla said softly.  “You were at the point of total exhaustion when we found you and in your current condition, you are not strong enough to be able to make the rest of the journey in the time you need.  Your fatigue will slow you down.”

             
Kayla then sat back, but still caressed Terri’s hand

“Let this place work its magic on you,” She said.  “Let its mystery, this city’s wonderful people and the peace of this land revitalize and strengthen you.”

“But what about the Wolfen?” The Council member interrupted her.  “If there really is an army of them, surely more will come looking for her.”

“Then I’m sure the forest will take care of them just as they had before.”

              “This the last truly magical place in the known world and I believe destiny has brought you here; if for no other reason than to rest so you can continue your journey and complete your mission.  It has been only a few days since the last black night and the moon has not yet been full.  Two days will not be fatal to that mission.  In fact, after resting here, you will be more fit to complete your mission in plenty of time.”

She leaned forward and gripped Terri’s hand more firmly.

“You are my guest,” She reminded Terri.  “And you shall have all my land’s hospitality.”

              Terri relaxed, nodded and smiled.

“It was kind of nice sleeping in a bed, rather than a tree or a hole in the ground.”

Terri and Kayla then laughed and then continued their meal.

1.
       
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Chapter Thirty One

             
After finishing breakfast, Terri was taken back to her room.  She had a hot bath and was having her shoulders massaged, while she sat on a balcony that was part of her room.  She had a large goblet full of ale and was smoking a cigar while listening to music coming from a tree directly across from her’s.

“I could definitely live like this.” She said to herself.

             
“Is that a cigar?” She heard Kayla say behind her.

Terri turned to face her and saw her standing in the doorway.

“As a matter of fact it is.” Terri answered happily.

“I haven’t had a cigar since the last time I visited Sheyron.  Do you have anymore?” Kayla asked.

Feeling a little surprised, Terri answered, “sure.  Help yourself.  The box is right there,” Terri said, pointing to a table next to her.  Kayla selected a cigar from the box, lit it and then sat down in a chair that was brought to her from inside.  She then took a deep draw and then let out an enormous plume of smoke towards the sky.

              “You smoke like a professional,” Terri told her.

“I also smoke a pipe, from time to time.” Kayla said.

They sat quietly for a moment while both Terri and Kayla relaxed.  The music echoed off of the trees making it sound as coming from everywhere at once.

              “I trust they’re taking good care of you here?” Kayla asked.

“The best care I’ve had in a long time.  In fact, I can’t remember ever being pampered like this.” Terri answered.

“I certainly didn’t have days like these when I worked on the farm.” Kayla told her.  “Or when I was a servant to the Council.  They spoil me rotten now, but I certainly feel like I had to earn it.”

“I’m sure, you did.  Your folks have done a good job at spoiling me…except maybe for the creepy kid I woke up to this morning.”

“What do you mean?” Kayla queried.

“Well,” Terri started.  “I’m sure he’s a nice kid and everything, but he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of privacy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, when I told him I had to change clothes, he didn’t quite seem to ‘get’ that he needed to leave the room.”

“Oh,” Kayla sighed and then started laughing to herself.

“What’s so funny?” Terri asked.

“You probably wouldn’t be too happy to hear that young man gave you a sponge bath.”

And then they both laughed.

             
The two sat on the balcony, talked, smoked and drank for a while; truly enjoying each other’s company.  They exchanged stories of their childhoods; places to which they had traveled and people they had known.  Terri was fascinated by Kayla’s stories about her travels to the other kingdoms as part of her responsibility after she first became Lady of the Woods.  She told of the palace of Parathon in Masallah; hewn out of the rock of the mountain Glahm.  She told of the city of Korsh, capital of Sheyron; a huge city stretched like a crescent moon against the sea.

“There is always music there,” Kayla explained, “And the Admiral is always celebrating something.”

“Are they really as rich as the stories tell?” Terri asked.

“I’m not sure the stories do their wealth justice.  It is said that Sheyron ships sail on seas of gold.”

             
They continued to talk for a while, until Kayla began to look sad.

“What’s the matter?” Terri asked.

Kayla appeared to look off into the distance.

“You say the silver axe has been found?” She asked Terri.

“Yes, it has.” Terri said seriously.  Kayla then took another deep draw and let loose an even larger cloud of smoke.

“That means war is coming and not just a skirmish or a few battles; a war the likes of which haven’t been seen in this world for five hundred years.”

“That’s what it looks like.” Terri added.

Kayla looked out among the trees.

             
“This is last place of mystery and magic in the world.” Kayla began.  “The spirits live here among us; not like distant, otherworldly visitors, but more like our neighbors.  They talk to us; sometimes sing to us.  The trees give us safety by keeping the rest of the world at a distance; and the forest provides for our immediate needs.  The next Great War is supposed to change all that and there’s nothing me or anyone else can do to prevent that change.  We’ll become mere memories of a time and a place lost to history.”

“You don’t know that,” Terri said, trying to sound reassuring.

“I can feel it.” Kayla said sadly.  “And I can feel…”  Suddenly she stopped and brought her smile back with some effort.

              Terri wanted to press Kayla further, but decided against it.  Whatever it was that she was thinking about seemed especially painful.  Then a question came to mind.

“You mentioned something at breakfast about someone being able to summon the creatures.”

Kayla took a deeper drink of ale and then had an even more far off look.

              “We don’t know where he came from.” She started to tell.  “We found him half dead in the forest; even worse than you.  We took him in, brought him back to health and then eventually came to regard him as one of our own.  He even became a member of the Sanctuary Council; the only outsider to ever earn such a position.  He was intelligent, hardworking, generous, and compassionate; all the things we valued.  He also had, what we like to call, ‘the gift’.  He could speak to the trees and the spirits.  He had a healing touch and we were all amazed at how fast he learned to use these gifts.”

“What was his name?” Terri asked.

“I cannot say it,” Kayla answered.  “His name is a curse in the language of the forest.  Speaking it causes suffering and decay to everything that can hear it.  We never called him by his real name; instead we simply called him ‘friend’; for that’s what he was at first.”

“What happened?” Terri prodded.”

             
Terri then saw a look in Kayla’s eyes that was even sadder and far off than she’d seen before.  She even saw tears forming in Kayla’s eyes.

“One can only step through the veil when one is called,” She continued.  “However, his thirst for knowledge was his weakness.  We had warned him time and time again not to pass through; but we couldn’t stop him.  One night, he snuck into the sanctuary and stepped behind the curtain.”