The Dreaming Hunt (19 page)

Except the Boki put away the dagger and pulled a spiked mace off his back with his off hand. Thanon sensed that the orc was at ease with either weapon in either hand. Mustn't underestimate the danger of that mace, then. He settled lower in his fighting stance and again expanded his awareness to encompass the human now fighting at his back.

He sensed
nothing
.

The Boki charged, flailing both mace and club at him, and Thanon thrust his shield from side to side, catching the worst of the blows on its sturdy surface. The sheer weight of the Boki's attack drove him back, though, until his shoulder blades nearly touched the human's. The orc mage cast another blast of damage at him, and he felt his armor start to give way. Another bolt like that, and he would be in serious trouble. And he couldn't reach the Boki mage, as the fellow hovered out of sword range and gathered magic for another shot at him.

“Switch places,” he told the human. “Get the mage.” He desperately hoped the young battle mage at his back understood that it took a ranged attacker to beat another ranged attacker. There was no time to observe the niceties and ask, however.

He and the human spun in a half circle, the sudden maneuver catching the pair who'd been engaging the human by surprise. He got in a deep cut across one's side. His deadly sharp crystal blade dripped with blood.

He both heard and felt a massive crackle of magical energy discharge behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bolt of magic slam into the Boki mage's chest. This kid could channel magic? His respect for his nameless battle brother increased sharply.

He sensed which of the two orcs facing him was least skilled and unleashed a flurry of sword blows at that Boki. The orc fell back under the onslaught as bloody gashes opened on his arms and shoulders.

But then both Boki facing him charged, bellowing, and he scrambled to hold them both off as they attacked all out. These Boki definitely lived up to their reputation as skilled fighters. He heard several fast magic spells from the Boki mage behind him and an answering barrage of magic from his companion. A smell of ozone began to stink around them, a result of the volume of magic being cast.

Thanon dodged the wounded Boki's charge easily enough, but the other one was fast and strong, overran his shield, and got right on top of him. Long swords were perhaps the deadliest of all weapons, but they had one great weakness. They were useless when an attacker got inside their swing radius.

Abandoning the weapon, Thanon grabbed the big Boki around the neck. The orc's naturally thick skin was bumpy and hard. He would not be able to choke the Boki, but then he did not need to. Using a skill learned from Grand Marshal Korovo himself and honed over years of practice, Thanon projected a command into the Boki's mind to die.

The orc's battle enraged stare met his, and then an instant of surprise registered as the orc's body followed the command. The creature's legs collapsed, and he crumpled to the ground.

The other Boki warriors cried out in rage and dismay. The biggest one yelled, “Run!”

All three of the remaining orcs took off for the shore as Thanon bent down to scoop up his sword. For bulky creatures, they moved shockingly fast.

“You all right?” he asked his human comrade-in-arms.

“Yes. You? Do we pursue?”

“Can we catch them?” Thanon asked. He glared at the sturdy battle canoe that all three orcs had leaped into and were now paddling strongly. A riptide caught the vessel and flung it away from the shore at a high rate of speed. The small landing craft he'd commandeered earlier wasn't strong enough to handle a current like that.

“We couldn't catch them in your rowboat,” the human declared in disgust. “And we'd likely die trying. Or at least get dumped overboard. And I have no skill at underwater combat. I'd be useless.”

“I doubt that,” Thanon declared. They watched the Boki turn to parallel the shore at a distance that ensured no magic of the human's could reach them.

He turned to take his first good look at the human battle mage. Dregs. The kid couldn't be more than twenty summers old. He could handle a staff like that
and
channel magic? More to the point, how was it he'd been completely unable to sense the youth's intentions during the fight? He didn't know whether to be impressed or suspicious. Either way, he was intrigued.

“Name's Thanon.” He held out a gauntleted hand to the youth.

“Will. Will Cobb,” the human replied, mopping sweat off his forehead and flashing an amber hand shield the likes of which he'd rarely seen. The mystery deepened.

“Well met, Will Cobb. Are there more of these Boki in need of killing?”

“There was a large greenskin force up in Governor's Square a few minutes ago. Although I expect they've been driven out of there by now. But we can probably find ourselves a few more if you're in the mood to test your blade.”

“Lead on.”

They took off at a jog along what Thanon recognized from studying maps of Dupree as one of the main avenues toward the city center. His men should be up this way somewhere. Once the governess was safe, his unit would head for where the fighting was worst and charge to the front.

“This kind of thing happen often around here?” he asked as they ran.

“Last time we had a full-scale Boki invasion was almost twenty years ago. You just have excellent timing.” Will Cobb grinned at him, and he grinned back.

They crossed Governor's Square, which was littered with the bodies of goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres. Only a few orc corpses were visible across the broad square.

The sound of skirmishing erupted down a side street as they left the north side of the square. As one, they veered toward it. He and Will smashed into the cluster of mixed-race greenskins harrying a party of townspeople and made short work of them, laying out nearly a dozen of the invaders. As the thanks of local citizens rang in their ears, they moved on.

It took close to an hour to work their way all the way to the North Gate of Dupree, mopping up clusters of fighting as they went. There, Thanon met his men, apparently assigned by Captain Krugar to guard the gate while the Haelan legion sallied forth into the countryside in pursuit of the fleeing invaders. Which was a smart call. His men were not familiar with the local area, hence were best used to defend the city against any attackers who thought to circle around Krugar and his men.

He had a word with his squad leaders to confirm that none of his men had been lost in combat. A few had wounds serious enough to send them to the Heart, but that was all.

“Can you point me at the Heart?” he asked Will. He had a general idea of how to get there, but he was not averse to a local guide. Memorizing a map could only get a person so far.

“I'll take you,” Will answered. They took off walking back to the south and Will asked, “Who are those soldiers? I don't recognize the blazons.”

“Talons of Koth. The elite shock regiment of the Imperial Legion of Koth.”

“When did
they
get here?”

“Within the hour.”

“Who commands of these Talons of Koth?”

“I do.”

The human youth missed a step, recovered, and stared at him in obvious alarm. “Uhh, I'm sorry, your lordship. I didn't know—”

He laughed and slapped Will on the shoulder. “Call me Thanon. We met on the battlefield where skill determines equals and betters, not titles and ranks. And you are plenty skilled to have earned my respect.”

They resumed walking toward the Heart. “You earned my respect, as well,” Will said formally.

“Relax. I like you. And you acquitted yourself well against those Boki. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“I'm an apprentice in the mage's guild.”

“Gads. I'd hate to see their adepts in combat if you're only an apprentice.” He grinned at Will, who grinned back.

“The guildmaster is a pure caster, and he's unbelievable on the battlefield.” Obvious pride rang in Will's voice.

“That would be Aurelius Lightstar?”

“You've heard of him?”

“Indeed. I've come to see him.”

“Why?” Will blurted.

“Imperial business.” Lest the youth take offense at being brushed off, he added, “After I check on my men, what say you show me to the pub with the best ale in town and we trade a few war stories over a pint?”

“That'll be the Prancing Unicorn Tavern.”

It turned out that both of his injured men were fully healed by the time Thanon reached the Heart House. He sent them to the North Gate with word to join him at the Prancing Unicorn when they could. He trusted his men completely to handle themselves in his absence, a fact his men took pride in, as well.

His military career had taken him to the ends of Urth, and he was no stranger to the rough conditions in these frontier towns. As they went, Dupree seemed reasonably civilized. But then, Anton Constantine was said to have carved out quite a corrupt little kingdom for himself in Haelos.

The Prancing Unicorn was empty after the night's violence. However, the tavern was spacious and the mugs clean. He and Will sat at the end of a long table by the fire and were served quickly and politely. Of course, his chestful of Imperial blazons might have had something to do with that.

Speaking of which, Will was studying the insignia intently. “I don't recognize that one.”

Thanon looked down to where Will pointed. “Mindor campaign.”

Will frowned. “You're paxan, though.”

“Yes, and my kind in Koth are loyal to the Empire. It's the paxan of Mindor who resist Imperial rule.”

Will tactfully changed subjects. “So. What's your best war story?”

“Well. That would undoubtedly involve a bold and buxom lass in the Imperial Seat who led me a merry chase a few years back.”

“Did you love her?”

He raised his pint, grinning. “Not enough to turn down a posting to Pan Orda, for which she vowed never to forgive me.” He took a pull of the frothy ale. Not bad for a local brew. But then he was a soldier. He wasn't picky.

A disturbance at the door turned out to be a dozen of his men piling into the tavern. They swarmed around him and Will, jovially ordering food and drink.

Will spent the next hour teasing stories out of him and his men on their various campaigns and exploits while Thanon observed the young battle mage closely. The youth was smart and focused and seemed to thirst for travel, adventure, and glory. His men took a liking to him, too, especially after Thanon recounted how the two of them had engaged in pitched battle against four Boki and Will had protected his back. Will fielded his men's questions about Boki combat tactics, and he was impressed with how well the kid knew Boki ways of thinking and fighting and correlated the two.

He turned over in his mind why he could not read Will's intentions in combat but came up with no explanation. The kid had a special mental defense of some kind, though. That was for sure.

The night aged into the wee hours, and it was time to get his men some rest. They would not leave until he did, though, concerned as they were for his well-being, and he for theirs.

“Will Cobb,” he declared. “Would you consider joining my unit? I can offer you all the training you desire in magic or combat, along with seeing the wide world, honor and fame, and a decent living. What say you?”

His men raised their mugs to endorse the offer loudly.

Will's face lit with interest. But then his expression fell. “I'm afraid I'm promised to the Mage's Guild, else I would be sore tempted to accept your offer.”

“Ahh, well. That's easy enough to remedy. The guildmaster will not always control you, perhaps sooner rather than later. Come with us, Will Cobb. Earn the glory you were meant for.”

 

CHAPTER

12

Raina slept through much of the next day, waking only to eat and then go right back to sleep. Draining herself of her formidable well of magic was exhausting in the extreme. A frantic Rosana woke her for supper. Will was not at the Mage's Guild, and no one had seen him since last night.

“You've checked the death log?” Raina asked quickly.

“Aye. He hasn't resurrected.” The gypsy continued in an aggrieved hush, “The high matriarch won't let me go look for him. She says if Will's hurt he'll come to us and that the Mage's Guild is busy with the cleanup and repairs.”

“Are wounded still coming in?”

“Aye.”

“Then she surely won't let me go look for Will,” Raina replied.

“You need to eat,” Rosana declared practically. “You know how much healing takes out of you.”

In spite of her worry for Will and the voices lurking just beyond her fierce concentration on holding them back, she ate heartily and felt better. Raina was just finishing a second plate of fried fish and fresh greens when a messenger from the Mage's Guild arrived at the Heart House. And not just any messenger.

Drake Bruin, commander of the Celestial Order of the Dragon in the city of Dupree, brought the request from Guildmaster Aurelius for Raina and Rosana to join him at Leland Hyland's house at their earliest convenience. Which was polite elf-speak for
now
.

Of course, the high matriarch gave them permission to answer the summons. Hah. So much for Lenora not letting them out of the Heart! Bruin hustled them across the city, Raina and Rosana like a pair of ducklings following their mother.

Rosana asked Raina under her breath, “Why do you suppose Aurelius summons us?”

“No idea,” Raina replied low. “But it must be important for him to have sent a drake of the Celestial Order to fetch us.”

“It's always an emergency with him,” Rosana muttered. “I've had enough of running around in the woods for a lifetime.”

She expected Rosana had not seen the last of running around in woods if the gypsy wished to be with Will. Although his reasons were different, he was as set on waking the Sleeping King as she was. Speaking of which, Raina really could use a dreaming conversation with Gawaine about what threats lurked near, ready to take advantage of the colony's weakness. But he remained stubbornly hidden from her, whether by his choice or not, she had no idea.