Ch. 2: The Hunters and the Hunted

The Hunters and the Hunted

Karn moved quickly from rooftop to rooftop, with agility and swiftness that seemed to be superhuman. Pushing off with his right foot, he leapt from one roof to the next without pausing between them. He didn’t even glance down as he moved towards the town square. It was nearing midnight, and his job was almost complete. As far as he knew, the city was deserted, but for the guard towers that were positioned at the four corners of the city. Trondhelm was set on the edge of a mountain, with the cathedral at the peak and the rest of the city positioned below it. A single road wound up from the last houses to the old cathedral that was built a half mile from the rest of the city. The square was positioned near the center of the town on the flattest part of Mount Trôndd. The mountain and the town to follow it were named after the great hero and founder of the city. It was said that he climbed to the top of the mountain with a group of pilgrims and defended them from a pack of starving wolves. After killing the animals, he drove his spear into the ground and placed his helm on the end of its shaft. And so it came to pass that as a city was built, they named it and the mountain after the mighty hero who had defended the pilgrims so gallantly. His body was later buried beneath the cathedral that now stood as a symbol of his great strength. Karn was not one to think much of myths or legends such as that of ‘Wolfslayer Trôndd’, but surprisingly, he believed that one.

         Karn’s eyes widened as he realized he had reached the last rooftop. He dug his spike-toed boots into the stone roof and came to a sudden halt. Quickly, he crouched down and began to move towards the fountains that lie in the middle of the square. His target was a traveling merchant. All he knew was that the man had rented a small house on the edge of the square, and that his name was Draydin Valle. He didn’t care who he was or why he was in Trondhelm; he only cared that he was getting paid a large sum of gold for the quiet murder. Karn didn’t even know who was paying him, only that he was a customer and he had gold; a lot of gold.

Karn drew one of the many knives from his belt and dropped off the roof of the house he was soon to enter. He crouched below a window and looked around to make sure he was alone. His small knife cut easily through the thin fabric that covered the window, and he quickly climbed through, immediately beginning to search the house for the sleeping man. Karn found him after only a moment and tried not to look as he raised his knife into the air…

Ж

Karn awoke startled and sweating. He sat up and wiped his brow; he had been breathing hard. Stealing a quick glance at Treius, he rubbed his eyes and stood up.

“Only a dream,” he thought to himself. He stepped quietly through their small camp and entered the darkness that lie outside of the small ring of light that surrounded him. Now engulfed in darkness, Karn silently walked through the moonlit valley as wind whined through the rocks and trees; the clouds covered the chalky moon for brief moments before breaking away into the starry night. Below him stood the Cradlevyne Forest, tall and menacing. One place he had hoped they would avoid. But Treius would not take the time to go around it, and so they had no choice. Ill tales had come from the forest of late, and Karn would have avoided it otherwise. But something told him their journey would take them to far worse places than this. For now this was the first great step of the journey; the boundary of the mysterious and, worse, the deadly. Karn sat in silence and watched as a cloud moved away from the moon and revealed the bright sphere that floated above him. His mind wandered and he was swept away with distant memories long forgotten. He recounted the death of his parents when he was only twelve; of how he had watched as they were murdered remorselessly. And of his years of training in magic and history with Treius, of which he had eventually abandoned for a life he had thought would have been great. But it turned out, nothing had been as it seemed. As he fought for survival day after day, the people around him lived comfortably in their houses, warmed by fires in the hearth and fresh food on the table. And he also recounted the moments that he had imagined as a child to be of honor and glory: the battles he had fought and won against countless enemies. But he soon found that the battles were not nearly as great as he had imagined them. He remembered brief glimpses of crimson blood on the bright, shining steel he held in his hands. The feeling of forcing a blade deep into the chest of a man he had never even known, the sound of icy steel on the warmth of flesh and blood, and the cries of the dying men around him. But that was war; cold, murderous war, unrelenting and fearless slaughter of both guilty and innocent. But should it be such a shame, to fight for lord and land? Karn believed that war was inevitable; therefore it was acceptable, even though it could strip even the strongest men of both mentality and sanity. But man would be forced to face the horrors of war, because war would come, accept it or not. And that, Karn believed, would be the downfall of the weak, because those who do not accept it will be the first to be crushed and destroyed.

Karn shivered and looked down at the forest again. It was a grim sight. Decaying branches stuck out of the dismal forest like hands groping for anything that came too close. The forest was old, and most of it was dead or dying. The thickly knit trunks put visibility at a minimum. The only way through the forest was a small path that had been carved through the trees, wide enough for two men standing abreast. It was a hard road to travel, but it looked to be the only choice; and Treius did not seem to be in a mood for arguing.

Karn was distracted for a moment when he glanced again at the forest. Something had shimmered. A shadow swept away by utter darkness, and then, a whisper in the wind. He squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of what had moved. Something was wrong. He crouched down low and started to move towards the Cradlevyne, silently drawing the small dagger from it’s sheathe.

He came to a dead stop as he heard something hiss loudly. His eyes widened and he stumbled backwards as he saw the winged creature emerge from the forest. It stood as tall as Karn, but attached to its back were two grotesque, black wings, each as long as the creature was tall. Small fangs protruded from the top of its mouth, and its eyes shined a silvery white, as if they had rolled into the back of its head. It wore animal skin clothing and its long red hair reached to its thin, bony torso. As it moved closer to Karn, he saw that it was male.

Blood lust shone in the things crimson eyes, and it hissed again, revealing more of his white fangs, and holding up a bloody knife. Karn gasped and began to back away, sheathing the dagger and replacing it with the sword that hung across his back. He knew he might not have much of a chance to kill it and so he stood his ground, now confident that if he landed the first strike he could at least disarm it. With a yell Karn leaped forward, jabbing as he went, but he was not fast enough. The creature easily dodged the blow and swiped at him with the knife, but Karn was ready and ducked in time, avoiding the blow with equal ease.

“I will tear you,” hissed the creature, pertinacious to draw blood. Karn swung again, with more force this time, and almost managed to graze the creatures shoulder. Karn was stopped by its arm, and as his sword collided forcefully with the flesh he was knocked off his feet. His blade had bounced off the rock hard skin. Karn attempted to recover from the fall, but the creature dived onto him and raised the dagger, only to freeze as a blinding light appeared behind Karn. The creature hissed angrily and disappeared into a cloud of black dust, leaving the knife suspended in the air for a moment before falling loosely to the ground. Karn quickly looked around and saw now that it was Treius who had saved his life. The old man walked quietly up to Karn and pulled him off the ground. Karn’s face was white with fear and his heart was pounding hard after the recent skirmish with the winged fiend.

“What was that?” Karn asked, gasping between breaths.

“This is a terrible sign,” Treius said gravely, ignoring Karn’s question.

“What was it, and why did it try to kill me?!” Karn demanded, angry that Treius was avoiding his question.

“We have no time, we must move now. We cannot go around the forest, it would take too long. I fear Brand is in grave danger, and we cannot let the enemy reach him first. Quickly, return to the camp and take the pack and the horses. Leave anything else. And don’t ask questions, just go. Now!”

Karn hesitated, wanting to refuse, but gave up the fight and ran back to the camp, anxious to stay out of the forest as long as possible. He quickly scooped up the pack and slung it over his shoulder while climbing onto the back of his horse, bräden, and calling for the other, fäolân, to follow him. He kicked his heels into bräden’s side and gripped the horse’s mane tightly.

Karn reached him in less than a minute, easily following the small orb of light that he had summoned. Treius struggled for a moment but made it onto the back of fäolân and they were on their way, guided by the small orb that had ceaselessly floated at eye level and emitted an enormous amount of light. The Cradlevyne Forest loomed only feet ahead of them, and the dense line of trees only broke at the entrance to the small path that led through the forest and to the town of Reissen on the southern edge. Karn frowned slightly, but did not let up as bräden led him into the forest.

For an hour they trudged on, following the slim path silently deeper into the forest. Karn led the way with the orb of light just ahead of him. So far, they had seen and heard nothing. The forest was eerily silent; not even a leaf stirred as the two men rode on through the never ending trees. As they neared a turn in the path, Karn pulled bräden to a stop and turned to Treius, determined.

“What was it that attacked me?” he demanded, breaking the ghastly silence.

Treius sighed.

“It was a servant of The Dark One. The Touched, they were called, the Hands of Darkness. They have not been seen since the Dark King fell at the end of the second age. During his reign they had served his every bidding, and seeing one of them now is truly disturbing. They could have hidden when he fell, and are only emerging now during the Bloodhunt. We can only hope that this is the case, for if not, we are truly in more danger than during the first Reign of Darkness. But alas, do not fret over things that are not certain. We can only hope for the best.”

“And what if the worst should happen? What if Brand is already dead? We would have risked our lives for a lost cause,” Karn asked in doubt.

“No cause is ever lost until you give up. If Brand died, then I would have been mistaken in thinking him the savior of Keruvia, and we would have to find the true hero. But our journey would not have been for naught,” Treius replied. Karn nodded in silent acknowledgement.

Ж

The Cradlevyne Forest would have been silent but for the thud of horses hooves drumming loudly on the dirt path as they meandered through the forest. As the path wound deeper through the wood, the trees subsequently grew taller and even denser than before. The branches hung over the path, entwined together, and growing as one thick layer of near-dead wood. The thin path grew even lanker, and began to wind unexpectedly to and fro, and Karn eventually lost any sense of direction. They were still guided by the tiny glowing orb that floated in front of Karn, for little light could seep through the thick branches. Karn guessed that it should be near dawn, but there was not much way to tell. He was growing tired from lack of sleep, and he had not eaten a full meal since the night they departed from Trondhelm. He longed for fresh meat and a goblet full of mead. “Now that,” he thought, “would truly be a meal.”

“We need food, Treius,” Karn said grumpily. He pulled bräden to a stop and dismounted with a grunt. Stretching his legs, he leaned against a tree. Treius clambered off of his horse and stiffly walked to the orb that floated a few feet ahead of bräden. He waved his hand below it and the light was sucked from the orb and Karn and Treius were left in almost utter darkness but for the few thin rays that reached them from the sky above. With another wave, Treius lit the light again, and stood still for a moment before speaking.

“Yes, we should find food. I expect you have not forgotten everything I taught you?” Karn laughed out loud. “If that is the case, then, use magic to find something.” This time Karn furrowed his brow and looked suspiciously at Treius.

“Are you testing me?” Karn asked, enraged. “Do you truly think that I would let fifteen years of training in magic go to waste? You are truly a fool if that is what you believe.”

“Then find some food, and stop your groveling.” Treius snapped. Karn scowled again before turning and looking up into the canopy above. He pulled the pack off of his back and easily scaled a nearby tree where he sat quietly on one of the higher branches. He could see the sun from his position and he squinted down into the forest before drawing on his powers and letting the magic flow from his body, engulfing him in a surge of strength that would sweep any untrained human away. He allowed the energy to flow through him like a river, and he searched that flow for some sign of life. The forest was near empty. After a moment of searching he felt a flicker in the magical field, and knew that he had located his target. He focused all his energy on reaching into the pulsing magic that flowed from the animal and slowly locked onto the creature’s thin neck. With a grimace, he felt the bone crack, and heard, far off, the sound of a small yelp deep within the forest. He then focused on bringing his victim to the small path below him. After a few moments, a small fox floated through midair and dropped limply onto the path with a thud. Karn smiled smugly and dropped from the tree. He pulled a knife from his belt and began to skin the animal as Treius made a small fire with some small dead branches. With a wave of his hand, the small pile of wood burst into flames, casting shadows in the darkness around them. When Karn had skinned the fox, he severed the best meat from the bone, drove a thin stick through it and placed it on the makeshift spit Treius had made only moments ago. He scrounged through the bag for a moment before pulling out a small bottle full of a black, watery substance. He opened the bottle and slowly poured it all over the meat, breathing in the satisfying aroma.

Karn cooked the fox for half an hour before taking the meat off the stick and dividing it between Treius and himself. While the meat was cooking, he had strayed from the path, found and identified a few plants and picked some leaves to use as spices for the meat. He ground the leaves with the butt of his dagger on a large rock near the fire, and sprinkled it over the meat.

He took a bite of the fox meat and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a wonderful meal after nothing but herbs and water. He had been dying for a bit of fresh meat, and now that he had it, it tasted even better than he had imagined. Karn finished his portion quickly, and wrapped what was left in a cloth that had been in the pack.

And now they continued their seemingly never ending journey through darkened wood and deadened tree. The journey continued for days, surrounded by nothing but forest. They heard not a stir in the wind, or as much as a whisper from the few inhabitants of the Cradlevyne. Time crawled by slowly, and Karn began to become irritated, tired of the unchanging scenery. He longed now for a bit of change. By his reckoning, they must have missed the first snow marking the end of the summer. Keruvia was a cold place, and most was encased by snow year round. Arccennaz was one of the few places where snow the yearly stopped falling. At the beginning of summer, the snow ceased, and crops began to grow, making Arccennaz rich with some of the lands only food supply. But in two months, the cold returned, and snow began to fall again, leaving them to last another bitter autumn and winter, each year seemingly worse than the year before.

Karn knew that the Bloodhunt, a festival that lasted three days, marked the end of summer, and therefore, the snow had to come soon. It had gotten much colder in the forest since they first arrived, and Karn longed to see at least a single sign that time went on outside of the dreaded Cradlevyne.

Karn yelled aloud as he saw far ahead of him the end of the path, the bright sun beaming down on the opening. But soon he found that it was not the end of the path, but rather a wide open area, encased by the rest of the forest. It was the one place where the trees did not grow so close together, and in the middle of the glade were five rocks, jutting from the ground in the shape of a hand reaching for the sky. It was a beautiful sight, even though Karn was quite disappointed.

“We should camp here for the day,” Treius started. “I would rather not enter the town in broad daylight. I am hoping we can avoid being seen by wary eyes.” With a groan, Karn climbed off bräden and sat down, leaning against one of the pillar-like rocks. In only a moment he dosed off to sleep, and the last thing he remembered was the sun high in the sky and white, wispy clouds dashing across the bright blue…

Ж

Karn jolted awake at the sound of clashing steel. He quickly jumped up, attempting to draw his dagger, but soon found that it was gone. Taking in his surroundings, he assumed a defensive position and held his fists near his mouth. The sky was darker now, and the sun had almost set. He could not see anyone, but he knew that whoever it was, they were not far away. Treius was nowhere to be seen either, but bräden and fäolân were still grazing happily on the grass that grew tall in the glade. He now gathered that the sound was coming from the path that went toward Reissen, remembering where they had entered the glade. He ran surreptitiously down the path, dashing from shadow to shadow, attempting to avoid being seen. It did not take him long to reach the end of the forest and find that there were two groups engaged in combat. He crouched down at the opening to the forest and hid there for a moment, watching the two groups fight fiercely. He guessed that one group must have been the guards of Reissen, but the other he was not sure about. They looked like warriors, and the man who must have been the leader kept barking orders as he fought off three guards at a time with an enormous sword. He swung the thing once, and cleaved the head of one guard, and caught the shoulder blade of another. The sword cut deep into the man’s arm, breaking straight through the thin steel armor worn by the guards. It was only now that Karn noticed Treius, standing to the side, sending small orbs of fire at the guards with great force. Now Karn joined in the battle, sure of the sides. He caught Treius’ eye and gave a small nod. With arm’s raised, Karn sent an enormous bolt of lightning cascading down onto one of the guards, leaving the man charred, and giving way to violent spasms. He in turn pulled his right hand back, and the sword of the guard he had just electrified came hurtling through the air and into Karn’s hand, just in time for him to block a blow from another guard. He quickly executed a succession of blocks and flurries, keeping his guard up constantly, but also looking for ways to penetrate his enemy’s defenses. He brought his sword down hard, but quickly changed direction and slammed the hilt of the blade into the man’s face. The guard stumbled backwards, dropping his sword, and clutching his bleeding nose. Karn mercilessly drove his sword through the man’s heart only to turn and block another attack. There were still at least twelve more guards, and as Karn slew another one, he looked back at Treius, amused.

“What did you do?” Karn asked Treius as he blocked another attack.

“They recognized me, Karn. We are wanted. Baranof led the counter attack. We were at first outmanned, but the guard’s numbers have, as you can see… dropped. Here is your sword,” he said, handing the blade to Karn, along with his dagger. “And what did you take that they deemed so valuable? We have the death warrant!”

Karn knew that their death warrant would definitely slow them down. But who was this Baranof, and what provoked him to join Treius? Karn wasn’t sure about it, but his attention was diverted elsewhere. He saw ahead of him a cloud of dust, and before it, at least twenty men riding towards them, swords drawn. Karn knew that they had been defeated, and sheathed his sword.

“Fall back, into the forest! We have been overpowered! Retreat now and we may yet escape with our lives,” he yelled, over the clamor of clashing steel. The men heeded his words and, after killing the remaining guards they moved back into the forest, following the trail to the glade. There, Karn took bräden and fäolân and led them through the trees.

Treius, the man called Baranof, and five others followed Karn as he led them deeper into the forest, ever wary of even the slightest noise. The going was tough, as the trees were still close together. Karn had to choose were to go before they moved, for the slightest mistake would cost them precious time. The sky had since turned to black, but they had continued on in silence until Karn stopped in a small clearing.

“We will camp here for the night. In the morning Treius and I will depart for Arviat. Do not try and follow us, lest you too be thrown into this dire quest,” he said, as Treius lit another small orb of light. The tallest man from the group made his way to Karn. He had short brown hair, and his thick fur cloak hung over his broad shoulders. His enormous sword was slung across his back; sheathe reaching down past his waist.

“I am Baranof, of Brindaalin, and these are my men. We are hunters. We have already proven our worth, and we now have nowhere else to go. Let us accompany you. We will prove invaluable in the end.”

“You have no idea what lies beyond these woods, Hunter. You would be best to leave these lands. Go back to your homes in the east. Only death awaits you here.” Karn turned his attention elsewhere, but Baranof was not finished.

“Have you not heard? Our home has been destroyed. An enormous army, led by a man who calls himself Emperor Grêy, invaded only days ago. They took Aisliin Cove in one night, and after he personally murdered our king he took control of the kingdom, adding to his empire in the northeast.”

Karn was stunned. How could a single army take the capital of Brindaalin in one night? The army must have been at least one-hundred thousand strong, if not more. Karn looked hard into Baranof’s eyes.

“If what you say is a lie…” Karn put one hand on his knife.

“On my honor, I swear to you that it is true.”

“Honor means nothing in these troubled times.” And Karn turned to set up the camp.

Ж

By the time the eight had prepared to leave, the bright yellow sun had risen over the brink of the horizon, giving off an iridescent light within the forest. The morning air was even colder than before, and as Karn led the group back to the small glade where he had slept the night before, they saw the first signs of snowfall. The grassy glade was topped with a layer of snow, and glistening flakes continued to fall from the purple-gray sky. Karn and Treius mounted bräden and fäolân, and the others continued on foot. When they reached the edge of the forest it was getting late in the morning, and the sun had climbed higher. At the point where the forest ended, they diverted from the path and entered the wilderness surrounding them. The small city of Reissen lay over the next hill, but they did not dare enter, for fear of meeting more guards, or being recognized. Karn used magic again to find more food, but this time he even cooked it with magic, saving them precious time.

When the sun reached its highest point in the sky, they had passed Reissen and were back on the path, now traveling down into the Low Country. As they went lower, the hills turned to valleys and gorges, and the path was guarded on each side by two cliffs, reaching at least twenty paces high on each side. The path only went lower into the valley until finally rounding a curve and merging with the river called Fainne.

At the river, they stopped to let the horses drink, and ate more of the provisions they had gathered earlier in the day. The man named Tallinn hunted small birds with his bow, and Kharkiv inherently sharpened his hand axe. Two men named Kiev and Kjelvik began to spar. As Karn watched from his place under the cliff edge, he saw that they were very skilled. He quickly joined them, and easily defeated Kiev with only his knife. Kjelvik was a better fighter, and Karn had to make an effort. He dodged the first blow and made a move to attack, but Kjelvik was quick, and blocked the attack with ease. Karn made a succession of attacks, before quickly changing movements, and touching the knife to Kjelvik’s neck. Karn only laughed as Kjelvik’s eyes grew wide, and he stepped back.

“Where did you learn to fight like that, friend?” Kjelvik asked with interest.

“I have seen many dark days, and the need to fight arose quickly when I was young. I taught myself, learning to defend and use strange patterns of attack to catch my opponents off guard. My parents were killed by a bandit attack on the outskirts of Trondhelm. After that, I did not hesitate to kill anyone who threatened my existence.”

Karn let Baranof ride bräden, and walked for a turn. They crossed the river at its lowest point, but it was not easy. The horses did not want to go through the ice cold water, and it was no easier for the rest of them. In the end they forced their way through the river as quick as possible, but it left the majority of the men cold and shaking, now wet up to the waist. The freezing cold temperatures in the valley only added to their pain. The river was at the bottom of the gorge, so the path remained level and the cliffs eventually disappeared into the ground and a valley lay before them, glistening white with snow. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and to the south, ahead of them and at the height of the next hill was a single white tower, overlooking the valley like a stone watchman, silently observing the men as they made their way to the bottom.

“So, this is ârda þäanon; or the White Valley as men now call it. I have longed to see the Ward since first I heard of it when I was a child in Brindaalin. It is as beautiful as I had imagined; maybe even more so,” Baranof said in awe as they had neared the tip of the valley.

“Yes, the White Ward had long guarded the only safe passage through the Low Country, and kept any enemies from reaching the city. It was here before Arrdenon led his men through this very valley and to the southern plains on the other side where he soon rebuilt the ancient city of the elves and made it the capital of Arccennaz. But it had long since been abandoned when he came, and the walls had begun to crumble. Yet still it stands, and has always been a reminder of the elves who left their trace on the lands we now inhabit. We will camp there for the night,” Karn replied quietly, overlooking the valley with a newfound assurance of a good night’s rest.

But rest did not come. As they neared the tower, a sense of foreboding crept over Karn, and as he looked to the moon, a silent figure glided above him, winged, and cloaked in the darkness, long hair flowing behind it. Karn quickly turned to Treius and said quietly,

“They are here.”