Halfstone: A Tale of the Narathlands (5 page)

“Hello, weary travellers,” he said brightly. “My name is Roan.
Welcome to my humble inn.” He gestured around with a shaky hand. “Are you
looking to stay the night? I can offer you suitable bedding for little coin.”

“Yes, please. We will have a room each, thank you,” said Télia.

Roan looked surprised. “Oh, you are not a couple?” He scratched
his chin. “Well now, I only have one room. It’s quite spacious, mind you. Er,
perhaps you can convince this young man to make do with the floor.” He stared
at Aldrick expectantly.

“One room will be fine,” said Télia, reaching for her coin pouch.
“We are just grateful to have a roof over our heads tonight. There has been
talk of foul beasts prowling this area. We caught wind of this in Rain and have
stopped here tonight as a precaution.”

“Really… beasts you say?” Roan didn’t sound alarmed by this at
all. “Well, I’m sure you will find no such things shall pester you here. Never
in all my years has there been an incident. Unless you bring the trouble with
you, I believe we shall all have a very incident-less night.”

Aldrick felt guilty. He knew that if there was a ka-zchen out
there it would not pause at the walls of the inn to find him.

“Still, it would be wise to remain cautious,” he said, glancing at
Télia. “You never know what might be lurking out there in the shadows.”

Roan eyed them both curiously.

“For such fine young souls you are very chary indeed,” he
remarked. “Nevertheless, I shall heed your words and I too will be wary of the
shadows.”

After Télia had paid him a small fee, the innkeeper showed them to
the room. It was spacious but rather bare. An old bed stood against the left
wall. A deer skin rug lay at its foot and a small wooden table stood beside it.
There was no chair. To the right were a row of empty shelves and a tall
wardrobe that slanted because of one broken leg. A single window directly
opposite the door offered fresh air. They lay their possessions on the floor by
the bed, not bothering to unpack. They would leave for Farguard at dawn.

Télia threw Aldrick an apple before drawing a small crossbow from
her saddlebag. It looked to be a fine weapon. Its stock and foregrip were
fashioned from a dark wood, the tree from which he could not say. The remainder
was metal—steel or silver. Bands of intricate engravings decorated its barrel
and limb. For such a deadly weapon it looked rather elegant. She set it beside
the bed, removed her cloak and lay down. Aldrick remained standing, pondering.
The journey had begun abruptly and there were still many questions he wished to
ask this woman that he had not yet found the right moment for. Maybe this was
it.

“Télia, who hired you to protect me?” he asked. She didn’t respond
so he went on. “Do they know why Selayna wants me dead?”

Télia sat back up and looked at him. She seemed settled now, more
so than him at least.

“I assume they must know,” she said pensively. “They definitely
thought it was important to send me. Usually they would have assigned a job
like this to someone far more experienced, but it was clearly urgent and I was
already travelling south. They said they were sending other aeras, too. I have
rarely heard of someone being appointed more than one. They must have known that
the threat to you was great.”

“Aera? That is what you are called?”

“Yes, it means ‘guardian’ in old Narthtongue.”

“Why were you travelling south?”

“Actually, I was on my way to Jon’s. I was told that watching over
him would be an easy assignment, to finish my training. I doubt they expected
he would ever be in any real danger. As far as I am aware he is not commonly
known of these days.”

“You were to protect him because he is a wielder?”

“Yes.”

“But why would anyone want to protect me?” Aldrick asked, mystified.
“I am no wielder. I am not… special or important.”

A mysterious smile grew on Télia’s face.

“You really don’t know who you are, do you?” she asked, eying him.

“Something is telling me I don’t…”

She surveyed him for a moment longer, then rested back against the
headboard of the bed. “You know, when I was ordered to protect you, the name I
was given was Aedimon. You are not known by that name in Rain?”

“Aedimon,” Aldrick repeated curiously. “No, though I was adopted
as a baby.”

“I see.”

“Wait, if you were given the wrong name, how did you know I was
the one you were looking for?”

Télia’s eyes twinkled.

“I have my ways,” she said slyly then, changing the subject, “So
how is it that you know Jon? I find that oddly coincidental.”

“I knew him growing up. He is an old friend of my par… foster
parents. My foster father, Braem, left to see him after the ka-zchen attacked
me. I think they both know something about me, about my real parents. Maybe they
were the Aedimons.”

“I think you may be correct,” said
Télia. “I believe Jon
will have the answers you seek.”

“He truly is a wielder?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Aldrick pondered. Why had his life been shrouded in secrecy? He
began to wonder about his birth parents. Who had they been? Maybe they weren’t
simple merchants or farmhands as he had always imagined. He would know soon
enough.

Gentle rain began to fall. The evening had faded to darkness. Roan
kindly gave them a number of candles which they set on the table to provide
some lighting. Although the threat of an attack lingered, the mood lightened and
their conversation soon turned to stories of their upbringings. Aldrick
recounted childhood memories of living against the mountains, of exploring the
forests, of hunting and farming. Télia kept her stories rather brief, always
more eager to hear his own. She told of a childhood raised in Daraki’ Anya, a
village neighbouring a larger city, Galdrem. He knew of Galdrem, of course. It
was the capital city of the Narathlands, located in Morn, one of the northernmost
provinces. She had been born the daughter of a high council member and had
chosen her line of work because it offered travel, adventure, an escape from
the monotony of day-to-day life. He reasoned they were similar in this respect—their
dreams were not bound by the horizon.

While she spoke, Aldrick gazed upon Télia. Her beauty shone in the
candlelight. She had removed her tunic and sat with blankets wrapped around
her. He lay on his side across the end of the bed. Gradually gravity seemed to
change direction, compelling him toward her, but he resisted. Though
intoxicatingly alluring, her presence was unnerving, her beauty and grace
daunting. Besides, there were currently far more concerning events unfolding.
She had other things on her mind, some of which she had not voiced.

In time the soft patter of the rain made Aldrick drowsy. Télia
kindly allowed him space beside her to lie down and stretch his legs. She
remained sitting, seemingly restless once more. Her breaths were heavy and
without rhythm.

“You should get some sleep,” he said, eying her.

She yawned and shook her head. “No, I’m all right. Don’t worry
about me.”

He did worry. Télia struck him as someone who was too good, who
would push herself too far. It was her call though.

“Suit yourself,” he said and closed his eyes.

Télia sprang from the bed.

He bolted upright. “What is it?!”

She put a finger to her lips. An anxious pause followed.

“I heard hooves on the road,” she whispered.

He leapt to his feet and drew a knife from his belt.

“Keep quiet,” she urged, loading her crossbow carefully. “This is
trouble.”

They made their way slowly toward the entrance of the Inn, keeping
their figures stooped. Roan had gone to bed, but a number of lanterns still
burned. Beyond the windows it was pitch black. Aldrick listened for any noise
but could hear only the rain. They crept behind the counter and rested their
backs against it. He looked to Télia. Her face was one of ardent concentration.

They waited.

“Maybe it was nothing,” he said after a while.

Télia shook her head. “No, those who come in silence are not of
good will.”

There was a creak as the front door began to open slowly. Roan
must have forgotten to lock it! Télia touched his shoulder and mouthed the
words “Don’t move.”

He didn’t.

“Be silent, he could still be awake,” one intruder muttered to
another.

Télia took the hand Aldrick held his knife in, turned it so that
the blade was upright and gave him a subtle nod. He knew what she meant by it—he
was going to need to use it.

Without warning Télia stood and aimed her crossbow beyond the
counter.

“Move one step closer and die!” she yelled, then ducked all of a
sudden. A knife flew into the wall behind her. She released an arrow then
dropped back down beside him. Aldrick heard one of the intruders charging. As
they reached the side of the bar he sprang up and drove the knife at their
chest. It pierced armour but not flesh. Aldrick was gripped and thrust into the
wall. Dazed, he lost his footing and collapsed to the floor, dropping his knife.
Staring up, he saw a figure—a man shrouded in black—raising a sword. Télia came
at him from behind but he whirled round and hit her hard across the face. She
flew sideways to the floor.

“Télia, get up!”

She groaned. The man approached her, sniggering. Aldrick had to do
something fast. His knife lay near him, and he took hold of it. As the man
raised his sword, intent upon driving Télia’s body through, Aldrick leapt at
him, thrusting it into his side where the armour failed to protect. They both
toppled to the floor. Aldrick sprang back up. The man remained down. He was dead,
his sword still clutched in hand.

Once more the rain was the only sound to be heard. Aldrick stood
shaking. By the entrance a second man lay with one of Télia’s arrows in his
chest, dead also.

Télia found her feet at Aldrick’s side.

“Thanks,” she said, rubbing her jaw.

“Yeah,” he managed. He had just killed somebody. They were dead.

“You had to do it, Aldrick,” Télia said, surveying him. “He would
have killed us both.” She went to the door and peered outside for a moment,
checking for any further danger, then beckoned Aldrick back to the bedroom. In
the hallway Roan stood with a lantern in his hand, staring at them with wide
eyes.

“Fret not, my friend,” Télia said to him as they passed. “They
were enemies. The coast is clear now. We will deal with this in the morning. We
apologise for causing you distress.”

Roan said nothing, just watched them pass then looked vacantly
down at the bodies lying upon the floor.

Aldrick slumped onto the bed. He was in no mood for anything.
Télia sat down next to him.

“We should think no more of this night until morning,” she said
quietly. “Let us rest now.” She blew out the last burning candle.

They shared the bed. Télia slept but Aldrick could not. He lay on
his back, dazed and subdued in the dark. The night was long.

5

STORM

Coldness had seeped into Aldrick’s bones by morning. His body was
exhausted, overtired. His mind was no better. They had risen early for there
was unavoidable work to be done before they departed—the bodies of the
intruders had to be removed. Télia asked him to help examine them first.

Easily visible, engraved into the men’s cuirasses, was the outline
of the same butterfly that had been branded on the ka-zchen which attacked him.
He noticed now that their wings were outlandishly jagged and appeared
profoundly sinister. The cuirasses enhanced this look as they too had a sharp,
menacing look about them. From their plated pauldrons the men wore capes which
also bore Selayna’s sign.

There was nothing of great interest in their possession, only some
gold which he and Télia chose to leave, and their swords. These were uniquely
fashioned with long, thin blades and no cross-guards. Télia said they would
attract unwanted attention so they left them too. The men’s horses had bolted
in the night.

“They were aera servants of Selayna,” said Télia, getting back to
her feet. “Only they would wear her sign.”

Aldrick found himself more concerned with how these men had
tracked them to the inn.

“If they have been hunting me they might have found my family
first!” he exclaimed. “We have to go back and see that they are safe!”

“No. These aeras would have been well behind the pace of the
ka-zchen. They probably only arrived in the south yesterday, seeking to confirm
it had already killed you. Even if they had been to Rain they would have
avoided unnecessary altercation.”

Aldrick remained apprehensive but trusted in Télia’s judgement. He
still felt she was keeping things from him but was willing to let this go,
presuming they were things that mustn’t need urgent utterance.

They buried the aeras behind the stables and did what they could
to conceal the tracks leading to their shallow graves.

“If this had happened in the heart of the wilderness I would
probably have left them where they fell,” said Télia, raising one last patch of
trodden grass with her foot. “Here, we must leave no evidence of our passing.”

Back inside the inn they washed all blood from the floor, then
Télia gave Roan generous gold and apologised profusely for what had occurred.
The innkeeper was shaken but understanding and agreed not to notify any
officials of the incident.

They departed immediately after eating and continued on their way
along the woodland road toward Farguard. The rain had ceased in the early hours
of the morning and the air was fresh and cool. Their pace was a trot. Télia
didn’t think there would be any more imminent danger.

“How are you feeling?” Aldrick heard her ask him after about an
hour of travel.

He lifted his eyes from the road.

“I’m all right. I… it just didn’t feel right,” he murmured. His
mind had been swamped in murky, black water—an endless flood of images of that
aera lying on the floor with his knife lodged in him, lifeless.

Télia looked on with a faraway expression.

“Killing never feels right,” she said sombrely. “Try not to dwell
on it, Aldrick. It was them or us.”

He tried not to but couldn’t help it.

“Had you killed before?” he asked.

She shifted uncomfortably in her saddle. “Let us talk no more of
this. The day is new, the air is fresh. We may as well enjoy the journey.”

Aldrick looked at her and wondered what stories about herself she
had kept unknown to him. He wondered how such a fair and kind young woman had
come to wield the ability to take life. Perhaps one day she would tell him. He
hoped they would still know each other in times beyond whatever lay ahead of
them now.

They came into view of Farguard in the early afternoon. The
woodland trees had given way to patchwork fields of yellow and brown. Beyond
them, a wooden wall which bounded the village loomed. Overshadowing all else though
were the mighty Midland Ranges. The procession of twin peaks towered so tall that
their tips were obscured in cloud. A narrow valley lay between them that Aldrick
assumed made passage to Jon’s home. From it, a small river ran which passed through
Farguard and on to the ocean. In the distance, the shoreline veered westward
and eventually faded from sight behind a haze of salty sea air.

A lowered wooden gate offered them entrance into the village.
Though there were no guards stationed outside, it somehow felt less welcoming
than Rain. A dreary atmosphere hung over the place like heavy mist. The streets
were boggy and the state of the housing was less than grand. Years had passed
since they had last received caring attention. Many had been abandoned
entirely. Wooden boards were nailed across their doors and windows and ivy
engulfed their walls. The few dwellers who wandered the streets dressed mainly
in long, cotton garments that were muddied at the bottom. There was little
colour to be seen anywhere.

Aldrick and Télia led their horses to some rickety stables, paid
to have them well fed and groomed, then made their way to the markets to buy
food. They found little variety of choice. After reluctantly purchasing stale
bread and some soft fruit from an unseemly woman with oily grey hair, Télia
suggested they pay a visit to the local blacksmith.

“With the enemies we encountered last night we are going to need
our own swords,” she said.

Besides wooden ones, Aldrick had barely even held a sword in his
life. It hadn’t been necessary. He was a little hesitant. Télia said she would
pay for his. He assumed her work paid generously as her coin pouch was still
robust, even after bribing Roan the innkeeper that morning.

There was just one smith in the village: ‘The Drunken Anvil’. It
offered only a small selection of swords, so Télia bought them each a plain
steel longsword with a leather-bound hilt. Hers was a woman’s size—a little
shorter and thinner than his own, which, with the tip against the ground, reached
to his waist and was unnecessarily heavy. Each sword came with a leather sheath
and strap which they fastened to their belts. It tired Aldrick just walking
with his at his side. This amused Télia, who appeared very able with her own.

They thanked Torran the smithy before making their way to a small
garden area by the riverside to eat lunch. The garden was overcome by a thicket
of tangled weeds and the tree at the centre stood grey and leafless. Regardless,
it was a fitting place for them to rest and discuss their imminent actions.

“We must be hasty,” said Télia, biting into a pear. “I want to
reach Jon’s before nightfall.”

Aldrick also anticipated arriving at Jon’s. He hoped they might
also meet Braem there and learn from both of them the true reasons why he had
been swept away on this whirlwind journey.

While they ate, he noticed Télia had begun to act strangely. She
kept peering around and then pausing, as if she was listening for something. He
listened too. He heard nothing out of the ordinary, just the gentle chant of
the river and a cow mooing in a field somewhere beyond the village walls.

Suddenly she grabbed his arm and pointed toward two figures, each
accompanied by a horse, walking down the main street from the far end of the
village. “Look, Aldrick! It’s a wielder. Maybe it’s Jon!”

It was indeed Jon… and Braem! Relief swept over Aldrick. They were
a welcome sight.

“Yes, it’s Jon and my father!” he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

They made their way to them. Braem noticed Aldrick as they
approached and met him half way with an expression of surprise and bewilderment
upon his weary face.

Aldrick embraced him. “Hello, Father.”

“Aldrick… it is good yet surprising to see you here.”

Jon came striding toward them, his wild, silvery mane a vivid
contrast to the otherwise bleak surroundings.

“Ah, Aldrick, the man of the hour,” he said brightly. “We were
just on our way to visit you, my boy.” He looked to Télia. “And you, aera, I
have been expecting you for some time now. It appears, though, that you have found…
one more in need than I.” He winked at her. She didn’t reply but offered him a
subtle smile. Jon now returned his attention to Aldrick, resting a hand on his
shoulder. “My boy, it seems you are caught up in a right mess, oh yes. I’ve
heard all about the ka-zchen attack. It is very bothersome and I do fear it
means more bother.” He turned to Braem. “Now that we find ourselves together we
must discuss matters—have young Aldrick here enlightened to the situation. As
he and the aera were undoubtedly on their way to my home, we may as well return
there.”

Although he was lively, Aldrick sensed that Jon was unsettled, on
edge, harried by thoughts.

Braem didn’t respond to Jon. He was looking upon Aldrick with
caring eyes. In them, Aldrick saw the same repressed fear that was there the
night of the ka-zchen attack.

“I trust you have not been followed,” Jon asked Télia after
failing to receive a reply from Braem.

She shook her head. “No, we haven’t. We had some trouble at an inn
on the way here but that trouble is gone now.”

“Brilliant!” Jon cried. “Now, we must be on our way. There are
important things to discuss, shocking revelations to be revealed… I’m assuming
you haven’t spoilt anything for him?” He shot a gleeful glance at Aldrick.

“As little as I can. I was saving that for you.” Télia looked at Aldrick
and pulled an awkward face. “There are some things I perhaps could have told
you which I have not.”

“I had my suspicions,” Aldrick replied. “I won’t hold any of it
against you, Télia.” He had grown tired of wondering now, tired of guessing the
answers to the many questions he had. All he wanted was to reach Jon’s and hear
whatever there was to be heard.

“Jon, I won’t return with you,” said Braem. “You have much to
discuss with Aldrick. There is little more I can contribute.”

Jon nodded. “Very good, my friend. Aldrick will be fine with me,
and he has this lovely young aera watching over him now.” He gestured to Télia.

“Good.” Braem surveyed Aldrick. “Jon is to tell you very important
things, some of which have been kept from you for far too long. Go with him now
and be safe. Return to the farm when you are ready.”

Aldrick nodded passively.

They embraced once more, then Braem eyed Télia. “You are
protecting him? I trust in you to do so to the best of your ability.”

“I will, sir,” she said.

Braem gave Aldrick one final look, patted him on the shoulder then
went on his way.

Aldrick felt only slight sadness watching him go. The point in his
life had come where he could go on without relying on the comfort and closeness
of his family. A new journey lay ahead of him.

In short time he and Télia, with Jon leading, had left the drowse
of Farguard for the shelter of Jon’s valley home. They rode swiftly, with
purpose, along a wild path that followed the riverside deep into the heart of
the cloud-cloaked ranges. As they passed more and more stream inlets the river
gradually became a stream itself. Eventually it veered from the path to its
origin in the mountaintops. Not far beyond this point the trees cleared and
they emerged into a surprisingly vast opening claimed by small scrub bushes and
tussocks. Here, the path forked. Jon led them left to where his house was
situated against the edge of the clearing, behind a small incline that, with
the help of a few stranded old trees, kept it from the view of passers-by.

It was a curious and magnificent dwelling, standing some feet
above the ground upon an elevated wooden foundation. A polished landing traced
its many walls. Unlike village housing, it had clearly not been constructed
following the guidelines of tradesmen. The walls bulged in the centre where
vertical planks of wood met each other. Windows were located in various places,
high and low, and did not always have four sides. Most were covered by drapes
on the inside. The roof had been lined with thin tree trunks that protruded
well beyond the walls and was thatched with masses of straw. Aldrick had never
seen a home quite like it.

Jon led them to a small stable to the right of the house where
they dismounted their horses and offloaded their gear. Gusts of rain had begun
sweeping down the valley, so he promptly showed them indoors whereupon he ran
around lighting various lanterns and candles to counter the dwindling daylight.
The interior of the house was roomy, made more so by the outward curving of the
walls. Immediately left of the doorway was a kitchen area, bordered by a bench
that was cluttered by parchment and various indiscernible belongings. Ahead of
them was the living room. A large woollen rug covered much of its floor space.
On the left was a comfortable-looking seating area with pillows and blankets
and in the corner, an open fire. Along the walls, dark red and green drapes
hung that were covered in strange patterns and symbols. Above them, accessible
by a small stairway, was Jon’s bedroom and study.