Haven Keep (Book 1) (18 page)

“Von,” Baiden began, “Jubben is gone.”

“What?”  The shock of the announcement nearly set Von off.

“When I returned last night he was gone.  He obviously wasn’t as hurt as we thought, or hoped.”

“Why wasn’t I told?  Why didn’t you come get me?”  Von was angry.  He couldn’t allow Jubben to escape justice.

“There was nothing you could have done.  He was gone already.  Involving you would have set a lot of people asking questions.”

Von nodded, doing his best to calm down.  Baiden was right, once again.  Von would do well to remember that before he began shooting his mouth off next time.  It would be good to follow Baiden’s council in decisions like these.  He possessed much more experience after all.

Baiden continued, “Corren helped me clean up in here and move the bodies to the shrine.”

Corren broke in. “We saw you sleeping and did out best not to wake you.  You looked exhausted.”

“I did need the rest,” Von admitted, wondering why he never heard them, considering how shallow he’d slept. “You have done well.”  He hoped that was enough of an apology for his outburst, though he did feel silly giving Baiden his approval.

Corren’s face widened into a boyish grin.  Von was surprised to see Corren enjoying his praise.

“I still need to tell Roren’s and Jordy’s wives,” Baiden sighed.  “I am not looking forward to that.”

“I will inform them,” Corren offered.

“No,” Baiden answered waiving his huge hand.  “It is something I must do.”

Alensa moved to a chair in the corner and stared at the floor.  Her slow deep breathing seemed a doorway into her thoughts.  She’d seen tragedy in her life, well more than her fair share.  Her younger son died at an early age.  Von had never known him.  Von supposed the boy would have been just slightly older than himself, about the same age he guessed.  Alensa’s parents were dead as well.  Now her homeland, along with all she held dear, was threatened with war.  She would be strong, though, just as she’d always been.  She would have to be.  They would all have to be.

Von had had enough of the silence.  He wanted to prevent anymore pain to Alensa.  She deserved his help. Maybe all of the north did.  He would be the strongest of all.  He could start now.

Von tried to speak with confidence.  “The council is in a couple of days.  The other clan chiefs will begin arriving soon at Stone Abbey.  What are we to tell them of the Halfen?”  Von hoped Baiden had some plan already.

“The truth,” Baiden answered.  “I had hoped to add their strength to ours.  We could have used their numbers.  Now they are a threat that must be dealt with before we can turn our attentions  south.  If they come out in open rebellion I fear we will not have time to put it down.”

“We will have time,” Von insisted, “but we must unite the remaining clans behind us as well as the people of the eastern plains.”  He was surprised at how easy it was for him to put forth his ideas.  “What is left of them.”

“The Horde is marshaling it’s forces against the east at this time,” Corren warned.  “If we do not unite the clans and come to their aid we will not be able to expect any help from them.  They will have nothing left to give.”

“I will take care of that,” Baiden said.  “The other clans are not as foolish as the Halfen.  They listen to their clerics.  Wellen has sent news by pigeon that they will come.” Baiden pursed his lips.  “I haven’t heard from him since he left the Orlenc clan to speak with Cray and the Halfen.  I fear for his safety.”

“He will return soon enough.”  Corren didn’t sound too sure.  “If he does not we will still need to move forward.  Is there any reason one or more of the remaining clans may not join with us?”

“None that I know,” answered Baiden.  “We must hope.”

Von did not like waiting for the answer to that question.  He wanted to do something now.  If only they could have kept Jubben captive.  He may have provided a few answers to them.  Waiting would help no one’s cause.  “We must begin gathering our army now.  As each chief arrives we must convince them to do the same.  If we wait for the full council to convene we will have lost days, maybe even weeks.”  Von wished that army were ready now.  “A show of force from the beginning may actually help us.”

“Yes,” acknowledged Baiden, “but it may also back fire.  The chiefs do not like to be bullied. I only wish there was more time, but the Halfen have forced our hand.  Left unchecked they could prove our downfall.”

Von couldn’t conceive of that, especially with Baiden to lead the might of the combined clans. The beginnings of a plan were forming.

“If you can take care of the other chiefs, when Kaiden returns he and I can make the trip to Haven Keep.”  Von said.  There had to be something there to tip the balance in their favor.  Baiden seemed to think so, but he gave no clue to what it might be.

“What is it we will find?” Von asked.

“I think you will know what to do with what is there,” Baiden answered.  “There are secrets there I don’t quite understand. I believe I have a general understanding, but I’ve never attempted to use what I know.  By tradition it has always been kept secret.  And keeping it secret has kept it out of the hands of those who would abuse it.”

That was not the kind of thing Von wanted to hear.  He wanted straight forward answers.

“You are a master blacksmith, near enough at any rate, I think that you will understand it more than I.”  Baiden cocked his head as if in thought.  “I believe what has been kept safe in the north has already been partially passed to you already.  What you find in Haven Keep might answer the question to a puzzle I think you’ve been working on.  You should spend enough time there that your questions are answered.  Meditate.  Learn what you can.  I regret never going back.  I know I could have learned more.  There are still secrets to be discovered.

“Don’t fear to make the trip.  What we need is there.  You and Kaiden will retrieve it and you will learn the use of if.  You must.  That is where our hope lies.”

Hope?
   Von didn’t want to place too much hope in Haven Keep if Baiden didn’t quite understand what secrets it held. 
How could he learn them in just one visit?

“Baiden?”  Von asked.  “What is there, and why can’t you just tell me?  What is it you think I already know?”

“Some things are kept secret to keep them out of the hands of our enemies. Many of the secrets are passed on subtly, through training in certain crafts. Others you must learn on your own.  They can’t be taught.  Don’t you think I have watched you, observed you over these last few years?  All master blacksmiths get to a point where they think they are on the verge of discovering something we lost a long time ago.  You just arrived there earlier than most.  Berkler is not the only one who has taken notice of your progress.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you find at Haven Keep. I don’t think it is what you would suspect.  I know Berkler doesn’t.  It took me years to puzzle out what I do know, but with your skill I think you will catch on quicker than I.”

Von nodded, sure Baiden had revealed yet another layer to himself, as well as hinting at more secrets. 
What other surprises did this man hold?
  The feeling of awe Von held for the man continued to grow.

“I will do what I can here,” Baiden continued.  “You must trust me and do what you are able to at Haven Keep.  You will understand when you get there.”

“I will trust you,” responded Von.  “And I will follow your lead.”  Von hoped Baiden was right.  Whatever was at Haven Keep could be the key to victory.  He fingered his new dagger, wondering.  Baiden was the only one alive who’d made the journey to Haven keep.  He must know what he was talking about.

“I will begin preparations for the journey,” Von said.  There was one thing in particular he wanted to do before he left.

“Do so quickly, Kaiden should be home soon.  I think the two of you should leave as soon as possible.”

Von left Baiden’s quarters as quietly as he’d come.  He moved faster through the Hallway on his way out than coming in.  Some of the rooms were now lit, but at this early hour most were still dark.  It would not remain that way for long and Von didn’t wish to be seen at the moment.  He hurried along the hallway, slipped out the back door and down the steep steps. He went to the place he had always gone when he wanted some privacy.

Von’s room in the servants quarters was empty.  Even the blankets were gone from his bed.

“Where are my things?” Von wondered out loud.  He never did have much to speak of in the way of furnishings, but seeing his room in this condition made it feel bleak.  And cold.  The dust was more apparent now his few possessions were gone.  
I suppose I should have cleaned in here more often
.

Von ventured outside and made his way back to the Hall.  He slipped in the back door and strode quickly to his newly assigned quarters. He struck a flint to light one of the lamps.  This room was much larger, furnished much better than the one he was accustomed to.  He noticed a neat bundle on the large oak  chest at the foot of the bed.

“There’s my stuff.”  Von was relieved, though he more than half expected to find his belongings here
.  
Von searched around the room.  It was the first time he’d payed such close attention to it.  Everything in the room made him feel small.  Von opened the large wardrobe.  Most of his clothes were hanging neatly inside, and there were a few extra as well.  The only items missing were the grubbiest.  A new cloak hung in the corner of the wardrobe.   Von removed it from the hook, turning it over in his hands admiring it.  The cloak was thick, dark green, almost black, wool.  Finely spun and woven tightly.  A cloak like this could easily keep out the elements.  It had probably cost someone a small fortune.  Baiden.  It must have been.

The bed, like everything else in the room, was large.  The quilts were cotton and linen.  He’d always slept with wool blankets.  He sat on the bed and sunk down a few inches.

“I could get used to this,” he told himself.  He’d forgotten how nice it was to be pampered.  He needed to be careful he didn’t get soft.  

Von noticed a piece of parchment on one of the pillows.  He leaned across the bed and snatched it up.  It was addressed with his name, written in a flowing hand.  There was no seal, it was just folded over.  He opened the envelope and a long lock of golden hair, twisted into a thin, intricate braid dropped onto the pillow.  Von read the note.

I took the liberty of having your things moved. With the council of chiefs coming up I did not want anyone to take your room from you.  After all it is yours so you might as well use it.  You will find a few additions in your wardrobe.  You might think of getting rid of a few more of the slightly thread bare items.  I hope you like the cloak.  I made it myself.

-Anora

Von blinked and reread the note.  Anora.  She was a puzzle to be worked out at another time.  She could be his.  Baiden would never deny him anything.  He had given his oath, but Von would not take her unwillingly.  Not that he thought needed to.  Still he would probably make her a widow with what lay ahead in the next year or two.  If he lasted that long.  Roll the bones the wrong way and he could end up on the tip of a pike within weeks.  Days for that matter.

Von twisted the braid in his hand.  Anora’s for sure.  Something a little more intimate than Von expected from her.  He would keep it to remind him of her.  To remind him to stay alive so he could return to her.  He turned it over slowly in his hands one last time before tucking it gently in his pocket.  His hand felt paper.  The letter from Baiden.  Von pulled it out and flipped it over.

With everything that had gone on he had neglected to read it.  The wax on the parchment bore the Keeper in the North’s seal, not Baiden’s personal one.  Von broke the seal hastily.  The lines were darker and more blocky than Anora’s yet the letters were still regal.  It was more of a note than a letter.

I knew your father.  We must talk.

It wasn’t signed.  Baiden had always been a man of few words.  Von wasn’t sure what kind of answers he wanted from Baiden.  This note surely didn’t provide any.  He knew as much already.  Maybe he’d received all the answers he was going to get for a while.  Patience was something he’d learned these past few years.  He could wait a little longer.

What he couldn’t wait for was to get back to the forge. He’d found an answer to one mystery.  His dagger had saved his life, and Baiden’s as well.   He still possessed enough alloy for one more project.  A project that needed a great deal of preparation and planning if it was going to succeed.  It would be an ambitious undertaking, with no room for error, but he was confident in his abilities.

Von left with a spring in his step that he didn’t realize was there.

Chapter Eleven

Kaiden stared into the darkness, struggling to move.  His body was wrapped tightly in something he couldn’t see.  A glimmer of light flickered in the corner of his eye.  Exerting all his effort he attempted to move towards the wavering glow. 
Where was he?
  His mind went backward.  The hunt.  The storm.  The beast.   Too much snow.  He was buried in it.  No, he was too warm.  He was breathing too easily.  He tried to move again, but still felt tangled in something.  His body ached, felt bent in half.  He tried to call for help.  It came out a groan. 

“I think our young friend is finally awake.”  It was a strange voice Kaiden did not recognize.  A low voice, and whoever it was spoke fast, with a strange accent.  “Let’s see if he can choke down any of this foul concoction you call soup.”

“Be careful,” came another voice in the same style of speech. “He may try to bite your hand off the way that dog did.”

“The dog warmed up to me fast enough, his master shouldn’t be too different.”

Kaiden tried to move again.  This time he succeeded in rolling over.  It was night, that much he could tell. 
How long had he been unconscious?
  The light he could see he now realized was a fire.  From what he could tell he was in some kind of make shift shelter, wrapped tightly in furs and blankets.  A large shadowy figure walked towards him from the direction of the fire.  Whoever it was, he had likely saved Kaiden’s life and it was doubtful the man had done so just to kill him now.  Kaiden hoped the dog the voices spoke of was Bo.  Kaiden didn’t remember much after the wall of snow hit.  There was not much hope anyone else survived.  It was a miracle he was here.