Haven Keep (Book 1) (27 page)

Kaiden’s eyes followed the arc of the torch.  It tumbled end over end through the black of the cavern, the light flickering across the bones.

There it was. A demon with glowing eyes.

The torch flew across the creature’s view. A scream pierced the darkness.  Fierce as a gutted snowcat, the sound of nightmares come to life.  Kaiden thought he saw the thing smile.  The torch fell into the abyss, the wall once again covered in darkness.

Kaiden stood frozen in place.  Tostig made no move either.  The two stood staring into blackness.

What was that thing?

Kaiden knew Tostig was asking himself the same question.  The almost human features were covered in thick hair.  Its massive manlike hands tipped with talons.  It was obviously from the world of beasts, yet stood erect like a man.  Kaiden’s momentary glimpse at the creature’s eyes felt like staring into his own grave.

Tostig finally spoke.  “Let’s get back.”

“I don’t need any convincing,” Kaiden breathed.

They edged their way back, moving quickly, rushing back to Coen.  The two men kept their backs against the wall, eyes vigilant for any movement in the darkness.  Guttural, inhuman sounds threatened from the blackness.  Tostig moved faster.  Kaiden easily kept pace.

Kaiden could see the far end of the cavern was again lit with the glow of fire.

Coen and Thad  shot burning arrows in the direction of the beast. The fire light revealed the thing was still there, but now it climbed the wall with animal speed. Again its shriek echoed through the cavern.

The hair on Kaiden’s neck stood straight.   Tostig was almost sprinting, desperate to get out of the cave.  Kaiden’s heart raced, but he moved slower, under control.  He kept the beast in sight, not wanting to lose its position.

More arrows flew through the darkness, aimed  higher than the first volley.  Coen and Thad were trying to hit the beast. 
The vyr.  That’s what it had to be.  What else could it be? 

Some of the arrows stuck in the far wall leaving an eery glow.    A rush of wind howled up from the bottom of the cavern.  The beast leaped through the air.  Soren’s words echoed in Kaiden’s head,
“It comes with the wind...it flies on the wind.
”

Arrows shot through the air, missing their target.  The vyr landed on the upper ledge, claws ripping and tearing.    Coen screamed in pain.  Tostig was there, sword in one hand torch in the other.  He danced nimbly on the ledge.  Thad shot another arrow.  This one hit.  The vyr grabbed for Coen, claws digging into rock, it began climbing the wall.  It drug Coen with it.   Tostig and Thad held onto Coen, pulling at him desperately.  The beast lifted all three of them.  Kaiden threw his spear.  It struck deep into the creature’s thigh. The vyr let out a murderous cry.  It dropped Coen and continued to scramble up the wall. 

Kaiden watched the three men fall.  He was too far away to do anything to help.  Thad landed hard onto the upper ledge.  Somehow his grip still held Coen.  Tostig slammed down, the impact jolting him severely.  He continued to fall, sliding fast down the rock wall.  His left hand swung wildly catching hold of the lower ledge momentarily stopping his fall.  His fingers began to slip.

Kaiden ran to his aid, no longer caring about the possibility of a fall.  He reached out for Tostig, caught hold of his arm.  There was no leverage, the ledge was too narrow.  Tostig was slipping and he was pulling Kaiden over with him.

“Don’t let go,” Kaiden yelled.  Kaiden pulled.  It was no good.  Tostig was losing precious inches.  He was going to fall.  They both were.  Kaiden’s grip was failing.

Thad was there.  He stretched down, grabbed desperately for Tostig.  Thad held Tostig’s  weight long enough for Kaiden to adjust his grip.  The two struggled to pull Tostig up.  The ledge was too narrow to get any leverage.  Tostig’s other hand found the ledge.  He struggled up, swung his leg over.  With a final heave, they fell back against the wall, breathing heavily.

That was too close,
Kaiden thought.

“Where is the beast?” Tostig asked, his head whipping around to search.

“I don’t know,” Thad answered.

Kaiden pointed to the opposite wall.  “There!” he shouted.

The fire from the arrows burned in the wall of bones.  The vyr stood on the massive skull Kaiden had seen earlier.  It held Kaiden’s spear.  Hate shone in the thing’s eyes.  The beast drew back and hurled the spear.  Kaiden leaped for his life.  A stab of fire shot through his arm.  The spear sliced through his bicep, smashing into the rock behind him.  He gripped the spear haft, now embedded into the rock, and pulled, struggling to his feet. 

Tostig and Thad scrambled to the upper ledge.  Kaiden yanked the spear free and followed.  Blood stained his clothing and caused his grip to slip.  An immense effort kept him from falling.  He fought onto the upper ledge, following on the heels of the other  men. 

The beast shrieked again.  The wind echoed its cries.  Kaiden swore he now knew what death sounded like.

He couldn’t move fast enough through the narrow passage.   He dove forward, falling
head first to the other side, jarring his bloodied arm.  The others were there waiting for him. To his relief Bo was too.

Thad supported Coen, trying to help him to the cave mouth.  Coen looked bad.  He would need help, and soon if he was going to survive.

Another cry from the vyr sent them moving.  The three men sprinted through the mouth of the cave dragging Coen with them.  They hit the snow hard and began to slide.  Kaiden tried to stop his skid, but he’d hit the slope too fast.  He tumbled and spun.  The snow scraped and cut his skin. He tried to slide instead of tumble with little success.  His wounded arm burned.  He tried to pull it close to his body, attempted to protect it from further injury.

Finally Kaiden’s slide slowed and he came to a stop at the crop of trees.  It was a wonder he didn’t break any bones or gut himself on his spear. 
Where was his spear?

Kaiden stood and surveyed the situation.  Tostig, Thad , and Coen came sliding past him.  Bo followed close behind.  The dog was the only one managing to keep his footing.  Kaiden looked up the slope at the trail he and his companions had made in the snow.  His spear was twenty paces up the mountain.

The wind howled out of the cave and down the slope, a ghostly sound as it rushing through the trees.  “Not natural,” Kaiden muttered.

Kaiden took a few moments to find enough courage to retrieve his spear.  He made a mad dash up the snow and back to the trees.  He didn’t know why he bothered.  The spearhead was probably ruined.

Kaiden ran his thumb across the edge.  It was as sharp as ever.  Even the tip retained its razor point. 
How could that be?
That beast hurled the spear with such force it shattered rock.  The spearhead looked like new.  Kaiden shook his head.  Von truly was becoming a master.

“Tostig,” Kaiden called.  “How is Coen?”

“He’s in bad shape.  We need to get him to camp.  I hope that moving him doesn’t kill him.”

Kaiden glanced back up at the cave just to make sure the vyr was not following, then lumbered down to Tostig.  “I could go for help, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to stay anywhere near here.  We’ll have to move him.”  Kaiden took off his cloak.  “Give me your spear.”

Kaiden wrapped his cloak first around Tostig’s spear and then his own, constructing a crude stretcher.  “We can carry him on this.”

“You’re not carrying anything with that arm,”  Thad said.  “Tostig and I will do it.”

“Okay,” Kaiden agreed, “but we need to get going now.”

Tostig took hold of Kaiden’s wounded arm.  “Let me look at that first.”

“It can wait,” Kaiden argued.  “We need to be leaving.”  He accentuated his words with a glance up the hill at the cave.

Tostig assented.

The four men made a strange procession down the icy slope.  The wind blew fiercely, pushing at their backs.  Kaiden felt it was trying to blow them off the mountain. Coen moaned each time they climbed over a rock or around a tree.  Tostig had bandaged him as best he could for now.  He would need stitches and rest.  Lots of both. 

Kaiden felt queasy.  He didn’t think he’d lost much blood, he shouldn’t feel so light headed.   It was a fight to keep pace.  He pushed through the snow, one foot in front of the other.  He needed to sit down.  He knew if he did, he would not get up again. The cold wind tore at his body, freezing him to the bone.  This temperature was unbearable without his cloak.  Just a little further.  He could make it.  Not far now.  He was starting to get dizzy. 
What direction were they headed?

Finally they rounded a bend and camp came into view.  Kaiden staggered behind the others.  Bo stayed at his side, making sure he kept up.  With each step he felt he was going to fall.  He stumbled over his own feet.  Not too much farther now.  Just past a few dead trees and that large rock and he would be within camp.  His breathing became labored.  He lost his footing, but caught hold of a dead branch protruding from a fallen tree.  It kept him from falling on his face.  He staggered forward into the camp.

Walking was easier within the camp.  Someone had spent a good part of the day clearing the snow away from the more traveled areas.

Kaiden stumbled along, down one of the paths, following the other men.

A group gathered around Tostig and Thad as they walked.  Questions fired at them from all directions.

“What happened?”

“Is he alright?”

“Was it the creature?”

At least they are leaving me alone
, thought Kaiden.

Kaiden followed Tostig to one of the tents.  Someone pushed aside a flap so they could go in.  Kaiden stood at the doorway in a haze, not knowing what to do.

“Are you coming in Kaiden?”

Kaiden looked around the camp. 
Is somebody talking to me?
There was a man leading a large black horse.  “Von?”

“What did you say?”  Kaiden didn’t recognize the voice.

“Get him in here now.   He has lost too much blood.  I think he has hypothermia.”

“Kaiden.”

Kaiden turned around to see who was grabbing his arm.  It was Thad.

“Come inside Kaiden.  Your wound needs attention.”  Thad pulled him into the tent.

“Wait, I just saw Von.”

“Who’s Von?”

“My friend.  He’s like a brother to me.”

Thad wore a concerned look.  “You need to rest Kaiden.  There is no Von here.”

“I saw him.”

“Tostig, he’s delirious.”

“Lay him down over there.”  What a pretty voice.

Thad led Kaiden to a bed.  Kaiden laid down, but didn’t know why he was doing it.  A pretty lady that matched the voice leaned over Kaiden and put her hand on his forehead.

“He needs warmth,” she said.  “Bring some heated blankets.”  She tore at his shirt sleeve.  “Bring me something to clean this before it festers.” 

“Von?  Where’s Von?”  Why didn’t Von come in here?  “Anora? Where’s Von?”

“Everything is going to be okay,” the pretty voice said.  “You are safe here. Just try to relax.”

“Anora?”

“My name is Elizbet.  You can call me Bet.”  Kaiden looked up at her.  She had a lovely oval face framed by light brown locks of hair.  Her eyes were a deep bluish grey.  Everything about her was remarkable.

“I know I saw Von.  Where is he?”

“There is no one by that name here,” Bet said.
Why did she sound so concerned?
  “Thad, hold him down, I need to sew him up.”

Kaiden heard someone moaning. 
Was that Coen?   It had to be.
  No one else had a voice like that. 
Why was Coen moaning?

“Drink this,” Bet said.  She put a cup to Kaiden’s mouth.

Kaiden coughed. 
What kind of foul concoction was she trying to poison him with?
  He felt tired.  He just wanted to close his eyes.  Someone was jabbing him in his arm. 
Just leave me alone so I can sleep.
  Kaiden drifted into unconsciousness.

Chapter Sixteen

Kaiden was in a haze.  This was the second time in just a few days he had awakened in strange surroundings.  He was wearing nothing but his underclothes and they were wet with sweat.  So were his sheets.  His arm hurt.  His whole body hurt. He felt a sharp pain when he tried to move arm.  The pain brought recollection. 
The beast.  A vyr.  It must have been. 

Voices brought Kaiden into greater consciousness.

“It was monstrous I tell you.  Some kind of demon.”  The voice was excited and fearful at the same time. “It stood like a man, but was covered in thick hair, like the mane of a lion, only darker, almost black.” 

Kaiden’s eyes began to focus.  He could see Thad and two other men.  They were seated in the middle of a tent.  Kaiden was in a bed to the side.

The two men with Thad possessed the look of  fighting men.  They were both of middle height, with the light brown hair so common to the southern men. One wore a beard, the other was clean shaven.

There were additional empty beds in the tent.  One at the far end was occupied, though Kaiden couldn’t see who was in it.  He imagined it was probably Coen.  He hoped it was.  That would mean Coen was still alive. 

Thad continued talking.  He sounded like he’d told this story before.  The two other men listened intently.

“It had a face like a man, but covered in fur.  Its eyes looked right through you.  Its hands were great big paws like a bear’s”