Haven Keep (Book 1) (28 page)

“Thad,” the man with the beard spoke, “I don’t mean to accuse you of stretching the truth a bit, but are you sure that’s what you saw?  Those caves can be pretty dark.”

“It was a demon I tell you.”  Thad was irritated.  “Something that crawled up from the bottom of this Rift everyone’s been talking about.  Some kind of devil sent to torment us.”

The other man laughed. “Like a mystical scourge these northmen believe in?  Sent to punish us for our sins?”

“I’m not saying what it was.  I just know I never saw anything like it.  Man or beast.”

“Tostig said he saw it too, Morten.”  The third man spoke.  “I don’t think they are making it up.”

“Well, I’ll believe it when I see it.”  This Morten fellow rubbed Kaiden the wrong way for some reason.  It wasn’t just his skepticism.  He came off as pompous.

“I saw it too,” Kaiden said.  “It was like Thad described it.  Only worse.”  There that might shut this guy up.

“Kaiden!”  Thad jumped up.  “You’re awake.”

“Yea,” it was an effort for Kaiden to sit up.  He managed with only a little pain.  “How could I sleep with you carrying on like that?”

“Sleep indeed,” Thad was at Kaiden’s bed side, trying to help him up.

Kaiden waved him off.

Thad talked over him. “You’ve been asleep for near a day and a half straight.”  He chuckled, “We couldn’t even wake you to get you fed.”

Kaiden realized he still had a nasty taste in his mouth.  “I remember what you did feed me. What was that foul stuff?”

“Something to help knit muscle,” Thad smirked. “With a little something extra to relax you.”

“I think it about killed me.” Kaiden’s head spun.  He rubbed his forehead, trying to clear his mind.  “Who was that pretty lady who forced it down my throat?”

“That would have been the Lady Elizbet,” Morten said.  Kaiden wished the man wouldn’t talk.  His head hurt enough already. 

“Lady, you say?”  Kaiden tried to hide his interest.

“Yes,” Thad said.  “The Lady Elizbet, she’s spoken for if that’s what your wondering.”

Morten and the other man laughed.  “Like this northern cur would have a shot at the likes of her.”

Kaiden wanted to smack the man.

“Watch what you say about our guest.” Thad was not the least bit amused. “He saved the lives of Tostig, Coen and myself.”   Thad sniffed. “That alone deserves your respect.”

“I’m just saying,” Morten did not sound apologetic. “I meant no offense.”

“None taken,” Kaiden lied. 

“Well we’ve got things to do,” Morten said, turning to Thad.  “We’ll leave you to continue playing nurse.”

“It was nice to meet you,” the other man spoke.  “I’m Raul.”

Kaiden shook his hand.  He was much more pleasant than that Morten guy.

“I hope you recover,” Raul nodded a goodbye then followed Morten out the tent.

Kaiden looked to Thad for some kind of explanation.

“They are cousins,” Thad said.  “Morten’s not so bad once you get to know him.  Tostig is sick of telling the story so he sends everyone here.  I must have told the whole camp twice by now.”

“Have I really been asleep for a day and a half?”

“Yea, I’ve been here most of that time,” Thad admitted.  “You never stirred.”

“How’s Coen?”

“I think he’ll be okay.”  Thad was optimistic.  “He’ll have to spend a few weeks in bed, but I think he’ll recover.  The Lady Elizbet is quite a field nurse.  She’s patched up most of us at one time or another.”

“Is she the one who stitched up my arm?”

“She is.”

“I’d like to thank her if she’s around.”

Thad shook his head. “She left this morning.”

“Left?”  Kaiden asked, “To where?”

“To the main camp.”

Kaiden was startled. “Main camp?  You mean there are more of you?  How many of you are there?”

Thad bit his lower lip.  “I’ve probably let too much slip, but,” he sighed, “you’re going to find out sooner or later.  Just don’t tell Oded you heard it from me.”

 
              “Heard what?”

“There are about four thousand of us,”   Tostig said.

                “Four thousand!” Kaiden was shocked

“Not including the women and children.”

“Women and children!?”

“You know, like the Lady Elizbet.”

Kaiden shook his head.
  Four thousand?  Not including the women and children?  Unbelievable.  Four thousand!

“Oded thought your father would not be too happy with an army coming to the north uninvited.”

“That’s an understatement.”  Kaiden was sure his father would not be pleased at all. It was like an invasion. 
How could four thousand men move into the north without anyone noticing?
  “What are Oded’s intentions?”

“Oded’s?”  Thad wore a puzzled look.

“Yes, isn’t he your leader?”

“Not exactly,” Thad was trying to dance around the subject.

Kaiden could see Thad had already said more than he had wanted to.  Kaiden pressed him anyway. “What do you mean, ‘Not exactly’?”

Thad was squirming now.  “Well Oded has been kind of our leader,” Thad paused to choose his words carefully.  “There is kind of a balance of power.”

“Between whom?”  Kaiden wanted to keep Thad talking as long as he could.  “You obviously have at least one lady with you.  Do you have any lords?”

“A few, but they have all learned they no longer hold the power they once had.”

“So the Lady Elizbet is not in charge?”

Thad laughed. “Sometimes she thinks she is.”  Thad chuckled some more. “I’m not so sure she really isn’t.”

“So Oded is in charge.”

“You’ll have to ask Oded.” 

So there was somebody else besides Oded.  
Was he here already?
 
Maybe if Kaiden changed angles he could keep Thad talking
.  “Well what are Oded’s intentions?”

Thad was shaking his head.  “I thought he told you.”  Thad was not pleased.  “I really shouldn’t be saying anything.  It’s not like it is a secret or anything, its just...”

“Just what?”

Thad sighed. “We’ve been so secretive for so long.  Running and hiding.  Trusting no one.”  Kaiden could see Thad wanted to be somewhere else.  “You’ll have to ask Oded.”

“I think I’m going to do that.” Kaiden started to stand.  His head began to swim again.  His hand went instinctively to his face.  He groaned a little, but made it to his feet.  “Where is he?”

Thad was at Kaiden’s side trying to push him back into bed.  “I don’t think you should be getting up yet.”

“I’m fine,” Kaiden lied.  “Where are my clothes?”

Thad shook his head. “Well if you insist.”  Thad pointed. “They are there on that stool.  We cut your shirt off you.  The lady Elizbet left a new one for you.”

Kaiden wanted to know why a lady was running around with these men.  “She said to call her Bet.” 

Thad wore a large grin. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

Kaiden had his pants on and was in the process of pulling on his boots.  “Why?  You say she is spoken for?”

“Yea, married, two kids.”  Thad’s grin hadn’t gotten any smaller. “Don’t worry, I don’t think there is a single one of us that didn’t find her striking when we first saw her.”

Well if she was married her husband must be a lord.  He could be this mystery leader everyone was so secretive about.

“Spoken for indeed,” Kaiden muttered and pulled his shirt over his head.  He winced in pain, putting his arm through the sleeve.  Maybe he should put it in a sling.  Kaiden pushed that thought out of his head.  “Where can I find Oded?”

“He should be in camp somewhere.”

“You coming?”

“No,” Thad shook his head again.  “I’m going to stay here with Coen.”

Kaiden pushed aside the tent flap.  Outside it appeared to be midday.  The sun had climbed high in the cloudless sky.  It should be warm, but it wasn’t.   Snow was still on the ground and probably would remain until late next spring.  It was going to be a long winter.  A cold winter.  In more ways than one.  Kaiden wished he’d taken time to find his cloak.

The men in camp again paid him no mind. They all went about there own business.  The camp was busy, but less crowded than before.  Kaiden noticed there were fewer horses.  He wondered if some men had gone to this other camp Thad spoke of.  Kaiden still couldn’t believe there were four thousand fighting men on his father’s lands.  That was more than any clan in the north could muster.  Except of course the Halfen.  They had by far the largest population in the north, though half of them where criminals and pirates running from the hangman’s noose, not truly northmen at all.  Or at least the children of such.  Kaiden hoped this situation did not come to blows.  He needed to find out now if these men were friendly.  He thought they were, yet there was something in the back of his mind that screamed caution.

Instead of searching aimlessly Kaiden walked to where he’d found Oded before.  He
wasn’t there.  So much for that idea.  Kaiden took a moment to survey the camp.  There were men chopping wood, a couple shoveling snow.  A few cook fires with men stirring pots or turning spits.  That made Kaiden’s stomach growl and he was reminded he hadn’t eaten anything for the better part of two days. He ignored his hunger and kept at his task. There looked to be some activity near the horse lines.  Kaiden decided to try there.

There were enough horses here for everyman to have at least one. 
How did they feed them all?
  Kaiden had seen quite a few pack mules earlier, but there were only four he could see now.  Maybe these men were readying to move on.

As Kaiden approached the horse line he spotted Oded.  Tostig, once again, was with him.  The two men were checking horseshoes.  Something Kaiden knew more about than most men.  He was a fairly good blacksmith, but never showed anywhere near the promise Von had.   Most men his age left that work behind to men who were better at it.  Still it was a tradition to train all young men of the Kailfen clan as blacksmiths, so Kaiden had learned.

Tostig looked up and grinned.  “I didn’t expect to see you up for another day or two.”

“I got sick of laying in bed,” Kaiden said.  “How do the horses look?”

“Well we are going to need to re-shoe a few of them,” said Tostig.  “How’s the arm?”

“It’s been better.” Kaiden tried to ignore the throbbing in his bicep.  Now that he had been up for a while a sling didn’t sound like such a bad idea.  He should take better care of himself.

“You really should be taking it easy,” Oded said.  Kaiden remembered Oded and Tostig were clerics.  They would have a special interest in seeing the wounded were healing properly.    He decided not to tell them how bad his arm still hurt.  They probably knew already.

“I know I should take it easy,” Kaiden said, hoping that would pacify Oded, “but we need to talk.”

Oded raised his eyebrows.

Where to start
? thought Kaiden.  “Any more signs of the vyr?”

“No,” Tostig answered.

“So you are convinced it is a vyr,” Oded said.

“Yes.” Kaiden was sure of it now.  He hadn’t believed in them before, but had heard enough tales from men who did to recognize a vyr when he saw it.

Oded nodded.  “Tostig says he doesn’t know what it was.”

Kaiden smiled.  “Tostig didn’t grow up listening to the tales of the ancient, fabled creatures of the north.”

Oded laughed out loud.  “That’s enough for me.”  He slapped Kaiden on the shoulder.

Kaiden winced.

“Sorry,” Oded apologized, “I forgot.  You do know that clerics for generations have said the creatures of the north will return before the uniting of the clans and The Scourge will come and ravish the north like a nightmare.  Tostig thought this beast might be a scourge.”

“As I said,” Kaiden answered, “Tostig did not grow up hearing the tales I did.  The
scourges are supposed to be  mystical beings with supernatural powers, wraiths or ghosts.  More human in appearance, but devils nonetheless.  This thing was flesh and blood.  An animal, not a wraith. As far as
The Scourge
is concerned, I’m not sure that story is true.”  Kaiden now believed in things he had scoffed at just days before, but believing in The Scourge, a mythological being that would appear and punish the north for being unfaithful, was still a little far fetched.  No, Kaiden was sure the one Scourge, more powerful than the others, destined to appear and menace the north when the clans most needed to be unified, was just a tale.

“A wise man gives heed to the clerics,” Oded lectured.

“Yes,” Kaiden said.  “I know.”  He wanted to get to a different subject but wasn’t sure how to approach it.  “The beast, have you gone back to its cave?”

“Yes.” Tostig answered. “There are men there now searching.  So far there has not been anymore sign of it.”  

Kaiden was a little surprised. “There are men in the cave now?”  He supposed it made sense. 

Tostig nodded.  “Yes, they search during the day, and return before nightfall.  I have been back too.  We have found more entrances into the cavern.  And explored it a little.  That cavern is more vast than I suspected at first.  None of our ropes are long enough to reach the bottom.”

“Well I’m not leaving until it is dead.”  Kaiden was adamant about that.  This vyr was too dangerous to leave alive.

“We can’t all stay,”Oded said.  “There is not enough food and shelter for all of us here.  We need to take the horses to a lower elevation.”

“Where will you take them?”  Kaiden was guarded with his question.

“I’m not sure yet,” Oded explained.   “I was hoping your father would welcome us, I was trying to feel you out first, get an idea of how we might be received.”