The Bonding (The Song and the Rhythm) (19 page)

“Headache, Merdel?” the wizard heard Drath ask. Merdel opened his eyes and looked at the tall man. He decided to keep what he’d found to himself, both to prevent further argument and to give him time to figure it out on his own, and only nodded.

Thorne laughed heartily. “Well, I’ve just the cure for that.” The dwarf showed his meaning by refilling Merdel’s cup with ale from the pitcher. Filling his own, the dwarf raised his tankard, grinning broadly. “To your health, and the expulsion of all things that bring the head pain.” The others raised their cups to him, and all drank deeply.

Drath then gave Thorne the reward the Baron promised, withholding Vaun’s for a time when he was in a better mood, and Thorne toasted to the Baron’s health, the others joining him again.

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Vaun, however, did not join the reveling. He only listened to the song in his head and wondered what had tried to disrupt it. The song told him it was unimportant, so the youth forgot about it and again let the sweet music pour over his consciousness and into his soul. If it wanted him, then he decided not to fight it anymore and just let it take him. It seemed the only way to retain his sanity.

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Six horses traveled the grassy plains. The wind pushed at their manes and tails, and blew cool autumn scents into their nostrils. Since they rode almost due south, the six adventurers had experienced only a slight drop in temperature, while it had become noticeably cooler in places north of them, even as close as the town they had left a day and a half ago. The air had a definite coolness to it, but the party’s wool clothing kept them warm enough.

They rode in pairs one behind the other, with the elves leading and Thorne and Vaun in the rear. The dwarf again instructed Vaun in history and geography, since he had revived an interest in learning what Thorne could teach him.

He talked now of the lands founded after the human immigrants had crossed the Kalt Mountains. He said the dwarves and elves had already been in those areas for thousands of years, but the humans came and took parts for themselves. There had been battles and small wars over certain parts, but since the humans had not wanted all of the forests and very few wanted to live in the mountains, the elves and dwarves let them fight each other for the rest.

The dwarf seemed amused at the way humans acted, and he didn’t condemn them for the wars they had fought against his people. He laughed outright when Vaun told him of some of the wars fought in his world and what they were about. It appeared people were the same no matter where they lived, the urge to conquer and rule able to drive any race. The more serious wars he didn’t make light of, even commenting on how he was glad the people had rebelled against tyranny and cruelty. Happy that Vaun had finally broken at least part of his depression, for at times he would lapse into silence and his face would go blank, Thorne very much enjoyed the journey. The others, too, had a lightening of spirits.

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They were topping a low rise on the otherwise flat grassland when the horses began to nicker and falter. Wondering at the cause, Vaun tried to calm his restive mount, a roan gelding, and asked Thorne what could be bothering them.

The dwarf gestured to his right across Vaun’s mount. “’Tis the ruins. Probably smell something unpleasant that lives there. Best we stay as far away as possible.” Vaun turned his head and saw what the dwarf meant.

Someone had built a structure of some sort—it wasn’t obvious what—on top of this hill many ages ago. Now only crumbling walls and gaping entranceways remained. What looked to have been a short tower had been built in front of and to the left of the main building, but now it stood half fallen. Its ruined, still-standing remains pointed a stone finger up towards the sky, as if accusing the Great God of cursing the place.

The hill was very small, the building not much more than fifty paces away, and Vaun had to guide his horse over stones half-sunk into the earth and covered with weeds. An outbuilding must have stood here when the place was in better repair. When he peered at the structure again, foreboding overcame him, coupled with a sense of anticipation or expectancy, and he wished fervently to pass by the ruin quickly, while at the same time he wanted to stay.

He had slowed his horse while gazing at the fallen structure and gazed ahead to where Thorne descended the hill. The others had already disappeared down the other side. Taking a last look, his mind and body yearning now for…something, the youthful rider kicked his horse forward. He rode no more than five feet when a creature came screaming out from the ruins, long arms outstretched as it charged directly at Vaun and his mount.

The horse reared high, neighing in panic, and Vaun feared to be thrown. He clenched the horse’s sides tightly with his knees and clamped down hard on the reins. He glanced over and saw the creature approaching him rapidly, so he changed his tactic and decided to dismount.

Reaching down to his sword resting at his left knee, he pulled the weapon free as he rolled out of the saddle to his right, his left leg swinging over the saddle. He landed in a crouch facing the creature. Now free of its rider, the gelding bolted down the hill, where the others were returning, having heard the creature’s throaty cry.

The beast took two more steps and launched itself at Vaun, both of its clawed hands reaching out towards the young adventurer. Vaun dropped and rolled to his right out of the thing’s path, and it had to skid to a halt to avoid extending too far past its victim or going over the edge of the hill. It spun back to face him with a growl.

The tall, brownish-red creature had long arms ending in oversized, five-fingered clawed hands. It stood taller than Drath by at least a foot, and had a muscular tail tapering out behind it. Running swiftly on claw-tipped feet as large as the young man’s stomach, it had no hair, and its slick skin was mottled black. Its lizard-like head sat atop broad, powerful shoulders, and it bellowed with a sound a little lower than a lion’s and far more terrifying, exposing a mouth full of long, sharp yellow-white teeth. Its long ears swept straight back on the sides of its head. It smelled of death and ruin, and it advanced upon Vaun slowly and hunched over, regarding the adventurer with baleful yellow cat’s eyes as it growled deeply in its throat again.

Vaun wondered what dark powers had created the creature, but gave up inquiring as the thing attacked again, astonishingly fast for its size. Vaun barely avoided being gutted by its claws as he again rolled away, this time to his left.

Timing the creature’s next attack, Vaun leapt forward at the same time it did, turning sideways at just the right moment and swinging his sword upward to knock away the claws that threatened to rip out his throat. The razor sharp, woven blade bit through the thing’s flesh and bone, severing its right hand. Through the sword, Vaun could feel the skin and bone separate, and this time it didn’t bother him as much. That sickened him more than the sensation itself.

Landing solidly, Vaun spun the sword over his head, gripped it two-handed, and slashed downward across the thing’s back. The song began to pound heavily in his head as he felt the thing’s flesh peel back again, and the rhythm matched the speed of the battle. It seemed almost as if the two forces tried to take over the fight.

The creature howled in pain, turning swiftly and advancing with madness in its eyes, determined to shred its enemy into bloody pulp.

The others had topped the hill by this time, but because of the narrowness of the hill and the uneven terrain, none could get close enough to aid their young companion.

The combatants dodged and jumped at and away from one another, both seeking an opening. Vaun began to feel not only his opponent’s body when it touched his sword but also the air moving over the blade as he swung it around. Strangely, he found that provided refreshment from the heat of battle.

Dart uncovered and strung his elven longbow, which to a human would have been a shortbow or even a horsebow, then nocked an arrow half the size of a clothyard shaft. He had to wait to loose upon the creature so as not to endanger Vaun, managing to hit it in the neck and just below one shoulder blade, though to little effect. Frustrated, the five adventurers watched helplessly as their youngest party member battled one of the deadliest creatures of their world, though all stood ready to attack if an opening came.

Vaun ducked as the creature swung at his head with its one claw and slashed across its midsection. The youth felt the skin part beneath the razor edge of his sword, and he could feel its heart beat through the blood vessels he severed. The beast roared as blood flowed from the wound, but it did not slow, and the other half-dozen cuts the young warrior had given it had just as small an effect.

Realizing the thing would easily outlast him if he continued to fight as he did, Vaun measured out his tactics, moving only enough to avoid its slashing claws and biting teeth, letting the rhythm wash over him completely. He’d been unconsciously fighting it because it scared him. But he discovered it would aid his victory if he let it, for it allowed him to sense his opponent’s movements before it performed them. The song guided his sword blade to nick or cut the creature when he could, and the rhythm moved his body out of harm’s way when it tried to claw him.

For almost a quarter of an hour Vaun and the creature struggled back and forth, and even though the thing was cut several more times, it still showed little sign of weakening. Vaun had been clubbed by the thing’s stumped right arm and tail a few times but had yet to be seriously injured. The song and the rhythm guided him too well for that to happen. He guessed his luck would run out if he did not end this quickly, and he feared that the song and rhythm would abandon him at any time, leaving him vulnerable to all attacks. He wasn’t sure he could fight without them now.

He also discovered that the feel of the thing’s flesh parting over his sword didn’t bother him any more. Though he still disliked the slick feel of the skin, he found the contact only aided him in the fight, as it gave him a stronger feeling for what the creature was about to do.

Drath and Thorne had tried to engage the creature, but it had avoided them easily and put Vaun between itself and the youth’s companions. The hill wasn’t large enough for all three to attack it together from one side, and it foiled all attempts at being circled. To avoid hindering each other, Thorne and Drath backed away, for the creature seemed intent on Vaun alone, though Drath was clawed across his left arm for his trouble. Both still kept their eyes open for a chance to aid their young friend.

The creature became more and more enraged at the youth, and it swung at Vaun with its stumped right arm in its fury. Feeling his opening, Vaun glided forward inside the thing’s reach and swept his sword downward, severing its right leg at the knee. The sensation of bone and cartilage snapping apart barely affected him, for it only helped him defeat his foe.

The beast howled in pain and spun away, its strong tail slamming into Vaun as it tried to escape. The tail hit Vaun in the chest and knocked him backward almost ten feet. In an impressive display of agility, the young warrior landed on his shoulders and rolled backward onto his feet. He rose into a low crouch but turned it into a charge, an angry cry erupting from his lips. He’d feel the bruised and cracked ribs later.

The thing tried to rise, but because it missed the lower half of its right leg it could only watch helplessly as the human charged it, his sword raised high over his right shoulder.

Judging this to be the last engagement and the culmination of its existence, yet still trying to avoid its predetermined fate, the creature estimated its slayer’s speed. Bellowing loudly, it slashed at the youth one last time as he launched himself in attack.

Feeling the maneuver ahead of time, and almost acting too soon, Vaun pulled in his stomach and bowed his body forward even as he leapt at the creature. The beast’s black claws tore through the youth’s clothing and bit into his skin, though Vaun barely felt them rake across his abdomen.

Guided by the song, urged on by the rhythm, the Vaulka sliced down as its master landed and took the creature’s head from its body. The only emotion Vaun felt at the feel of that strike was pure elation.

Black blood gushed from its neck as it fell backward, and Vaun stepped away from the dead creature, not yet knowing that part of his destiny had just been fulfilled.

He took two steps and stopped cold. His arms tingled so much they vibrated, and his head ached with the noise penetrating his senses. The song filled his head, flooding over him so completely he couldn’t escape it. Once it had him, he didn’t care what it did to him. He only wanted more.

He closed his eyes and slowly sank to his right knee, reversing his blood-streaked sword and sinking the point into the soft ground. His hands came to rest on the hilt, his right on the pommel and his left at the junction of hilt and woven blade. Relaxing, the youth watched as visions came forth in his head and listened to the music in his mind.

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The others stared dumbfounded as their companion calmly knelt after such a desperate battle. Merdel’s magic-sensitive eyes detected a faint aura of power growing around the youth, and he smiled as it became stronger. He even heard what sounded like a song with an intense, biting rhythm emanating from Vaun.

He had watched as Vaun improved as the fight continued, several times seeing Vaun duck just in time, then slash it two or three times before rolling smoothly away. All of his moves had kept perfect time with the song Merdel could only now barely hear. Vaun had seemed to know just where the beast was going to attack next, but had waited patiently for it to commit to the strike before countering it. It was the most astonishing thing he’d ever seen, and he became fully convinced that the Great God was indeed involved in the life of Vaun Tarsus.