CHAPTER 12
The road ahead
“He’s waking up…fetch, Zeth”
Kaleb pulled himself up to his elbows and shook his head. Flencer and Iridia were sitting with him in the wagon, which had come to a stop. “Water,” he reached out and wiggled his fingers expectantly.
Flencer searched his pack and pushed a skin flask into that large hand.
Kaleb wasted no time draining and tossing it to one side. “Thanks.” He croaked and slid toward the end of the wagon to climb out the back and take in some fresh air, Zeth was dismounting from his horse.
“Ah, there you are, recovering well, hm?”
The sun was setting and that allowed Kaleb to deduce roughly how long he’d been out for, maybe eight hours or so, providing it was the same day. The party had made a quick camp; a cooking pot swung over a fire in the breeze and the horses were tied to a tree by the river for water. “Always, you can’t kill me.”
“Brondius came rather close I should say.”
Iridia and Flencer joined them.
“About that,” Kaleb narrowed his eyes. “Why did you bring him here?”
Zeth scoffed. “Bring that lug with me? No, brother Kaleb, he was here when I arrived, he’s been here for the best part of a year, I thought I could trust him…I see now how naive I was.”
“I suppose you helped me dispatch him.”
“Indeed.” Zeth shuffled uncomfortably. “I believe Brimshire has fallen under demonic influence, many of the townsfolk attacked us.”
“You believe?” Kaleb grunted and cracked his neck. “For a Paladin of house Vindermarch, you certainly know little about demons.”
Zeth nodded in complete agreeance, almost excited by Kaleb's unfortunate revelation. “Exactly.” Kaleb straightened as Zeth continued. “This has been in the works for hundreds of years, The Demon hasn’t simply been growing power, it’s been diminishing our knowledge, I believe it started during the great fire of 3145, further incidents including the purging of the dark archives.” Zeth’s face went pale. “We know nothing, Kaleb, and it strikes my heart with a terrible, terrible fear.”
Kaleb stroked his beard. “What of the Elves?”
Zeth nodded quickly, happy to see Kaleb was probing. “Yes, the Elves, from what knowledge we have it is clear, when the kingdom has fallen under darkness, one beacon of light remains, and that is the Elves. Their knowledge is probably the most complete. You must gain entry to their lands, you must seek their council and have them sing the Demons’ name into the blade.”
“What will you do?”
“I shall return to Angelspree, report to our…”
“No.” Kaleb waved his hand. “No.” he stood a moment in silence, not realising Flencer was standing and listening with intent, Iridia was also extra quiet as the grave matter unfolded. “Burn the bodies, Brondius too, say you found me dead, hammer missing.”
“That would–”
“Yes, the house of Zale would be over, name Brondius a fugitive, say he attacked you, and cull the scourge in Brimshire.” Kaleb was reeling off the orders one after the other frantically like a madman introducing his pet rocks by name.
“This is all very heavy, Kaleb.”
“Indeed, I am dead, and so is Iridia, we don’t exist, Demons like to play with lies we will join them in their games.” He placed his hand on Zeth’s shoulder. “Can I trust you?”
Zeth nodded slowly. “You can, I will let them tear the heart from my chest before I submit.”
“Stay alive for me, I need a Demonslayer to wield the blade when I return with it.”
Zeth’s flat mouth curled into a toothy smile. “Yes! Yes, brother!” he was filled with a moment of zeal and hope, his faith in Kaleb growing, he truly was a man of action, although in the pit of his stomach, he knew that this quest was not likely to succeed, he had to hold onto something. He embraced Kaleb and the embrace was returned.
“We should eat then move,” Kaleb slapped Zeth on the shoulder. “Something smells good.”
“That’s your camp cook’s hard work.” Flencer clapped, finally drawing the attention of Kaleb.
Kaleb strode over to Flencer who was now addressing the pot with a stir of his spoon. “You thought you would just hop back in our wagon did you?”
Flencer gulped. “Well.”
“Hm, welcome back, Dwarf, Good shot earlier by the way.”
Flencer nodded and got back to his pot.
***
The party sat on the floor around the fire, they shared the stew and had to take turns eating as they hadn’t enough bowls for everyone. Iridia sat beside Zeth and asked him questions about the Paladin orders and the imperium. She had found him to be very forthcoming and kind. Morgan sat across beside Flencer, his ears twitching at the sight of Iridia fawning over Zeth and jealousy brewed in his chest and he didn’t quite know why.
Kaleb grabbed the shield and scooped in some stew, he was hungry and he decided it would make a useful bowl at least.
“What is this slop you are using me for?” The shield hummed with ire.
Zeth was taken aback. “A soul-linked shield, who is that?”
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“Who? I am bard Stringlius Forgowen, singer and song maker to the Paladin house Thrandol!”
Kaleb shook his head and continued to spoon stew from the shield, Zeth leaned forward and let out a patronising chortle. “A bard? Soul-linked? House Thrandol?” He pondered a moment, “My word! House Thrandol, they must be over five hundred years gone now! They were perilous dragonslayers, hm?”
“Well it’s good to see someone has a drop of culture running through their veins, indeed it does, and I’ll say this to you, my odes to the dragonslayer's deeds live on, unlike their legacy, not a single bloody dragon, I’ll say this too, and I shan’t mind the lack the of respect, I am GLAD that house is dead!”
Zeth raised both eyebrows and leaned back, intrigued by such a character. “Pray tell, dear bard, why did they link the likes of you to a shield?”
Kaleb sighed. “Must you get him blabbering?”
“I’ll tell you pray so I will, Paladin, They are jackaninnys, fools, jesters of the court. They mistook me for another. We perished in the court of Halonboth during the great storm of the wyverns.”
“I have read of that tale.” Zeth nodded eagerly.
Kaleb rolled his eyes.
“Doesn’t it cost many a coin and great rare ingredients to soul-link?” Iridia looked up at Zeth and fluttered her eyelashes. She had begun to mimic his high orderly speaking terms without realising.
“Indeed it does my dear, Iridia, I bet they were most disgruntled when they found out they linked an uppity bard to their warriors' shield.”
“Disgruntled is not the half it, they hooted, they hollered and raised a great ruckus, I was sold the first chance they got and forgotten, only to be passed on from warrior to bandit, from bandit to merchant and so forth, none have helped me attain my one desire, well two desires.”
Flencer wasn’t sure about talking to shields and other items but couldn’t help but enquire through a mouthful of stew. “Wha’ desires?”
Kaleb rolled his eyes. “Why ask?”
“Glad you asked! The first is to write an ode that speaks truth, not falsehoods of the dragonslayers, no man who has wielded me has yet to give me such a tale. The second is to be freed of this shield and join the divine heart.”
“Ha!” Kaleb knocked his spoon against the side of the shield and dropped it on the floor to dust his hands. “It costs far more to unlink than it does to link, you’ve got more chance of finding a pair of talking knickers for a wife.”
“Alas, there it is, no one has the heart to undo what was done to me, a cold world we do live in.”
“Perhaps after all this, we could find a way if you serve young Iridia here well.” Zeth patted Iridia on the head and she beamed brightly at the attentions. He stood up and dusted himself. “Now, for me, it is fare-thee-well, I must burn bodies, slay spawn and return to Angelspree with the grim news of Kaleb’s untimely death at the hands of Brondius.”
Kaleb winked and tapped his nose.
Iridia stood quickly. “Why don’t you come with us?”
Zeth laughed and took her by the shoulders. “My dear, I’d love to, but we have different paths. I will say, if you stay on this path you will make a fine Paladin, someone will need to replace Kaleb when his time comes…no running away though, hm?” He winked at Kaleb.
Iridia nodded, a little saddened by the departure of her new friend. When Zeth had found her in the woods they didn’t speak a word, Zeth seemed a little annoyed by the whole ordeal. She gave him a big hug. The party waved him off as he rode into the darkness on his white steed.
“Did I tell you the story of the great riders of Hinamesh?” The shield rumbled from the floor.
Kaleb picked the shield up and tossed it into the back of the wagon.
“Ow!”
***
Later after eating, Flencer was showing Iridia some techniques with her spear by the light of the camp while Morgan was sat, propped up against a wagon wheel while playing with his whisper stone.
“What’s wrong with you, boy?” Kaleb strode over to him. “Not your usual chipper self.”
Morgan looked up at Kaleb and then over to Iridia who nearly took Flencer’s eye out. He let out a yelp and told her to watch herself, it brought a little smirk to his lips. “Do you know about women, my lord?”
Kaleb’s eyes widened. “Ah yes, women, like most people, are very annoying.” he patted his chest, “but in their own unique way.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, they never quite speak the full truth.” He nodded. “They overcharge for armour, they always smell funny.”
“I think you’re describing Torina, my lord.”
“Well you meet one you meet them all.”
“What about Iridia?”
Kaleb frowned. “Well, she’s more a, I am not sure, I don’t like where this is going, why are you asking about this?”
“No reason, my lord.” He shook his head and looked down.
Kaleb raised his chin and then looked at Iridia. “Ah, you have a heart for her.” he cleared his throat. “Well…Morgan, I wouldn’t get too attached to Iridia.”
“Right.”
Kaleb could see he wasn’t listening or didn’t care for the advice. “It’s not a you thing, it’s a Paladin thing, You need to find yourself a nice half-Elf lady, one that’ll wash your britches and plant your garden. It’s also bad for camp morale.”
“I understand.” Morgan sighed.
“You did well today, by the way, boy.”
“You think?”
“I reckon you earned a new hat at least.”
“Could do with new pants and a tunic.”
Kaleb sniffed. “Fine, we’ll find a tailor at Farlow Port.”
“Really?”
“Yes really.” Morgan smiled a little and Kaleb was pleased he could somewhat cheer him up, though he wasn’t convinced his advice on the nature of women would quench his heart from the burning ache of adoration. It may be a cause for concern down the road; Kaleb recalled one lady he did fall for and it left his heart in pieces. Lady Elebeth, married away to some dignitary instead, a waste of time and coin frankly.
“I should start packing away the camp,” Morgan clambered to his feet and pocketed his whisper stone. “Can’t be lazying about.”
“Right you are, lad.” He slapped Morgan on the shoulder. “We make for the wildlands, across the river, a three-day journey I reckon, I’m hoping we won’t come across more troubles and find a spot for restock.”
Flencer left Iridia with a few drills to practise and approached Kaleb. “Everythin’ has got a little more serious.”
“Indeed, you know a lot now…too much some would say, you’re bound to this party and the secret lest I give you strict permission to leave, do you understand?”
Flencer rubbed his cheek, he was amazed at the recovery Kaleb had made both in body and mind, though he did wish the weight of Brodius’s hammer had more of a tenderising effect on his demeanour. “You’re going to have to trust me a little, Kaleb, I risked my life for you.”
“Trust is earned, it might come cheap from Iridia for she is a child.” He looked over at the neophyte as she yelled with each practise strike she made. “You understand that the weight of this quest is crushing, I cannot be so liberal with my openness, surely a rogue type like yourself would understand?”
Flencer reached into his pocket and rubbed the seed. “Aye, I get ya, I’ll do what I can, probably need to hunt for the journey ahead, it’s a long road.”
“That’s a good idea, Dwarf.”
“I know, I’m full of ‘em, mostly.”