The Fractured Heartstone Read online

  Immediately ahead of them the land rolled away into another vast plain that looked as if it could swallow an entire army in the never-ending expanse. The ominous backdrop of the forest was still a long way off and merely provided Ydari with the next visible landmark. As they rode through the meadows warming rays of daylight beamed onto them, though more clouds streaked the sky and gave the impression of a hand arcing across the horizon and attempting to blot out the sun. As the minutes turned into hours Ydari and his companions spoke with one another at length.

  The journey was unremarkable and carried on much the same way for the rest of the day and for much of the next until at last the boughs of the Melethynne cloaked them in shadow. The air thickened noticeably as they plunged deeper into the forest. Less and less sunlight filtered through the increasingly dense canopy and it created an oppressive atmosphere that put Ydari and the rest of the watchmen on edge. Raelynne too had fallen silent though she seemed used to the quiet and, at times, appeared to prefer it. The effect was cloying and Lothram’s fierce eyes snapped this way and that as he reacted to every twig snapping and mournful cries of animals that called the woods home. Even their mounts jittered every now and then and had to be calmed with a reassuring pat.

  Suddenly an arrow thudded into a trunk just yards from Lothram who shrilled a warning to his fellows. Instantly weapons were drawn and Lothram and Idrahil span their horses on the spot and glanced all about as they searched for the archer amongst the trees. It didn’t take them long to spot a man wearing a plain brown shirt and leggings hunkered low by a fallen bough, a nocked arrow levelled at them with quivering fingers holding the bowstring tightly. There was a rush of air as the projectile flew past them and was lost in the undergrowth as the two watchmen bore down on him, Ydari and Raelynne close behind while Teobrin tarried at the rear. Sensing he had exhausted his options, the bowman yelled manically and foliage all around them rustled ominously as a dozen more men burst into view around them from all sides.

  A particularly large man who appeared to be made of muscle charged their mounted quarry recklessly with a poleaxe clutched in his fists. Ydari kicked his heels into his horse’s flanks and turned on the spot, his sword glinting in the dull light. The man swiftly stepped to one side and thrust his weapon upwards, the point catching the Watch Captain in the side. This sent him flying from his steed and he crashed into the ground at speed. Ydari rose to his feet quickly and checked himself for injuries but thankfully his scale armour had absorbed the blow with barely a dent. Ahead of him Teobrin, Raelynne, Idrahil and Lothram bore down onto a group of three of the cut-throats and they were sent scattering as they burst through their ranks. They pounded on for a few more strides, kicking mud into the air as they turned to re-enter the fray.

  The remaining brigands formed a line to prevent the mounted charge of Ydari’s companions. The rest of their number circled around him and pressed their advantage. He gripped his sword tightly, the knuckles whitening from his strangling hold on its hilt and he stood ready to face whatever attacks his enemies unleashed. Before he could react, an arrow slammed into Ydari’s shoulder and he was jolted violently. Pain and seething anger roiled volcanically within the Captain and the pressure in his chest built up tremendously quickly. He scowled as he wrenched the offending arrow free and a tempestuous highwayman darted in to finish him off.

  Instead of a weakened foe he met a man of pure fury. Hairs tickled the back of Ydari’s neck and in one smooth movement he turned and buried his sword into the brigand’s chest right up to the hilt. The thief had only time enough to stare at the gruesome wound to his abdomen before the blade was jerked free and he fell to the floor dead. This caused the rest of the criminal band to pause and consider the next part of their plan. Two suddenly stepped forwards, screaming defiantly as they gripped daggers tightly and rushed forwards in the vain hope that a combined attack would be enough to put their foe to flight. Ydari was a blur as he cleaved the first attacker’s arm off just above the elbow with a mighty swing. The Captain raised an elbow and his joint smashed into the jaw of the second assailant, instantly fracturing it. He stumbled back blindly and he was blissfully ignorant as the Watch Captain’s sword swished through the air and sliced into his throat cleanly, causing a jet of crimson life force to gush uncontrollably. The man grabbed his neck futilely before he too keeled over.

  “What is going on here?” a voice thundered over the sound of the melee.

  Idrahil handily dispatched two men with Lothram and Raelynne right behind her. They stopped suddenly as the unknown man’s voice echoed about the wood before a stranger stepped into view from behind the fallen tree. Everyone froze on the spot and the sound of combat died away as all eyes turned to face the man who now entered their midst. The bandits instantly recognised him and they lowered their weapons sheepishly and some of them even decided they had more interesting things to look at as they avoided his piercing blue eyes. He walked with purpose and every ounce of the man radiated confidence. He walked up to Ydari who stared at his attackers with ferocity in his eyes but even he relaxed as he caught sight of the man who had captivated everyone’s attention. The newcomer was only an inch shorter than the Watch Captain and had short sandy coloured hair but in every other respect he was practically Ydari’s twin.

  “What the hell is going on here?” the man bellowed once more, turning his back on Ydari as he turned to look at each man who had the misfortune to have earned his ire. “Did I give any of you permission to attack travellers on the road? I would gut you all where you stand but it seems your quarry has already done some of the work for me!” he exclaimed as he kicked one of the lifeless corpses.

  “But sir, we thought…” one of the brigands started before he was silenced with a look that could shatter glass.

  “You thought you’d use your initiative and get yourselves killed?” the leader screamed with a spray of saliva. “I don’t pay you to think. I pay you to follow orders. Now get out of my sight before I decide to do something drastic. I’ve lost enough men today but don’t test my patience or we shall see how many more I’m willing to put to death myself!”

  The horde of highwaymen walked off with drooped shoulders and muttered comments but nobody dared to challenge the authority of their leader. The newcomer watched them all retreat from view until he was finally satisfied that they had all gone. He whistled and was instantly joined by a female rogue who was garbed in a green cloth tunic and leggings with a cloak billowing about her shoulders. She had jet black hair and thin eyebrows over brown eyes. Two braided locks of hair fell about her shoulders.

  As she approached the bandit leader signalled to her. She dutifully reached into a bag that was strapped at her waist and extracted some bandages and a container. She popped it open and a pungent aroma filled Ydari’s nostrils as she walked over to him. She barely looked at him as she gathered a palm-full of the offending salve and applied it to the arrow wound on the Captain’s shoulder. Instantly the stinging sensation was numbed and Ydari sighed at its soothing touch as the woman worked with professional efficiency, closing the container with a snap as she took a position beside the bandit leader who gave a satisfied nod. Ydari’s cohorts gathered around as they led their horses by hand as they surveyed the scene with confused expressions. They appeared as if they could attack at any moment but they had put away their weapons and now merely waited for answers.

  “I’m surprised to see you here Kael,” Ydari said at last, his comment directed to the bandit chief. “It’s good to see you too Araia,” he added to the woman standing at his flank who nodded in acknowledgement.

  “A man has to make a living,” Kael replied with a shrug and a mocking bow.

  “Yes, but if these men find out the true purpose for your being here, they’ll skewer you themselves,” Ydari responded. The two men looked at one another for a moment. Kael suddenly burst out laughing and the two men embraced, much to the confusion of those who stood around them. “It’s good to see you brother. I didn’t exp
ect to see you slumming it in the depths of the Melethynne forest. A nice damp cave perhaps but then again you always were a drip,” the Captain said laughing uproariously.

  “My brother, always the comedian,” Kael replied, beaming a grin of his own. “So, tell me what made you give up the lifestyle of a man of privilege? Are you trying to finally catch up with your younger brother and become a man by roughing it in the woods?”

  “By the Gods!” Lothram exclaimed. “There’s two of them and both have poor taste in humour.”

  “Ignore the Sergeant Kael. He’s just grumpy because he didn’t get enough hugs as a child,” joked Ydari. His answering scowl was enough for the Watch Captain to burst into hysterical laughter once more and he had forgotten all about the encounter with the bandit horde as he became caught up in the moment.

  “Did you know the Captain even had a brother?” Idrahil asked Lothram quietly.

  Her words went unheard by the two brothers as they continued their conversation and the Sergeant quietly shook his head, all the while his eyes agape as he tried to keep his face neutral so as not to let Ydari and Kael know that their juvenile jokes were bothering him. They talked animatedly for a time before Ydari turned Kael’s attention to the rest of the group and introduced each of them in turn. Kael greeted them all one by one as if he were a gracious host at a decadent house and was offering them the finest of welcomes. Raelynne made him do a double-take and he leaned in to speak more intimately with her but he was warned off by a slap to the back of the head from Ydari and he came to his senses quickly.

  “I’ve been awfully rude, haven’t I?” Kael asked of Raelynne and the watchmen. “My fine friend here is Araia and she is my second in command,” the friendly rogue explained, indicating the woman who stood as composed as a statue with a flourish.

  “A pleasure I’m sure,” she said cheerlessly, her tone overwhelmingly bored.

  “I’m a member of the Watch who patrols the regions in and around Maleardhus. Currently Araia and I are on assignment undercover as the leaders of this nest of vipers. It is our job to report back on the other gangs that operate in this region or to strike out against the worst of them ourselves. It’s easier than it looks. All I have to do is promise these men plunder or to suggest that a rival faction is treading on our territory and they are more than happy to strike.” Kael explained the last part in hushed tones in case there was anybody to overhear them. “Anyway, you’ve heard me talk enough for one afternoon.”

  “I’ll say,” Lothram interjected.

  “Come with me and I’ll show you to our camp. You can tell me what brings you so far into the depths of the Melethynne and we can tend to that wound properly,” Kael continued, pointing to Ydari’s shoulder as he did so.

  Kael beckoned for his new guests to follow him. As they walked with their horses in tow the forest became denser and they were forced to take long circuitous routes through the trees that permitted them room enough to continue. Every so often Ydari caught his brother casting his eye over Raelynne admiringly and he admonished him with a cough or a prod in the back that always brought an amused chuckle and mischievous glint in his eye. Ydari quickly lost track of time and he had lost sight of the sun through the foliage.

  Eventually the trees thinned out and an immense clearing opened out ahead of them. Around its edges dozens of stumps could be seen, testament to the effort that it took to complete the endeavour of creating this vast encampment. Lean-tos were pitched on the edges of the camp, all lined with straw to act as soft bedding. In the centre numerous fires roared with various brigands sitting about them on logs or whatever else they could use as a chair. On either side of the campfires there were two pairs of wagons. One particularly fearsome cut-throat sat on the tailgate and checked his sword edge experimentally with his finger. On the farthest edge of the clearing a number of horses ambled about aimlessly. A thick bundle of hay had been placed in the centre and a couple of them grazed contentedly.

  A few of the more inquisitive members of the band looked up at Ydari and his cohorts but quickly went back to their business when they saw their leader Kael Astaugh at the head of the procession. A few catcalls rang out as they caught sight of Raelynne and Idrahil but some of the female members of the gang quickly put those foolish enough to have done so in their place with a quick slap and a blade pressed between their shoulder blades. The area was a hive of activity and dozens of gang members either milled about chatting or completing errands as they hustled past. On the eastern edge of the bandit base a large tent had been erected and it was toward this that Kael and Araia now ushered their guests. A couple of their men stepped up and helpfully took the reins of their horses and led them away to be fed and watered.

  “Don’t worry, they won’t steal anything from you. You have my word on that,” Kael assured them as he lifted the flap of his tent open and bade them all to enter.

  The tent they entered took them all by surprise. From the outside it appeared to be quite snug but the reality was far different than they had been expecting. Lothram let out a whistle as he stared at his surroundings. A large bed made of thick wood was nestled on the left-hand side with a number of throw pillows decorating the rich velvet duvet. A nightstand was set to one side and a screen had been placed on the other; offering a modicum of privacy for its denizens when changing attire. The central space was decorated with a large bearskin rug and a circle of four wooden chairs. Off to the right sat a simple wooden desk and chair with various scrolls and bits of paper on which writing had been scrawled.

  Kael swept into the centre of the tent and opened his arms expansively as he invited his guests to take a seat. Araia pushed ahead of them and took a seat in one of the chairs beside the bearskin. She quickly extracted a journal and thumbed through some of the pages before taking out a quill and hastily jotting in it. Teobrin walked around Kael’s quarters with open-mouthed wonder and he gaped at all the sights it had to offer which made Ydari’s brother beam with pride. Ydari however walked over to the table and took a seat on the edge of it as he watched his companions walk about and take seats in various places around the pavilion.

  “How are you then Kael? Are you enjoying life as a lawless vagabond?” Ydari asked as his cohorts settled in.

  "I’m doing well Ydari. I can’t complain and even if I did nobody would care enough to listen. I’m still sending my reports back to the commander and we’ve been keeping trouble in this part of the country to a minimum. They may be out for themselves but you’ll find nobody better in a scrap than these men,” Kael said proudly.

  “I wonder if you’ll feel the same way if they ever find out you’ve been lying to them this whole time,” Ydari mused thoughtfully.

  “That doesn’t even bear thinking about. But tell me, what really brought you all the way out here?” Kael inquired enthusiastically. “I’m dying to hear all about my wayward brother, pride of the Maleardhus Watch.”

  “Enough of the jokes now. For the love of the Gods, no more,” Lothram exclaimed exasperatedly.

  “I’m afraid to say it but Lothram is right. Now is not the time for jokes,” said Ydari.

  “When did my brother become such a sourpuss?” Kael drawled.

  “I’ve already had this conversation twice so I’m going to give you the condensed version,” the Captain began. “Conspirators tried to kill the Queen. I went to investigate and the shard of an ancient gem latched itself onto me. We have to find the rest and track down a cult of Dragon worshippers or it could be the end of life as we know it.”

  “So, not a social call then?”

  “No, not really. We’re headed to Tirgaal to find out about members of this Dragon cult we’re tracking. We have reason to believe that whoever had a hand in the attempt on the Queen’s life also played a part in the assassination of King Aynhar. We don’t know how many there were at their hideout in Maleardhus but we think we got most of them, though we can’t be sure.”

  “This is an awful lot to take in,” Kael replied. “May
be you could go into a little more detail?”

  “Very well.”

  The Captain leaned back and sighed resignedly. He quickly recounted the more salient details of events that had transpired in Maleardhus and what had led them to be on the road. Kael remained silent as he listened, nodding occasionally and leaning forwards on the stool that he had perched himself on at the more outrageous events in Ydari’s retelling. Every so often Raelynne interjected, correcting some of the details in the Captain’s account. Even the stony-faced Araia listened intently, though her reactions were less animated than those of Kael.

  “When was this assault in the catacombs?” Araia asked suddenly, stopping Ydari in mid-sentence.

  “Seven days ago, or thereabouts,” Ydari responded.

  “Interesting.”

  “Why is that interesting? Am I missing something?” Lothram queried as he puffed his cheeks.

  “Kael, do you remember that strange group we watched a few days back?” Araia questioned, ignoring Lothram.

  “Oh yes, I remember. The ones with the black robes, some of them badly tattered?”

  “Do you think that they have any involvement in the story your brother here just told us?”

  “What is this about people in black robes?” Ydari asked, his voice going cold.

  “Well, I thought nothing of it but a strange party wandered through our patch in the forest here. They didn’t tarry long and I had a few of the lads watch them. They headed to a cave that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone go into so I just assumed they were using it as shelter.”

  “What did they look like? Describe the robes, exactly what you saw,” Raelynne commanded abruptly.

  “Well, they wore knee-length black robes with hoods. Some of them were badly torn and a couple of them looked to be injured since one of them was limping quite badly. The one at the head of the group wore something odd though, a mask in the shape of a serpent head,” said Kael.