The Fur Trader (12 page)

“What you did for Richard a few moments ago was very nice, helping with the trauma of the bear attack, I mean.”

The trapper nodded and moved toward another sealed box to pull out a couple of onions.

“Fear of the mountain isn’t healthy. Besides, I figured he has had enough to worry about lately, I didn’t want him looking over his shoulder for bears during the trip.” Garrin inspected one onion, and upon finding it to be squishy and bruised he set it aside. The next one seemed firm, so he removed the skin and the outer-most layer. Then he chopped up the onion and placed the pieces into the soup.

“Smells good,” Garrin said. It wasn’t exactly an admission that things were all right between the two of them, but it was about as much as Garrin could muster at the moment.

“It does,” William replied.

Garrin took that to mean that William had cooled down a bit as well.

Within the hour they were dishing the soup into bowls and waking Richard so the three of them could eat. Garrin passed the time telling Richard about various animals he had tracked and hunted, carefully detailing the difference in each animal’s tracks, droppings, and behaviors. William was silent, but smiled appreciatively as Garrin kept Richard’s mind off of the more traumatic events of late.

As the meal wound down and it became obvious that none of them were quite ready to turn in, Garrin moved to the bed and reached under to pull out a small wooden box.

“I don’t entertain here, or at home if I am honest, but I do have some cards if either of you are up for playing.”

“That sounds like a decent idea,” William said. The two of them looked to Richard. The boy nodded enthusiastically.

“Do you know how to play idiot?” Garrin asked.

Richard’s grin widened and he nodded again. “I know two versions,” he replied. “We can play Cantan Style, or I can also play Woodland Style.”

Garrin wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “Have you ever played Duerbet Style?” Richard frowned. “It is similar to Cantan Style, so you’ll catch on quick, but it allows you to reverse attacks if you have matching cards. If you do reverse an attack, then it also reverses the direction of the game. Whoever draws the highest card goes first, and we attack left to begin with. Shall we try it?”

“Duerbet is an ancient city nestled upon the first continent, on the opposite side of the world. How do you know of it?” William asked.

Garrin smiled mischievously. “I have a few tricks of my own,” he said. He shuffled and then dealt the cards. “Learned it in the army. It had been passed down for a while. Not sure where it originated, or even if the game is actually played in Duerbet. All I know is that’s what it was called.”

William offered a half-smile and took his cards in hand.

Richard pulled his cards up as well. “Can you sing another song, Garrin, like you did last night?”

Garrin nodded. “I know of a song you might like. I first learned it from an old woman I met while I was with the legion. She was part of a nomadic tribe we traveled with for part of our campaign. She used to sing this every night after dinner. Let me see if I can remember the words.” Garrin thought for a moment, humming a couple of notes out loud to himself, then he began to sing.

Far across the mountains blue

Beyond the plains and tundra too

There lies a village dressed in white

Warmed by the sun’s great light

Far across the mountains blue

At the edge of dawn’s hue

There stands a village made of stone

A place I once called home

Far across the mountains blue

There is a place for me and you

A nation of honor, and of right

Untarnished by evil’s night

Far beyond the mountains blue

A just man can receive his due

The women are plenty and the land is tame

And the wilds hold much game

Far beyond the mountains blue

How I yearn and long for you

I was born a slave, my home almost forgot

After the raids my fathers were brought.

Far beyond the mountains blue

Yet will I return to you

My home of peace and green grass

I will see you before my days are past.

They played the game for a couple of hours. Richard caught on quickly and never lost a round. William, on the other hand, lost more than his fair share of rounds before the group retired for the night and went to sleep.

The next morning, a thick blanket of smoke covered the ceiling and was filling the building. Richard was the first to wake, coughing and sputtering violently. He called out for help.

“There’s a fire!” Richard shouted.

Garrin’s eyes snapped open and immediately he knew what was wrong.

“Treewalkers!” he snarled. “Stay low. I’ll put out the fires.” There was no fire inside the building other than the two fireplaces that were lit and burning through large logs that had been placed on the fire a few hours before. So, as long as they could get the smoke out, they would be safe inside the building. The real danger was the Treewalkers.

“Treewalkers!” William shouted as he put an arm over his mouth and nose and helped Richard crawl low under the smoke. “I thought that trapper back in the village was making a joke. You’re telling me Treewalkers are real?”

“Oh, they’re real all right. Glorified thugs that make their way through the forest using the trees. They sometimes flush people out of buildings by stopping up their chimneys and filling the area with smoke,” Garrin said as he spread the logs apart in the fireplace and then smothered them with blankets to reduce the amount of smoke produced as he fought the fire.

“What can I do?” William asked.

“Open the wooden door, but don’t open the stone covering. That should allow the smoke to leave without exposing us to them.”

“What about Rux and Kiska?” Richard asked.

Garrin paused. He didn’t hear any signs of a struggle outside. In fact, he didn’t hear anything at all. His heart jumped up into his throat as he feared the worst. The trapper blinked his stinging eyes against the smoke and tried to clear his head. He couldn’t afford to worry about Rux and Kiska now. The split-tails were smart enough to take cover or to climb the trees and attack, thanks to their cougar-like paws. Whether they were alive or dead, there was nothing he could do for them now, and risking danger to Richard by opening the stone door would not help the animals.

The wooden door squeaked and some of the smoke began to shift toward the door.

“Grab a blanket and try to push the smoke out like this,” Garrin told Richard as he grabbed a blanket and began fanning the smoke toward the door.

At that moment, an arrow zipped through the narrow opening where the round stone slab didn’t cover the opening. The shaft glanced harmlessly off the floor, but it had been dangerously close to William’s leg. William jumped back silently and then crouched low under the smoke again.

“They have us pinned,” he said.”

Garrin nodded. I have an idea, but we need to clear as much of the smoke as we can.” The three of them worked with their blankets, forcing the smoke out as best they could while staying away from the doorway. No other arrows flew in, but they knew the Treewalkers were out there.

After they had pushed most of the smoke out, Garrin held up a hand and signaled for everyone to stop flapping their blankets. He held a finger to his mouth and both Richard and William nodded. William dropped his blanket and pulled out his rapier, then he moved to flank the door, but Garrin shook his head. It wasn’t time to exit just yet. They had to cause some sort of diversion first. If they simply opened the door, they would be inviting the Treewalkers to open fire.

Garrin signaled for the two to come over to him quietly. Richard hunched down and walked softly while William was able to cross the room much quicker without making a single sound with his feet.

“The chimneys are small,” Garrin said. “Too small for any of us to climb out through,” he added.

“So?” William asked bewildered.

Garrin sneered. “So, Kaspar can make it out. I bet the Treewalkers covered the chimneys with thick blankets to stop them up. Kaspar can easily work through one. He is devilishly quick. Once we hear the shouts, we can try opening the slab a bit. There is a bow under the bed. Are you a good shot, William?”

“I’m fair, but not great,” he said.

Garrin shrugged. “Well, in any case you are likely better than me. I was never very good with a bow, that’s why I use traps and a spear. You can take up a position there,” Garrin said as he pointed to the far wall. “I’ll open the slab and try to break out to the left and circle around the back of the building. Chances are, most of the Treewalkers will be facing the front door, so if I can put the building between me and them, I might be able to draw some off without taking an arrow.”

“Can Kaspar take down a man?” William asked as he looked over to the canister.

Garrin stifled a laugh and nodded his head. “Sure can. If Rux and Kiska are out there, they’ll join in as well.”

“What if they aren’t?” Richard asked.

Garrin shrugged. “Then you two had better stay in here if I can’t fend them off. There is food and water if you need to dig in for a bit. Treewalkers travel light, so they won’t be able to stay out here more than a day or two.”

“I could come out,” William offered. “Maybe a few seconds after you do.”

Garrin shook his head. “That would leave Richard open to attack. Better to stay in your position. You’ll have a clean shot at the doorway in case they try to come in.”

William relented and nodded.

“What do I do?” Richard asked.

“Just hide by the bed. Let us handle this one,” Garrin replied. Garrin crept over to the nearest fireplace and carefully peered up into it, testing the sides for heat with the back of his hands before emerging and going to Kaspar’s canister. He opened the container and out came the white, furry creature. It made a clicking noise and then wrinkled its nose as it ran up Garrin’s arm and perched atop his shoulder.

“How will he know what to do?” William whispered.

Garrin just smiled and extended his arm into the chimney. “He has been through a few scrapes with me over the years. He won’t let us down.”

Kaspar bounded down Garrin’s arm and paused for a moment at the trapper’s wrist, standing up on its hind legs and sniffing the air. It chattered quietly and then leapt for the chimney. Its tiny hands gripped the stone and it climbed up a few inches at a time, reaching for each new perch and heading toward the thick, dark covering above.

*****

Kaspar’s eyes adjusted to the dark quickly and he was soon nosing the blanket and carefully looking for an exit.

The fabric moved with each probing push. Then, Kaspar saw a sliver of light. He froze. His nose pulled in the scents around him. More than that, he sniffed for hints of magic. Finding only the scent of an unbathed man standing close by to the left of the chimney, Kaspar prepared his muscles, hunkering down and ready to launch.

An instant later, he shot out from under the blanket, a white bolt of furry lightning. Kaspar darted toward the nearest Treewalker before the man had a chance to notice him. Kaspar ran up the man’s pant leg, nipping and biting all the tender bits of skin he could find and sending the man into a crazy dance. Kaspar loved it when a human responded this way, and went to his work with an enthusiastic chatter. Popping out of the man’s shirt collar for a moment, Kaspar noticed another Treewalker taking aim with a bow, but the first waved him off frantically before twitching back to slap at Kaspar’s head. Kaspar dove gleefully back into the man’s shirt just as his hand connected with his collar bone. The man continued to slap and punch himself as Kaspar dodged each of the strikes and continued his assault underneath the man’s clothes.

“AAARGH!” the Treewalker shouted as he twirled and swatted at himself. Soon he lost his footing and began to topple off the roof. Feeling the change in tilt on his moving target, Kaspar made his way to the sleeve opening. Moments before the man tipped beyond the point of no return and fell over, Kaspar shot out from the sleeve and leapt at the next Treewalker. The second man tried to slap at Kaspar while he was in the air, but he missed horribly, and completely exposed his neck. Kaspar went to work with his sharp, needle-like fangs, biting and tearing at the man’s exposed flesh. As the man fell face-first toward the roof, Kaspar was able to see three other Treewalkers nearby, screaming to each other to shoot him. As the body hit the stone roof, Kaspar jumped away, darting this way and that, zig-zagging as other Treewalkers pelted the area with arrows.

Knowing how to put those inept arrow shots to good use, Kaspar led them on toward the nearest tree, where his nose had picked up the scent of a particularly smelly man. He circled around the trunk and chattered joyfully as the concealed Treewalker screamed like a woman at the sight his sleek, white body leaping through the air toward him. Kaspar made his way inside the man’s clothes and began tormenting him as he had the first, until the Treewalker fell. The furry assassin barely escaped before the third Treewalker fell from his perch, bouncing off of one branch only to smack into a second and then a third before smashing his head on a rock on the ground.

Back inside the tanning building, Garrin was listening to the screams and shouts. He heard the arrows glancing off the roof and then waited until he heard another set of screams. Then he knew for sure that Kaspar had worked his way into the trees. Now was the time.

He ran to the stone slab, careful to protect his entire body behind the sturdy shield as he unlocked it. He then rolled it away. Thankfully, the other Treewalkers were all trying to fend off Kaspar. Garrin glanced up just in time to see a tall Treewalker get struck by an arrow from one of his comrades. Apparently Kaspar had spooked them enough that they were now willing to shoot anywhere the animal went, including at their own men. The trapper counted four remaining Treewalkers. Confident that he could finish them off, he continued with his plan.

Garrin used the confusion to his advantage, scurrying out and around the building while Kaspar kept the Treewalkers occupied. He heard a couple of shouts, followed seconds later by arrows that glanced off the front corner of the building. Garrin panted as he slammed his back to the rear of the building and quickly looked up to scan the trees. He knew he would only have a few moments before a Treewalker would make his way around. Garrin prepared to launch his spear and faced the far right of the stone cabin. As Kaspar had gone around to the left, only one way remained open.

As he predicted, he soon saw a Treewalker leaping along the branches to flank him. The trapper threw his spear. The poor Treewalker didn’t notice the flying weapon until it was too late. The spear bit into his chest and dropped him from the tree. Garrin ran over to him and dove in quickly to ensure that the foe was dead. The Treewalker looked up with a strained movement of his head and neck, and then gave out a final breath just as Garrin arrived.

The trapper ducked behind the thick tree trunk as a pair of arrows flew toward him. One plunked into the tree, while the other bit through the bark on the side and showered bits of wood and bark out onto the snow.

Another scream erupted in the air, followed a moment later by a loud
thawump!
Garrin grinned. Two down, two more to go. Even from his position, Garrin could hear Kaspar’s angry chattering. More shouting filled the air and Garrin dared to chance a glance around the tree. One Treewalker was bleeding from his hand and slumped against the tree he was perched in, the other was furiously swiping a sword at Kaspar, who was now dancing back and forth on a long branch and looking for an opening to attack.

Garrin wasted no time coming to Kaspar’s aid. He turned and yanked his spear free. He ran out into the open and shouted wildly as he closed the distance, his feet deftly keeping their balance in the snow. The Treewalker with the sword turned, and that was his last mistake. Kaspar lunged for the man’s neck and the two toppled out of the tree. Then, Garrin threw his spear at the Treewalker with the injured hand who was still in the tree. It was over in seconds.

Kaspar bounded away proudly, chattering and clicking happily as it buried its face in the snow and shook it about to clean its fur from the blood. Garrin went to retrieve his spear, and then he looked around for any sign of Rux and Kiska.

“Is it clear?” William shouted from within.

“It is,” Garrin called back as he walked out to where the horses had been. He bent down to inspect the tracks. There were no human boot prints other than those belonging to Garrin, William, and Richard, but the trapper had expected that. Treewalkers were so named because they kept to the trees, moving from one to the next like squirrels. Still, Garrin suspected that this time they had taken the horses. There was blood in the area, but he had no way of knowing if either of the split-tails were hurt, or if they had managed to injure one of the thieves. The troubling part was the pack mule. It appeared that its tracks went toward the west, away from the other animals entirely.