The Veredor Chronicles: Book 02 - The Journey West (4 page)

‘Get the horses! Catch them!’ cried
Raulok madly, watching as they sped away.

They rac
ed down the main street and turned toward the northern gate. Within seconds they were out of the town and descending the slope toward the plain. They arrived on the dusty plain and stopped to look back at Sabulo.

‘
Quade, can you take us across the wasteland?’ asked Red.

‘Looks like I don’t have a choice,’ said
Quade, looking back at Sabulo, his face pale with shock at having his men turn on him.

‘
We found our guide,’ said Red with a smile. A moment later a large group of riders stormed out of Sabulo.

‘Th
ose bandits are coming after us!’ said Cassiel, turning his horse toward the desert.

‘Ride,’ cried
Eben. They galloped westward and charged out across the dusty plain.

CHAPTER FOUR

The bandit’s mangy horses couldn’t keep pace with their warhorses. Before long they were far out on the flat desert plain and out of sight of the pursuers. The dry environment was already taking its toll on them. The horses were starting to tire and an unrelenting dry wind blew from the south. The plain was becoming sandier the further they went. Swarms of flies were constantly circling them and irritating the horses.

‘
I can’t believe they turned on me,’ said Quade despondently, his dull eyes staring down at the ground.

‘Wouldn’t you expect bandits
to do that?’ asked Stella. Quade glanced glumly in Stella’s direction and didn’t reply.

‘Are we heading in the right direction?’ asked Red as he waved the sand flies away from his eyes.

Quade
looked about for a few moments. ‘Soon we’ll have to turn south. If we continue west for too much longer we’ll ride into the tribal regions.’

‘We
only have enough water for a few days. I think the horses are going to struggle in these conditions,’ said Eben.

‘There’s a
desert well one day from here,’ said Quade. ‘It’s guarded by the Eastern Well Keeper. He’ll want to be paid. The Skatheans may expect us to go in the direction of the well because they’ll soon learn that you were in Sabulo looking for a guide.’

‘Are there any other ways?’ asked Cassiel.

‘Not unless you want to brave the tribal regions west of here. We can either go through the Deep Desert or north to the Empyrean Hills. The people of the Empyrean Hills are very territorial, especially with all the troubles lately. The Deep Desert is dangerous, but probably the best way forward. We could follow the northern edge of the Deep Desert tomorrow. Once we arrive at the well we will be able to restock our water skins and the horses can drink. ’

‘The Deep Desert it is
,’ said Cassiel.

The
y rode onward across the plain and turned south later in the afternoon. Before sunset the plain came to an end. Further south they could see large sand dunes rising above the desert.

‘Welco
me to the Deep Desert. We can pitch our camp here and wait until the morning before we move onward,’ said Quade.

They set up camp
and rested as the sun descended behind the large dunes. The heat of the day gave way to a cool night. Quade sat on the sandy ground and counted the coins in his leather pouch.

‘Five silver pieces. I’m
almost broke. This is all I have left in the world. Red, please explain why I had to give up everything to save your skin?’

‘
We could have handled the bakers without your help, so don’t blame me that your guild turned on you,’ said Red defensively.

‘I know
; I shouldn’t have been there with those bakers. The plan was to capture and take you to the Skatheans. None of them can really fight, and they’re typically not violent people. They didn’t really want to hurt you. They’re just fools looking to get rich quickly,’ said Quade as he looked eastward across the plain. He then glanced back at Red. ‘Why are we going west? We are a long way from Silvor.’

‘
We’re going to Irvaria to attend an important council,’ said Cassiel.

‘What council
do you mean?’

‘A council
to do something about all the Skatheans and muckrons in our lands,’ said Red.

‘Why do you care, Red?’ asked
Quade, surprised that Red was involved in anything so important.

‘I’m a
knight; it’s my duty to care,’ said Red with a glimmer of pride in his eyes.

‘
A what?’ exclaimed Quade, his jaw dropping at Red’s words.

‘
A knight,’ repeated Red with a smile.

Quade
’s shook his head in disbelief. ‘I never thought I’d see the day. I can’t believe it! Whatever happened to your idea of going back to Silvor and living the easy life?’

‘
It’s a long story, Quade. Last time I saw you I was just about to join the circus in Ancora. That’s where I met Stella. After the circus burned down I started working for an overland trader and travelled around Ortaria. Soon after I met Eben and Cassiel, and a little later we became friends with King Ignis of Ortaria. Life has been an adventure since then, and I’m married too,’ said Red, taking Stella’s hand affectionately.

‘What! Married! I can’
t believe it!’ shouted Quade, shaking his head and laughing.

‘It’s true. I’ve become a little respectable,’ said Red.

‘A little?’ questioned Quade, rolling his eyes.

‘Yeah, just a bit,’ replie
d Red.

‘Amazing!
I remember the streetwise kid living rough in Talis, and here you are…a knight, married, and a friend of a king.’

‘It’s been an
adventure,’ said Red. ‘What about you, Quade? What are you doing in Vastoria?’

‘Ah, yes
, that’s a story. I went west from Ancora after we arrived there. I planned to keep going all the way to Iarthar and the Far Western Lands. I ran out of money in Sabulo and had to work as a peddler. I learned to navigate the wastelands and deserts between the Adira River and Sabulo. The way across the desert gradually became more and more dangerous. In the end I had to look for something else to do. I started working as a bodyguard which didn’t last long. I got desperate in the end and I found myself working as a baker. I worked my way up through the ranks of the Baker’s Guild. All the old guilds of Sabulo have lost their power in recent years, that’s why they were going after the bounty on the four of you.’

The
evening went on with more stories and conversations. Eben decided he liked Quade; he was a friendly drifter. They rested well that night. Eben awoke early the next morning and watched the sun rising over the dunes.

**

They followed the northern edge of the Deep Desert. By midday they were exhausted. The horses were struggling and dehydrated.

‘
I can’t stand this place,’ said Red. ‘What happened to this land to make it this way?’ he asked, not expecting to be answered.

‘They say that the
Prince of Shadows cursed Vastoria,’ said Cassiel. ‘These were once beautiful lands in the Forgotten Age. They belonged to the Astarian Fiora. The Prince of Shadows came and burned down all the forests and killed everything that lived here. It is also said that he destroyed Vastoria because he was jealous of Fiora. The wind blew away all the soil and only the sand and clay remained. This land was called Fairaria in those days.’

‘The quicker we cross
the better,’ said Red, irritated by the swarm of sand flies buzzing around his head.

‘You should
try living here for a few years; you’d have nothing to complain about then,’ said Quade with a laugh.

‘No thanks.’

They rode on for the remainder of the day. As the evening approached they came to a place where there was a deep gorge and a dry river bed.

‘This is the
desert well I was telling you about,’ said Quade.

Down
in the deep of the gorge there were actually small trees growing. It was an oasis in the desert. Quade led them down the slope and along the dry riverbed where they were protected from the wind. Further ahead they could see a small grouping of mud huts.

‘Let me do the talking,’ said
Quade. He walked ahead of them toward the huts.

‘We’ve come to buy water!’
he shouted. A few moments later two men appeared. They were wearing long overcoats and black turbans. Only their eyes could be seen as their faces were covered by cloth.

‘We don’t sell to anyone
,’ replied the Well Keeper.

‘Why not?’ asked
Quade, surprised by the answer.

‘Orders from the
Skatheans, no one buys water or they will kill us.’

‘Since when?’

‘For the last month. The Skatheans are trying to stop anyone crossing the Deep Desert.’

‘How do you survive then? Don’t you trade water for food?’ asked
Quade.

‘We do, but the
Skatheans say no,’ said the Well Keeper.

‘You shouldn’
t listen to the Skatheans. The time of the Skatheans is coming to an end in these lands,’ said Cassiel as he rode up beside Quade.

‘Their time
is not at an end yet,’ said the Well Keeper. ‘The Skatheans rule the Vastorian Wastelands, and until they don’t we will listen to them.’

‘We have a problem then,’ said
Quade sternly. ‘Because we can’t go on without water, and we certainly can’t turn back to Sabulo.’

‘It’s not our problem,’ said
the Well Keeper gruffly.

From behind the huts anoth
er man walked over. He was clothed in the same manner of the two others, but he had a curved Vastorian sword at his belt and a small circular bronze badge affixed to his chest. His face was covered by a black metal mask.

‘Is there a problem
?’ he asked in a deep and strong voice.

‘They won’t leave without water,’ said the
Well Keeper.

The man with the sword stepped forward fearlessly. ‘We have nothing for you. Move along.’

‘You’re a Desert Knight?’ asked Quade coolly.

‘Yes
,’ replied the man.

‘I di
dn’t realise the Desert Knight’s took orders from Skatheans,’ said Quade, taking a tone that mocked the Desert Knight.

‘We don’t,’ said the Desert Knight
firmly.

‘
The Well Keeper says he won’t sell us water because of the Skatheans. You’re helping the Skatheans by telling us to move on without letting us take any water.’ There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

‘Who do you serve?’ asked the Desert Knight.

‘I serve no one,’ replied Quade.

‘
Everybody serves somebody; you’re a fool if you haven’t learned that yet,’ stated the Desert Knight sharply.

‘We serve the King of Ortaria. We a
re on our way to Faircastle,’ said Cassiel.

‘You mean
you’re going to the council?’ asked the Desert Knight.

‘You know of the council
?’ asked Cassiel, surprised.

‘Indeed,
we have sent our own envoy to attend.’

‘This is Sir Red of Ortaria;
he is the Ortarian envoy. We need water to continue our journey. If the Desert Knights have sent a representative you must realise that we are on an important mission.’

The Desert Knight looked
at Red for a few moments and then back to Cassiel. It was impossible to know what he was thinking because of his mask.

‘If the Ortarian K
night asks for water he can take it,’ he said firmly

‘I ask for it,’ said Red
instantly.

The Desert Knight turned to the
Well Keeper. ‘Let them have water. The Desert Knights are bound by an oath to give assistance to the Ortarian, Scaldonian, and Irvarian Knights. It is our tradition. I therefore will not stand in your way, Sir Red.’

‘Thank you,’ said
Red.

They were then led
beyond the huts to a place where there was a small pond. The horses were allowed to drink. They refilled their water skins and then rested by the water. After several minutes the Desert Knight walked over to them.

‘You must
be the one who they call Eben?’ he asked.

‘Yes, I am Eben
.’

‘Word came to
Vastoria that a hero by the name of Eben has appeared in Ortaria. I have heard you helped the Ortarians win a battle in Scaldonia. They say your skills with the sword are unmatched and muckrons scatter before you.’

‘I do my best,’ said Eben modestly.

‘I am a swordsman and a master of Grecob’s Method. I am wondering who you studied with and which method you use?’

‘A hunter taught me how to use the sword.’

‘H
e must have been a master,’ suggested the Desert Knight.

‘He was
a good swordsman, but I knew him as more of a huntsman. I don’t follow any particular method.’

‘
Interesting, then you must be a natural.’

‘I suppose
,’ said Eben. He didn’t want to mention the Sword of Light to the Desert Knight.

‘My name is
Arthur. I am pleased to have met you.’ Eben stood up and politely shook Arthur’s hand. ‘I am sure we will meet again,’ he said. He then nodded and walked away.

The night grew
cool and dark. They camped beside the pond with the permission of the Well Keeper. The gorge kept the wind away and there were few sand flies. The following morning they set out early. They felt refreshed and rode quickly westward. They entered the plains of the Deep Desert which were completely flat and extended as far as the eye could see. The ground gradually became hard clay. Not even weeds grew, and the entire plain was completely devoid of any life.