Wildling (27 page)

Chapter Thirty Nine.

The White Plains were everything that Dorn had expected them to be, and more. League after league of flat grasslands with only the occasional gently rolling hill for contrast. A sea of green. Huge herds of grazing beasts, deer and plains bison especially, spread out for leagues and through which they had to make their way. And strangest of all the clover. It wasn't the season for it all to bloom, spring had long since passed, but still there was enough of it remaining to see why the land had been given its name. When the season was truly upon them the plains turned completely white with the thick pollen. And when the wind blew it was said to form clouds in the sky.

His only regret was that as they'd made their way across the plains, they hadn't really encountered any of the people of the land, the horsemen. Wherever they were, whichever herds they were following, it didn't seem to be near them. It was a shame because he'd so wanted to meet some of the horsemen. His books of poetry were filled with epic verse of their great hunts. Of their heroic battles as young men fought the plains bison in one on one duels to achieve their manhood. And of their contests of arms, events that involved thousands of horsemen and their spears and lasted for weeks.

In his thoughts the horsemen had always been heroic figures, simple honest men who didn't waste their days in the pursuit of coin like others. People of honour and integrity. So unlike the people that had called Lampton Heights home. Or at least the city.

But apparently it wasn't to be. In their six days they had spent crossing the plains, they had seen not a single horseman.

“
Company.”

Thymis gave the call from the front of the lead wagon while the rest of them were thinking about setting up camp for the evening, and everyone looked up. He was right.

Heading for them across the fields of grass and clover was a wagon. A wayfarer's wagon. A wagon that he knew was bringing supplies for him, and which would then guide his family the rest of the way back to the temple.

They'd been quick. Which he realised could only mean that the Lady was taking his words seriously. That was good. He knew he was right even if he didn't quite know how he could be so sure. And if they were rushing to bring him his supplies so that he could run for the central wastes and Garen Fell, then they were surely sending as many others as they could find as well. Shifters. Soon he would be running with his brothers and sisters.

“They're here for you?”

His mother asked the question even though she knew the answer. She'd been there in his dreams as he'd spoken with the lady. She knew the plan.

“Yes.”

“
You don't have to go.”

“
Yes I do. This is my battle as much as it's everyone else's.”

He hated saying it. Especially when he could see tears forming in his mother's eyes. But it was the truth. This battle was for all the people. It had to be fought. And in the first instance it had to be fought by the shifters. No one else could cover the ground that needed to be covered quickly enough. No one else could be there before the Dicans, ready to fight. And there just weren't that many shifters to begin with. They needed every one they could find.

“Besides I know the wastes and how to cross them. I'm fast and I can fight and I won't be alone. And in the end all we have to do is to clear a path and hold the enemy until the army arrives. And the white wrath makes a powerful weapon. I'll be all right.”

“
See that you are.” His father was no happier than his mother, but he was better able to hold his emotions back.

“
I will.”

They waited in silence for a bit as the wayfarers drew nearer, no one really knowing what to say. Except for Adain who didn't really know what was happening and was happily playing with his toys in the back of the wagon. He seemed to be building some sort of castle out of his blocks. It was a surprisingly long wait.

“How in all the hells?”

Dorn was shocked when he saw the wayfarer's wagon finally pulling up to their camp site, Eris and Sena on the seat. It wasn't possible. In the three and a bit weeks since they'd last met in his home, he'd covered surely two hundred leagues on foot to head west to Alador and then another hundred and thirty north east as they travelled to the ancient temple. Even if they'd left with him on horseback they wouldn't have been able to keep up. Not through the forests. In that squeaky wagon it was even more unlikely.

Besides, they were heading for them from the north west in a wagon, when they'd arrived in the old fort on horseback. So somehow they'd actually ridden all the way back to the ancient temple from his home and then gathered a wagon and ridden out to meet them as they made their way to Balen Rale. How had they even known to begin that journey?

And yet he knew he shouldn't be surprised. There was some sort of magic at work here. And they were sun elves. They had magic. Besides, it seemed to be their task in life to bother him.

“Dorn?” His mother was immediately worried by his outburst. Though she surely couldn't imagine that the wayfarers posed them any risk. Their white hair was a badge of peacefulness.

“
Not to worry. I'm just surprised to see these two. That's all.”

“
Oh?”

“
They were at the fort when I left.”

“
Your fort?” She stared at him suddenly. “So that's Sena? She's pretty. You didn't tell us that.”

Dorn groaned quietly. Women! What was wrong with them? In the middle of this war his mother was busy matchmaking. But he knew that there was nothing he could say, and still less that he should. So instead of answering her he jumped down and went to greet them.

“Hail.”

“
And to you Dorn Clearwater.”

Eris greeted him with a smile while Sena looked away for some reason. Eris looked tired Dorn noticed. As if he'd been driving for a very long time. And maybe he had. How else could they have covered so much distance so quickly in a very slow wagon? But they were in peaceful lands at the moment. He could rest up for the remainder of the day if he needed to.

“You've brought the white wrath?”

“
Fifty pounds and all of it wrapped in oiled paper. Also hundreds of steel arrow tips. Some heavy clothing and a thick blanket for the nights. A map, the best we have. And some food and medicine. It will be a very heavy pack.”

Dorn didn't care about the weight. He was a shifter, a lot stronger than most on two legs, and much stronger again on four. What he cared about was the fact that they were doing as he asked. And that if they were bringing him the supplies he needed they would also have done the rest.

“Others are on their way to the heart of the wastes?”

By which he meant other shifters. He would run the journey alone if he had to and depend on his speed and skill in hiding to get him through. But he would prefer to have others with him as he ran.

“Scores, maybe more. The eleven have called for others to join you and the call is being answered. Those who come are being given packs of weapons and supplies, and told what we know of the lands. The dangers that they will face. And they will have a way to run to reach the northern pass. Some have left already and may actually be ahead of you.” Eris jumped down and waved to him to follow.

“
Then I should set off.” Which he should. But even as followed the sun elf to the back of their wagon to pick up his supplies he knew he had questions. How did Eris know that others had already left the temple when they had surely been in the wagon for many long days to reach them? Were they in communication with the temple even here? Or were they somehow moving much faster than they should? Could one of the sun elves be a traveller? It would explain a lot. And why was Sena still sitting there on the bench staring off into the distance as if she didn't want to look at him?

The supplies in the wagon were all waiting for him, packed up into tight bundles so they could fit into his pack, and he grabbed a decent armful of them. Eris grabbed another armful and together they marched to the back of his family's wagon. But even as well packed as they were Dorn wasn't certain they would all fit. The pack might bend and stretch a little, but there were limits. Still, he started packing them in. Pushing the little bags of the white wrath into the bottom of the pack and forcing the air out of them as he did so.

Soon he had all of them in the pack at least, and was working on some of the other items even as Eris returned with another armful. And as he worked he had to fend off the attentions of his mother and sister, both of whom were standing there, crying, and telling him he couldn't go. His father was there as well, standing off to one side and looking stoic. But he said nothing. Dorn understood that. He understood it all. And still there was nothing he could do about it. He had to go. So he kept packing.

“
You should be careful around the northern Eteris ranges. There's supposed to be trolls there. And Rocs.”

Sena appeared from nowhere to give him advice he already knew. She seemed worried. As worried as his own family. But she had no need to be. She didn't understand just how capable he was becoming as a soldier. How many battles he'd fought and won through. Even he was surprised by that though.

It hadn't been that many months ago that he'd been simply hiding away in his home, safe from the world. Then he had thought it was the only way to survive. Now it seemed his life was becoming one battle after another. One journey after another. And there was danger at every turn. Yet despite his fears he was surviving.

Of course journeying into the very heart of the wastes was taking things to a whole new level of danger.

“I know that. I can handle them.”

And he could. Knowing that there would be trolls ahead he'd spent many days gathering the right stones as they travelled and crafting volcanic glass arrow heads. Troll skin might be so thick that it would resist most arrows but the incredibly sharp rock glass would still puncture it. And when the time came and they had to face soldiers instead the steel arrow tips they'd brought would puncture armour. As for the rocs it was mainly a question of looking out for the huge shadows they cast as they flew overhead, and then moving quickly. Rocs were dangerous but they were slow to change direction or to rise or fall in the sky. At least so the stories claimed. He'd never seen one so he couldn't actually be certain.

Goblins were more of a worry for him. He couldn't really use his bow against them because they swarmed. Take down ten or a dozen and there would still be hundreds more coming for him. In the end it would be about avoiding them if he could, and choosing his battlefield carefully if he had to fight. There was a verse written about Kir the Great who had single-handedly fought an entire tribe. He had done it by simply picking his field of battle as a narrow bridge where the goblins could only come at him single file. And then with his swords he had sent hundreds plummeting to their deaths on the rocks below. One on one they were easily killed. But the chances of finding a place like that to stand were small.

“
Not on your own. You will need company. Do not go in there alone.”

“
I won't. But I've been doing well enough on my own thus far, and I've prepared.” He patted his pack which was now filled with the white wrath they'd brought for him as well as the steel tips they'd provided and all the other supplies they'd brought for him. His quiver beside it was almost overflowing with rock glass tipped arrows for the trolls. “Besides, you already know others are making the journey. I'll meet up with them along the way.”

“
We wayfarers could help you find the best roads.”

She surprised him with that. It was almost as if she was offering to help him on the journey. Even to go into battle despite her people's natural pacifism. And maybe she was right in some ways. Maybe she could make his travelling faster in places. It seemed that either she or her brother had some sort of gift for travelling. But he doubted she could do much when he left the roads. And in any case it wasn't possible. He sighed, suspecting she wasn't going to like what he had to tell her. Even though she knew it anyway.

“We have a deal Sena. You are here to bring my family to safety in Balen Rale, relieving me of my burden so that I can travel into the heart of the wastes. If you change that deal, if you no longer bring my family to Balen Rale then I am no longer free of my burden and will have to travel all the way to the temple first. Is that what you want?” He knew she didn't. And yet she seemed to take her time to come up with an answer. And then when she failed to find one she just hung her head in failure.

“
Good.” He took that as a win. “Get my family to safety.  Please.” And that was really all that mattered to him. It was all that should matter to anyone.

“
But -.” There was no but. They both knew that. Which was why she had no more words to get out.

“
I'll be fine.” And then while she stood there looking as though she wanted to either burst into tears or yell at him, he kissed her. He didn't intend to. He didn't think about it. He just did it. And it was nice. Pushing her back into the wagon a little, bending her just slightly backwards and laying his lips on hers. She didn't resist he noticed. And she tasted very good.