The Winds of Crowns and Wolves (15 page)

“In fact, you have a role all to yourself,”
Fenris laughed darkly.

“You are meant to infiltrate the Castle
Leirwold, Neach,” he began. “Once it has been done you will wait
for our word, but until then, you remain silent and out of sight,”
Fenris concluded.

“If you are discovered within the walls of
the city, Henrig will have you killed, I have no doubt,” he said as
a thick dark cloud seemed to hang over every word which emanated
from his mouth.

Neach understood. Though he wished the
circumstances could be more favorable, he relished the idea of
maintaining an individual purpose within the community of his new
brethren. Leirwold was a full day’s travel from the island. If he
left now, he would arrive in the morning, as the sunshine first
struck the edifices of the Castle.

“How is it you came to the island, Neach?”
Fenris inquired.

“Up north, through the meadows below the
mountains, directly from the city,” Neach replied.

Fenris mulled over the new information for a
few moments before he spoke again.

“There is a much easier path, if you wish to
follow it. Go south from the mountains and over the river that lies
near to its base. From that river, you will arrive in a village
called Jorwel. One of your brothers, Tyrin, lives there now. He’s
only a few years older than yourself, perhaps you two will strike
up a conversation,” Fenris stated into the empty air.

Neach brewed over the possibility for a few
seconds and a smile quickly wafted across his face. This would be
the first time he would meet someone from the House outside of
Fenris and Daniel.

“From Jorwel you will go South to Endal and
West through the Forest of Light,” he continued with due diligence.
“Once you leave the Forest of Light, Leirwold will be near in the
forefront of your view,” Fenris finished. “I trust you will like
the Forest, some say it’s full of magic,” he said as he stood to
his feet.

“Go now, your horse will be waiting across
the water, I have set his accommodations in order for these last
few weeks, so you should find him in good health,” Fenris smiled as
he revealed this piece of information, “Rine, isn’t it?” he asked
with the smile spreading wide into an unabashed grin.

Neach nodded in agreement as Fenris’s
leathery hand patted him on the back stiffly. He walked away, back
into the forest, as Neach sat on the edge of the rocks that were
found on the peninsula. Neach gazed out for a final time at the
mainland which would hold him in its grasp for the foreseeable
future. With a turn to the south, Neach headed into the forest
behind Fenris and toward the beach where the boat he would use to
cross the ocean was located.

By now, the clouds had cleared overhead and
the sun shone down upon Neach’s back as he untied the boat from the
rocky shore. The water looked calm, and as he dipped his toes in, a
cool sensation spread throughout his body. He could not remember
the last time he had swum for pleasure. As a boy, he spent the warm
days of summer swimming in the river near his home. Its flowing
tide was gentle enough to maintain one’s position, if they could
stand on the sandy bottom.

It was as clear as the view from atop the
mountains in his foreground, and the water shimmered in the
burgeoning sunlight. As the final knot was untied from the bow of
the boat, he pushed it into position. Adroitly, he placed one foot
inside and swung the other over simultaneously.

Waves lapped up against the outside of the
boat, but none threatened to do any serious damage. Across the
narrow strait and around the protruding rocks, Neach navigated his
way onto dry land again on the other side. His feet touched down on
the mainland of Duncairn for the first time in the better part of a
month and a smiled expanded across his face.

In front of him, Rine stood eating carrots.
He had been untied recently, but stayed fairly motionless in the
same place that Neach had left him. His hands found Rine’s mane, as
he stroked it gently while burying his head in his neck. He had
missed his companion, and now they were reunited. A few minutes had
passed before Neach was mounted atop the grand old horse again.
With a crash of the reigns, the two headed off for the
mountains.

The wind blew through Neach’s lengthening
hair and he threw his hands his into the air with joy. To be
reunited with Rine after the time that had passed was liberating
for the young man. He held a connection with the horse that was
unlike anything a human could offer him. As his hands came to rest
back on the reigns, the pair made a turn toward the flower fields
that lie at the base of the mountains. With reckless abandon, Neach
and Rine hurdled toward the rocky cliffs.

Minutes later, they were scaling the same
mountain path that had led to such treacherous events en route to
Rosalia. There was a new found confidence about Neach; he travelled
with the head of a grown man who had seen the trials of life, but
moved with the agility of a man who maintained his youth in
stature.

For now, Neach put everything out of his
mind. He focused solely on the mountain flowers which seemed to
grow out of nothingness, the birds that flew at the highest heights
near the peaks of the range, and the rabbits who came out of
hiding, as Rine’s hooves hammered into the ground. He closed his
eyes momentarily and soaked in the surroundings. Each individual
piece coalesced into a mosaic of bliss that was, quite literally,
music to his ears.

His morale had increased astonishingly since
he sat on the peninsula with Fenris, but it was not long before
Neach contemplated the ramifications of the looming King.
Fortunately for Neach, he did not know the route very well, so as
he came to the base of the mountain on the other side, he began to
think of his next movement.

Up ahead, he saw a river off in the
distance. Heeding Fenris’ advice, he set course for the small
stream that separated the northern portion of Duncairn. As the two
approached the water, it looked as if it would be simple to ford.
With minimal hesitation from Rine, Neach urged the horse’s hooves
into the river and they began to cross it. On such a humid day, the
horse would have been thankful for the refreshing task.

There was no defined path to the village
that Fenris mentioned, but Neach understood that it was directly
south of where he had crossed the water. With a crack of the reigns
again, Neach and his horse flew toward their destination. The water
ran alongside them before they were separated from it. To the West,
there were simply fields. Minimal elevation and no community to
speak of, Neach looked ahead once again.

Nothing could be seen in front of him, but
as the minutes passed, a small consortium of homes could be seen
far off into the distance. As Neach grew closer, he realized there
were hundreds of these small collections of huts. Surrounding a
central area, the village of Jorwel was made up of thousands of
homes, made of thatch and wood. Smoke billowed from the tops of the
outermost huts and Neach breathed in the wood fire as he entered
the village limits. There was no official entrance, only a
separation between two small glorified corn houses.

It was by no means wealthy. The people of
the village were as dirty as those in Spleuchan Sonse, if not
dirtier. The largest difference between his home and this place was
the lack of an agricultural presence. Once he entered the village,
he did not see a single tilled field. There must have been a
secondary source of income for the population, but it was unlike
anything Neach had ever known growing up. All around the town
people could be seen hauling bundles of wood. Neach immediately got
the impression that there was a plentiful stock of trees somewhere
near to the settlement, and they used that to barter for the other
necessary goods in their lives.

No words were spoken that Neach could hear.
Occasionally, a muddled sentence would be shouted, but for the most
part they were silent. They did not pay any mind to the man riding
into their village on horseback; it was as if they had become
accustomed to it. What that meant, Neach was unsure, but it was
encouraging to ride freely without demands of his reason for being
in the town.

He passed through what must have been
hundreds of homes before he arrived at a significantly larger
building. It was constructed from the same materials as the rest of
the homes that surrounded it, only it was about four times the
size. As his eyes fell upon the distinctive marker at its peak, a
smile erupted across the breadth of his face.

Emblazoned on a large piece of wood that was
carved into the shape of a shield was the crest of the House
Goedwig. Its vibrant color scheme provided a stark contrast to the
drab browns and grays of the wood smoke and timber.

Neach broke Rine into a trot and they slowed
as they approached the entrance to the large structure. Outside, a
man waited with an axe in his hand. He couldn’t have been much
older than Neach, if not for the jet black beard which was
protruding from his jaw line. The contours of his muscles were on
display in his sleeveless shirt, and his hair was tied back in a
ponytail and braided.

For Neach, the sight was both welcoming and
frightening. Even though there appeared to be little difference in
their age, the young man proved to have a daunting physical figure
and tenacity in his stature.

“What brings you here, sire?” asked the
young man.

“I recognized the crest from afar, I believe
we are brothers,” Neach replied.

“Ah, yes, Fenris had sent word that you may
be arriving here in the coming days. Neach, isn’t it?” The young
man inquired.

“Indeed it is, I have been travelling for
quite some time, would you mind if I stopped here for a short
time?” Neach asked.

With a glance to his right, the young man
nodded and opened the massive wooden doors to the home. As Neach
entered, he patted Rine on the shoulder and turned his gaze toward
the interior of the lodging.

“The name is Tyrin,” the now named young man
said.

Tyrin was an especially impressive physical
specimen. He lacked the size that would be expected of a warrior,
but what muscle he did have appeared to be completely refined.
Neach had only been working at his physical side of fighting for a
few weeks, and the insecurity had already begun to creep in.

His hair appeared to have been laced with
soot, and his face bore the dirt marks of a man who worked long
days. His jaw bulged out and resulted in a consistent demeanor of
authority.

“I assume you are aware of our situation,
Neach,” Tyrin asked the new member as he sat down on an ornately
carved wooden chair that was located in the center of a room that
was adjoined to the initial entrance space.

“Yes, I am,” Neach replied timidly.

“Then I suppose you may be curious as to why
I would choose to identify myself with the crest on the outside of
the building, correct?” Tyrin again asked intent upon receiving an
answer of his choosing.

In full honesty, Neach hadn’t had time to
contemplate in the slightest the placement of the crest high above
the door frame, but when it was mentioned it seemed to make
sense.

“That crest is worth my life, brother, and
you’d do your best to either contribute to the cause or stay out of
our damned way. They have come recently; nothing will stop them
from coming in the near future. If you aren’t going to be of
assistance, I suggest you stay out of sight,” Tyrin stated
aggressively.

It became immediately apparent to Neach that
something had soured this relationship before it had even begun;
surely two men around the same age as each other could get on
fairly well. Without the slightest thought, Neach asked the
question that had saturated his mind.

“Do you have a problem with me?” Neach asked
with a new found authority.

Tyrin smiled as if to say that he approved
of the confidence required to approach him with that tone.

“We do, Neach. You see, I and the other
brothers of this House have been training since our birth to carry
out the duties that are required of us. We have shed blood for that
crest, both our own and other people’s. It does not come without a
large price and you-you appear out of nothing, a few weeks ago, and
are entrusted as a full member of this legion,” Tyrin
concluded.

Neach wasn’t sure how to respond, but he
knew he would have to use caution as to not create an even larger
rift with his fellow brother.

“With the deserved respect intact, Tyrin, I
have abandoned the life that I once led, in order to serve this
House. My commitment and my deserved position is not something I
have decided for myself. If you have a problem, you should consult
someone of a higher position of authority than me,” Neach said as
he stood up from the table they were sat at.

Tyrin looked on with a burning gaze and rose
simultaneously. Without any warning, he grabbed Neach by the shirt
collar and threw him against the wall.

“You think you can just come into my house
and speak with such disdain? I am your brother, we are one,” Tyrin
said as he released Neach from his iron grip.

“Maybe you should consider reading from the
damned ‘book’ a little more. It would do you much good,” Tyrin
stated angrily as he left the room.

Neach stood motionless for a few moments
before gathering his breath again. The warm afternoon air beckoned
his name

He took a step outside and breathed in
deeply. The last few weeks had been nothing but difficult since his
departure from Spleuchan Sonse. For the first time, he longed for
the solace of his bed at home in his village. He yearned for a
celebration at the hall like they had when he came of age. He
missed his parents and yes, he even missed his wretched,
unfettered, malice-ridden brother.