The Temple of Heart and Bone (38 page)

Chance looked at Drothspar and
then turned away. She regretted the disappointment she’d felt. It was so easy,
she thought, to misunderstand him. No face for expressions, no eyes to read.
Even so, he still had a heart—somewhere. Which really mattered more? She
realized she was defending him from herself, as if her own disappointment had
been an attack against him. It was all so odd.

“Where did you learn the trade,”
he asked her softly. She turned to look at him and she could feel the color
rise in her cheeks.

“I, uh, well...,” she said,
twisting where she stood. “I learned it—”

She broke off abruptly as
Cardalan entered the room.

“Our mounts are ready, it’s time to
leave,” he said. He held the door open into the courtyard. Chance hefted her
travel pack quickly and headed outside. Drothspar watched her leave and then
stood to follow.

“We’re staging by the gate,”
Cardalan told them as they walked through the torchlight. “Twenty men will be
going with us; we’re to act as a light scouting unit. We’re not going out to
engage the enemy,” he explained, “but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Don’t
get spread out and don’t fall behind. We just don’t have the men to mount a
rescue.” Cardalan led them to three saddled horses held by grooms. “You’ve all
ridden before, I take it?”

Chance took her reins from the
groom and flowed gracefully into her saddle. “Yes, Captain,” she said with a
smile. Drothspar walked up to his horse and started to put his foot in the
stirrup when the horse shied away.

“Are you all right, Drothspar?”
the captain asked seriously. His look clearly indicated that he needed the
former priest.

“It’s been a few years,”
Drothspar answered in his hollow whisper. The eyes of the horse opened wide and
his ears flickered nervously. Drothspar walked slowly up to the animal and
patted it gently on the neck. “It’s okay,” he whispered softly to the horse,
“it’s okay.”

The animal began to relax slowly
and the grooms stepped up to hold the reins while Drothspar mounted. Slipping
his foot into the stirrup he climbed into the saddle, though less gracefully
than Chance. The horse stared back over his shoulder, certain there had been
some mistake. He had expected the weight of a man and Drothspar was
considerably less. “Think of it as a windfall,” Drothspar whispered as he
continued to pat the horse’s neck. The animal eyed him suspiciously then turned
its head to the front.

“Sergeant,” Cardalan called, “is
everything in order?”

“Yes, Sir,” a thick, grizzled man
replied. He sat solidly on his horse and his face was serious.

“Very well, Sergeant, form up and
move out. I’m going to inform his Grace that we’re leaving.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Drothspar and Chance fell in
behind the soldiers as they started to ride toward the gate. The air was cool
and moist, carrying the scent of the flowing Vistel. Drothspar continued to
soothe his animal and Chance wore a broad smile. The men, the horses, even
Drothspar and Chance felt the excitement of setting out at night.

The
small company passed through the streets of Arlethord guided by their own
torches. Here and there, lights glowed above street level, evidence that some
of the citizens were preparing for an early day. One or two curtains were
pushed aside to watch the horses clatter by in the street. The sergeant leading
the column kept the pace slow to keep down the noise. Drothspar also suspected
the man didn’t want to get too far ahead of his captain.

They were challenged at the city
gates, but the sergeant won them passage. Just after they rode out of the city,
Drothspar and Chance heard the staccato hoofbeats of two horses moving quickly
behind them. The horses paused briefly at the gate and then cantered through to
join the column. One of the riders was Captain Cardalan, the other was a woman
that neither Drothspar nor Chance had seen.

If Cardalan had been upset by
Chance’s decision to join the company, he now looked to be near a fit of rage.
He rode straight-backed in his saddle, his form crisp and clean, but his face
was a deep scarlet. The color of his face was enhanced by the amber torchlight
which also highlighted his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. He said nothing to
his companion but rode directly to the sergeant. He issued one terse order and
the column picked up its pace and headed east. The woman who was accompanying
Cardalan fell back to the end of the column with Drothspar and Chance. She
followed along without saying a word. Her eyes were fixed eastward and she kept
quietly to herself.

Cardalan rode with his sergeant
at the head of the column. Before the sun broke over the horizon, Arlethord was
miles behind. The city stood out in sharp relief illuminated by the morning
sun. It seemed small as it sat crouched amidst the golden fields surrounding
it. The crisp light of dawn made it look as if it were merely a toy within easy
hand’s reach.

The sun’s light shone directly
before them as they rode into the forest. It glistened and sparkled between
tree trunks and leaves, flickering, flashing, and stabbing into their eyes.
Woodland animals took startled glances at the swiftly moving party and bolted
quickly away. Birds spread warnings in songs and screeches while the sun
continued to rise.

Drothspar had been watching the
actions of the soldiers in the column. They rode with discipline and training,
but he caught their covert attempts to question each other. He could tell by
their glances that they were curious about their guests. To his surprise, they
seemed more concerned about the woman who had come with Cardalan. She wore the
same chain armor and surcoat that each of the soldiers wore. He had assumed
that she was one of Ythel’s retainers. He could tell by the soldiers’ whispers
that he had been wrong.

As he looked at the woman who
rode slightly behind him, Drothspar noted the color of her face and hands. What
the darkness had masked, the sun now revealed clearly. This woman had come from
Sel Avrand! Not as pale as the citizens of the West, this woman’s skin was a rich,
golden tan with just a hint of red. Her features were finely cut, and her skin
warmly accented her beauty. A wealth of thick, black hair framed her face and
rose and fell with the strides of her horse. Drothspar was certain he was
seeing one of the most beautiful women he had ever encountered; her back was
straight and she exuded a power and command that would have challenged Ythel,
himself. Her eyes burned with a cold fire, as if just by staring she could
level a path clear to their destination.

“They are curious about me,” the
woman said to Drothspar without warning. “And so are you, I see.” There was no
trace of self-consciousness in her voice. Her words came easily in a fluid,
almost musical accent. Drothspar nodded in acknowledgement. Chance, who overheard
the woman speak, turned her head to listen.

“My name is Vae,” the woman
continued. “I am to be a part of this expedition. There is no reason to contest
this decision. For you, as for me, there is no choice.” Her words were spoken
with a note of finality.

“We don’t ‘contest’ your
presence,” Chance spoke up. “We are not really
with
the soldiers up
there.” Chance nodded her head at the soldiers behind Cardalan.

“You ride with them, don’t you?”
Vae asked.

“Don’t you?” Chance retorted. Vae
stared hard at Chance without saying a word. Her head tilted slightly to the
side and she nodded her head once.

“I suppose I do. What is your
name, child?”

“My name is Chance, and I am not
your child.” Chance regretted her choice of words instantly. Vae’s proud face
softened slightly and her eyes widened. She looked for a moment as if she’d
been slapped.

“No, you most certainly are not,”
Vae said softly. She drew in a deep breath and sighed. “Who is your silent companion?”
she asked brusquely. “A man of the cloth?”

A wry smiled flashed across
Chance’s face as she looked at Drothspar. A man
made
of cloth, she
thought to herself. Drothspar’s head swiveled to face her and the smile fell
quickly away. How did he know, she wondered.

“In a manner of speaking,” Chance
replied after a moment’s hesitation. “His name is Drothspar.” One of the
soldiers who rode in the rear of the column sat up stiffly as he heard Chance.
He did not turn, nor did he say a word, but his scarred face flushed slightly.

“Does he speak?” Vae asked.

“He’s had some problems with his
throat lately,” Chance said. Well, that was true, she thought to herself. “He
doesn’t speak very often now.”

“I see,” Vae said. “As it
happens, I have some skill with herbs and unguents. Perhaps when we have
leisure I can be of assistance.”

“Perhaps,” Chance said
noncommittally.

Cardalan looked back along the
column as their conversation drifted to his ears. Drothspar noted a worried
look on his face. Cardalan put his heels to his horses flanks and the column
picked up its pace to match. Conversation was no longer possible as the wind
tore at their faces. They kept that pace until Cardalan decided the horses
needed rest. He slowed the pace of the column to a walk and fell back to talk
with Vae.

Drothspar and Chance kept up with
the soldiers while Cardalan and Vae dropped some distance behind. It was
approaching noon when Cardalan rode back to the head of the column to call a
break to their journey. His men found a clearing large enough to provide space
for themselves and their horses. Within minutes, a small fire was burning and
rations were passed out to the soldiers and their guests who sat in a ring
around the fire.

Cardalan stepped into the center
of the circle. His face was concerned, almost worried. He looked for an instant
as if he were considering jumping in to the fire, itself. The soldiers who had
been talking around the fire grew quiet as they looked at their commander.
Cardalan cleared his throat several times. He was stalling. He already had
their attention.

“Most of you know,” he began,
“that we are heading east to scout certain conditions that have recently been
brought to our Lord’s attention.” He looked meaningfully at Vae. “We have
guests with us who are vital to our mission. I expect them to be given
every
courtesy. His Grace, our commander, tells me that they are to be treated as his
family. All of them. If anyone has a difficulty with that, I will deal with
that man personally. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Sir!” the men replied as
one.

“Very good,” he said. “Many of
you have already noticed that Vae,” he pointed to the beautiful, armored woman,
“is from Sel Avrand.” He watched his men closely for signs of dissention. “She
escorted the Emissary who brought news of this situation to our Lord Ythel. She
is vital to our mission. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir!” the men replied.

“You will also have noticed that
we have a priest and another woman with us today. They are also vital to our
mission. His Grace, himself, has asked them to accompany us.” Cardalan grimaced
and stared hard at each of his men. “Do you men trust me?” he asked. His men,
not expecting the question looked around at one another for a hint of what to
say.

“Yes, Sir,” came the reply
sporadically. The sergeant looked at them menacingly. “Yes, Sir!” they said in
bold unison.

“Very well,” Cardalan continued.
“I want you all to get a good grip on yourselves. Understand that I am aware of
this situation and that I would not bring anything,” he paused looking for a
word, “
evil
among you.” He looked into each man’s face. “Do you
understand me?” The men looked from him to their sergeant.

“Yes, Sir!” they chanted.

“Would you come up here please,
Sir,” Cardalan said to Drothspar. Drothspar got to his feet and stepped up next
to Cardalan. Chance was slightly pale and staring hard at Cardalan. Vae eyed
the standing pair curiously. The soldiers looked like children waiting for
story time. “Once again,” Cardalan said loudly, “I ask you men to keep
yourselves calm. Some of you will know this man, others will not. I guarantee
you, none of you will recognize him.” He turned once again to Drothspar. “Will
you lower your hood, Sir?”

Drothspar heard Chance gasp. His
hand rose to the peak of his hood and he slowly pulled it down over his skull.
The soldiers stared transfixed at the figure of death before them. Their eyes
widened and their faces paled. It was a tribute to their discipline that none
of them moved from their place.

“Drothspar?” one of the men said
unbelievingly.

A sudden hiss and a scramble of
feet and steel was all the warning they had. Vae leapt to her feet and her
sword whistled out of its scabbard. She drew back her hand and swung her sword
with all of her might straight at Drothspar’s neck. The sword sliced through
his lowered hood as Chance caught the woman around the waste. Cardalan looked
at his men who still sat motionless around him.

“Subdue her!” he shouted at them.
“Gently!”

The men sat for a moment longer
as Vae and Chance tussled on the ground.

“Now!” Cardalan barked.

The men jumped up and moved to
separate the women as their sergeant kicked them forward. It took four men to
hold Vae down and another two to pry the sword out of her hand. Two other men
helped Chance to her feet. Once she was standing, Chance hurried over to
Drothspar to see if he was okay. She pulled his hood around to show him the
slice in the cloth.

“Close,” she said, breathing
heavily.

“Get away from me!” Vae screamed at
the men holding her down. “Kill it! Break it! Burn it! Why are you stopping me
when you have an abomination before you?” Tears flowed freely from her eyes,
but her teeth were bared in anger. “Get away from me or I’ll kill you all with
him!”

Cardalan, who had been more
concerned about his men’s reaction, looked at Vae as if seeing her for the
first time. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked her directly.

“It’s an abomination, I tell you!
They kill without mercy! This is why we came to you, why we came to the West!
He’ll kill you! He doesn’t feel anything! They’re gone, all gone!” She screamed
until her words became unintelligible. She struggled against her captors, but
her efforts became weaker as she cried. Chance tried to place a folded blanket
under the woman’s head, but Vae spit in her face as she came close. Chance
stood up and wiped the saliva from her face with a look of distaste.

“Fine,” she said, and dropped the
blanket on the ground.

Cardalan looked around the
clearing. The men who weren’t holding Vae were standing warily away from
Drothspar, their hands near their weapons. Cardalan shook his head.

“All of you, calm down!” he said
loudly. He looked directly at Vae. “That means you, too!” She looked at
Cardalan with hatred burning in her eyes. He shook his head with resignation.
“Let’s get everything straight here.”

“Vae came with the Avrandian
emissary to tell us that they were attacked by an army of the dead. Of course,”
he said with a note of irony, “that would seem pretty farfetched if it wasn’t
for Drothspar here.” He paused and watched as his men nodded in agreement. “Our
mission is to ascertain the threat this army presents to the West and to see if
there is any possibility to aid our… friends… in the East.

“Vae, as a witness to the
aforementioned attack, is an invaluable asset to us in this mission. Drothspar,
as he is what he now is, will also provide insights into the abilities of our
enemies. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” a few of the men
answered.

“I said, ‘is that understood?!’”
Cardalan shouted at his men.

“Yes, Sir!”

“Drothspar, do you have anything
to add here?” Cardalan asked.

“I am sorry,” Drothspar said in
his deathly whisper, “to have startled you all. Believe me when I say that no
one was more startled than I when I realized what I had become—”

“It speaks!” Vae shouted in
disbelief. Her eyes widened and her hatred focused on Drothspar. He could feel
her malevolence washing over him in waves.

“Are you saying that the creatures
that attacked you couldn’t speak?” Cardalan asked quickly.