Chapter 2
Villains in the Dark
  Alan noticed the flick of Stormy’s tail as it disappeared into the forge shop. He thought about continuing to the house to start packing, but decided he needed to speak with Stormy first, so she would be ready to explain his disappearance to his father. Walking faster, he followed into the darkness.
  Once his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he was surprised to see Stormy standing right in front of him. She seemed hurt and angry; tears sparkled from the corners of her eyes.
  “Do you think I am so heartless, master, that I would want to stay behind while you go?” Stormy asked tearfully.
  Alan didn’t know quite what to say. This wasn’t going at all like he had imagined! “Stormy, I?” he started.
  “I belong in the family, isn’t that what you said?” she demanded. “Then don’t I have the right to help too? To help save my sister?” Her voice held cold tears, and Alan began to think that he might have been wrong to ask her to stay.
  “Stormy, I wanted you here to help pa.” he said quietly, “And to keep an eye on Mary for me while I was gone.”
  “Mistress Jasmine and Alice can do that.” Stormy argued. “You want to go headlong into danger with only one friend to guard your back. Is it not my right to guard it too?”
  “Of course it is.” Alan soothed, “and I guess I was blind not to see it. You can come. It’ll save me buying a horse, and I would have you over any horse any day.”
  Evidently, she expected more of a fight out of him, for she opened her mouth though no sound came. She did that twice more before squeaking her thanks, and clutching him tightly around the middle. From out of the corner she produced her saddle and saddlebags, and he helped her get ready.
  Grabbing his shovel, he went to his largest anvil and, with a heave, pushed it over three feet. Digging where it had stood, he quickly unearthed an iron box and lock. Pulling the key from his pocket, he opened the lid and pulled the bag of gems from their resting place. Counting them quickly, he tied them securely and hid them in Stormy’s saddlebags. They would be safe there.
  Puttering around his forge, he put the last of his tools and the shovel away. Going to the section where he kept the weapons he had crafted, he selected three boar spears for each of them, and a large axe he had made for a guard who had refused to pay. Tying them onto the saddle as well, he handed one to Stormy and whispered “I’ll be back in a minute.”
  Sneaking quietly to the house, he eased in through the kitchen and found it deserted. Everyone was still upstairs with Mary, he thought. Moving as quietly as he could, he snuck down the hall to his room and pulled his bag from the corner with his bow and quiver. Grabbing a spare set of clothes and spare cloak, as well as extra bowstrings, his belt knife and some extra arrows, he crept downstairs.
  In the kitchen, he grabbed what supplies he could, pausing each time his fumblings made a sound. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice, and he was able to pack enough food for three weeks. He’d fill his empty waterskins at the spring before they left the village.
  At the door, he was surprised to see Jasmine step in. She looked at the bow on his back and the bag in his hand in silence. Her searching gaze eventually settled on his face, and Alan tried to school his features to stone.
  “I’ll give you a piece of advice, before you go.” she said softly. “The road is not what you hear in traveler’s songs and talks. They are dangerous, filled with bandits and raiders. Strangers will try to befriend you only to cut your throat in the dark and take everything. As for the pa’grund themselves...” She took a deep breath. “They are sly and tricksome folk, which will always do what is in their best interests, or what they see as their best interest, at the time. Do not let them have an inch when negotiating, or you will find that what you bargained for is not what you intended. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut, don’t let your temper get the better of you, and above all stay close to your friends. Now you had better get along, before John finds out what you are doing.”
  “Thank you.” Alan whispered as he slid past her out the door. He felt her hand squeeze his arm as he passed, and then she was gone.
  Out in the courtyard Stormy stood impatiently, her bags bulging and her spear held loosely in her hand. She waited for Alan to slide on before setting out at a gentle trot.
  They passed out of the courtyard and turned down the road to the far side of the village and the dark tangled forest beyond. Alan twisted in his saddle to watch the house for a few minutes. He wasn’t quite sure what he was searching for, but he still looked. Just before the house left his sight, he saw a curtain move in the window. He fancied he saw two dark shapes looking out at him before the distance grew too great, and the house was reduced to generalities.
  He found Tobias near the well at the spring, sitting on the ground with his boar spear sitting crossways on his knees, his great bow beside him. Nearby was a slim red horse with a deep chest that arched its proud neck and whinnied. Surprised, he looked at the horse closer.
  “Isn’t that Jeb’s horse, Old Red?” he asked.
  “Yeah.” Tobias replied casually. I talked Jeb into selling him.”
  “But he was his racehorse. How did you convince him to sell?”
  “Well, it wasn’t easy, but I gave him one of my stones, saying I had found it by the old tree with the curled roots out in the swamp. He seemed to think one of the miners had dropped it, but took the swap. He could buy two racehorses with it anyway.”
  “True enough.” Alan agreed. “Well, let’s fill our waterskins and we can be off.”
  It took only the work of just a couple of minutes to fill their skins, and then without a word, they went off. Alan feeling grim, Tobias evidently thinking; of what, Alan shuddered to imagine. Stormy was as grim and silent as Alan. Only Red, tossing his head and prancing in excitement, actually seemed eager to set off.
  Regardless they set a rapid pace and the dark branches of the forest rapidly shaded their path to almost a gloom similar to early evening. Dark twisting branches twined around each other above them; here and there a squirrel chattered at them or ran rapidly around the trunks. A forest cat, disturbed in its hunt, snarled at them before fading back into the underbrush.
  No birds sang however and Alan thought that was a very bad sign. It was unusual to go on a journey without hearing a bird or two. He wondered briefly, if it was the jungle cat’s fault. Perhaps he had been hunting them? Regardless, he ignored it and pushed on.
At midday, they paused for lunch near the trunk of a large pine tree, whose branches had shaded out the undergrowth so that a small clearing could be found. Alan pulled some jerky from his pouch, Tobias pulled out a loaf of bread and tore a hunk off, and Stormy pulled out a wedge of cheese, and baked bread for herself. They ate for only a few minutes, before continuing on.
  Slowly the day grew dim. Shadows lengthened as the sun went down. It began to get very dark, and Alan searched for a campsite. But this section of road was rough and rocky and there was no place to camp. Alan wondered if it would be possible to continue after dark. He felt that it might be a bad idea, and he redoubled his efforts to find a campsite.
  Like Providence itself, a small clearing emerged from the gloom on their left. It appeared to have been made by a fallen tree, which had pushed the others out of the way to form an open spot in the canopy. That must have been done quite recently, there is no sign of fresh growth as one would expect. It must have come down in the storm. Well, let us hope that there is nothing else using the space!
  Hobbling the horse, Alan pulled the blankets from Stormy’s pack and laid them on the ground. Stormy made a small campfire from the dried branches of the log. Tobias was out hunting, he thought he could get a small deer after seeing a track at the root of their nearest neighbor. Indeed, he had only been gone for a few short minutes before he came back, a hart slung across his back. He sat down and began to clean it.
  After the meal, they lay in their blankets. Alan could find no sleep that night, staring at the sky above, wondering if Mary would be all right. He rolled over, trying to find rest. But there was no sleep, his eyes refused to stay closed and dreams eluded him.
  Getting up from his blanket, Alan started circling the camp, eyes peering into the night. I will stand watch, he decided. After all, if I cannot sleep I might as well do something useful.
  Dawn found him there, leaning against the trunk of a tree, watching the gloom lighten ever so slightly. When he began to see the road easier, he roused Tobias and Stormy. Breakfasting, they rolled their blankets, placed them in the bags, and set off.
  Stormy thought it was unfair of Alan to stay up all night to guard them. She chastised him as they went, but soon gave it up when he did not answer. Alan was grateful for the silence. He was too worried and concerned about his sister to concentrate on a conversation. There would be time enough later, he thought, when Mary is healthy again.
  They had paused near a running creek for lunch when the roar of a jungle cat interrupted them. The beast leapt from the ferns on the far shore of the creek, clearing the water with a single bound. Alan grabbed his boar spear and set his feet. Tobias cursed while he reached for his bow, knocking an arrow as soon as he had founded. He let fly! The arrow zipped past the whiskered face, and the cat charged towards him. Alan gave a bellow and rushed forward himself, spear stabbing in front of him. But he was not as fast as Stormy. With a shriek like a teakettle left too long on the fire, she rushed in.
  The cat snarled and snapped at her, but she did not flinch or waver. Jabbing at the hindquarters before twisting the spear to stab at its neck, she gave a cry as a spear tip drew blood.
  Backing off slightly, their enemy took stock of its situation. It had been wounded; blood trickled down its shoulder. Its prey was armed, alert, and there were many of them. With a flick of its tail, it jumps back across the stream and fled up the far shore. Tobias loosed another arrow at it, and it’s yowled as its barb parted the hair on its head and stuck, quivering, in a tree nearby.
  “Why did you go and miss him for?” Alan asked.
  “I wasn’t aiming to kill him.” Tobias replied. “We have no need for the meat, and besides I thought we were in a hurry. There is no time to skin him, and like is not he will not come back tonight. That arrow will ensure that he thinks twice before sneaking back.”
  “True, true. I suppose you are right.” Alan said softly. “There was no need to kill the beast. Like as not it was starving. Just to be safe, however, we should light the fire tonight and keep careful watch.”
  “As long as you don’t try to stay watch all night yourself.” Tobias told him seriously. “If you go another night without sleep, you will be asleep yourself when that cat comes to take you.”
  “Oh, very well.” Alan surrendered. “But I could not find sleep last night, and I doubt I shall find it easier tonight either.”
  “Master Alan,” Stormy said crossly. “You will find sleep tonight, or I shall tie you to my back tomorrow, and not let you off until you do sleep.”
  “Yes my lady.” Alan laughed heartily. “You all seem in league against me. What am I to do, but submit?”
  Stormy blushed slightly at his words, but seemed pleased at the promise that he would sleep well. Personally, Alan did not think he would even if ordered to, but he would try for his friends.
  After the encounter with a jungle cat, they decided not to remain very long. After filling the water skins, they moved on. They turned to dust, and was again they were looking for a new camp. This time, however, Alan wanted something more defensible. Just in case that cat comes back, he thought. He rather doubted it would, but it would be best to be ready in case.
  A small hole, ringed by rocks, gave away the position of a traveler’s previous camp. It had been abandoned for some time; however it was perfect for what Alan had in mind. The traveler had decided, apparently, that he needed protection at night and had cut down a pair of trees in a form of a defensible L-shaped bunker, with plenty of sticks wedged in the holes.
  That seems pretty extreme. I wonder what this fellow was afraid of? Bandits perhaps? There was no way of knowing for sure, just to be on the safe side however, he searched long for traps. Finding none, he went ahead and laid his blanket on the ground.
  The small watchfire they lit crackled and burned with merry light, giving off little smoke, and warded off the chill of night. Alan said he would take first watch, but Tobias refused.
  “If I let you take first watch,” he said. “Then I suspected you would let us sleep till dawn, no matter how tired you were. I will be fine, and I will wake Stormy for next watch. If you like being tired in the saddle, then you can have the last watch, and wake us when the sun rises so we may be off on the trail.”
  “As you wish.” Alan said. Rolling over in his blanket, he closed his eyes.
  Sleep did not become easily to him, and when he did drift off, his dreams were filled with strange visions of dark shapes and flashing teeth. He woke with a yelp, but it was only Stormy waking him for his watch.
  Watching her sleep, Alan felt peace. He was merely overreacting, that was all. The stress, that’s all it was. Nothing more. He would be fine come morning.
  The snap of a branch was all the warning he had. Turning quickly on his heel, he spied the gleam of two eyes in the dark. The cat had come back! He must be hungrier than I thought. Readying his spear, he set himself against the inevitable charge.
  That charge never came. The eyes remained, watching. Alan realized that so long as he stood watch, the cat would not attack. It would not risk another injury. But neither, it seemed, would it simply give up and search for easier prey. It would be up to him.
  Rushing forward silently, Alan stabbed. The cat roared, the emerging finally from the brush with snapping teeth and gleaming claws. The roared turned into a shriek of pain, has Alan drove his spear into its shoulder. This was no mere scratch, that the cat could easily brushoff. This was a great hole, from which its very lifeblood poured onto the ground. He scrambled back, whimpering. Alan advanced, spear at the ready. Pity moved in his heart, and he wished he had not harmed the creature so. But there was no choice. The wound was too severe, the cat would not survive.
  “I am sorry.” He told it. “I wish there had been another way.”
  He thrust. There was a sharp yowl, and then silence. Alan bowed his head, it was done.
  A touch on his shoulder made him turn around. There Stormy and Tobias stood, looking worried. Tobias had his bow in hand, though no arrow was nocked. Stormy had no weapon.
  “Well,” Tobias said. “Since we are all up anyway, and the sky is starting to brighten, we might as well have breakfast and then we can be on our way.”
  “I suppose you are right.” Alan replied. “I will bury the cat. We wouldn’t be able to eat its meat anyway. Besides, it’s too skinny. Most likely it has not been eating too well, I’d wager.”
  “Well, I myself am not too sure of that. But, I will let it go. Besides, I wasn’t in the mood for cat anyway.”
  “When is anyone?” Alan asked, laughing. Tobias laughed as well. Everyone knew that forest cat had one of the foulest tasting meats of any game.
  Returning to the camp, Alan found the breakfast fire had already been lit, and a small pot was already sitting on it just starting to boil. It looks like we are about to have a fine tea, Alan thought.
  Just as he was thinking this, Stormy lifted the pot from the fire, and started pouring into the cups. Gratefully accepting his, Alan peered at the leaves inside. Chamomile, or I am the fool. He briefly wondered if it was chamomile because of his stress, but let it go. If this were so, that his friends were only trying to help him, and he deeply appreciated it.
  As he sat enjoying his tea, Alan briefly wondered how Mary was doing. He sent a quick prayer to Mira asking her to intervene. Returning the teacup to its place, Alan saddled up.
  The day’s journey passed smoothly, with no interruptions. Alan was relieved to hear birds singing in the branches. I hope that means that there is no cat watching us. He kept a careful watch, just in case.
  About midday, the road changed from a dirt path to set stone. The flat rock rang loudly under the shod hooves of the centaur and horse.
  “We must be getting close to Crossroads.” Tobias remarked.
  “I think you’re right.” Alan replied. “If I remember what I have heard, then we should get there about dusk.”
  “What is Crossroads?” Stormy asked.
  “Crossroads is a large town sitting at the juncture where the two main roads meet.” Alan told her. “I have not heard much about it, other than it is very different from home.”
  “Different? In what way?”
  “Well, from what I have heard it is large enough to hold our village twice over, with room to spare. It is filled with people from all corners of Aelynn. Slaves, merchants, soldiers, all kinds live in Crossroads. As well as thieves, so we must be cautious.” Alan said seriously.
  “Agreed.” Tobias said. “Which brings us to the matter of paying for an inn. We probably do not have enough to pay for rooms.”
  “I brought what earnings I could.” Alan told him. “It should be enough to pay for rooms for the night.”
  “That would be nice.” Tobias rejoined, “but that money will not last us the whole journey, we will probably end up having to buy supplies.”
  “What are you driving at?” Alan asked.
  “Well, I have a little saved up myself. Consider it an opening stake. I understand that they have games of chance there. Perhaps we could win enough to pay for rooms?”
  Alan shook his head. “No.” He said firmly. “More than likely, they will cheat you of your money. And you will lose far more than what you will learn.”
  “Well, you’re probably right.” Tobias agreed. “Perhaps we can play in the common room? You did bring your flute?”
  Alan hesitated. He had brought his flute, and while he accounted himself a fair player, he did not think he could compare to the troubadours who generally played in common rooms. “No,” he decided. “While we may end up having to do that later, I do not think there is much need to do so now. If we are frugal with our money, then we should have enough to get us to Hells Gate.”
  Tobias did not argue. No doubt, he had wanted to have some excitement and adventure in the common room tonight. Alan had a terrible feeling he would get it. They would have to be there anyway, to pick up news of the Pa’grund. Alan wanted as much information as he could get before he actually faced them over the negotiating table. He said as much to Tobias, who grunted and rode ahead.
  They rode in silence after that, concentrating on the trail ahead. Alan strained his eyes, trying desperately to see the end of the road. If they could not find the town soon, they would have to camp tonight and enter the town in the morning. Alan did not want to waste the whole day there, looking for news. But, the sky grew ever darker and he began to fear they would not get there that night.
  Just as he was beginning to look for a camp, the road left the forest without warning. A great clearing lay in front of them, sloping down from a hill to a valley. At the bottom, was a great cluster lights. It must be the city, Alan thought wondrously. He had never seen so many lights, even when his whole village had all their lanterns on. It did not seem possible to him that so many could live in such a small area. He shuddered, as he imagined living cheek to jowl with so many. Just outside the lights, he could see a dark shape encircling the whole expanse. He frowned, wondering what it was. Then he realized that it was a great log wall that fortified the town.
  “I’ve never seen so many people.” Tobias whispered in awe. Alan suppressed a grin. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who was in shock.
  “Let’s go down.” Stormy groaned. “My hooves could use a rest, and it would be nice to have a roof over our heads this evening. It looks like rain tonight.”
  Alan agreed. Now that he was out from under the branches of the trees, he could see that the darkness of the sky was not all from the setting sun, but the dark gray clouds that blotted out the glowing orb.
  “Well then, let us hurry on then.” He said.
 
  At the great wooden gate stood two uniformed guards lounging with their spears standing loosely at their sides. One of them was fatter than the other, and had more knots on his coat. Alan assume these knots were signs of rank, and he guessed right when the fat man hailed him.
  “Halt. What business do you have in Crossroads?” He asked gruffly.
  “I am Alan Eagleheart, son of John Eagleheart. My companions are Storm Walker, and Tobias Granger. We come from Boggington and are looking for rooms. Could you direct me to one?”
  “But what brings you this way?” The man asked, ignoring the question.
  “Merely traveling through, my good guardsmen. And I do not want to be delayed.” Alan said firmly.
  “Well then, you won’t mind continuing on.” The guard said grimly.
  “Well, I had hoped for a good inn and a decent night’s rest from the cold ground.” Alan admitted. “Also, I seek news of Hells Gate.”
  The answer had the desired effect. The guard’s eyebrows shot clear to his hairline and his companion gasped. “What madness possesses you to go there?” He asked.
  “My sister is very sick. I was told that that pa’grund have medicine that can heal her.” Alan said softly.
  “Aye, I’ve heard that myself.” The guard admitted. “And if your business be true, then I’ll not stop you from having a last night’s sleep. You’re a braver man than I.” The guard bowed them in.
  Alan nodded gravely as he passed the man with Tobias on his heels. The door boomed shut behind them, locking them into the town.
  The main square of Crossroads was cobblestone except for the center, where a lone tree stood growing straight and tall. Alan wondered with the significance of the tree was, but decided he didn’t need to know. It was irrelevant to him, and he began to look for a good inn.