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Authors: Jonathan Moeller
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themselves.
Ridmark.
Calliande heard a voice.
Caius, telling a story.
“And then Ridmark, Kharlacht, and Lady Calliande returned from the kobold village,” said Caius, “and we ran back to Thainkul Agon as fast as our legs could carry us.”
An amazed laugh answered him. “You truly did that?” It was a young man’s voice, deep though it cracked every few words. “Truly?”
“Aye,” said Ridmark. “It was the best plan I could think of at the time. And it is only God’s grace that we are not all dead.”
“So then the kobolds raised their own dead and sent them after you?” said the boy. “That’s monstrous.”
“No,” said Caius. “No, I fear something far darker than a kobold shaman set those creatures after us.”
Calliande’s eyes opened, and she sat up.
“Shadowbearer,” she said.
The others fell silent.
Calliande sat near a campfire, wrapped in a blanket. It was night, and the firelight illuminated an empty clearing. Ridmark, Caius, and Kharlacht sat around the fire, talking to the curly-haired boy she had seen at the river. Her head throbbed, and she felt a bit woozy, but in no danger of falling over.
“Calliande.” Ridmark knelt next to her, one arm holding her steady. “How are you?”
“Still alive,” she said. “Which is more than I expected.”
“Yes,” said Ridmark. “Those undead kobolds. Caius said you think Shadowbearer sent them after you. Did…”
“Aye,” said Calliande, rubbing at her aching head. “Aye, he did.”
“That many kobolds,” said Ridmark. “Those must have been all the kobolds left in the village of the Blue Hand.”
“They were,” said Calliande. “He killed them all and sent them after us. After me, specifically.”
She felt a chill. If she had been at Dun Licinia when the kobolds caught up to her, hundreds of people might have died.
Ridmark frowned. “If he could find you, why not come after you himself?”
“I don’t know,” said Calliande. She took a deep breath and got to her feet, Ridmark helping her up.
“You can stand?” he said.
“I think so,” she said. He let go of her arm, and she took another deep breath, and then another. The clearing did not spin around her.
“Why are you here?” he said.
“Following you,” said Calliande. “I…” She looked at the others. “Come with me and we will talk.”
Kharlacht, Caius, and the boy looked at them for a moment, and then Caius resumed his tale, continuing with their journey from Thainkul Agon to the walls of Dun Licinia. Ridmark led her to the edge of the clearing, out of earshot of the others. A dead kobold lay there.
“Why did you bring a dead kobold to the camp?” said Calliande, wrinkling her nose at the odor. Of course, she had not bathed since leaving Dun Licinia. But she still smelled better than a rotting kobold.
“Because of the scent,” said Ridmark. “There are beastmen loose in the woods, and they think the men from a nearby village kidnapped their females and young. Kharlacht and I encountered them before we found you. I forced their alpha to submit, but if they change their minds, I hope the smell of dead kobold will scare them off.”
“You forced a lupivir alpha to submit,” said Calliande, “and you’re still alive? And unhurt? You speak of the most remarkable deeds like a man discussing the weather.”
Ridmark shrugged. “It was that or have the lupivirii tear out our throats.” He hesitated, looked at the dark trees, and then looked back at her. “Why are you here?”
“Didn’t Caius tell you?” said Calliande. “He is a noble and kindly man, but I doubt he could stop talking to save his life.”
“He told me,” said Ridmark, “but I would prefer to hear it from you. Why are you here?”
“Why did you leave without telling me?” said Calliande.
“You know why,” said Ridmark. “I am going to Urd Morlemoch, and it will probably kill me. There is no need for anyone else to die,” he
Ridmark.
Calliande heard a voice.
Caius, telling a story.
“And then Ridmark, Kharlacht, and Lady Calliande returned from the kobold village,” said Caius, “and we ran back to Thainkul Agon as fast as our legs could carry us.”
An amazed laugh answered him. “You truly did that?” It was a young man’s voice, deep though it cracked every few words. “Truly?”
“Aye,” said Ridmark. “It was the best plan I could think of at the time. And it is only God’s grace that we are not all dead.”
“So then the kobolds raised their own dead and sent them after you?” said the boy. “That’s monstrous.”
“No,” said Caius. “No, I fear something far darker than a kobold shaman set those creatures after us.”
Calliande’s eyes opened, and she sat up.
“Shadowbearer,” she said.
The others fell silent.
Calliande sat near a campfire, wrapped in a blanket. It was night, and the firelight illuminated an empty clearing. Ridmark, Caius, and Kharlacht sat around the fire, talking to the curly-haired boy she had seen at the river. Her head throbbed, and she felt a bit woozy, but in no danger of falling over.
“Calliande.” Ridmark knelt next to her, one arm holding her steady. “How are you?”
“Still alive,” she said. “Which is more than I expected.”
“Yes,” said Ridmark. “Those undead kobolds. Caius said you think Shadowbearer sent them after you. Did…”
“Aye,” said Calliande, rubbing at her aching head. “Aye, he did.”
“That many kobolds,” said Ridmark. “Those must have been all the kobolds left in the village of the Blue Hand.”
“They were,” said Calliande. “He killed them all and sent them after us. After me, specifically.”
She felt a chill. If she had been at Dun Licinia when the kobolds caught up to her, hundreds of people might have died.
Ridmark frowned. “If he could find you, why not come after you himself?”
“I don’t know,” said Calliande. She took a deep breath and got to her feet, Ridmark helping her up.
“You can stand?” he said.
“I think so,” she said. He let go of her arm, and she took another deep breath, and then another. The clearing did not spin around her.
“Why are you here?” he said.
“Following you,” said Calliande. “I…” She looked at the others. “Come with me and we will talk.”
Kharlacht, Caius, and the boy looked at them for a moment, and then Caius resumed his tale, continuing with their journey from Thainkul Agon to the walls of Dun Licinia. Ridmark led her to the edge of the clearing, out of earshot of the others. A dead kobold lay there.
“Why did you bring a dead kobold to the camp?” said Calliande, wrinkling her nose at the odor. Of course, she had not bathed since leaving Dun Licinia. But she still smelled better than a rotting kobold.
“Because of the scent,” said Ridmark. “There are beastmen loose in the woods, and they think the men from a nearby village kidnapped their females and young. Kharlacht and I encountered them before we found you. I forced their alpha to submit, but if they change their minds, I hope the smell of dead kobold will scare them off.”
“You forced a lupivir alpha to submit,” said Calliande, “and you’re still alive? And unhurt? You speak of the most remarkable deeds like a man discussing the weather.”
Ridmark shrugged. “It was that or have the lupivirii tear out our throats.” He hesitated, looked at the dark trees, and then looked back at her. “Why are you here?”
“Didn’t Caius tell you?” said Calliande. “He is a noble and kindly man, but I doubt he could stop talking to save his life.”
“He told me,” said Ridmark, “but I would prefer to hear it from you. Why are you here?”
“Why did you leave without telling me?” said Calliande.
“You know why,” said Ridmark. “I am going to Urd Morlemoch, and it will probably kill me. There is no need for anyone else to die,” he
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