far she had found nothing. Her back hurt from fighting the reins and she was ready to turn the cart toward her home in the Silver Forest. At the moment a nice cup of hot mir by her fire sounded better than the finest of clarified stones.
Yes, that was it. As soon as she passed this next bend, she would turn and head back. Away from the darkling Karpon and his barbarous guards.
She had just about completed her circuit when she discerned a slight movement on a heap of offal. A riat, she thought; they liked to burrow through such refuse. Nothing more.
A faint moan traveled the night wind.
The sound was agony on the lips of something barely living.
The old woman paused. There was something out there that the guards had tossed out for dead. Immediately she turned the cart in the direction of the sound.
Karpon was dangerous, but she was not concerned about Karpon. Something or someone needed her out here in this offal pile. Spying a heap of rags and wounded flesh, she pulled the cart up short.
Jumping down, she hobbled over to the broken mass. Whether it was man or beast, she could not tell, for it was so badly mangled. She bent down slowly in deference to the soreness in her back and pushed the bundle onto its side.
A terrible groan of pain rattled from its chest.
By the two moons’ light she could see that it once had been a man.
He was in a very bad way. From a cursory glance it looked as if he had been beaten and tortured…and maybe worse. There was no telling what he had looked like originally—not that such a thing would concern him anymore. Whatever comeliness he had once possessed was gone forever.
Not that it mattered. He probably wouldn’t live long.
But she would try to help him anyway.
She put her face close to his ear so he might hear what she was saying and focus upon it despite his pain. “I do not know if you can hear me, but if you wish to live then you must help me. I am too old to lift you by myself. There is a cart here…if you can aid me, I will attempt to get you into it. You must try not to call out, no matter the pain; Karpon’s guards are near.”
Compassionately, she took his hand in hers. She didn’t expect a response; the man was too far gone. A few moments passed while she debated what to do.
The hand weakly squeezed hers. He was attempting to tell her that he had heard her and wanted to live!
The old woman’s eyes gleamed. Mayhap she could save this one from being another of Karpon’s victims. “Yes, I understand, my poor friend. We will try.” Placing his arm around her shoulders, she told him she was going to stand.
It was difficult and for a moment they almost toppled over together, but she was able to steady him. His entire body shuddered but he did not cry out. He was brave, she realized, saddened that he had been so unlucky as to fall into the hands of Karpon’s guards.
The cart was right next to them, and somehow she managed to shove and push and pull his mangled bodyinto the back. He twisted and convulsed from his pain, but he still did not cry out.
Finally she had him in the cart. Covering him with a worn blanket, she scrambled back to the front seat and slapped the reins.
She was going to help him fight to live. The idea brought new energy to her tired body.
It wasn’t until they were far away in the Silver Forest, where no one could hear him, that he let out his agony. A wrenching cry of utter pain came from the depths of his soul.
It was a sound she would never forget.
Chapter Four
For most of the night, Gian led them across the extensive meadows and glades that surrounded the keep. Karpon’s family estate was vast, covering a massive territory, and it took them most of the night simply to leave his land.
They paused at a crossroad in a field on the edge of Karpon’s territory. Before them the land dipped slightly; to their right lay another pathway.
Gian looked up at the night sky. “There are three Tunnel points on this world.”
“Yes. Do you
Yes, that was it. As soon as she passed this next bend, she would turn and head back. Away from the darkling Karpon and his barbarous guards.
She had just about completed her circuit when she discerned a slight movement on a heap of offal. A riat, she thought; they liked to burrow through such refuse. Nothing more.
A faint moan traveled the night wind.
The sound was agony on the lips of something barely living.
The old woman paused. There was something out there that the guards had tossed out for dead. Immediately she turned the cart in the direction of the sound.
Karpon was dangerous, but she was not concerned about Karpon. Something or someone needed her out here in this offal pile. Spying a heap of rags and wounded flesh, she pulled the cart up short.
Jumping down, she hobbled over to the broken mass. Whether it was man or beast, she could not tell, for it was so badly mangled. She bent down slowly in deference to the soreness in her back and pushed the bundle onto its side.
A terrible groan of pain rattled from its chest.
By the two moons’ light she could see that it once had been a man.
He was in a very bad way. From a cursory glance it looked as if he had been beaten and tortured…and maybe worse. There was no telling what he had looked like originally—not that such a thing would concern him anymore. Whatever comeliness he had once possessed was gone forever.
Not that it mattered. He probably wouldn’t live long.
But she would try to help him anyway.
She put her face close to his ear so he might hear what she was saying and focus upon it despite his pain. “I do not know if you can hear me, but if you wish to live then you must help me. I am too old to lift you by myself. There is a cart here…if you can aid me, I will attempt to get you into it. You must try not to call out, no matter the pain; Karpon’s guards are near.”
Compassionately, she took his hand in hers. She didn’t expect a response; the man was too far gone. A few moments passed while she debated what to do.
The hand weakly squeezed hers. He was attempting to tell her that he had heard her and wanted to live!
The old woman’s eyes gleamed. Mayhap she could save this one from being another of Karpon’s victims. “Yes, I understand, my poor friend. We will try.” Placing his arm around her shoulders, she told him she was going to stand.
It was difficult and for a moment they almost toppled over together, but she was able to steady him. His entire body shuddered but he did not cry out. He was brave, she realized, saddened that he had been so unlucky as to fall into the hands of Karpon’s guards.
The cart was right next to them, and somehow she managed to shove and push and pull his mangled bodyinto the back. He twisted and convulsed from his pain, but he still did not cry out.
Finally she had him in the cart. Covering him with a worn blanket, she scrambled back to the front seat and slapped the reins.
She was going to help him fight to live. The idea brought new energy to her tired body.
It wasn’t until they were far away in the Silver Forest, where no one could hear him, that he let out his agony. A wrenching cry of utter pain came from the depths of his soul.
It was a sound she would never forget.
Chapter Four
For most of the night, Gian led them across the extensive meadows and glades that surrounded the keep. Karpon’s family estate was vast, covering a massive territory, and it took them most of the night simply to leave his land.
They paused at a crossroad in a field on the edge of Karpon’s territory. Before them the land dipped slightly; to their right lay another pathway.
Gian looked up at the night sky. “There are three Tunnel points on this world.”
“Yes. Do you
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