Keeper of the Realms: The Dark Army (Book 2) (19 page)

‘Can you stand? Wait, no of course you can’t.’ Bending his knees, Nibbler shuffled as close to Charlie as possible. ‘Put your arms round my neck.’

When he felt Charlie’s hands grip him he stood and tried to move forward. Charlie screamed in agony as her ruined leg scraped along the ground. Nibbler immediately stopped.

The sound of Stonesong grew louder. The scrape of boulders being pushed aside and the clink of armour echoed into the cavern. The soldiers were coming.

‘Which way did Darkmount go?’

He followed Charlie’s wobbly finger to the discreet tunnel half-hidden in the shadows at the far side of the cave.

‘Charlie, I’m sorry, we’ve got no choice. You have to hold on. You have to.’

Once again Charlie screamed as her leg was knocked from side to side, but Nibbler gritted his teeth and, ignoring the terrible sound, continued to drag her forward. As they inched towards the tunnel, Charlie’s cries turned into bubbled moans of agony.

‘I’m so sorry, Charlie. I’m sorry, so sorry.’ Nibbler repeated the litany over and over as guilt plucked his conscience. But he simply couldn’t afford to leave her behind. If he allowed her to be captured by the Stoman soldiers worse things would happen to her, of that he was certain.

Reaching the tunnel, he gently deposited Charlie several metres in then hastened back to do his best to disguise their escape route.

Hearing the soldiers and glimpsing the dark flicker of approaching Shades, he set to work slashing and burning at the tunnel mouth until it collapsed in a pile of rubble,
leaving the two of them in darkness. Nibbler wasn’t sure how his makeshift handiwork looked from within the cavern, but he hoped it was enough to disguise the tunnel at least long enough for them to make good their escape.

Blowing a small jet of flame to illuminate the way, he trotted over to Charlie. She had passed out and no matter how much he tried he couldn’t wake her. Quickly he tore part of her shirt into strips so he could bind her arms together. Wriggling his neck between her wrists, he did his best to ensure the bulk of her weight rested across his back. Struggling upright, he lurched forward and heaved Charlie along.

For what seemed like an endless, horrifying stretch of time Nibbler followed Darkmount’s path until it eased its way out from the depths of the ground, to reveal an exit silhouetted against the blue of a dawning sky. Nibbler poked his head round the corner and, seeing no sign of Darkmount or any other potential threat, dragged his friend into the light.

Spreading his wings to capture the oncoming wind, he took flight with his precious cargo strapped perilously to his back.

With both the Western Mountains and the Slumbering Hills behind him the Stoman boy headed down into the low country. Walking through crooked canyons and past rocky outcroppings he made his way through the harsh landscape.

Yet as hard and as unforgiving as the stony countryside was it still felt like home. It was scenery that he was familiar with and his village, even further south, was only two days’ walk away. Tired but happy, the boy felt as though his trip had been a success. He had sold his rock fruit and crystal flowers for a surprisingly high amount. With the war going on and Bane demanding that more and more soldiers join his armies, the merchants, normally serpent-tongued and oily-fingered, had been only too happy to pay twice the normal rate for his wares. His rock sisters and brothers would be happy and perhaps for once he might be able to put a smile on his father’s brooding face.

A shadow flashed overhead. It narrowly avoided slamming into a rock spire, but in its efforts to right itself careered into the canyon’s wall in a shower of dust and pebbles before bouncing off and losing altitude. Lower and lower the thing flew, its trajectory wobbly and ungraceful.

The boy flinched, fearing it was another Wyrm or even another pack of those wild, evil-sounding crows. But once his heart had stopped hammering and he actually managed to open his eyes, he realized that the odd shape was in fact a Winged One – with someone hanging hazardously off its back.

The boy watched open-mouthed as the odd pair barely made it over the far wall before disappearing. Without thinking he shrugged the pannier off his back and rushed down the canyon, towards where he assumed the Winged One and its passenger had landed.

26

A New Arrival

Nibbler waited for the cramp to subside before attempting to close his wings. His shoulders ached and he was sure that his skin was bleeding where the fabric binding Charlie’s wrists together had cut into his flesh.

Wearily he snaked his head from between Charlie’s hands, then used his teeth to gently cut her free. Shaking loose the dust that clung to his head after his brush with the local landscape, he tried to stand on unstable legs and investigate Charlie’s injury. But his muscles gave way and he collapsed in a further explosion of dust. Too tired and too weak to move, he dragged himself closer to his friend.

Shutting his eyes, he breathed deeply in an attempt to recover his strength.

When he opened them he found, to his surprise, a young Stoman standing in front of him.

‘Back off!’ he growled, and tried once again to struggle to his feet. Failing to regain his footing, he bared his teeth and hissed out a warning jet of flame.

The Stoman hastily retreated, but didn’t disappear. Instead he stood out of harm’s reach and stared with curiosity at both Nibbler and Charlie. The Stoman, although somewhere
in his teen years, was to Nibbler’s mind still a potential threat. His long lean frame was wrapped in tight muscle and even though he didn’t carry any obvious weapon Nibbler wasn’t about to let down his guard.

‘Back off, I said!’ Summoning all his strength the Hatchling pulled himself upright and staggered forward.

Surprisingly the young Stoman didn’t retreat, but bowed deeply. ‘Winged One,’ he began in a soft but well-spoken voice. ‘I mean no harm. I-I only came to see if I could offer some help.’

Nibbler didn’t know what to say. It was obvious that he was in dire straits yet he was wary of allowing anyone he didn’t know close to Charlie.

‘Don’t … trust … him …’ groaned a voice.

Turning round he found Charlie revived, but her eyes barely open. Disturbingly and somewhat frightening to behold, a flicker of both black and gold flames flittered and fizzed round her fingertips.

‘Can’t … trust … strangers … can’t … trust …’ Charlie’s eyes rolled up in her head and with a long shuddering sigh she passed out. Thankfully the shadowy flames disappeared too.

Nibbler didn’t know what to make of the change coming over Charlie’s Will. Neither too, by the look of things, did the Stoman. Eyes wide, the boy took a step back.

‘Is-is she OK?’ he asked.

‘What does it look like?’ snapped Nibbler, fear for his friend causing him to grow angry. ‘She has suffered more –’

‘Winged One,’ interrupted the boy. ‘I can help.’

‘You what?’

‘I can help.’ The Stoman pointed at Charlie. ‘I can heal her leg.’

Nibbler hesitated. He stared at his suffering friend and her cruelly twisted shin, then back to the Stoman boy with his large brown eyes and honest expression. Realizing he was risking everything, but also aware that he and Charlie were in terrible jeopardy, he struggled to reach a decision.

‘OK,’ said Nibbler at last. ‘But don’t hurt her. She … she just can’t take any more. OK?’

The boy nodded. Walking forward, he knelt by Charlie’s side so he could better study her wound.

‘It’s a bad break,’ he muttered, talking more to himself than Nibbler. ‘It’s fractured and … No matter. This I can fix …’

Shutting his eyes he began to sing, his hands taking on a soft blue glow.

‘Whoa! Whoa! What do you think you’re doing?’ asked Nibbler, alarmed by the presence of stonesinging so soon after his fight beneath the Stubborn Citadel.

The soft blue glow disappeared when the boy stopped singing. ‘It is my Stonesong. I need it if I am to heal her leg. With it I can manipulate the calcium in her bone and the iron in her marrow.’

Nibbler hesitated before consenting.

Once again the boy started to sing and when his hands glowed blue he gently placed them on Charlie’s shattered leg.

‘First for the difficult bit. This will hurt your friend, but it will be quick.’

Without waiting for Nibbler’s permission, he yanked Charlie’s shin straight. It was a violent motion and it obviously pained Charlie as, even unconscious, she arched her back. Strangely enough the boy’s glowing hands seemed to have a calming effect and Charlie stirred no more after that.

Bowing his head, the boy began to chant a simple melody with a lilting voice. His hands glowed brighter, the blue colour grew more intense … and then he stopped.

‘It is done,’ he said simply. Rocking back on to his heels he waited in a crouch.

Nibbler, still eyeing him with slight misgivings, padded over to inspect Charlie’s leg. Leaning in he sniffed at her leg. ‘It’s still bleeding,’ he said accusingly.

‘Of course, but I have welded her bone back together. It is as good as new. Winged One, if your friend was awake now I am certain that she would be able to walk again.’

Nibbler looked at the boy with new-found wonder. ‘Amazing. But what about, you know … all the fleshy bits?’

‘Stonesinging has its limits. I can mend bone, but healing flesh is a talent that only lies with Treman healers. Surely you should know that?’

‘It’s a long story,’ grimaced Nibbler, not keen to explain yet again why his education was lacking. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked as the boy pulled a length of thread and a needle from the small bag he wore at his waist.

‘This? Well with the weight of the rock fruit that I carry to the market, my pannier often breaks so I have to repair it all the time. I thought I could use this to stitch her wound and … oh, wait a minute! I must recover my pannier. It has
my pot in it and we will need it if I am to sterilize the needle and thread.’

‘Sterilize the thread?’

‘Sure, to stop any chance of infection. And if I look around I’m sure I can find some Birolac Stone.’

Nibbler looked confused again. ‘Birolac Stone?’

‘It has healing properties in it. Please, Winged One, I will be back in a moment.’

‘Wait!’ urged Nibbler. ‘How do you know all this stuff?’

The boy smiled brightly as fond memories filled his head. ‘My uncle. He taught me everything I know about the healing ways of Stonesong.’

Nibbler nodded. ‘One more thing. What’s your name?’

‘Crumble Shard,’ said the boy. With a final smile he jogged off.

Nibbler hesitated, uncertain of what to do. Part of him wanted to snatch Charlie up and see if he could fly her all the way to Sylvaris where he knew he could get her the best medical attention. But as much as he had recently grown, he was still too small to fly long distances with a passenger. Indeed it had been pure luck that when fleeing from the Stubborn Citadel they had been gifted with strong winds and high altitude. Without similar conditions he doubted that he and Charlie would get far. He too needed to rest, find some food and grow stronger. For the moment it seemed that Charlie was, relatively speaking, safe.

What of this Stoman?
he thought to himself.
Is he as genuine as he appears?

The boy
seemed
genuine and although Nibbler was deadly serious about preserving Charlie’s safety he also felt
as though he had a natural intuition for reading a person’s character. Narcissa, Darkmount, even Flint the Councillor had immediately struck him as people with hidden agendas. However, he felt no niggling doubts about this boy.

Besides
, thought Nibbler and shrugged,
right here, right now, what choice do Charlie and I have?

Settling down with one wing wrapped protectively round his friend, he waited for the return of Crumble Shard.

27

Doubts and Decisions

Charlie awoke with a gasp, her fingers scrabbling round her neck to find that her nightmares were indeed true.

Her pendant was gone.

‘Darkmount,’ she whispered and clenched her hand into a fist. ‘My parents …’

Charlie’s voice faded as she realized how completely she had failed in her task. Looking past her own family’s concerns, she also had to acknowledge that she had let Bellania down too. Without any hope of freeing the Winged Ones there would be nothing to stop Bane. Nothing to stop his dreams of conquest. Or if there was, Charlie had a suspicion that it would be Darkmount with his new god and his terrifying dreams of forcing his beliefs on Bellania. Neither prospect held any hope or joy.

Thoughts, ideas and doubts danced through her brain, and the more she dwelled on recent unhappy developments the more she became aware that something had changed within her. A darkness, physical and very much alive, lay coiled within her chest. She could feel its strength, its power and somehow she couldn’t help but welcome it.

Looking down, Charlie was pleasantly surprised to find
her leg cleaned and bandaged and when she wriggled her toes she felt no pain. Uncertain of the cause of this minor miracle, she struggled to her feet and, even though she felt sore from minor aches and bruises, she did genuinely feel fit. She smiled as she looked at Nibbler sleeping next to her. Her faithful companion, one she could trust beyond all others. Her smile faltered as she noticed a young-looking Stoman asleep on the far side of the camp fire.