Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) (39 page)

There are others like me
. Gelfin’s final words struck back at him filling him with sorrow. Others had suffered and were still suffering from Zadok’s evil. Others had lost their TanIs at his knife and were now somewhere held prisoner by their own flesh and Zadok’s wickedness.
Look for them at the keep
. What keep? He must have meant Raven’s Eye Keep. After all, that is where Zadok was hiding and plotting with his thousands upon thousands of trolls, goblins, and now, orcs. He was gathering them in so he could attack as one great force and wipe out the world of HuMans.
You have been chosen
. But what was he to do against such a horde, and without the Chufeiran trees as an anchor and source of power?

He suddenly felt all hope draining away. They could not stop such a gathering of evil. The HuMans would be overrun and then how long before the Chufa were also destroyed?
You must use your gift to make things right
. But how?

He heard Jne put her sword away and then felt her hand on his back. “Are you well?”

He looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the overwhelming strain and hopeless feeling he was experiencing. “It’s too much to deal with,” he half whispered. “It’s too much for one person to handle.”

“But you are not one person,” Jne answered simply, her eyes fierce from the injustices that Gelfin revealed. “You are Tjal. You are many. All will answer to the call of a Tjal. All will come to your aid.” She shrugged, the intensity of her eyes dwindling slightly. “And I am here with you. You need not take this burden alone. The fight is not over until we are dead. Do not die inside before the steel even enters your heart.”

He watched her for a long moment, taking in her eyes, her face, her lips, all of her. He breathed in the strength seeming to emanate from her and made it his own. The hopelessness lessened some as he held her gaze locked to his. She was right, as she always seemed to be. Though hopeless, they would fight. It is what he had lived for his whole life. What he had always hoped for. Now was his chance to do what he could, to give his life to protect his people. He was no coward. The battle would be fought whether he was there to do his part in it or not. And he would be. He would take this battle to his enemies with fierceness born of justice and love; love of life and love of his people.

Grabbing her arm, he stood. “Thank you,” he breathed. “We will fight. I will not give up this battle until it takes my last breath. I made a promise to my friend many cycles past, that I would never run from danger but embrace it for the good of my people. I intend to hold to that promise.”

Jne smiled, that rare occasion that seemed to almost stop his heart. “You see,” she said, the shadows created by the firelight dancing across her face, “you are learning Tjal honor. We will die together in great glory. We will show them the fury of the Tjal.”

Thane felt intoxicated by her face and her voice. Though he knew the fight was hopeless, he would fight nonetheless. Suddenly, he lunged for her, knocking her to the ground, just as a huge form passed over where they had just been standing. Rolling to the side he was up only a split second before Jne, both with swords out and ready to meet their new threat. Their attacker sat feet away, eyeing them both with a look of excitement that revealed no concern at facing them. Thane paused for a moment, taking in their attacker before suddenly dropping his swords to the ground.

“Erl!!” he yelled running at the wolg and throwing his arms around the huge animal’s neck. Jne’s stance relaxed slightly but she still kept her swords ready as the giant wolg proceeded to give Thane the licking of his life. Thane laughed, rubbing his old friend behind the ears and then embracing him in a great bear hug. “How did you get here?” Stepping back, he stared at Erl, who merely sat loudly thumping his tail against the ground. “Where’s Jack? And Dor? Are they well?”

Jne put her swords away, amazed that Thane kept such friendly company with a wolg. She had never seen one herself but had heard stories from other Tjal tribes, who lived close to the
Underwoods Forest, of the large wolfs and how difficult they were to kill when they attacked. “You keep strange company, Renja of the Chufa,” she said.

Thane looked up at her and smiled. “He is companion to a friend of mine, Jack. He helped save me once when I was lost in the mountains.”

Jne just nodded, not asking the myriad of questions that would be natural for anyone to ask when presented with such a friend and companion. He was a friend to Thane. That was all she needed to know.

Erl whined at his mention of his friends and seemed to become agitated drawing Thane’s attention back to him. “Look at me Erl,” he said with a soft voice. “I must know what you know.” Locking eyes with the wolg, he willed himself forward and quickly felt himself being pulled in. His senses increased as he did so suddenly hearing the horses whinny softly, their scent strangely absent of fear. These were Tjal horses, he reminded himself. They were almost as anxious as their riders to charge into any fight. He figured that they were also aware of their rider’s feelings and neither Jne nor Thane showed any signs of distress. Had they, their horses would have fought to the death to save them.

Then he breathed in Jne’s scent, feeling a little embarrassed at doing so, but not wanting to let go of it either. She smelled almost…he couldn’t quite put a name to it. Wild? Untamed? Free. But there was also something else, something deeper, almost hidden or restrained. It was something like anxiety, but not in the sense of fear, but more like…longing?

He tried to lock onto the feelings that emanated from the Tjal woman but his mind was suddenly overcome with Erl’s own thoughts as they raced through him, washing over him with sights, sounds, and scents. He saw Dor and Jack at the troll and goblin camp. He saw as Jack cut Dor’s hair and then caught the pungent smell as Dor covered himself in goblin dung. He saw Dor
taking the animal like creature that he didn’t recognize and then the fight on the outskirts of the camp.

Thane inhaled with shock and almost lost his connection with Erl when he saw his friend stabbed in the chest. He saw as Jack gathered Dor and, his breath caught again. Was that…Tam? It couldn’t be. She was so different. She was more animal than Chufa. Finally, he saw from a long distance as Jack entered Haykon leading a horse holding two bundles.

Breaking free from his connection, Thane turned to Jne, a tear escaping and running down his cheek. “They’re at Haykon. At least that is the last Erl has seen of them. I’m afraid my friend may be dead.”

Jne took a step forward.
“The girl?”

He shook his head, his eyes dropping to the ground. “No. I know she still lives; at least she was a couple of days ago. No, I’m talking of my friend, Dor. He was stabbed in a fight to save Tam. And unless the HuMans have greater ability than I presume they do, I’m pretty certain his wound would have taken his life by now. Only a Chufa with the QenChe Tane could have even the slightest chance at healing a knife in the chest.”

Jne took another step forward and then stopped. “I am sorry for your friend, Renja of the Chufa. But we can still help the girl.”

He nodded, wanting to give over to the grief he felt for Dor but knowing he didn’t have the time. He still had to help Tam. He had a lifetime to grieve his old friend, and he was certain he would, but he couldn’t give into it just yet.

“We must ride hard tonight,” he suddenly announced. “With Erl scouting in front, we will not have to slow or be as careful. We can make Haykon by morning.”

Jne only nodded in agreement and then rushed to close camp. Thane turned back to Erl, who rubbed his head against his hand and whined slightly as if telling him he was sorry. Thane scratched his ear quickly and then sought again the connection between them. Swiftly making contact, he revealed his need to Erl who seemed suddenly excited and eager to help. He was somewhat anxious about Jack and wanted to see his old friend again almost as much as Thane wanted to get to Tam. It was then that Thane learned that Erl had been wondering in search of him. He smiled and laughed slightly, creating a type of growling sound in Erl’s throat. He had the strangest, yet the greatest, friends he could have ever hoped for.

With Erl out in the lead and clearing the way, they were able to press hard through the night without worrying about stumbling into a HuMan camp or anything else that might be prowling about in the dark. They pushed as hard as they dared, although both knew that their horses would have given more had they asked for it. But neither had the intention, nor the need at this point, to ride their mounts into the grave. The relationship between Tjal and horse was that of mutual respect and concern. Each would give their life for the other.

Though making good time, and covering a great distance quickly, it was still mid-morning before they finally caught sight of the walls that encased the city. Erl didn’t go any further with them at that point and Thane was sad to leave him behind, but a HuMan’s reaction to a wolg was not a welcoming one.

Both slowed their well deserving mounts to a leisurely trot, giving them a much needed rest, as well as slowing their approach, not wanting to race up to the walls and cause suspicion. Time was short, but they had to be smart. It would do Tam no good for them to get arrested and end up in irons in the room next to her.

Jne reached a hand out and touched Thane’s arm. “We will not be welcomed here.”

Thane just stared at her.

“The Tjal are feared by HuMans.” She suddenly chuckled.
“For good reason. But, they will insist we give them our weapons before we enter the city. It makes them feel more secure.” She almost laughed right out this time. Then in an almost conspiratorial whisper she leaned closer to him and added, “They don’t realize that a Tjal is more dangerous without his swords than with them.”

He smiled slightly. It was no boasting threat. From the little he knew of the Tjal, he believed it. Pulling at the cloth tied tightly around his head, he checked to make sure his ears were covered by it and his hair.

Riding northeast, they approached the west gates from the side. They were lucky to be approaching from the west because Jne had said they would not have been allowed to enter from the east. Tjal always had to enter a HuMan city at the main entrance where there were more guards stationed just in case they made a fuss about leaving their weapons. Thane looked at the great wall with guard towers every hundred yards and noticed the activity along the parapet as archers gathered and drew bead on them as they came into range.

He was about to ask her about it but she cut him off. “Have they got archers on us yet?”

He nodded. “As a matter of fact, they do. Should we be worried?”

Jne chuckled. “Cowards,” she breathed under her breath. “No,” she added louder. “This is all part of the welcoming committee for a Tjal when we lower ourselves to enter one of their stinking, disease infested fortresses.”

Thane nodded his understanding but kept on eye on the wall all the same.

He became impatient at one point, thinking it was taking too long and wanted to increase their speed. The horses had had a good amount of time to cool down and he wanted to press them forward to the entrance but Jne countered him.

“A Tjal at the gates is cause to dread, but one at speed’s to be shot dead,” she’d said. “It’s a stupid little lyric, I know, but it’s one the guards are taught almost on their first day of training. So unless we want all of the arrows aimed at us right now to suddenly be let free, it’s the casual pace we have now that must be held.”

Thane didn’t argue. Although he was feeling anxious about getting to Tam, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to just walk in and take her.
The fact that she was so close though, and in their cursed hands, did not make it any easier for him.

Soon enough they pulled up at the large wooden gates strapped in great bands of steal giving them strength and support. Guard towers rose on either side off the massive doors and were checkered with arrow slits. Thane quickly noticed that every slit contained an archer who had drawn his bow and was aiming it at them as they approached. Smaller guardhouses sat just outside the gates snug against the wall where guards could wait to inspect any who entered the city. Jne was somewhat amazed to find that the only activity at the gate today seemed to come from their arrival. No merchant carts or wagons were lined up to enter as was common for a city as large as Haykon.

At least twenty guards met them, quickly spreading out and surrounding them, with weapons pulled and at the ready. Every other soldier carried a bow, an arrow nocked and ready to fire—typical Tjal protocol. Five other guards approached, entering the circle that immediately closed behind them. None had weapons pulled.

“What’s your business here?” one of the five asked while the others split, two going to either side of Thane and Jne.