The Blood Witch (The Blood Reign Chronicles Book 1) (18 page)

The taste of the blood was so temptingly sweet. Jak wanted more; he needed more.

“If you fail in this, I swear, I will hunt you down and kill you both.” He wanted to kill them now, NOW!, Drink them dry, the blood, the sweet blood!!

The terrified look in the eyes of the two imposters, and their synchronized vigorous nods of ascension were enough to convince Jak they would do what he said, at least for a time. In any case, Jak didn’t think his grandmother had that much time left. He hoped his commands to the two disgusting freeloaders were enough. It was all he could do at the moment. He wanted to send these people away. He wanted to kill them, drink them, but he couldn’t leave his grandmother here alone with no one to take care of her.

With a great effort, Jak tore himself away and spun around heading for the door, before he completely lost control. Stopping short of the front door, he paused to collect himself before Nicoldani could see him. Even then, when he exited the house, the big man could tell something was amiss.

“My grandfather died last winter,” Jak said somberly, hoping Nicoldani would believe that, was the source of his distress.

“I’m sorry to hear that Jak,” the big man said sincerely. “Death is always a hardship when it’s someone you care about.

Jak was sure the big man had seen his share of death in his lifetime, and knew what he was talking about. However, the sympathy Nicoldani displayed was not feigned.

After a moment, Nicoldani continued. “Will we be leaving the girl….”

“No!” Jak cut him off sharply, “we are not leaving Gin here. Those people are.. are….terrible. I won’t leave her with them.”

“I see,” Nicoldani said, studying Jak with a skeptical look. “Well then, I guess we will need a horse for her, she can’t just ride with me all the time.” His voice was rough, but there was amusement softening the corners of his eyes. That lightened Jak’s mood a bit.

“I’ve taken care of that,” Jak said ostentatiously.

“Follow me.”

Nicoldani raised an eyebrow before dismounting and following him toward the barn at the back of the farmhouse.

Jak’s grandmother had been right; the mare
was
little, only about the size of a pony. When Jak approached the horse, it nuzzled his hand affectionately with its nose. Jak scratched between its ears and stroked its mane, but every time he would stop, the mare would nuzzle his hand, begging for more attention. It reminded him more of a puppy than a horse. It would be perfect for Gin.

The other horse was a larger than usual plow horse with shaggy feet and a long mane. Jak was about to leave it, thinking it would be of no use to them, when Nicoldani pointed out that it would serve as a good pack horse. They would need to take supplies with them, and this horse would be perfect for that.

There was a small saddle, obviously made for the tiny mare, which Jak collected from the tack room. But it made him wonder, who had actually ridden the little mare. Perhaps his grandfather had the saddle made expecting that his wife might want to ride the small horse.

Nicoldani slung another normal sized saddle over his shoulder. Jak wasn’t sure, but he thought it was intended for Gandur. Jak had realized on the long ride through the Jagmerain pass that a saddle might not be so bad after all, and was glad Nicoldani had taken it.

After collecting what they could use, they saddled the mare and Jak’s horse, Gandur. Well, Nicoldani did most of the work, since Jak didn’t have much experience saddling a horse, besides, the struggle with the people posing as his aunt and uncle had left him weak and drained of strength. He hoped Nicoldani just thought it was from riding all night without sleep. Come to think of it, he was very tired, and just wanted to rest. The big man showed no ill effects from missing a night’s sleep, and Jak thought that Nicoldani possibly could go for several days and nights without sleep. Jak however was looking forward to going back to the inn and sleeping in a bed. Just the thought of a soft feather bed made him even more tired.

Nicoldani and Jak took up the lead lines of the two extra horses, and headed back to the Inn. At least Gin would be happy about today’s events, since she was going with them instead of staying here.

When the two arrived back at the inn, they found Gin setting at a table over to one side of the common room, happily gulping down a hot bowl of stew. Jak and Nicoldani took seats with her at the table, and revealed the news to her that she would be going with them. The little girl was more than elated at being able to stay with them instead of being left behind.

Svenlag appeared almost immediately with more bowls of steaming stew, along with two mugs of ale. Jak glance at the mug in front of him, then at Nicoldani, but the big man never even looked in his direction.

After a moment, he pensively reached for the mug and took a small drink. The dark liquid in the mug tasted awful! Through his spluttering and coughing, Jak noticed Nicoldani, and from the sly smile at the corner of his mouth, he was apparently amused by the whole thing. But the big man just continued eating his stew and said nothing.

The innkeeper was occupied with preparing for the local patrons who would be filing in soon for the evening meal and ale, so he was not his usual talkative self, only saying a few words in passing when he would bring more food.

After a time, Jak spotted a man walking down the stairs from where the rooms were kept. He was an old man, with only sparse tufts of white hair clinging to the sides of his temples, leaving the top of his head completely bald, shiny and sun darkened. He wore a plain brown robe with a silver cord tied around his ample waist. The old man walked purposefully across the floor of the common room to stand in front of Jak. “Greetings, my name is Benjim,” he said with a slight bow, “would you mind if I joined you?”

Jak looked a question to Nicoldani. He didn’t really want company, but Nicoldani said it would be rude to refuse the man hospitality. The old man took a seat across the table from Jak without speaking another word. Jak was thankful for the silence, and it seemed no one else was in a talkative mood at the moment either.

They finished with their stew, and as the innkeeper was clearing the table, Gin hopped down and said she was going to help Mistress Elanor in the kitchen. Once Gin was through the door to the kitchen, Benjim finally spoke, “To where are you traveling, if I might ask?” Strangely enough, he was looking straight at Jak when he spoke. Jak thought it more than a little odd that the old man kept addressing him, instead of Nicoldani.

“What makes you think we are traveling anywhere?” Nicoldani asked, to Jak’s relief.

Benjim smiled a warm smile that crinkled the corners of his dark eyes. “So you live here then, do you?” Benjim addressed the question to Nicoldani this time, but from his raised eyebrows and look of mock surprise, it was clear it wasn’t really a question. Nicoldani pursed his lips with a slight grimace. It was certain the old man knew Nicoldani wasn’t from this area.

“The two youngsters have the look of locals, but you….You look like you could be an Odessian, possibly one of the Queen’s Guard…or….”

“We are heading south,” Nicoldani cut the old man short, in hopes of forestalling any further commentary from him.

That was news to Jak, since before now he hadn’t really thought about where they were going. But when he heard Nicoldani say south, he wondered if Nicoldani somehow knew Brigette had gone that way. Jak knew she had gone that way and could feel her somewhere to the south. Well, he could feel the witch somewhere to the south, and it was likely that Brigette had gone that way as well, especially if the witch was holding her captive. Jak was relieved to a certain degree to find out they were heading south, since he wanted desperately to see Brigette again. But he was surprised to realize that he wanted to find the woman who murdered his family…..and kill her. But if it turned out that it really was Brigette…..
then what?

“Good choice,” Benjim said, “I have come from the west, and it is a dangerous place these days. The East Road is hardly safe to travel any longer. I have never seen anything like it, at least not in a long time, that is.”

“The East Road?” Jak spoke up, “I thought you came from the west?”

Nicoldani shook his head in consternation, and the old man chuckled. “Indeed I did lad, but I traveled east to get here.”

It took a moment for realization to sink in for Jak. When it finally did his face reddened and he decided he would just keep quiet after that.

“Yes, a dangerous road indeed,” the old man repeated. “There are uprisings in some of the towns and cities, and there is news of raids down from the Saibani Mountains. No, I would not go that way if I were you.”

“So where are
you
going?” Nicoldani asked with a look that said he didn’t really care.

“Me? I am traveling south, like yourselves,” Benjim said with a smile. “There is not really much of a choice, since I do not want to go back the way I came. In fact, I was wondering, if it is not too much trouble, if I could ride along with you for a time?” The last question was directed at Jak once again.

Jak’s head swung to Nicoldani in surprise, then back to the old man, not knowing what to say.
Why was the old man asking him and not Nicoldani?
Jak was unsure if the hospitality Nicoldani spoke of extended from sharing a table, to sharing the road. Nicoldani didn’t answer right away, instead he asked, “When are you planning on leaving?”

Benjim swung his gaze back to Nicoldani. “Now, just as soon as I collect my things from my room.”

“Now?” Nicoldani asked incredulously, “but it will be dark soon.”

The old man chuckled again. “I am aware of that lad, but I have been here long enough, and it is time to go.”

“We aren’t leaving until the morning,” Nicoldani said flatly, as if it settled the matter. “If we catch up to you on the road, then perhaps…..” he left the rest unsaid, unwilling to make a commitment.

The old man looked at Nicoldani for a moment, and then studied Jak intently, before saying, “As you wish.”

The knowing look in the Benjim’s eyes reminded Jak of his mother when she would catch him in a lie, when she knew the truth, but was waiting for him to come clean. It was unsettling enough coming from his mother, but was even worse coming from the strange old man.

Jak was glad to see the old man’s back as he left the inn. Benjim left over the protests of Master Svenlag of course, but nothing the innkeeper said could dissuade the old man from his purpose. Once the old man collected his belonging from his room, he departed, just as he said he would.

It now seemed that the innkeeper had finished his preparations for the evening crowd, and was returning to their table with two more mugs of ale. Jak was about to protest, when he noticed his cup was empty. He wasn’t sure how that had happened, since he didn’t remember actually drinking it.

After Svenlag removed the empty cups and placed the new ones in front of them, he took up a seat at their table and began talking. Jak found himself only half listening to the old innkeeper’s usual ramblings. He wasn’t that interested in what the man had to say, since most of it was just idle chatter. It seemed to go on for quite some time, until suddenly Jak’s head shot up, and he noticed Nicoldani peering intently at the innkeeper as well.

“Brigette, I think was what she said her name was,” the innkeeper continued. “I didn’t think much of it at the time. Thought she was just a runaway or some such, but she carried a strange tale with her. Said she had fled from Elsdon because someone had killed her family, and the same person was murdering everyone there. She said his name was Jak. Told us that he would be through here soon, and we should gather the city watch together to arrest him. Humph… as if we have a city watch in Kragston.” The old man laughed, “I didn’t really pay any mind to it at the time. Seemed like she was just spreading tales to hide the fact she was running away.”

Jak’s shoulders tensed and he struggled to recall if he had given his name to the innkeeper. Or if anyone else had called him by his name since they had been there.
Had he given his name to the old man Benjim?
Jak couldn’t remember.

“What was your name again lad?” Svenlag was looking right at Jak with a casual look on his face, but his eyes were intent. Jak’s tongue froze in his mouth unable to move.

“Danu,” Nicoldani said casually, “the boy’s name is Danu. Isn’t that right?” He said turning to Jak.

Jak cleared his throat before grunting out, “Yes, my name is Danu.”

The old innkeeper looked sideways at him for a long moment before continuing, “Hmmm…. Yes then,
Danu
it is.” Svenlag’s gaze lingered several moments, before turning to Nicoldani and saying, “Master Nicoldani, I know you aren’t from around here, but I believe you to be a man of honor. That is why I tell you this.”

He paused for a time, seeming to struggle for words. “People around here are small town folks, not used to much excitement. There’s been more than enough lately, and it gets folks a little edgy. They like things to stay the way they are for the most part. Too much excitement gets people thinking.”

The innkeeper paused again, before leaning close and looking intently at Nicoldani. In a loud whisper he said, “I wasn’t the only one that girl told her story to, not that I believed her mind you. But quite a few people around here heard her tell it, if you take my meaning.”