They were crouched behind a cluster of rocks not far from the opening of Vjeinka Rise. Tagan, Crenoah, Stonjsin and Drebos sat on the ground, backs to the rock, trying to catch their breath. Braulor seemed unaffected by the rigorous run and peered out from their hiding spot, taking in the scene.
Tagan looked at him with a mixture of sadness and admiration. Upon hearing that Tyran hadn't been seen, Braulor broke down and cried. Tagan had only seen Braulor strong and capable and didn't think it possible that he could ever be brought to tears. It didn't last long though as Braulor realized that he needed to get himself together so they could get to the cave and see if Tyran could be found. Just because nobody had seen him didn't mean that something terrible had befallen him. Braulor found his confidence once more and got to his feet, taking command of the situation. He had everybody gather their gear and make sure it was secured. Then they took off.
As they went, Tagan tried to get information from Braulor about who Tyran was. Braulor would only say that he was his brother. Tagan hadn’t thought about it much after he found out that Kenok was Braulor’s father as well but he realized that Braulor had been raised by another family. Tagan only knew that he had gained a brother but in the process, Braulor had lost his family. Braulor had grown up with his world built by whoever raised him and Tagan’s insertion into his life turned everything upside down. Tagan's eyes watered as he thought about what Braulor must be going through and he pushed himself to run even faster; go harder so they could get there and see what's what.
"I can't see anything going on in there." Braulor ducked down behind the boulders they were using to shield themselves from view.
Crenoah popped up, took a look and sat back down." I agree. It looks quiet. No guards posted or anything. It doesn't bode well."
Nobody said anything but they all knew the situation was grim.
"What are we going to do then, Braulor?"
Braulor looked down at the ground and stayed silent.
Tagan looked at all of them and could see the angst written on their faces as they worried about loved ones and what they might find once they were back in the cave. It made him feel sad.
"We all have family and friends that we’re concerned about in there. We don’t have a choice.”
"We have to go in there."
"We have to go in there. It's the only way." Braulor nodded his agreement with Stonjsin’s assessment.
Nobody needed to say anything more and they set about getting prepared. The packs were to be left here. They would only take weapons for now. If they lived they could come back for the packs. When everyone was ready they huddled together and said a prayer for themselves and for the people they were concerned for.
The line of rocks was one of the first lines of defense that the clan had set up to slow down any possible attackers and it ran for quite a ways around the open area in front of the opening to the cave.
Braulor led them along the line of boulders, popping up every once in a while to make sure there was no change in the immediate situation.
When the wall came to an end, Braulor stopped. They all followed suit behind him and waited for Braulor’s command. They were a long way to the right of the cave opening and still didn't see any motion around the cave entrance. Braulor looked back over his shoulder and nodded to the group. Everyone nodded in return except for Tagan who didn't really know what the nod meant. He figured it out when Braulor went around the boulder and took off at a sprint, keeping low as he went. Tagan was almost left behind as the rest of the men followed but he got his wits about him and managed to keep up.
They made it to a thin trail that skirted along the side of the mountain and followed it back toward the cave opening, drawing their weapons as they went. This was the moment of truth. They were right next to the opening. They all strained their ears, listening for anything that would give them a clue as to what they could expect inside.
Silence.
Braulor motioned to them that they were going in and then turned and slipped into the opening. Tagan took a breath as Stonjsin, Drebos and Crenoah crept inside the opening behind Braulor and then followed.
It was dark inside but Tagan would always remember the coppery smell. They waited for any signs of activity and then filed down the passageway. It was a short go before they made it to the cave proper.
It looked like night had set inside the cave. You couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of your face but there were a few torches that hadn't been snuffed. They flickered in the darkness like distant stars.
Braulor motioned for them to stay put and went ahead, swallowed by darkness after only three steps. He wasn't gone long and returned bearing unlit torches. They all took one and lit them.
Gasps of dismay followed as light sprung up and chased the shadows back. The floor was thick with blood and bodies lay everywhere. Tagan felt weak in the knees and his stomach lurched. He probably would have thrown up but he had eaten very little of late and there was nothing there. He still gagged as he took in the carnage.
"It looks like whoever attacked is gone." Drebos said after a prolonged silence.
Braulor nodded. "Let's look around. Stay alert and we will meet back here."
The men dispersed, each of them having a different idea of where they wanted to investigate first.
Tagan stayed with Braulor and they marched through the grisly scene. Tagan didn't talk, preferring to keep his mouth shut as they went in case his stomach decided to empty what contents it could.
Braulor walked with slow steps, head turning side to side. Every once in a while he would stop and look closer at a body and then sigh before they continued. They made it across the main area and Braulor didn't see Tyran's body anywhere.
They came to a huge mound of rocks that blocked their way forward. Looking up and to each side you couldn't see where rocks ended. This had to be the Crazzank. Braulor started walking along its length, Tagan right behind him. Tagan was impressed with the forethought of such an idea. It had worked as intended, although now they were cut off from the rest of the Greejon clan. He bumped into Braulor who had crouched down to get a closer look at something. Tagan looked over Braulor's shoulder and could see a body buried half under the rock.
Braulor picked up the hand that was accessible and looked at the ring on its finger. "Jolon. Now we will never get any answers from you." And he let the hand fall to the floor but remained crouching. "What's this?"
Tagan raised his torch and looked past Braulor and could see him wrench a long staff from the rubbles edge. It was blacker than black. As black as the darkness around then and it glittered under the light of his torch.
Braulor stood up admiring the staff as he wiped the dust from it. "I've never seen this before. Where did it come from?"
"Perhaps it was a weapon of whoever attacked."
Braulor only shrugged. "We should get back to meet up with the others and see if they’ve found anything.”
It was easy to get back to the cave opening. From where they were it looked like the sun and they went toward it without bothering to hide their presence. It was obvious the attackers were no longer there. Crenoah and Drebos were waiting for them when they arrived. Their eyes were red and puffy but they reported that no women or children were found among the dead. Their tears were for fallen comrades.
Braulor reported the same and then Drebos emerged from the darkness. He had the same report but found his father had been killed and he wept openly.
After they had offered their condolences to Drebos, they took turns recanting a more complete story of what each of them had discovered in their reconnaissance.
Crenoah was an only child and his father had died years ago so he didn't have the misfortune of finding him among the dead. He was certain that his mother had made it through the other side before they had dropped the Crazzank. He did find numerous men he had laughed and drank with but he was glad they had died fighting. He was proud of every one of them as there could be no better way to
die in his eyes.
Stonjsin had family as well but no sign of them was found. He chose to take it as a good sign that they too had made it through before the Crazzank was dropped.
Drebos didn't have any more to offer and sat, hugging his knees, rocking back and forth in despair.
Braulor related what he and Tagan had seen, glad that he hadn't found Tyran among the dead. His happiness was tempered however because there wasn’t time to perform a more thorough search and he knew that Tyran’s body could still be out there. The news of Jolon buried under the Crazzank brought little reaction. Braulor then held up the staff that he had discovered. “Does anyone know where this came from?”
"I saw Jolon walking around with that." Stonjsin furrowed his brow in recollection.
"I saw him with it here as well but I never got a good look at it until now." Crenoah stared at the staff. It glistened up and down its length as if in response.
"I found it near Jolon's body, or at least the half of it that stuck out from under the rocks." Braulor moved the staff away from Crenoah’s curious hand.
"Looks like Jolon was trying to get out with the women and children." Stonjsin’s voice was filled with disgust.
"Jolon never was much for fighting. I wonder where he came across it." Braulor looked down at the staff he was cradling in his hands. "I don't recognize the wood it is made of." And fell silent as he examined it.
"What are we going to do now?" Tagan had been quiet during this whole process but they had lingered in the cave far longer than they should have as far as he was concerned. The sun was sitting low in the evening sky, disappearing out of sight from the cave opening. Their best source of light was fading fast in the face of the approaching night. Tagan supposed none of them wanted to abandon the cave altogether. It served as their home and safeguard for so many years. It must be difficult for them to accept that it had been decimated so easily but there were decisions to be made.
Braulor looked up from the staff and realized Tagan was right. They needed to get moving, if only to get their minds off of the loss of their home and friends. "Follow me."
With heavy hearts they all got to their feet and followed Braulor into the cave once more. They didn't go straight in this time. They went along the near wall for several hundred yards and then turned into a guardroom. It was large enough for a dozen or so guards and also had holes bored out that looked out over the valley below.
The other men recognized where they were and moved off, putting torches into brackets on the wall and the whole room came into relief.
Crenoah set about making a fire while Braulor and Stonjsin closed the large door behind them and secured it with a big, square beam of wood.
"We'll be safe here for the night. We can get some rest and figure out what we’re going to do in the morning."
"I'll take first watch." Drebos pulled a chair over to a low hole in the wall and sat down, staring out into the night.
The rest of them picked a bed and rolled into its sheets.
Tagan's last image before his eyes closed was Braulor lying on his side, staring at the staff that lay beside him.
Chapter 31