“There is no need to make enemies over a little coin.” Urake gave Skeln a helping hand with the bags of potatoes. “Besides, what makes you think that Redzyn would buy a whole keg?”
“It is a game to her. If we had given in she would have lost out on the fun and wouldn’t have respected us for it. As for Redzyn? Mosn told me that his father said that Redzyn buys a mug of your brew every time he is in the inn. There wouldn’t be any reason for him to go to the inn to drink if he had his own keg and Darsay would lose out on all the profit.” Darsay was heard coming through the hallway with the coin. After inspecting the two bags in the wheelbarrow and mumbling over the unfairness of them being the largest sacks, she handed over the coin and watched while Urake and Skeln left.
Skeln pushed the barrow up the path and left it parked in their garden plot before he went back to town. Urake accompanied him to the market as they searched for seeds with which to plant their garden. Skeln could have accomplished the task alone just as easily. When in town Urake often acted differently. He had to use the staff to support himself and acted like the drunk that his reputation told of. Skeln had stopped wondering years ago why his father felt the need to act the part. His disheveled hair and scraggly beard combined with his ragged clothes finished the appearance of what one would expect of a drunk. People tended to give him a wide berth when they saw him coming.
The market had already begun filling with people. It was held once a week in the summer and once a month in the winter. People would come from miles around to buy or sell goods. As was often the case at this time of year there were several farmers or landowners that were selling the extra seed from this year’s plantings. They would gain a few extra coin with their extras and replenish their stores with this fall’s harvest.
One silver was spent on a bag of beans and another went for seed of several kinds of vegetables. Urake remained silent through the proceedings and only produced the coin for payment after Skeln had finished haggling. When everything had been purchased they returned to the garden plot. Skeln expected Urake to continue up the path towards their house but instead he turned into the garden with Skeln. He even began sorting through the bag of potatoes for the usable ones and tossing the rotten ones.
Skeln could have cared less either way. He was used to working alone. He finished removing the last of the weeds and began the task of softening the soil for planting. He had several rows finished when he heard footsteps on the path. Looking up he saw Akeli skipping up the path in some rather sturdy looking shoes. His heart sank to his stomach at the implications. Sometimes he wondered if she was really as simple as she acted. His ploy of staying on the other side of the garden wasn’t going to work today. Skeln thought about hiding but realized it was too late. She had seen him. The options of enduring a tiresome and potentially dangerous conversation or fleeing through a patch of brambles were all that was left with the latter appearing more preferable by the moment.
“Are you alright little miss?” Akeli’s hand shook like a leaf in the wind as she froze with her hand on the twine that held the gate shut. She hadn’t realized that Skeln wasn’t alone. The disgust was evident on her face as she turned and skipped down the path without offering an explanation for her visit. Skeln was glad then for Urake’s company. The potatoes were planted without further interruption and Skeln decided to leave the rest of the planting for the morrow. There was still enough time left to take a bath before dark. To this end they made their way up the valley to their house. Skeln left Urake at the house and continued to the pool.
After stripping he slipped into the frigid water and began scrubbing himself. The water came off a glacier field high up in the Garoche Mountains. It warmed but little in its cascades down the hill. Skeln had been told that if he were to follow this valley up the hill he would find himself in an area where not even trees could grow and winter reigned year round. Soon the water that flowed past Skeln was no longer murky with the dirt he had washed off. The cold water didn’t bother Skeln like it bothered most people. Cold weather never bothered him either.
Slipping into the dirty cloths was a necessary evil. Skeln returned to home and ate supper in silence. By the time he had finished Urake had already gone to bed as usual. Skeln tossed and turned on his bed for a while before he managed to fall asleep. He wondered how he was going to live in the future. Living off the proceeds of a small garden, odd jobs and the infrequent barrel of ale was not a very secure future. He thought about apprenticing in the village for a bit. The one occupation that he had any real interest in learning was blacksmithing but that was clearly out of the question. There was the leather tanner who also served as the village saddle and harness maker. There were also a couple landowners that might hire him as a field laborer this summer. Beyond that one would have to travel beyond the valley into the Lower Garoche to find any other apprenticeships. Sleep finally came but it didn’t bring the restful slumber that Skeln had hoped for.
Chapter Two
The sun was still climbing in its circuit as Skeln finished planting the last of the seeds. Urake hadn’t come today so he was keeping a watchful eye on the path in the hopes that Akeli didn’t come visiting. He had taken the preparation of smashing down a path through the brambles from the back of the plot on the chance that she did manage to sneak up.
Nothing unusual was happening until he heard the sound of hoofs on the hard packed path. Horses were not creatures that commonly came up the valley this far so Skeln went to the side of the garden closest the path to watch them come by. He was mildly shocked to see a carriage pulled by a double team of horses. There had never been in his memory such an occurrence. There was no reason that he could think of that might warrant a team of horses and a carriage this far up the valley. Only Urake and Skeln and a couple trappers lived beyond the village.
“That’s the boy.” Skeln recognized one of the traders he had made a deal with at the market the previous day. The carriage rumbled to a halt and a couple men in dark cloaks leapt to the ground.
“Seize him.” One of the men’s cloaks was thrown over his shoulders and Skeln could see ring mail armor and a captain’s insignia. He stood rooted to the spot in surprise for a moment before realizing what was happening.
A couple of the men were slowed momentarily by the gate before Skeln reacted. He heard the gate being smashed down as he vaulted the back fence. He landed on his feet and was off as fast as he could through the safe path he had made earlier through the brambles. Out of the brambles he sprinted up the valley. He hoped to outrun his pursuers and find a hiding spot in one of the many nooks he was familiar with in the woods.
A quick glance over his shoulder told Skeln that one of them men had hopelessly entangled his cloak in the briar patch and the other was not gaining ground. The heavy armor was handicapping the man. Skeln made good his escape and melted into the woods that were above the garden plot. Traversing the side of the valley he arrived at the thicker woods that extended up the valley. From here it was child’s play to find a hiding spot under the stump of an old fallen tree. Succumbing to a storm the tree had toppled tearing the roots out of the ground. The tree had been cut up for firewood and the stump had settled back into its original position. Still canted to one side it left a nook under the root mass
Skeln huddled in his hiding spot for what seemed hours before he heard voices. One he recognized as the voice of the captain that had ordered his seizure. The other he recognized as one of the trappers that lived up the valley. Skeln hadn’t counted on them getting a tracker to help them search. It was now only a matter of time before he was found.
Skeln decided to act preemptively and run before they got too close. He counted on being able to outrun them again and keep running until they gave up the search. Skeln couldn’t think of a reason that they would possibly want him in the first place so it would only be a matter of time before they gave up.
Skeln squirmed out of his hole and cautiously peeked out of the crater that had been left by the overturned tree. Seeing
no one in sight he sprinted away from the voices he had heard. His flight was cut short by a sudden burning pain in his shoulder. The shock caused Skeln to trip and fall. This intensified the pain. He gritted his teeth and tried dragging himself to his feet. One arm hardly worked and caused intense pain with every movement. He had almost regained his feet when an impact in the back of his head caused stars to flash before everything went dark.
Skeln didn’t know how long he had slept but when he awoke it was pitch dark and he was moving. His shoulder was on fire and his head felt like it was going to explode. After laying still for a time he began investigating his shoulder. The first thing he found was the sharp metal point of a crossbow bolt protruding from his blood soaked shirt. Further investigation told him that he was unbound but that fact made him no less of a prisoner. He was inside the black carriage he had seen with the soldiers. Every window was boarded over and crack plugged so not a chink of light was able to penetrate into the prison cell. Weak with the pain and with his head still like to split open from the impact he lay helplessly.
Hours passed by before a slot opened and a blinding light along with a piece of stale bread was tossed inside. Skeln dragged himself over to the food and slowly consumed it. Despite the poor fare it helped clear his mind and reintroduce strength to his limbs. Deciding that he was on his own Skeln began thinking about what to do with the bolt in his shoulder. He had done some hunting with homemade arrows and knew that it was not a good idea to pull a barbed head back through the wound. Investigation told him that a short section of fletching was protruding from his back. Deciding that the feathers were glued on he began pulling on the arrow head.
Pain coursed through his body at every slight movement. Taking breaks every few moments Skeln worked the bolt through his shoulder. Finally with one last effort he yanked the arrow free. The iron taste of blood filled his mouth and he only half succeeded in suppressing a scream. For a time he lay motionless having exhausted all his strength removing the arrow.
It wasn’t until the slot opened again and another piece of bread was given him that he roused himself. There hadn’t been any light through the slot and the carriage was no longer moving which led to the conclusion that it was night. Calls for release for pressing physical needs went unheeded for a while before he was gruffly told to wet his pants for all they cared. Skeln discovered that the carriage was parked on a slope so he did his business on the downward side and hoped that it would leak out.
Between the pain in his shoulder and the uncertainty of his situation he didn’t get much sleep before the carriage began moving again. Boredom was Skeln’s companion for hours in the dark. He finally decided he wanted to see light. Needed to see light. It was a craving like for sweet candy but more intense. The total darkness was driving him insane. A thorough investigation of the carriage again assured him that there was no cracks to be found. He was about to despair when his hand landed on the discarded crossbow bolt.
Feeling the iron head Skeln proceeded to begin whittling on the side. This task lasted for most of the day and far into the night. He found that the sides of his prison were made of thick planks of wood. The arrow head soon lost its edge and Skeln had to proceed by prying the wood off sliver by sliver. The sound under the carriage wheels changed before he had managed to make his hole big enough to see from.
Skeln took his time adjusting to the light of the new day. He saw that they were surrounded by building. A town of some sort. The actual cobblestones beneath the wheels told that it was a greater town than any Skeln had ever visited. The town he had grown up in only had beaten earth roads that became slick and muddy during the seasons between ice and heat. His tiny hole only allowed for a restricted window of visibility. He feared enlarging it lest his captors discover his actions and deprive him of the light.
They wound their way through the streets of the city for a while. At the sight of the carriage most people fell silent. Some shouted jeers at the prisoner. Most of the people that Skeln saw either glanced away or looked sympathetically at the carriage. He wondered what fate was in store for him at his destination.
Skeln didn’t have long to wait before they passed through a gate and into a castle keep. The carriage was pulled into a gate and the doors were bolted behind them. Skeln could hear the nervous whispers of the guards but couldn’t make out what was said. If even the guards were worried Skeln didn’t have any illusions that he was headed for any pleasant fate. He was held in suspense for a couple hours before the doors were opened and he was released.
Accustomed to the dark even the flickering lanterns that his captors carried were nearly blinding. Finally they threw him into a room and locked the door. Skeln picked himself up and rubbed his sore bruises as he looked around. It was a round room with empty cells all around the edges. In the center were implements that one would only invent for torture. Chains and manacles lay strewn around. Skeln began to be afraid then. Left to his own devises for a time he explored the room. There was nothing that he could use as a weapon. Neither was there any opportunity for escape.
Skeln was interrupted when the door on the far side of the room opened and a man stepped through. He was clad in rich garments that didn’t look like they belonged in this place. The face was cruel with piercing black eyes framed by black hair.
“I see that you survived your journey. Not everyone does but you shouldn’t begin counting yourself fortunate quite yet.” The man’s cultured accent warned Skeln that here was a nobleman accustomed to respect from the menial classes.
“Why did you bring me here? I haven’t done anything wrong. I'm nobody.” Skeln tried not to think about his predicament. It helped that his curiosity had been piqued by the mysterious circumstances of his arrival.
“Oh, it’s a long story. You may or may not have what I'm looking for.” The man picked up a long sharp piece of iron off a cart that one of the guards pulled into the room. “Your shoulder, it seems to be healing nicely.”
“It’s fine.” Skeln cautiously lifted his arm. There was a little pain and tightness but it was mostly gone.
“You were shot in the shoulder two days ago and now, after having pulled the arrow out yourself, it is fine.” The man pulled the arrow out of his robes and looked at it with a critical eye. “Perhaps you have what I'm looking for. Is it thick skin or exceptionally hardened bone?” The last part of his comment was mumbled to himself
“What are you looking for?”
“Powers. Anything really. Elementalism, healing, any ability I can study.” With a motion of his hand the two guards that had followed him into the room seized Skeln and fastened irons on his hands and feet.
“Why me? I didn’t do anything!” Skeln struggled futilely against his restraints as he was hoisted up and spread eagled in front of the man.
“Oh hush. I suppose there is no harm in me telling you. It’s not like you will ever be able to tell anyone else” The man motioned to the guards who left the room. After they were gone he continued. “Powers as strange. Gifted to the most unworthy servants sometimes but never to those who could use them properly. That’s why I made laws that prevent them from being misused. In the hands of the right person these powers can be used for good. Now for example, if I could read people’s minds then I would know who I could trust. I wouldn’t have to torture people like you to find out if you have powers. There are many kinds of powers and all of them can be misused if the wrong people have them. Now think, if a mad man had the power to call fire, he could kill the King if he didn’t like his taxes. We can’t have that now can we? I simply want to find out how these powers work and then make sure that only the right people have them.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t have any powers. Just let me go.” Skeln was terrified now. The man was evidently mad. To think a boy could give him powers was ridiculous. Not to mention that these powers were illegal from the Garoche Mountains to the Draeld Swamps and everywhere in between. To be gifted was a death sentence in this king
dom.
“But you could have powers. Most of my subjects are powerless but some are gifted. You have no idea what I’ve learned from dissecting them” The man brushed a finger across Skeln’s hair before the boy flicked back. “The young ones are the best. The older people get the less they can survive. ”
“I don’t know what you are talking about! Leave me alone!” Skeln struggled again with his bonds. He only succeeded in abrading his wrists in the futile attempt. Resigning himself to his fate he glared down at the nobleman. “I'm not the one you want so why don’t you just kill me. I'm nothing but a poor peasant anyways so I will not be missed sorely.”
“There it is. That look of defiance. Soon you will lose it and scream for mercy.” The noble man stepped back as if to relish the moment. “Reigns, my name is Reigns. Surely you think I would be a worthy recipient of a gift but no, I have power to send armies and kill but I am still a mortal like the rest of mankind. My father’s elven blood only granted me a longer life than a normal human.”
The blood froze in Skeln’s veins. He was looking at the most powerful and ruthless man in the kingdom. The only one with more power was King Illiad of the Braebach Empire. He knew there was no escape from this man. Skeln watched as Reigns put the piece of metal in a brazier of coals. After a couple minutes the rod was glowing red hot. Reigns picked it up and turned to Skeln. After seeing the sizzle a piece of spittle caused he smiled.
“Now for the fun and games. I'm anxious to see if you really are as powerless as you say. To think I had heard of the man appearing from nowhere and setting in a no name town in the Garoche mountains all those years ago. If only I had sent my agents sooner we could have been acquainted years ago.”
Skeln closed his eyes as the brand waved closer to his face. Suddenly everything felt different and he found himself in his bed. Breathing hard he rubbed the wrists that had only a moment ago been bleeding in the restraints. Sitting up he shuddered with the relief that all that had happened was a dream.