Ill News (an excerpt from Tales from Imagined Lands)

Dark eyes darted this way and that. There didn’t seem to be any man nor beast about this end of the dusty foothills such dark eyes could see. The sun had already set, giving no more than a pale reddish glow of twilight. They had already made a fire. A stomach somewhere below such weary dark eyes growled in protest as the decision was made to wait and see what was going to happen. Here and there the rough shrubs moved gently under the touch of a warm summer breeze. Wildflowers of dark reds and blues lay sprawled across the steeply rolling hillside above the pair of dark figures sitting around their fire. That stomach below the dark eyes rumbled again as the smell of a salty meat cooking over the fire wafted up to where both eyes and stomach hid.1

The fire crackled and let a small shower of embers float up into the calm night air. The two men around the fire were dressed like those who had spent many a day putting one foot in front of the other. The taller of the two men, and noticeably so by at least two hands, lay on his back to stare at the stars. The other man smiled and pulled back the hood cover his features to reveal the youthful face of one who had recently been but a boy.2

“Turn our friend on the fire Karel, no need to make him feel uncomfortable,” the taller man’s voice was deep and calm, weariness bearing no taint on his words as it was on his clothes.3

The shorter, younger man scratched absently at the reasonably thick growth of month old stubble on his chin as he turned the spit. It had been a lucky shot to take down such a large boar in only one try.4

“I think I’m getting better with the bow,” the younger man said with a smile as he leaned back from the fire to take his boots off.5

Karel smiled and stuck a finger through the toe of one boot. Shaking his head he turned and looked down from their perch up in the hills to see the forest below them.6

“We’ll have plenty of game down there in those woods tomorrow,” the man on his back said as Karel turned back to fire, eyes on the roasting boar leg.7

Fat hissed as it dripped from the meaty thigh and into the fire. There was a rustling in the brush that brought Karel to his feet, the aforementioned bow in his hands with an already arrow knocked, he was good with a bow.8

“The boar’s mother come for vengeance?” Karel said with a smile as his light blue eyes scanned quickly over the thick brush in front of him.9

The older of the two men stood as a small figure climbed out of the bushes and into the light of the fire. Karel lowered his bow and laughed as he recognized the form of a little girl, dressed in pathetic rags, her hair in a tangle of knots.10

“Can’t shoot nothing in them woods,” she said in a light, no nonsense voice before either man could speak.11

“Is that true m’gel?” Karel said, dropping the bow and arrow next to the quiver near the fire,” all the game run off to find a better home?”12

The girl shook her head in response and pointed at the meat roasting over the fire, the flames dancing in her dark brown eyes.13

“Why Col, I think she means to rob of our dinner!” Karel laughed as he put up his hands.14

The one Karel had called Col chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest.15

“Well now, if you would tell us why we can’t hunt in those woods, we’ll share our dinner with you,” he spoke slowly with a twinkle in his eyes as a look of pondering crossed the little girl’s dirt stained face.16

“Done.”17

Karel busied himself moving his bow and quiver full of arrows up against the hill where they kept the rest of their belongings hidden in the brush. He came back to the fire as the girl was biting into a slice of meat gleaned from the still roasting boar.18

“Eat your fill little one while we introduce ourselves. I am Colroy and this is my good friend Karel,” Colroy pointed to Karel who smiled and struck a heroic pose,” we come from a place beyond the mountains to see what we can see.”19

“Taint nothing beyond them mountains,” the girl said through a mouthful of food before swallowing and eating some more.20

“Oh but there is,” Colroy said, seating himself next to the girl as Karel laid down on the other side of the fire, stretching like a cat before an afternoon nap,” my family lives on a farm just a piece north from a cozy little village called Baghem. Good hunting thereabouts.”21

“I’m from the hill country of Keven. You ever heard of Keven?” Karel waited for a moment as the girl shook her head no, still chewing on the last bit of boar meat she’d taken,” well, it beyond the mountains north of these hills. We had to come through some right nasty places to get here. There’r some badlands a few days walk from the other side of the mountains. Hotter’na bonfire during the day and colder than snow during the night. Once y’get through that place you come to some land much like this, hilly and dry. The city of Verdan is in the south of Keven, Y’come to Verdan first and then the rest of Keven. My family lives in the northeastern lands of Keven in the service of the Norshire clan may my lord and lady live good and die better.”22

The girl had finished eating and paid rapt attention to Karel’s words.23

“Taint nothing over them mountains. The soldiers say so. They’s why you can’t shoot nothing in them woods."24

“Where are your parents little one?” Colroy asked softly, looking from his fellow traveler to the dark haired little girl.25

“Ain’t got none, the soldiers kill em when they was fighting near home. They patrol the woods and in the village, make us make em food that they hunt. We can’t shoot nothing in those woods or they take us away, or just kill us.”26

“Well you don’t worry about those soldiers tonight m’gel,” Colroy said as he fetched an old blanket from the bushes away from the fire,” you just take this and get yourself some sleep. Karel the Brave and I will make sure they won’t get you.”27

The girl took the blanket and looked at Colroy, taking in the lines of his bearded face, the dark, half curled hair falling to his shoulders. She turned to look at Karel, the young man nodding to her in return. Lying down next to the fire she pulled the blanket around her thin shoulders and closed her eyes. Colroy looked at her for a moment before turning his eyes to Karel. Nodding with his head down the hill, Colroy walked around the fire from where he stood and headed a little ways into the darkness of night.28

“This is very wrong,” Karel said as he followed Colroy away from the fire so they would not be overheard.29

“If the fighting has spread this far north then Shuto must have fallen. The nearest village should be Kizu. We must reach it by tomorrow and discover what has become of Kroy Wen. I never would have imagined that it would be this bad.”30

Karel turned his head to look up into the night sky, frustration burning him alive. He paused for a moment before turning back to face Colroy.31

“That girl can’t be more than ten or twelve seasons! Did you see her face when she told us about her parents! For the sake of sheh leyarebashway! There was nothing! No tears, no grief! What land have we come to where children are robbed of their parents and even they cannot cry? If she shall not then ji yellosh sheh kringra wenyu isk for her!”32

Colroy nodded, looking down at the forest below, eyes searching for any signs of movement.33

“I only wish there was some way to send word back to Tuod Nel sooner than our own feet could take us. The King would want to have known of this a long time ago...Karel, go and put out the fire. It saddens me that we would have to be this careful only a day out of the Aulays.”34

Karel nodded and turned back up the hill, his face pained with the hurt of the girl’s words. Colroy ran both hands through his dark hair as he let his thoughts run back and forth across their mission. Two years since that day. His family still thought him studying to be a scholar in Tuod Nel. Peace but he missed the Floating City, the clear blue waters of Lore Lake. The face of the King was still firmly entrenched in his mind, as well as the command he had given. Karel and he were to move discreetly through the Aulays and discover how far the whispers of war had come. The night they had departed hung over him as if he still stood on that old creaky dock, small fishing boat behind him as he shared his last words with the King.35

“Bring back what news you can and come back as quickly as you can. If I do not hear from you within the rising of the full moon after next I will send Guymon and five hundred of the guard over the Aulays. Don’t make him go that far without cause or he will never let me forget it.”36

There had been laughter and a strong handshake and then…then nothing. It had been nearly two days since the first moon had shown itself. They had no more than a week’s time before they had to begin their return. Longer if they could find some horses. Colroy frowned, his thoughts wandering to Karel. If there were indeed invading soldiers this far north in Kroy Wen he would have restrain the younger man from doing anything foolish. He was a villain with the bow and if given reason would not hesitate to use it. Karel had a good heart and the girl’s lack of tears was proving to be reason enough. Even in Keven he had heard of the prowess of Kroy Wen’s warriors. How had they given so much ground as to allow this to happen?37

Like a ghost Karel stepped from the shadows behind him. Without turning Colroy sighed, a weary slack of the shoulders showing faintly from beneath his tattered cloak.38

“I will take the first watch. Get some sleep.”39

The almost inaudible crunch of sun baked dirt under soft toed boot was all Colroy had signal Karel’s departure. The dry smell of the deep summer months spoke sharply to his nose of famine and wildfire waiting to happen. He closed his eyes for but a moment and lost his thoughts in a brief prayer…