Goldendale: The Imperian Fragment, #3

By Donavon Page

The raavenger threat grows. The wolven flee south to regrow their numbers, and Lynn's dragons are grievously wounded by the razarak. The arrival of the wolven at Goldendale leaves Lynn and Minna with only one option: a terribly desperate plan that might just save them all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donavon
• Release date: Mar 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393585107

Book preview

GOLDENDALE

The Imperian Fragment

Book 3

Donavon

The Imperian Fragment Series

Attilis

Raven’s Hold

Goldendale

Skyship Xerseas

(more to come)

To find the series, search for Imperian

If you’d like to help, leave a review.

www.ImperianFragment.com

Text copyright © 2020 by Donavon Page.

Imperian Fragment Publishing Rights © Donavon Page.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

The Imperian Fragment

Preservation ship captains can be away for hundreds of years. Changes to Naxian society during that time are often dramatic. To avoid those changes affecting the preservation program, the entire system was created to be autonomous; its administration and maintenance entrusted to a triumvirate of digital intelligences requiring a majority vote on any decision. It did not take long for one of the intelligences to determine that it could become the majority by simply disconnecting the other two.

1  Day Nine

Waypost Near Silverton

Winton climbed down the side of his hosven and dropped to the ground, the strip of spiky blue hair on his head waving in the early-afternoon breeze. I feel like I should be returning to Silverton, he said to Rainen, "not going with... them ." His eyes swung to Murphy as the yellow-haired Venyan detached a cloak from a dead guardsman.

Rainen continued to strip the body at his feet. Lynn needs us, he said.

So does Silverton, Winton said, and Raven’s Hold. I feel like I am betraying my hunters.

Rainen stopped to look up into Winton’s eyes. You are still the lead hunter for Silverton. We are not betraying anyone; we are simply taking the long way back.

A smile appeared at the corners of Winton’s lips. You and Murphy will have to catch up when you are done here.

Winton watched Murphy for a moment, cringing at the way the Venyan’s scabbard always seemed to be in his way. The sword and scabbard were a gift given to Murphy for visiting Silverton, the city that was Winton’s home. Winton’s bow, quiver, spears, pack, waterskin, swords, and numerous daggers were a part of him. If any were missing, he would certainly know it without having to check, and they would never be in his way.

He tore his eyes from Murphy and entered the waypost through the partially open gate. Denrick was standing near the gate wheel dabbing at a wound in his side with a blood-stained shirt.

Will you be able to ride? Winton asked.

The wound is not in a bad spot, Denrick said. He traced the line of stitches with a finger and it came away wet. I will clean it again before we leave.

Winton nodded. "What are they doing?" He motioned to the ring of yellow-haired Venyans gathered in a wide circle at the back of the waypost. Coach, Blake, Lynn, Jessica, Mike, and Ashley were standing over Kristin’s body with tears streaking their cheeks. Minna was nearby, leaning against the waypost wall and watching them with curious eyes. She was rarely seen without at least the trace of a smile at her lips. Now was one of those times. He missed that smile. Her father was one of the dead outside the gate, so he supposed he couldn’t blame her. We all return the to soil, he thought.

Denrick signed unknown, then said, Lynn sent the Sydnee ahead to make as much progress as possible while the sun is out.

We should be doing the same, Winton said.

WHEN MINNA SPOTTED Winton, she broke from the wall, nodded a terse greeting to him, then addressed Denrick. They will be done in three fingers. Did you find all the hosven? Winton raised his hand and Minna’s sword and dagger flashed into her hands.

Winton ignored her reaction: everyone was still on edge after the attack. Your father had this in a pocket. He held his hand out, a curl of parchment resting in his palm.

Minna sheathed her blades with an apologetic smile and took the note, unrolling it carefully. It is from my sister, from Brassis. Her face was emotionless as she read it. It says she will have a baby soon. She re-rolled the message and tucked it into her clothes.

We should get moving, Winton said.

Minna glanced at the Venyans. We will, as soon as they are done.

MIKE WAS ABOUT TO KNEEL and Ashley put a hand out to stop him. Don’t. You’ll tear your stitches. I’ll do it for you. She lowered herself to her knees, then leaned over to kiss Kristin’s cold forehead. You will be missed, she said, then she stood, brushed herself off, and took Mike by the hand to drag him away.

Coach rubbed the bandaged stump of his leg, then knelt with Blake’s help to kiss Kristin’s brow. You were a wonderful girl, a friend to all, kind, and giving. You will be sorely missed.

Blake helped his father up, then took his place next to Kristin’s body. His eyes pooled as he struggled to speak. After a long silence, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. He whispered something unintelligible, then stood, wiped his wet cheeks, and helped his father away.

Jessica was next to kneel. She took Kristin’s hand as she leaned over to kiss her forehead. I miss you so much. You were more than my best friend. She paused, then kissed her cold lips. I loved you. She wiped the tears from her eyes and hurried away.

Lynn was the last to lower herself. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and after hearing Jessica’s final words, she had to fight down a wracking sob. She managed in a halting whisper, I’m so sorry. We all miss you. I miss you. She kissed her then, tasting her own tears on the dead girl’s lips. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, drew a deep breath, and hurried after the others.

Blake was helping Coach climb one of the hosven when Lynn arrived. Palita greeted her with a nudge and she hugged the hosven’s beak before climbing into the saddle. She reached for Carl’s sleeping form in the basket in front of her. He was twice as big as when she’d rescued him from the bladava, and judging by the size of his eyes and paws, he still had a long way to grow.

Stroking his soft fur helped dull the pain, still, tears splashed the backs of her hands as Palita followed the other hosven out.

She thought back to Silverton and the aranid invasion, to Wilky standing guard over Carl as the little wolven wobbled toward her. She nearly smiled, but then she recalled the sign Wilky flashed her before sacrificing himself for her. It made her feel hollow all over again.

Towering white-bark trees swayed above them, partially obscuring a clear blue sky. She’d lost her entire planet, her parents, yet the loss of Wilky and Kristin hurt far worse. Perhaps it was because everything else was so impossible to believe. It wasn’t something she could see, or touch, yet she knew it was true. Her parents were dead, it just didn’t feel...real.

She looked behind them, but the waypost was already out of sight.

Denrick was waiting for her. Do not worry, he said. Rainen and Murphy will catch up. He held a hand against the wound in his side. His face was pale, for an Elwren, though it was still much darker than Lynn’s.

Will we reach the waterfall before nightfall? Lynn asked.

No, Denrick said. It is too far. We will have to camp somewhere for the night.

Could we make it to the ship?

He half-smiled. The skyship is farther than the waterfall.

Is there another waypost we could use?

There is, but we will leave the trail before reaching it. The Silverton hunters use it on occasion and I would rather avoid them if possible.

Lynn stroked Carl’s neck and when he licked her hand, she smiled for the first time since the attack.

Denrick watched the little wolven raise an overlarge paw to Lynn’s face, then she buried her head into his furry side.

It was becoming more and more obvious to him why it was so important for his hunters to avoid relationships, and keep their emotions walled away. If his hunters became this debilitated every time they lost someone ... He shook his head, ignored the pain of his wounds, and leaned forward to catch up to Winton.

They rode in silence for a few hands before turning from the trail into a rocky streambed. Thick undergrowth reached at them from both sides as they plodded in. The air was pleasantly cool in the shade and the hosven enjoyed splashing through the ankle-deep water. They meandered back-and-forth, following the stream until the grasslands appeared, stretching into the distance as far as the eye could see.

Palita stepped side-to-side nervously, and Lynn looked around in concern, then a great smile spread across her face. Maxus’ horned head appeared in the distance, bobbing up above the tall grass. Lynn was so excited she leaned forward to ride out to him.

That same instant, Denrick raised a hand to stop her as he rode quickly to her side. I know you are eager to greet your drakes, but they will be here soon enough. In the meantime, we must keep moving. He galloped back to the front of the line to talk to Winton.

Palita danced with Lynn’s excitement, and Prencil was soon trying to out-dance her. Carl sat up and stretched, then gazed into the grasslands with his tongue lolling.

The excitement roused Kliklak and Blekka, too. The imps poked their pinkish-white, horned heads out of the saddlebags to sniff at the air.

Minna kept one hand over her shoulder, resting on the hilt of her sword while watching Lynn. "Are you sure it is one of your drakes?"

Lynn’s response was practically gleeful. It’s Maxus. I know it.

Minna relaxed a little. It is hard to believe they can hide out there. She scanned the grasslands and saw no sign of either dragon. How did they find us?

Lynn shrugged. She considered standing in her saddle for a better look, then noticed an unnatural wave in the grasses heading toward them.

She held herself as long as she could, then leaned out of line and dropped from the saddle. She ran to Maxus as he bounded out of the grass. His scales sparkled in the sunlight, and when Lynn draped herself across his muzzle, they flashed in a dazzling burst of golden light. He huffed and nudged and nuzzled her until she was knocked from her feet.

She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Her laughter faded then, and she rose from the short blue grass with tears in her eyes. She hugged the dragon’s muzzle. I missed you. Where’s Sophie? No. We’re not going back to Raven’s Hold. We’re going to the ruins of Goldendale.

Maxus huffed, then eyed Denrick and Winton. His scales winked out and Palita moved a little closer. Carl leaned from his basket, trying to see Lynn beyond the hosven’s red-scaled head.

Even Carl is happy to see you, Lynn said. She could see Denrick signing move out in her peripheral vision. Sorry, she said to the drake. We have to get moving. Are you going to get Sophie?

She was climbing back into the saddle when Maxus huffed. The sound startled Palita, and Prencil surged forward to put himself between Maxus and the little hosven. The drake hissed and raised his head far above them all. Minna’s eyes grew two sizes larger as she held Prencil’s saddle-horns in a death grip.

Maxus glared at Prencil for a brief moment before dismissing him as a threat, then lowered himself and flowed back into the deep grass and was gone.

That is the scariest thing that has ever happened to me, Minna said. I thought he was going to eat me. She stroked and patted Prencil’s neck to calm him.

That was so sweet, Lynn said. Prencil was defending Palita. You’re such a good boy. Uh oh. Lynn’s eyes swung to the hunters. I think they’re leaving without us.

Minna smiled and they both leaned forward. "What did Maxus say?" Minna asked.

It was difficult to read him; he was so excited to see me. I think he said Sophie wasn’t far, and that he was going to get her. They slowed to a trot when they reached the back of the line.

Minna pointed to a snowcapped peak in the distance. We have made a lot of progress.

That is the mountain behind Goldendale? Lynn asked, and Minna nodded. "Is it named after someone? Or some thing?" Lynn asked.

Mount Gravis? Minna shrugged. Not that I know of. It is the southern-most peak.

Lynn pointed in the opposite direction then, and Carl nipped playfully at her arm. That’s the mountain behind Raven’s Hold?

"Mount Drake. Yes. That one is named after something." Minna giggled.

Carl mouthed Lynn’s hand and she grimaced. Ow. His teeth are coming in, and they’re really sharp. The wolven pup gnawed on her hand as she stroked him with the other.

"Maybe you should not be teaching him to eat our hands," Minna said.

I can’t help it. He’s so cute. And I don’t have anything else for him to chew on. His teeth weren’t breaking her skin, though she suspected if it were anyone else, their hand would have been a shredded, bloody mess.

As they continued east, the gaps between the white-bark trees on their right filled with undergrowth, and to the left, grass covered everything, starting with dense, bright-green tufts with tiny white flowers at their centers. The green then mixed with a taller, blue, wide-bladed grass that stretched to waist-high as it split into more and more blades. The grasses beyond that were taller than the hosven in shades of greens, yellows, and blues.

The sun warmed their backs for a long while, and their shadows grew short by the time Rainen and Murphy caught up to them. A long line of riderless hosven stretched out behind them draped with red cloaks and bulging bags.

Minna saw the waypost cookpot tied to one and gave Rainen a questioning glance. He signed need to her and she shook her head and quipped to Lynn, He would have brought the entire waypost if he could have figured out how to get the hosven to drag it behind them.

2  Sydnee

It was late afternoon when they found Sydnee. The robot was dripping wet from the middle of her bright-red chest-plate to her green and black mis-matched legs. The rush of water grew louder as they approached.

They surrounded the robot, excited to find out what she had to say.

The river is deep, and thick with leeches, Sydnee said. I was unable to locate a safe place for us to cross.

Ashley cringed.

Murphy stretched up in his saddle. Leaches? How big are they?

One to two meters in length, Sydnee said.

Wamma lamma. Murphy glanced excitedly at Mike, then leaned his hosven closer to the river.

I would not get any closer, Winton said. "The leaches will come out of the water to feed."

Murphy continued to scan the bank as he backed away, hoping to see one.

Rainen, Denrick, and Winton turned to the wall of trees and brush. It will be slow going, Denrick said, but we do not have any other choices.

Ashley asked, Could we cut one of the trees so it fell across? Then we could just walk across the trunk.

Denrick looked at Rainen. Do we have an axe?

Rainen shook his head.

Could the hosven jump across? Murphy asked.

It would be a long jump for most of them, even without a rider. Denrick glanced at Lynn and Palita.

We could follow the river into the grasslands, Lynn said, maybe find a place where there aren’t any leeches?

I checked three kilometers downstream, Sydnee said. The leech population continues undiminished.

We need to be moving north, not southwest. Denrick looked around to judge their location, then faced Lynn. Have the Sydnee go upriver. There should be a bridge where the old road from Goldendale crossed. See if it is intact, and how far away it is. In the meantime, we will setup a temporary camp, rest the hosven, and get something to eat."

SYDNEE LOOKED AT LYNN, and after receiving a nod, headed for the intersection of the tree line and the river. She walked to the edge and dropped into the water with a splash. A dark cloud of silt rose to the surface and floated away on the current.

Leeches immediately surrounded her, their slimy bodies bumping against her and causing a continuous stream of warnings as she trudged upriver.

The water was hip deep near the bank, and well over her head near the center. The leeches continued to bump against her, slithering between and around her legs as she slogged kilometer after kilometer. As soon as one lost interest, another would rush in to investigate.

Eventually, the river bent due-south and the canopy closed in overhead. Warning! Charge rate: negative point zero-five percent. Current charge: twelve-point one percent. Water temperature: thirteen point eight degrees (57ºF): ninety percent probability of ice-melt combined with runoff.

Seven-point-two kilometers in, the river made a sweeping bend from southeast to southwest and the sky re-appeared overhead. Beyond the apex of the bend, a foliage covered structure became visible.

The abutments were still intact, but the center support had washed away along with the middle of the bridge itself. Gap analysis: 3 meters. Mission complete. Return to Captain’s last known location.

Temporary Camp by the River

Winton and Rainen emerged from the undergrowth carrying swords scavenged from Silverton guardsmen. The rest of the party sat around a saddlebag while sharing a waterskin.

The brush is thickest along the tree line, Rainen said. It thins farther in. There are some spiny plants we need to watch out for. He held up a rash-covered hand. We had to backtrack a few times to avoid them, but it is passable. He sat next to Lynn and Blake, wincing at his own minor wounds. He lifted his shirt to check his stitches and Lynn leaned over to help.

Rainen asked, Is it bleeding?

Lynn shook her head. Bandage is dry.

Winton grabbed the sword Rainen had dropped and pointed it at Murphy.

Murphy raised his eyebrows. Hmmm?

Come with me, Winton said. We are going to start your training.

Murphy jumped to his feet as a wide grin washed across his face. Yes!

Winton handed the sword to Murphy then walked toward the tree-line.

I already have a sword, Murphy said with a touch to the sword at his waist.

You do not want to dull your primary blade. They reached the tree line and Winton gestured toward the undergrowth. I want you to attack the brush.

Murphy frowned, then shrugged and raised the sword to chop at the foliage.

Winton watched him swing a few times. Stop. Your grip—hold your arm out, tip to the sky. See how the angle of the blade is not aligned with your arm? Winton adjusted the sword in Murphy’s grip. When you swing, tighten your grip. The sword should feel a part of your arm. If it is loose, your strikes will be less effective.

Murphy started in on the brush again with slow, methodical purpose. The motion brought back memories of the attack; of Mike being stabbed, of the guard tugging at the blade in his friend’s side; the arrow in Kristin’s neck; and he imagined the brush was a guardsman.

He attacked with renewed enthusiasm. The sword felt lighter in his hand. It almost felt how he’d always imagined it would, swinging a sword. He advanced into a newly created gap, chasing the imaginary guard.

Cut, slash, chop. The guardsman floated just out of reach. Anger raged inside him and images of the battle clouded his vision and blurred with the real world. Limbs, leaves, and branches fell to the ground in piles.

Slash, chop, cut. He surged ahead, his sword working in a flurry, his face dark with anger. The image of Kristin’s pale face fixed in his mind and he was unable to make it go away. It fueled him, and he continued to attack as tears filled his eyes.

Winton touched his shoulder and the sudden contact snapped Murphy back to reality. It is alay, Winton said, the rikkabrush is dead.

Murphy wiped tears from his cheeks as an angry grimace lingered.

Can you lift your sword-arm? Winton asked.

Murphy tried to raise the sword, but it felt as if the tip were attached to the ground. His arm was completely spent, so he transferred it to his left hand and raised it with a grin.

We have much to work on, Winton said. He looked at the ragged corridor through the brush, nearly large enough to walk a hosven through. Not bad, for a beginner.

SYDNEE EMERGED FROM the river with a dark-gray leech dangling from her leg and dragging the ground behind her. She pulled the leech off and flung it back into the river, then marched toward Lynn.

Everyone was busy repacking the hosven’s saddlebags to reduce their girth. Denrick moved toward Lynn and the robot, stepping carefully to avoid re-opening his wounds.

Everything spect? Lynn asked.

The center section of the bridge is gone, Sydnee said, leaving a three-meter gap.

The querulous look on Denrick’s face prompted Lynn to translate the distance for him. One meter is about the length of your arm.

Three arm-lengths we can manage, he said.

They finished repacking the hosven, then led the train into the corridor Murphy started. The going was tight at first, but as the trees grew larger and the canopy thickened, the brush and undergrowth thinned.

The hunters hurried them at every opportunity, and worried over every delay. By the time they reached the bridge, it was mid-evening. Jumping the gap was easy enough for the hosven, even burdened with riders.

We cannot afford any more delays, Rainen said. I could range ahead. See if I can find the old waypost.

The waypost is unusable, Denrick said. Winton?

Winton raised his eyes.

Follow the road. Denrick indicated the overgrown path ahead of them. It will turn south at some point. Find the turn and leave a marker...take one of the red cloaks. Follow the path to the ruins and try to find a place for us to camp. If you cannot find a suitable site, backtrack and we will push on to the waterfall.

WINTON SLID DOWN THE side of his hosven, grabbed a red cloak from one of the saddlebags, and loped away, slipping between branches and brush without a sound.

The trail widened and the canopy thinned, allowing the occasional shaft of sunlight through, though they rarely reached the ground. Hills began to rise on either side of the trail, and the brush and trees dwindled away.

After some time, Winton wondered if he might have missed the turn. Just as he was about to turn back, the path came to an obvious T with one leg leading into the mountains. He dropped the red cloak over a branch and jogged between the hillocks.

He passed the last of the white-trunked trees and the trail began an undulating ascent with overgrown fruit trees growing in rough lines across the hills.

He drew his bow and slowed his pace when he felt something watching him. Around the next turn, a van of magnapede were sunning themselves on the hills bordering the path. One of the larger creatures was wrapped around something, a leg poking out of its spiral grip.

Winton made a wide arc around the creatures before coming back to the trail. The valley deepened and the slopes eventually turned to cliffs. The loss of escape routes made him nervous. He jogged with an arrow knocked, scanning the road both in front and behind with increasing trepidation.

When the valley merged with another, he slowed to a walk. A pile of bones at the roadside reminded him to remain focused.

The bones disappeared without him seeing anything more than a scraggly apple tree growing from a cleft in the rocks. The road began a rapid ascent then, and when he reached its apex, he could see the mountains surrounding him. Thick, white clouds obscured the peaks in the distance.

The road turned shortly after and a high stone wall appeared. The remains of a gate and the rubble of its destruction were strewn across the road inside. He crept his way toward the gap.

A double-row of faded red roofs came into view. He wanted to hurry in to investigate, but a scattering of sun-whitened bones quelled the desire.

He looked in every direction for threats, and potential escape routes, then moved to the far side of the road to look in. There was a partially collapsed building and many fence posts, both standing and fallen, surrounding an overgrown field. The ruins of a hosven barn and pen.

A chill wind flowed through the gap, smelling of dust and moss. The rush of water whispered in the distance. The remains of the thick blackwood gate was lying inside, covered by a blanket of green moss, grass, and weeds. He faced the barn and stopped to consider the dangers that might lurk inside.

Piles of stone and pink roof tiles littered the length of the front wall, making the interior visible all along it. The rest appeared to be intact.

He approached while hugging the gate-wall. What remained looked sound enough and he was surprised to find many of the stalls still had their gates.

He put tension on his bowstring as his eyes adjusted to the dark interior. When the blackness turned to shades of gray, he stepped inside.

Piles of hosven and elwren bones scattered the floor. A thin layer of webbing covered everything, and leaves and grass hung from most of the strands, though the webbing near the back wall looked fresh.

A row of stalls lined the ruined side of the building, and a hallway farther in paralleled it. The second hall was too dark to see into, but he was sure he would find a double-row of stalls running its length.

More bones graced the floor near the back; a small drake, its skull crushed, lay next to the skeletons of three hosven. There was a black hole in the floor near them, covered by a layer of webbing.

He drew his bowstring back and fired an arrow into the hole and was knocking another when the aranid sprang out.

Winton leapt back and loosed at the same time. The arrow pierced the creature’s eyeless head and it tumbled past him in a cloud of dust.

It was twice the size of the aranid they faced at Silverton, and apparently much heartier. It righted itself, then skittered to the side while waving its hairy antennae in the air.

Winton tossed his bow onto a pile of nearby bones, and when the aranid leapt for it, he jumped and drew his sword at the same time. He swung as he landed and severed the thing’s head along with part of the body and three of its legs. The rest shriveled up on itself as liquid oozed from the wound.

He nudged it with his sword, then recovered his bow. He wiped the arrows off in the dirt before putting them back in his quiver, then kicked a bone into the dark hole to make sure it was empty.

The stalls would be too dark to see inside, so he crouched in the middle of the room and removed a small bundle from his pack; a tinderbox and strip of oiled cloth. He wrapped the cloth around the end of a spear and prepped the tinderbox. After hitting the striker a few times with his knife, a ball of shredded bark caught fire, and he used that to light the spear-torch.

Cautious legs carried him down the back hall. He had to avert his eyes from the bright square of light at its end. The first few stalls were open, their gates rotted away, or broken and scattered across the floor. He checked each room, making sure not to miss any aranid holes.

A half-eaten saddle sat in the center of one room with small piles of dung and bones surrounding it. He moved the saddle with his spear to make sure nothing was hiding underneath.

The gate into the next stall was closed, and when he pressed his foot against it to open it, the wood broke away and the entire gate fell inside. He froze for a few moments, watching and listening to make sure nothing was attracted by the noise.

Most of the gates on the inner rooms were intact, opening on stiff but quiet blackmetal hinges. They were all empty, excepting a few piles of broken bones and another ruined saddle. An open-walled tack room near the end held some moldy rope and a number of empty wall hooks.

The field outside that would have been the hosven’s pen was well overgrown. Scraggly brush and bright green vines covered much of the area. Some of the fence-posts stood like limbless trees amongst the foliage. The cliff face that made up the back of the pen loomed high above the old barn.

Beyond the pen were hundreds of houses in varying states. Most were little more than piles of broken stone and roof tiles, but those along the cliff face, both on this side of the valley and the other, were standing. Some still had doors, though many and more were open to the elements, making countless locations for things to hide in ambush.

Winton stepped out of the barn into the shadow of the mountain, put his spear-torch away, and readied his bow. As he was turning to leave, a large mound in the far corner of the pen caught his eye. He moved to investigate.

Rounded stone walls were visible beneath a layer of rikkabrush and vines. A Well. The supports and the bucket and crank were gone, but the old tile roof was there, covered with vines and sitting askew atop the well’s opening.

3  Trylliphid

North of the Ruins

Denrick retrieved the red cloak from a branch, signed all-is-well to the group, then turned south. The old stone road appeared here and there beneath patches of dirt and grass, and Denrick wondered why anyone would go to all the trouble to make a road in the middle of nowhere.

He dropped into line next to Lynn and gave her a reassuring smile. Carl sniffed the air at him and Denrick lingered for a moment before riding back to the front to send Rainen ahead.

They watched the hills as the sun continued to sink until shadows covered the ground.

The area around them appeared to have been tended orchards at one time, now long abandoned. The trees were overgrown, misshapen, or dead, but ordered rows made it clear they hadn’t grown there naturally. Some had green fruit on them, but anything near ripe was gone.

A sun blanketed hill in the distance hosted a van of magnapede. They will have to be killed if we are to have any chance of harvesting apples for ourselves, Denrick thought.

The wound in his side itched, so he pushed at it until it stopped. Pain replaced the itching and that made him wonder how Mike was doing.

The archer that attacked us was not very good, he thought. Winton, Murphy, Ashley, and Jessica were completely un-injured in the attack. If it were any of my hunters in that tower, we would all be dead. Not my hunters anymore, he thought. Why was there an archer waiting for us? And why did he kill Warren and Jerrick first? And why did the guards attack us? He shook his head and re-focused on the road ahead.

The hills passed quickly, turning to sharp stone cliffs that closed in on them. Denrick took them cautiously through an intersection, and after a Y in the road, a ruined wall came into view.

Rainen was sitting on his hosven and talking down at Winton who was standing in the rubble of what once must have been the main gate. They both turned to watch Denrick and the train of hosven approach.

I cleared the barn and the hosven pen, Winton said, "and I have been watching the area since.  I have not seen movement farther in, though there are fresh bones mixed with old. This place makes me nervous. I feel like something has been watching me since I arrived.

What is left of the barn is sound, and there is a well at the corner of the pasture, although I did not uncover it. I do not know if it is usable or not. He pointed.

More than I hoped for, Denrick said, Will you take first watch?

Winton nodded and jogged away, heading for the slope that made up the back wall of the barn.

Denrick said to Rainen, Unload the hosven and have everyone carry saddles and bags inside, then take the hosven to the field. He stood to the side as the hosven filtered in and began milling about.

When the last of the riderless animals were through, Denrick drew Minna aside. He looked at her with expectant eyes. "I am counting on you to keep them—he nodded at the Venyans— from doing anything that might endanger us."

She raised her eyes and gave him a single nod.

Build a fire-pit inside and get the fire going. Set up a tripod to hang the pot. Use spears if you must, but I would rather keep all of our weapons at the ready.

Minna waited a moment to make sure there wasn’t anything more, then ran off without a word.

Denrick walked through the opening into the ruined city. The valley spread out inside and he could see what once were rows and rows of houses and overgrown remnants of sprawling gardens.

Too many places for things to hide, he thought. Lynn and the Sydnee were walking toward him so he moved forward to meet them.

Reporting for duty, Lynn said with a grin.

Denrick’s deeply furrowed brow softened a little. This place is very dangerous. We all need to keep watch for threats.

Sydnee can help with that, Lynn said. Should I have her take a look around?

Denrick considered the question for a moment. Have her scout around the well so we can uncover it.

They helped carry saddles and saddle-bags into the barn, and after Sydnee returned to tell them all was clear, they made their way to the overgrown well and started pulling at vines and branches.

After uncovering the cylindrical stone wall, the three of them grabbed the remains of the roof and lifted. The thick tiles and soaked wood made it very heavy. Lynn and the Sydnee had to take most of the load.

They set it over a fallen fence rail, then approached the well’s opening to look inside. White roots grew like hair down the sides. Lynn dropped a rock and it splashed in the darkness below.

It is five point four meters from ground level to the water, Sydnee said. There is a layer of debris on the surface.

We will need to clear it out, and find something to haul the water up, Denrick said. He looked closely at the stone walls. There are hand-holds down the side, though I would not risk sending anyone down without a rope.

I could climb down there, Minna said. She was standing right beside Lynn, and Lynn was startled so badly her elbow slipped off the edge and she fell forward.

Denrick’s hands were immediately at her waist.

You startled me, Lynn said. She turned in Denrick’s arms with a coy smile on her face.

I do not want anyone going down there without a rope, Denrick said.

Lynn would not have fallen in, Minna said, then she dropped another rock to hear the splash. The fire is going, and the pot is hung, and we started a stew with some of the rations. I was going to look around for some vegetables or—

No, Denrick said, then he took a deep breath. Come. We need to have a meeting, with everyone.

Do you want me to get Winton? Minna asked.

No. I am not worried about him. He headed for the barn with the girls on either side of him and the Sydnee clomping along behind.

Smoke spilled from the barn’s tiled roof and flowed up and over the broken wall. Lynn took Denrick’s hand and held it as they meandered through the grazing hosven into a long dark corridor. Flickering firelight danced at the end, welcoming them to the camp.

Blake’s father was sitting on a pile of red cloaks, rubbing the stump of his leg while Jessica and Blake carried bones from the room. Ashley stirred the pot with a long wooden spoon while Mike sat on a pair of stacked saddles that Murphy was placing around the fire.

Blekka and Kliklak held one end of a large bone and struggled to hold their position as Carl tugged them through the dirt.

Minna and Lynn grabbed more saddles to help finish the seating while Denrick gathered his thoughts. He waited for Blake and Jessica to return, then said, "This is not a hold. Danger surrounds us, and as night falls, it will close in on us. We must gather as much dry wood as we can while it is still light out. After that, everyone will stay right here, he indicated the room and everyone in it, unless you are escorted by Winton, Rainen, or myself, or I give you a specific task that takes you outside. Understood?"

What if I have to relieve myself? Murphy asked.

Sydnee can keep watch even in the dark, Blake said.

We will need her to, Denrick said. That will get us an early warning, at least. If something does attack, everyone will go down this hall and into the field with the hosven. He looked at each of them until they all nodded back. As for a wastehouse, there are a few aranid holes in the stalls behind me. We will use one of them. Just keep it covered when it is not in use.

Blake and I can build a seat for it, Coach offered.

Alay. Denrick faced Lynn. Tell the Sydnee to take watch out front. He handed a spear to the robot.

Sydnee looked to Lynn for a nod of approval, then headed out.

I can make beds for everyone, Jessica said.

I need everyone to help gather wood, first, Denrick said. Ashley and Mike can take care of the food and organize the camp. He looked to Mike, and Mike smiled back with a nod while holding a hand to the wound in his side.

Just then, Rainen appeared on the road. He stopped on the outskirts of the camp, not wanting to intrude.

Denrick said to Rainen, I want you and Jessica to check all the stalls for firewood. You have a torch-kit?

Rainen nodded, then looked down the long line of saddle-bags trying to locate his.

Denrick said, The rest of you, with me.

Lynn knelt to pet Carl before following the others. Blekka, will you and Kliklak take care of Carl and watch over Mike and Ashley for me?

The imps grinned and hopped back-and-forth on their short legs, excited to have an official assignment.

For the rest of the evening, the group spent their time gathering what remained of the fence that once surrounded the hosven pen.

The black wood was extremely dense, making it very heavy. Even a relatively dry rail took two to carry comfortably. They managed to generate a large stack of posts and rails suitable for construction, and a smaller pile for burning.

The hosven danced around them and put themselves in the way as much as possible, and Prencil and Palita followed Lynn everywhere, snapping their beaks and squawking at her the entire time.

As the valley darkened, Denrick called everyone to carry the burnable wood into the barn.

A row of red-cloak beds lined the back wall, each one ending in a rounded hump of a pillow. What did you use for pillows? Murphy asked.

Rolled up pants and shirts, Mike said. Not very good as far as pillows go, but better than nothing.

I claim the one in the middle, closest to the fire. Murphy winked at Mike. It’s getting cold out. He looked at Ashley and noticed her eyes glistening with tears. Did Mike burn the stew? he asked.

That started Ashley outright crying, and Mike took her quickly out of the firelight. It’s nothing, Mike said. We couldn’t find any bowls, or utensils. Murphy nodded, though he suspected it had more to do with Kristin’s death.

Oh! Minna jumped from her saddle-seat and began rummaging through the bags. The hunters will have some.

Denrick leaned over so he could see her from the other side of the fire. Check the ones near the end.

Minna followed his finger, and returned with two wooden bowls and a pair of matching spoons. She wore a room-lighting smile and Murphy found himself smiling with her.

Girls, Murphy thought. One’s crying her eyes out, one’s as happy as I’ve ever seen anyone, Lynn’s practically making out with Denrick’s hand, and Jessica...it’s like she has no emotions at all.

Minna took the bowls to the pot and filled one. Who is first?

Can she cook? Murphy asked in a whisper then nodded toward Ashley. Jessica shook her head.

I’ll give it a try, Murphy offered, and Minna handed him a bowl and spoon. After a tentative bite, he said, Not bad, Ashley. Thank you, even though it was awful.

Denrick managed an Mmmm and Murphy thought he was going to say ‘good’ afterward, instead, he nearly choked, and spit a lump out onto his spoon.

The Privy is two stalls down, Blake said.

Anyone know how to make cement? Murphy asked.

Lynn made a face after her first bite and tried to hide it by talking. Cement? Like glue? What for?

No, not glue, Murphy said. For making foundations. You know, to fix the wall.

Ah, Coach said. You need calbonite for that. That’s a type of stone. Or you can use the shells of sea creatures, they are the same thing made through a different process. Anyway, you heat it red hot, and when it cools, you can grind it into powder. Add water to the powder and you get mortar.

Murphy looked a little disappointed. I was hoping we could find some lying around, like sand or dirt. He chuckled. What does the stone look like? Is it different than normal rock?

It looks and feels like normal rock, Lynn said, but if you pour vinegar on it, it fizzes.

How could you possibly know that? Murphy asked.

Calbonite is an alkali—Lynn paused at the blank stares— which is the opposite of vinegar, which is an acid, so they react when they come together.

Murphy said, It’s a good thing we have all these barrels of vinegar to waste pouring over rocks, then. He wiped his brow. And I was worried it might be difficult to find.

Mike chuckled.

You don’t have to test every rock, Coach said. Calbonite is relatively soft. You should be able to score it with a piece of metal.

We could make vinegar from apples, Lynn said.

There were lots of apple trees back the way we came, Minna said. We will have to kill the magnapede to get them, though.

Mike asked from the shadows, Those huge things eat apples?

They hang out near fruit trees because other animals come to feed there, Minna said. Then, they eat those animals. If they get hungry, they will eat the fruit. The little ones are always hungry because the big ones eat everything else.

How do they catch anything? Mike asked. They don’t look very fast, and it’s not like you wouldn’t see them coming.

The little ones hide in the trees, Minna said. and drop on their prey from above. Whatever they bite, dies and the big ones hurry over and eat it.

When you say ‘little ones’, you mean like the size of a person? Murphy asked, Hiding in a tree?

Lynn and Denrick finished with their bowls and Denrick refilled them, then handed one to Blake and the other to Jessica.

They are about the size of your forearm, Minna said.

And one bite could kill us? Murphy asked.

A bite from a small one would kill a hosven, Minna said. The large one’s bite is not poisonous at all, though. Dangerous, certainly, but not poisonous.

Could a small one kill a dragon? Lynn asked with a worried look in her eyes.

Denrick said, The small one’s fangs could not penetrate a drake’s skin, or a hosven’s for that matter.

Winton arrived and signed all-is-well, then sat next to Murphy.

Thanks Ash, Blake said, That was...filling.

Ashley buried her face deeper into Mike’s shoulder. After Jessica’s first bite, her face contorted wildly and Murphy nearly fell over trying not to laugh.

Any activity? Denrick asked Winton.

Sydnee said a few creatures have approached from either direction, and all turned back the moment they detected the hosven.

Denrick pondered that for a moment, then excused himself, I will be right back. I need to talk to the Sydnee for a finger or two. He disappeared into the darkness.

Jessica pondered what to do with her half-empty bowl, then held it toward the back of the room. The imp’s eyes twinkled at her from the shadows. You want this?

Oooh, ooh! Kliklak gets hungry. Kliklak hopped forward and took the bowl. Blekka eyed it greedily as he blew on it, as he’d seen the others do, then stuck his face into the bowl and began slurping it down.

I will take some to Rainen, Minna said.

Lynn shook her head. Denrick said not to go outside.

Minna’s smile wrinkled up. Right. She slowly returned to her seat.

You haven’t eaten, Lynn said. Go on. You need it as much as we do.

Minna slumped, took a spoonful, and swallowed it whole. Her brow twitched as she glared at Murphy, but her face was otherwise as pleasant as ever.

Murphy was frowning at her reaction when Denrick re-appeared. He raised his index and third finger to the group, then knelt to wake Winton.

Lynn translated the sign in a whisper, That means we need to be quiet.

Denrick put