Leaping Wolf, page 13
part #2 of Caledon Saga Series
She didn’t sound especially convinced and Gawan shrugged his shoulders.
‘If he did then good for him, but the boy will still be gone and this is the best guess we have. None of his family have seen him and combine that with a missing stranger who knows the Dariniae...’
He left that hanging in the air for a moment and Emeryn nodded, her face now determined.
‘Very well. What are we to do then; are we spreading out in a search or do we know which way he has gone?’
Gawan felt his resentment begin simmering again.
‘They have already organised a search, we are not needed.’
Emeryn blinked, taken aback.
‘In a search like this you cannot have too many people. We ought to offer Rhianwyn our help, she must be worried.’
Gawan wanted to snap something about bloody Rhianwyn but he kept his voice under control.
‘The Caderyn don’t want our help. Best we spend our time making certain that all is ready for the ride south.’
Emeryn frowned at him.
‘The legion is all but ready to go anyway, all that is changed is what road we will take. Since there is nothing we can do to hasten it, we may as well be helping them to track down Lucan and this Sawel.’
Gawan repeated himself, keeping his anger at bay with an effort.
‘They don’t want our help.’
Once again Emeryn looked at him with disapproval.
‘Are we not supposed to be on the same side in this? Would you refuse a Caderyn’s help if he was trying to rescue your child?’
Gawan felt a pang in his chest. He confided in Emeryn more than he did in most people but he’d never told her the story of Tegwen. He reminded himself that he was never much of a father anyway, but then a part of him knew how much he regretted that. He scowled but Emeryn met his look with determination. The First Man almost spat out his answer.
‘Alright. But they’ve no need for us in the main party. I will ask Bran if there is anything of use we can do here.’
Truthfully there probably wasn’t much, but if they had to do this then he was not going to tail behind the Wildcat, not after what she’d said that morning. Emeryn nodded, her expression softening a little.
‘Thank you. What is the plan at the moment?’
Gawan filled her in on the details and lines appeared on her brow again, only this time in thought rather than in disapproval.
‘Hmmm, with the houses so full of people, searching them seems a bit pointless.’
Her lover shrugged.
‘True, but Sawel might have known the boy would soon be missed and be laying low somewhere until the search parties have left.’
Emeryn nodded slowly.
‘Yes, but why do that in a town filled with his enemies? Where could he go where he and the child would be unnoticed?’
She had a point, and Gawan started thinking on it. Lucan had been seen with Rhianwyn often enough that most of the people of Bryngarth would recognise him. If Sawel tried to hide him in the town then he would surely be seen and questioned before long. The Gadarim started wondering where he might go if he had to hide from these people, and found himself thinking back on his walk earlier that day. He beckoned to Emeryn and started heading roughly east, away from the main town and towards the edge of the hill. His lover followed curiously but didn’t speak as they walked, weaving between the houses until they stood out in the open.
From there Gawan looked out on the sprawling green lands of the Caderyn but his gaze didn’t linger on the sunlit vista. His eyes focused on the woodland away to the north and he struggled to suppress a little shiver. He’d never been there himself but he knew of the sacred ground that lay somewhere within those trees. There were sacred sites all over the land of both the Caderyn and the Gorvicae of course, but few held the same mystery as the legendary Ring of Stones, and Gawan had heard some tales about this place that made even him feel nervous. But for all that, or even because of it, the woods would make a damned good hiding place in a pinch. But would Sawel dare to go in there?
Emeryn followed his gaze and spoke from behind him, her voice quiet.
‘You don’t think...’
Gawan didn’t turn but he nodded his head slowly. The spirits and Sidhe of sacred forests didn’t like intruders at the best of times, and a pair of Gorvicae in a Caderyn wood would be a long damned way from welcome. But the life of an innocent child is at stake; is anger at Rhianwyn or fear of ghosts enough that you will not at least go and look? Gawan clenched his fists. He was right to berate himself and would go down there of course, but the thought of hostile spirits made his hands want to shake. At least men, even the Panthers and Aborans, can be hacked down and killed with guts and effort. Ghosts on the other hand... He ground his teeth and kept his eyes on the trees as he spoke, and wondered how deep they might have to go into the wood.
‘It’s a better place for him to hide than up here on the hill. There’s only one way to find out.’
*
The Caderyn riders set off south at a gallop as the two Gorvicae tramped slowly down Bryngarth’s hill. Gawan had considered seeking out Hywel the druid but it seemed he had volunteered to ride out with one of the searches, and the First Man wasn’t sure what other druid he might ask. It was probably better this way anyway. Chances were they’d either forbid him or else delay him from going to look, and with every passing moment Sawel might be scurrying further away, perhaps intending to pass through the woods and come out the other side. Gawan wasn’t sure if he ought to hope for some spirit to catch him first since, for all that Sawel no doubt deserved it, whatever ghost it was might end up harming Lucan along with him.
Gawan did what he generally did when faced with something he feared; he embraced his anger and used it to burn away some of the dread. It wasn’t difficult. He was angry at Sawel not just for kidnapping a child but also, if they were right, for desecrating sacred ground by fleeing there after his crime. He was angry at Rhianwyn for snapping at him, and for countenancing letting Gaians fight alongside the Dragon Legion. Most of all he was angry at himself, partly for his hypocrisy after having already fought with them before, and partly for letting that get in the way of what might be their best hope of beating Caserach.
But before he could think on it further Emeryn held up a hand for them to stop. The ground was just starting to flatten out ahead of them but Emeryn was gesturing to their left.
‘Look there.’
Gawan looked where she was pointing. On the pathway down the hill the earth was too well-trod to see anything, but Emeryn had been keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of footprints leaving the trail. She was generally better at this than he was and it took him a moment to see what she had seen. The tracks were faint but he just about made out two sets of footprints heading towards the trees, one large, the other very small. It was impressive that Emeryn had spotted them at all, but then she had tracked down Nomad scouts before now and Gawan could hardly have picked a better companion for this. She looked up at him.
‘They’re fresh. An adult and a child, walking this morning. The man is not large, his tracks are broad but not deep, and the child with him could not be more than five or six years old.’
They exchanged a grim look as their suspicions were confirmed, but Emeryn’s eyes were soon back on the ground.
‘The man’s stride is fairly long, and the boy was walking fast to keep up with him.’
They began following the tracks and Gawan asked her questions rather than make guesses for himself.
‘Dragged by the hand?’
Sawel hadn’t looked strong enough to carry a child that size over any distance so it made sense that he’d have made the boy walk instead. Emeryn shook her head as they went on, her gaze still focused on the damp grass.
‘I don’t think so but I can’t be sure. They are close together but I see no scuffing. I would say that they were holding hands, likely Sawel got him to come along by persuasion rather than force.’
Gawan remembered how the boy liked to babble and figured that Sawel had indulged him enough to gain his trust. Sly bastard. He held on to his anger but didn’t let it overtake him, and as they approached the treeline he peered into the sacred woods. They were beautiful in their own way, mostly oak and birch by the looks of it, yet he couldn’t help but feel a vague sense of foreboding. Emeryn had taken her eyes off the ground for a moment and Gawan could tell she was as nervous as he was. She spoke without much confidence in her voice.
‘Whatever spirits dwell here, they will not love a man who steals a child.’
Gawan grunted. They had both heard myths of gnomes and goblins who would do the same and worse, but these woods were not known as a home to evil beings and he doubted the druids would use it if it were filled with foul spirits and ghosts. All the same he was still hesitant, remembering the tales his mother had told him about Jarinn and Echan, Sarwch and Brenyl, and any number of other wicked sprites and imps. He remembered Anryn’s stories of sylphs who would tempt a man into their bower with fair words and soft flesh, only to drain his soul away as he slept. He snapped himself out of it. He was Gadarim, a son of Mabonac, and daylight or not the marks on his skin were proof that the Dragon God watched over him. I am beloved of the War Gods. Any ghosts or goblins here should be afraid of me! He knew Emeryn was watching him and he kept his face relaxed, striding into the trees as if he had no care in the world.
She followed him a moment later and he felt a surge of affection for her. He thought he ought to hold her and say something loving or encouraging but the moment they crossed the treeline her eyes were back to the ground, studying the dirt and fallen leaves for tracks. If anything that only raised his opinion of her but he kept silent about it for now and let her step a little ahead of him. While Emeryn concentrated on the ground ahead Gawan cast his eyes about, ready to free Heartreaver at a moment’s notice should anything come out of the trees.
The forest was dense, with oak, birch, ash and even holly growing close together. Gawan wondered about the holly trees, and whether Mehine might be lurking in them. She was no goblin; depending who you asked she was either a Sidhe or a goddess, but she was known to haunt the darkest woods and he was sure he’d heard something about her favouring holly. Mehine was also known as being not exactly malignant, but very impatient and unpleasant around uninvited men in her woods. To make matters worse, she was also more revered among the Caderyn than the Gorvicae, who generally looked more towards her husband, and rival, Karanon. Gawan wondered if he ought to be appealing to him now. Though she was the Lady of the Woods and he the Lord of the Mountains, it was said that they walked in one another’s realms, and either one might be watching them right now. He shook it off angrily and focused on his body’s centre, taking strength from the dragonfire he kept burning there.
Emeryn was still tracking, but rarely needed to scan the ground any more. The undergrowth was thick with bracken which might otherwise have frustrated them, but for tracking purposes it was ideal. Whenever they found a thick patch there was ample evidence of Sawel’s passing, and only in those places where the ground was clearer did Emeryn find the need to look down. In one such place she squatted down for a moment, putting her hand to a fist-sized stone. Gawan saw that the moss growing on it was torn and ragged but she must have read something more there because she changed direction slightly, heading more towards what Gawan thought was roughly northwest. It was difficult to keep a good sense of direction in the middle of unfamiliar woodland.
They carried on for a little way, Gawan wasn’t sure how far, and the more they walked unharmed through the trees the less concerned Gawan became about the ghosts. Emeryn was surely right that the spirits here were on their side, and would want to see a child-stealer punished rather than hinder well-meaning outsiders. All the same he only cleared branches or ferns from his path with his left hand. His right was always ready to reach for Heartreaver.
Soon enough he saw Emeryn squat down again but her eyes weren’t on the ground or on the undergrowth. For a moment he thought she might have lost the trail but she raised a hand swiftly when she saw he was about to speak.
‘Shhh. Listen.’
She was speaking quietly and almost lisping to keep her voice low. Gawan crouched down and strained his ears and for a moment he heard nothing. Then, very faintly, he made out what could only have been voices. They were too distant for him to understand the words, or even the language, but one seemed to be deeper pitched than the other, and that was all he needed to know. He and Emeryn exchanged silent nods and kept low as they moved forward, creeping carefully through the ferns. He was grateful that only bracken and not briar stood in their path, and remembered briefly the hard lesson he had learned about the difference. He’d paid little attention to his mother and her wisdom when he was young, and had scratched himself something terrible after not understanding her warning. The memory of it almost brought a smile to his face but then he remembered what was happening and drew his mind back into focus.
The voices were still speaking as they slowly closed the distance. Gawan wasn’t a clumsy man but Emeryn was making him feel like one, slipping through the thick ferns like an otter moving through water. He comforted himself that she didn’t have a sword to restrict her movement but there was no denying it; she was better at this than he was. The voices seemed to stop and Gawan worried that their quarry might be moving away, but his fears were dispelled as they reached a little rise and he saw two figures in the clearing below.
It was Sawel and the boy, no doubt of that, and Gawan felt a mixture of relief and satisfaction. Soon he’d have the chance to pay this bastard his due for stealing away a child. And we’ll see how dismissive Rhianwyn is when two Gorvicae have rescued her boy! Lucan said something to Sawel that was too quiet to make out but the answer of the Mobryn man was clear.
‘No!’
His voice was sharp and Gawan saw him grab the boy by his arm, dragging him across the clearing in the direction they’d been travelling. The Gorvic wasn’t sure what was going on but he’d had enough of watching, and he leaped out of the undergrowth with Emeryn pelting after him. He covered the open ground quickly as Sawel slowly turned to face him. He saw the Caderyn’s wispy moustache twitch in alarm and his hand tighten on the boy’s upper arm. He had no real time to react but Emeryn was taking no chances, and she hurled the rock she had found earlier at the surprised kidnapper’s head. It bounced from his temple and the young man staggered, losing his grip on Lucan and swaying awkwardly off-balance. Gawan left the boy to Emeryn as he launched himself at Sawel, bearing him to the ground and pinning him down with his knees.
The Mobryn man barely had the chance to gasp before Gawan was hammering punches into his face. He tried raising his arms to defend himself but the effort was pitifully feeble, and Gawan kept battering down at him while the young man sputtered and bled. He had no intention of actually killing him, that was for his own tribe to take care of, but he would enjoy teaching the bastard a hard lesson about stealing children away from their parents.
Sawel’s nose and mouth were a mess of blood before a noise behind him caused Gawan to pause. He turned and furrowed his brow as Lucan cried out again, his voice shrill.
‘Stop hurting him!’
The boy was only about five paces away, struggling against Emeryn who was trying to hold him still. His eyes, so like his mother’s, were bright with tears and anger, and Gawan got the very real feeling that he would actually try to fight him if Emeryn let him go. He hesitated a moment as the boy screamed out again.
‘Stop it! Let him be!’
Gawan was unused to speaking to children but Emeryn’s attempts to sooth him didn’t seem to be working.
‘Boy, you’ve been fooled if you thought this man was just playing a game. He meant you harm.’
Lucan tilted his head at him in confusion, forgetting to struggle for a moment.
‘What do you mean?’
Emeryn spoke quietly into his ear.
‘When he told you he was bringing you here, whatever reason he gave, he was lying. He was trying to steal you away.’
Sawel gave a gurgling cough and might have tried to speak but Gawan slapped his face hard before he could. Lucan started struggling again.
‘But I brought him here! We’re looking for dryads.’
His face was earnest and Gawan began to feel the fire in his veins dying down. His limbs felt almost cold in its absence and he exchanged a look with Emeryn. Sawel was trying to speak again, his voice thick and breathless as he dribbled out blood.
‘He was talking to me this morning... said he was going to find one because no-one believed him... listen...’
He tried to sit up but Gawan shoved him back down impatiently. He looked pathetic, his ridiculous moustache stained bright red and one of his eyes already swelling. What he did not look however, was dangerous. Gawan glowered at him.
‘Why didn’t you just tell him no?’
Sawel couldn’t shrug properly because of how he was pinned but he tried moving his shoulders a little.
‘I told him to stay but he’s a stubborn lad. My brother is like that... the only way is to indulge them or they just... wander off alone.’ He squirmed under the Gadarim’s weight. ‘But look, you need...’
But Gawan glared at him harder and he was cowed into silence. The Gorvic found himself thinking about his own brother, and how little they were indulged when they were young. What kind of fool can’t stop a child that small from wandering off alone? It seemed ridiculous, but then Rhianwyn was small he supposed, and stopping her was always a challenge. All the same, this Sawel was lying, stupid, or monumentally naive to think it was acceptable to take a stranger’s child out for an indulging stroll in the woods. Another look at him made Gawan think the first one was unlikely, and it was probably some combination of the others that had led to this. Lucan piped up again from beside them.
‘It’s true! I just wanted to...’
But learning the foolishness of all this had done nothing for Gawan’s mood and he growled at the child angrily. The boy recoiled a little and held his tongue. Emeryn was the one to speak, her voice calm in the child’s ear.
