The Warlock of Hymal, Book I: A Boy from the Mountains Read online

  “Farewell, my good woman,” Danuwil said to Nikko's mother when they were ready to depart. “Take these two pieces of silver for food and lodging, and for the wood and our provisions, too. Our bearers will be paid once they have completed their work.”

  “Thank you, my lord,” she replied, her eyes wide: no doubt she had never seen a silver coin in her entire life. Then she turned to Nikko. “Goodbye, my son. Take care!”

  “Farewell, mother,” Nikko replied. He threw his arms around her and held her in a long embrace.

  The fractious group only reached the hut in the pass in the early evening. Arriving at such a late hour did nothing to improve their mood, because it meant they would not be able to risk descending again until the following day. But spending the night up there was not something they were looking forward to. Danuwil, whose slow pace was largely to blame for their late arrival, had to promise the group an extra day's pay to settle them down a little. They had had to take breaks repeatedly to let the nobleman recover. The two impulsive youths from the westside farm had exchanged foul looks several times, and Nikko had actually been afraid that the arrogant noble might take a sudden fall into the depths.

  This time, at least, the weather seemed to be on their side. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and no more than a mild breeze blew through the pass. The snow, however, was still knee deep, and the night would very likely sink below freezing.

  “Two clear the entrance, the others clear a space beside the house,” Danuwil ordered. “The envoy needs to be buried before nightfall, or would your rather spend the night with his corpse?”

  The entrance was cleared in a few minutes and the grave already underway outside when Danuwil went into the hut to inspect it from the inside. Nikko, however, did not go in with him. His memories of the frozen gaze of the courier were still too fresh in his mind.

  “Good,” said the nobleman when he emerged again. “The poor soul is still frozen solid. Take this, lad.” He handed Nikko a long dagger, still in its sheath. “I'm quite sure he won't be needing it anymore.”

  “My lord, I'm not allowed to carry a blade,” said Nikko with concern.

  “You are now in the service of the landgrave,” Danuwil replied. “Besides, we're practically in Hymal already. Who's going to forbid you from carrying a dagger up here?”

  Nikko took the weapon and proudly slid it out of its sheath to inspect the blade. Carrying actual weapons—especially bladed weapons—was strictly prohibited among the common folk. He hoped that he would not get into any trouble, because he still did not know many details of what his service entailed. In the end, he threw caution to the wind and strapped the dagger to his leather belt. In Hymal, he reasoned, one could never carry too many weapons, and he thought of the powerful wand that had already saved his life several times.

  Their bearers had great difficulty digging a grave, because the ground beneath the snow was still frozen solid. Again, it took some pressure from Danuwil to stop them from laying down their shovels. Nikko was beginning to fear a mutiny that night.

  It was dark when they finally laid the unfortunate envoy to rest. While the others dug the grave, it was Nikko's task to clear the snow from the chimney inside the hut. But the effort would be worth it if they could then enjoy a warm fire inside the old customs station. And it went well. The fireplace worked a treat and after a few moments they had a fire blazing brightly, filling the rough hut with light and warmth. Only the partially collapsed roof still let a little cold in from outside.

  The night in the old customs house was surprisingly pleasant. There was no comparison to the night Nikko had had to spend there when it was his only sanctuary from the snowstorm. The fire in the fireplace kept the chill mountain night at bay, and Nikko, tired from the long ascent, had slept soundly.

  Next morning, they ate a quick breakfast and Danuwil instructed their porters to stow the remaining wood and provisions in the hut. Then he rewarded each of them with a silver coin and they set off back down the mountain, wanting to get back to their neglected duties in Vyldoro as soon as possible. Fodaj would no doubt do good business on his next visit to the village; the nobleman had brought some financial cheer to the poor village with all his silver coins.

  “So, lad, lead us to Hymal!” said Danuwil when the others were gone. He seemed to have slept well himself and was in a good mood. Nikko, however, did not know whether the nobleman had had anything to drink the night before.

  The weather was holding, the sky cloudless, no fog and only the faintest of breezes. It was almost as if the pass was giving its approval to the crossing. Perhaps their journey was truly being watched over by a more favorable star. So far, at least, everything had gone well. Although the deep snow slowed their progress, Nikko could easily make out his own footsteps as a line of depressions in the blanket of snow, showing them the right way to go.

  Late in the morning, they reached the eastern side of the high pass and could see far out into the valley on that side. The nobleman took a tube-shaped object out of his bag and held it to his eye. He swept his gaze over the valley, then nodded with satisfaction.

  “What's that?” asked Nikko.

  “A telescope from the south,” Danuwil replied and handed it to him. “Try it.”

  Nikko held the tube to his eye as he had seen Danuwil do. And he was amazed to see everything appear larger and much closer through it. “Is it magic?”

  “I doubt it,” said Danuwil. “If it were, it would have been far more expensive. But I really don't know how it works.”

  Nikko could have spent the rest of the day playing with the strange “telescope.” But now it was the nobleman urging them on.

  A few uneventful hours later, late in the afternoon, they reached the sinister spot where Thorodos had met his end. Nikko would have much preferred to march on; his memories of that day were too painful. But the basin was the best place far and wide for them to spend the coming night; Nikko knew it from experience, and Danuwil seemed to sense it himself. Between them, they decided to set up camp there.

  “Find some firewood, lad!” Danuwil ordered, once he had looked around.

  “Do you really want to light a fire?” Nikko asked, his voice insistent. “We don't know what there is in this valley.”

  “Hmm, I see what you mean,” said Danuwil. “But the trees here will cover the fire, and we are well protected in the hollow. But we can certainly wait until dark so the smoke doesn't give us away.”

  Nikko was not entirely convinced that a fire was a good idea. But he complied, and set off in search of firewood, returning after a few minutes with a good load of dry brush and sticks. It looked as if no rain had fallen around there for several days. A little later, after they had both freshened up in the stream, they got a little campfire going and ate bread and salt meat for their evening meal.

  Nikko felt that he could now gauge the moods of the peculiar nobleman better, but he still did not know whether he could trust him. Still, he was glad to have Danuwil there with him. He had been particularly impressed with the aplomb with which the nobleman had dealt with their mulish porters. And his idea to stock the pass with firewood and supplies showed that he already had some experience in the field.

  Danuwil sat at the fire and nipped occasionally at a silvery flask. When he realized that Nikko was watching him, he held out the flask invitingly and said, “Try a little. Spirits from my homeland.”

  But Nikko said “Thank you,” and turned the offer down. He wondered if Danuwil drank every evening.

  “What do you plan to do after the message has been delivered?” he finally worked up the courage to ask.

  “It depends on the situation,” said Danuwil. “But once I have all the information I need, I'll be heading back to Zundaj. Don't worry, though,” he said, reading Nikko's thoughts. “The landgrave has ordered his troops back to Hocatin. You'll be able to go with them.”

  “Because of Rhobany?” Nikko asked, remembering their conversation in Vylrahdo three nights earlier. />
  “Exactly.” Danuwil seemed surprised. Then he said, “The young duke has renewed Khondharr's ancient claim to Hocatin. It looks as if we might soon go to war.”

  “Khondharr?”

  “You don't even know your neighbors, do you? Well, then. The Duchy of Khondharr borders Hocatin to the north. In the south, it's the Grand Duchy of Thordám, and in the east, as you already know, is the former Duchy of Hymal. All of them are part of one realm, the king of which has his throne in Zundaj, which also happens to be the capital of Zûldaján. Even Hymal is part of the kingdom, although no duke has ruled here in more than a hundred years.”

  “Why not?” Nikko asked excitedly. He was not used to learning so much information.

  “Boy,” Danuwil laughed, “don't you know anything?” He shook his head. “Hmm, sometimes I forget that you're just a lad from a poor village. But I'm sorry. It is simply not possible for me to relate the last few hundred years of the history of the empire to you. We'd be sitting here for days.”

  Nikko, of course, could understand that, and contented himself with everything that he had experienced and learned in the past few weeks. Until very recently, his entire world had ended just outside Vyldoro. Now, he had been to Hocatin, and was already on his second journey into legendary Hymal.

  “Get some sleep now,” Danuwil said abruptly. “I'll take first watch.”

  Nikko woke with the first rays of the new day, which washed the eastern sky in a dim red. As soon as he had shaken off his sleepiness, he saw the nobleman snoring soundly by the still-warm fire, the silver flask in his right hand. Nikko shook his head at the sight, but was glad, at least, at not having had to sit watch half the night.

  It was quite a while before Danuwil finally awoke. Once again, it seemed, he had spent a little too long with the bottle. But Nikko did not say a word about his lapse.

  Refreshed, the two companions finally set off into the valley late in the morning, the sun already high and only a few small clouds to mar the sky.

  In the middle of the afternoon, they reached the point from which one had such an excellent view of the forest and out over the plain. The air that day was very clear, and they could see far. “Try to find the place where the orcs attacked you,” Danuwil said, holding the telescope out for Nikko.

  Nikko put the instrument to his eye and focused first on the distant, bare hilltop that jutted from the green plain. He was keen to know whether he had truly found the outpost there. Through the telescope, he could not say with any certainty, but he could clearly make out the ruins of a wall and a high tower.

  “Is that where we're going? That hill over there?” he finally asked, to satisfy his curiosity.

  “Yes,” said Danuwil. “At least, the expedition was supposed to establish a base in the old castle there. Can you see anything?”

  “No, not exactly. How far is it to the castle from here? A day's march?” Nikko asked. He was not good at judging distances on the plain.

  “Perhaps a little less,” said the nobleman. “Right, find the place where you first saw the orcs.”

  Nikko first found the place where the mountain stream flowed into the river, then he followed the course of the road in the direction of the hills, though the route was not always easy to make out. Finally, he saw what could certainly be the hollow with the rocky outcrops, although he could not be absolutely sure.

  “I think it was there,” he said. He tried to keep the instrument pointed at the hollow as he handed it back to Danuwil.

  “Ah, yes. A perfect place for an ambush. You must learn to avoid such places, lad,” said Danuwil. After a moment, he continued, “But hold on … that has to be an hour or more from the forest.”

  “More like two, if I remember right,” said Nikko.

  “You expect me to believe that the orcs chased you over the plain for two hours?” the nobleman asked, his tone now demanding. “In the middle of the day?”

  “Well, I took off at a run, and when I couldn't run any further, nothing was behind me. I only heard them again when I was close to the forest. I just made it into the woods before they caught up with me.”

  “Caught up with you?” said Danuwil.

  “Well, they were mounted,” said Nikko, feeling he had to justify his explanation.

  “Mounted?” Danuwil almost shrieked.

  “Yes. On black wolves,” said Nikko, not knowing why the nobleman was getting so worked up.

  “Wargriders?” Danuwil yelled furiously. “Are you out of your mind? How can you keep something like that to yourself?” he snarled, hauling Nikko over the coals. “Are you just stupid, or some kind of enemy agent? Wargriders! Wargriders!” Danuwil grumbled to himself. “I can't believe it.” He turned back to Nikko. “What else have you been keeping to yourself?”

  “I didn't know it was important,” said Nikko, in tears now.

  “That's why!” the nobleman shouted. “That's why you're supposed to tell us everything. Because your dense little skull doesn't know what's important! Because people with more brains and more understanding can do a better job of assessing the situation. Idiot wretch,” said Danuwil, ending his tirade.

  Nikko was bawling loudly, utterly distraught and terrified. He still did not understand what was so important about the wolves. But Danuwil was busy scanning the plain with his telescope.

  It was some time before Nikko had dried his eyes, and Danuwil seemed to have recovered his temper somewhat. But neither had said a word since Danuwil's outburst.

  “Right,” said Danuwil, breaking the silence between them. He did not even look at Nikko as he spoke. “Your story is rotten inside and out. You will now tell me the whole truth. If you lie, it will mean your death. I'm listening!”

  Nikko gulped. “What do you want to know?” he asked in a tremulous voice.

  “Orcs hate the daylight,” the nobleman said matter-of-factly. “So why were they so intent on chasing you across the plain?”

  “I killed some of them,” Nikko answered truthfully. “One of the ones I killed was really big. Maybe they wanted to avenge him?”

  “You? You killed orcs?” Danuwil asked, his expression dour, not believing a word the skinny peasant boy was telling him. “And a chief, at that?”

  “Yes, my lord,” the lad replied meekly.

  “With your bare hands, I assume?” Danuwil mocked.

  “No. With the wand.”

  “What wand?” Danuwil's face betrayed his sudden confusion.

  Nikko rummaged in his backpack and took out the wand. The magical weapon instantly gave him both strength and his self-confidence. He felt fortunate to have it ready. If Danuwil actually did try to kill him, he would at least be able to defend himself.

  “You beat them to death with that?” asked Danuwil. He sounded interested now.

  “No,” said Nikko confidently. He stood up and pointed the wand at a small boulder not far away. A glistening bolt instantly shot from the magic wand, blasting the boulder to pieces with a loud report.

  Nikko's presentation seemed to have robbed the normally so self-possessed Danuwil of the power of speech. The nobleman stood and stared at the shattered stone, his mouth open and eyes wide, completely at a loss for words.

  After some moments of silence, Nikko grew even more sure of himself. He no longer felt that the nobleman could present any danger to him. “What was so important about the wolves?” he asked, wanting to break the uncomfortable silence.

  “They weren't wolves. They were wargs,” said Danuwil. “Based on your statement to the seneschal, I had assumed that the orcs were no more than a small troop of bandits. But wargriders indicate a larger group. And not bandits, either, but a tribe … in the worst case, an army.”

  “I'm sorry,” said Nikko. “If I'd had any idea that the wolves or the wargs were important, I would have said something about them.”

  “No, I'm the one who should apologize,” said Danuwil then, to Nikko's astonishment. The proud nobleman stood and bowed low before the startled youngste
r. “I take it you have no idea what this wand says about you, my lord?”

  The peasant boy was more confused than ever. “Why are you speaking to me like that?”

  “A moment ago, you were nothing more to me than a simple farmer's boy,” the nobleman explained. “But now I see a true sorcerer standing before me. Being a sorcerer, of course, means that you are equal to the nobility.”

  “Me? A sorcerer?”

  “Do you think just anyone could use that wand?” Danuwil replied. “All I could do with it would be to use it as a tiny club.”

  “You mean that not everyone could make lightning with the wand?” Nikko asked. He was finding this more and more interesting.

  “No, boy … uh, excuse me,” the nobleman stammered. “There are very few people who are able to wield such magical implements. Those people are sorcerers. Or, to be more precise, only those people can become sorcerers. If I may be so bold, my lord,” Danuwil continued, “and I know I have no right to ask this, but it would still interest me to know how you came to possess the wand.”

  “The circumstances are … complicated,” said Nikko slowly, wondering how much he ought to reveal to Danuwil. “I would like to get to know you better before I explain them. Then I think you might even be able to help me.”

  “Good. I accept that,” the nobleman replied.

  “Would it bother you not to call me ‘my lord’?” the boy finally went on. “It makes me nervous. It's almost as bad as when people call me ‘he’ to my face.”

  “I'm afraid you will have to accustom yourself to the protocols, master,” Danuwil said with a smile. “But no one will speak to you in the third person anymore. Only high officials talk to lowly underlings like that.”

  After a long time—it must have been several hours—in which both had a lot to ponder, the sun began to sink slowly in the west, painting the tips of the mountain summits with a fiery glow. But it was time to think about what they ought to do next.