Trollbane - Part 8

Before sitting down to breakfast, Reven went and checked on Fang. Peter had already fed the warhound and he was noisily crunching through bones that were leftover from the previous evening's meals. Reven crouched next to Fang and despite his low, warning growl scratched the huge beast behind the ear. Fangs back leg spasmed in response to his master's touch, scratching at thin air as Reven found a spot that he would never reach on his own. In truth, it was Reven who needed to feel another's touch. The dream that had woken him in the night had plagued his thoughts since he had dragged himself from his bed. Being with Fang helped ease his discontent and he stayed with his friend for almost an hour to enjoy the warmth of his companionship. 

Breakfast was a simple serving of honey-bread, bacon and pastries. Whilst eating alone, Reven thought about how he would spend his day. They had two nights in River Rise to restock their supplies, rest and enjoy the multitude of distractions that the bustling town offered. He resigned himself to looking for some new armour pieces for Fang in one of the markets. Warhound's were not typical mounts and were hard to buy for. Most equipment had to be made to order and would often take days or even weeks to make. Despite this Reven was confident that the flow of trade through River Rise would enable him to find something suitable for his hulking friend. The town was well-used by travellers from all points of the compass. The only problem he had is that he would have to take Fang with him. The armour would need to fit and if it didn't would need to be altered. He needed the hound with him to make those purchases but  Fang did not like crowds and they also didn't like him. The news they were going out into the throng of people at the market would not be received well by Fang. This simple act would no doubt turn into an adventure all on its own.

Scent: Part 30

Einder's Keep wasn't as grand as Reven was hoping. The stone walls were thick with vines and the keep itself looked to be little more than a large pile of rocks. From a distance it looked as if a wall had been built around a stone hill. A moat about ten paces wide surrounded the wall and a rickety draw bridge was being lowered as Sanya's Company drew near. The 'keep', or hill as Reven would now always think of it, was three stories high. It's windows were tiny slits without glass. As Reven walked across the drawbridge, trailing Ingerham's troops, he caught site of the keep's door, these at least looked impressive. The wide, dark oak, double doors looked as if they could take a battering from a giant. They slowly and soundlessly swung outward from the keep revealing their thickness. A man that looked as old as the domed keep appeared from the gloom inside and greeted Sanya. It looked from where Reven was that they knew each other but he was too far back in the column to hear what was being said. As Reven made his way inside the walls he noticed the guards atop the battlements. They were armed with bows and crossbows and their numbers were few. They all wore a look of relief on their faces as if their saviours had just marched into Einder's Keep.

Under Ingerham's direction Reven helped the troops stow their gear and help set up tents inside the walls. The scouts were preparing to leave to start looking for the raiders. They had walked their horses to the keep to make sure they were fresh enough to commence the search. They left just before nightfall, riding out in all directions from the keep. Goren wasn't with them, he and the other captains had been called to feast in the keep whilst Reven and the regular soldiers remained outside. After eating Reven and Fang made their bed in some hay in one of the stables. The rest of Ingerham's troops had manned the walls and stood near motionless atop them, staring out into the night. With a full belly and a surprisingly warm bed sleep came quickly to Reven and Fang. They snoozed contently believing themselves to be safe behind the walls of Einder's Keep.

Reven was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of horns being blown from the battlements. The camp around the keep was a hive of activity and he could hear Sanya shouting orders to her troops. Reven was quick to rise and he and Fang made their way through the camp trying to find Captain Ingerham. When he did the Captain was organising his men and outlining the nights events. One of the scouts had returned pierced with arrows. Shortly after leaving the keep he had run straight into the advancing horde of raiders and had been chased by their outriders. Once his warning had been delivered he had died, the last of his strength spent and his duty done. Other scouts had returned since reporting on the disposition of the enemy force. The numbers they imagined were right. Three and a half thousand raiders were bearing down on the keep who's own troops numbered no more than one hundred and forty heads, including those of the keeps guards.

Ingerham's troops rushed to fortify the walls and lined the battlements with arrows, bolts and rocks that could be rained down upon the heads of the attackers. The keeps artisans busied themselves hammering struts over the main door. Goren was happy that the scouts that had not yet returned would regroup outside the walls and wait until their presence was needed so the preparations for the attack continued in earnest. 

As the horde approached Reven took his station on the walls, bow in hand. He had never seen so many men before and the torches held by the advancing army lit up the ground and the raiders. He knew looking out at them that they would not survive this fight. The walls they stood on looked as if they would collapse if they met with a strong wind, they were outnumbered thirty to one and there was no line of retreat. Sanya and her troops would have to make their last stand here. The horde stopped two hundred paces short of the moat and fell silent. From the centre of their line stepped men carrying long pieces of wood which they piled on the ground before laying torches round it. Goren let out an unexpected laugh and slapped Reven on the back. The boy hadn't even heard him approach but turned to look at the madman in wonder, 'What's funny?' he asked. 'Looks like they found their ships' Goren replied pointing to the wood. Reven narrowed his eyes and could now see what Goren was talking about. The wood they had laid in front of their ranks was made up burnt planks and scorched masts. 

The raiders let forth a deafening war cry and beat their swords and axes on their shields as they were whipped into a frenzy by their leaders. The horde advanced as one and rushed toward the keep. Dragging more wood with them as they came, they held their shields high to stave of the missiles that fell from the battlements. The wood they dragged was tossed into the moat and Reven could see that they intended to make bridge to allow them to get their axes within reach of the keep's door. The defenders volleys were taking a toll on the attackers but they had bowmen of their own and were slowly picking off the troops of Sanya's company. Reven loosed arrow after arrow into the thong below him but it wouldn't be enough. The raiders advance was pushing their own men into the moat and they were swimming across and trying to climb the walls of the keep. The din of battle couldn't drown out Captain Ingerham's commanding voice and he bellowed for the bow and crossbowmen to stand down. Reven took a step back and men barged past him with small kegs in their arms. The kegs were breached and sticky black liquid was poured over the battlements into the moat where it floated on top of the water. A generous amount was poured over the ever growing pile of wood the raiders were trying to bridge the moat with and then Sanya stepped to the fore a flaming arrow nocked in her bow. At once Reven understood. The kegs were full of oil and as Sanya's arrow embedded itself in a raiders head, he fell igniting the black liquid and moat with it. The raiders burned, the defenders cheered; the battle for Einder's Keep and their lives had begun.

Scent: Part 27

The march to the coast took several weeks. It was hard going moving so many men and their equipment over so great a distance especially at the pace that Mistress Sanya expected. The going was a little easier once they were free of the forest but the weather had been abysmal and many of the fields and wooded areas they passed through were sodden and made it tough for the carts to travel unaided. The troopers didn't seem too perturbed by the weather and sang songs that were mostly about fighting or drinking to keep their spirits up.

Reven had put his new sword to good use during the trip. When they stopped to make camp Sanya would have several of her troopers instruct him in the use of the sword. Captain Ingerham seemed to have taken an interest and often gave advice on technique and fighting styles. Sanya stayed away where Reven's sword training came in but she did spend time schooling him on the use of his bow and how he and Fang should work in concert when fighting. Reven enjoyed the sword, the close brutality of combat thrilled him but there was something about bow-work that interested him even more. He was a horrible shot when he first starting practicing but he had picked up the basics quickly and appreciated the skill required to hit a target. Anybody could strike a person in front of them with a sword and have a fair chance of doing some damage but with a bow it required a skill that was beyond many. Reven practiced at his bow skills with Fang. When he was good enough to start shooting at live targets he would bring down birds or deer and Fang would rush into to ensure the prey was dead. Sanya was keen that they learnt to work in concert when they fought and the understanding between them was growing daily. It wasn't all smooth sailing though, Fang had a tendency to lay down with the captured prey and eat them. In the short time they had been practicing Fang had eaten three deer and countless birds which was testament to his ever increasing size. Strangely Reven seemed to be growing with him. Despite only being a boy of 12 years old he had grown in stature and strength and was already as tall as Captain Ingerham, but doubted he would ever be as wide. Mistress Sanya put it down to one of the benefits of the bond he shared with Fang but admitted to never having seen its like before. Reven didn't mind though, he was faster and more powerful than he had ever been before. He was a long way off from being as skilled as any of the troopers he travelled with but he was sure he could take the cook in a fight.

They had been travelling fro a little over three weeks when they had their first sight of the sea. Reven had never seen it before and with some of the troops waded in and splashed around. The beach was a sandy expanse meeting the sea at a gentle slope from the grasslands that Sanya's troops had just travelled through. As they made camp Reven and Fang were summoned to a meeting of the captains that was held in Sanya's tent. Ingerham was there along with some other men that Reven didn't know. Reven and Fang sat behind Captain Ingerham and waited fro a few others to file into the tent before Sanya started to speak. She outlined the information that the scouts had brought back and their Captain, a roguish looking man by the name of Goran, filled in any blanks in her information. It appeared that a tribe of raiders had been attacking villages along the coast. Of late they were getting bolder and moving inland laying waste to farms and settlement as they went. There was a detachment of soldiers coming south from the northern city of Bergen but it would be another week or so before they can engage with the enemy. The plan was to attack the raiders head on with the main force and small force would be sent to the boats they had used to get to the shores of Orland cutting off any escape and setting traps for those who attempted to make it back. The confidence in their own force surprised Reven as from the reports the raiders numbered over a thousand warriors, ten times the number of Sanya's troops. Once the plan had been explained the captains were given their roles in the coming attack and Reven was disappointed to find that he was to accompany Goren and his scouts to sabotage the boats.

They had a few hours before they set off in advance of the main force and Reven followed suit with the scouts and had his blade sharpened and his quiver filled with arrows. He and Fang were as ready as they would ever be. Whilst Reven was anxious and scared of what was to come he was excited that he might see some action and after weeks of hearing the troopers stories about their fighting prowess he was keen to see if his story would start being written after this adventure.

Scent: Part 26

Reven rushed after Sanya with Fang in tow taking in the hustle and bustle of the camp as he went. Troops and orderlies hurried here and there, seeing to horses, taking weapons to the smith, polishing armour. There was a real buzz about the place but even so, many of the troops had enough time to cast sidelong glances at Reven as he passed. He met their gazes and if he didn't know better would have thought that they looked angry at him. He noted that the camp had been erected in a clearing in the forest. Tents were nestled around fires which were being extinguished by orderlies who had started packing the site up and placing weapon racks, cooking utensils and other camp necessities into wagons. A hundred or so troopers were preparing to move and rushed to make ready; saddling horses, sharpening blades and eating as if they may not get another meal.

Reven followed Sanya as she made her way out of the camp and into the trees of the forest. The earlier rain had stopped and the sun was starting to peak through the clouds promising a brighter afternoon. Sanya brought a small whistle she had around her neck to her lips and blew. It let out a piercing high pitch note that was greeted in moments by the distant sound of something crashing through the trees. Sanya turned to Reven and smiled whilst Fang stood rooted to the spot, his muscles bunching as he tensed. The noise continued to grow closer and Reven could at last see its source. Barrelling through the forest was the biggest creature Reven had ever seen. It was several feet taller than a cart horse and about three times as wide. It came to a halt in front of Sanya, wagging it's tail frantically as it saw Fang. 'This is Kaleth' Sanya said to Reven and Fang, 'Kaleth, meet Reven and Fang' she indicated to each of them in turn as she spoke. If Kaleth took note of Sanya's words she gave no indication. She continued to stare at Fang. Reven just stared at her; her head was the size of a large boulder and her mouth was filled with large razor sharp teeth and her body covered in rich deep brown fur. Over the fur were carefully crafted armour plates that ran down her spine and fanned across her sides. Her shoulders were completely covered in spiked plates which matched the dark metal helm that adorned her head. Kaleth was instantly the most terrifying and wondrous thing that Reven had ever encountered. He noticed that her eyes shone with the same brilliant green that Sanya's did, she was captivating. 'Offer her your hand' Sanya said, giving Reven a gentle nudge toward Kaleth as she did so. For the first time Kaleth's focus drifted from Fang and settled on Reven. With a mixture of fear and excitement Reven reached up and offered his hand to the war hound that towered over him. She bent her head down and sniffed at the proffered hand, eventually licking it and lowering her head further still so that it was within Reven's reach. Sanya nodded at him encouragingly and he lay his hand on the beasts huge snout. Kaleth's fur was short, stiff and wiry. Reven's heart raced, the hound could have bitten him in half if she wished but she stood there patiently as Reven stroked and patted her head. 'Thank you' he said to Kaleth as he drew back his hand and motioned for Fang to come forward. Reven's hound moved toward him, his lips curling into a snarl but Reven silenced him. Looking into Fang's eyes he simply said the word 'Friend' and with that Fang relaxed. Kaleth once again bowed her head and she and Fang exchanged sniffs, greeting each other as hounds do. Suddenly Fang dropped down, front legs stretched out in front of him and barked at Kaleth. The bigger hound also started barking and in no time they were both wagging their tails furiously, tongues lolling from their mouths. Fang broke into a sprint and Kaleth gave chase. They raced through the trees stopping and staring at each other before again  racing onwards. Reven and Sanya watched them disappear into the forest, playing as they did. 'She hasn't seen another war hound in many years. They'll keep each other busy for a while.'

Sanya slipped an arm over Reven's shoulder and walked him out of the forest. He couldn't help but look over his shoulder to see if Fang had returned but he wasn't there. 'They'll be fine, no need to worry. Kaleth won't let any harm come to her new friend and anyway, we need to speak before we break camp.' This gained Reven's attention immediately. Sanya guided them over to a fallen tree at the edge of the camp and sat down indicating Reven should do the same.

'Do you know why you were sent to me?' Sanya asked. 'So that you can train Fang Mistress' Reven replied. 'Hmm, and how much do you know about Fang? How did he come to be yours? she enquired. Reven went on to tell the story of the attack on Rosholt and how he and Fang became travelling companions. Sanya made some enquiries, especially surrounding the meeting between Reven and the travellers, Aisha and Reynard. 'You've bonded with your hound already. That's why you share the same eyes. It is dangerous to bond with a pup but you seemed to have suffered no ill effects. Fang is also lucky to be alive, from your description his mother wouldn't have been much older than a pup herself, I'm not surprised his brothers and sisters perished. Illegal traders will wipe the bread out, fools.' Sanya rested her hand on her chin lost in thought and then seemed to remember where she was. 'OK, here's what you need to know. You have been assigned to me and you will learn from me until I release you. You have a gift that will allow you to benefit from your association with Fang. War hounds are very hardy and heal remarkably quickly. This will apply to you also. In time you will be able to read each others thoughts and some beast masters have even been able to see through their beasts eyes. There are many benefits to your bond but it all comes down to your mastery of the gift you have been given. Whilst you are here I will train you to fight and shoot for a beast master must be skilled in both sword and bow. You are the first aspirant to have earned three badges in all the history of The Deep, sword, bow and hound. I predict great things for you Reven, expectation weighs heavy on your shoulders.' Reven opened his hand to respond but Sanya started to speak again, 'We are headed east to the coast. Raiders have been pillaging villages there and we have answered the call for assistance. We would have been away days ago if you had hurried and you may not get as warm a welcome as you would expect from some of my men as a result.', I've noticed' Reven responded looking a little embarrassed. 'As soon as raider blood starts flowing all will be forgotten. Speaking of which, you need to get rid of that practice sword. You will need a keen blade and a keener eye if you are to survive the coming months. Go and see the smith before he is completely packed up, introduce yourself and he will arm you with sword and bow. Then we'll be off.' She stood and smiled down at Reven, 'You and your hound have much to learn.'; she said in a gentle voice. 'He is still young but he'll grow to be as big, if not bigger than Kaleth. If you don't know how to be together by the time that happens you will take ruin everywhere you go.' With that she turned and walked away, shouting encouragement to her men as she did so. Reven waited for her to disappear behind a tent before racing off to the smith, grinning as he went. A new sword of his very own! He couldn't wait.

Scent: Part 25

As Reven and Fang broke camp the next morning the sun that had been there to greet them the past few days was replaced by grey clouds. The forest took on a more gloomy aspect and Reven felt more alone somehow. The travellers he passed were few and far between and as the road continued into the forest it lost some of its width with every turnoff he came to until it was little more than a footpath. The morning wore on the heavens opened sending fat blobs of rain hurtling toward the ground. Fang didn't seem to be bothered by the weather at all, continuing to race through the trees with complete abandon. The wounds on his head that had been inflicted by the hunters had almost completely healed and he seemed in high spirits. Reven on the other hand was not so keen on the rain. He slipped and slid up and down slopes as the water quickly pooled in ruts in the ground and turned the path into a muddy quagmire. His cloak was soaked and seemed to have at least trebled in weight as the rain soaked it through. Reven didn't need much of an excuse to find some shelter and when a twinge in his stomach told him it was time for lunch he gladly climbed in to the low branches of a nearby tree and shrugged off his pack. The leaves kept the worst of the rain off and he settled in the boughs of the tree chewing on dried meat and the last of his cheese as he watch the deluge continue all around him.

It was several minutes before Reven realised that Fang hadn't returned from his latest foray into the forest. The hound had been overly attentive on this trip ensuring that Reven was always within sight and his absence left Reven feeling uneasy. Reven called out hoping to see Fang burst through some bushes but the only sound he could hear was the steady drumming of the rain. He dropped from the tree into a crouch so that he could see beneath the low branches, there was nothing. He called out again, louder this time but there was no movement in response to his call. 'What trouble are you in now?' Reven said as if Fang were standing next to him, wondering where he had last seen the hound. The crack of a branch behind Reven brought his head round and he could see two pairs of armoured feet stomping towards him. A rustle from the opposite direction demanded his attention and two more sets of boots marched through the sodden leaves on the floor of the forest. Reven drew his wooden blade and scrambled up the tree. It was obvious whoever these feet belonged to knew where he was as they had all converged around the tree he was now in. Reven crawled along a branch that was well out of reach of any would-be attacker and watched as four heavily armoured men ducked under the outer branches of the tree and then stood below him. They all looked at him and each one had a smirk on his face. Reven appraised them quickly, they were all armed with swords with shields clung across their backs. They wore plate armour on their upper torsos and chain linked mail on their legs. They all had the look of seasoned warriors and Reven knew that no child with a puny wooden sword would prevail against them. Three had their helmets tucked under their arms. The one who spoke first, who even though he was short seemed as broad as he was tall, had no helmet but carried a broad double bladed axe in the crook of his arm. 'Come down boy. We're soaked through and in no mood for games', Reven stayed where he was. The warrior spoke again, 'I am not used to repeating myself. We have your hound, now you...', with the mention of Fang, Reven struck, his rage boiling over. He leapt from the tree whilst the man was still in mid-sentence and landed next to him smashing him on his bald head with the pommel of his sword as he did so. The man reeled back but did not fall, Reven spun lashing out with his practice blade at another of the men. The element of surprise had been lost though and the man parried smartly, using his helmet to deflect the blow. Reven made to strike again but was spun roughly around to be met by the metal clad fist of the axe wielding warrior. Reven flew backward through the air losing his grip on his sword and his consciousness as he landed roughly on the ground. 'You alright Ingerham', said the man who had parried Reven's blow with his helm to the shorter warrior. 'Aye, I'll be fine' he said as he dabbed at the blood that was trickling from the wound in his head. 'Pick him up. Quicker we get him to the mistress the better.' , the taller man obeyed the order, 'Yes Captain.' Captain Ingerham continued to dab at his head as he and his troopers made their way through the woods to where they had camped and where Mistress Sanya waited for her new student.

When Reven came round he was lying in a tent and Fang was fast asleep beside him. His face throbbed and he reached up and felt where Ingerham's punch had split the skin of his jaw. He shook Fang awake and the hound immediately started licking the wounds on his face. Reven batted him away, 'Stop. We need to get out of here.' he whispered to Fang. 'Why would you want to do that Reven?' a woman's voice said. Reven spun around to find the owner of the voice lounging on a chair at the back of the tent. She wore ornate armour plates but not enough to cover her ample bosom or her shapely legs that were crossed, revealed through a slit in her heavy mail skirt. She idly played with a dagger as she smiled down at Reven who was dumfounded by the woman's beauty. 'Enough games, I am Mistress Sanya. I will be your tutor for as long as much time as I can spare. The men under my command are Warriors of Iron and active. This means we will be seeing our fair share of action....it also means you will have to accompany us until I release you back to The Deep.' Reven just sat his mouth gaping. He was on his way to meet this woman but had never thought it would happen under these circumstances. Reven continued to stare and only managed a mumbled, 'Very good Mistress Sanya'. She smiled again and stood, 'Come. There is somebody I want you both to meet, Kaleth has been getting more excited with each passing day.' With that Sanya walked from the tent, pushing the flaps that acted as the door wide as she exited. Reven hurried after her and stepped out of the tent into his first camp of Iron.

Scent: Part 24

Fang led Reven through the thick brush. The torch Reven had taken from the scrawny hunters had made this night time journey through the forest easier but it was still hard going. They were unable to scramble back up the slop Reven had slipped down so were having to navigate their way around the slope to try and get back on a road so that they can find their bearing's. Fang's head had stopped bleeding and the cuts had already started to scab over. He had truly turned the tables on his captors; he was to be their dinner but as it turned out they were his. Reven had chosen not to watch Fang as he ate but instead tried to study his map which proved difficult by flickering torch light. In the end he had decided he wouldn't get very far staying in one place and he didn't like the prospect of meeting any more hunters on this trail so they moved off in the vain hope of that would be able to trace their way back.

As the night faded away Reven and Fang were starting to have a better time of it. They had got back onto higher ground and the bushes and dense undergrowth had started to lessen making passage through the forest simpler. They rested for breakfast and Reven used the sun and his map to figure out a heading for them. He thought that if they kept heading north they would come to the road that they needed to be on to make their meeting with the Beast Master. He was disappointed that he would miss out on his night in The Red Griffon but he needed to get back on track which meant travelling for as long and for as far as he could.

It was late afternoon by the time they had found the road. Reven was tired but he wanted to keep moving while they had the light. The path wound through the forest and despite the unrest of the previous night Reven felt quite at peace as his senses were assailed by the natural wonder of the forest. The animals darting in and out of tree branches, the bird song, the scent of wildflowers and leaf mulch all made Reven smile. His cheeriness was not going to last long...

Scent: Part 23

Reven made his way east from Vardenfell. His instructions told him to follow the road to the city of Hrune until he came to an inn called The Red Griffon. Once at the inn he was to take a branch off the road that would take him deeper into the heart of the Freemarch Forest. The road he was on was much the same as the one he travelled into Vardenfell on. Travellers and merchants made their way to and from the city and many offered a cheery hello to the boy and his hound. Fang loved the open space and occupied himself by tearing through the leaves that covered the forest floor. He barely stayed on the path always seeming to find something more interesting under the canopy of the trees but he never strayed far enough from Reven that he lost sight of him. Since Hannibal's attack on Reven the war hound had been very protective, accompanying the boy everywhere.

As the day wore on the sun started to droop in the sky and Reven new it would soon be time to make camp. He didn't relish the idea of spending a night alone in the forest but Master Powel had said it would be a good test of his mettle and Reven wanted to prove himself to the man. Powel was fearsome to behold and rarely had a kind word to say to anyone but Reven had grown to like the man, even admire him. He was a scarred veteran of many battles and during his time at The Deep, Reven had decided that he too wanted to be a warrior and follow the Path of Iron. Reven came to a crossroads and decided to camp away from the road but close enough that if any danger did present itself he would have four routes of escape and potentially a greater chance of finding an ally against the peril.

Reven found a small clearing and collected firewood and heaped it in the hollow bole of an old tree. He looked through his pack and pulled loose the flint he needed to start a fire and also set aside some of the dried meat and bread that would make up his evening meal. Fang was busy digging a hole in the forest floor. Reven spoke, 'Fang, hunt!' and with that Fang's head shot up and he started running off, pausing to have one more look at Reven before departing. It took an age for Reven to get his fire going. Despite Master Hultz's instruction it wasn't as easy as his diagrams had indicated. At last he got it burning and with sore hands from the effort Reven had a small fire going in the hollow. He sat down pulling his cloak around him and taking a swig of water from a stoppered flask, wondered how long it would be before Fang returned with his kill. He started tucking into his meat and staring into the flames of the fire listening out all the while for his friends return. As the evening wore on and Reven heaped more wood on his fire, the warmth of the flames and his full stomach started to take it's toll. Reven stretched out in front of the fire and before long his head started to nod as he struggled to keep sleep at bay.

Reven woke with start. Night had crept on and it was pitch black in the forest. His fire was little more than dying embers and as he wiped the sleep from his eyes he discovered that Fang hadn't returned. Reven panicked, what had happened to the hound to keep him out in the forest so long, was he hurt, lost or worse. Reven gathered up his things stuffing them into his backpack. The moon offered little in the way of light but weighing the options, waiting in the dark of the camp for Fangs return wouldn't help him if he was in trouble. He shouldered his pack, pulled the hood of his cloak up and headed off into the woods in the same direction Fang had taken off in earlier.

It was tough going. Reven's eyes quickly grew accustomed to the gloom but it didn't make his journey any easier as he struggled through the thick undergrowth. His journey took him away from the roads and the further he travelled the denser the forest became. He tried to find signs of Fang's passing by looking for broken branches or recently disturbed ground but he was no tracker and the information imparted by Hultz hadn't covered stalking through woods in great detail. He pressed on regardless, thorny bushes tore at his face and clothes and many times he was thankful that he was only a boy and not fully grown as an adult would have struggled squeezing through some of the gap's in the closely knit bushes and trees.

Reven slipped as he tried to negotiate a muddy slope and slid down a steep incline stopping only when a tree caught his arm, almost wrenching it from the socket, but his descent had been halted. He took a moment to catch his breath and try and understand the lay of the land better. The slope carried on below him ending at some rocks. Reven counted his lucky stars that he had stopped. From where he was he could see that to his left and right there was very little in the way of anything else to hold onto. He would have crashed into the rocks below if it hadn't been for this tree. His arm ached but as the tree had caught through his sleeve it had done him any lasting damage. He righted himself, leaning against the trees trunk which stuck out of the ground at an odd angle due to the slope. He looked beyond the rocks and thought he could make out a light moving away from him in the night. He concentrated, yes, he was certain. The light from a torch was flickering through the trees of the forest. Reven lowered himself to the ground and managed to control the short slide from the tree to the rocks well enough that he didn't crack his head on them.

The light bobbed along in front of him growing feint as it moved away. Reven didn't know what compelled him but he scrambled over the rocks and into the trees beyond desperately trying to keep the light in sight. He raced through the trees with reckless abandon, crunching leaves and twigs as he went. Tripping, slipping and falling over tree roots and rotten branches, something in him willing him on to catch the light at all costs. As he got closer he was aware of how much noise he had been making and slowed his pace trying to tread lighter and muffle the noise he was creating. Whoever the torch bearer was they were in no hurry and as such could now be followed with ease.

Drawing closer still Reven could see that it wasn't only one person he pursued, but three. They were all men, one of them out in front held the torch whilst the two behind him carried a pole between them that rested on their shoulders. Reven looked more closely as he neared and his heart sank as he saw a net suspended from the pole and within the net a very angry, frustrated looking Fang. The hounds legs were sticking through the net at odd angles and he thrashed in the net jerking it, and the men carrying it, from side to side. Reven's eyes met with the hounds and in that brief moment he could almost feel the hounds panic and rage. Fang renewed his efforts seeing that Reven had arrived and writhed ever harder against the net that held him.

One of the men dropped his end of the pole, 'Bollocks to this, I'm trying again' he said as the other two halted. 'It's no use Franc, this dogs got the thickest skull I've ever seen. You'll never knock the sense out of him', the man with the torch shook his head as he spoke. 'I don't care, I'm trying. Knew I should've bought a bigger bloody blade than this skinning knife' replied Franc speaking more to himself than to his companions. He unhooked a cudgel from his belt and moved towards Fang. Reven knew what he was planning even before he struck. The way Fang had been thrashing it must have been slow going for the men and now he could see them up close he noticed how drawn and thin they were. They wore normal clothes but they were covered in filth and muck. They all sported shaggy beards and their dirty clothes were ripped in dozens of places. Fangs struggles must have been exhausting for these wiry looking men. If they had a blade that would of kept their hands out of reach of Fang's jaws Reven had no doubt they would of already killed his beloved companion. As these thoughts spun through Reven's mind Franc brought his cudgel down on Fang's head with a crack that sounded like a lumberjack chopping at a brittle tree. Then he brought it down again a second, third and forth time. Fang whelped and snarled in response but was powerless to fight back as he was so tangled in the net. Blood spurted from the hounds head as Franc continued to bludgeon him. 'Leave it, you're wasting your time' said the torch bearer but a madness seemed to have taken Franc. Reven could watch no more. He ran from his hiding place sprinting toward the men. Bursting through bushes and snapping branches as he ploughed through the forest. The men all moved toward the sound, readying themselves with their cudgels as Fang still struggled against the tangled net. Reven ran straight at them and they readied their weapons to meet his charge. He drew his practice blade and ducked straight under Francs swing, barrelling into the man and knocking him from his feet. Franc landed hard and threw his arms out to steady himself. His right hand hit the muddy ground, his left met Fangs waiting jaws. The hound bit down with such force that his razor sharp teeth bit through the net and Franc's flailing hand in one go. The man screamed in pain and clutched at the bloody stump with his remaining hand. Reven was already rising to his feet, trying to parry blows from the torchbearer as his companion came at Reven from the side. The man who had thrown his torch to the ground swung wildly at Reven who turned the blow aside and smashed his wooden blade into the mans face, smashing his teeth down his throat. The other man lunged in and hit Reven across the forearm, numbing it so much that he had to drop his weapon. He back tracked as the men came on, one spitting the remnants of his teeth out in bloody gobbets. Franc was back on his feet and was turning his full attention to Fang, beating him mercilessly with his cudgel. Reven looked around desperately for a weapon. Anything would do and then he spied the pole the men had been carrying Fang with. He bent down and scooped up the end of it, dragging it toward him. It was too heavy, he couldn't lift it and as he backed away one of them men stamped on the other end sending it crashing from Reven's grip. 'You're dead' sputtered the toothless man through broken, bloody lips. As they rounded on him a scream went up from Franc that the men couldn't help but turn to investigate. Reven saw his opportunity and took it. The toothless fairy in front of him was holding his cudgel ready to strike even though his attention was elsewhere. Reven jumped up and grabbed the cudgel from his hand, bringing it back down with a gratifying crunch as it met with the mans nose. At the same time Fang was separating Franc's head from his shoulders freed when Reven had pulled the pole free of the net.  The hounds thrashing had finally paid off, setting him free to take his revenge.

Toothless was motionless on the ground bleeding heavily from his face. Franc was pumping blood in to already sticky mud and their companion was left to face Reven and Fang alone. As if he could sense his fate he turned to run but too late. Fang darted after him and brought him down with a bite to the leg. Reven pounced on the mans back and put a crack the width of a thumb through the mans skull sending the life from him. Reven turned and threw his arms around Fang once the hound had released the dead mans leg. Fang also showed his relief at the reunion in his customary way of licking Reven's face, in the process cleaning off the blood that had splattered all over it.

As Reven was inspecting the wounds on Fang's head with the assistance of the dropped torch, a murmuring brought both of their heads round. The toothless man was coming round groaning through his shattered mouth. Reven walked over to him with Fang at his side and stood on the man's chest pinning him to the floor. The man tried to push his foot off but was weakened by the pounding he had taken and his feeble shoves had little effect. 'What were you doing with my hound?' Reven demanded, glaring at the pathetic man. 'Please...'the man said, holding up his hands as if he was trying to ward off Reven's gaze. 'Please....young sir....we was only going to eat the thing. We found him in one of our nets...he...he's meat.' Reven glanced at Fang and removed his foot from the mans chest. At the same time Fang stalked forward and with one gigantic bite of the mans throat ensured that he would never go hungry again.

Scent: Part 22

Reven didn't have to wait long before excitement came calling. A few days after the altercation with Hannibal Master Powel summoned Reven and Fang to his chambers with instructions to bring their possessions with them. When they arrived ,Master Powel informed them that the Beast Master had arrived but was not coming into the city. Reven and Fang were to travel outside the city walls to meet her and he would train under her tutelage for as long as much time as she could spare. An orderly came in to guide Reven out and as they were leaving Master Powel rose from where he was seated and followed, 'I'll miss you boy' he said. Reven stunned, turned at Powel's words, touched by their sincerity only to find him patting Fang's head. The hound wagged his tail at Powel and followed Reven into the corridor.

The orderly had fashioned a leash for Fang and gifted Reven with a scabbard for his practice sword and a heavy cloak to keep out the chill of the night as well as a backpack with some provisions in it. He also gave him a map and some written instructions on how to get to his rendezvous with the Beast Master.

Reven squinted, his eyes already unaccustomed to the sunlight. Before long he was walking through the bustling city that was a  lot more lively than when he had entered the city. He held Fang's leash loosely in his hand and marvelled at the sights and sounds that surrounded him. Beggars pulled at his cloak asking for money but soon relented after a warning growl from Fang. Street merchants bellowed from behind wooden carts that were stacked with all manner of wares, imploring people to purchase their goods. The wealthy walked with compliments of bodyguards, servants and hangers on as they conducted their business. Reven passed many inn's, the smell of beer and cooked meats wafted from the door ways enticing people off the streets.

He would have liked to linger in the city longer but he was keen to meet his new trainer hurried outside the huge city gates. The Freemarch Forest was before him once more. He removed Fang's leash and strode off down the road with a smile on his face and nervous excitement buzzing in his belly.

Scent: Part 21

The cloying darkness surrounded Reven. He hissed, his shoulder flared with pain as he tried to roll onto his side. For a moment he thought he was alone and then the eyes loomed out of the darkness. The armoured monster came at him and knelt, pushing him down so that his back was once again flat on the floor. Some how that one hand held Reven completely immobile and he froze in place. The figure pulled a small knife from his belt and started chanting over it. He then pulled three small pots from beneath his cloak and placed them on the floor next to Reven. A surge of heat came from the things hand and Reven's  body was racked with new levels of pain. The figure withdrew his hand but Reven remained pinned. He couldn't scream out though, couldn't fight back, he just lay there and endured. The armoured figure took his knife and dipped it into the first pot and then starting carving rune symbols into Reven's flesh. His arms, legs, head, chest and back all had symbols drawn on them as the fiend pulled him around to do his work. He repeated the process using the contents of the second pot and Reven thought he would pass out the pain was so severe. When finished the thing emptied the contents of the third pot over his hands and rubbed it over the freshly incised wounds. Where the slimy substance touched the runes glowed bright red and then faded as if they was never a mark there. The armoured bulk of the creature collected up its instruments and receded into the darkness. As it disappeared Reven was able to move again but he was too weary to try and stand. The voice came out of the pitch black, 'You are our vessel, give life to our wrath, be our bloody handed reaper.'

Reven's eyes snapped open. His body was slick with sweat and his breath came in ragged gasps. It was just before dawn. Reven could tell as the orderlies hadn't yet been in to light the torches and stoke the braziers. After the fight with Hannibal he had found Master Hultz and told him of what had transpired. At first Hultz was sceptical that event's had happened as Reven had explained them but when Master Powel joined them and they were taken to the scene of the attack the pools of blood and the smashed door gave credence to his tale and it was accepted. Some of Hannibal's co-conspirators were called before the Master and told all. The boy who had his leg ripped off by Fang was taken away to an infirmary somewhere in The Deep. Hannibal's cronies all were allowed to return to the dorm with a sentence for their crimes pending a decision by Hultz and Powel.

Reven was surprised his head didn't ache after the battering it had taken the evening before. In fact nothing ached, his pulse still raced from his nightmare but overall he seemed in good health. He lay there flexing his muscles and stretching them out and wondering what the coming days would bring.

 

Scent: Part 20

 The uneasiness continued throughout that evening. The kinship that Reven had found with some of the aspirants had disappeared since Fang had despatched Shenk. They were wary of Fang now. Where before they had treated him like a pet they now looked at him with a mixture of reverence and disgust. Even Fang could sense their unease and often gave voice to a low growl of warning to turn aside third judgement filled looks of disdain. Reven would comfort him and if anything being ostracised by the majority of the group had brought them even closer together.

Over the weeks that followed Reven, Fang, Dodger and Essen had formed a tight bond. The training had continued and both Master Hultz and Master Powel had been driving the aspirants hard. Powel had not made Fang fight again in the bouts as the number of aspirants were uneven. This however was the only kindness he had shown, driving the children hard on a daily basis. The aspirants were learning then hard way but they were definitely learning. They underwent challenges involving balance where the training hall had been transformed into what looked like a forest full of tree's with no leaves and no branches; just trunks with flat tops. The aspirants balanced atop these for hours whilst Powel and some of the orderlies whacked the tree's with clubs to make them wobble and unsettled the child who perched at the top.

On the third time of doing one of these tests the odd number of aspirants were made even. A girl named Freya was balancing whilst Powel used his bare hands to shake the trunk she stood on. The girl tried to change her footing but misjudged it and slipped. Her neck snapped with a loud crack when she hit the floor. This happened the day before the bouts and it meant that Fang would be fighting somebody on the morrow. Tension mounted in the dorm that night as the aspirants turned there thoughts to tomorrows battles.

 

Dinner went by much the same as it had done the past few weeks with Reven sitting at the end of the table with Fang, away from the other aspirants. Dodger and Essen sitting on the other side of the table. A boy called Hannibal sat on a stool he had taken from the washroom at the head of the table. He had a group of cronies that huddled round him casting glances at Reven. Dodger would openly meet their gazes and they would look away, returning to their meals and their whispers. After dinner Reven took Fang downstairs to exercise him in the abandoned hall near Hultz's old classroom. Fang ran around with complete abandon, sprinting and then stopping before pouncing on an imagined enemy. Reven smiled as he watched Fang. The hound was almost twice as big as he had been when they met. The definition of his muscle had increased greatly and some of the longer fur he had around his neck and shoulders was being replaced by shorter, more wiry growth. He still played like a youth but his strength had grown with his size making him more than a match for any of the aspirants. Reven was growing too, in skill and in size. Despite his young age he was learning fast from Master Powel and was enjoying the training more than he ever thought he would.

Reven was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't he the footsteps. He leaned against the door looking into the hall. Fang was racing in circuits around the hall. The first Reven knew of his danger was the whoosh of air behind him as the wooden blade cut through the air, it's edge catching him on the temple with such force that it drove his head into the frame of the door. He swayed then dropped. He felt hands pulling him out of the doorway and then they were closed, his mind fogged by the blow he had received. His vision swam but he could make out figures standing over him. One of them leaned in close and Reven knew immediately who his attacker was.

Hannibal loomed over the prone Reven with his cronies in a rough circle around him. 'Time to uneven the odds again my old chum' said Hannibal. He pulled a carving knife out of his belt that he must have taken from the dinner table and sat on Reven's chest, pinning him in place. He held the blade to Reven's neck and hesitated. 'Go on Han' said a girl's voice, 'Do it. Before someone comes, kill him.' Hannibal's eyes flickered up towards the girl and then down again at Reven. His hesitation proved to be his undoing. 'You're in trouble', Reven gasped with a wry smile on his face. Hannibal sneered at him and pulled the knife back ready to strike and then the wooden doors of the hall exploded in a hail of splinters and fangs.

Fang burst through the doors smashing his head straight into Hannibal's chest sending the boy flying backwards. The other would-be attackers fell back, the closest covered in wooden pins. Reven pulled at Fangs neck to get himself up  and then kicked out at the nearest catching him straight between the legs. He drew his blade and hacked down at the back of the boys head. Fang grabbed at another's leg and tossed him around in his jaws. Reven lashed out at another spotting that Hannibal had recovered himself and rushed at Fang. He jumped on the hounds back and sunk his knife into the thick muscle of his shoulder. Fang yelped letting go of the mangled remains of the leg he had in his mouth and turning to face his assailant. Hannibal clung on, using the blade as a hand hold and spun with Fang. Reven rounded on Hannibal and thrust forward with his practice blade. In his haste he couldn't aim the blow but despite it's dull point Hannibal's eye couldn't resist the force of Reven's lunge. The tip of the wooden blade plunged into the boys head through his eye socket only meeting resistance when it hit the back of his skull. Fang reared and Hannibal's dead form fell to the floor with a wet smack as his life blood gushed from his mortal head wound. Reven gingerly pulled the knife free of Fangs shoulder and then turned to face the Hannibal's associates. Fang snarled at his side as Reven dropped into his fighting stance, sword in one hand and knife in the other. The aspirants shrunk away from him and then turned and fled, only the one legged boy and Hannibal's corpse remained.

With the fight done Reven slumped against Fang as his rage subsided. Fang licked at his face and gave a wag of his tail. 'Thank you Fang' Reven whispered and he probed the hounds shoulder for the wound. Reven pushed a hand against the cut and walked along side Fang down the corridors to find one of his masters. He and Fang left bloody footprints in their wake, spreading Hannibal's crimson failure through the halls of The Deep.




 

Revens Fang - Scent: Part 19

Reven drew his blade in time with Dodger. As soon as he did so Fang pushed into the ring snarling and baring his teeth. 'Hold', Master Powel walked into the ring and went to grab Fang by the rough of the neck but Fang turned to face him snapping at his hand. Powel flinched away and then smiled at Fang. 'Boy, tell your hound to sit out of this one'. Powel stepped out of the ring as Reven led Fang to its edge. He made him sit and then looked him in the eye's, 'Stay here boy' he said before stroking under his chin and returning to face Dodger.

The bigger boy struck without Reven being ready. His wooden blade crashed against Reven's shoulder and he let out a howl of pain. The sword chop was rapidly followed with a knee to the stomach that doubled Reven over. It was immediately obvious that this wasn't the first fight Dodger had been in. He grabbed the material of Reven's shirt at the shoulder to stand him up as his sword arm pulled back for another strike. Reven couldn't catch his breath and he felt his body quake with expectation as violence was done to it. As Dodger pulled him up Reven stabbed up with his sword catching his opponent under the arm. Dodger yelped and spun, releasing Reven's shirt. He still managed to strike Reven on the arm but it was more of a tap, much of it's vigour having been spent recoiling from Reven's thrust. Reven followed with a two-handed downward swing of his sword which crashed against Dodgers blade with such force that it pushed it back letting Reven's sword tip strike Dodger in the face. The boy cried out but instead of swinging his sword in return he dropped it, throwing a punch at Reven with the other hand. Reven saw stars dancing in front of him as the punch connected with his cheek. He staggered to his left reeling from the unexpected fist and was struck with a clumsier punch from Dodgers other hand. Dodger was so close that Reven couldn't swing his sword, instead he reversed his grip and brought the heavy pommel of the hilt straight up into Dodgers chin. The blow landed with a gratifying smack and Dodger stumbled back. Reven capitalised on the opportunity and stabbed the point of his sword into Dodger's midriff with as much force as he could muster. His opponent dropped like a bag of stones. The air knocked out of him he fell to his hands and knees and then collapsed further till his cheek lay against the cold stone of the floor.

Powel stepped forward clapping his hands as he did so. 'A good bout, we've some scrappers in our midst it seems.' He pulled Dodger to his feet as if he weighed nothing. 'You both drew blood, but you fell', he said pointing at Dodger who was still sucking breath. Powel turned to face Reven, 'If those would have been real blades though your arm would be decorating the floor with crimson boy.' then he struck Reven on the shoulder to emphasize his point making him wince. 'Out', Powel pushed both boys aside as he motioned for two other aspirants to take their place. Reven stepped out and stood next to Fang and was surprised that Dodger shuffled through the other children to stand as his side. Reven turned his head to watch his approach and was even more surprised to see a maniacal grin across Dodgers bloody face. He spoke as soon as he sidled up, 'By the Great Bull's balls, you hit like a lad twice your size' he said clasping Reven's hand. 'Reven chuckled, 'and you hit like a hammer' he reached up with his other hand wiping the blood from his cheek which has split neatly across the bone. 'Think we'll get on fine' said Dodger as he released Reven's hand and turned to concentrate on the next bout.

The other aspirants all fought under Master Powel's gaze. Most of the bouts were clumsy affairs that ended up with the combatants rolling on the floor pulling hair and gouging eye's. None of them were particularly gifted fighters but then again not a one of them were more than 16 summers old. A hushed silence fell as it came to the last two aspirants. A tubby boy by the name of Shenk and Fang. Reading Shenk's worried look Master Powel stepped into the ring and addressed the class, 'This animal is worth 100 of you. We have sent for a trainer for the beast but it will take many weeks for her to arrive and as such I have decided that the hound will train whenever possible with us.' he looked around as some of the aspirants faces dropped, none more so than Shenk's. Powel's face was alight with mirth seeing their misery. Reven walked Fang into the centre of the ring as Shenk drew his practice blade. The hound stood there his tongue lolling out of his mouth appearing to quite enjoy the attention that he was getting. As soon as Reven stepped away Fang sat and gazed stupidly at Shenk. Shenk looked to Master Powel, pleading in his eye's. Powel simply shouted 'Fight!' which scared the chubby boy into action. He ran screaming at Fang and smashed him across the snout with his sword. Fang yelped and looked at Reven and it was now his turn to shout, 'Fight Fang'. With that the hounds demeanour changed completely. He skipped back from Shenk's next swing and then jumped forward, landing with one fore-leg on either side of Shenk's head. Fang tore the boy's throat out before he had a chance to react. With no life in him he slumped to the floor as Fang growled and nipped at his corpse. There were gasps from some of the aspirants and many turned their faces away from the scene that was unfolding before them. Master Powel's eyes were blazing, not in anger, but in pure unadulterated adulation. Reven rushed to Fangs side and pulled him away, both arms around his neck. They hurried away from the ring and stood away from the rest of the group. Powel strode in inspecting the bloody mess that had once been Shenk and then stood, his booming voice rang out. 'We will have these bouts weekly. You will all need to be as efficient as the hound if you wish to survive, only the best may join the ranks of The Black Veil. Stop snivelling and prepare for your first lesson.'

They trained for the rest of the afternoon as Powel instructed them on stance and the importance of posture. Most shot disturbed glances at Fang throughout the training but not Dodger. He stayed close to Reven and Fang and patted the hound whenever possible in a show of solidarity to his new found friends.

Scent: Part 18

The next day Reven woke refreshed after the best sleep he'd had since the calamity at Rosholt. The previous nights meal had left all the aspirants with full bellies and had given them a chance to know more about each other. It had seemed that tragedy had befallen all of them in one way or another and everyone of them was alone in the world. This new kinship continued in the morning and the aspirants chatted freely as they dressed and made ready for the day ahead. Fang was now wearing a sash of black material around his neck that had the dogs head badge on it. This is what passed for a hounds clothes Reven surmised.

Hultz came to collect them and led them upstairs to a new classroom in the main house. Reven was overjoyed to see that the room had a window and despite the day being overcast he couldn't contain his happiness and rushed over to the window as the wind slowly swayed the drooping green branches of the trees outside. The morning flew past and come midday the class were led back down into The Deep to a large hall. It was carved out of rock and had several braziers that were suspended from the ceiling. The size the room was overwhelming and Reven wondered how the world above didn't come crashing in through the ceiling despite the two vast columns that sat a third and two thirds of the way in respectively. Master Hultz ushered them over to the side of the room and they sat on benches whilst still gazing around the room. He left them telling them that their trainer would be with them soon.

Only minutes had passed when a powerfully built man walked across the great hall towards them. His dark brown hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail. The olive skin of his face was marred by scars and his nose looked as if it had been broken at least twice. A scar ran the length of the left side of his face, over his eye down his cheek and across his lips ending on his chin. A huge wolf's skull sat on his right shoulder and he wore a wolf's pelt as a cloak. He wore a richly detailed steel breastplate and a sword at his side. In one of his hands he carried a shield that again featured the wolf motif and his muscular arms were bare below the elbow where they met his black undershirt. He stood in front of them casting an appraising eye over them paying special attention to the badges on the aspirants shoulders. He cocked an eyebrow as he came to Reven and his multiple badges. When his eyes settled on Fang they lit up and a broad smile appeared on the mans face. He walked straight toward Fang who stood at his approach. He fell into a crouch in front of the hound and offered hi his hand. Fang sniffed at it and once he had stopped the man moved it to the top of Fangs head stroking it gently. He whispered words in a tongue that Reven didn't recognise before ruffling his fingers behind Fangs ear. The man stood and moved to stand in front of the aspirants again. 'I am Master Powel. I am here to tutor you in the art of defence and to my mind the best defence is to annihilate your foe' his face dropped into a snarl as he spoke. 'Most of you will break under my ministrations like so many twigs. The next few weeks will test you. My aim is to mould you into warriors or destroy you in the process.' Powel smiled at this enjoying watching the young aspirants squirm.

He walked over to a wooden chest that sat against the wall and heaved the lid open. He called for the aspirants to form a queue and proceeded to hand out swords that had wooden blades. Once everybody had one Master Powel explained that these were their practice swords and they should be taken with them everywhere. Crude sword belts were handed out that had a loop of leather in place of a scabbard. Reven secured his sword at his side and noted that hilt and cross guard were made of solid metal; iron he thought from the faint glow of rust on it. It added a real weight to the sword making it only a little lighter than the short sword he had procured whilst escaping Rosholt.

Powel moved the group into the centre of the room and stood them around a circle that was drawn in red paint on the floor. 'Time to see what the youth of today are made of. You' he said pointing at Dodger who was the biggest of the aspirants, 'and you' he pointed at Reven. 'Move into the ring. On my command you will battle until one of you bleeds freely or until one of you falls.' With that Powel stepped away from the ring. Reven drew his wooden blade and readied himself. The aspirants newly found friendships would be sorely tested in the coming moments.

Scent: Part 17

The training continued this way for a week. Everyday the aspirants were ferried into the classroom and each evening they were ushered back to their cells. They sat and listened to Hultz as he spoke about the world and the various races that lived within it and how different countries were ruled and governed. They rarely paused and were not allowed to speak when they did so. Occasionally people would appear at the back of the room and listen to Hultz and then disappear off somewhere.

Reven was given a slight reprieve as Fang was allowed to be exercised in a hall that was further down the corridor from the classroom. It was only ten minutes a day but Fang appreciated it and Reven enjoyed running around with him knowing that the other aspirants would already be secured in their cells. Reven was growing tired of the constantly flickering torches and braziers that decorated the halls and rooms of The Deep. He longed to feel the wind on his face and the suns rays upon his skin. Each time he attempted to broach the subject with Master Hultz he was shushed into silence. Reven was contemplating this very thing whilst Hultz talked about the many cults of the world and the threats they posed to decent people. He was so lost in his daydream that he didn't notice that Hultz had asked him something until he realised the whole room was looking at him.

Reven's face burned with embarrassment and he squirmed under Hultz' withering gaze. 'Are you going to answer me boy or shall you just sit there gazing at the wall?' Hultz spat. Reven stammered 'I....I....sorry...' before being cut off yet again by one of Hultz' raised hands. 'Bah' he shouted, 'Useless, the lot of you. You will never learn if you never listen.' Master Hultz' composure seemed to reassert itself and he relaxed his shoulders as he let out a long sigh. 'Maybe that is enough for today', the aspirants looked at each other, confused. There were hours of the day left yet. Hultz continued to speak, 'Today you will be moving from your cells to one of the common rooms above. You will enjoy your first meal that isn't gruel and be given the opportunity to bathe. Beds will be allocated to you and you will be given new clothes to wear. Say farewell to your old clothes as they will be burnt.' Hultz let this news sink in before continuing. Reven had never seen the other aspirants smile before. 'As of tomorrow the nature of your training will change. You will all attend lessons with me in the mornings as you have been, but your afternoons will be spent learning the more physical aspects of life in the order. Weapons training will commence at midday.' This news was not as well received as the promise of a proper meal but Reven for one could not wait to see more of The Deep and to have a sleep in a proper bed.

Reven made his way upstairs with the other aspirants. Hultz led them into a large room that had ten beds in it, five to each wall. Each bed had a wardrobe next to it on one side and a small chest of draws on the other. The centre of the room was dominated by a long table that had chairs on either side. Hultz addressed them as they moved into the room. 'Beyond the door at the far end of this room are washing and toilet facilities which I suggest you use before donning your new clothes.' he motioned towards the beds. Each bed had a neatly folded pile of clothes on it and a pair of boots tucked under their foot. 'When I call your name you will report to your bed then you have an hour to wash, dress and get used to your new surroundings.' With that Hultz walked to the corner of the room and started reading out names as he made his way round the room indicating a bed each time he did so. With only two beds left Reven listened as Fang's name was read out. He trotted over to where Hultz pointed and jumped onto the bed. He circled around and scratched at the blanket before settling down to rest. Some of the aspirants giggled including Reven but Hultz silenced them with a stare. 'Reven. This is your bed.' he said indicating the corner bed. 'Your hound will stay with you here until he outgrows the room at which time we will find somewhere else to keep him'. Fang tilted his head and raised an eyebrow without ever moving his head from the blanket at Hultz' words whilst Reven responded with a curt 'Yes Master Hultz.' Hultz nodded as if satisfied with his work and lefty the room leaving the door wide open. 

Reven sat down on Fang's bed and stroked his head and leaned in to whisper in his ear 'They won't separate us again Fang. Don't worry.' Reven wasn't sure if Fang heard this or not as he promptly started snoring as soon as Reven drew his head back but he smiled anyway, his own words reassuring him. 

The aspirants made there way in to the wash room and went about cleaning a weeks worth of dirt and grime from their bodies. One of the older boys who announced himself as Dodger groaned with pleasure as he lowered himself into the hot water of the communal bath, 'Ahh, the Great Bull's ball's that feels good.' This drew sniggers from two girls that were on the other side of the bath, fully clothed to hide their modesty. 'The great who?' asked a wiry framed youth who was climbing in. 'The Great Bull! Zorn! God of the harvest and fertility' Dodger responded. The wiry youth paused at the top of his climb, 'Never 'erd of 'im' he said with a raised brow. He moved to swing his trailing leg over the edge of the bath but caught it and fell face first into the water. All of the aspirants laughed at this and they relaxed in the warm water swapping names and the tales of how they came to at The Deep.

Reven dried himself using one of the rough blankets provided as he walked back to his bed. Fang still slumbered in the berth next to him as he looked at his new clothes. They were made up of black trousers that had leather patches on the knee and at the side of the thigh. A white undershirt and a loose fitting black shirt that was fastened by thin cord at the neck. The shirt had three badges sewn onto the shoulder facing forward. All red rimmed with a white background but each sporting a different image. One had a bow and arrow stitched on to it, another a sword and the final one a dogs head. He looked at some of the other aspirants as they dressed and others sported the sword or a dagger on their shoulder. The wiry boy who Reven had learnt was called Essen had a skull on his. As far as he could make out only Reven had three badges and he made a note to ask Master Hultz about this next time he saw him.

Scent: Part 16

Reven paced around his cell trying to make sense of all that had happened over the past week. His life had been turned upside down and he was being swept along by events out of his control. Why had he so readily accepted to travel with Reynard and Aisha? What had driven him to commit such heinous violence against the other children when he was brought here? He felt like he was losing his mind. The anger that flooded through him when fighting is something he had never experienced before and it chilled him to the core when he thought of the broken bodies he had left on the floor of that room. He wanted answers. Who were these people? What had he done to be imprisoned in this way. As questions swirled around his head the door to his cell creaked open and a wiry old man walked in. The man was almost bald, wisps of white hair clung to the side of his head that met a wild unkempt bushy beard of the same colour. He wore a simple woollen grey tunic tied with string at his waist. He clutched a knobbly staff in one gnarled hand. He turned his bright green eyes on Reven and spoke in a wheezing rasp, ‘I am Master Hultz, I will be your trainer. You must follow me aspirant. We’ll collect your hound on the way’. With that the old man turned and marched out of the room clicking his staff on the floor as he went. Reven followed him out and opened his mouth to ask what he was to be trained for but Master Hultz waved a hand before the words left his mouth, ‘All your questions will be answered in good time, just keep up and keep quiet!’ Reven did as he was told and trailed Hultz through the stone halls and up stairs to where Fang was being kept.

Fang bounded backward and forwards along the bars of his cage when he saw Reven approaching. Reven noted that his cage was more plushly furnished than his own cell . Fang’s bed was made of piled rugs and the walls were wood slats where Reven only had cold stone to rest against. Master Hultz flipped the latch and Fang exploded out of the cage greeting Reven as he always did; by wagging his tail wildly and licking his face furiously. Reven ruffled his coat and threw his arms around him, relieved to find Fang well and not at all unchanged by his stay in this place. ‘Enough’ cried Hultz, ‘We must get on’ . Fang bounded over to the old man playfully and started tugging on his tunic. Hultz flapped his arms to keep his balance and then viciously tugged at the hem of his robe trying to free it from Fangs grip. Reven burst into laughter as with a tearing sound the tunic ripped free and Hultz staggered backwards almost losing his balance again. Fang jumped around shaking his head from side to side frantically as if he was trying to knock the life out of a kill. There was no kill in Fang’s mouth of course., just a tattered piece of cloth. Master Hultz ‘s face turned glowed red with anger as his face flushed with blood. ‘Control your hound or lose him’ he roared. Reven was startled at the power in the old man’s voice and both he and Fang froze on the spot, ‘That is lesson one.’ With that Hultz hobbled off and Reven and Fang sauntered after him heads bowed.

The training room looked more like a classroom. Benches sat lined up facing a white wall that had diagrams and writing and heraldic devices on it. Master Hultz walked to the front of the room whilst Reven took a place at the end of one of the benches so Fang could sit next to him. The other aspirants from the trial were already seated in the room and as were five other children that Reven didn’t recognise.

Master Hultz spoke for hours and wasn’t lying when he said that Reven’s questions would be answered. The building they were in was called The Deep. It belonged to an order known as The Black Veil and the aspirants were training to become members of this order. The Black Veil had chapters all of the world and this one here in Vardnfell served all of Orland. its purpose was to root out evil in it’s many form and act as a shield to keep the darkness of the world hidden from the people. The Veil was made up of a strict hierarchy. This chapter was led by Master Ulfram who’s adviser and second in command was Mistress Renk. She held the title of Mage Lord and would help maintain the chapter whilst using her considerable sorcerous powers to give direction the orders activities. Mistress Renk was senior to everybody with the exception of Master Ulfram. Below the Master sat three lords; The Lord of Shadow controlled the chapters assassins, the Lord or Iron its warriors and the Lord of Bone it mages. These three Paths would serve the chapter and were schooled in different arts of combat . Aspirants were brought in to bolster one of the three paths but many would fail to pass the tests and would become Travellers. These Travellers were scouts, all gifted warriors but lacking in the abilities that make them truly great. Below them sat the Orderlies, led by Master Hultz. The Orderlies duties were wide and varied, ranging from acting as servants and aides to teaching and information gathering. They were also charged with the maintenance of the chapters vast libraries which contained more information than any one man could hold. Last and according to Hultz definitely least in the eyes of the order were the aspirants. Brought in to the order at a young age to start their training , they would spend years honing their skills and many of them would fall along the way. To keep the chapter full, new aspirants would be brought in every month as many wouldn’t make it past the first. For those that made it through and ascended to one of the Paths, glory and power, their names celebrated in song and rhyme. Death would welcome the others.

Reven’s head swam at all this new information and listened in wonder as Hultz took some time out to tell them about some of the deeds the Order had accomplished. Not all of the other aspirants seemed as keen with a couple of them quailing after hearing of mighty battles. Reven just patted Fang and smiled as he soaked in the information. For the first time since he had arrived at The Deep he was enjoying himself.

Scent: Part 15

 Reynard and Aisha sat waiting for Master Ulfram in his study. The walls were panelled with rich dark wood and decorated with various shields and weapons. They sat in finely carved wooden chairs, shifting uncomfortably against the hard wood. Grisly trophies from victories of the past sat in cabinets under glass. A skull of a minotaur was in a cabinet to their left, a harpies claw to their right. All the trophy cabinets had been engraved with the date the trophy was taken and who the hero was that had slayed these beasts. Reynard raised an eyebrow as he realised that most of them had Ulfram’s name etched on them. There were few bookcases in the room which they both found strange as it was a study but from what they knew of Ulfram it didn’t surprise them. He was very much a man of action and not of words. They both continued to squirm in their chairs wondering why it was that they had been summoned before the Master. Reynard had been in the order for over twenty years and he had never once had an audience with any of the masters that had served in Orlands Chapter. Aisha had been a Traveller for only a few years and was even more nervous that Reynard. She played with her hair with one hand and drummed out a rhythmless beat with the other which stopped abruptly as Ulfram strode into the room.

He sat opposite the Travellers placed the elbow of one of his huge arms on the desk and stroked his chin thoughtfully. He looked back and forth between Reynard and Aisha and after a short uncomfortable silence spoke. ‘I have asked you both here to discuss the aspirant you brought before us. The boy concerns me somewhat’ his deep voice rumbled as he continued addressing Aisha, ‘You used your powers of compulsion on him so he came without argument?’ Aisha nodded in agreement, ‘Yet we don’t compel them to fight. Especially the way that he did’, he furrowed his brow. ‘Where did you find the boy? Tell me all and don't’ leave out any detail’

Reynard and Aisha told of how they had found Reven at the Barded Warhorse Inn and how they had both sensed power within him. They talked of Rosholt and how he came to travel with Fang. They told him of the frenzy they had seen Reven display whilst hacking at the bandit when defending the coach on their way to Vardenfell and even relayed Lord Vol’s message of doom which brought a derisive snort from Ulfram. They were honest in that they believed that Reven was the most promising aspirant they had ever presented to the Order. Ulfram nodded throughout, listening to every word intently.

‘We haven’t had a beastmaster pass through our halls in a long time. He would be a boon to us in years to come but I fear that he may border on the insane.’ Reynard and Aisha exchanged a look at their master spoke. ‘I was delayed meeting you because I looked in on the boy in his cell. He was weeping...almost hysterically.A far cry from the remorseless child we saw in the trial.’ Reynard spoke forgetting himself, ‘Forgive me Master but he stood the trial, he bares the mark of the chosen upon his shoulder. Many children have reacted badly once released from our spells and wards, what is special about Reven?’ Ulfram stared at Reynard, ‘I was coming to that Traveller’ he said letting his anger show at the interruption. ‘As we do with all aspirants, we examined him after the trial and after some questioning from Mistress Renk, this chapters Magister, it became apparent that the mark he has upon his shoulder is from a recent wound. He hasn’t had it from birth.’ Aisha gasped and Reynard recoiled in his seat. The mark of the chosen was more a birthright than scar and only those with it could be recruited into the order. Reynard and Aisha had made a grave error bringing the boy to be tested.

‘We had no inkling Master, we will rectify our mistake at once’ Reynard started rising out of his chair but Ulfram waved him down. ‘The boy poses many question. He is a vessel of power, I feel that just as you did. He is also on the verge of a mental breakdown it would appear.’ Ulfram stood and started to pace the room, his hands clasped behind his back. ‘Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Reven is who marked him and why. He says he has no recollection of how the mark got there beyond some nightmares he has had. He claims the wound only happened a week ago but there is no way that can be true, he cannot of healed so quickly. I think he is confused. I think somebody want’s him within our order but for what purpose I don’t know.’ Ulfram nodded as if somebody was advising him but Aisha and Reynard sat still just staring at their master hanging on his next words. ‘We’ll keep an eye on him but should things go bad you will be called from your travels to do what must be done. The boy will be trained.’ With this Ulfram turned his back on them and stared at nothing at the back of the study as if contemplating his own words. Reynard and Aisha got up realising this was their cue to leave.

Reven lay upon his bed, his cheeks still wet from the tears he had wept. Little did he know that the course of his life had just been decided for him. His path had unknowingly been laid before him now all he needed to do was walk it.

Scent: Part 14

They hurried through the city into a residential district. Moving at speed was hard for Fang as he wanted to inspect everything in his new surroundings, Reven was constantly pushing or pulling him away from ‘interesting’ smelling things. At last they came to a stop outside a large stone house. The house was ringed with a high wall and a spiked metal gate sat before the long sandy path that led to the front door. A lone guardsman sporting a long black cloak and a black helm that completely covered his face stood on the other side of the gate. Reynard paid him no attention as he pushed one half of the gate opened and stepped through. Aisha motioned for Reven to follow and he did so, Fang trotting in after him. Aisha stepped through closing the gate behind her and the whole time the guard stood motionless. Reven wondered if it may be a statue and not a person at all but then a breeze caused the guards cloak to ripple and Reven wondered no more. They walked the path to the front of the house and the door swung wide just before they reached it. A kindly looking old man was revealed as the door opened and he held it wide as they made their way in. He was dressed in a black and white butler’s suit and bowed as the travellers entered. ‘Welcome travellers’ he said, making his ruddy cheeks wobble. He batted away the ruff at his neck before continuing, ‘The master awaits you below’. He closed the door and motioned for them to go down the hall. Reynard took the lead and headed down the hall and through a door on his right. He held it open for the others as they made their way in. Reynard shut the door behind them and made his way over to a cupboard. He opened both doors of the cupboard and went to step into it but hesitated. ‘Reven, when we meet the master do not speak to him unless he addresses you. And speak to no-one of the things you see here...our secrecy is one our greatest weapons. Do you understand?’ Reynard’s brow was furrowed as he spoke. Reven nodded his agreement and was surprised at how serious Reynard was. Aisha pushed past him and walked into the cupboard. She fumbled inside for a moment and then there was a click and the back panel of the cupboard slid to this side revealing a torch lit stairway. Aisha moved inside and headed down the stairs. Reynard motioned for Reven and Fang to follow and they did so. After Reynard stepped through he shut the cupboard doors behind him and tapped a switch that sent the back panel sliding back into place. 

The stairs seemed to go on forever. They were carved out of solid rock and spiralled down. They passed several opening top other levels as they travelled but didn’t stop at any of them. Reven had counted three other levels before the one that they stopped at. The hallway they walked down was interspersed with wooden panel doors and was richly decorated with pictures and wall hangings that all depicted bloodletting in various forms. They were either battles or scenes of assassination. One featured a figure riding atop a huge war hound whilst beset on all sides by snarling green beasts. Reven stared in wonder at the works of art and followed Aisha in a daze as they made their way around a bend in the hall and then they came to an abrupt stop. They stood at the open doorway of what appeared to be a huge cave. It was a huge rock dome dominated by a huge statue that stood in the middle of a raging fire pit. Around the edges of the room stood pairs of warriors all dressed similarly to Reynard and Aisha and in front of each pair stood a child. The children looked as if they ranged in ages but most appeared to be older than Reven with some looking like they were verging on adulthood. ‘Last in’ whispered Aisha with a grimace, stay calm boy and luck be with you’ Aisha led Reven over to the pit whilst Reynard secured Fang in a cage at the back of the room before taking his place at her side. Fang whined as he looked out and Reven couldn’t help but turn his head and smile to reassure him everything was ok. If he was honest though he didn’t know that for sure. Reynard and Aisha had been quite elusive on the road when he had asked them about why they were travelling and what they wanted with him. They had said that there would be a test and that he would meet the “Master”, whoever he might be. Reven was relieved to see that the faces of the other children in the hall all had the same bemused look as his and some that just looked downright scared. A few of the children were sobbing quietly to themselves, their small bodies quaking at the strain of keeping their sobs in. He continued looking round and made a count, there were twenty children in total, all waiting and not one of them with a look that said they knew what they were waiting for. 

After a few uncomfortable minutes of silence a hooded figure made his way into the room with a woman trailing behind him. As they arrived at the fire pit in the centre he removed his hood and the attached cloak and handed it to the woman. In response she handed him a long knife. The blade of the weapon was completely black and wavered from side to side as it came to its glittering point. The man was huge, taught muscles rippled in his arms and his leather vest could hardly contain his barrel chest. His grey hair was tied back and despite the fact he must have been getting on in years to sport it he had a look of vitality and strength about him that couldn’t be denied. He looked around the room, taking a reverse grip on the knife as he did so, the blade tucked up behind his forearm. He made his way to a child to Reven’s left and looked at him appraisingly. He pulled the cloth of the boy’s shirt to the side to reveal a pink scar that seemed to shine in the light of the fire. He nodded his approval and moved onto the next child repeating the process. He did this a few times before reaching a girl that looked as if she was just about to reach her teenage years, only a little older than Reven. He put his arm around the girl still holding the knife and just appeared to lift her up; one hand at her neck and the other scooped under her legs. He handed to her two guardians who bowed and stepped backwards out of the ring of children. The girl’s body was limp and he could hear the children either side of her gasp and whimper. They were quickly hushed and the man moved on, continuing his inspection. 

By the time he reached Reven three children had been handed to the pair of warriors at their back and Reven could not help but feel anxious and more than a bit fearful of the muscled giant who stood in front of him. The man’s face and body were criss-crossed with scars and his eyes seemed to burn with a feverish glow. He stared deep into Reven’s eyes before pulling his shirt aside and nodding approvingly before moving on. Reven released a breath that he hadn’t realised he was holding and stole a glance over his shoulder at Reynard. Reynard motioned for him to look forward but gave him an encouraging wink. Once the man had finished looking over the last child he made his way back to the woman and spoke in her ear. The woman nodded and made a note in a small book she had opened. The man looked out over the children that remained in the circle and began to speak with a voice that boomed and reverberated in the cave like dome. ‘Welcome. You may not know why you are here or who we are but all will be revealed soon enough. One thing you all share in common is that you have nothing in this world. Nobody waits for you, you have no possessions bar those that you carry with you now. We are the Black Veil and you are our aspirants. The time for your first trial is already upon you.’ As he spoke these words all of the warriors stepped back from their child and left the room in single file. This included Aisha and Reynard. Reven watched them leave and as soon as the last warrior had passed through the door a metal portcullis rumbled down to bar any exit. The warriors turned and jostled for position, each trying to get the best view of the room they had just left. The woman moved from child to child relieving them of their possessions and for Reven this meant his short sword, money pouch and his booted dagger. The man followed in her wake handing out wooden clubs from a bag that he had picked up from the side of the room. Once each child had a club the man stood in the centre of the room and addressed them all again. ‘In this room there are five bags. Each bag contains a weapon. Each weapon guarantees a life.’ The children looked at each not understanding what the man meant. He smiled broadly, ‘Admission to our order is only won through strength of arms. None of you know each other, you have nothing but miserable lives. We offer the opportunity to change that. You fight or you starve. The last five standing will join us.’

Many of the children seemed reluctant to do anything with this information. They stood staring blankly at each other or the clubs in their hands. Reven looked at the children either side of him. They stood about five feet apart, he looked at his club and noticed for the first time the dark satins that marked its surface, blood he thought. ‘Fight’ the man bellowed as he made his way toward the portcullis coming to rest against a wall. A child opposite Reven reacted and swung his club at a boy next to him. The child stared at him blankly as the club smashed down on his head, collapsing his temple and sending him to the floor, convulsing in his death throws. Reven was next to react, striking out to his right and bringing his club down hard on an older boy’s wrist. Bone shattered under the blow and the boy dropped his weapon involuntarily as his fingers slackened. Reven’s return stroke smashed the boy full in the face sending a spray of teeth and blood arcing out of the boy’s mouth as he collapsed motionless to the floor. A scream from behind him caused Reven to duck, a club whistled over his head and a girl slammed in to him carried by the inertia of her attack. They fell to the floor in a heap and Reven snarled as he tried to push her off. She regained her composure quicker though and straddled him putting her weight on her club trying to cut off his air. He brought his club up and it caught her a glancing blow on the back of the head and her attack waivered. He threw a punch with his other hand twisting his body as he did so, knocking her to the floor and rolling on top of her. He brought his club down repeatedly leaving her once pretty face a bloody mess. 

Reven came to his feet and looked around. All over the room there were struggles, Fang howled in his cage wanting to be released into the fight. Reven saw a boy finish another with a swipe to the jaw and he stood looking at Reven. The boy rushed at him breathing heard from his exertions. Reven side stepped as the boy swung at him and his attacker stumbled past. Reven cracked him neatly on the back of the head sending him sprawling. He didn’t rise again. The last of the fights were dying down and Reven turned, looking to the edge of the room for one of the bags. He ran to the edge and made his way round it. There, behind a rock he spied a bag and pulled it free. He delved into it and pulled out a bow and a single arrow. He held them aloft looking at the man who still leaned against the wall next to the gate. Other children were doing the same and finally 5 stood. One holding an axe, one a knife, one a sword and the last a hammer. The man started forward as the children gathered in the middle of the room. Looking directly at Reven he spoke ‘Six stand, only five places were offered’, the man inclined his head towards the cage that held Fang, ‘Kill the hound.’ Reven screamed ‘No!’ and starting backing up frantically towards the cage. The boy immediately to Reven’s left, the sword bearer started after him. ‘It’s just a dog, let me pass’. Reven roared and launched himself at the boy. Despite having one of the deadliest weapons there it was too heavy for the boy to lift in time to defend himself. Reven’s club landed squarely between the boy’s eyes with a gratifying crunch. Reven fell upon him battering his prone body with blow after blow until the big man who had been watching the scene unfold restrained him and lifted him clear. Reven struggled free, gasping for breath. The man looked at him with a wide smile on his face and simply said ‘five standing, good’.