43. A Day at Salamandastron.
It truly was a very long day. At least metaphorically, because in the literal sense the day ended without really beginning, no more than a period of grey gloom that soon deepened into darkness again. Anyway, it finally ended in either sense, both the weary travelers and the denizens of the Mountain going to their beds. Only the watch hares down at the Salamandastron gates were fighting their sleep. Well, and two more creatures.
As Lady Violet walked around the rulers' forge room lighting candles, Aldwin realized that she was in worse shape than it seemed at first. Badgers were naturally stout, Violet no exception, but now one almost could call her thin. Her fur lost some of its luster, and now, when she was not wearing her ruler's expression, Aldwin could only describe her face as careworn. That made asking the question he intended to ask all the more gut-wrenching, but he owed that much to his dead comrades.
"You have a question, no doubt." Sometimes Violet seemed to read Aldwin's mind.
"Yes." The captain spent a few seconds trying to gather his thoughts, which was hard after such an exhausting day. Perhaps that's why his question ended up more blunt than he wanted. "My Lady. Did you know what was going to happen when you sent me on this quest?"
It seemed Violet at least knew what he would ask. She remained unshaken. "Not in the details. I didn't know who would die and who would live, except for you. But before giving you any commands I already knew whom you would encounter."
Aldwin felt himself falling and unable to stop when he asked, "Then why didn't you tell me that right to my face?"
"The answer depends on what you believe about the workings of fate and destiny. But if I ever had any freedom in this to begin with... Do you remember the night of the big autumn feast, Aldwin, and our talk on the balcony?"
The hare nodded. To be honest, his memories of that conversation were a bit foggy. Perhaps he drank too much at the feast, before going to search for Violet.
"That night I talked with you about hard choices, but perhaps my metaphors were lacking. When a hare commander like you makes a difficult decision, he doesn't know what he is choosing, not really, because fortunes of battle can turn unexpectedly in any moment. A sacrifice might end up meaningless, whether you choose prudence or valor, you might fail either way. And yet, a half-blind choice is not the worst sort of choice in the world. Mine to choose was a choice of evils, and I knew exactly what those evils were. I hoped that maybe I misinterpreted something, maybe our fate isn't sealed yet, but that was and is a foolish hope. I'm very sorry, Aldwin, but not revealing everything to you was and is a part of the evil I chose."
Aldwin was silent for a time then chuckled dryly. "Heh. I fancy myself your pillar of support, but what a bloody shaky support I am. I can't even trust you to the end, like a hare should trust his commander, his Lady. I'm the one who should be sorry here."
"Don't be. I would have started doubting your character had you accepted anything and everything from me without a word."
"Isn't that a soldier's duty?"
"Aren't you more than a soldier?"
Aldwin chuckled again, this time with a bit more mirth. "True that. And now I'm once again forgettin' myself, arguin' with you."
Violet smiled with the very corners of her mouth. "Now, Aldwin, I have a question for you too."
"And I'll answer it if I can, my Lady."
"Then tell me this: what do you think of these four vermin creatures because of whom we're facing such calamities?"
That was a question Aldwin asked himself more than once. He watched those four keenly and asked their woodlander companions about them as much as he could without making it look like an interrogation. But... "There is only so much you can jolly well learn in one season about a beast who doesn't want you to learn his nature. Sayin' that, if you ask me, the ermine is a little snivelin' coward, who sticks with the rest because he has nowhere else to go. The weasel is a deadbeast walkin' who only wakes up every mornin' because of hatred. And the fox is the worst of all. He's the type who drinks with you, and jokes with you, and then stabs you right in the gut smilin' all the time."
Aldwin paused and Violet decided to prod him. "And the ferret?"
The hare captain shrugged. "If she was born a hare and raised properly, she would have made a fine Patroller, better than certain hares I know. But she was not."
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It would be wrong to say that nightmares never disturbed Kethra's sleep. It would be particularly wrong after the ill-fated battle of the Seacrag Castle. But as far as she remembered herself, her bad dreams always were nebulous things she could not recall after awakening. Not so this time. The nightmare that visited her on the first night at Salamandastron was so vivid and life-like that she couldn't forget it if she wanted to.
She stood on the edge of a cliff, the world below sinking in a sea of mist, the bright moon above casting eerie shadows over the benighted landscape. And the biggest shadow of all was the great mountain at her back, a cold presence that filled her with primal dread.
"There are things in the world forever beyond the grasp of your vile, blighted breed." The voice was familiar but sounded strange, as if echoing from far away, yet not louder than a normal talking tone. "Things before which all your vaunted strength and power is like dust on the wind."
"Ewalt?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet suddenly it resounded all around her. "I thought you were my friend."
"Your friend?" Now another very familiar creature was talking and a desperate desire to turn and see the creature who was talking flared in Kethra, yet at the very though of facing the looming shadow her footpaws froze in place, her very heart refused to beat. "Who you are calling a friend, sister? A mouse, a prey creature that was born to be used and abused as we, the superior species, see fit? You seem to be forgetting who you are and what you have done, but I assure you, Ewalt does not. He and the double-hearted squirrel wench are playing you, my foolish little sister, playing you even fouler than the cocky vulpine bastard. They are using you to achieve their goals, just like I was using them, yet they know you for a raider, a murderer and a slaver, and they will never forget, and they will never forgive. Thinking still isn't your strong suit, isn't it?"
"No!.." Kethra tried to shout, but it sounded more like a whine. "Please, please, I know what I'm doing, please, don't say it, I'm not a stupid cub anymore, no, I'm not…"
"Oh, really?" Again, yet another voice, jeering and cruel. "I grant you, you are no longer a cub, my sinuous beauty, but you are pretty stupid, you know. Else, why would you trust me? Do you think you can do that just because…"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! I don't trust you!"
"Is that true?" This time it took Kethra a moment to recognize the voice, so cold and hard it was, like a healer's knife digging into a wound, completely unlike its owner's normal tone. "You tell to yourself that Suran is not to be trusted, but ever since you brother died, deep down you hope that the fox cares about you, if only a little bit. Just like you hope that Ewalt is your friend. And just like you hoped that your brother loved you. It is obvious that the reason for all this and the true reason you so easily agreed to my proposal of going to Salamandastron are one and the same. And that reason is…"
Kethra could not listen to that anymore, but neither she could muster enough courage to turn and face the dread shadow behind her. Clasping her paws to hear ears she lurched forwards, trying the to get away. And the rock ended under her paws. She was falling!
And then she woke up, her heart racing in her chest, the nightmare still vivid in her memory. The transition for sleep to reality was so fast, that she almost jumped out of her bed.
"You aren't sleeping well either?"
The ferretmaid raised her head to see Suran, sitting on his bed that stood opposite of hers, his back against the wall. The fireplace produced only the dimmest glow, but Kethra had good enough night vision to discern his silhouette.
"It's just too hot and stuffy," she lied. Technically that was not a complete untruth. The bedroom inside the mountain given to them was warmer than anything made of rock had any right to be in this season, a beast in thick winter fur hardly needed blankets to sleep here.
"Why, that surely must be the reason."
A quiet whimper from her left distracted Kethra and she turned in its direction to see Tezza curled almost in a ball, shuddering in her sleep.
"The heat must be playing tricks on all of us, don't you think, Kethra?"
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Maybe in the halls of Salamandastron Ewalt the Ghost finally felt truly safe for the first time in many seasons, or maybe exhaustion caught up with him, but either way he slept, and slept, and slept, long after his woodlander comrades got our of their beds.
"Ewalt!" Rowanbloom had to call for Ewalt loudly to finally make him open his eyes. "Wake up, you lazy dormouse! Don't you know, sun is high in the sky!"
"A bit hard to see it here." Ewalt sat up. Of course, most of Salamandastron's mountain halls never saw the light of day, so Rowanbloom had to light a lamp.
"Sorry if I interrupted a pleasant dream. There is a hot bath prepared for us. Go, while it is still hot."
That seemed like a good idea. Ewalt could not remember when he washed more than his paws and face the last time. Probably at the end of last summer. Everything was too urgent on the previous day, and then everybeast was too tired to bathe themselves. And a hot bath? Certainly the last time he had one was before he was named the Ghost.
The bathroom at Salamandastron was lit brighter than most of the other rooms, if only by red-hot coals in the stove. For Ewalt that was more than enough. The mouse warrior took his time scrubbing himself. After crawling out of the tub, drying his fur and donning a slightly worn jerkin graciously provided by their hosts he felt almost born anew. Too bad scars could not be removed as easily as dirt.
Finding the dining room about which Rowanbloom told him did not take much time. Ewalt was surprised to see the light of day. There were windows here, well, more like arrow slits than real windows, but they were covered in some strange material that was clearer than mica and let plenty of sunlight in. Weather outside seemingly improved again.
"You're making sticks look fat, you know. I wonder if all the grime made you seem bigger."
Ewalt turned to stare at Suran who sat at a small table right next to Kethra and Smalltooth. The three vermin also clearly have washed themselves and wore fresh clothing, although theirs fit badly.
"And I wonder if all your old rags made you seem frightening. In hare clothes you look like a jester."
Suran laughed. "Hah! Kethra, did we really hear that? I thought our friend Ewalt would sooner die than joke. This mountain truly is magic!"
Ewalt looked around instead of responding. As far as he could tell, the vermin were still here because they needed some rest after a mighty feat of gluttony. The long table before them was covered in empty dishes. Smalltooth even seemed to be asleep. It was a testament to generosity of Salamandastron that Ewalt managed to find a few loaves of bread, a bowl of porridge, sweetened by honey and dried fruit, and a half-full jug of cider for himself. Or, judging by the bowl size, maybe all the portions were simply meant for big creatures, like hares. After gathering his breakfast, he sat right over against Suran and Kethra. Both the bench and the table were uncomfortably high for him and he wondered if he looked stupid.
If Suran's expression was any indication, he did. "If I didn't know you better, Ewalt, I'd think you want to enjoy our company."
The mouse bit off some bread, chewed and swallowed, before answering. "I want to tell you something. Something long overdue, I believe."
"And that would be?" Ketha asked.
Ewalt looked at them, then finally decided. "For almost two seasons we've travelled and fought together, with the same goal. Suran, you've saved my life, twice in one night most likely. I probably would have died without your valor too, Kethra. But never once I've treated you as real comrades in arms. As fellow warriors. And for that I am sorry."
Ewalt expected all sorts of poisonous verbal barbs from Suran, but the fox just looked at him in surprise, and it was Kethra who spoke. "So, we're your comrades? How about "friends"? Or is that too much honor for the likes of us?"
Who knows what Ewalt would have answered if he had time to think it through, but the ferretmaid was not in a patient mood, and as soon as the pause became apparent she stood up in one abrupt motion. "I see. Then spare me your sorries!"
As she stormed away, Suran rose to follow, but paused. His usual lazy smirk was back in place. "Just so you know, unlike my furious mistress, I'm totally touched. Maybe I'd think about saving your hide again, if I ever get a chance, you know."
As the fox walked to the exit, Ewalt slammed his spoon on the table, as if he was stabbing somebeast with a dagger. Then he stared at the last vermin remaining at the table, who, if he was indeed dozing off, woke up in time to hear everything. "And what will you say?"
Smalltooth, who tried to look tiny and inconspicuous, was taken aback. "Ehm, who, me? If a great beast like you thinks me a warrior and a comrade, I don't even know what to say. This is the biggest compliment I've ever heard."
The mouse rolled his eyes. Smalltooth's groveling manner irritated him, but at the same time he could not help but be flattered a bit. "And who are you if not a warrior? I remember the fight at Dornal's house. You fought, not cowered in fear."
"As if that mattered." The ermine rubbed the fresh pink scar, crossing his muzzle. Fur mostly covered it by now, thanks to Romanbloom's neat stitches, but it remained visible.
"Only ancestors know who might have died if the beast who left you this mark hadn't been busy. And, for all the seasons' sake, why is it that every time I hear you, you're whining?"
Smalltooth hesitated, clearly struggling to find a good answer. Finally, when Ewalt turned his attention back to the porridge, he finally spoke. "Well, I guess that's because I'm not as great as you. I'd like to be so strong and brave that even the grave can't hold me, but the only thing I'm good at is staying alive somehow, when others die all around. And I can't even tell how or why."
Ewalt looked at him again. The ermine was really young, as far as he could tell, maybe not even enough seasons behind him to reach the full growth. He remembered a part of Smalltooth's story he overheard on the day they met Flicker, and, against his own will, felt a twinge of pity. Vermin or not, this beast lost everything too, and, unlike Ewalt himself, he clearly was just a babe at the time. So the mouse warrior responded softly, at least by his standards. "Maybe you have that luck Kethra talked about. Maybe fate is keeping you alive for a purpose. But if you would really like to be stronger, not seek reasons why you can't, I think I can help. Show you how to use weapons, at least."
Smalltooth clearly could not believe his ears. "You, Ewalt the Ghost… helping me?"
"Yes. Or do you think I'm a beast who speaks empty words? Maybe you'd come of more use to us if you know more about fighting than sticking beasts with the pointy end." Ewalt turned his attention back to the food. "Now, think on it and be silent for a minute, all this talk makes me even hungrier."
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When in a dark mood, which was most of the time, Sovna could often be found in one of Salamandastron's training halls. Perhaps that explained her fencing skill better than natural talent. And this day Aldwin and Bascinette found her there, belaboring a straw dummy with a mock wooden rapier so viciously that it was about to disintegrate.
"Nice to see such a diligent hare for a change – the first day at home, and already preparin' for a new bloomin' battle. Good jolly mornin', Private."
"Good morning, Captain." Sovna didn't know what else to say.
"Mind a bit of sparrin', Private? I need to loosen up." The captain walked up to a rack of wooden swords, picked one, twirled it expertly in his paw.
"Captain," Bascinette objected, "it's not the time for this."
"Oh, shush. This won't take long. Not like I'm great at blinkin' fencin'. So, what do you say, Private Sovna?"
Sovna eyed the captain suspiciously. Was this a test? Why now, of all times? Regardless, this time the answer was obvious. "As you command, sah."
Indeed, this didn't take long. Before Bascinette could count to hundred, Sovna's rapier flew out of her paw and clacked against stone floor thrice. The lieutenant didn't like the younger haremaid expression at all, not sure if she was on the verge of tears or mad rage, the way she bit her lip bloody. Aldwin, however, didn't seem to notice that, or maybe he did not mind.
"Tsk, tsk." He tapped the wooden blade against the palm of his left paw. "What's up with you? Why so leaden?"
Sovna just hissed, inhaling sharply and went to retrieve her weapon.
"I know you can do better than that, oh pretty Private, else how did you live through real flippin' fights? I thought you disliked me pretty badly, and now when you have a chance to jolly well beat dust out of me, you're getting' all stiff?"
"You knew I…" Sovna's surprise overwhelmed her sense, but this time she caught herself halfway. "That I dislike you?"
"Weeeell, do you think I'm daft, and blind too? Is there anybeast in the Mountain you like? The thorns stuck under your pretty tail must be pretty bloomin' big, even for a daughter of a farmer hare who survived our cadet barrack." Sovna just clenched her jaws, and stood very straight, as the captain continued to speak. "And honestly, what private would like his captain after bein' sentenced to a couple moons of scrubbin' bloomin' pots? Anyway, now is your chance, Private. Your rapier technique holds an edge when neither of us wears armor, so why don't you try to remember how you felt in real battle, and bally well work all of this anger out on me, if you can, wot?"
"Captain Aldwin…" This time Bascinette sounded really worried, but Aldwin just raised his paw in a warning gesture and she fell silent.
"So, what do you say?"
As an answer, Sovna spend some moments breathing deeply then raised her wooden rapier and assumed a fencing stance.
"Good." Aldwin smiled, and this time his smile did not look wicked at all. Then he followed suit.
Wooden blades clanged again, and, much to Lieutenant Bascinette's wonder, Aldwin quickly found himself on the defensive. Sovna no longer moved as if trying to think about every thrust of her wooden rapier. In size and stature the fighters were close to equal, with Aldwin being only slightly bigger and taller – for a second Bascinette even thought that now, when both of the hares wore the same expression of concentration, as they circled, lunged, feinted, attacked and parried, they seemed quite alike. Yet after half a minute the captain was driven back – step after step, Sovna pressing on, her wooden blade shooting out like an attacking viper. It was Bascinette's turn to chew on her lip in frustration as she realized that it was not the matter of skills honed for a different armament – Aldwin was holding back much of his strength, swinging the wooden sword just hard enough to bruise, not to break bones, and this gave an edge to Sovna, who attacked as if she indeed was fighting a mortal foe. The lieutenant wanted to shout and stop the fight, but she knew her captain too well for that.
Then she almost cried out as the wooden rapier lashed at reeling Aldwin's head, straight at the eye. But before Bascinette opened her mouth, Aldwin's left paw shot upward, blocking the blow, just as his right made a quick trust, and not a second later Sovna fell on her butt, backing away reflexively from the hard swordpoint at her throat. Aldwin only indicated a contact. Had he been serious, even a wooden sword would have crushed the younger hare's windpipe. The same could not be said of Sovna, her weapon smacked into Aldwin's forepaw quite audibly.
"Owch." The captain shook the hurt limb. "Pretty good, gal."
"What's good about almost taking your eye!" Bascinette looked at them furiously.
"What's bad about one of my Gallopers being almost good enough for that?"
"Wait." Sovna, still sitting on the floor, even forgot about getting angry again for a moment. "You're not going to kick me out?"
"Why should I?" Aldwin grimaced as he tried to flex his hurt left paw. "Oh sure, you do have a teensy little bit of attitude problem, which, alas, is not fixin' itself as I blinkin' hoped. But so bally what? Don't you know, once upon a time Sparth was a bully, Tesak was an outlaw, Espadron was a madbeast, and our beauty Bascinette here… oh, she might tell you what she was herself, if you ask real nice. I'm a ragin' headcase too, if you only believe Brigadier Greyfield."
The captain extended his right paw to help Sovna rise. "Yet all of us got along bally well, if I say so myself, and so would you, if you only try."
Sovna wavered, tried to bite her lower lip, discovered that is already bitten bloody, and pulled a face. "But why me? Why are you trying for me? Me, of all the hares?"
Aldwin shook his head in overdone exasperation. "Because you're a Patroller. A fellow warrior. Since flippin' when this is not enough?"
Bascinette could swear that Sovna's eyes glistened when she took the offered paw, hesitantly as if afraid of getting burned. But she was far from pointing that out – instead she pointed out a wholly different thing. "That's the spirit, Captain – but ain't now the time to remember that we're in a hurry?"
"To where?" Sovna asked. "If I may ask, Captain."
"Why, to the party celebratin' our return, and you joinin' our merry ranks too, gal. As we say, there are four things that turn a hare from a whippersnapper cadet into a real bally Patroller. You've survived slayin' your first foe and your first wound all right, methinks it's high time for your first binge!"
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Imbibing copious quantities of alcohol during the day did not prevent Aldwin from looking sharp in the evening, when he witnessed the seven travelers hearing the badger lady's plan. Drinking enough to lay low a couple of lesser hares just made him somewhat giddy. That was no problem, as Violet handled the whole conversation herself.
"So for now I cannot promise to give you an army," she explained, "but I advise you to wait a while and stay under my protection until messengers can be sent and the situation ascertained. If Heddin Wintersky recovers, apologies and gifts should be enough to placate the northern otters. Then the best part of my force would be available for an expedition to Ergaph."
Lady Violet sighed. "If not, I still loath to leave you – and, as I truly believe, our old if distant friends at Southsward – without help. I cannot spare you an army, but I can spare a small force of brave and loyal hares, like the Gallopers under Captain Aldwin here."
"Ever glad to serve!" Aldwin bowed with a flourish, and almost lost his balance. All the ale was getting to his head, after all.
Violet continued. "Even less than a score of beasts can do much, if they are real warriors. Not enough to win a war by themselves, but enough to turn the course of a war. I cannot command you, but if the Gallopers would be extent of my help, I believe you should go to Southsward. Warn them, if my scant bird friends fail, and help them. The seas around Southsward are infamously treacherous; I don't believe we can find a ship and a captain capable of using the only remotely safe fairway to the coast. But the fastest and safest way to reach that land is still to travel as far down the coast by ship, as sea and weather permit, only then march on paw. Moreover, as you all should know, journeying in winter is dangerous. All the more reasons for you to remain in the Mountain until spring clears ice from the coast and the harbor."
"And will we remain here as unarmed prisoners?" Kethra asked. She shrank when Violet looked at her, but still refused to lower her eyes.
"That would be for the everybeast's benefit, Kethra." The badger lady spoke patiently. "There are over tenscore warrior hares in the Mountain. I can bet all of my books that nearly all of them suspect you of double-dealing, and half would seek an excuse to draw steel against you. But only the most dishonorable beast would stoop to murdering an unarmed guest, and my Patrollers are better than that."
"Lady Ruler is right." Rowanbloom added. "Come on, Kethra. You're not prisoners if you can leave anytime, don't be so stubborn."
"Can we at least have something to train with, practice before the battle to come, you know?" Suran sounded half-convinced.
Violet swiftly evaluated the idea. "Aldwin would see if you need real weapons for that and he or his hares would watch your practice. Is that fine with you?"
The vermin looked at each other. Then Kethra turned back to Violet sighed and nodded. "For the lack of a good choice, pick the less bad one… We will stay as your bloody guests for now."