Windcatcher: Book I of the Stone War Chronicles Read online

  His fingers felt the familiar touch of the sword’s hilt, its leather worn down by the hours and hours of training. The blade was straight, wide near the hilt, and it narrowed into a broad tip at the end. It was rather on the short side, but it was forged sturdy and well balanced. Designed to be handled in speed, the weight of the thick blade gave it extra impact, while the edge guaranteed it would cut through unprotected flesh easily.

  Back home, he had seen some amazing swords being forged with sparkling stones and intricate engravings, none of which you would find on this one. It was not a piece for display, nor a work of art, just a very effective tool, efficiently designed and made for its intended purpose…to cut…and to kill.

  His leather armor complemented the speedy aspect of the sword, providing enough freedom to travel light and to move around quickly, while still offering some protection from attacks. Breastplate, shoulder pads and protection for both upper and lower parts of each arm were present. A number of leather flaps around the waist and pads on the upper leg gave freedom of movement while protecting vital blood vessels in the legs. The feet were protected by a pair of high, leather boots. They were flexible and improved his footing, but they provided little protection from the cold weather if they were soaking wet…as was the case now.

  Although very familiar with the sword, Raylan disliked using it. He preferred to avoid confrontation rather than to seek it out. In fact, he would rather not be there at all, in the rain and the cold. Unfortunately, he had been one of the best sword fighters during training, which made him of interest to the high commander. In the end, it earned him a spot on this special reconnaissance squad—a group under command of his older brother, Gavin—to make matters worse.

  His heart raced as he shifted his weight nervously. It would be his first real combat experience, something he did not look forward to. There was little choice though, as not participating in the attack would have severe consequences and might even brand him a deserter—or worse, a traitor. Of course, it was exciting, in a way; it was not that he was scared, he told himself, and he loved to travel…to see the world, but why did they have to drag him to this cold and dark land?

  He sighed and located his brother. Gavin crouched on higher ground about ninety feet from Raylan’s position. As their leader, his brother chose his position wisely. The high spot allowed him to check up on the enemy camp they were approaching. They all waited for the right moment to spring into action.

  While he stretched his fingers, Raylan wondered what Gavin was waiting for. The cold, night air made his fingers go numb; he had to make sure they would not lose their grip on his sword when it was needed the most. His fur coat would have been a welcomed layer of warmth against the freezing night; but the coat was too bulky for combat, as they needed stealth and speed for the surprise attack…so he was ordered to leave it behind. The only clothes keeping him warm now, was a thin fabric with his armor on top of that.

  As Raylan considered his older brother, he felt a mixture of annoyance and pride. Growing up, they had not always seen eye to eye on things; but Gavin was an exceptional squad leader, making well-weighted decisions in the field and avoiding unnecessary risks. Gavin, being three years older than Raylan, joined the armed forces years before him, at the age of sixteen. It was a career choice for Gavin to serve, aiming to join the royal honor guard of the king. That was eight years ago, but circumstances were very different now.

  Aeterra, also called the midlands, covered a big part of the central continent. Its western territory border started at the oceanic waters of the Great Western Divide, then spanned across the continent until it reached the waters of the equally impressive Great Eastern Divide. It could easily take a horse at full speed three to four weeks to travel from coast to coast, but it would have to travel from first light till sundown. Freight wagons or caravans, on the other hand, took months.

  Communications in such large regions was always a challenge. Over the decades, the kingdom created an extensive network of special inns where messengers replaced tired horses with well-rested ones. But the most important messages were either sent by pigeons or via a special breed of raven or falcon.

  There were about two dozen medium-to-large cities spread across the kingdom and thousands of smaller settlements, strongholds and villages scattered in between those large nerve centers. The main capital, Shid'el, was amongst the oldest of the larger cities, and was situated a week’s travel from the western coast toward the center of the kingdom. It was there that both brothers grew up.

  Sons of a blacksmith and his wife, they lost their mother at a young age. Raylan barely remembered his mother during the day, but sometimes her face floated up from memories held deep down in a hot summer night's dream. He was grateful for those moments, but at the same time, he had difficulties shaking the feeling of loss and deep sadness when he woke up.

  Being older when it happened, Gavin took the death of their mother much harder. It resulted in a lot of anger that Gavin could not direct at anything. He was often the center of small trouble. Trying to keep both his sons out of trouble, their father was very strict and made them help out in the workshop daily. It meant both boys got to know tools and weaponry from a very young age, especially since Gavin and Raylan practiced with swords together, in secrecy, when their father went away on a delivery.

  As he grew older, Gavin's anger slowly transformed into a strong urge to protect—he protected his younger brother from bullies, his father from angry customers, even the workshop’s cat from street dogs. The feeling evolved into a sense of duty to protect those things which inspired him and that he loved. Eventually, it was this sense of duty that drove him to protect the stability of his homeland…so he aimed to join the royal guard.

  Lately, Raylan often thought back to those days that he had spent close to his brother, to the many times that his brother had challenged him and both had become so familiar with the sword. Handling a sword had come more natural to Raylan, but Gavin always had the advantage of power, being the oldest. And like most brothers, their swordplay had been fierce, at times…and they both had the scars to prove it.

  Aeterra had been prospering for almost a century now, which was when the last Great War ended. Because of its history, Aeterra’s geographical location was not the only reason it was called the midlands. The center of the kingdom was seen as the place where the Great War ended. It was there that the noble families finally established a truce and began working together. The newly formed great kingdom was able to look outward more, instead of being plagued by internal conflicts. It succeeded in setting up prospering trade agreements with its neighbors for generations to come, agreements which in turn brought the people a very welcome stability on the entire mid-continent, allowing settlements to flourish for decades.

  While Gavin turned his attention toward joining the royal guard, Raylan’s road was very different. For a number of years now, he served on sailing vessels, much to his enjoyment. At the time, he needed to get away from his brother, who was constantly pushing him to join the army as well. But Raylan, who preferred the movement of the sea and the freedom of the wind over being stuck in a workshop in a crowded city doing mundane chores—or being drilled and grounded into a soldier—took off in the middle of the night. And for a few years, he escaped the life he had dreaded so much.

  He left the workshop, traveling down the western mountain road to Naustile, the closest shipping port to Shid’el. To the west of the Aeterran kingdom laid a number of bigger islands groups and, far beyond that, the two large parts of the western continent. Raylan quickly learned its informal name from other sailors—the Broken Tooth continent.

  The northern piece of the Broken Tooth was home to the always mysterious Tiankong Empire. Although they were one of Aeterra's greatest trade partners, the Tiankong Empire actively ward off travelers from their land. They only traded on one of the larger Arosh’ad islands, halfway between the two main continents. Surrounded by a large outer archipelago, it was dead sma
ck in the middle of the Great Western Divide. The many tiny isles had a tropical beauty to them; but, unfortunately, they were also ideal for harboring pirates and other lowlifes preying on the trading vessels.

  Since the Empire was so closed off, little more than rumors were known about their region. Most merchants did not care much for it, as the goods they traded in—like silk, spices and gems—were always of the finest quality. The fear of losing such a valuable trading partner held back most merchants from satisfying their curiosity about the Empire’s mainland.

  Raylan felt his mind soar on the touch of those fond memories of sailing the oceans: manning the sails, learning to use the wind to their advantage, balancing on—and climbing up—the ropes. He enjoyed the physical connection with the ship, while at the same time, he absorbed the feeling of freedom and took on the challenge of mastering the winds. During those years, the wind earned Raylan's respect—as such a powerful but unseen force of nature.

  Once, the ship Raylan served on at that time was caught in an immense storm. He had never seen anything like it before, dark clouds rolled in from both port and starboard sides at a crushing speed. Within moments, the sea turned into a rough landscape of mountains that rose and fell by the will of Mother Nature. Lightning crackled along with the waves, and the thunder crashed so loud it was difficult to understand the first mate screaming at him no more than four yards from where he held a firm grip on the ship's railing.

  They only survived by the wits and experience of their captain. The man steered the ship like a mad pirate. Instead of fighting the waves, he rode them like a dancer moves through a room. It took three and a half days of battling the forces of nature, after which the first rays of sun finally lightened their hearts and gave them their well-deserved rest. They smiled, and then laughed, glad all of the crew survived. And although, unfortunately, most of their precious cargo was lost, the captain did not hesitate to open an extra bottle of rum, or two, to celebrate their victory.

  Raylan looked at his right arm where a memento from the storm ran under his armor. Halfway through the second day, he had tried to secure a sailing rope while he was completely exhausted. The rope had wrapped itself around his lower arm when the boat slammed into an oncoming wave. The impact yanked the rope from his hands, causing it to burn across his skin. He had been lucky not to lose the arm completely. The burn mark had never properly healed and left a scar that flowed around his arm, almost like a snaking whirlwind. It had been his constant reminder to respect and never underestimate the power of the wind.

  Those times now seemed like a lifetime ago. His life at sea changed, when two years ago, rumors started to spread across the kingdom about outposts far into the northern wilderness region losing contact with the kingdom. People whispered that death was creeping in from the eastern land, Doskova.

  The eastern continent was a harsh and wild land. The terrain was filled with dark forests that were home to savage tribes of hunters and scavengers. Not many tried their luck in those lands, even fewer returned. With hearsay and uncertainties, unrest grew. To ease the people’s hearts and minds, the current king of Aeterra, Quinnan the Third, sent out messengers and scouts to confirm any of the rumors, but none returned.

  Upon his last return to port, Raylan was drafted, like many other boys and men. The king, on advice of the council, decided not to take any chances. He rallied an army for an unknown enemy and prepared for a possible attack. The borders were strengthened and the cities were prepared, in case Aeterra needed to defend itself from assault…but the attack never came.

  Slowly, the army was disbanded, and life returned to its normal pace. During that time, Raylan only had a few more weeks of service left in the army, before he could return to his beloved oceans.

  Then, four months ago, a mysterious woman arrived by sea to the king’s court, introducing herself as Xi’Lao, a messenger from the Tiankong Empire. She was on official assignment from the royal court to speak to the king of Aeterra. The briefing went on for half a day behind closed doors; but once done, things moved very quickly.

  The royal family of the Tiankong Empire officially requested aid in tracking down and reclaiming an item of great importance to the Empire. An attack force of unknown origin infiltrated from the northeast, somehow surviving the barren region of the White North, leaving devastation in its wake. While a large force drew the attention of the army, a much smaller force moved quickly and looted one of their most sacred monasteries, claiming the item the Empire now desperately sought to retrieve.

  Little information was provided by Xi’Lao, but the political importance of the request was not wasted on the king and the council. A special reconnaissance squad was formed, consisting of a selection of high quality fighters and trackers. The mission—to find the stolen item and retrieve it. If retrieval was impossible, they were to follow the item and relay as much information as possible about its whereabouts and the force that took it.

  Gavin received the honor of leading the squad. The high commander believed they would need Gavin’s resourcefulness, strategic planning, as well as the respect the men had for him in the command position. Raylan's sword skills landed him a spot in the squad, to which Gavin instantly objected. It was guaranteed to be a very dangerous mission, and he preferred his kid brother stayed home where it was safer. But the high commander said they would need the fighting skill of men he could trust. So who better to have that close than family? Raylan knew a few of his squad mates, but most were more experienced veterans, serving in the army long before the rumors began.

  Their group counted twelve men total, including Raylan and Gavin. Gavin, the squad leader, was responsible for taking command on the assignment. Two men named Ca’lek and Stephen went along for scouting and tracking. Raylan was part of the fighting team alongside Richard, Harwin and Regis. Both Richard and Harwin saw plenty of combat and had the scars to prove it. They were considered veterans with excellent records. Harwin was, by far, the oldest of the group; his extensive experience in battles would be useful in unknown territory. Richard acted as Gavin’s second in command, while Regis was a younger man who excelled with the sword, much like Raylan.

  The heavy hitter of the team was Galen, a gigantic man with a neck as thick as a tree log. Peadar, who was a bit younger than Raylan, went along as the bird handler. Although he was not that great at fighting, he possessed a lot of knowledge about the animals living in this world. Some would say he had a gift for working with them, especially birds. He was responsible for keeping the pigeons healthy so that messages could be sent back on the progress of the mission. Then, there were the archers Kevhin and Rohan, both very skilled and among the best in the army. Having grown up in the northern regions of the kingdom, they could easily hit moving targets three hundred and fifty feet away with scary accuracy, given either a longbow or a crossbow. The final addition to the squad was Xi’Lao, who carried with her the information of the last known location of the armed force, the estimated speed of their travel, as well as the suspected direction of said travels. And, perhaps most importantly, she knew what item they were looking for. Once the item was located and retrieved, Xi’Lao would safeguard it until it was safely delivered back into the hands of the Tiankong Empire.

  Wiping his forehead, Raylan looked to his left and saw Xi’Lao prepare herself for the attack. Her dark brown eyes scanned the many small knives on her belt, while her hands assured none of them would easily drop out or get stuck when needed. Brown eyes suited her well; slightly narrowed, they gave her a sensual look. While her hair was long, black and straight, it almost had a blue shine over it in the moonlight. For the occasion, it was now tightly tied together in a knot. She was quite small and of a slender build. Her movements were uncommonly reserved, she truly had a foreign way about her. Raylan wondered how such a refined woman could be expected to undergo such a dangerous journey and fight beside them during this mission. Her hands, however, seemed to tell a different story. More than once, Raylan was amazed by the speed she
displayed in handling her knives—while preparing the catch of the day, hunting a rabbit, or doing some other small chore.

  He attempted to talk to her during their hastened journey north, trying to find out what this mysterious item was that they were going after. But she provided little information, her answers were always polite but short. She mainly spoke to Gavin, he being the one in command, and even then, only about the pursuit they were giving.

  Raindrops stung in his eyes, his dark brown hair stuck to his head, and he believed there was no piece of dry clothing left on his body. The rain fell for weeks, ever since they crossed the northern border into the wild forests. The clouds only gave way to a tempered sun every couple of days, which was not unusual this far north.

  They used the messenger inns to travel as quickly as possible to Aeterra's most northern stronghold in the woods, Forsiquar. Xi’Lao disappeared during the night. When she returned, she and Gavin spoke at length about their way into the wilderness. They refreshed their horses one last time, before heading out northeast the next morning.

  They slowed their pace to spare the horses, but rode for long hours every day to make sure they could catch up with the armed force they were pursuing. It took them two months since leaving Shid’el to move deep into the northeastern region, while time was moving against them.

  As the squad approached the region of the White North, the weather became colder and the rains more unpleasant. Raylan and the others had heard about the wet northern regions, but the discomfort still took most of the men by surprise. Their fur coats protected them from much of the cold, but often remained soaking wet for days from the constant rain. The harshness of the environment made traveling and tracking very difficult and tiresome.