Avarice Secret Unquiet CH 32

Keeping her Vow

Aran woke with a sudden start, his senses coming from an almost comforting, muted dullness into screaming reality. He was bound tightly with rawhide strips, his arms pulled behind him and tied at the wrists to the far side of a stout tree. He flexed his shoulders and biceps, powerfully built as he was he could not break his bonds. He figured it to be just before dawn, the fire had burnt down to smoldering gray ash with the vaguest stirring of faint orange within when the wind blew, easily rekindled, just like his anger at his predicament. The golden warrior realized then through his fury that Aurianne had made a mistake in trying to secure him. By binding him to the tree she must release him if they were to leave, and then he would retaliate. All he had to do was wait.

He could see the other two men sleeping peacefully. Aurianne though was already up, sitting still, almost as though she were a beautiful statue of Artemis. Her bow was already slung over her shoulder, and her quiver of raven's feathered arrows at her back. Aran stared at her for long moments, he was unsure if she was aware if he was awake. How did this happen? The events of last evening made no sense to him. Now he was a captive, and the tables were turned.

"We will ride to your people today," she said softly, and without malice. Not once looking in his direction, but rather to the point where the sun must shortly rise. "You will show us the way. When we get there I will free you, and you can go to greet them. We will wait, and from there we shall negotiate for my clansman's freedom."

Aran could not believe this stunning woman was dictating the terms to him, just like the diminutive Dahlia had. It irked him, but currently he had little choice but to listen. He however, did not reply. After last night all bets were off.

As the first light began to break the horizon the others woke, they quietly got ready to leave. The horses were brought and saddled. Aurianne walked over to Aran, curiously she had a stout log in her hand. "Time to come," she said. Before he had quite realized it Aran felt a sharp pain to his head and nothing more.

*****

He woke abruptly as he felt cold water wash over him poured from a canteen. He spat and coughed, and his head mightily hurt. The world was upside down, no wait, he was tied to a horse! His hands and ankles were bound beneath the beast's belly, exactly as he had done to Aurianne many months before. Aran silently fumed and steeled himself for the uncomfortable journey ahead. Fortunately, he knew it was not far.

Reluctantly he guided them north, he tried not to think of his simmering anger, but of his brother and how good it would be to see him again. Then to show Bennett that he had succeeded with the impossible. He would take Maya back from Gareth, and he could resume his rightful place within the clan, and Aurianne? Well he was not quite so sure what he would do with her yet.

As they got closer Aurianne no longer needed her reluctant guide, she knew that just over the horizon the secret valley lay. She halted her horse, and swung out of the saddle, walking over to her prisoner. "Now we are going to let you go," she said. "You will be free to go to your people. We will wait here." The redhead stood with her bow trained on Aran, her eyes hard, as Jhary cut his bonds. The large man slid from the horse onto numb feet, rubbing his wrists to retrieve his circulation. He said nothing, but turned from the group and headed north on foot alone. The trio watched him depart.

"What do we do now?" Jhary asked.

"We wait, and take cover, and we remain vigilant. It is very likely he will bring all the members of his clan, and we may have to fight our way out of here."

*****

Aran jogged toward his home despite the headache that jolted in his skull with every stride he took. As he drew closer to the entrance to the valley, he noted that only one of the heavy ox carts remained, and he wondered if the warriors had burned the other one in desperate need of firewood. The unusual winter had been long and harsh, and the trees here were very few.

He made the steep, descending pathway, noting there was no one designated to the watch. Unusual, he thought, so he paused at the top to cast his gaze down into the valley. Everything below still appeared much the same as when he had left it. A few black and white goats leaped playfully between the rocky crags below. He could see a small plume of smoke, presumably coming from a cooking fire. The garden looked as though it had not been planted, or perhaps it was planted very late, the furrows still just reddish soil. It was quiet though, too quiet.

He began his descent, he belonged here, but something told him he should proceed quietly and not attract undue attention.

*****

Sven had felt much better in recent weeks. He hurt less and had regained most of the movement in his arm, and along with that, he felt more purposeful. He found he enjoyed not having to mentally spar with the other warriors, who had no longer looked at him as a valuable member of the clan. Especially the specter of Wezley Bennett, dangerously looming over him, holding him hostage against his family's welfare. At night he slept more restfully, at least when he didn't have the recurring nightmares that had refused to leave him since his mutilation at the hands of Victor Krosse. However, he could not complain, he was very much alive, and finally King of all he surveyed. On this warm morning, he sat dozing in the sun, the early but successful hunt had wearied his still-healing body.

He opened his gray eyes suddenly sensing he was not alone, automatically reaching for the firearm that always lay close by his side. He saw before him a pair of large, dusty well-worn boots, strong legs covered in hide leggings, and a broad, bare-chested physique he would have known anywhere.

"Is that how you greet your little brother?" Aran jested playfully.

"Brother!" Sven cried out incredulously. Forgetting the weapon, and at once pulling himself upright to gaze upon the face that he thought he would never see again. His little brother was different, harder, the last traces of that lingering boyishness had left his handsome face, to be replaced with a grown man, and all the burdens that went with it.

The two men embraced. Aran was silent, but his mind was racing full of questions. Where were the others, why was Sven here alone? Something told him much had transpired during his long absence. "It's good to see you brother," Aran heartily meant it. Crushing Sven to him.

"You too, I'd given you up for dead." The gruff, hard man was almost crying.

"So where are the others, on a raid?" Aran dared to finally ask.

Sven looked back at Aran, his face a mask of seriousness and pain. "No... they have gone... for good."

"Where? Not the fortress."

Sven nodded it was an easy deduction as to where Wezley Bennett's goals lie, adding. "It's a long story bro."

"I've got time." Aran pat his brother on his upper arm playfully. Turning about to see Raissa, robust infant perched on her hip, and Lucy, standing at a respectful distance. He glanced at them and then back at Sven. "Where is Maya, and what happened to you?" Gesturing to the ugly red weal of a healing scar on Sven's shoulder.

"There's a lot to tell little brother," Sven said affectionately. "Woman, bring us food."

However, instead of sitting, Aran halted him, "before we do I am with others."

"Others... like who?" The triumphant look on Aran's face made Sven pause.

"I found her!" The younger man announced exultantly.

Sven smirked, "well I'll be damned! Well, where is she, she attacked us frequently, killed Sean, injured Todd, and Bennett's weak ass slave. We thought he'd die, but like the sewer rat he was, he survived."

Aran nodded, he was unsurprised at this news, "they are up top waiting, take your weapon and let's go and meet them."

*****

The trio who had secreted themselves fearing attack, had waited for what felt like an indeterminately long time. Finally, their eyes were drawn to the two brothers approaching beneath the point of their cover.

"You didn't tell me he had family." Jhary whispered. "They are so alike, and he's armed."

"I have to go meet them," Aurianne said resignedly. "You two stay hidden until we know it's safe. If something goes wrong, leave."

Kario was silent, but his eyes never left the pair of approaching men.

"But I can't..." Jhary protested.

"No arguing, it's me who got you into this, now stay hidden!"

With that Aurianne broke from her cover, and proceeded to walk down the slope. She was very much afraid, she really had no idea what it was she was walking into. All she thought about to steady herself was. I will make good on my vow to Darius soon.

She stood in front of the two muscular brothers, who were only a couple of inches taller than she was, determined she would not show them her fear. "I come for my clansman," she said, doing her best to control her voice. She noted Aran was now also armed with a short sword tucked into his belt. The weapon was of poor quality, but Aurianne had no doubt in his hands it would still pose significant danger. She was bolstered though to see neither man had drawn their weapons. Perhaps this transaction could be peaceable after all.

"Your clansman is no longer here." Sven answered.

Aurianne reeled in shock at this unexpected announcement. Momentarily she was at a loss for words. What did that mean? Was he dead? A chill washed over her that was not from the cool breeze. She could not bear to lose the last connection to her people. She recovered herself quickly. "Then where is he? She dared ask, fearing the answer.

"He escaped, and ran to the farmlands presumably, with some others at the end of last winter."

The redhead was surprised to hear that there was any arable farmland in this vicinity, and relieved to know that Darius was at least no longer held captive here.

"Oh." Was all she said, with an inflection of surprise and disappointment. Such a small word to be the finish of such a large pledge. Aurianne felt let down. All these months she had readied herself for this moment, and it was not to be. There would be no daring rescue or vicious fight. Though she was extremely happy her clansman had found the means to escape. "Well, I guess then I and my companions will head back south."

"Why don't you rest first pretty lady?" Sven encouraged. "The men you had your quarrel with are long gone from this place."

She was not sure if the man was being level with her or not, he seemed to be. Now Aurianne was confused, was he saying there were no enemy here at all? She looked at Aran wanting him to further quantify.

Aran's face lit up with a wolfish grin. "It's true, they are all gone, and they are not coming back. So I have no one to show you to, except of course my big brother." He chuckled, something he rarely did.

The brother's emotion seemed genuine, but Aurianne was not convinced that this was not some kind of a trap. Perhaps they sought to lure her into the camp where she and her companions would be ambushed. She wanted badly to decline, but if she never set foot in the valley, how could she be really sure that they were not just telling her a lie?

"Very well," she said loudly so her companions could hear, "but only I shall go. My companions will stay here until I can be sure that the situation is as you describe."

Sven shrugged. "If that makes you comfortable." The big man turned to lead the way.