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Double-cross
By Curtis M. Eckerman
Gildas ran as if his life depended on it. It did.
Thorns tore at his clothes and flesh and the underbrush whipped
at his legs slowing down his running. Several times he almost
found himself face-first in the dirt. He was trying to make it
to the road. There was a good chance that making it to the road
would not save his life but in his panic he could only think of
getting someplace where there might be someone that could help
him.
He tried to run as quietly as his panic would let him. A lot of
screaming and yelling would only guide his pursuers right to him.
He had been running for sometime now but every time he thought
he had lost them, sounds in the brush, whether real or imagined,
caused him to continue. He thought it slightly bizarre that he
was able to think of his mule. What had they done to her? What
about his merchandise? It was going to take a long time to make
up for his loss, assuming he lived himself. What was he going
to tell Carannog? and why didn't Carannog warn him? He was definitely
going to have a few words with him if he ever saw him again.
He began to slow down. Surely they would have run him down if
they were still after him. Plus he was getting tired as he started
to calm down and realized the aches in his body and lungs. He
was sure that he was getting close to the road. He might live
after all. He turned his head to look behind him and relaxed a
little when he didn't notice anything or anyone behind him. Suddenly
he felt a blunt pain against his temple. As he lost consciousness
he realized what had happened, he had run into a low tree limb.
Egon couldn't help but laugh at the trapper that lay unconscious
only about 100 meters from the road clearing. "I know it's not
funny but I can't help it. He sure was scared."
Egon's twin brother, Edan, came over to look at the man. "He will
be alright. It will sting for awhile but he will live tell about
it. He must be new to these woods. I'm betting he had no idea
about the stories of what roams these woods."
Egon was still laughing softly, "He will have some story to tell."
"Well you go get his mule and I will get him to the road and then
we can watch to make sure he gets into the city okay."
Egon's mood took a turn at the thought of having to track down
the mule. "What do I do with the hides?"
Neither Egon or Edan much cared for trappers but they also knew
that they also depended on the forest for their living. Besides,
it appeared that this trapper was only after small game that could
be used in making boots and other items of clothing.
"Nothing. I am sure that he won't be back in these woods anytime
soon. Make sure that they are all there."
Gildas awoke with a start. Kneeling over him was a young man.
He tried to rise but the pain in his head immediately made him
dizzy and he lay back down.
"If you are going to kill me, make it quick."
The young man seemed to be looking Gildas over. He had a kind
face. "You do not need to worry about that. I am not in the business
of killing."
"What are you in the business of?"
"Be still while I check your wounds."
"It is nothing that an ale cannot cure."
"You seem to be okay. A few scratches here and there but the wound
on your head should be looked after. Give me a moment."
The young man took out a staff. He seemed to handle it with a
shaky confidence and treated it with reverence. He closed his
eyes as he placed one hand on Gildas and gripped the staff tightly
in the other. Gildas felt the pain in his head leave him.
"How did you do that?" Gildas tried to rise only to feel that
despite the absence of pain he was still very weak and tired.
"I am not exactly sure but it is the doing of this staff."
"Where did you get it?"
The traveler acted a little elusive. "I travel a lot and found
this recently during a quest for knowledge."
Trying to turn the conversation, the traveler began to question
Gildas. "What happened to you? Why are you out here?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you and I am not so sure anymore
why I am out here. I thought I was out here to trap a couple of
troublesome wolves that had been causing local trouble with a
few sheep farmers but I have become recently aware that I may
have been misled on that point." Gildad paused. "What is your
name?"
"I am Ioan of the Grange."
"Well, Ioan, I thank you for your help. I am Gildas. To tell you
the truth I am just glad to see anyone. I thought I was a goner
back there."
Ioan helped Gildas sit up. "What did you see?"
"I told you that you wouldn't believe me."
"You would be surprised at what I would believe."
"Well I have been trapping in these woods for the last couple
of days trying to trap the wolves I mentioned before. I was also
trapping rabbits and other animals for their fur to sell at the
market for extra profit. This morning I was scouting out a couple
of animal trails along a streambed that cut across the road up
ahead. I had worked my way down the streambed slowly because once
I started I felt like I was being watched. I didn't make much
of it because there were no signs of any large animals. I stopped
about mid afternoon for a little rest and then it happened. My
mule..." Gildas suddenly remembered his mule. "Where is my mule?"
He looked around and saw her grazing about 20 meters away. He
quickly got up despite his lack of strength and headed over to
her.
"Llewyn, you made it. I thought for sure you would be their lunch."
He checked his mule for injuries. Satisfied that the mule was
okay, he checked the packs and hides strapped on to Llewyn. "It
seems to all be here. I can't believe it."
Ioan followed Gildas. "So what happened?"
Gildas continued checking over his mule. "Well Llewyn here started
to get nervous and the she went crazy. I tried to calm her down
but she would have none of it and she started to run back up the
streambed. I have to tell you that at that moment I was pretty
scared. Llewyn here doesn't get spooked like that unless there
is a good reason."
"What did you do?"
"I didn't have time to do anything. I turned to see what it was
that was spooking Llewyn and there were two large wolves coming
right at me. When I say large I am not talking about just an oversized
wolves but unnaturally large wolves. They stood almost as tall
on four legs as I do on two. When I saw them I turned to run.
I have trapped a lot of wolves in my time but when you see a pair
of wolves that size and coming at you full speed, you just run."
"Surely you couldn't outrun them", Ioan interrupted.
"Well I am not much of a climber and I wasn't going to stand there
and take a mouthful of teeth at the throat. Besides the wolves
were only part of the problem. When I turned around to run I saw
another creature that was nearly upon me." Gildas shuddered as
he recalled the strange vision. "It was like no other creature
I have ever seen. It was similar to a man but it had feathers
and fur. It was bigger than me but it moved awkwardly. It is hard
for me to describe it in detail because I only looked at it for
a moment before I changed directions and continued running." Gldas
paused, "At the time I thought that all three of the creatures
were working together. It is only now after I think about it that
I recall what sounded like a fight between the wolves and that
creature."
Ioan didn't say anything. He had a feeling he knew what it was
that Gildas saw although he was unsure about the wolves.
"The rest of what happened is a blur and uninteresting. I ran
as fast as I could and ended up knocking myself out on a tree
limb."
"How did you get out here by the road?"
Gildas thought about it a moment. "I have no idea. I had assumed
up until now that it was you that drug me out here."
"No, it was not I. Where you awoke is where I found you."
This bothered Gildas but knew that an explanation for it was not
likely to be forthcoming.
"So now I must go back to York and find some answers. Are you
traveling to York?"
"Oh no, I am afraid that I must be headed back to my home to take
care of some urgent business."
"It's not safe out here."
"That is a chance I will have to take."
"Then I wish you well on your travels."
"And may the gods see you safely to York, Gildas."
Ioan departed to continue southward. Gildas decided that he seemed
to walk a little quicker than he probably was before. No doubt
from the story of what Gildas saw. Gildas prepared his mule and
departed hastily to the north himself.
Edan watched from the edge of the clearing as the two travelers
parted. He was hoping that they would travel back to York together
but it didn't matter much. The immediate threat to them was over.
The creature that Gildas spoke of was dead. It would be nightfall
soon but the trapper should have enough time to make it to York.
Gildas did not want to wait until tomorrow. It was getting late
but he was pretty sure that he could find Carannog at the Golden
Ram. After securing his mule he headed for the tavern.
Carannog sat at his usual table. He was supposed to meet with
Dulais tonight to discuss terms of payment in exchange for information
on imported jewelry. He was the middle man.
His bosses were whoever could pay. He had become well known as
someone with connections and someone to go to if you needed work.
Being the middle man was sometimes dangerous but he was usually
able to separate himself from any ill will directed at those who
hired him. Not being associated with any one organization allowed
him some flexibility which suited him and many of his employers.
He drank his ale slowly, careful not to cloud his own judgement,
which could be disastrous in his profession. He looked up from
his cup to see Gildas walk in. He looked upset, so Carannog made
some small adjustments in his clothing to make sue that he would
be ready for any assault. Gildas came straight over.
Gildas' face was red. "What were you trying to do to me? Why didn't
you tell me what I was after?"
Carannog knew that he needed to calm him down quickly. "Please
sit. Join me in drink."
"Not until I get an explanation. It's not very good business to
send someone to a slaughter."
Carannog was working hard to control his rising temper. "Please
keep your voice down. Now if you would be so kind, let's talk."
Gildas thought it over a moment and then quickly took a seat.
"Those wolves were huge and you didn't say anything bout that
other creature traveling with them."
Carannog looked thoughtful, "I must apologize for not presenting
you with all of the facts. I had heard of stories regarding the
size of those wolves but to tell you the truth, I had dismissed
them as the ranting of distraught farmers. As for the other creature
you are referring to, I know nothing of that. I have heard of
rumors that strange creatures roam the countryside but if those
rumors are true than I doubt that those wolves would be traveling
with such a thing."
Gildas was quiet because he had thought of that before and had
to admit that it made sense. If those wolves and that creature
were working together then there is no way he would be sitting
there now.
"Well, you sent a hunter to do what is clearly a warrior's job,
maybe even two or three of them." He paused briefly before adding,
"And I want my money."
"I cannot give away money for nothing, especially when the status
of the job remains unchanged."
"Then I want at least half of it for providing you information
on them. I am lucky to be alive and as a consequence you are lucky
to have any information at all."
Carannog was willing to pay the woodsman for this information
but certainly did not want to pay him that much. If he were to
pay out that much, then anyone that left a job undone could demand
pay. However, his employer had instructed him to pay for any information
and it was now clear that sending this man out to trap those wolves
was suicide. He had an idea of how to resolve this. "I'll tell
you what, I will pay you half of the gold I promised you plus
another sum of money if you were to complete another job that
would prove to be well within your capabilities."
"What is the job?"
"A band of thieves have taken to the woods and have eluded the
local authority. Let's just say that my employer has a personal
interest in finding these people to retrieve a few items. All
you have to do is locate their camp, nothing more."
It certainly sounded easy enough. He knew there would be risks
but this time it would be a risk that he was aware of. "How much
are you offering for the job?"
"200 silver."
It was certainly a lot of money for a tracking job. "What is it
you are not telling me?"
"As you might have guessed, others have been sent before you on
a similar errand and did not return. The thieves' skills seem
to be unmatched in the woods but up until now I have not had the
opportunity to send someone that is as skilled as you." Carannog
knew that that last part would get him. It was true that the others
before Gildas were not very qualified but it certainly didn't
hurt to play on a man's pride to get him to do what you wanted.
The fact was that this particular employer offered four times
the amount for this information. If Carannog were to ever secure
that information himself then he would profit greatly.
The look on Gilda's face changed from anger to confidence. "I
need some of that now for supplies."
"I can only give you 30 silver now. Any more than that and I run
the risk of you not coming back."
Before Gildas really had time to really understand it, he was
employed again by the very person he had been ready to kill a
short moment ago. He collected his money and was ready to leave
before remembering to ask, "Where do I start looking?"
"They were last seen in the north woods. That's all I know."
"Thank you." Gildas turned and left the tavern. He had a lot to
do.
He bent down to feel the dirt. He took a bit of it and brought
it to his nose and sniffed it then tasted it. He threw it down
in disgust. He had been out here now for over two weeks and the
only thing he had to show for it was a couple of cold trails and
several dead ends.
"Well Llewyn this is getting us nowhere. I am beginning to think
there is nothing out here." The mule's tail twitched in response.
He had found several wolf tracks and they were large enough to
be the ones he ran into before but so far he had not run into
them. After five days out here he was hoping that they would show
up so that he wouldn't feel so bored and lonely. There were a
couple of exciting moments when he found some human tracks but
they disappeared shortly altogether. There was no point in letting
the mystery of the disappearing tracks get to him. Instead he
searched the area thoroughly and came up with nothing. That was
four days ago.
He was now standing on what looked like an animal trail used by
deer and other animals. A couple of odd shaped tracks prompted
him to check the dirt for signs of recent use. He was squatting,
looking at nothing in particular in the distance as he thought
about what to do next. Just then Llewyn stomped her hoof and snorted.
This surprised Gildas and he stood up. Llewyn was trained for
silence and normally that was not a problem, so any noise she
made was a surprise. "What is it girl?" The mule now showed signs
of outright nervousness. Gildas' own alarm caused him to grab
his dagger and take cover against a tree. Just then Llewyn snorted
loudly and started to run off.
Eventually, the sound of blood pumping through his ears subsided
and he could hear movement nearby. His position in the underbrush
would keep him hidden but surely the noise of his mule running
away would draw attention. He controlled his breathing and held
his dagger tightly. His crouch would allow a surprise attack or
an advantage in a food race.
His legs were getting tired from crouching but the low sound of
movement grew closer. He also started to hear a low growling noise
that seem to rise and fall with the heavy breathing of whatever
it was. Then more suddenly than he expected the creature came
into view. The creature was short and looked powerfully built.
He couldn't even begin to describe what animal elements seemed
to be involved but there was a distinct human quality in this
creature. It was sniffing the air and was making its way right
towards him. It was getting closer and seemed to be zeroing in
on the bushes that he was hiding in at the base of the tree. Gildas
was ready to attack. It looked like he would have no choice.
The beast reached out to pull the branches apart. Gildas was waiting
for that moment of recognition in the beast when he saw him. His
legged muscles twitched. He held his breath.
Out of nowhere, two large furry beasts jumped over the bushes
he was in and landed on the creature. The creature growled in
anger as it dodged to avoid the full impact of two massive wolves
coming down on him. He was only partially successful. Before the
creature had much of a chance to react, the wolves had regained
their feet and were at its throat. They didn't allow him to get
up. It lashed out at one of the wolves and caught it on the shoulder
with its sharp claws. The wolf hurtled through the air before
landing on its side in some bushes. The other ended the struggle
quickly by tearing out the monster's throat. The strange beast
struggled for a little bit before its own loss of blood silenced
it. Gildas didn't dare move mostly because he couldn't even if
he wanted to. The victorious wolf walked away in the direction
of the wounded one.
"Damn, it's been a long time since that happened."
The voice startled Gildas but gave him immediate hope for help.
He stood up hurriedly finding his legs stiff from the tension.
"Is someone out there? Please help me!", he shouted. He stood
quickly enough to see the other wolf change rapidly into a human.
Gildas stared in disbelief and horror as the man turned to him.
"It is over. Come help me with my brother." Gildas did not move.
"Have you never heard of shapeshifters? Now snap out of it and
help me with my brother." Gildas now moved toward the man in a
daze.
When Gildas reached the bushes he saw another man who was identical
to the one standing before him except for the claw marks on the
shoulder of the one on the ground. "How badly are you hurt, Egon?",
the unhurt one said.
"I've had better days but I will live. That thing caught me off
guard with those claws. It's partly my fault, he looked smaller
than he was."
Finally Gildas found his own voice. "Wh-who are you? What are
you? What is going on?" He started to get frustrated which turned
to anger.
"I am Edan and the careless one here is Egon. Now calm down, we
just saved your life. You should show a little more gratitude."
Egon looked up, "Nice to meet you." He smiled as he struggled
to get up.
Gildas was flabbergasted. "Why did you help me? You were the ones
that were trying to kill me several weeks ago in the north woods."
"That's some gratitude for you", Egon said as he looked at his
wounds. "Do you really think that you would have gotten away if
we were out to kill you?"
Gildas said nothing.
Edan was busy helping his brother dress his wounds but when he
finished he turned to Gildas. "The real question is 'Why are you
here?'. We have been following you for days and you move as if
searching for someone. I would have thought that after your last
encounter with these abominations, you would have stayed out of
the woods for good. You are lucky that you have not run into more
of them."
"You have been following me?"
Egon grimaced but managed to crack a smile. "Pretty amazing, huh?
My brother and I here have been working on our shadowing skills.
It seems to have paid off."
Edan looked firmly at Gildas. "Answer the question. Why are you
here?"
It began to sink into Gildas that these men were not out to harm
him and in fact saved his life, twice. "I have been paid to find
signs of a group of thieves in these woods and inform my employer
of their whereabouts."
"There are no band of thieves out...", Egon began but was cut
off by his brother.
"Who sent you?"
"I was hired by a man named Carannog but he is not the one interested
in the thieves. He just hired me for someone else who wishes to
remain anonymous. I don't know who is the one that is putting
up the money for the job."
Egon was curious at his brother's interruption. "What is wrong
brother?"
"I don't believe that Gildas here was sent to find a group of
thieves. Instead I think he was sent to find Eiala and the others."
"To what end?"
"Think for a moment, Egon, who else is out here besides them?"
"Nobody except maybe a few foolish wanderers", he said while smiling
at Gildas. Pointing at the fallen creature he continued. "Oh there
are a couple of those creatures out here. But we have killed most
of them that have wandered out here."
"Exactly, brother. And so who would want to see us gone from these
woods?"
Egon's eyes widened as the answer made itself clear. "Cryda"
"Yes."
"Who is Cryda?", Gildas interrupted.
Both brothers looked at Gildas incredulously. After a short pause
of disbelief Edan spoke. "You must be new to this land. Cryda
is the cult leader of the goddess Rheda. He is the one directly
responsible for these creatures that resemble both animal and
man. He wants us out of the way because we have created somewhat
of a problem for him and his 'creations'."
Egon continued where his brother left off. "He hasn't been able
to attack us because he doesn't know where we are. So naturally
he would hire someone that is good at finding things in the woods.
He was counting on you finding us or our community and reporting
that location to your middle man so that he could send a large
band to attack a precise target. It was that same tactic that
got our parents killed. I'll have to admit I didn't think that
old Cryda had it in him but I guess I should know by now not to
underestimate him."
Gildas looked a little uncomfortable. "Is Cryda responsible for
your 'condition'?"
"Oh you mean turning into wolves? No, we were born this way. Besides
there is a very big difference between the type of creatures we
are and them."
"So when you talk about Eiala and the others, you mean that they
too can change into wolves?"
"Well not just wolves. Most of the community can transform into
other animal forms. There are a few among them that cannot transform
at all but have accepted this as part of their own life."
"So that is how you stay hidden. You move around a lot and confuse
those that would like to find you by disguising yourselves as
animals."
"It's not exactly 'Disguising ourselves' but that is about the
gist of it."
"And you were responsible for getting me to the road and finding
my mule?"
"Yes, that creature that attacked you then was considerably stronger
than this one but we eventually subdued it. Speaking of your mule,
we should find it before it gets dark. Are you okay to travel,
Egon?"
"He got my shoulder, not my legs," Egon snapped.
"Good then let's go."
After a short time, Gildas was able to locate Llewyn. His thinking
was dulled from the shock of what he saw but eventually his head
started to clear. "Edan, Egon", Gildas called. They came into
view. "I can't go back without any information and I can't lead
them to you after you have saved my life. If I go back with nothing
and if Cryda is who you say he is, then my life won't be worth
spit."
Edan thought for a moment. "Well we are certainly at a disadvantage
here because you now know who and what we are. However, there
is a chance that this may work in our favor. I think first you
should come with us to meet Eiala and the others. I have a plan
but we will need to talk to Eiala first."
Edan and Egon led Gildas to the small community of shapeshifters.
He was welcomed by Eiala and was invited to stay with them for
a few days while they worked out a plan. Gildas found that his
own fear made him uncomfortable in the community but as that subsided
he found the people to be kind, warm and honest, qualities that
he admired in people.
After a couple of days he met with Eiala, Edan, Egon and what
looked like a small council. Eiala started the meeting. "We hope
you have enjoyed your stay here among us, Gildas. I am afraid
that we do not have much to offer in entertainment but then again
we have no time for those luxuries."
Gildas responded, "You and your community have been most gracious
hosts."
Eiala continued. "I'm not much for small talk so I will get right
to the point. We are grateful to you for providing us information
that will help us prepare in the days to come for what's coming.
Please accept a small token of our appreciation." She handed Gildas
a small pouch of coins. Gildas knew this to be a great sacrifice
for them because they had nothing. Without checking the bag he
handed it back.
"I cannot accept this. It is I who should be paying you for your
kindness and for sparing my life not once but twice."
Eiala was pleased. "I see you are a man of honor. Because of your
honesty and help we are prepared to help you in your predicament
with Cryda. We are used to moving a lot but generally lack the
knowledge of Cryda's movements to keep us prepared. If we were
to give you directions as to our whereabouts that you could provide
Cryda then we could be prepared for their coming. This way they
can find our abandoned camp or walk into a trap and all the while
your credibility with this Carannog remains intact. This should
keep them happy, you paid and us prepared."
Gildas smiled. "I will gladly participate in this plan. It sounds
to me that this might be the opportunity you were looking for
to step up your aggression to the priests of Rheda. If they are
responsible for those creatures then I am all for it."
Throughout the evening, Gildas and the shapeshifters worked out
their plans and schedule. By the night's end, all involved were
satisfied at the new effort against the priests that was now being
put in place.
A few nights later Gildas walked into the Golden Ram tavern to
find Carannog in his usual spot. He sat down. "I found them."
"Good, very good. Then you had no trouble with them then?"
"They didn't even know I was there. Curious though, there were
several women and children. What are they doing with thieves?"
"Don't let that fool you. You have done well and now I will pay
you for the wolf information but I must wait to pay you the rest
until your information can be confirmed."
Carannog paid the trapper and secured the location of the 'thieves'.
Carannog was going to profit well from this.
A week later Gildas was summoned back to see Carannog. Once seated
across from the man, Gildas ordered an ale. Carannog pushed a
bag of coins over to Gildas.
"It appears that your information was accurate."
"Did you capture them then?"
"Unfortunately, no. Apparently, a camp was deserted not but a
few hours beforehand. And so as a result of your work before,
my employer is offering a similar sum to you to locate them again."
"It may take awhile. Finding them the first time was not easy
and finding them again may prove to be difficult."
"My employer is a patient man. He awaits your information."
Gildas finished his ale a short time later. The trap was set.
Gildas would continue to provide information to Carannog in exchange
for money but unbeknownst to them the shapeshifters were prepared.
He was going to have to be careful to pull this off but the pay
was worth it.
Carannog watched Gildas sip his ale. His mind was full of thoughts
of the extra silver that he hadn't counted on. As long as Gilda's
information was accurate and Cryda failed to capitalize on the
information then there would continue to be a flow of money across
the table to Gildas and more importantly into his own pockets.
Yes, this was a good arrangement.
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