MovingIntoTheForestIndex | HomePage | GameLogs | HoldfastGameLogs | Moving into the Forest They had gone about a mile further on when Tam called a halt, for all the dogs had headed for one side of the road. "Stay back," said Tam. "I'll try and read the markings here." But after a few minutes he straightened, shaking his head. "There've been horses here, certainly ... too many - and their tracks cut across each other. Someone left the road here - two or three people, I reckon - one horse and several on foot - different times. I can see Dobbin ... big footprints. Don't know about the others. Some mailed feet - some not. Dogs want me to go on." He looked back at the others. "Reckon this is the place where they found Trtowen. I'll let the dogs see what they can find, shall I? Do you wish to come?" "The dogs would smell if there were something of interest off to the other side as well?" Kenrith asked as he eyed the opposite side of the road. "Yes, Ser," responded Tam. "Then we will follow your lead, Tam. Everyone, keep your eyes open in case they've circled around," Kenrith said as he moved to follow Tam. Rhys followed Kenrith, keeping an ear for sounds coming from behind them as well. There was a dip just off the road .... it was possbly to ride into that - although Tam had dismounted and was walking with his dogs. Ser Anders followed his example and slipped off his horse, then scrambled down the bank. Kenrith did likewise, keeping his horse on his left hand side when he was not leading it. The dogs were sniffing around eagerly. "One horse came this way," said Tam - and then, as the dogs stopped to sniff with enthusiasm at a particular patch of ground, Tam paused. "Blood here. Not enough to kill a man, I'd say. And look at the splash on this tree ... an arrow shot, I'd reckon, or a thrown dagger." He looked over his shoulder at the others. "The horse tracks go deeper into the wood ... one man following." "Let us continue, then... as swiftly as you dare without losing the trail. If there is a chance of catching up with them before it grows dark, I would make use of it. Everyone else, as I said earlier... ears and eyes open, bows at the ready," Kenrith said as he held the reins and hilt both with one hand. Tam nodded, clicked his tongue to the dogs, and moved forward. This time there was less ground to cover. Tamlin paused in a small clearing and examined the grounds carefully. "Your Maester was here," he reported, holding out a scrap of cloth that he plucked from one of the branches. "See? He must have caught his robes ... fine wool, and dark." He looked down at the dogs scrabbling at his feet. "And someone was killed here too - Trowen, I'd guess." He dropped to his haunches and began to examine the area - then he stood and moved carefully around the clearing. His expression became grimmer as he came back towards them. "I have your answer, Sers, Maester. It was Wildings." Rhys's face paled visibly. "How do you know?" Kenrith unconsciously checked that his sword was able to slide easily from his scabbard as he listened to the answer to the same question. His lips were half parted, as if he were about to ask the same thing. Tam squatted down again. "See the tracks - here? Wildings are light on their feet - they leave few marks. But here you can see a footprint - just the one and no more. Someone was careless - but just the once. And do you know why? I believe he was bearing a heavier weight. Someone was lifted, and carried from here on. The Maester, I'd guess - and probably there was more than one carrying him. "Also - back there - the blood on the tree. It was high - like a shot from a Wilding's bow. We'd aim lower, if we could." He shook his head. "Not much evidence, I'll grant you. But I think there were Wildings in the woods, and for some reason they decided to take the Maester." "For his skills, perhaps?" mused Ser Anders. "Perhaps... though if so, it is rank opportunism. Were there any signs of the wildlings earlier, or of who was shot with their arrow?" Kenrith asked as he glanced over to Rhys to see how he was taking this, then back to Tam. Rhys was intent as he listened to Tam's explanation. "For earlier signs ... " Tam looked a little abashed. "I'd need to look again. I'd no thought of Wildings. But the man shot ... it could have been Cleeve. He's gone too." Ser Anders nodded. "And taking him, they conceal their presence." If anything, he was looking somewhat relieved, like a man who had awoke to find his worst nightmare unrealised. Kenrith quietly listened to and watched Ser Anders. But then his face darkened again. "If there are Wildings this close to Holdfast, we need to root them out. And for that, we'll need every available man - Hardy, Manderley and Bolton." "Please... please consider all courses of action and their consequences," Rhys pleaded, looking at Anders. "I know their reputation, but the Wildings may have very well saved Merivel's life. I advise finding out more about them and their intentions before committing to bloodshed." Ser Anders turned and looked hard at Rhys. "Saved Merivel's life?" he said. "From what?" "Cleeve?" Rhys suggested. Ser Anders frowned. "Are Holdfast guards more likely to attack a Maester than Wildings?" he said. "Such things should be discussed privately," Kenrith replied swiftly. Rhys opened his mouth to answer Anders but closed it again at Kenrith's admonishment. He glanced sideways at Kenrith. Felix, who had been quiet up until that moment, could be silent no longer. He nodded to Kenrith, "Ser, beggin yer pardon, but no matter how helpful these Wildlings may or may not have been~E it may be still prudent te get rid of them. Lord Stark don't take te kindly te Wildings, what with his 'kill them on sight' attitude. With way things are right now, ye may not want te lose Lord Stark's favor, aye?" He plucked a piece of long grass and started gnawing on it, "Sorry te be a grim cloud and all." He returned to watching the surroundings, perhaps a little more intently than before. "No," said Ser Anders, perhaps a little more loudly than the words merited. "We should not lose sight of that." Kenrith gave his customary brief nod. Rhys sighed. "Can you tell which direction the wounded man travelled, and is it different from the men who seemed to be carrying the Maester?" Kenrith asked as he stooped beside the heavy footprints Tam had indicated to compare them to the size of his own foot. Tam frowned, and then went away to look. After a few minutes, he came back, and his expression was puzzled. "I'd say that a man fell wounded," he said, "and he were carried away by two men - one of them uncommon large - the size of him," and he jerked a thumb to where Jayne was standing, talking with Mal. "The other, I'd say, wore the mailed boots alike the guards. Could be Cleeve. But he seems to have been carrying away the wounded man. As a prisoner of the Wildings? I can't tell." "Did they leave together?" Kenrith asked as he glanced where Tam indicated, then looked from Rhys to Ser Anders with a warning look. "The wounded man and the big man and the guard?" said Tam. "Yes. But you can see here - there's almost no trace of the Wilding and the man he took. One went with him - the other, woounded man went with the other two. "But which was the Maester?" asked Ser Anders. "Which way was he taken?" "The dogs will tell us," said Tam. "If you think we should risk going on." "I believe Rhys and Ser Anders should follow the wounded man along with most of the Holdfast guards. Their trail is easier to follow, and Tam can select one hound to help if he thinks such will help more it harms?" Kenrith said as he glanced over to Tam for his response. Tam frowned - then nodded reluctantly. "Tam and the rest of us will follow the wilding trail. We may well find that the two trails converge. Neither of us will attack a large band. Return to Holdfast and relate what we've found if your trail runs cold," Kenrith said with calm authority. Rhys nodded, agreeing that he should be in the group that looked for the wounded man. Ser Anders was frowning. "Ser Kenrith - there's no question of any of us attacking a Wilding band - but is it not foolhardy to press on with such small numbers? They will know we are coming for them - it's not so much a question of our attacking them - as of our stumbling blindly into an ambush." "That is why you're tracking the wounded man... and I am taking the best woodsmen," Kenrith said as he indicated Tam and Jayne, "to look for the wildings. If there are only a small handful, we will end it... but if there are many, we will return with word of their numbers and equipment for a larger group to pursue. Besides... if we mind the direction of the wind, I don't think they can ambush Tam's hounds," Kenrith said with confidence. Felix nodded politely to Kenrith, "We're with ye, ser. We've tracked Wildlings before, as well as bandits. Indigo there has a good nose, if ye needs it." Ser Ander was still frowning, but he bowed his head at this. "If such is your decision, Ser. I must say, however, that I still think it ill-advised." He signalled to the Holdfast guards to mount up with him; he nodded to Rhys to join them. "I'll take one of the dogs, Tamlin," he said to the forester. "Two if you can spare them. Rhyk will handle them." Tamlin nodded and detached two of the hounds to travel with Ser Anders and Rhys' party. Slightly apart from the others, Mal and Jayne had been watching events with somewhat jaded eyes, and now watched the other group ride off. "Tracking," said Jayne succinctly to Kenrith, "is extra." Kenrith nodded briskly. "If you will lead the way, Tamlin, we have your back. Let us see if we can catch them sleeping," Kenrith said with confidence. Silently, however, he was praying to the Old Gods that his decision would not cost them all their lives. He motioned for Mondoya and Mal to watch the rear as the group got underway. "Tracking," said Jayne again, not moving an inch, "is extra." Mal nodded in agreement. "And tracking Wildings ... well, that's right dangerous, so I've been told," he said. "I thought that I had given you my assurances just a moment ago, with a nod, that I would compensate you for further assistance. Although I have no further coin on my person, I will see to it that you are compensated fairly, as we agreed earlier when battle was discussed. Is that acceptable?" Turning to Felix, he added "And I did not mean to ignore your offer, either. Yes, I would like Indigo to help with woodcraft, but watching our backside is as important as our front," thinking that perhaps Felix and his men would also appreciate hearing his instructions verbally. Felix gave Kenrith a casual salute, probably out of habit. "No worries, ser. Indigo can sniff out a bandit as sure as you can smell Odor right now." Odor blinked dumbly, scratching his oily hair in thought. A moment later, he grumped, "Hey now!" Ignoring him, Felix pressed on. "We can hang back and make sure yer not flanked. Wildlings are prone te do that. The Knives know most of the tricks out there. We've used them ourselves, after all," he announced with some amount of pride. "Ready, Sir?" asked Tam. "Save I think we should be keeping our voices low, like." Here, Kenrith gave another clipped nod. Tam glanced all the company. Jayne grinned and then, quite deliberately, spat. But he did it quietly. Tam moved forward, checking the ground carefully - and then signalled for the others to follow. After a few minutes they came to a small clearing, and the dogs became prodigiously interested in one corner of it. "Whoever was wounded," said Tam, "they let him rest here for a while. That says to me that they thought he was important." "I don't see any signs of blood, nor do corpses require further rest," Kenrith said softly, and gave another nod to Tam at his good work. He moved closer to Felix as he motioned for Tam to locate the trail leading out of the grove when he was ready to continue. "I understand Lord Stark's standing order... but on this day, our first concern is getting the Maester out alive. On my authority. If my words fail, though, it will all be the same in the end," Kenrith explained softly. Felix gave Kenrith a conspiratorial smirk. "Ser, we follow only one wolf and he's not the sullen one, aye? The River Wolf told me te listen te you as if you was him. So, if you wants us te stand on our heads and beat our arses like a drum, we'll do it. Wildlings or no, we'll help you get yer maester home. All we ask is you have a care when yer dealing with those Wildlings, cause they certainly ain't respectable folks." Odor and Indigo nodded in agreement. Tam gave a signal and they prepared to move forward. They had gone perhaps two hundred yards when it happened. There was a gasp and a curse from the rear of the party - Montoya was toppling from his horse with an arrow through his throat. Kenrith had heard the vicious hiss of the arrow passing through the air, but hadn't placed it until he turned to see Montoya falling from his horse. He did not waste breath on cursing, but instead guided his mount off of the road so that both of their necks had a tree between them and the most likely direction of the archer (roughly, back up the path). As he did so, he called out, "You are making a mistake, Wilding... we only wish the maester back, and information about the other men in these woods!" with anger at having been shot at still in his voice. Hopefully, if he replied, someone would be able to nail him with an arrow. While he waited for a response, he considered why the dogs hadn't smelled the man as they passed... either he had no scent, like a crannogman, or he was up a tree. He revised his scanning of threats to now include the trees above him. Felix and Odor were off their horses and in cover before Indigo twitched his last. They both wanted to help their friend, but could see the wound was mortal. There was little sense in going to his aid. Instead, they covered the trees with their crossbows, making certain they were not being flanked. There was silence for a moment - and then Mal's voice calling out from a short distance. "Jayne's hit - hurt bad. Came from the trees, I reckon." The trees formed an impassive green canopy overhead. "Have your bows ready, and remain under what cover you have. You must nail him right after he looses his arrow. And trust me." Kenrith said slowly, and just loud enough to be heard by those near by. Having said this, he stepped out into the road. If Jayne and Mondoya had been hit without spotting the archer or archers, there was little chance the remaining men would be able to pick out a target if the archer didn't expose himself somehow. He could not fire even a crossbow properly with one arm, and he had gotten them all into this. Whether having Rhys and Ser Anders along for the archers to shoot at would have made a difference was perhaps academic... they had made every effort to move stealthily up this trail, had had alert dogs, and three skilled woodsmen... apart from Jayne being a blasted fool. "Is this how a 'free man' fights... shooting rescue parties in the back, kidnapping Maesters who have already been assaulted by blackguards? What manner of craven are you, wilding?" Kenrith called out with a sneer from the middle of the road. If Jayne and Mondoya had been hit without spotting the archer or archers, there was little chance the remaining men would be able to pick out a target if the archer didn't expose himself somehow. He could not fire even a crossbow properly with one arm, and he had gotten them all into this. Whether having Rhys and Ser Anders along for the archers to shoot at would have made a difference was perhaps academic... they had made every effort to move stealthily up this trail, had had alert dogs, and three skilled woodsmen... apart from Jayne being a blasted fool. "Is this how a 'free man' fights... shooting rescue parties in the back, kidnapping Maesters who have already been assaulted by blackguards? What manner of craven are you, wilding?" Kenrith called out with a sneer from the middle of the road. Of course, as soon as he saw the leaves in the tree move in the direction the shots had come from, he intended to dive for the far side of the road. The leaves rustled violently ... Five arrows shot unerringly from the ground as Kenrith dived for the far side of the road. And there was a long silence, barely broken by a few leaves drifting down. Somewhere high over Kenrith's head there came a giggle - a female giggle, hastily repressed. And then there was silence. After a few minutes, a bird started to sing, and there was a scuttling in the undergrowth. One of the Manderley men swung to position an arrow - then relaxed as a rabbit scuttled away. "Either they're waiting to see what we do, Ser, or they've gone," said Tamlin quietly. "Retreat up the trail, walking the horses for cover. Someone do what you can for Jayne," Kenrith said. Inigo was dead; the horse was somewhat skittosh about having a corpse that was still oozing blood draped over it. In order to set him in position, it was necessary for Kenrith to expose himself to the most probable angle of attack several times. But no more arrows came. The others were moving away up the track now ... Felix and Odor followed Kenrith's lead, crossing over to him through the use of their horses as shields. "I think they may be gone; that bird song is awfully constant. But we best retreat and soon, ser. That lady is a wicked shot and there may be more of her kinfolk about." He used his husbandry skills to calm Indigo's horse, but maintained a constant vigil. As close a friend as his companion had been, Felix wasn't about to join him just to keep his body safe from harm. "Odor, help the prince. I'll lead the horses." Kenrith nodded his thanks to Odor. He had been holding both sets of reins in his teeth while keeping Indigo on his mount's back and calming the beast as well. Another pair of hands simplified matters greatly, even if it exposed another to harm. Now that he could once again issue orders without dropping his reins, he said "We need to get Jayne back to a maester as soon as possible. If he needs something more immediate, let me know," Kenrith said to Mal. He was keeping his speech as quiet as possible. Once they had made it back past the spot where the Maester had once rested, and then another 50 paces further, he simply said "mount up" and gestured for Odor to continue helping him with Indigo and for Mal to keep helping Jayne. Odor did as instructed, dutifully assisting Kenrith. Yet, as much as a dullard as the man was, he remained mindful of Kenrith's disability and the difficulty it might present him. However, instead of overcompensating for it as some might do, Odor allowed the young Hardy to undertake as much of the burden as he could possibly handle. Respect came in different forms; this being one of them. Felix, meanwhile, slipped up onto his horse and assumed the lead position. He kept an eye on the road and woods, but the peril had undoubtedly passed. His face appeared strained now that he could allow emotions to creep back into his heart. From time to time, he looked back at Kenrith and Odor as they led his fallen friend. "We should make for the castle, ser," he said. "Too late for setting a camp. If we keep te the road, the moonlight should help some." "I agree... let us make what speed we can while there is still some light," Kenrith said. They made good time back to the road back to Holdfast - Mal was working with Jayne with an ease that could only come from long experience; doubtless the big man had been wounded many times before. Their journey passed uneventfully back down the track until they came towards the cottage where Dobbin and Cleeve had found the two owners dead earlier on. Tamlin raised his hand. "There are people there," he said, looking down at the dogs. "Friends, they think." "Perhaps Ser Corryn set out earlier than he had planned, or perhaps their trail ran cold and they doubled back to check this out," Kenrith remarked to Tamlin. He cupped one hand to the side of his mouth as they trotted closer, and called "Hail. Ser Anders men?" As he had cupped his mouth with only one hand, and felt his voice was easy enough to identify, he did not formally announce himself. |
