Out of Darkness: Chapter 3 - A Warning

Brother Tallard gets a warning that Sacred Warriors are coming for them

    Brother Tallard tossed the message toward the fire but his shaking hand caused him to miss entirely. He walked over to the crumpled parchment and kicked it into the flames. He sat down on a wooden stool, watching the message burn to ash, and controlled his breathing.
    This is no time to panic. There was no time to waste but actions without thinking would be more disastrous. He thought through what the message said and meant.
    
    The dogs have the scent. “Sacred Warriors are coming.” He took a deep breath.
    They come from home. “Sent from the Autorian Temple.” He exhaled.
    Uproot the tree. “Ailish must leave.” He took another breath, steadier now.
    Replant elsewhere. “She must go somewhere unknown.” He exhaled again.
    R.V. “A friend.”

    He did not have time to prepare but he knew Ailish had some hint of it. All these years of planning and moving around here he was caught unawares.
    There was no doubt that the Waarheid was again hunting for all of her kind yet why it was not more public was a mystery to him. He knew that at some time in the future Ailish might have to go at a moments notice, but now that the time had come, and he had warning of it, the horror he felt was new to him. The danger was real. All the years as her sworn guardian weighed down on him. All the years of the three previous guardians weighed on him. For three hundred years she had been kept safe. Now it could end with him. He had been lulled to sleep as knowledge of the Wise Ones of Oparia was fading away, their existence turned into more myth than history.
    The dogs have the scent. He clenched his fist driving his nails into his palms. How did they get the scent? Who betrayed me? It could be anyone and he did not have time to play that game. Uproot the tree. Yes. First uproot the tree. Ailish had to go. Now.
    He went to his desk, pulled the center drawer all of the way out and set it on top. He pulled out a small money bag from a hidden place in the back of the opening and put it into his sleeve. Then he left his room.
    The hallway of the monastery was quiet and empty in the evening. He was by no means in charge of this place but his movements at this hour would not be questioned. He approached another door knocked once, then three times, then once again. The door opened and he went in.
    “What is it?” Brother Theus said. “You look like you are about to be sick.”
    “No. Not sick” he said, sitting down on the small bed. “Listen to me very carefully Theus and don’t ask too many questions because we do not have time for them.” Theus sat down. He was a young brother of the Waarheid faith that had been with Brother Tallard almost his whole life. Yet neither of them were really brothers of this faith. They were guardians hiding a secret in the least likely place the Waarheid would look. Theus was Tallard’s apprentice and would take over as Ailish’s guardian when Tallard passed on.
    “Is it Ailish? Is she sick?” Tallard glared at him. “Alright, no questions.”
    “They know she is here. They may even know who she is. They are coming for her.”
    “That’s ridiculous. If they knew, the Prior would…”
    “For all I know that might be happening now. But my source is reliable. Sacred Warriors have been sent out from Autoria to take her.” Brother Theus stood and ran his hand through his beard. “Theus, you must take her Baelesh. I have an old friend there who will help.”
    “Baelish? That’s a month’s journey, in good weather. We’ve no time to prepare. Couldn’t we just move her to a small village outside of Vyrion until things settle down? And what do you mean I have to take her? What about you?”
    “I know we are not prepared. But we have been asleep, Theus. This threat has been gathering, taking the protected one by one, and we must wake up before we lose all of them.” Tallard rose and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder and shook the money bag out into his other hand. “You are going to need help, and the kind I am thinking of will require a few of these at least.”
    “Mercenaries?” Theus raised his eyebrows. “That did not go so well last time we used them.”
    “Yes, I know. But we need the same man actually.”
    “Hayes Fulton?”
    “Yes. No one knows the country as well as that scoundrel.” Tallard shook the coins into his palm. There were two dozen silver and three large gold ones. Theus’ eyes widened.
    “Gold crowns. That should get his attention.”
    “That should more than make up for last year’s little… debacle. The silver will help with expenses along the way. Now I believe he and his friends are in Briarwood which should take you out of the path of the Sacred Warriors if they are taking the most traveled route.”
    “What about you?” Theus asked, pocketing the coin purse and starting to gather a few things from his room.
    “I will stall them as long as I can. Then I’m going to see the little bird who was kind enough to give us the warning and see what else I can turn up about who’s behind this. I will meet you in Rivertown in three days.” Tallard went to the door, stopped, but did not turn. “If I am not there in three days do not wait. Do you understand?” Theus stepped toward him and put a hand on his arm. Tallard turned to embrace him. Theus realized that Tallard was shaking with fear.
    “You must not show how afraid you are to Ailish or she will not leave you,” Theus said.
    “I know. I will go to her now. She will be in the stables in a quarter hour.” Tallard smiled and looked at his friend. “It may be time for you to assume my responsibilities. But we shall see.”