Ridge: Day One

21. THE DAY OF INJURY

The next morning, Hamel awoke early. His eyes cracked open, and he stared into the dark. From the dying embers of the fire, he could just make out the shapes of the Council benches, but not much more. He wasn't entirely sure where he was, but he waited patiently while his mind settled on the events of the last three weeks.

He could hear something happening, but he was not quite awake enough to know what it was. It wasn't nearby, but it was disturbing. He knew he needed to act, but he was so tired.

He shook his head and pushed himself up with his arm. It was far too early, and he was no longer used to jumping up alert at the sound of danger. Outside... the problem was outside.

He grabbed the rifle that he had found in the traders' cart and rushed out through the Inner Council Chamber doors to the outside doors, but he paused to listen for just a moment. He could make out snarling and barking. He suspected it was a pack of wild dogs, and they sounded as if they were across the courtyard. The pack had picked up the horses' scent, likely while stopping at the river for a drink.

He cracked open the door just enough to see outside. It was dark, but he could make out movement on the far side of the courtyard. He wasn't entirely sure if he would be able to do anything until the sun began to rise, but he suspected the horses would be safe, albeit quite disturbed. The stable was solid.

Hamel closed the door and made his way down the hallway to the stairs. He had to be careful as he moved through the Council Chambers. The building was well set up now to do a great deal of harm if a man were to step in the wrong place or trip on a rope holding back a trap ready to spring. He did not want to be injured or killed by his own work.

On the second floor, he opened a boarded-up window and felt the cool, evening air wash over him. The sun was creeping up in the east, and he could make out at least eight dogs, perhaps more. They were all around the stable, barking and jumping at the windows. There was not much chance that one might find its way inside. The stable was made of stone, the windows too high, and the doors too solid for a pack of dogs. The greater concern was the state the horses would be in.

His own horse, the one Mellel had given him, moved and acted as a warhorse. It was obedient, intelligent, and ready for action. There were scars on its flank and one on its nose. The dogs would upset his horse, but if he had evaluated the horse properly, it would be more anxious to join the battle than flee from it.

He took aim with his rifle. There were few packs of wild dogs in the wilderness. No trader tolerated them. The animals killed off horses, occasionally attacked people, and if they roamed too close to a village, they could attack a herd. When that happened, the villagers would send a hunting party after the dogs. They were a nuisance no one tolerated.

He fired the rifle, and a dog went down. The others jumped and spun around as they searched for the new threat. Two of the dogs rushed to the side of their fallen member, sniffed him, and spun around, looking for the danger.

He fired again, then a third time, each time killing another dog. By the time the third one went down, the remaining dogs bolted down the street. As they raced away, he took another shot and killed a fourth. It would not do to have the pack on his tail as he made his way to Olmos. Four dogs escaped, and he hoped the experience was enough to scare them far away.

Hamel made his way down to the Inner Council Chambers and grabbed his belt with a knife, secured it to his waist, and slung the rifle over his shoulder. The horses would need to be checked, but he did not want to be caught by the dogs if they came back. As an afterthought, he grabbed his sidearm and tucked it in his belt.

He stepped out into the morning air. There was no sound at first of dogs or any other animals. As he neared the stable, the sound of the horses reached his ears. They were in a frenzy, and one of the horses was screaming in pain. He wasn't too keen on stepping into a stable with four or five panicking horses, but if they did not calm down, they could seriously hurt themselves. From the sounds inside the stable, one was already injured.