Shardfall, The Shardheld Saga, #1

CHAPTER 8 - TOWER OF PROPHECY

They hurried on and after an hour they reached the foot of the mountains. High above them rose barren slopes too steep to climb. No wonder that Vulf's men had believed them trapped, Muus thought.

'There is the path.' Relief was clear in Kjelle's voice.

The snow lay piled high and walking was difficult. The path led through two towering mountain walls, broad enough for a small oxcart, and with no more than an ankle-deep layer of snow on the ground. After some hours, Hraab started to lag behind. He never complained, but his face was red from exertion.

'This won't do,' said Ajkell. 'Hop on the sled, lad, let's pull you.'

'How far is it to the top?' asked Birthe.

Kjelle shrugged. 'I don't know.'

'Then you can scout ahead and find out, while we follow more slowly.'

The Holderling gave her an angry glance but he nodded. He looked at Muus and opened his mouth, then he turned and walked away alone. Muus suppressed a grin.

After an hour Kjelle came back, red-faced and short of breath. 'We're near the top. There's a ruin where we can take shelter.'

Birthe wrinkled her brow. 'Is it safe? No wild animals living inside?'

'I haven't inspected it,' said Kjelle stiffly. 'I came back to tell you it's not far.'

'Well done,' said Ajkell, forestalling any more snippy comments. 'We can see about animals when we're there.'

They walked on, in a row, and soon they reached the highest point of the pass. Moon had begun a new journey, drawing pale streaks of light in the snow.

'A tower.' Birthe pointed to a dark spot between the trees. 'Is that your ruin?'

'Yes. It must be Bangerns Torn,' said Kjelle. 'A toll burg from the time the Vrakken Pass was a trade route. I'm surprised it still stands.'

'A toll burg!' Hraab sounded excited. 'Robbing traveling merchants and earning lots of gold.' He stretched the 'o' in gold, so that it sounded like a wolf's howl.

'There wasn't all that much traffic here,' said Kjelle. 'It was more of a robbers' den, from which murdering bastards such as Vulf terrorized the area.'

'Oh,' said the boy. 'That's not funny.'

Kjelle's face was hard. 'No. When I was little, I thought it was an exciting idea. But now ...' He paused. 'One of my forefathers had them all hanged.'

Hraab nodded gravely. 'Good.' Then he yawned. 'I think hanging them was a great idea, too.'

As they approached, they saw a tower of gray stone, with frameless windows and door, but otherwise intact.

Birthe walked to the doorway and peered within. She paused, and listened. Then she sang a few unintelligible lines, and listened again. After a few moments, she turned to the others. 'My song disappeared. The tones should have rebounded, but they just vanished.'

'Is there any danger?' said Muus.

She bit her lip, more uncertain than he had seen her. 'I don't know. My song should have warned me if there was, but I heard nothing.'

'Isn't that good?' said Kjelle. 'If you don't hear anything ...'

Birthe shook her head. 'I should have heard the echo of my song, but I don't. That's weird.'

'We need to sleep.' Ajkell nodded his head to Hraab. 'The kid is dead tired. I suggest we take turns keeping watch.'

It was clear Birthe didn't like the tower, but that she had no valid reason to object. She stepped inside. Muus, bothered by her sense of unease, followed. The starlight through the window holes showed them they were in the guardroom: a semicircular space, with a huge open fireplace to the left and to the right the decaying remains of a table and a few benches. Against the walls were weapon racks for spears and swords. The door to the other half of the ground floor had fallen out of its frame and blocked the passage. Behind it, Muus saw rotting bunks, where the guards once had slept. In the corner stood an iron ladder, near a hole in the ceiling, which gave access to the first floor. It was just a tower; if there was any danger, he couldn't sense it.