56AN: Ok, I have to apologise here; this chapter is very short and not hugely interesting. I made a misjudgement when planning out these few chapters, and so now I have to catch up to the right place, and this chapter is just to do that.
Nineteen after Sun's Height, 30016 DC
The fleet dog puppy wriggled and squirmed in Tynan's arms and the ranger kept a tight hold on the little animal as he stood up on the verge with his friends to let the flock of sheep pass. The shepherd's two dogs were running backwards and forwards, effortlessly following their master's whistled commands and keeping the animals in a tight bunch as they herded them down the road, and the puppy was almost as eager to go and meet the two long-haired black and white collies as he was to investigate these strange woolly animals.
I've got to work on training him, Tynan thought, for at least the fifth time in as many days. There was just so much to do, that was the trouble. If he was teaching Emlyn and Ali sword work every day then the only time he could even think about beginning to teach the puppy simple commands was in his own rest time; and that time was valuable to him. Tynan knew better than to exhaust himself and become a drag on the whole party. He bit his lip. But he's got to be trained. I said I wouldn't take a pet into my dangerous life and circumstances conspired against me, but how much greater are the risks if that pet doesn't even obey me - doesn't even know what I mean when I give him an order? He looked down at the sandy-coloured puppy whose white plumy tail was wagging enthusiastically, and the little fleet dog chose that moment to look up at the ranger and bark happily, licking his face.
Tynan laughed and stroked the dog, but there was an undercurrent of worry in his tone.
The last of the sheep passed them, herded from behind by the shepherd, a bulky auburn-haired man whose skin had turned a flaming red even through his tan. Tynan nodded a greeting, and the man raised a solemn hand in thanks as they stepped onto the road again behind the flock and carried on strolling northwards. That was another problem; it was far too hot. Another storm had been followed by a couple of cooler days, but now the temperature was rising again, and Tynan could feel the heat beating up at him from the surface of the packed dirt road. Emlyn was coping surprisingly well, given his stifling armour - Tynan hadn't realised quite how tough his big young cousin was - and Ensa seemed to be fine, if uncomfortable. Ali, though, would bear watching. He thought that she was wilting a little in the heat. As the temperature rose again the young acrobat was getting quieter, and she'd dropped back from her energetic position at the front of the group to tail behind somewhere with Shadow.
Tynan frowned, automatically scanning the landscape around him, his thoughts elsewhere. Maybe I should cut back on Ali's training sessions. Give her more time to rest, and I could use the time to train this scamp. He scratched behind the puppy's ears and felt the little animal's tail wag against his chest. But is that fair on Ali? I asked her along with us, and if we get into danger and she's not prepared, then anything could happen to her. On the other hand, she knows how to shoot already; she could probably give me some pointers! She'll be fine if she stays back in a fight; in fact she'll be a big help. But what if that isn't always possible? And besides, I don't know if Ali's got the discipline to hang back if everyone else is piling into combat. Maybe Ensa could help keep her out of trouble? No, she never listens to anything Ensa says. So she really does need to learn to fight. But I really need the time!
He sighed and pulled gently at the little fleet dog's floppy ears. 'You're trouble, you are,' he told the puppy.
At least the little animal had a name now, of a sort. Tynan hadn't seen it coming, but Shadow's habit of referring to the puppy in his own language and Tynan's failure to give him any other name had accustomed the fleet dog to being spoken of as 'Raiki' - and both Ensa and Ali had picked up the habit of using the name. Now the puppy perked up his ears in reaction to the word, so Tynan had laughed and gone along with it. It wasn't as if he'd wanted to choose any other name, after all.
The ranger shrugged his shoulders under the sweaty weight of his pack, and peered ahead. Encountering the shepherd and his flock made him think that perhaps there was a village up ahead, maybe within today's march. Actually he would genuinely prefer to sleep out in the open; but if they found an inn then they'd be able to get a bath, and that would feel good right now. Besides, he wasn't foolish enough to think that the others would agree with him about the relative merits of camping out or sleeping in a bed. Tynan knew that even Shadow, though he never complained, preferred to be indoors.
Maybe Shadow could help me teach Ali? he thought, returning to his main preoccupation. That'd free up some time for me, and it might help her too; she's much faster than either of us, and Shadow might be able to teach her some smart ways to use that agility. That wouldn't tire her so much. Yes, that's a good thought. I will ask Shadow about that.
Resolve made, Tynan hefted the puppy higher in his arms and carried on up the road. There was no hurry, after all.
'What's that?' Ali asked curiously.
'What?' Emlyn said, lazily. They were taking a short break that had turned itself into a long break as no one could summon up the energy to move any further. The road had dived into a little wood, disappearing between deep sunken banks with huge twisted beech trees lining each side, and they had climbed up the bank on the edge of the trees, clinging onto the smooth grey roots. They had all wanted the break; but after about half an hour Ali, refreshed enough, was back on her feet and beginning to peer around looking for something to do.
'That thing.' Ali pointed upwards at the skyline of the wood.
Tynan had moved away and was beginning to teach little Raiki to sit on command, but the others looked around. Ali had spotted a break in the trees, and just visible in the gap was a glimpse of stonework.
'I don't know. Does someone live out here?'
'It looks ruined,' the girl pointed out.
Emlyn squinted up at the bright sky. Maybe she was right; he couldn't see thatch or roof tiles. 'So someone used to live here.'
'I'm going to go and find out,' Ali decided. 'Anyone coming?'
'Urggh,' Emlyn groaned. 'Do you have to?' Tynan had put him through another training session shortly after they stopped, and he was happy to stay relaxed in the shade.
'You don't have to come,' Ali retorted.
'I'll come,' Ensa said. 'I'd like to know what that building is too; it looks a bit tall for an ordinary house.'
'Oh. All right. How about you, Shadow?'
The elf rolled dark inscrutable eyes upwards to examine Ali's face. 'I'll come,' he said, eventually.
Ali grinned. 'Tynan!'
The ranger looked round. 'What's the problem, Ali?' he called, petting the little fleet dog, which seemed enthusiastic about this new game.
'There isn't a problem! We're going to go and find out what that is.' Ali pointed back up at the small visible part of the building above the trees.
Tynan frowned. 'I think it's an old tower; empty. It's been falling to pieces for years. Why?'
'No reason.' Ali shrugged.
Tynan laughed. 'Well, do as you like. I'll be here.' He dumped the puppy on the ground beside him, and pushed its rump down firmly. 'Sit, Raiki. Sit! Good boy!'
'All right.' Emlyn struggled to his feet. 'Let's go down the road, then. If it's a house it's bound to have access.'
Ali grinned, bouncing off ahead. 'I thought you weren't coming.'
'Someone's got to look out for you,' Emlyn retorted.
'You'd be good at that, of course.' Shadow's comment was barely audible, but Emlyn rounded on him, stung.
'I'd be better than you, at least I care! Why do you always have to sneer at me, anyway?'
Shadow gave him a blank look, raising one eyebrow, and Emlyn took a step towards him, clenching a fist.
'Emlyn, come on!' Ensa called, and he was distracted. Emlyn looked round and saw that Ensa had already scrambled down into the road, Star perched on her shoulder, and was looking around to see where he had got to.
'In a minute!' The young fighter looked back at Shadow, determined to have his say no matter what; but the elf had gone. Emlyn blinked; the damn slippery rogue! He must have slid into the trees as soon as Emlyn turned. That was just so - so…
Emlyn scowled and stomped after Ensa.
Ali had been right; the tower was ruined. Emlyn stood with Ensa on the road and craned his neck backwards to look up at it. The round stone tower was bulging at the base, and he could pick the larger stones surrounding the small arched windows. The bottom storey was in relatively good repair, only missing a few stones and bits of mortar, but the second storey had a gaping hole through the side closest to the road, and only traces of the wall footings showed that there must have once been a third above that. The trees and undergrowth pushed up close against the tower, cradling its sandy coloured stones in a blanket of greenery, and they could both hear the rustling and snapping as Ali pushed her way through the tangle somewhere out of sight.
'Stay back,' Ensa advised. 'It's probably structurally unsound.'
They both heard a person yelp from behind the tower. 'Ali!' Emlyn took a step forwards, raising his voice. 'Are you all right?'
'Yep, fine!' the girl called cheerfully back. 'Hey, come on round, I've found the way in. But watch out for the nettles!'
'Ali, stay out of there!' Emlyn shouted, worried. 'Ensa says it's not safe!'
There was no answer, but he could hear what sounded like something being vigorously shoved and scraped across the ground. What was Ali up to? Probably some kind of trouble; she was just the kind of person who would attract it.
The young fighter exchanged glances with the wizard. 'Come on. She'll be up to something again.' He plunged forwards into the undergrowth, using his weight to force a way around the base of the tower, following the slight trail of bent and broken branches that Ali's slimmer, lighter form had left. He could hear Ensa carefully picking her way along in his footsteps, clutching Star in one hand and her staff and the skirts of her robe in the other, and he smiled slightly, glad of her supporting presence.
'Ali! Where are you?'
'Here!' came back the unhelpful shout from somewhere ahead. 'Hurry up!'
Emlyn groaned in disbelief and forced his way onwards; then, unexpectedly stumbled as he found himself bursting out into a clearing, bits of twig and leaves stuck all over his new armour.
The light was brighter in the little open space, and Emlyn could glimpse the blazing blue sky above the trees, but otherwise it was a dreary area. The grass was scant, long and spindly, and seemed to be at least half nettles and long, lanky thistles with their feathery heads bedraggled. The only cheerful things in the area were the quantities of tall, leggy plants with long flower spikes in defiant and glorious pink; and Ali's slim bright figure.
The acrobat was standing by the wall of the tower, hopping impatiently from foot to foot. 'Come on!' she implored. Beside her in the stone wall was a deeply set doorway built of huge weathered stones and containing a wooden door that had turned grey with age. It was standing ajar, with the scrape marks in the earth floor and tangles of greenery heaped up against it showing that Ali had forced it open.
'Ali, we're not going in there,' Emlyn said. 'Didn't you hear? It's not -'
He broke off. Ali, ignoring everything that he said, had slipped through the gap she'd made between the door and wall and disappeared into the ruined tower, leaving Emlyn gaping.
'Right, that is enough! I'm going to get her out of there, by force if I have to!'
'I think that's probably the only way you'll move her,' Ensa said dryly.
'Thanks for that.' Emlyn marched across the little piece of wasteland, thistle fluff floating around him, and forced himself through the little gap that the tumbler had slid through so easily, grunting with the effort. 'Ali, this is enough!'
He gave up when he saw that the young acrobat wasn't listening to a word that he said. Ali was only just visible in the faint light issuing through the jammed door, her head tilted backwards as she looked up into the tower. Another slim form - Shadow, Emlyn assumed, though he hadn't seen the elf arrive - was standing next to the girl, similarly absorbed. Emlyn turned his head to see what they were looking at.
'Oof!' Ensa said, exhaling as she managed to haul herself through the narrow gap and looked around her with interest, her darkvision letting her see the inside of the tower much more clearly than any of the others. 'You know, I don't think that this place was ever good for anything. It's not a dwelling at all; I think it's a folly, the kind noblemen with too much money build just to look scenic. Can't think who'd be looking at it in the middle of this wood, though.'
Emlyn didn't say anything. Without even looking at the half-orc, he reached out and pushed her head back so that she too was looking upwards.
'Oh, wow…' Ensa's breath died. 'That's…'
They never heard what she would have said, because with a crash that made Emlyn jump clean off the ground the door slammed shut and they were thrown into midnight blackness.