Witch's Revenge

Lor Dak — Book Five

Witch's Revenge

Published by John Northern at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 by John Northern

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 1

There was excitement in the night air. Yorick Battle, a young man of medium height and build, brown hair, and a hard, lean face, sat on the couch in the living room rocking back and forth. His wife, at that moment, was giving birth to their first child, and it was a most disconcerting, fearful and wonderful feeling all at the same time. Because of the daunting history of the 'Battle' family, he prayed everything would go smoothly, as it did with most families in the farming community. He desperately thought it would, but still, he worried. He shouldn't have been worried. The midwife, who had delivered many babies, had come from twelve miles away with her husband. She had brought several of her lady friends, and they were all in the bedroom, except, of course, the midwife's husband, who was sitting in the living room on a chair next to the bedroom door. The women were helping with the delivery. Once in awhile one would come rushing out to get more hot water or more rags, and then she would disappear back into the bedroom. It made Yorick nervous when they would hurry in and out of the bedroom without saying anything.

Just then he heard his wife scream in pain. He jumped off the couch and started in a hurry for the bedroom, but the midwife's husband, a big brute of a farmer with a no nonsense attitude, stepped in front of him. He said, Having a baby is very painful for the mother. They always scream out in agony. But everything is under control. I suggest you sit down and relax. If the screaming becomes too much for you to bear, then I suggest you go out to the barn and keep your neighs company. You might even want to pull up a haystack and get some sleep.

Yorick nodded his head and sat once again on the couch. He had no intentions of leaving during the birthing of their first child. But it was most distressing. For several hours he listened to his wife scream. How much longer? he finally asked as he stood up and started to pace.

Sometimes it takes all night and into the next afternoon; especially if it's the woman's first baby.

After another hour, the screaming suddenly stopped and was followed by the cry of a baby. And then the most horrible thing happened—the midwife came out of the room. Her hands were covered in blood. She said, You have a healthy, baby girl, but . . . , She paused and then with a mournful face she said, I'm afraid your wife has passed on.

Yorick stopped his pacing, cried out in grief. He ran into the bedroom. One of the women was washing the blood off the baby. He saw his wife lying lifeless in the bed. Her face was pale. Her eyes were open—staring at the ceiling, and she was no longer breathing. There was blood all over the bed. He went to her side and bent down. He gently closed her eyelids. He kissed her on her cold lips. He put his arm over her and he wept.

After awhile he stood up and went outside. He turned his eyes to the heavens. The sky was clear on that summer night, and the stars were shining in all their glory. He wiped the tears from his face and said, I will accept whatever you send me in this life, and I will do the best I can to be a good man. But woe is me. You have taken my beautiful wife. He went back into the house with sadness, but with resolve.

The midwife was holding the baby and standing in the living room. When Yorick entered, she said, I am so sorry about your wife, and I know you are now in a difficult position. It will be such a burden for you to continue to run your farm and to raise a baby girl at the same time. I want you to know we will be willing to take the baby home with us and raise her as one of our own, . . . if you want us to.

No, replied Yorick. My wife died having this child, which means this child and I have a much stronger bond than just father and daughter. She and I have lost a wife and a mother, and I will therefore raise her to be as wonderful a woman as my wife was.

I think it would be best, said the midwife, if I stay here for three or four weeks or however long it takes for you to adjust to a new way of life. She turned to her husband with a questioning look, and he didn't hesitate to say it would be okay if she stayed.

Thank you, said Yorick. You are most kind in my time of need.

The next day, close to the property line between his farm and the farm next door, they buried his wife in the field, under a tree. And three and a half weeks later, the midwife went home, with confidence of Yorick’s ability to handle both the farm and the raising of his baby daughter.

He had named his daughter 'Abby Nightsong Battle.' He had considered changing his daughter's last name to something else. He wasn't superstitious or unrealistic about life, but as he reflected back on the history of the Battle family, he was aware they had had more than their share of bad luck over the years. His parents, his aunts, uncles and cousins all talked about the Battle family misfortunes. And over the years, sure enough, they had all died either due to accidents, or to disease, but never to old age. And now he and Abby were the only remaining souls of the Battle family. Yes, he thought about changing her last name, but it was quite rare for anyone to change their name, and Yorick figured it would do nothing to change fate anyway. So, he decided to stay with tradition and not to do it, but he hoped her life would take a swing in the other direction.

Everything went smoothly over the next eleven years. As it turned out, Abby was healthy, intelligent, and very inquisitive, and he could tell she was going to be a very handsome woman when she reached adulthood. He drove her to school in the wagon every morning, and then went home and attended to his chores. In the evening he would pick her up and take her home.

Abby was eleven and a half years old when the Battle name, once again brought misfortune to their door. It was morning, in the dead of winter with two feet of snow on the ground. While he was waiting for Abby to finish getting ready for school, he was reflecting on his past, and he realized the past twelve years were the best years of his life; including the day he married his wife, but, of course, with the exception of one incident—the passing of his wife. But the birth of his daughter was a blessing and he took joy in raising her. And because of this, he was beginning to think the bad luck of the Battle family was behind him.

As he sat there reflecting, he heard a noise on the front porch, and suddenly three men burst through the front door and into the living room. They had swords and daggers, and they were wearing the clothes of the tax collectors—yellow vests with vertical black stripes. The man in the lead appeared brutish and hostile. In a seething voice, he said, We know you've been hiding money from the king's due. We've been keeping track of your business transactions and you've been reporting less money than what you have been earning.

The tax man spoke the truth. Yorick had been hiding money from the tax collectors, but only because he needed the money for him and his daughter to survive. It took money to run a farm, having to buy seed, stock, and tools every year, and if he gave what the king demanded, then he would not have enough to keep the farm liquid.

The man continued, You know the penalty for such a crime. We will take everything you own, and just be glad we have something to seize, otherwise you would be thrown in prison and possibly executed, and your daughter would become a homeless child, begging in the streets.

Yorick did not try to deny he had hidden money from the tax collectors. He was told they chose people at random, and then the undercover agents would watch the business dealings of those people, and because of their surveilence they would have an exact accounting of his finances. The taxation King Gallo perpetrated upon the citizens of his kingdom was criminal. Yorick had heard of other farmers who had lost their farms to the tax collectors. The few, who didn't have families to help, became homeless beggars on the streets of the cities.

Abby was wearing her clothes, but no shoes as she walked out of her bedroom and into the living room. Evidently she had heard someone talking and had come to find out who it was.

The tax man said, You must leave with only the clothes on your backs.

Please, sir, said Yorick. Let Abby put on her shoes. And let us take our coats. We cannot live in the cold without them.

You're lucky I'm one of the taxmen with a family. I understand the love of a child and the protection they need. So, take your coats and go. He turned to Abby. You, he said in a gruff voice, put your shoes on and grab your coat.

Abby ran from the living room into her bedroom. After a few minutes she reappeared wearing her shoes and her coat.

Yorick and Abby were escorted off the property. They trudged down the snowy laden road until they were out of sight from their farm. Then later in the night they snuck back to the farm, but they came in from the back side. The tax collectors always posted men on the property when they took someone's farm. Yorick picked Abby up and set her on the other side of the fence. He put his finger to his mouth and softly went, shhhhh. We have to be very quiet. He climbed over the fence and lifted Abby up on his shoulders.

What are we doing daddy?

We're searching for a buried treasure. Yorick carried his daughter through the snow to his wife's grave.

A buried treasure?

’Yes. Money for us to live on. He set Abby on the snowy ground, then he dropped to his knees in the cold snow and proceeded to brush away the snow next to his dead wife's grave. He used the only tool he had been able to find—a stick with a sharp point. He chipped away at the frozen ground, and in spite of the hard work, the cold air, and the numb fingers, he kept at it until he had dug a foot down and had come to the leather pouch. In the past he had socked away money given to him by his father, and once in awhile he would add what he could to the pouch. He had been determined if the tax collectors ever took his farm, he would not become a beggar on the streets. He took hold of the pouch and pulled it out of the ground. He gripped it as if it was a lifesaver, and actually, it was. He had no family he could turn to. He had no friends who could help him out, which meant the money in the leather pouch would keep them alive until he could find a job—if it was possible.

Is this the treasure?

Yes it is, sweetheart. He put the pouch in his pocket and filled in the hole. He pushed snow over the ground and smoothed it out. Since he and Abby had made tracks in the snow, he had to make it appear they had come back to visit his wife's grave one last time. He couldn't let the taxmen know he had come back for a hidden stash. If they found out, they would hunt him down, take the money, and throw him in prison.

Abby was old enough and smart enough to know they no longer had a home. "Where will we go, daddy?

Yorick whispered, We'll spend the night in Mr. Hurley's barn, and then in the morning we'll go on down the road. While he was answering Abby, he was thinking about the money. If he remembered correctly, the last time he checked the pouch, it contained three gold coins, four silver coins, and nine copper pennies. It was enough for them to survive a while, but not much longer than six months, unless they didn't pay for lodging, then it would last a while longer. But the truth was, he had to find a job—and it would be difficult. With such a poor economy, very few, if any, could afford to hire help. He realized the farmers couldn't hire anyone, so he decided to make the sixty mile journey to Eternal Haven.

We're going to have an adventure, he said softly. He put Abby on his shoulders and started for the fence. We'll go to a city where they have all kinds of fun things. And you'll be able to go to school there. He decided he and Abby would travel there for two reasons: it was certain he would have a better chance of finding a job in the city, because the road used by the recruiters to go over the mountain originated from Eternal Haven. And the recruiters, who always had plenty of money, bought all their supplies in Eternal Haven before making the trip. And second, a miraculous phenomenon included and surrounded Eternal Haven up to thirty miles to the north, the west, and the south. It was an occurrence which had puzzled scientists for thousands of years. The village was in a temperate zone, and the temperature never changed more than ten degrees throughout the year. which meant the farmers, in that zone, were able to grow crops year round. And thus, although not good, the economy was better in Eternal Haven than most other places.

It took them only two and a half days to get to Eternal Haven, because, for most of the distance, Abby rode on Yorick's shoulders. And the second day of traveling the weather was nice with no snow on the road and at a temperature around seventy-five degrees. Also, on the second night they stopped at a farmer's house, and they were given a meal and allowed to sleep in the hay in the barn. The next morning they ate breakfast with the farmer and his wife. They thanked them and moved on down the road.

They walked into Eternal Haven around eleven o'clock in the morning. And as they made their way down the boardwalk, Abby asked, Daddy, where are we going to live?

Honey, I'm going to ask the blacksmith if we can sleep in his hayloft for awhile, and during the day I'm going to ask around for a job. Even if I can't find a permanent job, perhaps I can find some odd jobs. They continued on to the eastern edge of town until they came to the blacksmith's barn. As it turned out, the blacksmith said he would give them a reasonable rate at a penny a night, and they could sleep in the loft and use the neigh trough to clean up whenever they wanted. Yorick agreed and gave the blacksmith a silver coin worth fifty copper pennies. Once the transaction was completed, they climbed the wooden ladder onto the second story floor and claimed their territory by spreading out the hay into the shape of beds, then, because it was too warm to wear a coat, they left their coats on their makeshift beds and climbed out of the loft. Afterward, they walked back into town. Yorick went to all the shops asking for a job, and even though he explained his plight telling the shop owners he had lost his farm to the tax collectors, and even though everyone had sympathy for him and his daughter, no one could give him a job. There just wasn't enough money passing hands. And it turned out the economy wasn't as good in Eternal Haven as he had believed.

Three months after they had first come to Eternal Haven, Yorick was sitting in a chair next to the sheriff in front of the sheriff's office. Abby was sitting on the boardwalk in front of them reading a book Yorick had paid a couple of pennies for in the secondhand store. Yorick watched as two huge, brutish men walked into the general store across the street. I've never seen them before, said Yorick. Are they from around here?

The sheriff took the pipe from his mouth and tapped it on the side of his chair dislodging the burnt tobacco. He put the pipe back in his mouth and answered, No. They're recruiters working for Zolta.

Recruiters? I’ve heard of them, but I never realized they were so huge and villainous in appearance.

They have to be big and mean, because people don't like being dragged off to become soldiers in Zolta's army.

It suddenly occurred to Yorick he might be in danger. If they snatched him up, who would take care of Abby? I should hide, he said quickly.

Naw, said the sheriff. You don't have to worry about the recruiters. Several years back a recruiter made the mistake of snatching a young man in broad daylight from the front of the clothing shop here in Eternal Haven. The recruiter and his prize were no more than a mile out of town when the bell in the town's bell-tower started ringing. It was warning the farmers something dangerous was happening in the village. And they started ringing their bells and soon the message was spread throughout the entire countryside of our sector. It wasn't long before farmers from all over were galloping their neighs or riding in their wagons or carriages into the village. They were riding fast and they were carrying all sorts of weapons. Some had bows and arrows, some had swords and daggers, a number of them were wearing armor, and one farmer had a helmet and was carrying a morning star. When they were told what had happened they became an angry, uncontrollable mob with vengeance on their minds. It took them about five hours to catch up with the recruiters, and when they did it became a bloody mess. They charged into the recruiters with heated tempers and weapons flailing and it wasn't long until there were dead men on both sides. The recruiters might be big and mean, but they were so outnumbered they didn’t have a chance. Shortly all the recruiters were dead but two. And we left those two alive so they could spread the word to other recruiters. Since that time we have had no trouble with the recruiters. They leave our section of Falshadow alone. So, you see, you will never have to worry about the recruiters bothering you as long as you reside in our humble town.

Humble, my ass, thought Yorick. He relaxed his grip on the arms of his chair. He said, I’m glad to hear you handled the recruiters. When Yorick realized the sheriff was a part of the mob, who attacked the recruiters, he turned in his chair and briefly studied the sheriff’s physique. The man was an average height—the same height as Yorick. He wasn’t so muscular, and he had a huge potbelly, which meant the sheriff wasn’t the fastest man in town. But even though the sheriff had an easy-going personality, and appeared slow and inept, he always had a determined look in his eye. Yorick realized the sheriff had been in the middle of the brawl—slicing and dicing, and drawing blood. He asked, Were you wounded in the fight?

The sheriff pulled up his pant leg and exposed a huge scar in his calf muscle. A third of the muscle was gone. By the Gods, said Yorick. I’m surprised you survived such a wound.

It didn’t bleed much, not after it was wrapped in a cloth. However, it was three months before I could walk on it.

Yeah. I've noticed you have a slight limp once in awhile.

Sometimes it still bothers me, but I consider it a good sacrifice to keep our people out of the witches' war.

Chapter 2

It was six miserable months after they had first walked down Main Street of Eternal Haven. It was the beginning of summer and the weather was pleasant—but it always was. At night Yorick and Abby were still sleeping in the blacksmith’s barn and their situation hadn’t gotten any better. The Battle family luck was steering them toward destitution. On this particular day, they entered the general store to buy some food. The jingle in Yorick’s leather pouch sounded slight and dismal, and much to his chagrin he realized in another two months he and his daughter were going to be beggars on the street. It made him sad, but he didn't know what he could do to change their coming predicament. The only job skills he had were farmer and laborer, but farming had been taken away from him by the tax collectors, and no one could afford to hire a laborer. Turning into beggars was about to become one more unfortunate event in the Battle family's history. They walked down the aisles and picked out some jerky, a loaf of bread, and two pieces of fruit. Burt, the owner of the general store turned his head and watched as they approached the counter. Burt said, Hello Abby. It's good to see you. He stuck his hand in a jar and pulled out a piece of candy. He handed it to her and said, On the house.

Thank you, Burt.

Yorick placed the groceries on the counter and waited for Burt to tell him how much.

Listen, said Burt. I understand what's happening to you, and I would hire you if I could, but the problem is I'm rich in inventory and poor in money. The tax collectors snatch up most of my money as soon as I make it. Aside from that, I know you're in a hard way, but I think I might have a solution for you, and if you agree, then I'm going to start a running-tab for you, which means you won't have to pay for these groceries until later when you have more money.

Yorick didn't know what to say; mostly because he had no idea what Burt was talking about. And even though he couldn't think of any possible solution, he was hoping Burt could keep them from begging on the streets. So, what's the answer? he asked with a doubtful tone.

I'm going to train you to be a trapper. They make good money, but there are very few of them in the mountains; mainly because most people don't like living alone for the majority of their lives. The truth is I can't get enough pelts and furs to cover my orders. People from all over the kingdom need furs and pelts for various reasons—mostly for clothing, but I know a lot of people sew them together to make blankets for the cold winters. Anyway, I get a lot of orders, but it takes me a long time to fill them, because the trappers aren't supplying me with enough furs.

The sudden idea of being a trapper and making lots of money thrilled Yorick. But just as quickly, he could see a lot of problems, and thus he had many questions. He started to say something, but Burt continued before he could.

Burt said, I will put everything you need on your tab, which includes the traps, weapons for protection, tools, warm clothing, blankets, food, and whatever else we can think of. He scratched his head, then reached under the counter and brought forth paper and a quill. There's one thing you'll need for sure. He wrote on the paper and when he was finished he handed it to Yorick. This is a note telling the blacksmith to give you a mule which I will pay for at the end of the day.

Are you telling me I should leave today?

No, but first thing in the morning would be advisable. The sooner you start trapping the sooner you’ll be able to pay off your bills. Bring the mule back here in the morning and we'll load him up, and then you can get going. Once you get there you'll have to set your traps, and then you have to start building a cabin right away, because you can't live through the winter without shelter.

But how will I know where to go in the mountains to set the traps?

I'm going to tell you right now, but I'll also draw you a map and give it to you in the morning. I'm going to send you to 'Hidden Valley.' To get there you take the path of the recruiters for about five miles from Eternal Haven. You'll notice after several miles the mountain will be to you right and a drop off will be forming to the left. When you've gone the five miles, you will come to a huge boulder on the left next to the drop off. There's a path, hard to see, because it's seldom used. It's about ten feet in front of the boulder, and it winds its way down the incline to a small valley—but it's not Hidden Valley. Stay on the path as it climbs up the ridge on the other side. When you get to the top of the far ridge you will see Hidden Valley below you. It's not a valley in the strictest of words, since it's more than twelve miles wide. There are two rivers and numerous streams winding their way through the valley, and they're all loaded with game. There's another trapper in the valley who goes by the name of Charlie Yount, but he won't mind you're moving in, because there's enough animals for ten trappers or more. I believe he will probably help you build your cabin if you ask him. He's middle aged—a couple of years older than you, and a very nice, laid-back kind of a man. Every time he comes in here with his furs, he's very pleasant and even fun to talk to. He has lots of tall tales about his life in the woods. Burt paused, then asked, What do you think so far?

I think it would be great if I had ever had any experience in trapping, but since I haven't, I'm not sure I can pull it off.

Not a problem. You come to my house at six o'clock this evening. You and Abby can eat dinner with me and my family, and then I'll show you the traps and tell you everything I know about trapping. Believe me, it will be enough you'll be able to make a lot of money, and I'm sure Charlie will give you pointers which will make it even easier. Burt smiled as it was obvious an idea had just occurred to him. He said, Because you lost your farm, I know how you must feel about tax collectors, so let me assure you you will never be paying any taxes to them. Three times over the last twenty years, the king's treasurer sent tax collectors into the mountains to collect taxes from the trappers, unfortunately for the king, the tax collectors never returned, and no one knows what happened to them. I've heard people laugh when they talk about it, as if they have a hidden knowledge of what happened to the tax collectors, but no one knows for certain what happened to them, with the probable exception of the trappers. Burt whispered, "Actually, it's not difficult to figure out. So to hell with the tax collectors.

"One more thing: when you live in the forest you will have plenty of food—fish, game-animals, birds, and berries on the bushes. You can even grow a garden, and you can salt the meat and can the vegetables for the winter. The only thing you will have to buy is flour for your bread and hay and oats for your mules.

And on the bright side, I’m predicting you'll be able to pay off your tab with your first load of furs and pelts. Also, I predict you'll be able to buy a couple more mules and start hauling furniture and a cooking stove up the hill for your cabin.

All Yorick could do was give a half hearted smile to show his appreciation. A new way of life had suddenly been thrust upon him and he wasn't sure if he could do it. He had no experience, but at the same time he had no choice. Burt had offered him a way out of his coming impoverishment and he had to take it. Yorick had been a farmer his entire life, and on the farm he had dealt with animals—raising them and slaughtering them. He knew about animals, so why couldn't he be a trapper? He could and would be. He was grateful Burt was helping him. And now he and Abby would move to the mountains to begin anew. He was certain in the beginning he would make a lot of mistakes, but eventually he would learn what he needed to know.

* * * * *

Abby and her father had been living in the forest for two weeks and it was all the time she needed to realize she loved their new life. She loved the forest and the animals, and she loved the idea of becoming a mountain woman. She had already decided she was going to learn everything about living in the valley and trapping animals. She patted her hunting knife as she peered over her father's shoulder. He had laid down a scroll and had put rocks on each corner to hold it flat. He was kneeling down studying it.

Plans for our cabin, said Abby in a mature voice.

Correct. Burt drew up the plans for us, and as you can see, it's a simple cabin with only one room, but there will be a fireplace and it will be shelter from the snow. And next year we can add on bedrooms, build more furniture, and bring in a cook stove. We might even put in a window.

It's so exciting, said Abby. Don't you just love it up here? She took in a deep breath. Just smell the scent of the pine trees.

It is rather refreshing, but I'm a little concerned about the coming winter. We have to have the cabin built and we have to have food put away. I'm not sure we'll have enough food.

Maybe Mr. Yount will help us.

I'm not sure he even exists. We've been up here for two weeks and we haven't seen any evidence of any other human living in this valley.

Burt said he lives up at the northern end of the valley, because he doesn't want anyone finding him. But I'm sure we'll being seeing him soon.

Yorick pivoted on his knees and looked up at Abby. He gave her a big smile and said, You're so grown up, and I'm thinking it's because you've spent such little time with other children this last year, and because we've been through some hard financial times, or maybe because you were raised without a mother and you feel you have to be the woman in the house. But whatever it is, I admire you for it.

Oh daddy, sometimes you're so silly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a hug, then she stepped back and said, We better check the traps. She was anxious to get enough furs to make the trip to Eternal Haven. She was going to be twelve years of age in three weeks, and her father told her he was going to buy her a present—anything she wanted. She was thinking a bow and arrow so she could hunt the bucks like her father did.

Yorick stood up, and they left their campsite under the trees and made their way to the nearest large stream. After checking the traps they found they had caught two beavers and a mink. They hauled them back to their campsite and Abby started skinning them.

While you're skinning them, I'm going to start cutting down trees for our cabin.

Good idea, said Abby.

Her father went exploring for a tree the right size and when he found it he started chopping it down with his ax. When he was finished, he chopped down three more. The sound coming from the chopping echoed through the forest telling the animals there was a new man in town—sort a speak. When Abby was finished with the skinning, she helped her father hook up one of the logs to the mule. They hauled the log to an open spot in a meadow and untied it from the mule.

Well, said Yorick, this is where we will build our cabin.

You've picked a good spot, said Abby. It's higher up than the streams and the rivers, and therefore we will never have to worry about flooding.

Yorick raised his eyebrows in surprise. He turned and studied the entire area. You're right, he said. But to be truthful, when I chose this spot I never considered the flood zone. How did you become so intelligent? You must have gotten it from your mother.

Oh daddy, there you go being silly again.

Just then they heard a man yell out, Hello, there. He had just stepped out of the forest from the northern end and into the meadow. As Abby and Yorick stood there watching, the man walked the hundred a fifty paces and stood before them.

He stuck out his hand and said, My name's Charlie Yount.

Yorick shook his hand and said, I'm Yorick Battle, and this is my daughter Abby.

Abby smiled and did a little curtsey. She said, Burt told us all about you Mr. Yount. He said there is so much game you wouldn't mind if we moved into this valley. A questioning expression adorned her pretty face.

Of course I don't mind. In fact, I'll help you build your cabin. And if there's anything else I can help you with, you just holler.

Wonderful, said Abby, especially since we've never built a cabin. And since you're willing, perhaps you could give us some tips on trapping, since we’re inexperienced.

Beginners! yelled Charlie in delight. "That's actually a good thing, 'cause I won't have to relearn you on the ways of trapping and the ways of the forest. Come. Show me your traps, and then we'll get started on your cabin.

From the first moment of meeting Charlie, she had a great liking for him, and she could see the three of them would become wonderful friends. And she was right. Charlie showed them, told them, and taught them everything they needed to know about living in the mountains. They built the cabin, and Abby got her new bow and arrows on their first trip to Eternal Haven. Over time, the three of them often hunted together, trapped together, and ate together. Life was great. Abby's father had more money than he had ever had in his entire life. And he got to keep it since the tax collectors never bothered them. It was another thing Charlie taught them—how to avoid the tax collectors when they were in town. The tax collectors never came to town on the weekends, and so it was on the weekends they brought their furs to Eternal Haven.

The more Abby got to know Charlie, the more she liked him. He was six foot two—about four inches taller than her father. He was lean and muscular from living most of his life in the forests, trapping and skinning animals, fighting bears and lions, and everything else needed to survive in the wild. He had brown, short-cropped hair which he cut himself. And he had a nice face. His nose was a little too big, but his outgoing and friendly personality took away from the nose. He not only had tall tales about the mountain life, he was also fun and funny.

Time passed, and finally one day she realized she not only liked Charlie, but she had fallen in love with him—his manly ways and his outgoing personality. He was definitely the one for her. She realized he was twenty-one years older than her, but she didn't care—she wanted to live with him as man and wife. She believed he felt the same about her, but she decided to remain patient, until she was a little older, and while she was waiting she was hoping he would make his move. She had decided if he didn't do it soon, then she would do it for him. She decided she wouldn't wait much past her eighteenth birthday. Yes, she would be patient, but not too patient.

And finally the day came when she turned eighteen. She had grown into a woman. She was approximately five feet seven in height. She had brown hair which fell to her shoulders and she had blue eyes. Her face and her body were lean and hard, because of the mountain way of life, and she had well-developed muscles, which might have seemed masculine and unattractive for some people, but she didn't care. She loved being able to trap and hunt and to do whatever it takes to live in the forests. And aside from the muscles, she had developed a large bosom, and she understood men liked large breasts. Also, she wasn't hard to behold. She had a small nose and thin lips, and from looking into the crystal clear ponds at her reflection, she decided she was pretty—enough to attract the man she loved. For the last six months she had been giving Charlie obvious hints as to how she felt about him.

One morning, three weeks after her eighteenth birthday, Charlie opened the door to their cabin and walked in. Abby stepped out of her bedroom and saw Charlie talking to her father. After a minute Yorick said, We're going hunting. And we'll be back before sundown. And they started for the door. But before Charlie left the cabin, he turned and gave Abby a nervous smile.

At last, she thought, he's going to ask me to marry him. Normally, it would have been strange they hadn't asked her to go hunting with them, since they always went hunting together, and especially since she was the best hunter of the three of them. But she figured Charlie wanted to talk to her father and get his permission to marry Abby. She became excited at the thought of it. Abby had already told her father how she felt about Charlie. She told her father she wanted to be Charlie’s wife, and her father had consented, which meant Charlie would experience no resistance from Yorick.

Abby spent the day working in the garden, and when the sun started going down, she went into the cabin and began canning some of the vegetables. Every year they spent the spring, summer, and fall getting ready for the coming of the harsh winter. And this day was no exception. As she worked she kept watching the door. She was anxious for Charlie's' return. But finally, when it was well past sundown, she began to worry something bad had happened. Yorick had told her about the Battle family and their bad luck, but she felt it was all behind them. In fact, she believed what had happened to them in the past was good luck, because it had led them to a life in the forest—a much better life than they would have had as farmers.

She finished with the last of the canning and put the jar in a cupboard. She wanted to go searching for them, but it was too dark. The only moon in the sky was a quarter moon, and it was the smallest of the three moons.

She started to sit down when suddenly the door slowly opened and Charlie dragged himself in. He had to literally pull his right foot over the doorsill. His leather shirt was shredded and nearly torn from his body. Most of it hung down the front and only the left sleeve kept it up. There were deep wounds on his chest, which were bleeding profusely. The blood was running down his chest and soaking into what was left of his shirt. She quickly noticed he was holding his hand to his neck. Blood was seeping through his fingers. His face was pale. He was having difficulty standing. He took two steps into the cabin and slumped to his knees.

Abby rushed to him. Oh, my God!' she exclaimed. What has happened?"

Charlie had a difficult time speaking. In a low and slow voice he said, Attacked by a bear—huge, huge bear. Attacked me first. Yorick tried to kill him . . . , but couldn't.

Abby ran to a cupboard and grabbed a cloth. She would press it tightly to the wound in his neck. She would stop the bleeding, and then over the next month she would attend to him until he was once again healthy.

But she was too late. She turned to rush back to him. He looked at her with glassy eyes, and she watched as his eyelids drooped closed, and he fell to the floor and died.

Her next thoughts were of her father. It was possible he was still alive and in need of help. She lit a gas lamp, took her short sword and some cloth, and started out trailing Charlie's blood. At times she lost the trail, but she had hunted with her father and Charlie so often the location of their blind was etched in her mind. She kept in a straight line with the location and as she went she continued to pick up Charlie's trail of blood. After forty minutes of tracking, she finally saw, fifteen paces ahead between the trees, her father—lying still upon the forest floor. She rushed to him and gently turned him on his back. Much to her horror she could tell he was dead even before she felt for his pulse.

It occurred to Abby her father had experienced the ultimate of bad luck—death. And she wondered if the bad luck would continue to plague her life.

She wiped the tears from her face and stood up. She hadn't brought a shovel or a mule and because of it she couldn't perform any of the chores. So, she went back to the cabin. She tied a rope around Charlie and had one of the mules pull him out of her cabin. She stopped the mule after it had dragged Charlie's dead body a hundred paces into the meadow and near the tree line. She decided it was where she would bury him. The next morning she took a mule and a shovel and went back to where her father had been killed. She had the mule drag her father's body back to the open field next to Charlie's body. And then she buried the two of them. It took nearly four hours, and when she was finished she went back to the cabin and cried.

It was nearly one in the afternoon when she was finished crying. She was feeling weak and exhausted, but she took her bow and arrows, and sword, and went back to the forest to look for the bear. She tracked him about seventy-five paces from where she had found her father. The bear was lying dead with a sword run through his back and out his chest. Once she had retrieved the sword and skinned the bear, she went back to work. She checked the traps, skinned the animals, and salted some of the meat. She would continue to work and she would continue to cry, but she realized the day would come when she would cry no more. She decided no one could know she was living by herself in the mountains, so whenever anyone would ask how her father was doing, she would tell them he was fine and loving the good-life in the mountains.

A year passed and it was half way through the summer when she decided to make another trip to Eternal Haven. She loaded the mules with furs and pelts and made her way down the mountain. She entered the general store with several mink pelts under her arm. Burt was happy to see her; and especially happy to see the mules were loaded with furs and pelts. As they concluded their business, Burt said, I haven't seen Charlie in over a year now, has something happened to him?

No. He just hates coming to town, so he asked me if I would bring his furs and pelts for him, and I agreed to do it.

I have to say it's fortunate for him, he has someone like you to help him out.

She put the gold coins in her leather bag and said, Yes it is. She put the bag in her backpack, said 'good-bye,' and walked away from the counter. She walked through doorway and onto the boardwalk.

She exited the town with her mule train in tow and started them up the dirt road heading up the mountain. They had gone a little more than three miles when she came around a curve and saw people in front of her, about a hundred and twenty paces. She immediately brought her mules to a halt. There ahead of her were four recruiters with a chain of slaves. It wasn't her intention to become attached to the chain, so she backed up her mule train and waited. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't aware there were two recruiters coming up from behind her. They had just finished getting their supplies in Eternal Haven, and they were hurrying to catch up with the others.

When they were twenty paces away, she heard the clomping of the mules' hooves. She whirled around and there they were—two of the meanest, ugliest men she had ever seen. They were leading five mules and closing on her as fast as the mules would go.

Abby quickly reviewed her situation searching for avenues of escape—but there weren't any. The mountain to the right was too steep, and the drop off on the left was nothing but a jagged cliff. She couldn't run forward, and she couldn't run back. She was trapped and soon she would be a slave being taken over the mountain. And the luck of the Battle family continues, she thought.

Chapter 3

It was a well-worn path the jester followed up the mountain as he fled from Emon. It was his plan to cross over the Cloudskil Mountains and make his way to the city of Lost Haven. There he would seek an audience with the ruler of the kingdom for a position as a jester of the court, and there he could remain hidden in plain sight. He would do nothing out of the ordinary which might attract the attention of Lor Dak, the monster. But if the monster was able to somehow find him, then he would once again flee, in order to serve his final mission, which was given to him by King Tba-dee. He was to protect the pendant at all costs and to make certain Emon never came into possession of it. He understood to do this he had to stay clear of Emon. If he had to, he would journey across the northern land bridge to the other continent and find a place to hide where Emon would never find him. The jester was hoping he wouldn’t have to go there. He was hoping Lor Dak would never find him in Lost Haven.

The jester continued up the path toward the snowy inclines. In his one hundred thousand years of existence he had never been out of the City of Id—none of the androids had ever left the city, and therefore he had learned nothing about the outside world. He had to learn as he traveled. The one thing he had learned, even as he had already witnessed in the city of the Ancients, was the weaknesses of the humans, even the Ancients. They were inferior in every way to the androids, which made it easy for him to move about in the land of the humans without worry of being mugged by homeless, penniless people or attacked by vicious criminals. He had stopped at a small village by the name of Eternal Haven. It had a population of about five thousand people and it was located near the base of the Cloudskil Mountains. It was there he had asked many questions, and the answers gave him a better understanding of the geographical structure and the political structure of the continent. He found it puzzling for the yearly temperature in and around Eternal Haven—about a thirty mile diameter, to never vary much more than five degrees. It was always a pleasant temperature at or near seventy-eight degrees. It was the same as the City of Id where the year round temperature never varied more than a few degrees. But it was understandable. The temperature of the City of Id had been regulated by the Ancients by both its geographical location and the constant temperature of the swamps. But Eternal Haven was close to the mountains and much further north, so how could the temperature be this pleasant year round? The citizens had told him it wasn’t like this in the other villages nearby, such as Mountain Ridge, which was thirty-two miles to the south. The people of Eternal Haven didn’t understand it, but they assumed it had to do with the winds, or possibly there was something warm beneath the ground. Whatever it was, it raised no questions with the people. They took it for granted, and they enjoyed the pleasant weather. When the jester asked one man why the population wasn’t larger, the man explained a lot of people loved the changing of the seasons, which made the jester think the humans were addle brained. Since the jester was inexperienced when it came to snow or cold weather, he asked the same man to explain it. The man snickered as if he was dealing with a simpleton, but nevertheless he went into great detail, including the concept of freezing to death. It was then the jester realized he would need winter clothes to keep his skin and muscles from withering and dying as he crossed over the mountain. If it happened, then when he was once again in warmer weather, the organic tissues of his skin and muscles would begin to rot and fall from his metal endoskeleton. This would put him in a desperate situation. It would make it much more difficult for him to escape from Emon. He was glad he had asked the man about freezing weather.

Even though Eternal Haven had warm weather year round, the one and only clothing shop in Eternal Haven sold not only clothes for pleasant weather, but also clothes for the cold climes, because Eternal Haven was the closest village to the path leading over the mountain. He bought a thick, long-sleeved shirt, a heavy fur coat with a hood, thick, fur-lined gloves, and heavy leather, fur-lined boots. The store keeper told him the clothes would keep him warm enough to make it over the mountain.

When the jester left the village he traveled at a fast walk. Even though Emon didn’t know which direction the jester had taken, he still wanted to get out of Falshadow as quickly as possible. Since he was an android he could walk a fast pace all the way to Lost Haven without stopping and without sleeping. He could even run if he wanted, but since he felt Emon would not be able to find him, the jester believed a fast walk was good enough. When he got to the top of the mountain he planned to stop a while and take in the scenery. Several of the village people had told him the view from a number of different vantage points was wondrous. He was also told it would take several weeks to make the journey, but he had ascertained it wouldn’t take him so long, and when he left, instead of taking a mule train loaded with supplies—mostly food, which he was advised to do, he simply took a backpack.

He had been traveling nearly three days up the path—walking and no sleeping. Yesterday he had encountered patches of white snow. He had picked some of it up and rubbed it with his hands together. His sensors told him the snow gave off a temperature of below freezing. It wouldn’t be good for his skin and muscles and therefore he would stay out of the snow. There continued to be patches of snow, and he continued to walk around them. Today, the sun was disappearing over the small mountain range to the west, and to the left of the path was a shear drop off—nearly two thousand feet to a high mountain valley below. As he rounded a bend he came upon a group of men and women who had stopped for the night. They had pulled off onto a large clearing in the woods to the right of the path. Their pack mules were near the tree line. The large fire they had built, which was nearly ten feet in diameter, appeared most enticing. His face was very cold, because he had no clothing over it to protect it from the harsh elements. He was thinking he should have bought a scarf to put over his face. Maybe he could buy one from these people. Hello, he called out. He believed it would be best to be cordial with these inferior beings, especially since he had to hide amongst them wherever he went. No one responded, which prompted him to study this group of humans in greater detail. He noticed six big men. With their unkempt appearances they presented themselves as rugged and mean. They all had beards, and two of them had scars on their faces. They walked and talked in a gruff manner. He had seen quite a number of these types of men in the City of Id just before they were taken to the Emon test. They weren’t quite so mean as they were being cut into pieces. Other than these six men, he noticed four young women and twelve young men. Since they weren’t wearing heavy winter clothing, they were huddled close to the fire. Suddenly the jester noticed they were all chained together, and he wondered why. He believed the metal cuffs would be awfully cold against their skin. He viewed the mean, rugged-looking man which he believed was probably the leader. He was the man standing and watching the young people as the other five rugged men went about tending to chores, which was gathering wood for the huge fire and retrieving food and blankets from the pack mules. Might I share some of your fire? he called out to the leader.

The man turned and motioned the jester to come to the fire, and at the same time, the jester got the impression the man was studying him. The man looked him up and down quite closely as if he were considering what he might be able to steal from him. The jester chuckled to himself. Would this man dare to accost a lone traveler? Was it done in the human world? The jester moved to the fire and sat down next to a young woman, who was chained to the young man to her right. Through the sensors embedded in his metal, he could feel the warmth from the fire on his face and it felt good. It was another new experience in this world. He turned to the young woman. Obviously she was a prisoner of the thugs. Finally, curiosity got the best of him, and since he had no fear of these men, he asked the young woman, Why are you chained to these other young people? Have you committed a crime in the human world?

The young woman shook her head indicating ‘no,’ but remained quiet.

The jester could only assume her fear of the big men, and her exhaustion and exposure to the cold, kept her from saying anything. As he studied the young woman, the jester realized Maiden had been right. None of those people who came to the City of Id for thousands of years were Emon. They had no special powers like Lor Dak—the true Emon, but for some reason the king had an aversion to humans and he put them all to the Emon test. It didn’t matter much one way or the other to the jester what the king did to those people, but as he considered this young woman’s plight, he realized he had a slight compassion for her. He realized she wasn’t a criminal, but he couldn’t figure out why these men would chain these young people together and take them over the mountain.

I can answer your question, said a voice from behind.

The jester repositioned himself until he was sitting more to the right. He turned his head to his shoulder. The leader was standing eight feet away.

The man said, These men and women are recruits. They will become soldiers for the queen of Mount Castle More. They will fight in the war.

The war? asked the jester. What war?

The man sneered. What war? he repeated with a tone as if this man were an ignorant fool. The war between Mount Castle More and Lone Castle Ride, of course. He walked over and stepped to the side of the jester so he could better study him. He said, "You must be from the kingdom of the Far North, either that or you’re from the other continent. You might be retarded, but