Benlunar - Episode 17
Leaving Hundsberg.
The Roads of Alicium run through it like veins
From small paths down mountains to city built lanes
They’ll guide you home or take you away
Or make you visit village that begs you to stay
Up through the pass, down through the grass
Stick to your map, veer not from the path
Or perhaps take an unfamiliar bend
After all, the aim of the song is the tune not the end
A jolt of pain shot out from Lilian’s neck as she was pulled backwards. She breathed in a large gulp of air in shock as her head was jerked back, the hand over her mouth smelled of earth and animal. Her instinct was to struggle, but whoever held her was strong and had a firm grip. The sound of the rain drowned out her panicked footsteps and the other people on the deck where she had been standing, all had their hoods up and so had not noticed her being dragged away. Her heart was beating quickly and she tried to shove her left elbow into her assailant’s solar plexus, that weak spot below the centre of the ribcage which, when struck, knocks the air from your lungs. She felt her elbow connect and she heard a sickened grunt but the hit just seemed to strengthen her attacker’s resolve and their grip tightened on her face and body.
Mr Attorcop was scanning the crowd to see if he could find Lilian. The rain had made everyone put their damn hoods up so he had to shift and turn to peer into each one as he passed. He worried that the man who’d given him the red dog and the dark green cloak was going to realise what he was doing, but he had to risk it, Lilian’s safety was his priority, the rest would take care of itself. The dog was playing its part brilliantly. Mr Attorcop guessed that it had been trained to follow various masters. He pushed his way through the crowd checking hoods as he went and when he reached the stage he looked up and made eye-contact with Zinnia. She was standing heads and shoulders above the other townsfolk. Her dog Otto was sitting by her side, a thin line of drool falling from his jowls onto the wooden platform they were standing on. Zinnia continued to address the crowd in her native language. Mr Attorcop crossed his fingers and prayed to several gods that she had found the note he had hidden for her earlier that day. He had had to write quickly and mainly rely on guesswork, but his intuitions had been mostly correct. The one contingent he had not forseen had been the man’s eagerness to use Lilian as collateral, hence his current desire to check on her safety. Her absence from the crowd was not a good sign. But Zinnia’s lingering eye-contact was and Mr Attorcop took it as confirmation that the note with his instructions had been found. And so he leapt into action. He jumped onto the platform and drew the blade he had been given. He made sure not to turn around and show his face to the crowd whilst still letting them see the knife. He was happy to hear a loud gasp coming from the people in the square. Dogs began to bark and people shouted at him to stop, but Mr Attorcop was already mid swing. The knife rushed up towards Zinnia’s chest but she was ready for it. Her leather braced forearms came down to meet his wrist and the blow was believably blocked. Otto was being distracted by the red dog so that he could not interfere with Mr Attorcop’s plan. He brought the knife back and twisted round for another attack, he made sure not to do any feints or illusions as he would normally in a fight such as this, it had to look believable but not genuinely dangerous. It was a tough balance but Zinnia played her part to perfection. After blocking his second attack she even let herself be hit by Mr Attorcop’s left hook. This put the crowd into a panic and several people started clambering up onto the platform in the hopes of putting a stop to the fight. Mr Attorcop took the opportunity of turning and kicking them off to glance into the crowd once more in order to check for Lilian, finally, after the third cloaked figure was pushed off into a puddle on the increasingly wet floor, he saw her. She was struggling in the shadows of an awning, a man’s hand was gripping her mouth and for a split second he worried, but then saw something that convinced that she would be safe.
Lilian, for her part, did not feel safe. She had seen how the crowd had become distracted and saw quick flashes of movement coming from the stage. She heard dogs barking and people shouting and felt herself beginning to panic. This sensation triggered her training and she quickly realised that panicking was not going to help her. She needed to regain control and pick what aspects of the situation she wanted to use. She took a second to take a deep breath and assess her surrounding. Struggling against the grip had proved useless, but if her attacker had wanted her dead she would have felt a blade in her back by now. She decided to spend her energy on figuring out why this was the case. Instead of struggling to free herself she relaxed her body and tried to twist her head to get a look at her attacker’s free arm. It took some doing but by bringing her chin to her chest and looking down to her left she was able to catch a glimpse as to what was happening to her side. It seemed that her attacker had more to contend with than just Lilian struggling against his grip. The first thing she saw was the knife, clean and short, the kind you might find in a workshop or building site. Next she saw Fritha’s large cat-like eyes, despite the dim light of the evening they shone like candle flames and Lilian could have sworn they were illuminating the hand that was holding the knife. The same hand that Fritha’s large teeth were currently buried in. Lilian saw blood trickling down the wrist and into the attacker’s sleeve. It was a marvel that they had not cried out in pain this whole time. Fritha was growling in her low clunking way, sounding like a stick being dragged along a metal gate. Her coat was dark and purple making her body blend into the shadows that surrounded her. Only her eyes were clearly visible and they continued to burn brightly. Lilian was tracking their movement and waiting for an opportunity. When she saw Fritha yank her head back in a particularly vicious attempt to get the knife away, Lilian saw her opportunity. She felt her attacker’s balance shift and she forced her weight round so as to push them off balance even further. She felt their step move to compensate and she took advantage of their distraction. Lilian rammed her right elbow into their ribs and forced herself under the arm that held her. Instead of kicking and running however she span round and used the momentum of the spin to bring her right fist quickly up and into her attacker’s chin. Lilian managed to see Bardat’s eyes widen in surprise just before her knuckles connected with his jaw. The speed of the punch had been enough to disorientate him and a final pull from Fritha dragged him to the ground with a heavy thud. He dropped the knife as he fell and Lilian kicked it away. A young man who was standing on the deck looked down as the handle hit his boot. This was enough for him to catch the commotion out of the corner of his eye and he tapped his friend on the shoulder and shouted something in his native language. They pulled Lilian away and held Bardat on the floor with his arm twisted behind his back. Lilian saw that Bardat’s dog had been sitting a few feet away, confused and shaking not wanting his master hurt, but never hearing the order to defend him. Lilian didn’t struggle against the men who pulled her away from him, she knew they would understand once everything had been explained. Instead she called Fritha to her side and looked up to see if she could see the stage. She was taken aback by what she found. The man with the red dog was standing on the stage, frozen in place with a knife to Zinnia’s throat. Zinnia was not moving and it seemed as though he might drag his knife across her throat at any second. But no such thing happened. The people in the crowd were scared to approach any further, worried that the desperate man would do something drastic if they moved too quickly or unpredictably. To Lilian’s amazement the man turned to look at the crowd and she saw Mr Attorcop’s familiar face beneath the hood. Had he betrayed her, she wondered? Had he finally succumbed to madness? And why wasn’t he moving? His eyes seemed to be scanning the crowd as if looking for some reason to cut Zinnia’s throat. Lilian looked at Zinnia’s face and found it to be strangely calm. She too was looking into the crowd, rather than directly at her attacker. Lilian followed their gaze across the sea of confused and scared townsfolk. Her eye was drawn to a commotion at the back of the square. Three men and their dogs were struggling to subdue a fourth man. In the commotion his hood and mask slipped off to reveal a sharp, angular face that Lilian did not recognise. But his eyes, they were familiar. They were the eyes she had seen several nights ago when she had fought him and the red dog in the alleyway. She had assumed that Mr Attorcop had been that man because the dog had been following him, could dogs be trained to follow other masters? Other people were now turning to watch the struggle. The man began to shout in protest, Lilian couldn’t understand his words but they did not seem kind. He flailed and punched wildly trying to escape but one of the men held his cloak in a tight grip and had instructed his black and white dog to do the same. Distracted, the man did not see a leather gloved fist from one his attackers swing round and it connected with his cheek knocking him into a daze. The man struggled to find his balance and his three attackers took the opportunity to twist his arms behind his back and tie his wrists together with rope. The crowd gasped as a long knife was taken from the man’s belt. Lilian turned back to the stage, Mr Attorcop had dropped his knife and was standing behind Zinnia. Once the man had been secured Zinnia spoke up, this time Lilian could understand her.
“I’m sorry everyone for the confusion. This attack on my life was planned by this man.” She gestured over the crowd to the man that had just been captured.
“Our dear friend here,” Zinnia continued, turning back to Mr Attorcop, “Warned me that something would happen today. So when he attacked I knew I had to play along. Meanwhile we’ve managed to capture the one responsible for those hateful messages and before he could do any real damage.” At this point, Lilian spoke up.
“He wasn’t alone!” She cried out. Many people turned to look at her and she drew their attention to Bardat who was still struggling against the strength of his captors, one of which brandished his knife in the air. Mr Attorcop’s voice pierced the growing murmurs.
“I believe there were probably others. It seems to me as though Hundsberg has things to discuss and changes to make. For now, please all go about your business.” It seemed as though he was about to say more when a shout came from the captured man at the back of the crowd. He’d used the distraction to shove one of the guards aside and break free. His arms were still tied so he had difficulty balancing as he stepped back.
“You’re all making a mistake. I love this town and I will do whatever it takes to save it. She is going to suffocate us.” Lilian saw tears streaming down his eyes. He almost tripped whilst backing away and caught himself in time to turn on his heal and begin to run. His dog, loyal to the end, distracted the guards by biting one of them on the leg. The man was not 5 seconds gone however when a bolt of brown fur flew from the crowd, jumped up and knocked him down to the ground. Leonardo’s jaws were poised over the man’s throat awaiting the order from Stephanie who was walking calmly out of the audience. Lilian watched the man shake with fear as Stephanie approached, moved Leonardo aside and hoisted the man to his feet in one swift motion. The crowd were dispersing slowly and she frog marched the sharp faced man to the stage where Zinnia and Mr Attorcop were still standing.
“Take him to the Kreis Hutte, and tie him up.” Zinnia spoke in a low and serious tone. Stephanie set off with the three guards following closely behind. Bardat was taken too and Lilian breathed a sigh of relief now that the ordeal was over. She looked back at Mr Attorcop who seemed distracted. His attention had been taken from the sharp faced man and was being directed to the red dog that he’d left behind. Lilian almost laughed, imagining what might be going through his head. She knew him well enough by now to know that another mouth to feed was not something he would welcome happily. Lilian approached the stage with Fritha by her side. She noticed that the red dog was staring intently into the dispersing crowd. A man in an old soldier's jacket was standing still, the only one in the crowd not currently leaving the square. He was looking at the red dog still stood placidly next to Mr Attorcop. Lilian couldn’t discern the look on his face but she noticed that he had no dog by his side. The man’s eyes glistened beneath his hood. He crouched down and began beckoning the red dog to him. It did not move. It looked at him and then looked away.
“She won’t come.” Mr Attorcop spoke loudly over the rain. The old soldier stood up.
“She’s my dog. Her name is Cleo.” Mr Attorcop narrowed his eyes and stepped off the wooden stage. The dog remained.
“She won’t come, Siegfried.” The old soldier’s fist began to clench and shake.
“She is my dog and I want her home now.” Mr Attorcop lowered his voice and stood very close to him.
“You can shout and scream all you like. But you betrayed her and she will never forgive you. You don’t deserve her.” With that he walked past the soldier, raised his left hand and clicked his fingers. Cleo the red dog sprang forward and leapt off the stage and ran to Mr Attorcop’s side without giving Siegfried a second glance.
Later, in Hunderberg’s central hut Lilian sat on a wooden stool with Fritha by her side watching the deliberations. She discovered that the sharp faced man who had attacked her several nights ago was called Milian. He had been a scout like Stephanie and Bardat but had disappeared months ago. The prevailing thought was that he had left the village or died out in the woods but Mr Attorcop explained how he must have been living under the old grave site since then. Guards were dispatched to retrieve the dogs from their cages there.
“You see, most people in Hundsberg wonder about with hoods and masks covering their faces,” Mr Attorcop was stood by the fire explaining his theories to the small crowd gathered in the hut. “This helps to protect you from the rain and wind isn’t a problem when everyone in town knows everyone else by their dog. Using various different dogs Mr Milian here was able to come in and out of town with his face masked but still disguised.” The small crowd murmured and nodded in understanding. Milian himself was close by, kneeling on the wooden floor and flanked by two burly looking guards and their large black and brown dogs. An elderly woman spoke up, Lilian recognised her as the woman who had given her the sour berry a few days ago which Fritha seemed to love so much. As an elder of Hundsberg she clearly held a position of respect in the community. Her voice was low and soft.
“Woher hat er die hunde?” Mr Attorcop looked at Zinnia for a translation.
“Where did he get the dogs?” She asked.
“Ah. Well it’s not uncommon to see people in Hundsberg without a dog, albeit a little strange. I believe that he managed to convince others of his cause and persuaded them to let him use their dogs in return for some reward.” At this, Bardat, who was similarly tied and guarded spoke up.
“There was no reward. Only the promise of actual change.” His mask had been taken off and Lilian saw his youthful face was red with anger. Zinnia’s eyes narrowed at the comment. She breathed deeply and a silence fell upon the room. Lilian’s head was spinning with information and she felt that she could no longer hold her tongue.
“Ms Zinnia.” She said softly. Zinnia looked up at her along with everyone else in the room, even a few of the dogs turned their heads. Lilian took their silence as permission to speak.
“I don’t want to overstep my welcome, I know my uncle and I are outsiders here. But I don’t think that everyone that Milian had helping him, knew what he was planning to do. The people of Hunderberg clearly respect you a lot but…” Lilian was having trouble choosing her words properly. Zinnia gestured for her to continue.
“It’s okay Amilia. I’m a grown woman, you will not hurt my feelings.” A few people in the crowd smiled. Lilian appreciated the comment, but nevertheless was finding it hard to say what she wanted. Suddenly, she felt a warmth and feeling of comfort overcome her, it gave her the confidence she needed to speak clearly.
“I think there are a lot of people who see Hundsberg’s potential.” Lilian caught Stephanie’s eyes and she smiled. “I think people see the quality of your food, of the things you make of the skills you have and they think, you know, why aren’t we sharing this with the world? I think they feel like Hundsberg is scared to change and they are scared that Hundsberg is suffering.” At this, an older man sat on Zinnia’s left side spoke.
“These young people don’t understand. I was a boy when the red plague was killing thousands, I saw the outside world ravaged by war and by the greed of the expanding empire. Through all of this, Hundsberg has been safe and untouched. Yes, now we have relative peace in Alicium but what if another war breaks out? Hm? One raid and Hundsberg is wiped out!” There were murmurs of agreement, mainly from the older folk in the room. Zinnia stayed silent. Stephanie rolled her eyes and stood up.
“You think we are not in danger just because we stay hidden in the forest? Look at what has happened today!” She raised her voice and an excited Leonardo began to bark. Stephanie calmed him by sitting back down and scratching his ears.
“We cannot escape danger as a community no matter what choices we make. I think there must be ways that we can slowly introduce change and see how it goes. No one is forcing everyone in Hundsberg to leave their homes tonight.” Zinnia unfolded her arms.
“What do you suggest?” At this Stephanie shook her head and looked back at Lilian. Lilian was equally unsure.
“I have a few ideas.” said Mr Attorcop. All eyes turned back to him, he was sitting on a bench with the red dog by his feet. Lilian was enjoying this new found forced friendship. It certainly made everything Mr Attorcop did, a little less serious.
“My niece and I passed an inn before entering the forest. Many people stop there before journeying through the valley or into the hills. It also crosses a road that leads to Freedos. I suggest taking some of the fine pelts and leather goods you make here and selling them at the crossroads. You could probably also sell the sweet drink you make to the inn for extra income. I say you use the money to buy a cart and start trading to the surrounding area. There will always be dangers on the road and there are whispers of a renewed conflict with Doma but I’ve seen how competently Hundsberg scouts can fight, I shouldn’t think you need to worry.” Stephanie was beaming at the suggestions.
“Yes! And then next year we can build something nearer the road so we don’t have to travel too far to trade.”
“And if that works,” added Lilian, “people might slowly start living there and that could be a second Hundsberg, or even a new town entirely.” The expressions around the room betrayed a multitude of reactions. Some faces were worried, others were hopeful. A couple were angry but only Zinnia’s face was calm and collected. She looked over to the guards and spoke a sharp sentence in her native tongue. Milian and Bardat were hoisted to their feet and marched out of the hut, presumably to be locked away until their fate was decided. Zinnia turned to the assembly.
“When you and your uncle arrived here with Fritha the Angsthund, I knew there would be changes to come.” Lilian felt nervous to be addressed in front of all these people, as if the fate of Hundsberg was resting on her shoulders, “Change is like a river.” Zinnia continued, “You cannot stop it from flowing, but with some effort you can direct where it goes. I like this idea of trading on the main road. We will gather our best goods and start next week. But we focus on fixing the problems we have in Hundsberg before building anything new.” Lilian looked around the room. Stephanie was smiling and excitedly looking at her friends. Several of the older folk were scowling but Lilian was beginning to understand their trepidations. She thought about Benlunar and the amount of worry there must have been when they decided to allow tourists to visit. Occasionally they do cause trouble, but she didn’t think anyone would admit to it being a bad decision these days. A few people got up and slowly people started leaving. Elders would clasp Zinnia’s hands and whisper warnings or good wishes. Stephanie stood up and hugged Lilian.
“Thank you for speaking and for saying what you did. Were you nervous?” She asked.
“At first.” Replied Lilian.
“But then let me guess. You became relaxed and it didn’t seem too bad.” Lilian was taken aback.
“Well. Yes, sort of. How did you…”
“I was watching you.” Said Stephanie with a cheeky grin. “When you began to speak your hand reached out. Have you not noticed what’s happening?” Her eyes darted down to Lilian’s side. Lilian looked and found the source of the warmth she had been experiencing. Absentmindedly, her hand was resting on the side of Fritha’s neck. Her fur was soft and reassuring. Lilian was surprised. She must have been stroking her for some time now, and Fritha was sat still and serene her eyes closed seemingly enjoying the sensation. Each time Lilian caressed her fur it would leave a glowing orange patch, which shone against the deep purple colouring Fritha was currently wearing. Lilian smiled and looked back at Stephanie.
“I think you have a friend for life here now Amelia.”
“Are you talking about you or Fritha?” Said Lilian. Stephanie laughed.
“Both! Of course.”
Lilian and Mr Attorcop left Hundsberg the following day. Tears were shed and promises were made and gifts of food, drink and clothes were given to aid the pair in their travels. Lilian was given new smocks and shoes, all of the finest Hundsberg quality. Stephanie even Gave Lilian a large bag of the sour berries so that her training with Fritha could continue. Lilian thought she would see Fritha’s jaw drop when the bag was handed over. Her nose twitched something silly and her eyes were as wide as dinner plates.
“Please visit us when you come back through the forest.” Stephanie’s voice was muffled by Lilian’s hair as she hugged her tightly.
“Of course!” Replied Lilian. “And good luck with the new ventures, I can’t wait to see how Hundsberg changes in the next few weeks.” Lilian shook Zinnia’s hand and ruffled the ears of all the dogs she could see. Leonardo of course got some extra attention, but no so much as to make Fritha jealous. Mr Attorcop was a short distance away kneeling by a young boy. He was gesturing to the red dog that had not left his side for nearly 12 hours. The boys mother and father were looking on with quaint smiles as the young boy took the red dogs lead and fed him a treat. He turned back to his parents with a smile so wide Lilian thought his face must ache from it. Mr Attorcop approached her, his pack was heavy and he wore his new leather boots and a new blue shirt with white flowers sewn into the collar. He gestured towards the forest.
“Shall we Amelia?”
“You didn’t want to keep her?” Asked Lilian, teasing him.
“I think one hungry red haired lady per travelling party is quite enough.” He replied with a wry smile. Lilian feigned outrage as the two walked over the mud ridge, turning back occasionally to wave goodbye to the curious little town and its canine keeping kin. Lilian was sad to leave but delighted to have been shown the skills necessary to understand her own animal companion. Fritha sensed the move and rushed ahead excitedly displaying green and orange colours with each new smell she discovered. Lilian and Mr Attorcop spoke of their experiences. Mr Attorcop told her more details about Milian’s tomb base and the poor dogs he kept locked up there. He explained how he had left Zinnia a note hidden in Otto’s collar so that only she might find it.
“I knew he was going to want to try something drastic. He wouldn’t have trusted a stranger with anything he knew he could already achieve. He may have started with just writing on walls but I think Zinnia’s death had always been his goal.”
“But she’s an elected leader, wouldn’t her death have just put someone else in charge?” Asked Lillian as she avoided thick tree roots.
“Once people like Milian get an idea into their head, reason is the first thing to leave it. I led him to believe I sympathised with his cause because I wanted him to trust me with something dangerous. If he had been left alone he might have really hurt someone.”
“What would you have done if he hadn’t asked you to kill Zinnia?” Mr Attorcop paused for thought.
“I would have alerted the guards in the crowd. After ensuring your safety. Your inclusion in his plans was one thing I stupidly overlooked. But once I reached the stage and found you in the crowd I knew you would be safe.” Lilian remember how scared she had been with Bardat’s hand covering her mouth as she panicked.
“How could you know though? I didn’t know.” Mr Attorcop smiled and pointed to Fritha.
“I saw her standing behind you with that fellow’s hand in her mouth. She saved you that night in the alley and she was saving you then. I don’t know what she sees in you but I knew she wouldn’t let you come to harm. Besides, I’m an excellent instructor of the combative arts, I believed in my student.” Lilian felt a sense of pride. She had not received Mr Attorcop’s approval since the night she was attacked by Milian in the alley and she admitted to herself that she had missed it. No more reckless mistakes, she thought.
“There was one thing I have been meaning to discuss with you.” Lilian looked up at Mr Attorcop. “The night you went to catch Milian. You said you’d heard him whilst practising your focus exercise. Could you describe what happened exactly?” Lilian remembered the event vividly. She described to him how she had felt as though she was travelling through Hundsberg, how sounds as small as a mouse’s step became as vivid as images on canvas. It was hard to put into words as she could not sense colour or shape, but nonetheless she could explore Hundsberg without leaving the fireside. Mr Attorcop listened intently while they walked, asking few questions until he said,
“How far do you think you explored?” Lilian thought for a minute.
“I’m not really sure. But I could hear Milian’s paint can and I must have walked 10 minutes before I found him.”
“Was it different to other times you’ve practised your focusing?” This question was easier.
“Definitely,” She said.
“How?”
“Well, everything just seemed more vivid, like I was next to the sound, rather than just hearing it from far away.” Mr Attorcop nodded his head.
“Excellent.” He said, “From now on we practise focusing twice then. Once in the morning after breakfast, and again in the evening before sleep. All this on top of our regular defense and attack training as well as your new play sessions with Fritha.” Lilian cocked her head in a question.
“You’ll need to keep up what you learned in Hundsberg or Fritha will just go back to wondering aimlessly around us and all your progress will be lost.” Fritha was currently padding obediently beside Lilian and turned her head with each mention of her name. Lilian smiled and reached out to touch the back of her neck. Her fur was slick and a deep green colour. Lilian was pleased to hear that Mr Attorcop was taking their relationship more seriously and Lilian was glad to dedicate time each day to playing with and teaching her animal companion.
And so the journey continued. Each day they stuck to a rigorous routine of training that involved focus practise, fighting and playing. All of the new activities meant that travel time was limited but Lilian noticed that this didn’t seem to bother Mr Attorcop. He was content to take his time if it meant that training was going well. He was pleased with Lilian’s progress and by the end of their 2nd week on the road, he finally said the sentence Lilian didn’t even know she had been waiting all this time to hear.
“Right,” He said, “I think it’s about time I taught you some magic.”