Ghost of Whisper Creek
Chapter 4: Thornvale

The road to Thornvale was traveled with little complication for the main group of Krita’s force, but she was angered if unsurprised that the scouts she sent ahead had not returned to the group before they reached the city. After riding around quite a few farms they arrived at the gates of the city and were met by a lone mounted knight. Walril and Trakas had replaced Morn and Horeak at the front with Krita and Megwan. Trakas smiled at their greeter and gave a loud hoot.

“Vidas! Trakas is that you?” the knight called out with a laugh.

Trakas rode forward ignoring the order of command. He gave Oblekt a slap on the hind quarters to hurry Krita’s horse as well. When he arrived face to face with the knight he stopped and pulled the helmet from his head. When Krita stopped along side he gave a nod, “Lady Krita Rodsvard, may I introduce my brother, Lord Knight Horbin Thorne.”

The knight removed his helm, making it obvious that he was at least half a decade Trakas’ senior, and lowered his shoulders in the best saddle-born bow that Krita had ever seen. “You honor us with your presence my Lady. Your uncle passed through not long ago.”

“It is that trip that we come searching for information regarding, Ser,” Krita stated coldly. The man might be a trusted lieutenant’s brother, but her suspicions lay in his city. “First, however I sent scouts ahead. If you had seen them I don’t suppose you would be surprised to see your brother or myself. Which means they’ve gone missing, as my uncle’s troops did as well.”

Lord Knight Thorne chuckled, “The Ghost, I suppose you will be blaming him, or it, or them.”

Krita glared at the night cautiously, “You are the first I’ve spoken to about the Ghost who doesn’t seem to take him seriously. Rumors said that he took some of your own men. Seeing as how I am just from Linmead I know they did not leave your city for the purpose said rumors described. What have you heard of this Ghost?”

Ser Horbin straightened in his saddle and grabbed his reins. “The matter should not be discussed in the open. That’s how rumors spread,” he said gruffly. “You and your commanders are welcome to stay the night in Sterling Keep. Thornvale is too small however to shelter all of your troops. What did you bring with you a hundred?”

“There abouts,” Krita answered vaguely, “Plus a few, minus the missing scouts. You could say a hundred and wouldn’t be far off.”

“Aye,” Horbin said with a smile having confidence in his own battlefield knowledge. “Like I said I can house your captains and of course yourself,” he pointed to Megwan, “And the girl. The rest I would suggest push through the town and camp off the road to Lakeburn.”

Krita gave a nod, “Trakas I suspect you can find you way to Sterling Keep no?” Trakas gave a nod of his head and Krita smiled, “And would know a good secure place for the troops to set up camp?” Again there was a nod of his dark haired head. “Good. Walril and I will go ahead with your brother, after the men are settled return with Morn, Horeak and Fruorin.”

Krita left Megwan to settle her stuff into the quarters that they were given, much to the younger girl’s dismay. Ser Horbin hosted Krita and Walril in what she assumed was supposed to be Oratory, though it did not appear that the Lord Knight, his Lady wife or their son used the room for prayers as it was intended. It looked more like Lord Ammon’s map room.

Krita was the first into the room then Walril and finally Ser Horbin. “So what do you know about the Ghost?” Lady Rodsvard asked in a harsh tone. Neither House Thorne nor House Hubor had been very accommodating to their new Lord. Ammon didn’t trust either, but he didn’t trust his wife or children half of the time. Krita’s mistrust came from the use of Thornvale as a rumor and no one’s willingness to support this rumor with fact.

“Nothing,” the Lord Knight answered calmly, “harasses my scouts from time to time. Heard a story about some ignorant young men who made for Linmead and went missing. They were gone for a week or so, was blamed on this Ghost, but they came back scratched and bruised, but having seen no ghost and having no mead for their troubles.”

“Did you hear the one about the Varless traveling home from Visby who managed to lose their guards? Or that my Uncle returned to Kronnborg with less men than he left Visby with?” Krita questioned.

“Actual Varless? Or traveling vagrants who follow the Lord and his merry court around Ra’vain?” Ser Horbin returned questions. “I’ve not seen an actual relative of Lord Florian in quite some time. Traveling minstrels and artists come through the town like water flows through the Skagit River from the Dragon’s Back to North Lake. I’ve heard nothing of any befalling hard times on the roads.”

“I don’t know whether they were actual Varless or merely travelers in the Lord’s company. It does not matter, the rumor has it that they arrived in Faydell, dirty, weary and minus their swords. It could be as much an exageration as the story of your young men and the Ghost,” Krita said though her tone betrayed the fact that she did not believe that. “The only thing I know for sure is that between Visby and Kronnborg my uncle lost men, and now that I have come close to Thornvale I am missing my scouting party.”

“The woods around here can be tricky. I would have expected Trakas to say as much, growing up he, Maison and I often were lost in those woods.” Ser Horbin answered dismissing the coincidence between scouts missing at this moment and a plot against the Rodsvards. “Besides,” he continued, “Your men wear as much orange and hare as they do red and fish.”

“So you think someone targeted my uncles men?” Krita asked quickly.

“Why not,” Thorne retorted, “Many disliked the Arandil, but they were here by right. They heed the call of the King, and your people took advantage of that and won this land without honor.”

Krita smiled, “Tell me Lord Knight. Does honor warm your body? Wet your tongue? Fill your belly?” she asked in a good natured tone. Ser Horbin shrugged and then shook his head. “Then your barbarian overlords say to shove honor up your ass. We were quite content in our real home until the land turned on us. Then an arrangement was made to help your hated Lord Arandil, in return he would give us the land that now belongs to the Varless. He took our help and then killed our small folk. Where was your Ra’vish honor then?”

Ser Horbin gave a chuckle, “Does your father still have the parchment that deal was made on? It’s worth about as much as Lord Mardil’s honor. In truth I’m not sad to see him go, but his whole family. The Lady was a Hubor, you have to understand their feelings for your family. I follow the King’s law, as long as your family follows those demands you will have no problem from the Lord Knight of Thornvale. I keep only enough soldiers here to protect the village and the keep, the rest who wish to serve in that sense go to Visby or well...used to be North Port, now just Visby.”

Krita gave a laugh, “No one want’s to be part of the She-wolves Bunnies?” she asked in good humor.

Ser Norbin gave his own chuckle, “The way I understand it your own men people don’t seek out serving with you my Lady. Your father keeps your troops to the background. My brother and some other good fighting men have found themselves at your side you should be happy at that.”

“Aye, you heard right Lord Knight. The Bunnies do not have a proud tradition, but I’ve been very happy with the troops of Ra’vain.” She turned a bit serious before continuing, “When there is a true Ra’vish war that breaks out the way people view me and my men will change.”

“Or when your father dies,” Ser Horbin remarked in a cold tone. “I don’t think your brother has spent the efforts to rebuild Old North, to abandon it when Lord Ammon passes authority to him. Your uncle might seize power for a moment, ultimately Lord Nils will have his say over the lands, but someone will have to sit the seat of...Kronnborg. I don’t think that will be your younger sister. And your Uncle will not be alive much longer than your father.”

“You give father too much credit, and think too little of my uncle,” Krita said with a grin. “You have quite the lay of House Rodsvard since, I can’t recall you meeting any of us. Have you spent time in Old North?”

Ser Horbin shook his head, “Unless the King has need of me and my few men I don’t leave Thornvale. When I was young I was fostered at Visby, taught what it took to be a Lord as much as a knight. My father sent my brothers to be House Thorne’s fighters. I was to see to the village as if I actually were a lord.”

“So you learned tactics and sizing up what your opponent will do in given situations?” Krita asked curiously. Ser Horbin gave an affirmative nod. “Well then how would you deal with this Ghost? How would you find it? Where would you start looking?”

“People don’t just invent an outlaw’s name. It’s suggested in rumor and then takes off,” Ser Horbin started. “There are many places in the forest that would protect a band of outlaws, but only the ‘old stories’ spoke of ghosts in the woods. There is an old man in Lakeburn, descendant of the old folks, keeper of their stories. He can tell you where the old ghosts lie. That is where I would start.”

Krita eyed the knight cautiously, “But you said my uncle came to Thornvale with his full complement of men.”

“I said your uncle made no complaint to me. Not that he had his full complement,” the old knight answered smugly.

“That you did, yet you knew the number to the man that I brought with me from Kronnborg,” she retorted with a smile. “Are you telling me that you couldn’t do the same with my uncle’s force when he passed through here...twice?”

Horbin frowned, “You will make a good Lady. I knew his numbers and he arrived each time with the same amount. His losses occurred after leaving Thornvale for the second time. But that does not mean that the Ghost, is harbored to the west. It only means that he attacked your uncles men west of here. As I said there are many placed in the forest to hide.”

Krita laughed, “It also means that I can’t entirely trust you with your little omission of information. Unfortunately I have no clues as to where you might hide this Ghost so I will take your suggestion for now.”

Before the Lord Knight could respond there was a rap at the door. Ser Horbin used the peephole to see that Krita’s lieutenants had arrived. He opened the door and looked them over curiously. “Where is my brother?”

Horeak, Leomorn and Fruorin looked at Krita shrugging. “Trakas,” she answered their confusion.

“Said he had business to attend to. It had been too long since he was home,” Fruorin answered. “Knew the bastard was from Thornvale. Didn’t know he was related to the Lord Knight.”

“Trakas Thorne?” Krita asked with bite to her words. “You didn’t make the connection?”

Fruorin smiled, “I know who rules the Sterling Keep, I’m from Visby as you know. Had to travel through here when I reported to serve in North Port. Never exchanged House names with Trakas.”

Ser Horbin chuckled, “Not surprising. We had it out before he left. He had wanted to go with Maison, but father said he was too young, he would have to wait. It wasn’t in Trakas to quarrel with our father, but father passed less than a year later. With me he had no trouble quarrelling. He left without permission. As to his business. I’d check the Wolfswift farm. Owner’s sister is still pining away from Trakas. Corella said he was going to bring her to North Port til you folk arrived.”

Krita gave a shrug, “Let Trakas have his fun, so long as he doesn’t do any harm with the brother in doing so.” She gave Horbin a look that said the last bit was a question not a statement.

“Wiben won’t cause any trouble,” Horbin stated confidently. “He knows how his sister feels about Trakas, and probably more importantly he knows what Trakas does and how quick his temper can be. The sword at Trakas’ side will stop any quarrel before it begins.” He waved the remaining soldiers and Krita towards the Oratory’s door. “I have already dined, the kitchens are at your disposal however. I assume your lieutenants won’t need my help finding their quarters.” Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Krita shook her head as she led the way to the door, “Thank you for the hospitality Lord Knight. If you don’t mind I’ll ask around town in the morning before I gather my troops and head on to Lakeburn.”

“Of course not,” the knight answered with a smile. “And I will get the name and location of that old man for you.” Krita nodded her thanks a last time and led her men to the kitchens and then their quarters.

In the morning Krita and her lieutenants minus Trakas went to the townsfolk with their questions. Everythings seemed to add up and with no further clues to keep them in Thornvale they headed to the camp outside of town and packed up making for Lakeburn with the name Zankin Northdrake to follow. Krita hoped that Trakas would follow in his time, but didn’t fault him for wanting to feel something of home.

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