Over the Dunes a Rider Comes Read online

  Over the Dunes a Rider Comes

  Vaughn Hansen

  Copyright © 2017 by Vaughn Hansen

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1548404383

  Title: Over the Dunes a Rider Comes

  Author: Vaughn Hansen

  Digital distribution | 2017

  Paperback | 2017

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated with love to my mother and Stepfather Lois and Ralph Whitaker.

  With thanks to my sister Amy and friends Kaydell Leavitt, Jason Clem, and Adam Loahr, and my publisher Erica Hughes who without their support and encouragement this book would not have been possible.

  Chapter 1

  A hot wind blew across the desert stirring up small swirls of sand that danced across the dunes that stretched for miles in all directions. Not even a blade of grass peaked through the lifeless sand. A lone dust devil made its way into a valley formed by the dunes reaching the center of the valley like a spinning top the sands slowly stopped their dance and settled to the ground beneath them.

  For a second everything was still once more. A small movement stirred as the first trickle of water started to seep onto the dry sands and quickly began to spread in all directions 'til a cold lake of water stood in the center of the valley. The desert gave way reluctantly, as at the edges of the pool grass and trees shoved their way upward reaching to the sun. Within minutes, the lifeless valley turned into a rich oasis. A pool of cold water bubbling as the air trapped beneath the sand fought its way to freedom. The light shining through the leaves shined on a jewel, sitting on a large flat stone in the center of the water waiting. In the distance, a horse and a rider wearily trudged through the sands.

  Over the dunes, a rider comes

  The Ronan war had lasted 24 years. The war was fought by two very powerful and wealthy kingdoms over the mining rights to a mountain range on a shared border. The final battle involved seventy-five thousand soldiers from both sides, and had lasted a full fortnight, and ended in a stalemate. Both kingdoms worn and battle weary, had called for a truce. The irony was that the mineral rich mines that both kingdoms had fought and lost so much for had long since been stripped by thieves.

  The kingdoms had both turned to trying to rebuild, what was left, of their once great lands. The men who had lived through the war went on their separate ways onto the next battle or war.

  This was not the first time that Ashes had seen such a thing and he was sure that it would not be the last. If there was one thing that man seemed to be good at it was killing each other. He was forty-two years old as best as he could recall, old for a mercenary. All that he had to show for his forty-two years of life was his saddle, his saddlebags, his sword, knife, a few coins, and his horse. In his line of work a man's life depended on a good horse -- just as much as a good sword. If you could not fight your way out of a battle, then you had better have a horse that could outrun the other army.

  The horse that he rode now, was the fourth that he had owned. The other three had all been good animals. To this day he mourned their loss. Two had died in battle and one had fallen ill and died. The stallion that he rode now he had given the name "China" it had been his only sister’s name she had died young of illness. like her, the stallion had a strong stubborn streak which reminded him of her. They had been together for eight years and China had carried him through many dangers. None of those dangers were as great as the one that they faced now.

  The desert that they were crossing was dangerous but not impassable. He had crossed it twice before in his lifetime. Both times he had sworn that he would never cross it again. The heat was bad but the real danger was that the winds never seemed to stop changing the landscape making it impossible to rely on landmarks. To add to their troubles, they had run into a trio of thieves two days ago. The thieves had thought that they had found easy prey. and had paid for their mistake. Ashes had won the battle, but he lost his water. A sword stroke from one of the thieves slit his water bag and, as luck would have it the thieves' water bottles were empty.

  This was the second day that they went without water. Ashes knew that he could last, maybe two more days, but China would not last that long and was growing weak. The sand seemed to pull at his hooves, making him stumble.

  Ashes slid out of the saddle; he patted the horse's neck, "Come on you can't tell me that the same horse that charged through the Ronan Elite Guard is going to let a little heat beat him. Just think, three days, at most, and we will be in Targa, where you will have the best food, the best grain, all the water you can drink and some of the prettiest mares in any kingdom; all just waiting for a stallion like you."

  As Ashes led the way, up the dune, a shadow passed. Putting his hand to his eyes he could see the shapes of the vultures circling them. "Bastards!” he muttered, "go find someone else to stalk -- you won't...” his words were cut off by a sudden jerk on the reins as China threw his head up his nostrils flaring wide in a deep breath. "What is it, boy?! You smell something?"

  In answer, the horse started to pick up his pace passing his rider, as he trotted over the rise. Water! It had to be! Staggering he followed the horse's hoof prints in the sand.

  Ashes drew his sword as he went, "Blasted horse!" there may be water on the other side but that did not mean that there was also not any danger. Ashes topped the dune ready for anything, but what he found.

  Chapter 2

  The Jewel

  The oasis was not a big one but no less amazing. The palms were thick and healthy as was the grass growing around them but the most amazing thing was the pool that gave them life. Even from where Ashes was standing he could see that the pool was clear and cold if not very deep. It seemingly defied the desert on all sides of it.

  After looking, to make sure that they were alone Ashes dropped to his belly to drink. The water seemed to both burn and soothe his throat on the way down. Rising, he started to strip off China’s saddle and bridle letting the horse wander to graze before picking some fruit off a nearby tree. As he reached for the fruit something flashed in the corner of his eye, His hand dropped to his sword but stopped mid reach when he saw what had caught his attention. In the center of the pool, something flashed again. In the fading sunlight it was not the water itself. Something else seemed to be floating on the surface. Curious he waded out, testing each step for drop offs and hidden trip ups making his way to the center of the pool he saw just above the water line, a curved rock serving as a pedestal for a jewel the size of a man’s hand.

  The sun's last rays lit up the jewel like a small fire throwing dancing light both on him and on the water filling him with wonder. If only for a second a second that passed quickly. Another thought went through his mind. "Trap!" Spinning around, in the water, he took in everything, the darkening oasis his grazing horse the trees but there was nothing else. They were alone. Reaching for the jewel for the first time he saw the words carved in the stone that held the jewel. "All that a man could want, All that a man could have. All that a man could dream off. For these you need only wish."

  "Wishes?!" he muttered bitterly, "You cannot eat or drink wishes. They will buy you nothing at any market place-- nothing that I know of! Let the women and children keep the wishes. I would rather have my sword and horse any day. I know I can count on them!"

  Turning in the water, he started back to the edge of the pool stopping, he looked back at the words one last time; a foolish thought crossed his mind. What if this was real? What would he want
? "I have had money, women, and good friends. All of that was taken from me by the same thing, the same thing that has also kept coins in my pocket; the money and women were fleeting. I knew that they would be short-lived, but my friends, them I would give up every coin I ever had to ride beside again but they have gone onto their -- I hope -- peaceful rewards. It would be wrong to bring them back to the hate and greed of this world and I am not ready yet to join them so if you want to give wishes..." He took a minute to ponder, "Peace,” he said softly, "I wish for peace, this world has seen too much of wars, suffering and death. Give this world a good man who could bring peace to these lands, and keep the people safe."

  Laughing bitterly, he turned back to the shore. "That's my wish though I doubt very much that I will live long enough to see my wish come true." Wading to the shore he left a trail of water drops on the ground as he walked past his horse. The stallion poked his muzzle at the jewel, sniffing at it questioningly. Ashes used his empty hand to gently push the inquiring muzzle aside. "Uh uh, this is not for your belly. Seeing as how I won’t be getting any wishes out of it, I mean to at least get enough coin to keep us both fed for a moon or two."

  He ignored the horses irritated tail swish as he picked up the saddle bags.

  Putting the jewel in the bags he sat them on the ground then he pulled off his boots to dry. His clothes were still wet from the pool. He stripped down and hung his clothes on a tree trunk to dry as he slept. It was not a cold night so he would sleep warm enough without them. He kept his sword at his side. As he stretched out on the grass using the saddle bags as a head rest he watched the horse graze before he drifted off to sleep trusting the stallion to warn him, if there was any danger....

  The stallion wandered the oasis grazing as the night darkened and the moon climbed to its zenith. Then then went to stand beside the man who he trusted with his life. Knowing they were in a strange place he raised his head and inhaled deeply checking for any threats before resting a hind leg and nodding off to sleep. They were both light sleepers, but neither he nor Ashes sensed the soft pulsing light that came from the saddle bags as they slept....

  Chapter 3

  Rude Awaking

  "Good morning my Lord,” Ashes was moving, before his eyes were fully open; his hand grabbing for his sword as he rolled to his feet only to come up with a handful of linen. Confused he looked around taking in everything the oasis the trees, the pool, and most importantly, his horse were all nowhere to be seen. Ashes stood naked next to a bed of fine linen in a room in which the likes of he had only heard of in stories. Marble floors and pillars gave way to stained glass windows that threw the sunlight into the room like a thousand diamonds. The bed and dresser might as well have been cut from pure gold; the wood was so well oiled and polished. A great patio with its doors open stood at the other end of the room. In the middle of all this stood three very concerned-looking men, watching him uncertainly.

  Ashes barely heard as the man in the middle spoke again, "Is everything alright Sire? We did not mean to startle you but you did say you wanted to see us at first light.” The man who spoke was light haired and had a full beard. He stood seven inches over six feet, and like the other two men he was covered in chain mail from his shoulders to his waist. He carried a heavy sword and two daggers at his side. Also, like his companions he looked very capable of using them.

  The other two men could not have looked more like father and son if they tried; one being only slightly smaller than the other but much less grey haired. Ashes tried desperately to recall anything that would tell him how he had come to be here when the memories came flooding to him. Memories that were both strange and familiar at the same time. One memory that stood out -- far more real than the others -- the jewel. His eyes quickly went around the room to the chair in the corner, and his saddle bags. Walking over to the chair, he paid no attention to the worried looks the men gave each other he picked up the saddlebags and opened the flap. The jewel still rested in the bottom throwing off a soft blue light, even though no light reached it.

  "This has to be a dream!" Ashes thought, "None of this is real!.” Just then, a hand came down on his shoulder, Ashes looked around at the older of the dark haired men, his name coming to him like the other memories

  Diego, a lifelong friend, "Rough night? You look like a man who just found out his lady for the night last night was his long lost sister.” The smile and friendly eyes relaxed Ashes. He closed the saddle bags and sat it back on the chair.

  "You know that your king could have you beheaded for speaking to him like that? Not that that would make you any less annoying, or smell any worse." Turning, Ashes found his clothes sitting on a chair along with his sword.

  As Ashes started to dress the man who first spoke stepped toward the patio Fredrex also a long time friend and commander of Ashes' armies. The name came to Ashes like the other memories.

  "The troops have gathered as you ordered Sire. We will be ready to march, within the hour, to the Northern borders. The scouts have confirmed that the Obamnas have joined up with the armies from Hllibs, Odeans and Reaidess. They are three days march from our borders. We should have no trouble stopping them there."

  Pulling on his boots he walked over to the open patio doors and looked out. The sound of trumpets and the rattle of armor both on men and horses reached him. Looking down into the courtyard even he was impressed. The rows of soldiers filled the big courtyard and stretched out of the gates to the fields beyond. The men looked well-fed and healthy as did the horses. The soldiers and horses moved with a purpose that he had seldom seen in a fighting force.

  Notie, Diego's son and the youngest of the three men spoke for the first time "We gave them your message sire but they did not want to hear it. Libbor has not forgiven you for his son's death. He still thinks that we withheld the medicine that would have saved the boy's life, He will not accept that we did not have a cure; that there is no known cure for the wood curse."

  The wood curse was a sickness that was carried by the biting flies in the deep woods of the Norgin Pass. it was rare, seeing as how very few men ever traveled that far into the woods and ever came out. Ashes was sure that it was because of the illness and danger in those woods -- not the spooks and demons, said to be living there.

  "Libbor has always been walking on the edge of madness. His son's death has pushed him over that edge,” Ashes spoke over his shoulder as he watched the men drilling below. "I pity him for that, and mourn the loss of his son, but there is nothing I could do then for his son just as there is nothing I can do now, for him. I have no wish to go to battle against him or his allies nor will I run from them."

  Turning back to the room he walked to the far wall. where a fine mural was painted a map showing the kingdom and all the surrounding lands.

  using his finger, he followed the outline of the kingdom on the map. Stopping at the Northern border and the mountain range that stood between the two lands.

  "The only way for Libbor to bring his troops is over Thunder Gorge, and there is only one bridge crossing the gorge. Even if we left now, it is still a four-day march. We would not get there before Libbor would, but if we sent a party of twenty men on fast horses they might get there in time to burn the bridge."

  "Burn the bridge?!" the shocked voice was Notie's. "Sire, that bridge has spanned the gorge for more than six generations. It is the only way over Thunder Gorge and to the Northern Sea, It would take many months to rebuild!"

  "Yes, that is true, pup," Diego said with a slight edge to his voice. "But as your king was saying, it is also the only way for Libbor to cross into our lands -- if we can stop them from crossing the gorge it might be enough to make Libbor come to his senses -- or at least the other leaders -- and stop the loss of a great many lives. Only a foolish leader wastes the lives of his men

  Ashes turned to face the three men speaking again. "The riders may not get there in time, so we need to prepare for If they do cross. Send riders to all the outlying villages and farms, and
tell them to get all the people to the city. That will take time, so send the riders now!"

  Turning back to the map he pointed again with his finger. This time he pointed to a mountain range at the Southern end of the kingdom. "The farmers have already moved the herds to the winter graze in the hot Springs Valley. Have they not?" As Fedrex nodded assent, Ashes went on. "Good, they will be safe there. The valley is hard to find but still, I want one hundred men there just in case. Send the pack with them as well I know there are only a handfull of the pack left, but very few outside of the city know that. Seeing even a few of them might be enough to make anyone think twice about attacking the valley."

  Fredrex laughed softly, "I will tell her, but Abby is not going to like that."

  "No, she is not," Ashes agreed. "Tell her that I gave the order. If she wants to argue about it, she can find me."

  "Also tell the men bringing the villagers, to burn the crops, after the people are safely away."

  This time all three men looked shocked. "Burn the crops sire?! Winter is only two months away. There are a great many people who need those crops to get through the winter."

  Ashes turned once more to face his friends, "There is more than enough food in the city store to feed the people through the Winter, and there is enough seed, as well, to replant in the spring. If Libbor and his troops make it over the pass and are determined to start a war it very well may be that we do stop them at the border -- and this is all for naught, but I will not take the chance that they get by us. I do not want to be feeding them as well as fighting them. The livestock will be safe and well guarded. We can re-grow the crops and replenish the stores when the war is over.” Walking past the men, he repeated himself, "Give the order to burn the crops."