GRACE

“Almost there, Matti, just a little longer.” Taavi patted his horse’s neck. For the last three days he was riding incessantly, making stops only well after the night fall and continuing the strenuous journey before the first sunlight. Matti would be thoroughly cleaned every night; by the time he would finish taking care of the horse, Taavi would be too exhausted to do the same for himself. Greasy strands of his brown hair fell to his shoulders, and his clothes was covered in mud and dust. Looking like a homeless vagabond he had a mission of convincing the whole village to do something that sounded absurd and insane, with only few hours until the night fall – if he failed to do so, well, he shuddered at the thought. “Fly, Matti!”

Karale, the small village that was his destination was a typical village of the time – muddy, dirty and crowded, but the person he was sent to find was anything but typical. And to make things worse, he knew that the Kaalervos are onto him, tracking him down like a pack of blood hounds, ready to destroy everything on their path. He tied Matti in front of the little tavern on the village green.

“I need to speak to your Elders! Or the Chieftain! Or the Wise One, or whatever you have! Now!” He shouted as he entered the tavern. The barkeeper stopped polishing glasses, and stood with a glass in one hand and a cloth in another. There was some commotion at the tables, but nobody’s reaction was directed directly at him. Somebody said ‘Ha’ but that was it.

“Who is the head of this village? Take me to him! You are all in grave danger!” He was not about to give up easily. “I need to see him! He’ll tell you what to do before the sun sets!”

“Worse than the last one, he is!” Somebody sniggered. “That one told the sky would fall on our heads unless we gave him gold.”

Another voice added, “Get out, you scarecrow! Let us honest people have a pint after a hard day’s work!”

Taavi rolled his eyes. It was like this every single time. Yet, he would not yield. “Who is your leader? I want to speak to your leader!”

“I’ll give you our leader!” He heard almost in his ear. His guard was off and somebody was behind him! A strong blow later he was on all fours. “You don’t understand! I need…” – Another blow and he was on the floor, belly down, unable to raise on his hands and knees. He suddenly rose, but not on his own volition; two men were carrying him, one on each side, out of the tavern, down the muddy road, and into another house. He was being pushed through a narrow door and violently pushed inside. Stumbling just in time not to bump his head on the opposite wall above a little raised area resembling a bench or bed, he heard the bolt being slid behind him, and the footsteps walking away.

“Idiots! You won’t make it till the sunrise! I’m here to help! Call your leader! Call him now!” Taavi banged on the door, knowing it was useless. He cursed, pissed at himself. Such a rookie mistake, to be ambushed in a tavern for not looking back. All his belongings were on Matti; his knife, his pouch of tiinko carvings and some money. He could cry in despair and anger. This little cell he was in had a pitiful excuse for a window, barely wide enough to squeeze two fists in it. It would be dark in a couple of hours, he was in a bloody jail and he could feel the Kaalervo presence growing bigger with every breath.

“Hey, Smeteri! Where’s His Wisdom? A lunatic raved in, ranting endlessly how we’re all in danger. Some guys took him to the jail, he’s all yours now. But Wisdom should hear him.” The barkeeper informed the village Peacekeeper as this one made his way inside the tavern. The Wisdom is probably getting sober after last night’s reverie, the Peacekeeper thought, but kept it to himself.

“Sure, Pulo. I’m on it.” He nodded, turned around and exited the place. The tall man was clad in simple brown and grey clothes, which seemed to blend seamlessly into any background. He was rumoured to use forbidden techniques and talismans when interrogating culprits; nobody complained, because he has never used it on normal, decent folks, still, it would be fair to say he was well respected, but not much loved.

He went inside the jailhouse. Skiho and Rasum, his two deputies, were there.

“We need to take the troublemaker to the Wisdom. He’ll know what to do.” His words were met with some hurry. The three of them went to the cell and Rasum unbolted the door. Smeteri was curious to see yet another world ender profit, since they came in great numbers in the last few months. Skiho went inside fetching the prisoner out. Smeteri frowned. This was no doomsday messenger.

Taavi heard footsteps approach and someone operating the door mechanism. The door opened letting light inside and a burly dark-haired man came to get him out, making him pass an equally burly bald man with threatening dark eyes and face the third man there. That third man seemed to have some authority above the other two men. He was as tall as them, though less stout, and he was frowning at Taavi for some reason. His face was rather uninviting, brown eyes staring at him, his brown hair chopped close to the scalp. He just nodded to the door and Taavi felt himself being directed outside.

As he was walking behind Skiho and Rasum escorting the prisoner, Smeteri couldn’t help noticing that this particular prisoner did not talk or act in a strange erratic way like those people normally do. His slender, boyish figure could have posed no threat to anyone in the tavern, and it looked silly to have him dragged between Rasum and Skiho, but that was the procedure to be followed. They entered the special roofed area His Wisdom used as a work office.

“What did this one do?” The Wisdom asked. The village Wisdom was a full-figured middle-aged man with red face and a tendency to excessive drinking. Smeteri detested him personally.

“People say he scared them by telling something bad would happen tonight,” Skiho jumped in. Smeteri thanked him in his mind, because he didn’t even get to hear what really happened.

The Wisdom looked at Taavi suspiciously. “So, what do you have to say?”

Feeling it was finally his time to talk, Taavi raised his head and voice. If only this man took him seriously, he hoped.“There is really no time to explain in detail. Entities of evil are on their way here. They will charge after the sundown. They are hard to spot in daylight, but practically invisible at night. Your only chance of noticing them and stopping them is salt…”

Taavi came to a slow stop because he saw the face of the Wisdom before him contorting in a weird way and he realized the Wisdom was barely keeping himself from bursting out laughing immediately. Taavi frowned and looked around. Will anyone listen to him?

“Salt! The village can be protected by making a circle of salt around it! It doesn’t have to be a thick layer; salt is a natural purifier!” The Wisdom was laughing uncontrollably. “Why won’t anyone believe me?! You don’t have much time! It’s your village and lives you’ll lose, not mine! A circle of salt and salt on your swords!”

Taavi was turning around and his eyes met Smeteri’s. “Salt!” He shouted in Smeteri’s direction.

“That’s enough!” The Wisdom was back in the normal mode. “You’ll stay in jail overnight and be released and escorted out of the village first thing tomorrow. That will teach you to stay away!”

“Take him back,” Smeteri whispered to Rasum. The prisoner seemed rational, and even though his story was hard to believe, he seemed to believe it. Besides, Smeteri has read reports about different, but similarly strange things happening in distant counties. He slipped outside. An hour till the sun goes down.

Taavi was inside again. He asked if he could have his belongings with him, and after checking that he had nothing that could help him escape, Rasum handed him the bag he found on Matti, who still peacefully waited where Taavi tied him hours ago. This would not be the first time, and probably not the last time he would face the Kaalervos. Tiinko carvings were on him, and he felt safe, or at least as safe as one could be. Safety is relative. However, there was nothing more he could do for this forsaken village and its people. And there was no way he could find that twenty-year old girl now. In all honesty, he was not sure how he was supposed to identify her in the first place. She was believed to have some innate powers, but it was unknown whether she was aware of them, or not. He was told she should ‘react to tiinko carvings’ but in what way, and how je was supposed to put the carvings next to her, that remained a mystery. Taavi sighed. It’s not like he would have a chance to do it, anyway. Another potential candidate was probably lost. He sat in the dark, waiting to hear the onset of slaughter on the streets.

A long scream filled the air in the distance. So it begins, Taavi thought. Two screams, three screams. Screams and confusion were getting closer. People were heard running around, shouting words he could not discern. There was no galloping cavalry, no battle cries of the enemies; no, the Kaalervos kill in silence, invisible, inaudible, lethal. He stood up, hoping he would hear anyone coming to let him out, but no one came. Not his first time with them, but there was nothing good to expect. His knuckles grew white for holding the pouch so strong for too long. He was ready.

As sudden as shrieks and cries started, they died out, with the exception of whimpers and calling that could still be heard. Taavi could not tell how long the attack lasted. No more than fifteen minutes, he speculated. But people were still alive. Somebody must have taken his words seriously. And then he heard footsteps. The door opened with a screech. The three men again, this time panting and out of breath.

The authoritative man looked at him. “You! I need you to come with us. We’ll chase after those apparitions to see if we can find out more about them, and you can help.”

“It’s useless. Nobody can track them at night, it’s impossible. How do you track shapeless dark shadows through the wood with no light?” The prisoner protested.

“Even if you’re right, I need to do my best to make sure they left the village. Come!”

Taavi saw commotion in the streets, wounded and bloody people everywhere, some limping, some cursing, some lying in unnatural positions. Dead. The man in command sent the dark-haired guy to the southern way out of the village, and the bald man to the eastern one. He and Taavi will cover the arch from the north to the west, the path that was well into the surrounding woods. Taavi mounted Matti, wondering when his next decent meal was going to be.

It didn’t take long for Smeteri to realize how true the prisoner’s words were. He saw nothing when they ventured only a few meters beyond the first trees. Skiho and Rasum could not have seen anything, either. He cursed under the voice, and turned his horse back to the village. Taavi followed, silently.

“We’re heading back. No use in tracking now,” Smeteri spoke when his horse slowed down enough to walk side by side to Taavi’s. “You’ll get a room in that tavern, and dinner. Can you stay for a couple more days? We’ll search for any possible tracks tomorrow, early, it’s going to take the whole day, and I need some explanations from you. I need to know what we’re fighting against. Are they going to come back?”

“Probably. They need to find someone and kill them. I need to find that person and take them to a safe place.”

“You’re not taking anyone from the village!” Smeteri exclaimed, as his horse blocked Taavi’s horse’s way. “Who do you think you are?”

“I was right about the attack, wasn’t I?” Taavi spoke, trying not to get mad.

“You’re not taking anyone,” Smeteri repeated and unblocked the way.