Part 3 (1/2)

aSilly wee gomerel,a said Hollow fondly. aDoesna care for beina on his ainsome; jumps at shadows. Didna bite ye, did he?a aI didnat give him the opportunity.a aGets up tae mischief when Iam awaa. Scatters ma banes, chews on the beddina, lets me know heas noa best pleased.a Back in the cavern, we set down our belongings againa”Tali kept her staff closea”while Hollow went off down another pa.s.sage and returned with a substantial joint of meat, most likely from one of the local sheep. This he laid on the coals to cook. Then he set about rearranging the disordered bones until the hearth was encircled by an orderly pattern, with skulls at precisely placed intervals. The largest of these looked like an oxas, complete with great horns; the smallest was tiny and delicate, a shrewas or voleas. When all was to his satisfaction, the brollachan gave a contented sigh, sank down on a large stone, and turned his gaze on us, solemn now. The pookie leapt into his arms and clung, chirruping.

aMightna be the way ye wanted tae spend the mornina, but Iam glad I caught the twa oa ye before ye met up wia the kingas men. And at least yeall get a good feed wia me.a aIam so happy to see you, Hollow. I thought you might be gone right away. Or hurt.a He eyed me. a aTwould taka mair than a few poxy Enforcers tae hurt me, Neryn. But the twa oa yea”Sage tellit me your companion there is a braw fighter, but nae la.s.sieas braw enough tae fend off a troop oa kingas men hung about wia iron weaponry. Dinna ye try tae tell me otherwise,a he added quickly when Tali made to speak. aIf yeare as guid as they say ye are, ye willna lead Neryn intae peril, and thatas a fact. Listen now. I ken ye dinna want tae be waitina here wia me any langer than ye must. It didna need Sage tae tell me the sandas runnina through the gla.s.s quicker than ye thought. aTis all ower the place now; wee folk pa.s.sina the word, birds and creepina things tellina how we should be gettina ready for a big fight.a aAlready,a breathed Tali. aSage left Shadowfell only a matter of days before we did. How could she have spread the word so quickly? I thought the Good Folk were slow to trust.a aYe suggestina a brollachanas fibbina tae ye, la.s.sie?a Hollow stretched his mouth in a grimace.

aGetting accurate information could mean life or death on this journey. Iad be stupid not to check it. And my nameas Tali.a aThe la.s.sie has a tongue on her,a Hollow said, the grimace turning to a grin. aOur folk hae ways oa pa.s.sina messages, and ways oa crossina country, that your folk canna understand, la.s.sie. Tali. Thatas a guid strong name.a She gave him a tight nod.

aI told ye the word was beina pa.s.sed abroad; I didna say those that are pa.s.sina it are happy wia it. But change is afoot. The Master oa Shadows is walkina the land, and a Calleras stepped up. Sage tellit me ye pa.s.sed your test, Neryn. That the Master came tae ye oa his ain will. So thereas nae doot ye can maka the difference.a aI hope so, Hollow. But I do need to get to the isles, to find the Hag and do the first part of my training. And now that timeas so short, Iall have to go to the north as well before next winter.a aThe Lord oa the North? They say heas sleepina and canna be woken.a aThe Northies said that. They implied that he was the one who should be keeping the Master of Shadows in check.a aThatas the old balance: earth and fire. Water and air. Mebbe ye can call him out, Neryn. Seems naebody else can.a The task ahead was becoming so daunting it made me feel sick. I said nothing.

aHollow.a Tali was trying for a more courteous tone, though I could see the wish to be gone in her restless fingers and the little frown that never left her dark brows. aYou say we canat use this cliff path because of Enforcers. The only alternative is the kingas bridge, but you say we shouldnat use that either, and I agree entirely. It would be a foolish risk. What choice is left to us, go home or wait here indefinitely? You know we have very little time to accomplish this. The isles, the north, home before the autumn storms.a A lengthy silence, then, as Hollow turned the meat on the coals. A rich, savory smell filled the cavern. aThere is a wee path,a the brollachan said eventually. aI dinna ken if yead be wantina tae go that way. A secret path, atis. Human folk canna find it on their ain. But Nerynas noa the common kind oa human folk. If ye care tae use it, Iall show ye how.a aA path,a Tali echoed. aWhere?a aStraight up the cliff frae the brig, ower the hill, west as the raven flies. A bittie later the way curves tae the south. It comes out by Hiddenwater. Yead want tae be guid at climbina.a aDue west,a mused Tali.

aSo we could bypa.s.s Summerfort altogether,a I said. Even better, we could get as far as Hiddenwater without setting foot near the well-traveled path that ran beside Deepwater.

aWait a moment,a said Tali. My heart sank. aIf the path goes the way you describe, it would have to cross Wedderburn land, for part of the way, at least.a aAch,a said Hollow, throwing his hands wide, aI dinna understand your clans and holdings and chieftains. The four Watches, theyare auld and easy to grasp. But those others, theyare the lines drawn by human folk for their ain purposes, and make nae sense tae me. Whatas wrong wia walkina on Wedderburn land? Is there an auld curse, or a sheep disease, or is the chieftain oa those parts another such as that king oa yours, the fellow thatas set Alban all at sixes and sevens wia his thirst for power?a aWe donat know,a Tali said, her mouth grim. aThereas old history between that chieftain and our leader. I wonat go into details, but weave no cause to expect a welcome if weare caught crossing his land. Still, given the choice between that or the keen eyes of the Summerfort sentries, your wee path seems the safer option.a aDo you know the path well, Hollow?a I asked. aHow good is the cover? How long would it take us to reach Hiddenwater?a a aTwould be quicker than gaeina down the valley and along the lochs. Theread be risks, aye; but ye wouldna be needina tae pa.s.s close by this fellowas stronghold. Keep tae the north oa that, cross a wee river ower a ford, pa.s.s a hill wia a crown oa standina stanes, and after that bear southwest. Yeall find oaks, pines, rocks. Guid cover, aye. And if ye dinna gae south afore ye pa.s.s that hill, noa sae many settlements. For a woodcrafty la.s.sie such as yoursela, atis a guid way.a I looked at Tali.

aWe have no real choice,a she said. aTimeas short. Iam not taking you over the kingas bridge, itas just too risky. And the original plan is no longer viable. So weall try this path. Agreed?a aAgreed,a I said, thinking her method of consultation left something to be desired. aBut we have breakfast first. I donat imagine weall be making campfires on Wedderburn land, unless weare pretty sure n.o.body can see us. So this might be our last hot meal for a while.a WE MOVED WESTWARD, FOLLOWING HOLLOWaS wee path. After the first challenging climb up the cliff, it traversed a landscape whose hollows still held patches of stubborn snow, printed by the feet of creatures out foraging for what lean pickings they could find. Tiny mountain flowers popped up tentative heads, spots of white or yellow among the rocks. The path was often hard to find. Hollow had told us to look for certain signs: a little pile of white stones, blades of long gra.s.s twisted into a loose knot, a row of last autumnas leaves threaded onto a stick, telling us to go left or right, uphill or down. Here, I felt the constant presence of magic. There were Good Folk everywhere, though they did not show themselves directly.

The weather warmed a little, and the bare hills began to put on a tentative cloak of green. Occasional stands of pine softened the landscape, and in these we heard the songs of birds. At night, as we sat by our meager campfire, there came the hunting cries of wolves. We kept our fires small, mindful of the need to go unseen, at least until we were off Wedderburn land.

We reached the river on the third morning. It was broader than Hollowas description had suggested, and if there was a ford, clearly it was not in this spot. The waterway wound through a valley whose slopes were thick with alder, birch, and willow. Stony outcrops broke the tree cover here and there. Even so early in the season, with springas new growth barely begun, it was hard to see far in any direction.

We halted on the pebbly sh.o.r.e. Tali slipped off her pack; I did the same. Each of us kept watch while the other knelt to drink; we refilled our waterskins.

aYour friend said cross a wee river,a Tali said. aI suppose this is it. You rest, Iall look for the ford. Keep under cover.a I settled myself, with the two bags, half under a row of straggly bushes, and she headed off upstream. Within the s.p.a.ce of a few breaths she was out of sight.

I was glad of the opportunity to rest my legs. Pride meant I did not ask Tali for breaks unless I was incapable of going on, and she did not often suggest them. I sat quietly, listening to the conversation of birds in the woods and the gurgling of the water. At times like this it was almost possible to forget what a sad and sorry place Alban was. There were Good Folk somewhere close by, up in the trees or in the great stones that lay along the river valley like pieces tossed aside from a game for giants. I wondered if they might show themselves while Tali was not with me. It was at just such moments, on my other journeys, that a little voice had piped up with Neryn, oh, Neryn, or a small being had raised its head out of the bracken to gaze at me. Perhaps I should leave out an offering for them. We still had a supply of Millaas waybread, a hard-baked, long-lasting substance that sat heavily in the belly but was welcome at the end of a long dayas walking. I would break off a morsel and put it on a piece of flat bark for them to eat when we were gone.

I was fis.h.i.+ng in my bag for the food packet when I heard Talias signala”not a shout, but a hooting cry like an owlas. A warning. I froze. Then came menas voices and the sudden tramping of booted feet on the stones, closing in fast.

Wead practiced. I had my knife in my hand within the s.p.a.ce of a breath. I kicked the bags under the bracken, then crouched still, weapon at the ready.

aThat way!a A man ran across the sh.o.r.e, pa.s.sing without seeing me. Another emerged from the trees, following. They headed in the direction Tali had taken, soon vanis.h.i.+ng from view around a ma.s.sive rock. Had she managed to run and hide after sending that warning call, or was she trapped?

Shouting broke out from beyond the rock, the skid of boots on stones, a thud, a curse. At least three men, perhaps more. I knew what I was supposed to do: keep out of the way, leave the fighting to Tali. Shead drummed it into me often enough. If I could hide or flee, that was what I should do. My knife was only for self-defense. I might have better combat skills than Iad possessed last autumn, but I was a beginner by her standards, and my help would likely prove more of a hindrance.

Metal clashed; a man let out a chilling scream of pain. Then came Talias voice, cursing. There was a note in it that told me she was hurt. Cold sweat broke out on my skin. The knife shook in my hand. I couldnat do it. I couldnat bolt into the woods, saving myself and leaving her behind. She might be Shadowfellas best fighter, but the numbers were against her. What if I created a diversion, gave her an opportunity a Over the years I had learned to walk as a hunting creature walks, my feet making little sound. I moved with care now, avoiding the pebbles beside the water, going instead on the rough gra.s.s higher up, edging around the big rock. Tali yelled again, a fearsome challenge. I inched forward, right hand gripping the knife, left hand brus.h.i.+ng the rock.

She was surrounded. Her staff lay on the stones, beyond her reach. With a knife in each hand she was keeping them at bay, ducking, turning, constantly in motion, never quite where they expected. There were four of them, and three had hunting knives. One man was bleeding from a cut to the cheek; another seemed to have hurt his leg, but still they circled Tali, taunting her.

aSlice my friend with your blade, would you? Just let me get close enough, girlie, and Iall show you what a knifeas for!a aWhatas that on your skin, canny magic? Shall we cut you open and see if you bleed like a real woman?a aGo on, fight me! Letas see what youare made of, witch!a I hesitated, not sure if Tali had seen me. I was at least six strides from them. My heart drummed. If I ran straight forward shrieking, could I win Tali enough time to seize the advantage? I might at least get a chance to do some damage before they grabbed me. I sucked in a breath and stepped out from cover, and someone seized me from behind, knocking the knife from my grasp.

aWhat have we here?a All eyes turned in my direction. For a moment Talias attackers froze, staring at me and my captor, and in that moment she struck once, twice, and two men went down. Then, with a roar of outrage, the biggest of the men delivered a blow to her head, sending her staggering toward the other one still on his feet.

aLeave off,a my captor growled. aThat one might be a stinger, but this oneas a soft kitten. We could all sleep sweet tonight, fellows. I say tie them up and bring them with us. Why not enjoy them before we finish them?a Tali kicked out, aiming for a manas privates, but the strike to the head had left her unsteady and the two of them grabbed her, one bending her arms up hard behind her back. She went white, teeth sunk in her lip.

My captor marched me forward. He was strong; there would be no point in struggling. Knife in hand, he addressed me. aStand still, kitten, or your friend gets gutted like a codfish. You!a This was to Tali. aTry anything and I cut the little one, nice and slow.a He released his hold on me and squatted down to examine the two injured men. One was groaning as he regained consciousness. The other lay sprawled unmoving on the stones.

aHeas dead,a said one of Talias captors, a young fellow who looked almost as pale as she. His tone was flat, unbelieving. aCoranas dead.a The man who had held me rose slowly to his feet. Between the others, Tali was trying to stand tall, but she looked close to fainting. Blood was running down her neck from the head wound, staining her s.h.i.+rt crimson.

aYou killed him,a the man said. aYou killed my friend.a The look in his eyes told me I had only a few moments to act. No choice, then. I met Talias gaze, trying to warn her. The river. The water, flowing deep and strong through the valley. Albanas lifeblood, from the smallest stream to the s.h.i.+ning loch to the great ocean. I opened myself to the power of it, and silently I called, Help us! Quickly, help!

The river roiled and rose up. It was over our feet, our ankles, our knees in an instant. It washed over the fallen men, carrying them swiftly away. The three shouted in alarm, and one of Talias captors released his hold. Quick as a flash she wrenched free of the second, no longer near fainting but apparently her old self again.

The water rose to my waist. A figure rose with it, taller than a tall man, a being all ripples and eddies and swirls, its features discernible as darker patches in the watery substance of its face. Flotsam adhered to its head, forming what might be hair or a hat, and within its body twigs and leaves washed about as if carried on the natural flow of the river. In its liquid face a mouth opened, a great dark cavity, and one of the men let out a terrified oath. Another shouted in a foolish display of defiance. The man who had been holding me waded as fast as he could toward dry land. In an eyeblink the creature reached out a great watery hand and gripped him around the waist. It tossed him upa”a shower of droplets arched through the air, catching the lighta”and out into the river. He vanished beneath the surface.

aDonat hurt us! I canat swim!a shrieked the younger man, while the other gave a wordless wail of horror. The creature wrapped a hand around each, lifting them so their feet were clear of the water. Tali and I retreated to the shallows, drenched and s.h.i.+vering.

The river being spoke, its voice a thundering torrent of sound in which I sensed rather than heard words. aWash, dip, splash, drown?a Tali glanced at the eldritch creature, then quickly away. aTell it not yet,a she said. aNot till theyave answered some questions.a aWait, please,a I said, my teeth chattering. Somewhere under the cold and the shock was the dawning knowledge that once again I had used my gift to deliver not only rescue, but also death. That man, the one not killed by Tali, would not survive being swept downstream unconscious.

aYou!a snapped Tali, addressing the two men. aWhat are you doing here? Why did you attack us?a The river being gave the men a shake, as if this might jog their memory.

aSpeak up!a Tali said. aOr do you prefer to join your companions in the river? Who sent you?a aW-we were h-hunting,a one fellow stammered, whey-faced. aD-deer. Boar. R-rabbits. No harm in that.a aWho sent you?a Tali was formidable at the best of times; when angry, she was truly fearsome.

aDonat let it hurt me!a spluttered the other man, his feet hanging just above the wateras surface. In his terror he had lost control of his bowels. aHunting, thatas all!a aWhat sort of hunters are you,a I said, athat you feel ent.i.tled to attack women by the wayside whenever it pleases you? Which household did you come from? Tell us the truth, or my friend there holds you underwater, and how long he keeps you there is anyoneas guess.a I felt within me the beingas fluid presence, its links to the rivers and lochs and tarns of the highlands, its long story stretching back and back in time, perhaps to the days of other Callers. I did my best to meet the murky patches that were its eyes.

aDunk, wring, soak, drench?a aLet them answer first,a I said. And to the two men, aWhere did you come from?a aLast chance,a put in Tali. aSpeak or drown.a aW-Wa”a aWedderburn,a the second man gasped. aKeenan of Wedderburn is our lord. Not sent to killa”onlya”a aOnly what?a Tali snarled. The river beingas hands dipped lower. The men went in up to their necks.

aLook out fora”for folk out of place. Folk wandering. No more than that.a aLook out for them and kill them.a Talias voice was flat. aOr no, take your pleasure with them first, then kill them, wasnat that the plan? Is that what your lord told you to do?a There was a look on her face that truly frightened me.

aG-g-ga”a aEnough,a Tali said, and turned her back.

The river being held still, keeping the two suspended. So far as I could tell, it was looking at me. aPlunge, toss, drown, change?a it inquired.

The men turned agonized faces toward me. Neither spoke.

aWe canat let them go free,a I said, my heart thumping. aNot now.a The moment we released them, theyad be straight back to Keenan with their story, and if he didnat believe the part about watery monsters, head surely be interested in two young women on the road, well armed and combative. Head be interested in any sign of canny gifts, and if these men could put two and two together, theyad have realized the significance of the way this creature spoke to me. But I would not order the being to drown them. I grasped at the meaning of its last word. aChange?a A smile appeared on its fluid features. It lifted the two and threw them high into the air. As they tumbled, screaming, back down toward the river, the thras.h.i.+ng of limbs and the billow of clothing became the s.h.i.+mmer of scales and the whip of narrow bodies, and two gleaming fish dived into the moving flow of the water. They would live to see another day. But not as men.

aBlack Crow save us!a muttered Tali. Her face had turned greenish white, as if she might be sick.

The water retreated, sinking to knee level and lower. The being began slowly to slip back into the body of the river.

aThank you!a I managed. aYou saved us. We are in your debt.a aGo,a murmured the river being. aLearn. Lead.a Then, with a sound like a sigh, it rippled and vanished into the flow.

We stood in silence a few moments, then Tali said, aWe canat linger here, someone may come looking for those so-called hunters. And we still have to cross the river.a aI doubt if that will pose any problem now,a I said, with a glance toward the water. aLet me look at your head, at least. You took quite a blow. And I have something else to do, something important.a We retrieved our bags. Talias staff and knives were gone, as was my own knife. I cleaned and bandaged Talias wound, saying little. My mind was full of what I had done; full of the death I had delivered. I had called out that being to perform acts of violence. Cause or no cause, it felt wrong.

While Tali packed up, I set out an offering of waybread on a flat stone and spoke words of respect and greeting to the unseen inhabitants of this place. I added a prayer for the men who had died or been forever changed here. They had performed their own act of violence. But, like the Enforcers who had fallen in last autumnas battle, they had been sons, fathers, brothers, husbands. Someone would mourn their loss; someone had loved them.

I was bone-weary; the use of my gift seemed to weaken me. But there was no time to rest. We made our way upstream and found the ford, a broad, shallow crossing over small stones, the water babbling cheerfully along, only a finger-length deep. Washed up on the bank was a long, cloth-wrapped bundle.

We approached with caution. The thing was too small for a body.

aThatas a cloak,a Tali said. aOne of those fellows was wearing it.a She was right. The sodden cloak still bore a clasp shaped like a battle-ax, perhaps their chieftainas household emblem. Tali unrolled the garment to reveal our missing weaponry, wet but otherwise unharmed. aBy all thatas holy,a Tali muttered. aYou have some powerful friends.a A bout of s.h.i.+vering ran through me.

aYouare tired,a she said, turning a shrewd gaze on me. aIam sorry, we must keep moving. I donat want to be on Keenanas land a moment longer than necessary. Letas hope the standing stones your friend mentioned are in sight from the top of the hill there. Once we find a safe bolt-hole, weall camp for the night, make a fire, change our clothes, and get these wretched things dry. As for what happened just now, I donat even want to think about it. Not yet anyway.a I made no argument, though it would have been more comfortable to walk in dry clothing. This was no place to strip off and change. Where one party of hunters had traveled, others might follow.

Tali led off at her usual brisk pace. We splashed across the ford and headed up the hill, where the same subtle signs as before marked the fey path.

aTell me one thing,a I said.

aWhat?a aWere you faking weakness back there, hoping to catch those men off guard? You looked on the point of collapse. You have a lump on your head as big as a manas fist. It was streaming blood. Iad have expected you to slow down just a bit.a For a little she did not answer. Then she said, aThe pain was real enough. Iave taught myself to keep going unless an opponent actually knocks me out cold. That has happened once or twice, but only in practice.a aReally? Who did it?a I could not imagine any of the Shadowfell warriors achieving such a feat.