Ossian led the way up the almost vertical shaft through the heart of the rock. Up and up they went, handholds were good and Q’uaina watched with care where Ossian placed his feet and she followed suit. She concentrated on the rock in front of her; its very grain seemed to speak of endless time and ancient Erthe memory. Soon she began to feel a breeze on her hair and she looked up. They were close to the opening. White clouds graced a bright blue sky.
With a last push, they broke free of the shaft and lay breathing heavily among the rustling grasses and wildflowers above. Q’uaina held her hands up to shield her eyes from the light. She saw that the blue butterfly pattern on her hand was a perfect rendition of the beautiful insect. What was more, the butterfly image had entangled itself with her existing clan tattoos, which started on her wrist and ran up her arm. This was strange fortune, a blessing.
“Follow me, let’s go,” Ossian said after a while and then, “that’s if you wish to…”
Q’uaina looked at him in the daylight and saw that he too had green eyes like her.
“I need to reach the Shattered Hills, how far are they from here?”
Ossian smiled. “The Shattered lands? They lie thirty or so leagues from here, north east. No one goes there, that’s where the light walkers are. Why do you want to go there? There’s nothing but sorrow to be found there. Those people chose to leave the embrace of the Erthe. They’re but ghosts, phantoms.”
Q’uaina took a deep breath and stretched her sore muscles. Overhead gulls called to each other and the sea was a distant roar. The wind played with her hair. Her heart felt abandoned. She needed to be cautious. Ossian had helped her, but there was no need for him to know everything.
“I just need to make it to the Shattered Hills, I too am on a right of passage of sorts. My people are from behind the wall south of here. I’m apprentice to our Shaman and I’ve to spend the next few moons journeying, gathering Erthe lore. One of the places I need to visit is the Shattered Hills. I’m to follow the course of the rain from the sky, to the hills, downstream across the plains and back to our people and the sea. I’m to be at one with the water and her spirits with this journey. This will open new knowledge to me and I hope to grow in Erthe lore from this quest.”
Ossian listened to her words. He hesitated. She was unsure if her story rang true to him but finally he nodded and spoke. “I know of your people and their wall. I understand your journey, this path of sky, water and rain following the river spirits to the sea, this is a great Erthe journey. It will be blessed by the spirits. I’ll help you. You must come to my village, it is on your way to the Shattered Hills. Besides, now that I’ve failed in my attempt at taking the griffin’s egg, you must help me secure an even greater prize,” he grinned at her.
Q’uaina relaxed. He had believed her story. She nodded. “Yes, I’ll travel with you to your village. Thank you for your help in escaping from the griffin and finding a way through the caves, but what prize are you talking about now and how can I help you?” her voice had an edge to it.
“I’ve an idea, but we’ll just have to see…” his words trailed off and he left it there. She did not press him.
They rose and shouldered their packs. Ossian led the way and Q’uaina walked by his side.
A murmur came to Q’uaina within, nothing more than the barest breath of a whisper.
I am with you sister; together we will find the way, our path back home. Then we will right the wrong, everything will be as it once was and they will be destroyed…
The whisper was lost to the breeze. Q’uaina had not heard all of the words. She shivered but not because of the breeze.
~
The dark elf spoke in a defiant voice. “We will destroy the Shiffante, together vampires and drow will rid the space beyond of all Shiffante filth and their power will become ours.”
A low male voice replied from the shadows. “The ancient lizard bones can be returned to life, we are close to the spellweave required for this feat. Nothing like this has been attempted before. Our timing must be perfect. No one knows what these giant lizards will be like, but their size and imprints in the ancient rock fields are formidable. Together we will control and use them when we cross over the divide to confront the Shiffante. Nothing will be able to stand in our way, nothing.”
The cracking of bone and cartilage came from the shadows, dark wings stretched out into the half-light.
The drow smiled to himself… and once the Shiffante were defeated the way was open for the drow nation to rule supreme.
~
“There lies my prize,” Ossian whispered.
They had walked most of the day in silence. Ossian had come across horse tracks that afternoon and became animated.
“I knew it, I had a feeling! If we could bring home one or even two horses father would be happy, my clan would acknowledge my rite of passage, I would be a man. Yes, a great prize, even better than a griffin’s egg.”
Q’uaina understood Ossian’s wish. They would track the animals and see how events unfolded. She was still unsure how he planned to capture or tame these wild beasts. Her people kept horses but it usually took the whole clan days to track and hold wild mustangs. How just two of them could achieve this was beyond her.
She had consulted her sunstone throughout the day. Despite the afternoon being overcast the sunstone was able to indicate the position of the sun through the clouds when she held it up to her eye. They were headed north by north east. Ossian was being true to his word; they were heading in the right direction for the Shattered Hills.
They came upon a starling roost in some woods in the late afternoon. The birds sang and flocked overhead in great clouds, blackening the sky with their vast numbers. Q’uaina felt humbled by the spectacle which always held great meaning for her people. The swarming birds reminded her of all the ancestors that had gone before and who were waiting for her in the afterlife. Warmth and comfort lay there; death was not to be feared but was to be celebrated. Death brought freedom and allowed the spirit to soar like the starlings.
Ossian stopped and knelt down looking at the horse tracks that lead off into the woods a short distance away.
“Look, they’ve gone into the shelter of the trees for the night. I passed through these woods on my way to the griffin caves. I spent a night here,” he smiled. A plan was forming in Ossian’s mind. He led them on and into the trees.
They followed the tracks and came across a small stream running through the forest. Ossian made sure they were moving against the breeze, to stay downwind of the horses. The tracks followed the stream and soon they came to a break in the trees. An open space lay ahead.
Q’uaina took a sharp intake of breath. There before them lay the herd of horses grazing, some twenty in number. They were magnificent beasts. Her eyes scanned the group for the stallion; she was surprised not to find him. She checked again this time more carefully. There was no stallion. The herd was composed entirely of mares and a few foals. The horses remained unaware of their presence.
Ossian signalled to Q’uaina to withdraw back the way they had come. When they were at a safe distance, he slumped to the ground.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?” he beamed.
Q’uaina nodded. “Yes, but how exactly do you propose to catch one let alone two of them?” The enormity of the task was evident.
Ossian smiled. “There’s a blind ended hollow near to here, it has steep rock walls on either side, there’s only one way in. If we could flank the horses and make them run in that direction I’m sure we could trap one or even more.” His enthusiasm was infectious.
Q’uaina looked in disbelief. “You’re not serious, that’s your plan?”
Ossian nodded. “It’s not as daft as it sounds, the ground just beyond the glade steepens quite suddenly and funnels naturally into the hollow. I noted it when I passed through here. It’s a perfect place to corner animals. If we wait until dark, we can use fire torches to spook the herd and if we’re lucky, they’ll run in
the direction of the hollow. Then we’ll see what happens.”
Q’uaina shrugged her shoulders and nodded her tacit agreement. Her heart told her however, that it was a foolhardy plan. Just then, they heard a commotion coming from the glade’s direction. They rose and crept towards the opening. The horses were gone. Ossian rushed forwards and looked at the trampled ground. In amongst the tangle of hoof prints were other tracks. He knelt down and examined the ground closely. He let out a low whistle and said one word.
“Wolves”.
Chapter 5
Threat
More noise came from beyond the edge of the glade and so they crept forwards once more. They reached the tree margin and heard snarling and horses whinnying. They continued down the slope, Ossian with his spear in one hand and sword in the other. Without warning on Ossian’s left side, a large timber wolf burst out of the foliage, fresh blood on its muzzle. It stopped, surprised by the presence of the two humans. Then it let out a low snarl and charged Ossian.
Ossian reacted instinctively. In one adrenaline-fuelled moment, he thrust his spear at the wolf and followed through with a direct sword swipe at the beast’s neck. The spear missed but the sword bit deep. The wolf’s momentum carried it forwards and the steel sunk deeper into its flesh. The wolf let out a high pitched yelp and fell heavily to the ground. Ossian was on it in an instant, pressing the advantage. With one clean strike, he pierced the wolf’s heart with the spear. The beast shuddered and took its last breath. Stillness descended on the scene.
Q’uaina took in what had happened; it all had passed in the space of a breath. She noticed a fluttering in her heart and then a deeper fluttering along her arms and finally into her hands. Then, two things happened.
Four more wolves burst through the undergrowth and converged on Ossian and the fallen wolf. Q’uaina’s hands shot forwards crackling, jagged, blue fire at each of the attacking beasts which threw them back into the trees. One of the stricken wolves hit a tree trunk, its spine made a deep snapping sound on impact. The others disappeared from sight leaving only the smell of burning flesh and fur.
Ossian sat transfixed. His spear still in the fallen wolf’s body. He turned slowly and looked at Q’uaina, amazement in his eyes. The breeze rustled the treetops above; the north star was just visible through the branches in the cold sky. A chill bead of sweat ran down his back.
“What just happened?” he asked, it seemed to no one in particular.
Q’uaina sank to her knees in the leaves and moss. She was flushed and her body trembled. She stared vacantly ahead. A crow called in the distance followed soon after by another. The carrion eaters wasted little time.
Slowly, Q’uaina’s breathing returned to normal and the trembling abated. She brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. “I…I don’t know,” she managed to stammer.
Ossian stood and still holding his weapons, came to her. His eyes darted nervously at the darkening undergrowth. He reached Q’uaina and put his arm around her. He helped her up. Apart from the wind, the forest was silent once more.
“We can talk later, I think we should leave this place. There may be more of these wolves around, blood has been spilt. Soon this place will attract others. We need to find shelter before nightfall.”
With that, they retreated from the area. They swiftly retraced their steps and put a good distance between them and the killing ground. The light was failing and the stars were appearing.
Q’uaina halted to catch her breath. Ossian relented and stopped. She looked up and around.
“Look, what about up there in that tree?” she pointed at a majestic, old ash ahead.
Ossian understood immediately, he smiled. “The forest always provides a way to those in need. Come let’s find a roost up there in those branches.”
With that, they both scrambled up into the embrace of the giant ash. They found a comfortable nook in the heart of the ancient tree. A safe distance from the ground, they were at last able to relax their guard. Q’uaina suddenly felt cold and rubbed her arms vigorously.
“Careful there butterfly girl, we don’t want to set the tree alight,” Ossian said dryly.
Q’uaina gave him a withering look.
“Let’s have something to eat and drink, then some rest is called for I think. We’re safe enough up here for the time being.” Ossian produced the remainder of the food from his pack along with a blanket that he passed to Q’uaina. She accepted gratefully and they both started eating the meagre fare.
After their meal, they made themselves as comfortable as possible. The wind rustled the leaves around them; they felt cocooned, protected from all that had passed that day.
“So tell me, what happened back there butterfly girl?”
Q’uaina looked away. Her arms ached; she could still smell burning wolf flesh in her nostrils. She remembered the fear and ecstasy in her chest.
What had happened?
She turned back to face Ossian. “Trust me Ossian, I really don’t know. I have some Erthe lore but only for simple things like minor healing, or even fire starting, but that… that was something new and frightening. It came from somewhere else, somewhere deeper…” her words trailed off. A gulf stretched out between them.
Then Ossian said something strange. “I once heard a man, a warrior in my clan speak of blue fire, mage fire he called it. It was some time ago. I think he had come across a lore master on his travels. This master had used blue fire to blind some drow that had ambushed their hunting party at night in Reaver country. That was many seasons ago now.”
Q’uaina listened transfixed at Ossian’s words. Her breathing was shallow. Could she have somehow accessed mage fire from some place deep within? If so what did this mean? What did it all mean? Her head spun with questions that had no answers.
Ossian saw the bewilderment in her face and shrugged. “Thank you butterfly girl, you saved my life back there. I owe you.”
Q’uaina managed a tired smile. “We’re even then, you rescued me from the griffin remember?”
“Even then it is, goodnight butterfly girl.” Ossian wrapped himself up in his cloak and closed his eyes.
Q’uaina lay back against the tree in her blanket and looked up at the twinkling stars high above. She felt as if she could almost reach out and touch them. Her clan believed they were the hearth fires of their ancestors in the spirit world. She wanted to ask her ancestors for guidance, she offered up a silent prayer to them. Her heart heard only silence. Sleep eventually came claiming her for a few hours.
She woke with a start. Ossian had his hand firmly pressed over her mouth. She was confused and disorientated. She struggled against his grip then stopped.
“Be quiet, there’s something below us, its been circling the tree for some time now,” Ossian whispered. He took his hand away from her mouth.
The first rays of dawn were reaching into the treetops. It was cold. Q’uaina was stiff, her muscles frozen. Her blanket was heavy with dew. Then she heard the noise, a rustle then nothing. Then again a rustle and a snort. What was that?
Their eyes strained to penetrate the gloom of the forest floor. Shadows, nothing but shades of grey, then a movement and then another. Q’uaina saw the outline of a large animal a short distance away. Her brain struggled to make sense of what her eyes were telling her. She saw the beast’s breath misting the air. Then the animal whinnied. This was followed by a soft reply from behind.
Horses! How could this be?
They waited for the light to improve to make sure. Their suspicions were confirmed. Two horses were below them, a mare and her foal. The mare stood with her head down and looked injured. Q’uaina could not be sure but she thought she saw blood on the mare’s hindquarters. The beast looked exhausted. The little foal was by its mother’s side trembling.
“We have to go down, we have to have a look, I may be able to help her,” Q’uaina said. Without waiting for Ossian’s agreement, she started scrambling down the tree. She reached the bottom branch then jumpe
d the last few feet to the ground. She landed with a thud on the soft forest floor. The mare did not stir. Her foal backed away and then returned to its mother’s side.
Ossian jumped down eyes darting left and right looking for trouble. None came. He kept his weapons at the ready and watched over Q’uaina as she approached the stricken horse. She whispered soothing words to the mare as she neared her. She slowly reached out and stood quietly at a short distance. The horse flicked her eyelids and weakly scratched at the ground. Q’uaina stroked her muzzle gently; her heart in her mouth. This was a beautiful beast, strong and with fine lines.
Abruptly, the horse fell to the ground and its breathing became ragged. The little foal squealed in panic and came close to its mother. Q’uaina reached out and felt the mare’s body for injuries. Her hands instinctively followed the mare’s distress to the site of the pain. A deep wound lay open on her rump, obviously from the wolf attack the previous day. She had somehow managed to escape with her foal but was now separated from the herd.
Q’uaina’s mind raced back to her healing lore taught to her by S’acryx over the years. She gathered her Erthe energies within and summoned those she could from without. Her breathing slowed. Her eyes shone dimly at first then brighter in the liquid light of morning. Q’uaina’s hands found the deep wound and covered it. She felt her clan tattoos writhe under her skin and across her body. Her healing energies poured into the mare’s wound and side. Warmth spread through both their bodies. Something sacred happened. A joy passed between them. Spirit met spirit. A knowing.
Steam rose from the mare’s flanks. She gave off a palpable warmth. The foal nickered and pranced about nervously its eyes bulging. Somewhere birdsong shattered the silence. The spell was broken. Q’uaina slumped down beside the mare.
Severance Page 3
