If it was Niihlu and friends, Angst would, indeed, carve a path. He blamed Niihlu and that Lurp creature for Hector’s death. Sure, heroes were supposed to seek justice, but the wave of revenge and remorse that struck him washed away any consideration of heroics. Niihlu was evil, and death was coming for that Nordruaut and any who rode with him.
The cold of hatred passed as the familiar buzzing from the gamlin led him to the giants. Like painting, hiding his feelings, and walking in a straight line when he was drunk, sneaking wasn’t his gift. He half-considered giving up and announcing himself after the first five steps, each one crunching leaves and sticks like he was a herd of cows. His armor had never been louder and needed oil like he needed a bath. He was uowind, of course, and these natural-born hunters were probably sniffing him out already.
Angst stumbled on the camp and hurried to hide behind a tree. They were heart-skippingly close. Despite having spent time with the Nordruaut, especially Maarja, there was something about their size that was disconcerting. Their proportions made them appear like any other human, except they were two to three times his size. They were covered in furs and leathers earned from their hunts. Every Nordruaut had long platinum hair, dark tans, and war paint on their faces. Sure, he could probably take them being bonded with both swords, and with the help of gamlin, but that was still a probably. While the Berfemmian and Vex’steppe tribesmen were the two most dangerous races on Ehrde, Nordruaut came in a very close third.
Sweat trickled down his cheek as he counted ten. The small number meant some Nordruaut could be out hunting. Waiting around to be prey seemed like a bad idea. No Tarness, no Jintorich, and no Niihlu meant that these were innocent bystanders—innocence being relative. According to Ivan, this was the direction they needed to go, so he had to get rid of them without starting World War Ehrde.
“C’mon, guys,” Angst whispered over his shoulder. “Foci know everything. Can’t you help me a little?”
Nothing, not even a spark. Angst sighed. The two swords were acting like children upset at having to go visit the crazy aunt who pinched cheeks too hard and made lousy food. He really needed to hash out this silent treatment with them before reaching Prendere, but now was not the time.
The familiar buzz of gamlin filled his mind. They were ready to fight, but he didn’t need murder, he needed the Nordruaut to leave. He had an idea.
“That was surprisingly easy,” Angst said, with a smug smile as he returned.
Alloria was facing away from Ivan with her arms crossed. Her cheeks practically glowed red. Ivan peered at her and said nothing, as if biting his tongue.
“I said, that was surprisingly easy,” Angst said more firmly. His simple solution deserved at least some recognition.
“My hero,” Ivan said, tearing his eyes away from Alloria.
“Thanks,” Angst said, dryly, looking back and forth between them. “But I think that’s her line.”
“Heh,” Alloria said, readjusting her tiara.
“Did he hurt you?” Angst asked as he approached her.
“I’m fine,” Alloria muttered, her tone dark.
“I could break him,” Angst said, placing his hands on her shoulders. “If that’d make it better.”
She spun about, buried her face into his shoulder and wept. Angst looked for blood or bruises but saw nothing. He glared at Ivan, who stared at the ground with a self-satisfied smirk. She gasped for breath, and he petted her hair until she was done.
“We should hurry,” Angst said. “The Nordruaut won’t be gone long.”
“Then let’s go,” she said suddenly, looking up at him with wide eyes and a broad grin.
Those eyes were far, far too old for seventeen. How much of that smile was crazy, and how much of it hid everything she’d gone through? Angst brushed a strand of honey brown hair from her face, and she leaned her head into his hand.
“Shall I scout ahead?” Ivan asked. Angst could practically hear his eyes roll.
“You can shut your dumb mouth,” Angst snapped.
He pulled away slowly and mounted the ram before offering Alloria a hand. There were times that she felt like a crate of shaken eggs, perfect on the outside with a messed-up center. Even if he didn’t know what to do about it, he had to keep reminding himself of that center.
They rode slowly toward the Nordruaut camp, trying to minimize their noise.
“Wow,” Alloria said when they arrived. “How many were there?”
“I counted ten,” Angst said. “There may be more. They like to hunt.”
Ivan hopped off his mount.
“What are you doing?” Angst asked. “We need to get out of here.”
The knight grabbed a giant leg of cooked something and placed the heavy end in his satchel. Enough meat and bone stuck out that Angst half expected it to fall back to the ground. Ivan mounted his stallion and nodded. “It’ll feed us for days.”
“Fine,” Angst said. “Anything else? Did you need a blanket or some pillows?”
“Ha,” Ivan said. “But you are correct. From the size of their camp, we should move on. I’d hate to deal with that mess of Nordruaut. How did you get rid of them, anyway?”
“Well,” Angst said. “It’s funny you should ask…”
The first day’s silence was welcome, but after encountering the dragon, Victoria longed for the quick banter of Angst and his friends. Rose led the conversation with this group, and it was always biting and snarky. It was as if the power from bonding with a foci, or her position as champion, had gone to her head. While Victoria shared the occasional exhausted glance with Mirim, poor Dallow looked defeated.
“Stop,” Sean said, bringing his ferret to a halt.
The second time Sean spoke to the group wasn’t the goofy dragon-love he’d expressed earlier.
“I think I liked it better when he didn’t talk,” Nikkola said nervously.
Captain Mirim slid off Jaden’s Bokeen swifen and placed an ear to the ground.
“Something’s coming fast,” she said. “Can you feel the—”
The ground shook as leaves on the forest floor began to hop. Without warning, a gamlin leaped from the ground and landed in Victoria’s arms. Its cute frown made her smile, and she immediately wanted to hug the creature but was wary of its knife-edged spines.
“Hi,” she said. “Are you okay?”
It opened its mouth, letting out a hort. The creature’s face contorted in frustration.
“Angst must be near,” Victoria said. “I’m sure he’s sending us a message. What is it, little guy?”
After some sort of internal struggle, the gamlin finally said, “Run.”
“They talk?” Mirim asked, her eyes wide.
“No,” Victoria said as the gamlin dove back into the ground. “At least, they didn’t used to.”
“And they used to be cute,” Nikkola said. “Now they’re creepy.”
“Nordruaut,” Simon said. “Sean says they’re chasing gamlin and heading this way.”
“Felk,” Rose said.
“What do we do, Mirim?” Victoria asked.
“Run,” Mirim said, scrambling back up onto the giant swifen. “By the Dark Vivek, run!”
And once again, they ran.
27
When the border of life and death that separated Unsel and Rohjek came into view, they sighed in relief. Tarness and Jintorich looked at each other, nodded once, and pushed their swifen faster than any horse could’ve traveled. Tarness glanced over his shoulder to see a cloud of ash following them like a trail of signal fires pointing anything hungry their way. It was worth the risk. Long, depressing days through the ash-ridden wasteland were finally behind them, and Unsel was merely a swifen stride away. Unsel was safe. Unsel was home.
They raced past the border until they reached a field of grass barely touched by ash. Tarness dismissed his obsidian stallion before it came to a full stop and landed in a sprawl. He breathed in the sweet smell of life before rolling over and closing his eyes.
> “Are you all right?” Jintorich asked, delicately sliding off his watery dragonfly swifen.
“Getting there,” Tarness said, gripping handfuls of warm, sweaty grass.
“What are you doing?” Jintorich asked.
“I’m loving everything green,” Tarness said, making the word green last as long as his breath. He rolled over again, just because he could, and stretched. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed green. Between the constant Nordruaut winter, and the ashen fields of Rohjek, it feels like it’s been forever.”
“Are we going to roll around in the grass naked now?” Jintorich asked. “I love being naked.”
“Nope,” Tarness said, sitting up quickly. “Uh, allergies.”
“Oh,” Jintorich said, his tall ears drooping. He took several deep gulps of air before letting out a tiny, rabbit sigh. “This beauty is almost worth the lies.”
“Yeah, those,” Tarness said, his stomach clenching.
“I’m not a liar,” Jintorich said, softly. “And yet I lied to your wife, my best friend.”
“I’m sorry,” Tarness said as the joy washed away, leaving behind something bitter.
“It’s going to take a lot of apologies,” Jintorich said. “From both of us.”
“I hear flowers are good,” Tarness said.
“And pie.” Jintorich nodded, his ears perking a little. “My wife loved rubunberry pie.”
“I didn’t know you were married,” Tarness said, sitting up and leaning back on his arms.
“I... Well, yes, I...” Jintorich cocked his head to one side and frowned.
“What was her name?” Tarness asked. “Tell me about her. That is, if you feel like it.”
“I don’t… I—” Jintorich’s body seemed to stiffen, and he tugged at his ears frantically. “Remembering is hard.”
“Uh.” Tarness didn’t know what to do. Jintorich looked like he felt when Magic’s ring kept him from speaking. “Maybe just tell me what she looked like.”
“No,” Jintorich shouted. His body convulsed, slowly at first until he vibrated unnaturally fast. Ghostly Meldusian faces peeked out from his bulbous head, each of them looking around before returning. A dozen blurry arms reached out from his chest and back. His ears grew then shrank then grew again.
“Jin?” Tarness asked, not sure if he should hug him or run away before the explosion.
Jintorich opened one mouth and let out a glass-breaking scream. His staff glowed brighter and brighter. Tarness could only cover his ears and squeeze his eyes shut as the maddening pot boiled over and over into his brain.
Silence. A silence so abrupt it was jarring. Tarness shifted his jaw until his ears popped then opened his eyes to see Jintorich inches from his face. The deep blue orbs were intense enough to make him jerk back.
“What was that?” Tarness asked.
“I am one,” Jintorich said, calmly. “One of many.”
“One of too many,” Tarness said. “You care to explain what that means?”
“I care,” Jintorich said, holding himself and staring at the ground. “But I can’t explain.”
“It’s okay, Jin. Maybe the Mendahir can help you too,” Tarness said.
Jintorich merely nodded. His eyebrows were frazzled, and his ears drooped.
“Things are weird,” Tarness said, hoping to calm his friend. “I’m married to a woman twice my size, the elements are now living beings, or were, and my best friend thinks he’s one of them.”
“Is he?” Jintorich asked, his head popping up. “Or is he going crazy?”
“Not my boy,” Tarness said, resolutely. “Not Angst. I believe in him. He always wanted to be a hero, but you don’t always get what you want. He’s just in over his head, like usual. That’s why I came back, to help him sort it out so we can save the day.”
“He sounds like a good friend,” Jintorich said. “Someone who would always be there for you.”
“No, that’s impossible,” Tarness said, leaning back on his arms. “Too much can go wrong for someone to always be there. But Angst has been there when it counts.”
“When I traveled with Angst, he was always polite, but also distant,” Jintorich said.
“Don’t take it personally.” Tarness chuckled. “He doesn’t have many friends who are men.”
“He certainly liked Faeoris,” Jintorich said.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Tarness asked, raising his eyebrows.
They sat in silence for a moment, taking in the green. The leaves were just starting to change color and the air was cool without being cold. It was his favorite time of year.
“Didn’t you have a six-legged-dog swifen?” Tarness asked.
“That was before I died,” Jintorich said. “I’m certain this one reflects the change in me.”
“What does that mean?” Tarness asked with raised eyebrows.
“I am one, one of many,” Jintorich said.
“Right,” Tarness said. “I don’t even know how you ride something made of water.”
“At least my swifen isn’t of fire and ice,” Jintorich said.
“That sounds painful,” Tarness said with a wince.
“Less painful than what you’ll face at home,” Jintorich said, his brows furrowed. “Maarja didn’t take our departure well.”
“Not so much,” Tarness said. “Fortunately, she took it out on Bryymel. She’ll end his game.”
“I don’t trust him,” Jintorich squeaked. “Do you know where they are heading?”
“Potterton,” Tarness said. “But I feel bad not being there. Things are going to get hairy.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Jintorich said. “We can’t continue to let that ring lord over you.”
“I feel like my transgressions are a never-ending story,” Tarness said.
“There is no wheel of time to roll back mistakes,” Jintorich said, wisely.
“I just want to be free,” Tarness said.
“Didn’t you recently get married?” Jintorich said with a wink. “Sorry, I used to be a comedian.”
“It’s okay,” Tarness said, standing and brushing himself off. “I like being on the road with you. It’s like a show.”
“Uh, what’s that?” Jintorich asked, pointing to the sky with his staff.
Several dots circled overhead, like vultures waiting for their meal.
“Too big to be birds,” Tarness said. “Hopefully Berfemmian. I liked them.” He waved.
“I don’t think that’s wise,” Jintorich said. “Maehtikyn says they are dangerous.”
“We’ll find out soon. Here they come,” Tarness said, blocking the sun with a hand. “Whoa, and fast. Jin, get down!”
“I am down,” Jintorich said.
The world flipped and turned as Tarness rolled with his attacker, tumbling heel over head. There was no time to pull away and see what he was dealing with. It was strong enough to squeeze the air from his lungs through plate armor.
The somersaulting finally stopped, but he was too disoriented to attack. The creature drew back and let out a piercing squawk. It was a bird woman, but not like any Berfemmian he’d seen. Maybe if you took away their pretty, rolled them around in sticky garbage, and covered them in black feathers. Oh no.
“What happened to you?” he asked. “It’s Tarness. I’m a friend.”
“You smell of Angst,” she screeched.
“I do not.” He pushed and shoved, but she was so strong.
“Where is he?” She wrapped a talon around his neck and squeezed.
There was a noisy tunk of metal hitting bone as Jintorich’s staff met her temple, batting her away. She smashed against a nearby tree with a loud crack and collapsed to the ground.
“Can you stand?” Jintorich asked. “There are more coming.”
“I can run if it means staying away from that,” Tarness said, scrambling to his feet. He summoned his swifen. “Was that a Berfemmian? What happened to her?”
The ground shook as another dark Berfemmian landed
then felt like an earthquake when the other six arrived. They looked at their fallen comrade and let out a war cry that froze Tarness’s blood.
“On your swifen,” Jintorich shouted. “Ride!”
28
“Oh, now what?” Ivan asked, dismissing Angst’s shush. “More giants you won’t kill? More tribesmen to befriend? I’m exhausted from your—”
“Then please, you lead the way,” Angst whispered. “We’ll wait here.”
“Yeah,” Alloria said, not quite whispering. “After you.”
Ivan pulled his horse around and looked at them warily. “What’s up there?” he asked, jerking his head in that direction.
“Why, your people,” Angst said with a broad grin. “I’m sure they’d love to see their Takarn.”
“You’re so funny,” Alloria said, barking out a laugh.
Ivan stared at him, waiting for an answer.
“According to the gamlin, there are a lot of Fulk’han ahead,” Angst said, immediately holding up a hand. “Don’t ask me how many. They don’t know.”
“Yeah,” Alloria said in a high-pitched tone. “Don’t ask.”
Angst sighed. This was a different crazy than the others she’d expressed, and he was already annoyed.
“Maybe you can talk them into letting us pass,” Angst said.
“There’s a greater chance they’d kill me for being an imposter,” Ivan said, swallowing hard.
“Good,” Angst and Alloria said at the same time. She barked out another laugh that made him grimace.
“Have it your way,” Ivan said, rolling his eyes. “We go around the animals.”
“It’s not that easy,” Angst said. “They’re everywhere.”
“You could just kill ‘em,” Alloria said, excitedly.
“Maybe,” Angst said.
“What’s that?” Ivan asked, looking up.
Dark shadows rushed overhead, just beyond the tree line. Angst had no doubt who they were.
“Marisha,” Angst said, in awe. He hadn’t seen her specifically, but she was their leader, and he could only assume she was in the search party.
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