by Brad Carsten
Worry had creased Kaylyn's forehead which wasn't a good sign. She shook her head. “They can outrun a horse, even at full gallop, and they don't tire as easily.”
“We have no choice then,” Liam said. “We need to get to Gallowhill. That's going to be our best chance.” Gallowhill was an abandoned town in the Norwoth forests. It was the closest town, unless they turned back to Highton, but word would have spread to every quarter, and this time, they wouldn't even get through the gate.
There was another reason Liam wanted to get there: Master Madager had drawn a stone span over the town. He'd better be right, but the town was at least two hours away even if they pushed their horses. It would be close.
“Gallowhill?” Quinn shouted. “Are you insane? The place was abandoned for a reason.”
A hundred and fifty years back, people started leaving the town at night and heading off into the forest for no reason. Those that didn't flee the town were never heard from again.
“It's our only chance,” Liam said.
***
They were all decent riders, but the barking crept ever closer. Soon they could hear it above the drumming hooves. They pushed their horses as much as they dared without pushing them to exhaustion, but still the howls came.
At first, the barking was grouped together, but as they drew closer, the sounds fanned out to the left and the right. The dughounds were starting to encircle them. There must have been at least four, perhaps five. One barked and then the others echoed it. These things were coordinating their attack. Plight, Liam hated anything that could plan.
“They're almost on us,” Liam shouted across to Kaylyn. “I hope you've recovered?”
“No, I need rest to recover. This isn't rest. But I’ll do what I can. How far is this city?” She barely looked like she could hold her head up nevermind fight whatever was coming after them.
“We're close. Keep going. Just keep going. We're close.”
They reached the Norwoth forest, leading into Gallowhill, but the town could still be some distance away. Trees flickered by to either side along a natural path, but they hadn't even reached the road yet.
Liam didn't say anything, but he was worried. Once the dughounds converged, they'd be a lot more difficult to take down, especially if they hunted together like wolves attacking from all directions at once. By the sound of it, they were a lot more organised.
Liam could isolate them in the confines of a town, but not in the open like this. He had to do something, now, while they were still alone.
Ahead, the road split in two. The left fork turned away, leading down into a valley, and the right carried on towards the town. Thank fate it was a clear night, or he may have missed the other path altogether.
“Left, Left. Go left,” Liam shouted. It would take them away from the town, but he had to keep the hounds off their flanks.
“Keep going. No matter what happens, just keep riding?”
“What are you going to do?” Kaylyn's voice was tight.
“I'm going to see if I can thin down the herd a bit.”
“No. Liam. No.”
“It's our only chance.”
He turned his horse, breaking away from the others, galloping towards the forest and those cursed barks. They'd be on him in seconds.
Liam broke right. There was a slight embankment, but his horse cleared it without much trouble, and soon the others were lost to sight. He dropped off his horse and looped its reins around a branch so it wouldn't wander off, and he slipped through the trees on foot. He kept three arrows in one hand and his bow in the other.
It barely took a few heartbeats before something broke through the trees in front of him offering him a clear look at what they were up against. The thing was big—really big like a wolf.
Liam realised he was upwind and cursed himself for not taking that into account. It was a basic mistake, but one that could be his undoing. The creature's eyes snapped towards him. Liam knocked an arrow. The creature charged. Liam’s first arrow hit its chest, the second its neck and he barely got the third off as it hit into him. He was thrown back and it cartwheeled over him, landing with its back in the dirt with the arrow protruding from its eye. Liam lay in the grass breathing hard out of terror more than overexertion. He checked for injury and then quickly retrieved his arrows.
The barking had moved across into the valley—one howl and three replies. There were still four more of them, and they were going after Kaylyn and Quinn.
He got to his horse and took off southeast through the trees. If he kept in a straight line, he should be able to catch them towards the bottom of the valley.
The trees were close enough to block him, but far enough apart that he wouldn't get snagged. Still, branches lashed his face and shoulders as he galloped between them. He saw the hound before it saw him as he came up on it from the side. Two arrows and it dropped.
The path turned back on itself and the dust trail said the others had passed by already. The path dropped below him, and he jumped over it, and the horse hit the embankment on the opposite side. A shadow broke through the trees in front of him.
Liam's horse scraped the ground as it found traction and took off into the trees, crossing behind the dughound. It turned for him and he shot. He swept by, ripping the arrow free from its eye as he passed.
The ground fell away down a slope. Quinn and Kaylyn were crossing the bottom, and one of those things was hurtling towards them.
It took four arrows. Its back was a lot harder than its front, but he got it down just as it hit the path.
He turned onto the path behind the others. In front of them the last of those things broke from the treeline, heading towards Kaylyn. It didn't cover more than half the distance before his arrows took it down. It slid through the dirt on its side and Kaylyn wrenched back her reins to avoid it.
“Are you okay?” Liam shouted.
“I think so, but we need to keep going. There'll be more than just this one.”
“There were five,” Liam said, “but I took care of them.”
“You what?” She opened her mouth to say something and then shut it again, looking at him in open astonishment.
“How far will the hunter be?” Liam said.
She was frowning, weighing him up, and he had to repeat the question.
“Kaylyn. How far is the hunter?”
She gave herself a small shake. “Not far. He won't be far at all. We need to go. Which way is the town?”
“This way.” Liam pointed west. “We can cut through the forest to join up with the path again.”
“Let's hope we get there before he does,” Quinn shouted, his spear held loose in one hand. They needed to get him a bow. He was a reasonable shot. He had come hunting with them a few times and lost more arrows than not while riding, but at least he could shoot from the back of a horse.
Liam led them up the side of a mountain, moving frustratingly slow until they reached the old road leading into Gallowhill. Decades had eaten into it. The forest had all but swallowed the road, with roots lifting the broken stones.
Birds took flight behind them in the valley. The hunter was closing in. Whatever he was, the birds could sense it, and they were leaving their nests. That was a bad sign.
“Keep going. Keep going,” he shouted.
They broke over the top of the ridge.
Trees gave way to the ruins of old houses. Here, it was a lot more open, and they could push their horses.
Liam could feel the energy from the stone span pulling him towards it. He twisted through the deserted streets, with Kaylyn and Quinn following close behind. They pushed their horses, leaning into their saddles. Stone ruins flickered past. The path through the town was littered with rubble, but still clear enough to move at a good pace. They reached another incline and Liam got his first real glimpse of the hunter who was rapidly approaching.
It looked like a man—its shape anyway, with its black cloak billowing behind. The thing it was riding looked like shadow
s, or not shadows at all—like ropes of smoke twisting together into the shape of an animal. It wasn't moving like anything he had ever seen: instead of running it seemed to arc above the ground like a ship ploughing through rough water, and the sound—its cry was shrill and dry and left tiny thorn pricks, like bugs, skittering up Liam's spine. The hunter covered half the distance within seconds.
Abruptly, Quinn shouted and wrenched back his reins, and his mount kicked up a cloud of dust, and Liam saw why a second later. He wrenched back his reins as hard as he could as the ground fell away in front of him. The horse turned sharply and Liam was thrown from his saddle. He hit the ground and rolled and pain jolted through his side. His horse took off with all his supplies. At least he still had his bow strung across his back.
Behind them, the hunter was drawing closer.
In front, a canyon fell away into complete darkness. Off to the side, a narrow rope bridge stretched across it. That's where the span would be. Quinn helped Liam onto the back of his horse, and they rode. They rode with everything they had.
The hunter turned to intersect then. He drew a blade that was as black as the night. Kaylyn shouted something, and a wall of black energy exploded from the dirt, like a waterfall spraying up. It encircled the hunter. Nausea and despair washed over Liam and his stomach heaved.
“No Kaylyn, No,” he shouted. She couldn't draw that much power. It could kill her. Quinn groaned and clutched a hand to his stomach.
The hunter cut his sword through the shield to test it, but he didn't try stepping through.
Kaylyn swayed in her saddle, and Liam had to scramble down to help her. “Go,” she said, through grit teeth. “I can't hold it much longer.”
“Not without you.” Liam threw his arm around her waist and dragged her back. They hit the bridge and Liam had to steady himself as the bridge swayed dangerously. Quinn grabbed the saddle bags, but left the horses behind. He would never get them across the bridge. Through the wall, the hunter watched them with its sword held at the ready.
Sweat beaded across Kaylyn's forehead, and halfway across the bridge, she began gulping for air, like she was drowning.
“Hang on, hang on. We're almost there. We're almost across.”
The wall of black energy flickered dangerously, but still, Kaylyn held her hand out towards it. When they reached the end of the bridge, her legs gave way and they had to drag her the last few feet. The wall dropped, like a body of water splashing to the ground.
Liam drew his dagger and began hacking at the ropes, while Quinn used the blade of his spear.
Kaylyn’s face was going purple, and she was clawing at her neck.
The first rope snapped, and Liam threw the knife to Quinn and ran to Kaylyn, dropping next to her in the dirt. “Don't fade on me,” he shouted. He began pumping her chest and breathing into her mouth. Get some of that elixir, he shouted to Quinn. It barely helped her last time; would it do anything now?
Quinn threw the saddlebag to Liam who ripped everything out until he found the bottle. With shaking hands, he put it to her lips, offering only a few drops at a time so that she wouldn't choke.
“Come on, come on,” he pleaded. He continued pumping air into her lungs, until she gasped in a lungful of air.
Quinn was hacking at the rope. The hunter reached the bridge, but stopped short of crossing it. They cut the remaining supports and the bridge was sucked down over the edge. Quinn howled and screamed and threw up his hands in a rude gesture. “That's right you goat wanderer,” he screamed across the canyon.
Liam helped Kaylyn to her knees. “Are you okay?”
Her flesh was as pale as the dead, but she managed a nod.
“What in the world did you do there,” Quinn shouted. “I've never seen anything like that!”
Kaylyn gave a weak smile. “Just a little trick I know—” her eyes bulged and she doubled over, dry heaving. Liam touched her arm. Her skin felt clammy like she had a fever, and she was shaking all over.
This wasn't good.
“We need to go,” she managed in a faint voice. “That gap's not going to stop him.”
Light surrounded the hunter. It spread out to the fallen section of bridge, and then across the canyon. That formed into a new bridge and the old one, hanging down the cliff face, faded. Within seconds the bridge was exactly as it had been when they first arrived.
“Fool’s hand, what is that?” Quinn shouted. The hunter started across the bridge on foot.
“Help me get her up,” Liam shouted. Between them, they managed to get her up. The gate was just ahead; Liam could see the circle of rocks, and he could feel its power.
“Give me your bow,” Quinn shouted. He gave Kaylyn his spear to lean on, and Liam threw over his bow.
Behind them the hunter was moving quickly. He wasn't running, but he seemed to cover twice the distance with each step, as though time wasn't quite working as well as it should.
Quinn shot, but the arrow was wide. He took a deep breath, centering his mind, and tried again. This time, it was on target. The arrow hit its chest and the hunter staggered back. The arrow stayed there for a moment, and then it faded, like the bridge, and the cursed thing dropped right back into Liam's quiver.
“What in the light,” Quinn shrieked.
“You have to kill them. You can't injure them,” Kaylyn said. “I forgot to mention that they can undo short threads of time.”
“You forgot to mention THAT!”
They reached the top of the slope, and Liam ran ahead to open the gate. He threw his shoulder into it, and the massive doors swung open. Beyond the entrance was a wall of white light, swirling like fog.
Quinn backed into the circle firing arrow after arrow. Kaylyn was just behind them and as she reached it, she hit into an invisible barrier, and her eyes widened.
“Kaylyn,” he shouted. “Kaylyn, come on.”
She pressed her hands against it as though pressing up against glass. She pounded her fists against it, but she couldn't cross the line.
“Liam, you never told me there was a span here. I can't go near spans. Gaharah won't allow it. Liam.”
Tears formed in her eyes, and she turned raising her hands to the hunter. He kept coming. His face was hidden in the shadow of his cowl. She was too weak to cast. If she tried again, she would surely die.
Liam felt things he hadn't felt for a long time: Feelings he'd kept locked away since Tarla died—since his father died.
The hunter stalked closer, moving with purpose but in no hurry.
Kaylyn backed into the invisible barrier. The hunter raised its sword. Liam grabbed Kaylyn's arm and whatever was holding her back, folded in on itself and she stumbled through.
All three scrambled for the opening.
“You said you needed to get to Luthengard,” Liam said.
“But Liam, you can't use the spans—”
“Don't worry. My father and I use them all the time. Just hold on.”
Light enveloped them. They were wrenched forward, without losing their balance, and they stepped through into another place entirely.
Falling back, Kaylyn pulled free of Liam’s hand, and in her eyes, he saw something that he hadn't seen before: Fear. She was afraid.
“Liam. You can't use the spans,” she said, in a trembling voice, “because they don't work anymore. They haven't for centuries.”
Chapter 15
Kaylyn scrambled away from the circle of rocks, jutting up on their ends like road markers.
“Liam, that's impossible. There's no way you can—” Her eyes suddenly widened, and she spun back towards them. Black energy enveloped her hands, and her forehead creased in concentration.
“If we can get through, then so can he, so we have to be ready for him.”
“Kaylyn, he's not coming after us. Kaylyn.” Liam touched her shoulder and she flinched. “There are dozens of spans. Even if he could get through, he has no idea where we went. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”
It took a while fo
r her to finally lower her hands and for the darkness around them to blink out. Liam didn't want to know what that was, but he had seen enough to know that it couldn't be good.
“What happened?” She turned that frown on him. “How did you do that? How did you get through the gate?”
“It's not that difficult to do. Really, it isn't. My father figured it out a few years ago already. You just have to feel for the other spans, and then keep them in your mind as you enter.”
“He tried to explain it to me once,” Quinn said, “but he forgets that the rest of us can't FEEL other places like he does.”
“It takes a bit of practice, that's all.” Liam climbed onto a boulder to get a better view of the land. The spans were built on a small rocky mound. There were no lights anywhere, but he could feel Luthengard to the south, so they had reached Delwick at least. They would only be able to set out in the morning, once the evil of the night had disappeared. “Even if the hunter can't find us, I don't want to stay here longer than I have to. There may be other nightspawn around, or who knows what else lurking in these parts. A farmhouse would be good, a town better, but we may be stuck out in the open tonight, so we'll have to make the most of it.”
Liam found a small crevice out of the wind where they could set up shelter for the night. They couldn't risk a fire in case there were any nightspawn, and so they huddled together until dawn, with their teeth chattering.
Early the next morning, a light mist had covered the land like a blanket, fading all the colours, and bringing a nip in the air.
Still, they had avoided any more run-ins with the nightspawn, and for that, Liam was grateful.
Their stomachs all grumbled like Madam Branbill at a town dance, but they agreed that without their horses, it would take a lot longer to reach Luthengard, and so they would set out right away and try to cover as much ground as they could before nightfall.
From the stone hill, they had a good view of the surrounding land. With all the fog, Liam couldn't see any rivers or lakes, but he could feel the water pulling through the earth in the direction of Luthengard. That was something he hadn't felt before, but somehow, he knew what it was as surely as he could feel the town itself. The wind blowing off a river would be freezing come night, but they'd have a better chance of finding a settlement along the way and something to eat. Without food and shelter, they may never reach Luthengard.
