by Imogen Elvis
She looked around in silence for a long moment. This place was an absolute mess. “Well, at least the roof’s fairly solid,” she said at last.
“There should be a stack of wood by the wall. Pass me some. I’ll get a fire going.”
Sure enough, there was a pile of firewood leaning against the side of the tower, probably left there by others travellers before them. Briar brought an armload to Kade, who set to building a campfire in the middle of the floor. He took a small, flat tin out of his pack, from which he drew a flint and some tinder. Kade struck the flint, and a shower of sparks fell over the kindling. With her magic, Mama would have had this fire burning in moments, but Kade still had it going surprisingly quickly. The tiny flames snapped and crackled, eating up the twigs and sticks he fed it until the fire burned brightly, filling the tower with heat and light as the sky faded outside.
“That should be enough for the moment,” Kade said as Briar brought a second load of wood to the fireside. She dumped it in a stack near the campfire, hissing as the sharp edge of a broken branch scored across her skin, raising blood.
“Careful.” Kade turned her hand over, checking the cut. “It’s not bad. Though I suppose you can heal this easily enough.”
“I wish. It doesn’t work like that.” Briar slipped her fingers from his grasp and smoothed down her habit. “Soul singers can’t heal themselves.”
“That’s harsh.”
Briar shrugged. “It’s fair. No one else can magically heal themselves either.”
“I… suppose so. I never thought of it that way. ” Kade turned away and rummaged in his pack. “We should eat while there’s still light.”
It felt almost cozy in here now. Out the back wall, the sun set on the horizon in a blaze of gold and pink, which would soon fade to purple, and then to black. Briar wrapped her arms around her knees and watched the show of colours. It almost felt like being home.
“So,” she said after a while, when the sky was more purple than pink. “What brought you to Osman?”
“Business.” Kade poked the fire with a stick.
That was beautifully vague. “I suppose the attack interrupted that.”
“You could say that.”
“Who are these friends of yours that we’re meeting up with?”
“What is to you?” Kade’s voice was harsher than Briar expected.
She backed off at once. “Nothing. I was just trying to make conversation. Besides, I’ll be meeting them soon.” She turned back to the sunset, letting the subject drop. Why was he so defensive? It was just a simple question.
Kade made as if to speak, then stiffened. “Shh.”
Briar cocked her head to one side. What now? She strained her ears. Wait, what was that? The sound came again, stronger now. Was that… A howl? Yes. Stretched thin by distance, but definitely a howl. A chill ran down Briar’s spine. “Banewulfs,” she breathed.
Kade raised an eyebrow. “They’re just stories.”
Just stories. He didn’t know this area at all if that was what he believed. “Well they sound pretty real, don’t you think?” The howls grew louder and louder. Briar scrambled to her feet. “They’re coming this way.”
“They’re just wolves. I’ve dealt with those before.” Kade stepped over to the doorway and looked out into the dark.
Briar went the opposite way and checked out of the opening in the back wall. Her heart skipped a beat. “Do normal wolves have glowing red eyes?” she asked.
“Why?” Kade looked her way. “Sairth.”
Out beyond the circle of firelight, a row of red eyes glittered in the darkness. And all of a sudden, the howls faded to an eerie silence.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Still believe banewulfs are just a story?” Briar’s voice shook a little. Every hill child knew the danger. How many times had her parents warned her never to wander outside the village after dark? But she’d never thought that she might face a pack of banewulfs herself one day. Briar couldn’t tear her gaze away from that row of red, unblinking eyes that stared at her out of the dark.
“Don’t make any sudden moves,” Kade said. “Get yourself a torch or something.”
Briar glanced away from the wolves long enough to see the glint of firelight on metal as Kade drew his sword. She made the two tiny steps over to the fire, still keeping the banewulfs in sight. They neither moved nor made a sound, but they would surely attack if she turned her back even for a moment. Briar gingerly picked up the unburned end of a stick resting in the fire, her hands trembling as she hefted the torch, putting in between her and that circle of eyes.
The wolves crouched just beyond the ring of light, their evil red eyes the only thing visible. It was their stillness that was unsettling more than anything, the knowledge that at any moment they might attack, but not knowing when. A low growl rose, making Briar’s skin crawl.
“Here they come.” Tension crackled in Kade’s voice.
Briar sucked in a sharp breath as the wolves stalked into the circle of firelight. One, two, three. She counted eight in all. They stood tall, nearly half as big again as regular wolves, with muscles rippling under their long, black fur. Firelight reflected off vicious fangs, the size of her hand. Briar gripped her torch tighter. The wolves moved in, pace by pace, drool dripping from their mouths. One, bolder than the rest, stalked towards Briar, a low growl rumbling deep in its throat. She took a half-step back. They eyed each other for a long moment. Then the wolf leapt forward.
Briar let out a cry and swung the torch like a club. It hit the wolf’s head with a solid thump, sending it crashing to the ground with a high pitched yelp. The animal backed away, shaking its head and pawing at its ears as the acrid stench of burning fur filled the air. Briar took a step forward, swinging the torch again. The banewulfs backed up, ears pinned back. Maybe the fire would be enough to hold them off.
Then the banewulfs started their slow march again. Briar swung the torch wildly. The nearest wolves paused, ducking as the flames whistled past, but this time, they held their ground. Briar swallowed hard. They weren’t that afraid of the torch. Just wary. This wasn’t going to work for long.
She glanced at Kade, who stood on the other side of the fire, holding the wolves back with a torch in one hand and a sword in the other. He faced them without a trace of fear, though they bared their teeth, with hackles raised as they snapped and lunged for him.
Briar stepped back, then back again as the wolves pressed towards her. They hadn’t full-on attacked yet. Maybe they could tell she was a weaker target. Maybe they just liked playing with their prey. Her heart pounded in her chest. The burned wolf led the group, his eyes boring into hers, filled with such hatred it made her breath catch in her throat.
Another step back and Briar’s heel knocked on the remnants of the staircase. She glanced at the sloping pile of stones, which towered behind her, reaching up to the yawning opening in the ceiling. Her eyes flicked back to the advancing wolves and she jabbed the torch at them. They kept coming. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. She couldn’t fight them all. Holding the torch out in front of her with one hand, Briar gathered the skirt of her habit in the other and scrambled backwards up the pile of rubble.
The banewulfs paused at the foot of the ruined staircase, watching her with almost human consideration. Briar scrabbled higher up the pile of stones. Her foot caught in the hem of her skirt, and she slipped, sliding back down towards those gaping mouths. She cried out, grabbing the stones with both hands to stop herself from falling. The torch fell, bouncing from rock to rock, all the way to the bottom, landing at the feet of the wolves.
With barely a glance at the fallen torch, the banewulfs leapt onto the lowest stones. Briar clambered as far up the heap as she could get. Could she reach the floor above maybe? The hole in the ceiling winked at her mockingly. No. Too high, even if she jumped. A lump formed in her throat. She cast a glance Kade’s way. He had his back to the wall, just barely holding off four of the wolves. There would be no he
lp from him.
Briar licked her lips and curled her fingers around the edges of one of the shattered stones. The banewulfs would kill them, and she and Kade would become just another tale told by the fireside to warn unwary travellers and wide-eyed children.
“Hold on!”
Two cloaked figures burst into the circle of firelight, brandishing swords. A young man stepped to the left, and a young woman to the right. The wolves spun round to face this new threat, baring their teeth. One leapt at the young man. He swung his sword, cutting the wolf off in mid-air. Blood glistened on his blade, and the wolf crashed to the ground. The girl sliced at another, and it yelped, backing away, blood streaming down its flank.
The banewulfs stepped away from the staircase, fanning out around the new attackers. Kade moved cautiously to join the newcomers, tossing aside his torch and brandishing his sword. The wolves regrouped on the other side of the fire. Briar slid slowly down the pile, her breathing shallow. She kept one eye on the wolves as she snatched up her abandoned torch, hands shaking. All she had to was to make it to Kade and the newcomers.
One of the wolves snapped at Briar as she worked her way around. She leapt aside, swinging her torch blindly. The wolf backed off, ears flattened. Kade sliced at another, sending it skittering backwards, giving Briar the chance to the group.
The young man caught Kade’s eye and nodded slightly. Then the three of them stepped forward in unison, their swords flashing in the firelight. Briar followed their lead, hefting her torch like a club. Under this new attack, the wolves backed away, snarling. A couple, more daring than the rest, lunged forward. The young woman brought down one, and Kade dealt with the other. Only five remained now.
A wolf peeled off from the back of the pack, melting away into the darkness. Briar’s heart lifted. They were fleeing. She took a swing at the nearest wolf. It snapped at her, but backed away. Step by step, they drove the banewulfs out of the tower until, at last, they turned and fled into the night. The eerie howls started again, growing fainter and fainter until they faded into silence and the wolves were gone.
Briar let out a shaky laugh, and dragged a hand over her face. How had they made it out of this alive? The banewulfs should have killed them. And yet, they survived to tell the tale. Briar let her torch drop back into the fire. There was nothing left of the wolves now, apart from three huge carcasses sprawled in the dust.
The young man sheathed his sword and turned to Kade with a wide grin. “Why is it that every time we see you, you’re in trouble, Kade? You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Maybe I look for trouble just to give you something to do.” Kade shrugged, but the hint of a smile lurked around the corners of his mouth. “Actually, I thought you’d be here already.”
The other man shrugged. “We got held up.”
“Who’s this?” The young woman eyed Briar with a slight frown.
Briar’s cheeks heated under her disapproving gaze. “My name is Briar,” she said stiffly.
“Oh, yes. Rowen, Lara, this is Briar.” Kade gestured vaguely. “She’s travelling with us as far as Trava.”
Lara’s frown deepened. “But Kade-”
Kade cut her off with a meaningful look and a shake of his head. Briar’s eyes flicked between the two. The air reeked of secrets. Why was her being there such a problem to Lara? Kade hadn’t seemed concerned before.
“Anyway,” Kade went on. “Let’s clear this place out. I don’t fancy staying the night with a couple of wolf bodies staring at us in our sleep. Lara, give me a hand?”
Lara pressed her lips into a thin line but followed Kade. Together they grabbed one of the enormous wolf bodies, hauling it out of the tower. Briar couldn’t feel sorry for the dead wolves. She knew enough stories to know how these fights usually ended.
“Hey, Briar. Help me with this one?” Rowen stood by another body.
Briar eyed the gleaming teeth and swallowed hard. It was dead, but it still chilled her to look at it. She tentatively grabbed the banewulf’s shaggy fur and, with Rowen’s help, heaved it away from the fire. Banewulfs were every bit as massive as the stories made them out to be, and heavier than she’d expected.
“So, where are you from, Briar?” Rowen asked.
“Osman.” Briar blew a strand of hair off her forehead. “Before that, I lived around here.”
“Really?” Rowen sounded genuinely interested. “Why did you leave?”
Briar shrugged as casually as she could and focused on her hands gripping the fur. “Better opportunities in Osman. There are no order houses in the villages.”
Rowen tipped his head to one side. “True. I never thought about that.” He gave the wolf one last heave and dusted his hands off. “There, that should do it. Come on. Let’s get the last one out of here. I’d rather like to settle in for the night.” He rolled his shoulders, wincing a little. “It’s been a long day.”
Getting rid of the other wolf wasn’t nearly as bad as the first. It wasn’t like Briar hadn’t dealt with dead things in the past. Just, usually, they hadn’t been trying to kill her beforehand. Between them, Briar and Rowen lugged the last body out into the darkness, then re-joined Kade and Lara at the fireside. They were already settled and talking, though they broke off as soon as Rowen and Briar approached.
“All done.” Rowen plopped down cross-legged. “I’ve never seen such freakishly large wolves before.”
“They’re banewulfs.” Briar settled herself near the flames and wrapped her arms around her knees. “They’re not exactly normal.”
“Banewulfs.” Rowen nodded slowly. “What makes them so unusual?”
“They’re just big wolves.” Kade dismissed the subject with a shrug. “There’s nothing unusual about them.”
“They must have some interesting tales at the very least.” Rowen’s eyes brightened. “Go on, Briar. What do the stories say?”
There were lots of stories about the banewulfs, mostly to do with the disappearances of travellers. Briar cast her mind back to the tales Papa used to tell around the fireside on a winter’s night when the wind sounded like howling, and the cold took your breath away.
“Legend has it that the banewulfs were once traitors and thieves who stole from a dark magician long, long ago. Furious, he cursed them to wander the world in the shape of wolves for an eternity to pay for their crimes. There’s another story that says they come straight from the underworld and aren’t even of flesh and blood, but made from the shadows themselves.” Briar shrugged. “Though I think we disproved that one.”
“Well, they certainly bleed,” Lara said.
“Anyway, their reputation is so terrifying that there’s an old story that, a long time ago, a king from Tannis was planning to invade Kerr. His army was ruthless and effective. They might have marched to Mizra itself, but his men were so afraid of crossing these hills because of the banewulfs that his whole invasion fell apart.”
“Is that where these towers came from?” Rowen asked.
Briar shrugged. “Could be. Who knows? I’m just surprised the wolves are still here. Usually, they head north as spring comes.” She stifled a yawn.
“You look like you could do with turning in,” Kade said.
By the look Rowen and Lara shared, that also meant they would be discussing things in her absence. For a moment, Briar felt lonely. But then, this wasn’t her journey. She was just hanging onto the cloak-tails of people better prepared than she was. So she managed a smile and said, “You’re probably right.” Grabbing her blanket, another item she’d taken from the store tent in Osman, she moved away from the fire a little before settling down.
It wasn’t long before she caught the first soft murmurs of their voices. Though Briar knew they were trying to keep her from hearing, she couldn’t help straining her ears to catch the faint wisps of their conversation, and peeping at them from under her eyelashes.
“Any luck?” Kade asked.
Rowen shook his head. “It’s gone. He must have got to it firs
t. How about you?”
“I was close.” From beneath her eyelashes, Briar watched as Kade’s shoulders slumped. “I think the Nameless Ones have it.”
“He has them both then.” Lara jabbed a stick into the fire.
“It seems so.” Kade ran his fingers through his hair. “Our best bet at this point is to follow the Nameless Ones and hope we find a chance to get that one back.”
Wait, they were going after the Nameless Ones too? It made more sense than ever to stick with them as long as she possibly could if that was their goal, especially after seeing them in action tonight.
“Are you kidding?” Rowen shook his head. “These are the Nameless Ones we’re talking about. We’ll be dead the moment we confront them.”
“I’m more than happy to hear any other suggestions.” There was an edge to Kade’s voice.
Rowen raised his hands. “Hey, I’m just saying it how I see it. Facts Kade. We need it. But we also need not to die.”
Kade’s brows drew together in a heavy frown, and he stared deep into the fire. “I’m not suggesting that we fight them. But we might get a chance to steal it back.”
“This whole plan is crazy.” Rowen sighed. “But I guess it is our best chance at this point.” He let out a soft snort of laughter. “You know things are bad when chasing after a bunch of crazed, highly-powered magicians is our best option.”
“Well, now that we’ve agreed on that, maybe we should sort the details? I’d like to have a solid plan before we leave tomorrow.” Lara flicked a strand of hair out of her face and glanced towards Briar, who snapped her eyes shut. “And keep it down. You don’t want to wake the girl.”
Their voices dropped to murmurs, too low for Briar to catch any more. Their conversation told her a little, but left her with more questions than ever, questions she had no hope of getting answers for. Who were these people, and what were they looking for so desperately that they were willing to chase after the Nameless Ones to get it back?
