Ringed Love

by Elizabeth Noble

  Nick was getting the real picture now. It wasn’t Nick’s injuries Todd was worried about; it was his feelings. Moving into Todd’s path, Nick laid his hand on Todd’s arm. “You don’t have to protect me.”

  “Yes, Nick, I do. It’s who I am, remember?” Todd took Nick’s hand and squeezed before letting go. “Hunting these things is…” He shook his head and seemed to be struggling for the words he wanted. “…horrible. That’s the only way I can describe it.”

  Nick nodded. “I understand. I really do. But if there is one thing I’ve learned since that day in Eldrid when you became my official owner, is we back each other up and do this job together.”

  “You can ride a horse?”

  “If I can’t, I’ll tell you. I promise,” Nick said. He leaned in and kissed Todd. His mate’s response was to slide an arm around Nick’s waist and pull him in close.

  Finally letting go of Nick and stepping away, Todd said, “We’ll need to spend a few hours gathering equipment and be on the road by later this afternoon.”

  Nick packed their basic supplies of food, portable shelter, and water along with some of his reference materials, though it took a little longer than normal thanks to his injury. They’d take an extra packhorse during this trip because of the weapons required. He took the cylinder their maps were stored in and fastened it to his saddle so it would rest behind his right leg. When their horses were prepped and everything was ready for them to ride out, Nick went to the porch behind the house. It was covered by an awning, but there were no walls. They often used it as a workspace.

  Todd was walking around the long wooden block table, rubbing his chin.

  “I can smell your brain from the barn,” Nick said. Todd stopped, looked up, and lifted his eyebrows. Nick put his hand in the air and mumbled, “Sorry.” He waved at the table. “Want to run me through all this?”

  Todd went to one end of the table. “I dipped these throwing stars in this. It’s just on the tips, and dried.” He held up a small bottle with a cork stopper. “So handle with gloves, and whatever you do, don’t cut yourself with one.”

  “This is an incredibly powerful and fast-acting paralytic,” Nick said.

  Nodding, Todd continued. “These things are very tall, like ten…twelve feet.” He held a hand over his head. “They’re strong, so don’t let one get their hands on you. A Windigo is capable of snapping a man’s leg like a twig.” Nick nodded and Todd moved along the table. “But their vulnerable spot is that they’re incredibly unbalanced. Long arms, long legs, big claws, but they’ll topple over easily.”

  Nick picked up the long poles Todd had set on the table. “Two each?”

  “Yes. So we have a spare. Take them out at the knees if you’re that close. Hopefully with the throwing stars, neither of us will have to get that close.”

  “We paralyze them and then ignite them?”

  “Almost. Paralyze, render them unconscious, then ignite them. Even paralyzed, the Windigo’s human core can communicate. They’ll do anything, play on every emotion, to convince you to spare them.

  This is important. Do not listen. They get the ability to mimic voices they hear, so try not to talk near them. And do not trust my voice without seeing me.”

  “Got it. What incendiary do we use?” Nick swallowed hard, not sure he wanted to know, and completely understanding why Todd was so freaked by these creatures.

  Todd held up a smaller version of their crossbows. This weapon could be held and fired in one hand and be carried more easily than a full-sized one. He set that down and picked up a bolt. “The crossbows are customized so the end of the bolt extends by a small amount. When the tip is wrapped with a small amount of twine soaked in oil…”

  “Flaming arrow,” Nick finished.

  “Realistically you’ll have a range of about fifteen feet at the most. Beyond that it might not get through their hide. And they’re fast,” Todd explained. “Try not to get any closer.”

  Nick looked over the array of weapons they’d use, then helped Todd pack a satchel for them each that could be carried on their backs. Those would allow them to quickly access the weapons they’d need during a confrontation.

  “We’ll ride until we’re in the area, but will have to go on foot once we get their trail. The horses’ scent will give us away,” Todd said. “The last thing is this.” He held up a package wrapped in wax paper.

  Nick took the package and opened one end, then jerked his head to one side and wrinkled his nose. “Oh, ew, what is that?”

  “Dried beef soaked in urine.” Todd laughed and took the package, rewrapping it. “The urine helps cover our scent and attracts them. They’re territorial, so they’ll track down new urine scents. The beef attracts them as well. It’s food.”

  “Delightful,” Nick rubbed his nose and grimaced.

  “Want to reconsider staying here?” Todd asked.

  “Nope.”

  After a few stops to arrange care for their farm and check at a few other farms where Nick had been caring for animals, he and Todd were on their way out of town. They’d been riding for about four hours and Nick was seriously questioning his ability to continue when they finally stopped. Todd gave him a critical visual examination when Nick climbed slowly off the horse.

  “I’m stiff, that’s all,” Nick said and forced a smile.

  “Uh-huh,” Todd said and began unloading their shelter from the packhorse.

  It seemed stiff muscles was really all Nick had to worry about. Ten minutes of being off the horse, moving around, and setting up their camp, and Nick was much better. He shed his sling and swung his arms around a few times and twisted his torso to crack his back. While Todd pitched a tent, Nick set about digging out a fire pit and starting a small fire. When Todd completed the tent, he roped off an area between the trees for the horses.

  “Windigos hunt at night. They spend most of the daytime in their dens, so unless we can find tracks to lead us there, we’ll have to do most of this work after dark,” Todd said.

  “One of the farms that had trouble is less than ten miles from here, if I remember correctly.” Nick pulled the map from its cylinder and spread it open in front of the tent. “This one here.”

  “The others were here and here,” Todd said and tapped his finger on more locations. “They’re in somewhat of a big circle and in a valley.”

  Nick sat back and stared at the map before shifting his gaze to Todd. “Think the nest might be in this area in the middle? The farms are all located along the valley sides.”

  “That’s as good a place to start as any. They don’t like to travel too far and are pretty attached to their territory,” Todd explained. He glanced up at the sky. “We have a few hours of daylight. Let’s ride into the area and do a little sightseeing. I’d rather we have an idea of the landscape before we go traipsing around after dark.”

  After a quick meal, they took to their horses and rode to the area. There were fields and pastures surrounded by woods and nestled in a large valley with mountains on both sides. They bypassed the farmland and went into the wooded areas.

  “Look there.” Nick pointed to a sharp drop to a stream.

  “That has possibilities,” Todd agreed. They had to ride downstream for about half a mile before they could find a way to cross. “Nicky.” Todd stopped at the stream’s edge and pointed to the ground.

  “Are those Windigo tracks?”

  “Yeah.” Todd looked up and down the stream. “I don’t see any obvious signs of where a den could be.”

  “It would make sense. Not easily accessed except from one direction, and plenty of water and wet ground to conceal tracks,” Nick said.

  “Let’s see if we can find the den.” Todd nudged Arenite into a trot. They rode along, following the stream’s winding path next to the crag face. There were a few possible spots, but they turned out to be dead ends.

  The sun was getting low when they rode back across the valley and to their campsite for a quick meal. Arenite and Obi were be
dded down inside the rope enclosure Todd strung up earlier. Nick double checked the supplies packed in their satchels. The two long poles were fitted through loops on the side of the satchels. Nick slung his over his right shoulder and Todd’s was settled over both shoulders, and they set out on foot this time.

  By the time they reached the valley, stars littered the sky and a half-moon provided enough light Nick hoped they wouldn’t need to use Faraday lamps. When they reached the embankment, Todd took the dried meat and broke it into small pieces, then scattered it around the area.

  They retreated into the woods and split up. Nick crept along through the underbrush and found a formation of rocks that would provide some cover. He eased back into the shadows and glanced in the direction Todd had taken. Todd was using a group of trees that were close enough together to provide cover. He was sitting a few feet up in one gnarly, ancient tree. Their positions allowed them to watch the area completely.

  Something rattled through the woods. Nick heard it come close, and then it would retreat. He inched around the rocks and into the woods, keeping close to the tree trunks. Dropping to one knee, Nick silently pulled one of the poles and balanced it in the crook of his right arm. Next he pulled on gloves and took several of the throwing stars from the satchel. Twisting around, Nick squinted into the darkness. Trees seemed to be shifting where they stood, but there wasn’t even a slight breeze. At first he thought it was a trick of the light or some animal moving along the tree branches that was small and not easily seen.

  It took another minute for Nick to comprehend his mind wasn’t playing tricks on his eyes. He inched around the tree trunk and stood up, pressing his back against the tree. Nick heard a low, short whistle, followed by a longer one. Todd had spotted their prey and was telling Nick to stay put. From his vantage point in the tree, Todd would be able to see more of the area.

  One of the trees very close to Nick’s position wasn’t a tree at all. It moved soundlessly. Tall, just as Todd had told him, it walked with a slight hunch. Its body and limbs were thin, and Nick saw five digits ending in long, curved claws that didn’t appear retractable. Nick couldn’t tell if it was covered with some kind of fur or hide, and he couldn’t discern any features other than dark, round, piercing eyes and glistening white fangs. Its stance and actions indicated it seemed to be following a scent.

  The urine-soaked chunks of beef Todd had spread around.

  Letting loose a hideous scream that made Nick jump, the thing clawed at its shoulder with a paw. It spun slightly to the side, probably hearing Todd drop to the ground. Nick took his pole and darted forward as the creature dropped to its knees. Swinging as hard as he could, he slammed the weapon into the side of the creature’s head. It fell backward and hit the ground with a soft thud. A click and a whoosh followed, and a short bolt with a glowing-hot tip embedded in the creature’s chest. A second later the Windigo burst into flames.

  A child shouted for help, pleading to be spared. Nick spun in circles, calling, “Where are you?”

  Nick was cut off by a hand over his mouth, and Todd’s body was pressed against him. “Shh,” he whispered in Nick’s ear. “That’s how they trap you.”

  Letting go of Nick, Todd pointed to a place deeper in the woods and held up a finger. There was another one. Todd motioned for Nick to go one way, and then pointed to himself and gestured he’d go the other way so they would be able to attack from opposing directions. Nick nodded and crept along on the path he’d been taking. He glanced back at Todd a few times and swallowed hard when Todd had moved out of Nick’s line of sight.

  Without warning, Todd shouted a painful noise, then began screaming, “Nicky!”

  Nick turned and began running back the way he’d come. The second, then a third Windigo burst out of the woods in such quick order, he barely had time to process their actions.

  “Crap!” Nick skittered to a stop and swung his pole at the closest one, slamming into the Windigo’s knees. It pitched forward and screamed.

  In the next instant, Nick heard shouts from a man, a woman, and Todd. They seemed to be all around him. No matter how hard he tried to block out the voices, he couldn’t. It was disorienting. Nick closed his eyes for a second and took some deep breaths, remembering Todd’s warnings about Windigos playing on their emotions with mimicked voices.

  Ducking away from the third Windigo, Nick took his throwing star and sent it spiraling through the air. It stuck solidly in the creature’s side. When he heard Todd call out to him again, Nick turned his back on the Windigo despite an inner voice commanding him not to listen. He found himself directly in front of the other creature. It howled and swiped at him with its claws. Nick jerked away, but the thing hit him hard enough to knock him back a few feet. He hit the ground and slid a short distance.

  The Windigo he’d hit was flopping around on the ground. The other one stepped over it and came at Nick. Todd’s footsteps crashed through the underbrush, causing the Windigo to whirl around. It was met with Todd’s pole to its face. The creature staggered back a few paces. The thing snarled and charged. Todd swung again, aiming for its knees this time. He shouted and repositioned the pole. His next blow was to the Windigo’s head.

  Nick scrambled to his feet and lunged forward. He threw another of his stars at the downed Windigo. It was probably unnecessary after the blow Todd had delivered, but he didn’t want any more surprises. Todd dropped his pole and pulled his crossbow up. He loaded a bolt, set it on fire, and shot at one of the Windigos. After a quick reload, a second bolt hit the remaining creature.

  Todd rushed to Nick. “Did it hurt you?”

  Nick shook his head. “Are you all right?”

  Smiling softly, Todd ran a hand down Nick’s back. He reached behind him and pulled a hand shovel from his satchel. “I’ll take care of these two. Go make sure we don’t burn the forest down. The other one should be dead by now.” He started digging around the two burning Windigos. Nick’s gaze shifted down, then away. Todd stopped and studied him. “You up to it?”

  Nick nodded and trudged back to the first Windigo. The air stunk with the acrid smell of burning flesh. Nick hurried with his task of surrounding the small flames with dirt. Fortunately the ground was damp, so there was little to feed the fire and help it spread.

  Ten minutes later Todd came trudging back. He cast a quick look at the Windigo before silently taking Nick’s hand and leading his mate back to their camp. Without exchanging words, they packed their gear and began the ride home.

  Chapter 9

  Of all the creatures supernatural and natural Todd Ruger had hunted in his life, perhaps the most disturbing were Windigos. He wanted this done and behind him and couldn’t get out of there fast enough. A shiver crawled up his spine and made the hair at the base of his neck bristle and his skin tingle.

  Something was wrong.

  Nick turned and looked behind them as they rode. Todd glanced sideways at Nick and shook his head slightly, then shrugged as if trying to shake some invisible invader from his shoulders. The night was quiet, with the only real noise being the steady clip-clop of their horses’ hooves on the road. Off in the distance a dog barked.

  No crickets—though it might be too early in the year yet. No owls or coyote sounds. Not even the rustle of grass and leaves as something scurried from one hiding place to the next. Nocturnal animals filled the less-populated areas with a chorus of songs. Raccoons, bobcats, and their prey all made noise at some point. It was a fallacy that the woods at night were completely silent.

  Complete silence meant a more dominant predator was lurking. Even the presence of a big cat, grizzly, or wolf didn’t intimidate the others into silence for very long. Another falsehood was horses would sense danger and forewarn them. Nick spent hours every week working with Obi and Arenite, exposing them to all manner of scents and noises. They were conditioned to remain calm and not bolt. Todd wondered if a Windigo would smell more human to a horse and be an added reason they weren’t inciting alarm in their mounts.


  Pulling Obi to a stop, Nick twisted in his saddle and looked back the way they’d come again. This time Nick rubbed his thigh and took a deep breath, but didn’t urge Obi into motion. He turned and stared off in the other direction when Obi snorted and halfheartedly stamped a foot.

  “What do you feel?” Todd asked softly.

  Nick shook his head. “I’m not sure, but—”

  “But this was too easy.” Todd sighed and turned his horse around. Arenite’s ears turned forward and he shook his head, then relaxed. Maybe they sensed more than Todd was giving them credit for.

  “Should we check the farms?” Nick said.

  “Tonight? That could get us shot.” He motioned to the cylinder the maps were stored in and swung off his horse and took the reins of both horses in one hand. “There was a road through these mountains.” He pointed to the mountains. “And it runs near that valley, right?” Todd waved at the surrounding area.

  Nick slid to the ground and grabbed the map tube. He pulled their maps out and Todd took his small Faraday lamp, holding it over Nick’s shoulder as Nick spread one of the maps on the ground.

  “Here’s the road. It runs along the west rim of the valley.” Nick pointed to each feature.

  Todd let go of the horses’ reins and hunkered down beside him. “We found the three Windigos right about here.” He circled a point on the map with a finger. “So what’s over here?” As he spoke, Todd moved his finger to another part of the map.

  “We didn’t look into the land history of the farms much,” Nick pointed out.

  Todd shook his head. “In cases like this, it’s not the land that’s usually the issue. They—the Windigos—pick a territory, but it generally has nothing to do with where they lived or came from. In fact, just the opposite. My dad was the real Windigo expert. I would give anything to hear him bitch at me that we’re doing this wrong.” Todd stopped and sighed, needing a minute to get himself together. “He taught me…” His voice faltered and he stared at the ground, cleared his throat, and ordered himself to concentrate. “It took a certain set of circumstances for them to form. Once created, they band together in sort of a family unit, even if there was no relation among them as humans. The weather in the territory they inhabited had more to do with why they formed more often than anything.”