Ringed Love

by Elizabeth Noble

  “We need to find out what happened in that pass,” Nick said.

  Todd nodded. “I don’t see any settlement or town close to the valley.”

  “All there seems to be are the six farms.” Nick stood up and brushed his jeans off. “This whole area gives me the creeps.”

  “As far as I’m concerned, it’s too damn quiet around here. It’s possible other Windigos weren’t actively hunting or prowling the area.” Todd was more convinced with each passing hour all the Windigos weren’t dead.

  Nick scanned the landscape directly west of them, pointing out a direction. “There is definitely something that way. What I feel is strongest over there.”

  Looking around, Todd sighed and stood up, saying, “That’s a good place to spend the night.” He pointed to a spot off the road they traveled. “Let’s stick around and talk to some of the people on the farms and check out what’s over there when it’s light.”

  They bedded down for the night, taking turns sleeping. The sky was brightening with predawn light when Nick woke Todd. He already had a light meal and some coffee prepared. After their meal, they broke down their campsite and rode across the valley, sticking to the perimeter and avoiding the central wooded area. The farms were evenly spaced around the edge of the valley, and the one Nick had identified as the source of his unease was at the southern end of the valley.

  Farmers began their work early in the day, and there were already a number of people out and about completing the day’s chores. The valley was alive with activity everywhere.

  Everywhere except for one farm.

  As they made their way along the perimeter road, it became obvious that particular farm wasn’t being attended to. The buildings looked in need of repair, the fields were overgrown, and fencing was broken in a number of places. Passing by and approaching the next farm north of it, Todd waved at a few people working on a shelter in one of the pastures.

  “What do you know about that property south of you?” Todd asked.

  “Ya thinkin’ of buyin’ it?” The man, he was probably in his forties, took off his hat and scratched at his balding head.

  “Checking out the area,” Todd said and nodded.

  A teenage girl joined them. “There is something unnatural about that house.”

  “Kimberly,” the man snapped.

  “Uncle Howie, the preacher says we should always be honest,” the girl said.

  “It’s been abandoned. There is nothing unnatural about an abandoned farm,” Uncle Howie retorted.

  “Why was it abandoned?” Nick asked.

  “Don’t know. There was some folks coming through the pass in the mountains, and I thought they might be going to settle here.” He pointed to a point farther away. “Most of them just passed through this valley, but a few seemed to want to stay in the area. Nuthin’ ever came of it, though. No one had lived in that farm for quite some time, and there was some interest in it.”

  “When did this happen?” Todd asked.

  Uncle Howie drew a deep breath and stared at the farm in question. “Earlier this year. People would look at it. None ever bought it.”

  Nick nodded. “Do you know why?”

  “Nope.” Uncle Howie shook his head. “None of my business. Didn’t really see any folks to ask why, anyway. Heard stories about other groups traveling through that pass. I think the big storm last November kept them south.”

  Todd and Nick glanced at each other. “Thanks,” Todd said and turned Arenite around and headed toward the abandoned farm.

  “What do you think?” Nick stopped Obi in front of the house.

  “I think if the problem isn’t Windigos, it’s something else.” Todd swung off Arenite and looped a rein around the fence running parallel to the front porch. He anchored their packhorse beside Arenite and turned to wait for Nick. They secured their crossbows in the holsters they wore and walked forward.

  Todd climbed the steps to the front porch, bouncing lightly on them as he walked. He put a foot on the porch itself and tested the integrity of the wood. Satisfied they weren’t going to fall through, Todd walked across the porch to the front door.

  He glanced back at Nick as he knocked. The door creaked and groaned, the top hinge let loose, and the door dropped to the side.

  “I guess no one is home,” Nick muttered.

  Todd snorted, turned, gave Nick an eye roll, and shook his head. Cautiously moving around the broken door opening, he stepped in the house. “Anyone home?” he called into the dark room. Todd took another few steps inside and wrinkled his nose.

  Nick put a wrist against his nose and grumbled, “I don’t think anyone is here.”

  “Not alive, anyway.” Todd picked his way across the first room, pushing some broken furniture out of the way as he walked. A floorboard creaked and groaned.

  “Todd, look—” Nick’s words were cut off when Todd’s foot suddenly went through the floor up to his thigh. “Out.” He moved forward cautiously and took Todd’s arm, helping him out.

  “Thanks,” Todd said and skirted around the hole, testing the flooring as he went. The light from his Faraday lamp traveled up and down the walls, then he aimed it down a hallway.

  Nick knelt next to the hole and pulled out his smaller Faraday lamp, shining it down. “I think we found the den.”

  “Be careful.” Todd turned back and aimed his own light into the space. He tapped Nick’s shoulder. “Let’s check the rest of the house before we go into that. I don’t want any surprises.”

  Nodding, Nick inched away from the edge of the splintered planks and stood up. Todd took his arm and pulled him back even farther. The pit wasn’t deep, at least in this particular section. Either of them could have jumped into it and the broken floor would only reach their waists. Testing their path carefully as they moved through to the hallway, Todd shone his light left, then right. He glanced at Nick and raised his eyebrows. Nick shrugged, so Todd turned left.

  There was a series of rooms. Dining room, large pantry, kitchen, and cooking porch. Todd stood in the dining room and was able to look through to the cooking porch. What appeared to once have been a bright and cheery home was in shambles now. Wallpaper and paint in soft tones of lavender, yellow, and light green were splattered with blood and smoke stains. Some of the walls had gouges sliced out of the plaster, and the wooden doorframes all sported deep gashes.

  A table in the middle of the dining room was piled with newspapers. Todd walked to one side, Nick to the other, and they started leafing carefully through.

  “These are clippings and pages from a few papers in this area and all the way to New Colorado City,” Nick said softly. He picked up two different pages. Holding one in each hand, his gaze shifted from one to the other. “Search continues for the five families who may have been trapped in the mountains during November’s blizzard.” He read one, then set it down and scrutinized the second. “West Caldera sends troops in search of five families comprising nearly forty people total, traveling north to Sunshine Valley to participate in a homestead program. Relatives in Yellowknife have reported a number of times the wagon train never arrived.”

  Todd read from another of the papers. “One surviving West Caldera soldier and three of the people presumed lost in the devastating blizzard in late November were found by search parties in the area. All four later died of injuries and exposure. Only one ever regained consciousness. She reported events of cannibalism among the wagon train trapped in the mountains. Later she became delirious and talked constantly about tall, grotesque creatures stalking the survivors. The woman died before any useful information could be learned. New Colorado’s sentry force, though temporarily disbanded, will be reinstated and anyone familiar with the stories or the area will be asked to investigate.”

  “These are more of the same thing.” Nick held up a few more pages. “Different reporters and newspapers.”

  “Well, now we know what happened,” Todd began. “People get caught in that massive blizzard, begin to die, and ar
e starving. Desperation drives them to eat the only thing available.”

  “Each other,” Nick said.

  Todd nodded. “That combined with hopelessness, panic, and the right desolate conditions, and Windigos manifest.” He stopped and stood quietly, thinking. “We found three. There aren’t likely to be very many more.”

  “Why this valley? Why not stay in the mountains?”

  “No more food after all the people and their animals were gone. These things have voracious appetites. I’m guessing if this isn’t Sunshine Valley, it’s similar enough to where they were headed. This valley is nothing but a new buffet line.” Todd motioned for Nick to follow and they went to the pantry. “We stick together. The den’s entrance must be around this house somewhere.”

  They made their way through to the cooking porch. Todd opened the door to the outside and cautiously peered through. There were a few cracked and broken planks of wood where steps obviously once had been. He jumped clear, turned, and waited for Nick. Once they were both out, Todd lay on his stomach and shined his light into the space where the stairs had been. He scooted back and shoved off the ground.

  “I think this is it. I can’t see farther than a few feet, but there is what looks like a pit under this part of the house, maybe under the whole thing.”

  Nick nudged his side. “Look there.” He pointed to doors in the ground a few feet from the obliterated steps. “Storm cellar.”

  Dipping his head at the doors, Todd went to them, bent, and pulled them open. Shaking his head, he said, “I always love a set of dark, dank stairs down into some pit.” Taking his crossbow from its place on his hip, Todd crept down the steps, holding it in one hand while he used his other forearm to guide his way. Nick was right behind him.

  The side of the cellar had been dug through, so they followed that trail. It opened up to a large pit a few feet later. Something creaked above their heads, and they both looked up. Todd put his free hand on the boards creating the ceiling for a few seconds and stared at them.

  “This whole thing is going to come down on our heads,” Nick grumbled.

  Todd saw the light from the opening he’d so recently created. From this vantage point, they saw bodies in various stages of decomposition and broken skeletons littering the entire area. “Not very neat.” He turned his Faraday lamp off and tucked it into his back pocket, then nodded for Nick to do the same thing when he heard a low, rumbling snore from the far end of the pit.

  Nick silently sidestepped away from Todd and positioned himself so he helped Todd block the way back to the storm cellar. Curled in one corner was a fourth Windigo. It was huge, nearly twice as large as the previous three, and it held a child’s doll under one arm. Under the other were the remains of a pig.

  Moving slowly, Todd reached around to his backpack and extracted a flint lighter. Nick pulled a couple of bolts from his pack and held them out. They both sucked in a breath and held it when Todd struck the lighter and created a small flame. The Windigo shifted but didn’t appear to wake up. Todd ignited the bolt tips and they loaded their weapons.

  Todd widened his stance and Nick dropped to one knee, gaze trained on Todd. Taking a deep breath, Todd aimed. He nodded ever so slightly to Nick, who then looked back to their target.

  Another deep breath to steady his weapon and his nerves, then Todd fired.

  The flaming bolt slammed into the Windigo’s center. A second later the bolt from Nick’s crossbow joined it. The area, and therefore the Windigo’s fur, was damp. The fire didn’t immediately catch.

  Throwing the pig and doll to the ground at the same time, it lurched to its feet, and the Windigo raised both arms and screamed. It rampaged at them. The only thing that likely saved them was the fact it had to duck and run hunched over through the space.

  Flames trailed behind the Windigo as it moved. Todd spun around, grabbed Nick’s arm, and hauled him to his feet, then shoved him at the opening. “Go!”

  Nick dove through and rolled to his feet. He loaded a second bolt and shouted, “Down!”

  Todd went down, all right. He heard his clothing rip and he felt a sting across his shoulders. The blow from the Windigo knocked him away from the opening to the cellar. He scrambled away and twisted around, landing on his back. He didn’t have time to reload the crossbow. “Sonofabitch!”

  Todd fumbled along his belt for his handgun. Getting it up, he took aim at the creature’s face. It wouldn’t kill the beast, but it sure as hell would slow it down.

  Todd fired a few rounds, then shoved backward along the ground, trying to get closer to the storm cellar. A second, then a third flaming bolt whizzed through the air over his head. Nick’s aim was deadly accurate. The third bolt wasn’t tipped with a glowing ember. It was fully aflame.

  He heard Nick’s footsteps and felt Nick grab his jacket with both hands. Todd was jerked backward. Using Nick’s hands for support, he finally got his feet under him and shoved Nick back through the opening once again. Nick yanked on Todd, spinning them both around as he half dragged Todd to the storm cellar opening.

  The Windigo howled, then screamed. Holding on to each other, they stopped at the entrance and turned to look. The creature was on its knees, claws digging at its middle as flames grew around it. The floorboards of the house above caught fire, and thick black smoke began roiling through the pit.

  Nick guided Todd up the storm cellar steps with hands on his waist, and Nick practically threw Todd out of the doors and to the ground outside. Once clear, Nick slammed the doors shut and slid one of his bolts between the handles, creating a lock.

  Flames lapped at the inside of the house and the Windigo’s screams faded to whimpers. Then it fell silent as more of the house was consumed by fire.

  Todd groaned and winced. Nick dropped beside him and eased the backpack from Todd’s shoulders. He used a couple of fingers to maneuver Todd’s shirt and jacket collar back. “I think your backpack took the worst of it. You’ve got some really impressive scratches, but no open wounds.”

  “Yeah,” Todd ground out and moved his shoulders gingerly. “I can feel that.”

  Nick put an arm around Todd and lifted him to his feet. “I can’t feel them anymore. They’re gone,” he said quietly and shivered a bit as he pulled Todd against his side. “Do you want to wait while I get the horses?”

  Todd patted Nick’s chest. “No. I can walk, and I don’t want to be here a second longer than needed.”

  With the fire working toward the front of the house, even their well-trained horses were spooked and restless. Nick helped Todd onto Arenite and sprinted to the packhorse, got him and Obi untied, and settled on Obi’s back before getting close enough to release Arenite. All three horses were jumpy, and, once released, moved away without any urging from Nick.

  They cut across the valley, heading home. This time Todd knew it was safe to leave. The remaining residents of the valley weren’t threatened by the Windigos. The farmhouse was far enough away from any woods or other houses it would burn to the ground without damaging anything else. The fire would cleanse the land and wash away the blemish left by the Windigos. Once the fire burned itself out, this patch of land would be safe, and maybe someday in the future, someone could make a fresh start there.

  Chapter 10

  Nick stood in the bedroom he shared with Todd and ran his thumbs over the soft woven leather of his slave collar. It symbolized so much for him. His collar had brought him confidence and comfort in all sorts of situations throughout the years. It had given him purpose and identity during a period of his life when he wasn’t always sure who he really was.

  Giving it up was turning into one of the most difficult things he’d ever done. Its time had passed, and he didn’t need it anymore. He’d promised Todd he would do this. Then again, his collar never bothered Nick. It was Todd who disliked what Nick’s collar stood for with such a passion. The matching bracelet Nick made and given to Todd their first year together was sitting on the dresser beside the box Nick’s collar had be
en stored in before Todd took over ownership of Nick.

  That time seemed a lifetime ago.

  He set the collar in its long storage box but didn’t close the lid. His tether was draped over their headboard and long ago had been repurposed to a more entertaining use. Lately, he only wore his collar when his tether was in use. Their sex life always benefited from the use of Nick’s collar and tether, and Nick hoped that never changed.

  Picking up the recently added package sitting on the dresser, Nick pulled the contents out and held them in his palm. Their rings, ordered weeks ago, did arrive in time for their wedding, but not by much. The package had only been delivered from Yellowknife City three days ago. Nick thought Todd was going to climb all the walls in their house, then go into town and find some more walls to scale before their order showed up. He had the fleeting thought maybe Millie kept the rings hidden until right before their appointed day so they’d stop focusing on what she had planned for them today.

  The sound of Todd’s footsteps was followed a few seconds later by his strong hands on Nick’s shoulders. He massaged Nick for a minute before leaning in closer and whispering in Nick’s ear, “You need to relax.” Todd moved his hands up and down Nick’s arms a few times before turning Nick around. “Give up the collar. For me, please? You don’t need it anymore.”

  Nick took a deep breath. “I know. I said I would, and I’ll keep my word.”

  “How’s your arm?” Todd took Nick’s arm and turned it over. “Looks good.”

  Nick’s stitches had been removed, and what was once a laceration was now a thin, white, fading line. Todd’s back and shoulders, while painful, were not life threatening. They had both healed nicely.