The Shadow: The Poisonwood Shadows Book One

by Christina Crook

  “Don’t tell anyone,” he whispered, as he backed away.

  In a matter of seconds, he was back up on the roof and running. The rain had eased now, but William wasn’t even aware of it anymore. He felt as if he were living the life of somebody else, and for a few strange seconds, William Poisonwood had no idea who he really was.

  Before he knew it, he was back at the Shadow Academy, praying that he would make it to his room without running into anyone. He kept his head down as he walked purposefully along the dimly lit corridors, dripping water with every step. When he reached his room, William sat down on his small bed and ran a hand through his soaking wet hair. The city lights cast an orange glow all around the room and he realised that he had never before felt more confused.

  Everything that existed around him somehow seemed to induce varying levels of wretchedness, from the bleakness of the thick, brown curtains which hung from his grimy window, to the sad pool of water that had gathered at his feet, distant creaks and bangs from elsewhere in the Academy and the thought of leaving Poisonwood to spend the next few nights in the damp, dreary forests of the Outside. Nothing felt right and everything sickened him. William pulled off his sopping clothes and gazed out of the tiny window. It had happened so fast that he hadn’t even realised it was happening before it was over.

  When he fell asleep, William dreamt of her - dreams that were vivid and shot through with the sound of music playing somewhere in the background – a beautiful, painful elevation of strings, followed by the delicate fall of mournful, low-lying piano notes. Everything slowed and he was there again - a darkened night, humid air and warm rain. He kissed her softly, taking in every touch and movement, recalling the feel of the water as it ran down his back.

  He awoke gradually, feeling disoriented and still half in the moment, grasping at it before it slipped away, before he came to his senses and realised where he was.

  *

  On the day of the mission, William found himself feeling gloomy and apprehensive. The plan of attack had been formulated and revised numerous times, briefed to and memorised by all of the men who were part of the mission. They left the city after sunset, having spent a long day trying to pass the hours with an uneasy, nervous energy. The storm had disturbed the ground, leaving a strong, earthy smell in the air. It permeated the nostrils and made it difficult to breathe.

  The army walked in silence and William listened to the sounds around him as a way of distracting himself from the thoughts in his head. He heard the snap of twigs and branches as they were trampled upon by the boots of his companions. He listened for the occasional hoot of an owl, or the scream of a fox, a distant cough and closer to him he heard the general movement of those in his group walking - the forceful pacing, leather boots squeaking, the adjustment of a knapsack, a quiet sigh or discreet yawn. They walked miles and miles across the expansive forest, and though he was surrounded by friends, being unable to speak to them, William eventually found himself unable to drown out his thoughts.

  As he rolled things over in his head, his determination grew. Based on his research, William had discovered that all the cities across the Realm had lived amicably enough for the past few hundred years. Of course, there had been the usual disputes over land, but nothing too big and certainly nothing that had gone unresolved. Each of the cities were to abide by certain rules and responsibilities that had been agreed upon and signed for in a series of treaties which had been created years ago. Every few decades these treaties would come under review and discussion amongst the city councils. It was a fair and reasonable system, and an acceptable level of peace had existed across the Realm for many years now. Negotiations were constantly ongoing. Poisonwood was allied with Stormcroft and Olea, had little dealings with Dwale, had a full on rivalry with Silverwall, and were ultimately controlled by historical Borosia. Each city had its own council, but overall it was the minute committee of men who lived in the Realm’s smallest city who had the final say on anything and everything.

  Despite the laws and treaties however, Victor Vale had spun himself a false world in which he ruled over the Realm and could do whatever he wished with no repercussions. William’s resolve to set his world to rights had never been stronger and he couldn’t wait to put the old man in his place.

  Hours passed, and William sensed that the men around him were beginning to tire. The sun was almost up, and so when it was light enough to see in the forest, they built a small fire and prepared themselves steaming hot bowls of beans and rice for breakfast. Everyone felt a slight weariness, but the vibe amongst the camp was a positive one, as they had managed to cover a great distance since setting out. William hoped they could do even better when they departed again that afternoon.

  “At this rate we’ll be there in two days,” he said to Irvine, who was shovelling his food down in mammoth spoonful’s.

  They attempted to sleep at some point during the day. For most people, sleep would be near impossible, but the Shadows were used to these conditions and managed to get some good, solid hours of rest. After his own slumber, William awoke feeling refreshed. It was now afternoon and the Shadows geared up to walk again. After a quick wash in a nearby stream, they packed up their belongings and continued.

  Knapsacks on back, the pace was set immediately and soon enough the Shadow Army was practically flying. When darkness fell however, they had no choice but to slow down as they wove their way across the forest, which was complicated by thick tree roots, hidden in the vast abyss, overgrown and entangled around each other. The unkempt woodland held many concealed dangers, but the Shadow Army refused to let their spirits fall. Through sheer determination and skill, they pressed on through the heart of the forest, as their eyesight adjusted to the blackest of nights.

  Even as some of the men began to flag, they picked up the pace when the trees began to thin out and the ground below grew even again. The sky above was lightening now and soon they would have to pause for rest again. William felt exhausted, but also exhilarated, unwilling to stop.

  When the Shadows reached the outskirts of Silverwall it was the middle of the night, and so the men came to a standstill in order to get a few more hours of sleep before sunrise. The plan was to attack once daylight struck, having agreed that Vale would be anticipating a night assault. There had never been so many of them in the same place like this and the unity and passion of the Shadows had never burned brighter.

  The fight finally came and William was ready. It was almost as if he were set apart from the action and watching the scene play out before him as another part of his brain took over. William watched as he ran, united in battle with his fellow Shadows. The prison was stormed from all around. As reported by Taylor and Wren, the security had indeed been greatly increased, yet William was confident that Silverwall didn’t stand a chance.

  He wasn’t to engage in the conflict if he could avoid it. The other men had been instructed to clear the path for him so that he could reach his parents. The Shadows quickly scaled the walls of the prison and jumped down, landing lightly on the hard, concrete ground.

  Will evaded any altercations as best he could, save for a quick and hard punch should anyone get in his way. He knew exactly where his family had been kept, but a slow, sinking feeling in his stomach told him that they were no longer there. Sure enough, when he reached the solid, steel door to his mother’s room, he found it open, the room now bare and unoccupied. He quickly looked around the surrounding rooms. All of the doors were unlocked, and it dawned on him that perhaps Vale had planned something more than what they had expected. William shook his head angrily as he pictured Vale rubbing his hands gleefully at having outwitted the Shadow Army.

  ‘That devious rat of a man,’ he thought, as he headed back outside.

  Many of the prison guards now lay unconscious on the floor of the gravel courtyard, while a number of the Shadows stood gathered in the centre, looking around nervously.

  Upon seeing William exit the prison building, Kasper stepped forwa
rd out of the group. “They’re not here, Will.”

  Will ran a hand through his hair, visibly agitated. “He knew we’d come. He anticipated it. He’s moved them to another prison or is keeping them in the city.”

  “Isn’t that illegal?” Alaster asked, suddenly alarmed.

  “It is,” Captain Summers said, joining them. “He thinks that he is above the law. The Council of the Realm will deal with him, but what to do in the meantime…” He trailed off, looking around at the sorry situation which lay before him.

  “We can’t just leave, Gabe,” William said resolutely.

  “Well, we can’t storm the city. Where would that get us? We don’t even know where your parents are.”

  “I’m going to request an audience with Vale. I’m ending this now.”

  William reached down and grabbed one of the guards who was groaning on the floor. His face was bloody, with dirt and grit caught up in his cuts. He was unsteady on his feet and clutched at his head, his small eyes screwed up in a wince.

  “Easy, Will,” the Captain said cautiously.

  “I’m not going to do anything,” William hissed back at him sharply. He turned to the guard. “Take me to Vale.”

  The man didn’t respond. Instead he stumbled away from the group, doubled over and vomited on the ground.

  “Come on, Will. The man is in no condition for this,” the Captain said, pulling on William’s arm to ease him away.

  William shrugged him off. “Well, I'll find someone else then.” He scanned the area for a guard who looked alert enough to talk.

  “We did a good job,” Alaster said, as he looked around with raised eyebrows. “Too bad it was for nothing.”

  “It wasn’t for nothing,” William shouted, as he set off across the courtyard determinedly. He looked down at every man he passed, gauging whether or not he would be useful to him. Most lay unconscious or whimpering into the ground.

  “Pathetic,” William muttered to himself, the weakness of the men only fuelling his tenacity.

  Eventually, he found a man who was sat up and trying to conceal himself in a corner. He had a small cut on his forehead and appeared slightly dazed, but other than that, William guessed that he would be perfectly capable of talking. He stood over him, casting a long shadow over the man’s huddled form. Captain Summers had followed and stood beside him, also looking down at the man.

  “Take me to Vale,” William repeated.

  The man peered up at him and William saw fear in his eyes. He watched as the man swallowed nervously and attempted to straighten himself up, before shakily standing.

  “I’m not sure where Mr Vale is based I’m afraid, sir,” the man said tentatively, his voice trembling.

  “Why not?” William asked sternly. “You work for him, yes?”

  “Well, I um…I work at the waterworks. They came round and pulled me out and said I had to be posted out here for Mr Vale. And if I said no then I’d lose my job and I can’t afford that, none of us could, so I had no choice but to say yes to him.”

  “None of you could?” William said suspiciously.

  The man nodded slowly, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground. “He was expanding his numbers, you see? So, he sent his men round the city to pull out all of us larger fellows and said we have to spend some time standing guard here for him.”

  “Are you in Vale’s private army or are you just regular civilians?”

  The man shrugged. “I don’t know much about a private army. He’s got his men around him and the odd guard here at the prison, but it’s only in the last month or two that he’s put more of us into this sort of thing.”

  “Why are you telling us this?” Captain Summers asked. “I mean, we’re grateful, but I have to say, we expected more of a challenge when it came to getting one of you to talk.”

  The man looked up weakly, his eyes red and watery. “I just want to see my family. I had a good thing going for myself at the waterworks, but then he pulls me out, makes me work these long, hard hours for the smallest wage and we have no rights.” His voice trembled. “We can’t complain or we’ll lose everything. He says we’ll go back to our regular jobs soon enough, but who knows when? It’s not right.” He looked back down to the ground sadly.

  William looked around the courtyard at the men who lay wounded on the cold, gritty ground. He realised now that these were men who were also being treated unfairly, forced out of their jobs and away from their families with threats and intimidation. Clearly the people of Silverwall were suffering at the hand of Victor Vale far more than any of the Shadows could have anticipated.

  “I’m sorry you got pulled into this,” William said penitently, kneeling down to the man. “There are people out there who fail to use the power they have been given correctly. Vale is one of them. We seek to set things to right. I’m William Poisonwood and the city of Poisonwood will be mine one day. I don’t want my streets and my people to be put in danger by the greed of Vale and any who may follow in his footsteps. I need to stop this now, for the good of both our cities. Can you help me?”

  The man looked back at him gratefully and nodded slowly.

  “I’m sorry my men hurt you. Truly,” William said. "Can you take me to Vale?”

  “Let me come too, Will. How do we know this isn’t a trap?” The Captain asked dubiously.

  “I’m not a part of anything bigger. I can promise you that, mister,” the man said.

  “What’s your name?” William asked.

  “Kelby. Donald Kelby.”

  “Do you know what Vale’s plan is, Donald? He kept my family prisoner, but they aren’t here anymore. In fact, most of the units are empty. Do you know why?”

  “They moved folk out a good few weeks ago. We still had to keep guard though, but we never knew why.”

  “Why is it you’re being so helpful to us, Donald?”

  The man’s face crumpled. “I’m a good man, Mr Poisonwood. All I want is to do right by my family and be a good person. I’ve had friends come in here and scream and shout and then they get carted off to prison themselves, just for not doing what Vale told them to. And I don’t know much, but I know that’s not how it’s supposed to be. We have rights and he says we don’t, but we do. I know we do! He’s got a hold over everything though, so there’s no way we can speak up to anyone. If I speak up, I'll lose my job and end up in prison and never see my family again!” Donald shook his head miserably.

  “Well, the Council of the Realm will certainly be stepping in once we’re done here. I need to get my family back first though.”

  A few of the prison guards were now standing and watching William as he spoke with Kelby. An air of confusion had descended. William guessed that most of these men felt a similar disillusionment to Donald. The other Shadows gathered nearer to the gates of the prison, in an attempt to look inconspicuous.

  Donald swallowed nervously, then began to talk again. “He has official offices at the Council headquarters, but he runs everything from his own home. Perhaps he’s keeping them there? I wouldn’t want to be shown up as the one who told you though, so although I’m happy to tell you where to go, I don’t much fancy taking you there myself.”

  “That won’t be necessary, thank you, Kelby. Though it’s good to know who my loyalists are,” a sarcastic, taciturn voice came from behind them.

  William turned quickly to find out who had spoken. His veins filled with ice when he saw that Victor Vale himself was standing before them.

  Chapter Sixteen

  William rolled his eyes at the old man and walked to stand in front of him, disgust spreading across his face. “You leave this man alone.”

  Vale shrugged lightly. “He will be dealt with.”

  William seethed. He had never before felt the urge to hit someone more than he did right now. “I’m here for my parents.”

  “You took a lot longer than I expected, I’ll tell you that much.”

  “Shut it, Vale. The second the Council hears about this you’ll be seeing
the rest of your life out in prison.”

  Vale laughed indifferently. The sly smile which he continued to wear on his face told William that he had at least one more card up his sleeve.

  “Let’s head inside, shall we? I’m really not one to conduct business in a prison courtyard.”

  “This isn’t business. You think this is business? Have you lost it?” William stepped forward angrily.

  “Come on, Will, let’s step inside,” Captain Summers said, trying to pull him away. Shrugging off the Captain’s grip, Will followed as Victor led the way into unit one. Captain Summers nodded to Alaster as they walked, who instantly took charge of the remaining group.

  The trio sat down uncomfortably on grimy, wooden chairs placed around an equally grimy table. William began immediately, saying, “You hand over my family right now. No negotiations, no land, no money, nothing. You release any other prisoners you have in there. You keep your men out of our city and leave Poisonwood alone. Stop pretending it’s just business.” He spoke quietly, but furiously, practically spitting each word at Vale.

  Vale smiled serenely and clasped his fingers together. He had the appearance of a man who used to be larger, but had recently lost a lot of weight. His skin sagged. His clothes hung from his shoulders. “Well, that’s a lot to ask for, young man. All things considered…” he trailed off mysteriously.

  “No, it’s not. It’s what’s right. You dare start something like this with Poisonwood and expect us to just comply without fighting back? You ridiculous man,” William said, astounded.

  Captain Summers looked on, also dumbfounded, as he tried to figure out what Vale’s motive was.