Inside the cab after stowing the broken cable, Erynn wiped the instruments clear of ice. She shifted the directional from neutral to reverse and eased the throttle forward. The idling engine rumbled and growled. She backed out of the grove. Erynn checked the NAV. Yellow grid lines glowed. A wide green column shot to the right of her position up the mountain, transecting the grid. She turned to align the transport with the green marker, moving ahead slowly. Everything seemed to be working. Staying clear of rock outcroppings, she increased her speed. The tracks rattled and threw snow. Icy air whipped across her exposed face. She angled the vents to blow heat over her.
Not bad. I can handle this.
The shrieking clackity-clack of the tracks was another thing. The harsh clanging hurt her ears. “Well, I sure won’t fall asleep while driving!” she yelled, her voice lost in the clamoring racket. She pulled a woven scarf tightly around her head, blocking some of the ear-piercing screech. By tomorrow evening, or maybe a bit later, she’d be home.
Jaer.
Bright afternoon turned to early evening. Long shadows stretched across her path from increasingly larger and thicker stands of tall trees. The heater was having trouble keeping the cold out. The squealing tracks gave her a headache. To avoid wider groves and larger stone formations pushing through the soil and snow, she found it necessary to change course, leaving the path marked by the NAV. She had lost one cable and didn’t want to risk losing another.
She traversed up a severe incline at a slight angle across the mountain. The engine revved, working hard to climb the steep, rocky soil. She kept moving steadily forward, watching the way for any snaring obstruction. Her jaw clamped tight with added tension.
The scenery ahead changed. Stands of trees in the transport’s beams thinned and dropped in height. Scrawny branches barely reached the top of the transport. Outcroppings of rock expanded into massive granite boulders covered with a scant blanket of frozen snow. Thirty meters ahead, in the sweeping beams of the headlights, the tree line ended. Huge rock formations conquered the landscape. There appeared to be a narrow passage cut through the stone barrier. Erynn concentrated on the path, searching for any obstacles that might grab at the transport and stop her progress.
Her single-minded forward focus was drawn to a pulsing glow in the gloomy cab. The NAV’s green line against the yellow grid blinked in rapid brightening pulses, demanding a drastic and immediate change in course.
Erynn jerked her hand away from the throttle. The transport’s sudden stop threw her forward into the harness that secured her to the seat. The screaming shriek of the tracks quieted. Her head throbbed. Blowing warmth from the heater running full force bathed her face.
The NAV’s lights now flashed a burning red, ordering a sharp turn away from her present course. An alarm she hadn’t heard over the caterwaul of the screeching tracks blared through the cab. Erynn peered ahead into the garish brightness of headlights reflected from the surrounding tower of dark rock. “I don’t see anything.” She glanced to her right and then left. A vertical rise of stone three meters high ran from ten meters behind her to beyond the range of white light on both sides in front of her. “Can’t turn here. I’ll have to back up and retrace my route until I can follow the NAV.”
Erynn pulled the direction control to reverse and gently slid the throttle forward. A reverberation unlike the familiar rumble of the transport thrummed beneath her. The tracks rattled and screeched. They caught with a lurch in the mix of mud and snow to start a slow backward motion. The vibration under the vehicle increased. The nose of the transport dipped. Erynn’s attention snapped to the forward view washed in white light. A jolt of fear surged through her, tensing every muscle. Her jaw clamped even tighter.
The ground before her disappeared into a thin line of black nothing. Soil cascaded into a narrow chasm rushing toward her. Dirt and small rocks slipped from the sides of the widening gap, swallowed into darkness.
Erynn sucked in a breath and thrust the throttle forward, jamming the stick as far as it would go. The engine screamed. Tracks spun in the churning snow and mud at her insistent demand. “Come on. Come on!” Her voice was a harsh, pleading whisper. Icy air whipped at her through the broken window.
A lengthening split raced toward her. An avalanche of snow, dirt, and stones flowed like water into the dissecting ground. The gap yawned, growing wider.
Finally the tracks caught, hurling the transport back. She steered what she thought was a straight path backward and hit the wall of rock. She overcorrected, skidded sideways, and struck the opposite rise of stone. Getting the transport on track, Erynn sped in reverse between the boulders to solid ground. She continued to back the vehicle far from the expanding gap that threatened to swallow her. A small tree slapped the side of the transport. Branches reached into the cab from the shattered side window, clutching at Erynn’s hood and scarf.
The pursuing chasm at the far edge of the transport’s twin beams of light slowed, narrowed, and stopped. The vibration ceased. Small rivulets of dirt, ice, and pebbles continued to cascade into the gapping maw where the transport had been a moment before. Several meters’ length of solid land lay between her and the open abyss.
She eased her grip on the throttle, slowing, and then stopping the transport’s backward dash. Her breathing shuddered in and out with quick succession. “That was close. Too close.”
Without any warning, the ground collapsed beneath her.
The transport crashed, nose angled nearly straight down. The outer shell scraped against stone with a shriek of tearing metal. She tipped right, bouncing off solid rock. The plummeting vehicle tilted left and slammed another wall with a resounding thud. The engine shuddered under the stress.
Erynn jammed the throttle forward, the gears still in reverse. Tracks screamed and chattered against smooth stone. Sparks danced in the dark from the metal treads sliding across the rock surface. The vehicle settled with a jolt that made her teeth clack together. She tasted blood, probably from biting her tongue or the inside of her cheek. But she felt no pain.
The transport was angled on a steep incline of a short narrow ledge of granite six meters below the surface. The headlights dimmed and went out with a loud pop. She had seen enough of what lay below before being thrust into darkness.
Beyond the ledge, blackness filled a vast, yawning nothing.
Erynn’s hand shook as she unbuckled her restraints. “Get out—gotta get out and back on top.” Her heart pounded in her throat and her stomach clenched with fitful spasms.
The transport bucked and lurched forward. The tracks weren’t going to hold her much longer.
She scrambled from the seat, climbed over the control panel, went out the broken window and onto the engine hood. She braced her boots against the uneven bumper.
The tracks slipped, jerking the transport down precious centimeters.
Erynn lost her balance. She grabbed at the center post, slicing her glove on a shard of glass still clinging to the frame. Her legs trembled, muscles twitching with effort. The severe incline and the jumping sparks in the dark made her dizzy. Facing away from the nothingness below her, her gaze retraced her path. A purpling sky sparsely dotted with faint stars shimmered above the gap ripped through the soil. Thick clouds moved across the stars, extinguishing their comforting glow. She pulled herself up and over the cab. Her boots slipped on the slick, smooth roof. Continuing to struggle forward, Erynn reached the back and climbed onto the almost level rear panel of the transport. It would be necessary to release her handholds and stand up straight. She needed to grasp and pull herself onto another small ledge protruding on the right. From there, the grade of the gap eased. She would be able to crawl to the surface.
Erynn pushed upright on teetering legs.
The transport rocked and edged farther down the slope. Another few centimeters, and her chance at escape would be gone.
The tracks screeched and smoked. Sparks waned.
Erynn jumped. She hooked her arms over the rocky
ledge and pulled. She swung her legs and caught the crumbling edge with a booted toe. Erynn scrambled up and over the narrow shelf, staying flat on her stomach and feeling the rapid pulse leaping in her core. Air rasped from her lungs. Erynn turned her head to stare at the empty ledge of stone where the transport had been a breath before.
A long moment passed. From the darkness far below, a bright orange light flared, followed by a muffled explosion. The ground shook.
She thrust to a sitting position and crawled up the incline and above the sinkhole. Erynn ran, not slowing until thicker stands of trees once again sprinkled the scene. Her breath shot out in rapid bursts, solid fingers of fog that pierced the icy air. She shivered, the shakes threatening to knock her off her feet.
The sky darkened, and not just from the press of night. Black clouds shrouded the stars. Snow began to fall. Large flakes skipped down from a leaden cover. The wind gusted, driving flurries against Erynn’s exposed face. Branches with needle leaves reached out and scratched her cheeks. Each breath burned her throat and lungs. Her chest ached from the frigid temperature and the heavy pounding of her heart. She pulled the hood of her thick coat closer, wrapping the soft scarf around her nose and mouth. Erynn pushed through low limbs and leaned against a group of tree trunks joined in a narrow patch of soil. Cloistered beneath the sheltering boughs, Erynn watched the snow become a solid wall of white.
In the distance, the howling of maejen split the silence.
Jaer paced the rough stone in a five-meter arc on the right rim of the scramble pad. His thoughts tumbled, fell, and then soared, only to plummet again.
Erynn is on her way home. But nothing has changed. I am still committed to Shan. No. Erynn understands. We will work this out, together. What about Nev?
Jaer shook off his apprehension and gritted his teeth. His stride lengthened. From this vantage point, anyone approaching the main entrance to the access tunnel would be visible from the time they left the trees until they reached the first of the massive gray granite boulders. In the twilight, shadow shapes melded, still and silent.
A message from a braefin-netting captain to a small settlement below Star Point Strait and then on through several relays to the base, advised that Erynn was on her way.
How and why had Erynn gone to Arranon’s upper pole? A portal? Dhoran?
Jaer grumbled and stopped pacing. He stared down as the last of the sun’s light slipped away. An icy gust swirled around him, filling his nostrils with the spicy scent of the forest below. The wind freed his long hair, weaving the dark strands with invisible fingers.
“The sensors will tell us long before any visual sighting.” Cale’s voice came from behind Jaer. He took a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Jaer, and gazed into the night. “We’ll know when she’s home.” Cale appeared tired, his face haggard and lined.
Dhoran was growing bolder, his followers more blatant. Word of attacks like the one on Tamaagra’s council members was increasing. This new threat so soon after the invasion by the alien enemy frightened the people of Arranon. Trust faltered among communities. Separated and bickering, the populace was vulnerable. Dhoran counted on this.
“Tiar, Sean, and Tam will begin search grids as soon as the Interceptors are ready.” Cale’s deep sigh broke over the wind singing in the trees. “We’ll find Erynn.”
Jaer nodded, the gesture unseen in the dark.
“Cace’s poring over the symbols brought from Deanaim, searching for clues about the other portals.” Cale chuffed. “He’s actually quite brilliant. His comprehension of the ancient language’s written form is amazing.”
Jaer nodded again.
Liquid shadows eased between stone below. Eyes glowed amber in the dark.
Jaer stiffened and stared. Understanding punched into him before the first howl tore across the night.
Maejen. Erynn. They know.
Cale inhaled sharply. “Maejen? What—”
“They know where Erynn is.” Jaer spun, running into the hangar bay.
“Where are you going?” Cale kept pace with Jaer.
Jaer slowed and turned to Cale. “Transport bay. I will follow them to Erynn.”
Cale tapped behind his ear and trotted next to Jaer. “Transport bay. Whill, get a speeder ready, fully equipped with survival gear, food, and water.” He ended the connection. “A speeder will be ready in five timnents. The Interceptors can follow your signal once you’ve found Erynn.”
Jaer nodded and grinned. “Erynn’s bond with the maejen is strong. It can be the only reason they have come.”
“Her bond with them and with you, Jaer. This relationship has connected the maejen to you.” Cale’s eyes were wide. His amazement at the maejen’s behavior smoothed the creases on his brow and seemed to re-energize him.
Jaer sprinted the last of the dim tunnel, sliding to a stop in the well-lighted transport bay. His heart beat faster than the brief exertion warranted, and his stomach clenched in anticipation. He wanted Erynn home and with him. Shan would use any means to prevent them from being together, and Nev would help her.
I just want Erynn safe, where I can protect her. I will deal with Shan and Nev soon. Erynn loves me and I her. We will be together.
Cale’s order had the activity level jumping. Crewmembers rushed about, packing the speeder while Whill supervised, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.
Whill straightened at Jaer and Cale’s approach. “Nearly ready, Cale.”
Jaer walked a circuit around the speeder, winding between technicians securing packs in cases attached to the rear skids.
From the right, the access-tunnel lights switched on. The wide passage glowed like daylight.
Whill handed Jaer a heavy quilted jumpsuit and full-face helmet. “There’s a storm coming. A bad one. You’ll need these.”
Jaer glanced at the speeder and then to Whill.
Whill held up a hand and nodded, his expression somber. “There’s one for Erynn, too.”
Jaer set the helmet on the speeder seat and climbed into the jumpsuit.
Technicians using a remote device controlled a wheeled dolly, positioning supports under the speeder. The device raised the skids off the ground. Unlike the smaller vehicle with wheels and skis that Erynn had taken on her outing to find the enemy soldiers, this larger version was equipped only with skis.
Cale, Whill, and Jaer followed the technician guiding the speeder through the access tunnel. When they reached the door panel, Whill tapped the controls, and the massive rock slid open. Icy wind whipped inside, whistling and moaning. Whill’s long gray hair fluttered over his face, and he brushed the errant strands aside. “Move it out. Disconnect the driver,” he called over the shrill cry of a surging gust.
In the dark beyond the granite boulders, golden eyes glowed from deep shadows. The maejen didn’t turn and run. Their heads lowered, and they watched the tunnel entrance.
Cale frowned, staring at the huddled shapes and shimmering eyes in the distance. “Are you sure about this?”
Jaer nodded and pulled on the helmet, the face shield up. “Erynn trusts the maejen. I will trust them also.”
Cale, Whill, and the three technicians backed away as Jaer started the speeder.
Jaer flipped the visor down and moved ahead slowly. The maejen turned a ghostly green in the helmet’s night vision. They trotted from their positions, heads whipping around to watch Jaer, their eyes glowing.
They are making sure I follow.
His heart leapt in his chest.
Erynn, I am coming.
He glanced back as the stone door slid shut. Jaer twisted the throttle and raced into the dark behind the maejen.
Chapter 28
ERYNN FELT HOT. HER SKIN was on fire. The faint scent of overheated material tickled her nostrils. A burning flared, bright under her lids. She tried to push away from the pain and found she couldn’t.
Am I prevented from moving, or unable to?
She opened her eyes, blinking at the harsh glare. S
unshine stung her bare skin and glittered off blue-green water rising and ebbing against a white shore. Milamora lined the beach and stared at her from the water’s edge. Unmoving, their eyes were wide and dark. Under the surf’s steady roar, voices—no a single voicetried to break into the flow. Erynn lay on her side. Hot rough sand grated beneath her. She gazed out past the milamora at a vast ocean and the palest sky she’d ever seen.
“Erynn!” The shout carried from a great distance. Tall, polished brown boots appeared before her eyes.
Unable to raise or turn her head, Erynn gazed as far as her eyes would allow at the figure standing over her. He cast no shadow. The relentless sun continued to blaze down on her.
Damon! Dad!
The crisp tan uniform was a snug fit to his toned body. Neat, dark hair silver at the temples framed his smooth face. Piercing deep-blue eyes stared down at her.
He’s so handsome. I love you, Dad.
“Erynn, wake up.”
I am awake. At least, I think I am.
Erynn blinked, her lids heavy.
“Erynn!” Damon’s tone was urgent, louder. “Wake. Up.”
No. That’s not Dad’s voice. Who?
She drifted away.
Erynn opened her eyes. The sun glowed a fiery orange, setting on a slate-gray sea tipped with gentle whitecaps. A bloody red sky blended into hues of deep purple. The heat from the sun had eased to a comfortable warmth. The bed of aggravating sand was gone. Instead, a soft material soothed her irritated skin.
“Sunburn?” Her voice was a low harsh whisper.
A dark silhouette rose before her, blocking out the setting sun. “Sunburn?” He chuckled. “Hardly. Try frostbite, or nearly that bad. The maejen kept you as warm as they could. Without them, you surely would have died.”
Erynn turned her head and gazed into the dim yellow light reflecting off a tent cover. The material dimpled and bounced. Wind howled outside. Maejen added their song to the raging storm.
Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice Page 23
