I shot him a glare, but he pretended not to notice, avoiding my eyes by looking at the path. I ignored him, thinking instead about what Gwen had said. She was right. If we didn't do anything, there may not be anything to go back to.
From what my brother had shared with my sisters and me against my father’s wishes, the ur’gels were completely merciless and enjoyed killing for the sake of it. I'd only ever seen pictures, but that had been enough to fill my veins with ice. I could only hope Cliffside held out long enough for me to have a family to go home to after I found answers.
"Thank you, Gwen. I was hoping you would come." I cast my eyes down, kicking at the forest floor as I hid my lack of confidence. "I was hoping your animal and forest skills would complement my knowledge base."
Gwen snorted inelegantly. "You think I’d let you travel by yourself? I know you don't like it when I call you 'Princess', but you basically are one. I also suspect you think you know more about the world than you do because of your book learning, but the real world is quite different."
She looked down at the wolves surrounding her. Once again, I couldn’t hear a word, but watched curiously as the three wolves scattered.
"Where did they go?" I was impressed by the soundless exchange.
Gwen shot me a smug glance. "I told them to go eat something. I'm not sure when the next time I’ll have ready food for them will be. If the ur’gels are attacking the castle, they’ll be here soon. We need to get moving, or we won’t make it to the Library. You mentioned you wanted to raise the alarm?"
"Yes, I was hoping to notify the Low Forest townsfolk, maybe get extra fighters for the castle and Cliffside.”
Gwen looked at my bag, raising her eyebrows. "Do you have something I can write with?"
Reluctantly I passed Gwen my notebook and winced as she ripped a page out. I handed her my quill and ink and she quickly scribbled a note, folding it several times. She repeated the process twice more. When she was finished, her wolves had returned. To my surprise, each wolf was wearing what appeared to be a leather collar, but as Gwen placed a letter in each of the wolf’s neckbands, I realized they were functional as well as identifying.
The wolves raced off, splitting into three directions as Gwen watched. Once they were out of sight, she turned to me and inclined her head, gesturing for us to follow her.
"Come on. I’ve sent Swift, Kiya, and Daimyo to the people who need to be notified. By the time they return, I should be packed. We need to leave immediately if the Cliffs are under attack."
Sel and I followed without question and I realized one of the large trees I’d completely ignored on our way through the forest had ladder-stairs fashioned into the large trunk. There were rope handholds, and the slats were directly inserted into the tree itself. It looked sturdy, but I climbed up hesitantly, having never been in a tree before. My thighs groaned at the new exertion almost loudly enough to drown out the pounding of my heart in my ears.
When Gwen looked back at me to make sure I was okay, I gave her a bright smile. I didn’t want her to know I was nervous about the height, but I was sure that I looked like a trapped animal. If she looked at my hands, white-knuckled on the ropes, I was certain she’d know but I was oddly reluctant to show my fear. I wanted her to be proud of me, which was something I’d only worried about with my family in the past.
My thoughts were distracting enough that I was able to get to the top without difficulty. When I reached the platform where Gwen stood, I looked around, impressed by how comfortable her place was. From the ground, I hadn't known anything was even up here, but Gwen had done an excellent job making the place look homey.
There was a wide platform for sleeping. Did she sleep with the wolves? Wait—how do the wolves get into the treehouse? Wolves generally didn't climb trees. Or did they? I hadn't read anything about that, but I'd never researched wolves, so maybe it was possible.
The rest of her home was small. A small cook stove in one corner caught my attention. It appeared well used and there was a small shelf beside it with plates and utensils. Next to that was a contraption with buckets I imagined she used to bring water into the house. It was rustic and yet the entire setup was perfect for her. She seemed to have everything she needed in the small space, and nothing extra.
I turned to see what Gwen was doing to find her in the act of tying up a small leather bag that she quickly threw over her shoulder. She took one last look around her home before coming back to me, a solemn expression on her face.
"I'm ready. If the castle being attacked is true, I think we need to travel now, even though it’s almost night. But don't worry, my wolves will be able to help with spotting any unfriendlies. Let's get moving. You want to go to Abrecem Secer?"
"Yes, the Library there contains the rarest and oldest books on magic as well as everything known about the Dark War. I'm hoping the answer to stopping Dag’draath will be located somewhere in there."
"You realize the Library is several days’ travel from here, right?"
"That's one of the reasons I wanted you to come along." I looked down at my feet, noticing for the first time how scuffed and muddy my day shoes had become. No wonder my feet hurt so much. I should get a better pair of shoes, or maybe leather boots like Gwen wore. As I looked at our feet, I realized again just how sheltered I was. When I looked up at her again, my cheeks were hot. "Look, we both know I'm not really a princess, but I've spent my life sheltered. I know how to do a lot of things, albeit only from what I’ve read." I wrinkled my nose at the admission. Maybe it was because I saw her as strong and self-sufficient and I wanted to be more like her, or maybe it was because it was embarrassing to admit my lack of practical experience. It was silly, but part of me felt I should be good at everything.
"It's okay. We can't be good at everything. I mean, I'm not great with people. So, when my only friend asks me for help, I don't want to let her down."
With her reassurance, my insecurity melted away. It was like she’d read my mind and I was both startled and soothed. She was right, we couldn't all be good at everything. I was good at researching, and my memory was second to none of the elves I'd met, so what did it matter if I wasn't experienced? Wasn't experience something that came with time and doing things, anyway?
A loud yell came from below. "Rhin? Gwen? Your wolves are back and they're looking at me."
I pressed my lips together and looked at Gwen, and then we both started laughing at his nervous, shaky words.
"Come on,” she said, tilting her head toward the ladder. “My wolves won't hurt him, but I don't want him having a heart attack before we even leave the forest."
"He's braver than he seems, not to mention a lot stronger than he looks," I remembered the way he'd hefted books almost half his weight in the library the other day. "He may be young, but he's as loyal as they come, and he's a quick study. I didn't want him to come along at first, but I was glad when he insisted." I pushed my braid over my shoulder. "It's always nice to have friends with you when you do crazy things like try to cross a country with ur’gels after you."
"I wouldn't have it any other way myself. Now let's go."
Descending the same way we’d entered, I felt excitement stirring in my chest. I had my two closest friends at my side. I was more hopeful about our chances of making the long journey safely, but above that, I was happy they believed in me. I was about to put into practice everything I’d ever read and I couldn’t wait. Even if all I had to bring to the table was a whole bunch of theoretical knowledge, something told me I was about to get a lot of practical experience.
Chapter 5
I couldn't get over how much happier I already felt, just knowing that I was traveling with Gwen and her wolves. I'd expected I’d feel safer, but not how much having her with me would lift my spirits. I'd planned to let Gwen lead the way, as she was better with directions than I was, not that I had a map or more than vague directions to the Library to go on.
The wolves joined us minutes after we left her tr
eehouse. Clearly, they had a direct connection with her that went beyond words. I had expected to see them already waiting for us below the way Sel had reacted, but it had just been Swift who'd been waiting below.
His tongue had lolled out of his mouth and he almost appeared to be laughing at Sel’s alarm. Based on the quirk of Gwen’s lips when she’d locked eyes with him, maybe he was. We began walking without waiting for the other two, but they soon caught up. As the other two wolves emerged through the trees to join us, Gwen checked their collars, her lips curling up with a smile of satisfaction when she found the notes gone and the wolves in good condition.
I looked at her with my head tilted in question at the way she’d checked them over so thoroughly even though it had been only a short time since they’d been apart.
"My wolves and I aren’t always welcome among other Low Forest elves, no matter how useful we can be. I prefer to stay out on the edge of the community, alone, as a consequence."
I was unable to think of anything to say in response. I understood what it was like to be different, even if I’d never lived alone, but I didn’t think solitude was something I was built for. I’d initially planned to leave the castle and set off alone, but I hadn't fought extremely hard to keep Sel from accompanying me. If I had given him a direct order he may have stayed behind, though.
We’d been walking for about a half hour while Gwen reviewed what she considered “basic” skills. I took mental notes, but my spirits sank when everything she told me was something new.
“So, does that make sense?” Gwen turned, her face open and interested. When she saw my defeated posture, she stopped and clicked her tongue. “It’s okay not to understand how to do everything the first time. Especially without actually doing it.”
“Yeah, I know. But I never realized how much I didn’t know, you know?”
I scratched the back of my neck, noticing a new bite. I didn’t recall getting bitten, but it was entirely possible my other physical complaints had distracted me from the event. I’d been trying to focus on putting one aching foot in front of the other and avoiding complaining about how sore I was while Gwen gave me my crash course in surviving.
We were in the thick of the forest by now, but before Gwen could respond, the wolves’ ears pricked up. Until that moment, they’d been content to rove nearby, taking turns disappearing into the underbrush while always keeping at least one with our small group at any moment. It was astonishing to me how having a fierce predator at my side could make me feel so much safer when I knew that if I’d come upon any one of them by myself, I likely would have been paralyzed with fear.
Gwen spun around, reacting to something I couldn’t appreciate. Dropping low to the ground, she pulled out a wicked-looking blade and surveyed the small clearing where we stood without speaking. Sel and I froze as we waited for instruction.
I looked into the trees, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness. The only noises were the forest night birds, nothing that struck me as out of place. She exchanged a glance with Swift the second I realized the birds had fallen silent.
Before I could process what was happening, she’d turned and pushed me behind her, protectively standing where I’d been a moment earlier.
"What is it?" I wished I’d thought to bring a weapon. Another thing I’d missed in my inexperience that now seemed obvious.
She didn't answer, just gestured for me to be quiet with two fingers of her unoccupied hand.
I reviewed everything I could recall about combat from what I’d seen from the library window, but other than the drills I’d watched from a distance, I had zero experience. At least I was dressed practically, which allowed me to move better than if I’d been in my usual attire, but that was all I had going for me.
I scoured the area for something I could use as a weapon, and spotted a fallen branch. I reached down, grateful it was light enough for me to swing. But when they came through the trees, I wasn't remotely prepared. I'd never seen an ur’gel up close, and these ones were terrifying. They swarmed toward us, causing me to let out an involuntary yelp as all my blood rushed to my head, causing me to feel light-headed.
I knew from my brother’s stories and pictures I’d seen that these weren’t even the enormous ones. They may have been foot soldiers or lower ur’gels, but they were still horrifying. They skittered on four or six legs, vaguely resembling misshapen spiders, but were larger, as if they’d been left in the sun too long and melted before some evil baker stretched them until they were somewhere between the size of a dog and a horse.
They ranged in color from the pink of a human with a sunburn, to a deep, iron brown, and were covered in blistered skin. I was rendered motionless as they approached, even as my brain screamed for me to run.
Gwen, however, had no such problem. Her movements were lightning fast and vicious. She stabbed, twisted, and lunged, taking on three at once. Sel was also being attacked, but his nimble body allowed him to dodge one of the slower ur’gels rushing at him. I was surprised to see he had a knife. It was smaller and not as deadly in appearance as the one Gwen held, which was now coated in a sticky-looking substance I assumed was ur’gel blood. Even though both of my friends were in front of me, it didn't mean I was protected.
I shrieked and tumbled backward as an ur’gel lunged at me, grateful I’d been unfrozen but unable to move quickly enough to duck the attack. My backside smarted from the way I’d landed on the forest floor, but I hardly noticed as I focused on the ur’gel now on top of me.
Kicking and flailing, I gasped for air as I tried to get the creature off me. It was heavy and I knew I was panicking. I couldn’t get it off and my chest hurt from its weight. From the corner of my eye, one of Gwen’s wolves appeared. The ur’gel flew off my chest. Before I could get up, another one attacked.
My mind clicked back into gear, and I managed to grab my stick. With one hand, I swung as hard as I could. It moved slightly, just enough for me to use two hands and the stick. I hit it harder, dislodging it completely. Struggling to my feet, fighting my own knees which trembled and tried to give out, I brandished the stick and bared my teeth, trying to look fierce instead of terrified.
I fought another one, more purple than the last but with what looked like ten legs. I lunged and jumped back before it hit me, catching it under what looked like a chin and surprising myself when it rolled onto its back, legs in the air like a dead bug. Victory!
Emboldened by the unexpected success, I kept them at bay with the stick. I knew I wasn’t strong, but I seemed to be fast enough now that the shock had worn off to dodge them one at a time, hitting them with the stick whenever they got too close and using it to push them back the rest of the time.
Just when we seemed to be making headway, a second wave appeared, with double the numbers we’d already dispatched. I wanted to cry, but couldn’t catch my breath long enough to manage it. I wondered if I would vomit from the way my stomach lurched when I sucked in air. I’d never been in a fight before, and it was so much harder than anything I’d imagined.
I tried to look at our situation logically. There didn’t seem to be any communication or organization as they swarmed us, and that weren’t as fast as I’d first thought, but as the hideous monsters charged again, I had no idea what to do. The only thing I was sure of was I wasn’t going to make it out of this alive.
I took several deep breaths to slow my breathing while I told my inner pessimist to shut up. I bent my knees, just as two of the larger spider-dogs hit me at the same time. A solid crack echoed into the night as I connected my branch with one of the hard-headed creatures. Before I could celebrate or prepare for the next attack, the other one chomped down on my right shoulder.
I screamed as the needle-sharp teeth tore through tendon and muscle. I’d never felt anything so painful. Even as the burning spread from my shoulder down to my arm, I accepted it was the end. This is how I was going to die.
But just then, the same white wolf who'd helped me with the first ur’gel
leapt into the fray, yanking it off my shoulder. The sharp teeth severed tissue again on the way out, and my pain increased tenfold. I looked down at my hand, numb from the shoulder down. It was covered by blood that was raining down from a gaping wound that resembled raw meat.
"Rhin!" Gwen shouted at me.
I turned blankly, recognizing horror on her face as she saw the blood running down my arm and onto the other hand. I looked at her, trying to convey how sorry I was I’d gotten her into this through my expression alone. I was too overwhelmed to find any words.
She was beginning to sweat from the exertion, and her dark gold hair clung in strands to her face and her neck as it sprang free from her braid, but she looked amazing as she continued to fight two and three ur’gels at a time only a few feet away.
I couldn’t see Sel anymore. The last I’d seen of him he’d jumped into a tree as the first ur’gel attacked me. I hoped he was safe. The edges of my vision began to flicker, sparkling with black and white lights. The ground shifted, and I felt as though I was falling into a mist. The distant sound of him shouting my name seemed far away, but I smiled. He was alive.
This time, when I hit the ground, it was soft. It was as if I'd fallen into my bed, and the fight and ur’gels had all been a dream.
"No!"
Gwen let out a primal scream, and the fierce look on her angelic face seemed out of place in the fogginess of my head. Why did she look so angry? I let my head fall to the side and watched as three small ur’gels came toward me. I should do something, but what? I was so tired. She shouted, and the anger pierced my fog, waking me enough to understand her words.
“Swift, Kiya, Daimyo. Keep her safe.”
The wolves moved in unison, and I lost sight of them. She pulled out a second, smaller knife from her boot and brandished it in front of her, looking like a warrior queen as she bared her teeth at the ur’gels who’d reached me. These ones were smaller than the first ones we’d fought, only about the size of a small beaver and barely came to her knee.
Soul Goblet Page 5
