And now, this great man, this shining hope of them all, sat before him, scarred and wounded, with what would be called an expression of fear on anyone else. No, that’s what it was on Solomon as well, as unbelievable as that seemed.
He took a deep breath, drew his shoulders back, and strode across the room, until he stood in front of Solomon. He looked down into his one remaining eye, and didn’t see his daughter’s killer anymore, just a man in almost as much pain as he himself was.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said, his voice quiet. “Later, we should talk.”
“Lord Florian, I…” Solomon began.
“Later,” he interrupted. “The two of us, alone. We’ll talk, and we’ll remember her. Maybe we can help each other heal.”
Solomon nodded and dropped his gaze, but not before Florian saw the tears that were standing unshed in his eye. Brushing away his own, he turned back to the room, only to find everyone staring at them.
“What are you all looking at?” he said. “Am I wrong, or do we have a lot to talk about?”
CHAPTER 40
Thaddeus disengaged himself from Shireen and stepped back away from Orlando’s hand.
“It’s good to see you both as well,” he said, the lie sliding smoothly off his tongue. “but please forgive me. I’m still not recovered fully and need to sit.”
“Of course,” Orlando said. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, truly. I’m fine. I just need to rest for a moment.” He smiled and moved away from the two, taking a seat at the side of the room, where he could keep an eye on everyone present. He knew them all, including Willow and the other healers. Or almost all. He did not know the two humans.
The male across the room from him had the mark of the Soul Gaunts on him, as surely as Thaddeus did himself. It wasn’t something that one could see, but he could sense it nevertheless. It shined like a bright light in the darkness, something that Thaddeus was too familiar with these days. But who was this human, and how had he come to be here?
He was insanely curious, but also extremely apprehensive about approaching him. What if the man could recognize the same mark on him, and shouted it out for everyone to hear? There was no protection that Florian could give, even if he would want to, should it be revealed that Thaddeus was really working with their enemies now.
Although, that wasn’t really it. It wasn’t so much that he was working with them as it was that he wanted to live, and didn’t want to be hurt anymore. He saw the numbers of Soul Gaunts that were at the Rustling Elms compound, and he knew the stories. Florian himself had told him of the time that one had come into the Greenweald, and how much damage it had done before it was destroyed. And it had been destroyed by Jediah, no less. A man whose prowess was only slightly behind Solomon’s if you believed the stories. So how did any of them stand a chance against the might that was gathered there now? They didn’t.
The Greenweald would be destroyed, and its people either killed or enslaved. The man in charge had told him that much. They were tired of being pushed to the end of the world, far to the north, beyond the realm of the Hairy Men. There, they eked out life by feeding on what they could find, but game was sparse in those frozen wastes, and the Soul Gaunts were dying off. Now, they would take the Greenweald, and all its bounty. Never again would they starve and waste away to nothing.
Which all sounded very reasonable, but Thaddeus knew it for what it was. Lies. Pure and simple. They were here because they were evil, and they fed on fear and misery. They enjoyed causing pain. They may grow fat on the wealth of this land and its people, but that was merely a side-effect. In truth, they were here to kill because they could, and they liked it.
If the Greenweald was doomed, then why shouldn’t he look out for himself? He was promised a position of authority and privilege. The Soul Gaunts would need someone to help keep the new slaves in line and make sure that they bred, to keep the food supply strong. There was no reason that shouldn’t be Thaddeus. He had paid the price after all.
It had taken all his considerable self-control to hold his tongue as Shireen and Orlando had come to him with their false platitudes. They were oh-so-happy to see him alive, were they? Then why had they run, and left him there in the darkness? Orlando would be one of the first to go, if he had his way. Perhaps he’d ask that Shireen be spared, and given to him when all was said and done. She was attractive enough, and when he tired of her, he could always give her back to them then.
The thought made him smile, and he noticed that the human was watching him, although he appeared to be trying not to. He looked at Thaddeus, winced, turned away, and then repeated the whole thing a few moments later. Thaddeus fought to keep an even bigger smile off his face at that. It seemed that the human could see the mark on him as well, but was made of far weaker material. Good.
Ah, and there was the man himself, scratching the head of that worthless Hound. Solomon the great! Solomon the magnificent! Solomon the hero! Pfft. Let others worship him. Thaddeus knew he was dangerous, but no one ever claimed he was all that smart. He’d talk, and let the details of whatever plan he had out, and then Thaddeus would use that to his advantage.
While he would love to see Solomon humiliated, if for no other reason than to show the rest of the fools what misplaced trust in heroes brings, he also recognized that the man was simply too dangerous. No, he would have to be killed first, and the man controlling the Soul Gaunts had a plan for that, he was sure.
He watched as his cousin walked to Solomon and spoke in low tones, then wiped tears from his eyes. How touching. It appeared that the two had reconciled their differences. That was unfortunate. If he had convinced Florian that Solomon was still his enemy, and sowed discord here, he was sure that his reward would have been greater.
“What are you all looking at? Am I wrong, or do we have a lot to talk about?”
Florian made it sound like a joke, but Thaddeus could hear the pain in his voice. Forgiveness or not, seeing Solomon had had an effect on him.
For a moment, Thaddeus’s mind went back to better times. Times before he was held in the tree and abandoned by those he considered friends. Back before Solomon had been exiled and been the talk of the Greenweald. Back even before Celia, young and foolish, had fallen for the soldier.
It was brighter then, and he had enjoyed working for his cousin, to the betterment of their House. He had enjoyed gathering information on the other houses, and viewed it as a challenge. One that he was quite good at. And practicing his magic. The minor spells that provided light in darkness, or heat in cold, or helped struggling plants to grow.
But then it had all ended. Celia had died and his cousin had grown remote, angry and vengeful. Thaddeus had played his part in Solomon’s exile, and heard the whispers from the other houses about how it was unfair, that Solomon should never have been punished for what wasn’t his fault.
And then the darkness, and the fear, and the pain. He only had to look down at his mangled hand to remember fully. No, there was no beating what was coming. Better to be on the winning side.
Finally, he stood and walked to the two humans.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said. “I’m Thaddeus, of House Whispering Pines.”
“Oh,” the woman said. “I’m Lacy. From earth, I guess. We came with Solomon.”
“Luke,” the man said, not meeting his gaze.
“I’m interested to hear how two humans come to be in our land,” Thaddeus said. “But first, may I get you anything? I’ve been to your world, and I know what a shock this must be to you.”
“No, thank you. I’m fine. Luke? What about you?”
“I’m fine too,” the man said, and still didn’t so much as glance up.
“Well. I wanted to make sure that you were both doing well here in our world. Please, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. Those of us who linger at the fringes of the great have to stick together.”
The woman, Lacy, was it, smiled back at him, but ag
ain, the man stayed silent, his gaze averted. Thaddeus nodded and walked back to his seat, acknowledging Willow’s lifted hand with a nod of his own.
His quick visit told him that what he had suspected was certainly true. The human male did sense the mark of the Soul Gaunts on him. He would find a way to use that. Anything that would stop him being dragged back into the darkness again.
CHAPTER 41
Jediah called them all to the table, and Shireen took a seat. With her was Orlando, of course, as well as Florian, Thaddeus, and Willow. She was sure the healer was included so that she could prepare the rest of her team for what was coming and ensure that they were fully stocked with needed supplies. Her presence she understood, but what she didn’t understand was why the two humans were included.
“Excuse me,” she said, before Jediah could speak. “But I have reservations about letting a couple of people here in on our plans.”
Solomon looked over at her. “Me?”
She laughed briefly. “Of course, not, and you know it.” She turned her attention to the humans. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand why you two are here. What can you possibly bring to the conversation?”
Lacy still looked awe-struck at being in the Greenweald and merely looked back at Shireen in surprise, as if she had no answer. Luke, on the other hand, looked angry and resentful at his presence being questioned.
“Gee, I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe you could actually listen to someone who spent weeks with one of those damn things, instead of being so high-and-mighty about it.”
“There is truth to that, Shireen,” Jediah said. “This human may have insights into the behavior of the Soul Gaunts that even Thaddeus wouldn’t. Out of all of us, he’s spent the most time near one.”
“Exactly my point,” she argued. “Who really knows what damage might have been done that we can’t see.”
She could almost feel the rage coming from Luke, but ignored it. It was her duty to bring up things that she thought could jeopardize them, and too bad if he didn’t realize that.
“Willow?” Jediah asked. “Is there anything you can say that would reassure our scout?”
The healer looked for a moment at Luke, her brow furrowed slightly, before turning back to the group. “There is still trauma there, but that’s to be expected. I believe Luke is very angry, and very hurt still. He has the right to be, with what he’s been through. However, if you’re asking me if I think he would betray us to some hidden agenda to help the Soul Gaunts, then I’d have to say no, I don’t believe he would.”
“There you have it, then,” Solomon said. “Shireen, I’ll vouch for him, and for Lacy. If it weren’t for both of them, I wouldn’t be here and you know that. I understand your caution, but in this case, I think it’s misplaced.”
Shireen bowed her head in acknowledgment. “I needed to raise the question.” She turned back to Luke. “I meant no offense. It’s my job to raise the possibilities.”
For a moment Luke glared back at her, but then he dropped his eyes and mumbled, “It’s fine. No problem.”
“Then let us go on,” Jediah said. “First order of business is Thaddeus. While the human has had more time with one of these things, that one is now dead. Thaddeus has the most recent contact with them here in the Greenweald. So, what can you tell us?”
Shireen watched her friend carefully. While she had raised the objection of the humans, she had misgivings about Thaddeus also. His whole demeanor felt different since he had entered the room a little while ago. Of course, this could also be an effect of his captivity, and the torture that he had endured. One only needed to look at his hand to realize the extent of what had happened to him. She hoped she was jumping at shadows, and that Thaddeus was the same loyal servant to Florian that he always had been. Ironic, since that was the very thing that had caused her to call him a snake not so long ago.
His first words made her feel that perhaps her fears were right after all.
“To begin with, I think we’re misreading their intentions.”
“What?” the exclamation burst out of her before she could stop it.
“I understand your reaction,” Thaddeus said, “and I would have shared it only a few days ago. But then, I was left behind. Not that I blame you, obviously. I know you tried your best to get to me, but you couldn’t.”
That stung. She had tried to go after him, but Orlando had dragged her back, as he should have. She had begged for them to gather their forces and return, but everyone, herself included had assumed he was dead by that point. It may have been in her imagination, but there almost felt like an undercurrent of glee in what Thaddeus was saying, as if he was twisting the knife, and enjoying it.
“But that may have turned out to be a blessing for all of us,” he was continuing. “Yes, I was scared, terrified even. But until I tried to ignite a fire spell, I wasn’t actually hurt. And even then, the Nightwind, as they call themselves, was startled by the flash, and reacted instinctively, like an animal would. That’s really all they are, you see, animals. Predators that have lived in a harsh environment that they’re now being forced to flee from.”
There was silence around the table. Florian sat with his head down, hiding his expression from anyone. Orlando looked thoughtful as always. Jediah stern, and Solomon openly incredulous. Willow’s face was carefully neutral, even as she gazed steadily at Thaddeus.
“That’s complete B.S!” This from Lacy. “One of those things attacked me for no reason at all! And what was it doing on my earth in the first place?”
“Ah. I’ve been thinking about that, ever since I first came in and saw the two of you. I think that one was a rogue, like what you call a ‘mad dog’, I believe. I think it lost its pack somehow and ended up alone and I don’t believe they do well when they’re separated from their own kind.”
“Then how did it even get to our earth?” she asked. Shireen was impressed. This Lacy didn’t let up when she wanted something. Maybe there was slightly more to her than she had thought.
“Who knows?” Thaddeus shrugged. “How do the Hunting Hounds do it? You followed one back here, didn’t you? Do you know how it worked?”
“No, but I’m not from here.”
“True. Then allow me to ask one further question. Do you know how everything on your earth works? If I were to ask you how you make moving pictures appear on a box on your wall, could you tell me?”
“Well, no…” Lacy began.
“Then it’s unfair to ask me the how of everything also. I’m not trying to downplay this, please. But I simply don’t know how it got there.”
He paused, but no one else said anything. Shireen got the impression that they were all waiting for whatever else Thaddeus had to say. After a moment, he went on.
“The Nightwinds have an advocate with them. Someone who has lived among them for years, studying them and earning their trust. During that time, he never showed any aggression to them, and took care to guard himself from the cold that they naturally generate. Because he took the time to take such precautions, the Nightwinds sensed no threat from him, and he slowly began to communicate with them.”
“The one that held me communicated plenty,” Luke cut in. “Always horrible things, about what it would do to me, or to Lacy. I have a hard time believing any of this.”
“As would I, if I had had your experience. But as I said, I believe that one, and the two that came down here on their own several years ago, were outliers. Criminally insane, I believe you would say. A mass-murderer on your world hardly speaks for your whole species, does it? The same can be applied here.”
Again, Thaddeus fell silent, and waited. This time, Jediah spoke. “What do they want then, Thaddeus? What does this ‘advocate’ say?”
“They simply want a new place to live, one that’s warmer, more bountiful, and safe. They have no interest in attacking the Folk, or anyone else. Yes, they’re hunters and they will take game, but there are comparatively few of them, so it wouldn’t stress our res
ources. Most of the time we wouldn’t even know they were here since they avoid the daylight whenever they can. It hurts them, much as their cold hurts us.”
“And this man, what does he gain?” Florian asked.
“He wishes to be allowed to live among us, although he doesn’t want to align with a House, even if that were allowed. He will live apart, in his own place, much like the Master of Hounds, and continue to study the Nightwinds. I guess you could call him a type of naturalist.”
“I still think this is nonsense,” Shireen said. “Thaddeus, I know you’ve been through hell, but I can’t believe that you’re actually buying this.”
“But you weren’t there, were you? You didn’t feel the terror of being dragged off, or the relief from realizing that you weren’t to be killed. You didn’t talk to their advocate and see what he saw. That the Nightwinds are no more than a primitive type people, less advanced than the Hairy Men even. It’s easy to cast judgment from here, Shireen, but quite different if you’ve been through it.”
“I’ve been through it, and I think you’re full of it, too,” Luke said.
Thaddeus sighed. “Again, I can only say that you’re judging an entire race on the actions of one deranged individual.”
Shireen snorted. “I agree with the human. It’s crap. I say we gather our forces, move on them in the broad daylight, and end them all.”
“I don’t know that I agree.” The soft voice was from Orlando. Shireen turned to him in surprise.
“What? How can you say that?”
“It sounds unbelievable to me, too. But. What if it’s not? What if Thaddeus is right, and we could resolve this without conflict? We know what they can do. We may win in a war against them, especially now, but several people will die, and we know that. If there is any chance, at all, of avoiding it, don’t we have to take itIf there is any chance, at all, of avoiding it, don’t we have to take it? Besides, we know how hard they are to kill. An enchanted or blessed weapon, right?”
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