“Erik, we need someplace secure where we can rest for the night,” Alexander said. “I expect the nether wolves will catch up with us about an hour before dawn and I’d like to be in a defensible position when they do.”
Erik frowned, “Do you really think they’ll be able to catch up with us? We made good time today.”
Alexander nodded, “We did, but they run faster than a horse and it’s midwinter so the nights are longer than the days. They’ll attack just before dawn. We need to be ready or we won’t survive to see daylight.” Chase harrumphed under his breath. Alexander ignored him.
Alexander was too tired to be angry and he was coming to like and respect Erik. The man could ride. And he knew his horses well enough to get all he could out of them without hurting them. He’d do well on a ranch.
“We also have a platoon of soldiers with a wizard to consider,” Alexander added. “If they push on after dark, we could end up in a fight with them in the next few hours. This is your forest, Erik, where do we stand the best chance?”
Erik nodded in thought. “We’re close to the south fire tower but we’d have to leave our horses on the ground. About two hours up the road is a Ranger’s sleep shack. It’s got a stables and supplies and there are probably a few more men there, but it isn’t well defended.” Alexander could see that Erik was becoming more worried as he thought through their situation.
“Erik, Lord Valentine is right about one thing,” Isabel said. “There are twenty men no more than an hour behind us and riding hard.”
Alexander frowned. “How can you know that?”
Isabel smiled at his question and her face lit up like the sunrise. “My hawk told me.”
Alexander looked around and Isabel’s smile widened. “He’s not here; he’s floating over the enemy about an hour behind us.”
“I don’t understand.” Alexander knew magic came in many varieties but he was baffled. “If the hawk isn’t here, then how can it tell you the enemy is following us?”
“Slyder is my familiar. I can see through his eyes if I want to,” she said, as if such a thing were commonplace.
Alexander’s jaw dropped open. He’d never even heard of such a thing. He knew magic could manifest in almost impossible ways and infinite variety but he had a hard time wrapping his mind around such a thing. Then he thought about his own second sight. Most people looked at him with that “prove it” look before they took him seriously, so he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
He blinked a couple of times before his surprise transformed into a smile of wonder. “I’m impressed. I’d like to meet Slyder sometime.”
Isabel nodded with genuine joy and excitement. She was proud of Slyder and happy for an opportunity to show him off.
Anatoly cleared his throat to gently bring everyone back to the issue at hand. “Is Falls Cave near enough to reach by dark?” he asked.
Erik nodded, “I believe it is. It’s certainly big enough and the path in is narrow enough to defend. I like it. If we push, we can be there in an hour.”
The path to Falls Cave was much narrower than the forest road. They had to ride single file alongside a stream running through a narrow canyon. The path was old and overgrown but it had been cut well so it was still passable.
The light faded quickly under cover of the thick, evergreen canopy. Soon they were moving through the shadows of the forest by torchlight. It was treacherous and slow but that actually gave Alexander some hope for greater safety through the night. It was entirely possible that the soldiers tracking them would miss their trail in the dark and continue along the road.
The evening gloom of the forest abruptly opened to the darkening sky at the edge of a large forest lake. Stars were just starting to peek through as the sky faded from blue to black.
Erik pointed across the lake to the waterfall on the far side. “This trail leads to the cave behind the falls. We’ll camp inside. With any luck we’ll have a quiet night.”
Almost as if on cue, the gentle sounds of the forest were interrupted by the shrieking howls of the nether wolves off in the distance. It was an otherworldly sound that made every hair Alexander had stand on end. If death could scream, it would sound like that. The forest fell silent.
Chapter 19
The five Rangers looked to Alexander as one.
“I wouldn’t count on a quiet night. They’ll be here before morning,” he said.
Chase muttered, “I’ve never heard anything like that.”
Alexander shook his head, “Neither had I until last night. Erik, lets get into that cave.”
The narrow path ran along the edge of the lake, with the water only a few feet below to the left and a stone cliff face reaching more than fifty feet into the sky on the right. The path had been cut into the stone, but the work looked very old. Everyone was silent, their thoughts, no doubt, on the coming threat. The path wound around behind the waterfall and into a cave that extended deep into the face of the cliff.
They dismounted and walked their horses for the last few hundred feet because the path was slick from the spray of the falls and the footing was treacherous. The entrance was a good ten feet high by fifteen feet wide and the trail stopped at the far edge of the cave mouth.
Once inside, the cave opened up considerably. It formed one large round room about fifty feet across and twenty feet high at the top of the natural stone ceiling. Despite the waterfall flowing overhead, the floor was mostly dry. Given the circumstances, it was an ideal place to make camp.
Everyone was tired after such a long day of hard riding. Camp was made quietly and quickly so everyone could get to sleep as soon as possible. Light was kept to a few torches and dinner was cold jerky and some hard biscuits with jam. Alexander was checking on his horse when Isabel approached him in the dark.
“Lord Valentine?”
He turned and saw her with a medium-sized bird on her arm. “Please, call me Alexander. Every time someone says ‘Lord Valentine’ I look over my shoulder for my father.” He could see her smile in the flickering light of the torches.
“Alexander it is. I’d like to introduce Slyder, my hawk.” She held her arm up so Alexander could see the grey speckled hawk perched on it. “He likes it when you rub under his chin.”
Alexander obliged and the bird leaned into his affections without hesitation. He chuckled. “Slyder looks smaller than most of the hawks I’ve seen before.”
Isabel nodded, “He’s a forest hawk. They hunt birds in the trees, so they have to be a bit smaller and more agile. You’ve probably seen the ones out on the plains. They get much bigger.”
“That makes sense,” Alexander said while scratching Slyder’s chin. “Was Slyder the hawk I saw floating over the watchtower when that wizard started trying to light me on fire?”
“That was him,” she answered. “I couldn’t tell for sure if you were the one we were looking for, but I could see that the wizard and his men were Reishi so we decided to run them off. I’m glad we did.”
“Me, too. I thought he had us for sure,” Alexander said as he patted his horse on the neck and headed toward the small campfire. Isabel walked with him, fidgeting nervously with a lock of her long chestnut hair.
“Alexander, do you really think those nether wolves will be able to find us in here?” she asked, motioning to the cave.
He took a deep breath and nodded. “They’ll be here before morning and we’ll need to be ready or we won’t see the sunrise.” When he stopped to face her, he expected to see fear in her eyes, but what he saw was resolve and determination with only a hint of nervousness.
“You fought them and survived. What can we do to prepare?” she asked.
He told the Rangers everything he knew about the beasts. He left nothing out. There was no argument or disbelief this time. Everyone had heard the howl at dusk and knew at a visceral level that the creatures that uttered that terrible sound were not of this world. He remembered that they didn’t like flame so he asked the Rangers to sta
ck every torch they had next to the small fire. He knew they would have a deadly fight on their hands and it would arrive before dawn, but he took heart in the knowledge that the nether wolves could be destroyed.
Alexander actually slept soundly despite the coming threat. When he lay down, he did so with the knowledge that everything that could be done had been done. He expected his racing mind to keep him awake but he found that place of calm certainty he had discovered during the battle with the nether wolves. He easily set aside all of his worries and did what he knew he must. He slept. Tomorrow would bring new challenges and he needed to be well rested to meet them.
He woke with a start to the sound of howling. The nether wolves had arrived. It was still dark outside, so he couldn’t be sure what the hour was. They sounded like they were at the head of the forest lake.
Everyone in the cave sat bolt upright at the sound and immediately began scrambling to prepare for the attack. When Alexander relaxed his vision and let the colors of his companions shine through, he saw a lot of fear but he also saw resolve.
He raced to the mouth of the cave to meet the attack. Wood was thrown on the fire and the torches were lit. In moments the cave was brightly illuminated and cast golden light out onto the back of the waterfall. Under other circumstances, the flickering dance of firelight against the falling water would have been beautiful, but right now Alexander didn’t have time to enjoy it.
Using his second sight, he looked out along the trail that skirted the edge of the lake for the telltale aura of darkness that gave away the nether wolves’ position.
“They’re coming,” he said.
Isabel came up alongside him and tossed Slyder into the air. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back slightly. A moment later she inhaled sharply and her eyes snapped open. She gave him a sidelong glance with a fierce little smile as she drew her sword.
“Well, you were right about one thing, Alexander, those are definitely not ordinary wolves.”
Anatoly came up beside them a moment before the first nether wolf came into view. It was bounding toward them quickly along the water-slicked path. Its footing didn’t falter because its razor-sharp talons gouged into the stone with each step. The three-legged beast behind it moved with less grace but no less speed.
The first nether wolf charged Anatoly low and fast. Alexander and Isabel backed off to give the big man-at-arms room to work with his war axe. He spun out of the way of the attack and brought the spiked pommel of his axe into the shoulder of the beast with tremendous force. The beast staggered sideways toward the ledge and one leg slipped over. It scrambled to keep from falling into the water.
Alexander seized the opening despite the second beast bearing down on him. He stepped forward quickly and kicked the beast in the side of the head, propelling it over the edge and into the water. He heard a snarl followed by a splash.
Anatoly set himself to meet the charge of the second beast. He judged the speed of the monster and swung with all his might in a powerful horizontal stroke but the nether wolf leapt at the last moment and cleared the scything blade of his war axe. The creature sailed through the air toward Alexander. He tried to turn to meet the attack but the beast crashed into him before he could get his sword around. He toppled into Isabel and they both fell to the ground with the three-legged nether wolf on top of them. Its giant head crushed into Alexander’s chest. It struggled to get its one good front leg under it so it could rise up and attack. It grunted as it got its footing, sending a burst of deathly cold breath that smelled like the inside of a crypt into Alexander’s face. When it reared back to strike, Alexander smashed it in the side of the head with the pommel of his sword just as it lunged forward, sending its gaping jaws snapping into the dirt beside him, narrowly missing his face.
Isabel scrambled backward from under Alexander and drove the point of her sword over his shoulder and into the beast’s glowing yellow eye socket before it was able to regain its feet. It flinched back, giving Alexander just enough room to roll away and get to his knees. He came up facing the one-eyed, one-legged beast. It was in a perfect position to lunge at him until Anatoly brought his great axe around in another mighty swing. This time his target was the creature’s right hind leg. His stroke was true. The beast toppled to the side, snapping at Alexander as he scrambled backwards to get out of range of its powerful jaws.
He and Isabel both gained their feet in unison. The four other Rangers charged the downed beast with swords drawn. Anatoly struck again, cleaving through the beast where its spine met its hindquarters. The four Rangers brought their swords down across the back of the nether wolf, cleaving it into sections. It came apart under the onslaught and Alexander saw the glow of its one evil yellow eye fade away even as it inched toward him, snarling and snapping.
Everyone stood still in the sudden silence, looking at the fallen beast. It was nothing but dry, black leather and white brittle bones. There was no blood or gore, nothing to prove that the thing had ever been alive.
A moment later, the last of the three beasts reached out of the water and dug its razor-sharp talons into the stone path of the cave entrance. With one mighty heave, it vaulted out of the lake and stood dripping wet and glistening black in the mouth of the cave. Its glowing yellow eyes were the color of hate as it locked onto Alexander and bolted toward him.
Isabel was closest. She brought the point of her sword up and stepped in to engage the giant creature. It slapped her blade aside, lowered its shoulder, and lunged forward into her midsection, sending her sprawling while at the same time putting it into position to strike at Alexander.
He didn’t hesitate. He spun when the creature bounced off Isabel and brought his sword around in a whistling backhanded arc. He powered his attack with fury and total commitment, fueled his strike with rage and loss. He caught the beast cleanly across the neck and cleaved its head off in a stroke. The giant wolf head tumbled to the ground. Its eyes went dark and its body collapsed in a heap of bones and leather.
Alexander paused in the sudden, stunned silence for only a moment before rushing to Isabel’s side. She was trying to get up and groaning with the effort.
“Lie still. Lucky, bring your bag!” Alexander called out without looking. “You’ll be all right, just don’t try to move. That thing hit you pretty hard.”
“Nonsense,” she said through gritted teeth, “I’ll be fine.”
Alexander smiled. “The fight’s over,” he said, gently pushing her back down. “Let Lucky take care of you.”
She relaxed slightly and winced at the pain. Then Lucky was there, calmly asking her questions about her injuries. Alexander stood and backed off to give the alchemist room to work. Her brothers stood around her, exchanging worried looks.
“Lucky’s good at this. She’ll be fine,” Alexander offered. They didn’t look convinced but didn’t interfere.
The whole fight had lasted only a few seconds. Alexander looked out the cave entrance and saw that dawn was coming. He knew the Reishi were still out there and had probably heard the baying of the nether wolves. They needed to move soon.
Abigail came up alongside him as he stood looking at Isabel lying on the ground. “You all right?” she asked softly.
He smiled over at her and nodded. “We should move soon. Would you and Jack get the horses ready? I imagine they’re pretty spooked right about now.”
She gave his hand a squeeze and nodded. “She’ll be okay, Alex.”
He smiled his thanks for her reassurance.
“Anyone else hurt?” he asked.
The others shook their heads.
“Good. We need to move soon. Let’s get camp struck and prepare to ride.”
Erik frowned, “I don’t think Isabel will be able to ride anytime soon. I’d feel better if we gave her some time to heal.” Her other brothers nodded their agreement.
Alexander smiled, “She’ll be up and ready to ride sooner than you think, but I understand your concern. We won’t move until she says she’s r
eady.”
Erik, Kevin, and Duane all snorted in unison. “She’d say she was ready right now, broken ribs and all,” Kevin said shaking his head.
Alexander put his hand on the Ranger’s shoulder. He was just about Alexander’s age but stood a couple of inches taller and weighed probably thirty pounds more. “We won’t move until she’s ready, Kevin. She just saved my life. I don’t want her hurt any more than you do.”
Kevin looked Alexander in the eye for a moment before nodding. He leaned in and whispered so Isabel couldn’t hear him, “She’s our little sister. We’re all pretty protective of her.”
Alexander smiled and deliberately looked over at Abigail. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Half an hour later the camp was struck, breakfast had been made, and the horses were ready. Lucky had given Isabel a draught of his healing potion and she had lapsed into the deep sleep that it brings on while it does its work. After Alexander packed his things and had a bite of breakfast, he went to Isabel’s side where Lucky sat waiting for her to wake.
“I’ll sit with her, Lucky. Go ahead and gather your things and have some breakfast,” he said quietly.
“Don’t let her get up too quickly. The potion makes you dizzy for a few minutes after you wake,” Lucky said before he got to his feet and ambled off to get a bowl of porridge with nuts and honey. Alexander had been grateful for a warm breakfast after days with nothing but cold biscuits, dried fruit, and jerky.
He sat on his pack next to Isabel and watched her sleep. He studied every line of her strong yet feminine features, the way her hair framed her face, and the gentle curve of her neck. She was beautiful in a way that made his heart race. He found he was smiling gently when she opened her intense green eyes. She looked up at him and smiled back a little sheepishly.
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